December 2025
Greetings CAS Community,
Across the College of Agricultural Sciences, our commitment to inclusive excellence remains as strong as ever. As Oregon’s land-grant university, our mission to serve all Oregonians depends on fostering learning, research, and work environments where every individual is supported, valued, and able to thrive. Inclusive excellence is fundamental to our Prosperity Widely Shared and Cultivating Prosperity goals—strengthening student recruitment and retention, expanding research that reflects the breadth of Oregon’s communities, and ensuring our outreach truly serves the full diversity of people across the state.
This newsletter highlights the many ways our students, faculty, and staff are leading with purpose and building belonging. From student clubs winning national awards, to stories that illuminate the cultural richness and diverse perspectives shaping our research and teaching, these features remind us of the transformative power of an inclusive academic community. I’m also excited to share that next April we will welcome renowned chef, author, and Indigenous foodways leader Sean Sherman, whose visit will deepen our conversations around culture, food systems, and community well-being.
I am grateful for the thoughtful efforts of our CEDI committee and for the many colleagues who contribute daily to this work. I look forward to building on this momentum together and continuing to elevate the people and stories that strengthen our college and advance our mission.
Here’s to a great year ahead—Go Beavs!
Staci L. Simonich, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Dean and Reub Long Professor
College of Agricultural Sciences
Director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station
Dear CAS Colleagues and Students,
I’m excited to reintroduce the CEDI Newsletter as a regular platform to celebrate, elevate, and expand the inclusion-focused work happening across the College of Agricultural Sciences. Since joining CAS, I have been deeply inspired by the many ways our community brings the values of equity, diversity, and belonging to life—through research shaped by diverse partnerships, through teaching that creates welcoming classroom environments, and through the vibrant student organizations that anchor so much of this important work.
This edition features stories that reflect the strength and impact of our community: national awards for our SACNAS and MANRRS chapters, faculty advancing research through community-engaged collaborations, and students building spaces where every member of our college can feel a sense of belonging. These stories embody the spirit and aspirations of our Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence, and they highlight the momentum we are building as we work together to ensure that CAS remains a thriving, welcoming, and forward-looking community.
I encourage you to explore the stories, attend upcoming events, and consider sharing your own ideas and experiences. Whether you have a fully formed feature, a brief highlight, an external publication, or even just a seed of a story, we want to hear from you. Together, we will continue strengthening visibility, opportunity, and connection across our college—and ensure that inclusive excellence remains foundational to everything we do.
In community,
Nadia D. Singh
Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Faculty Affairs
College of Agricultural Sciences
Sean Sherman: The (R)evolution of Indigenous Foodways
Center for the Humanities and the College of Agricultural Sciences Present: Sean Sherman: The (R)evolution of Indigenous Foodways. April 25, 2026, 7 p.m.
CAS supported Events:
- Annual meeting of two academic organizations:
- AAPI Food and Wine Fest: May 17-18, 2025
- Educational Opportunities Program and Conference
- Sean Sherman: April 25, 2026, 7 p.m
- 9th annual multicultural alumni and friends tailgater: October 11, 2025
