Oregon Tech Celebrates Faculty and Staff at Annual Convocation

On Sept. 22, the Oregon Tech community reunited for its annual Convocation ceremony. This event not only celebrated the arrival of Fall Term but also welcomed new and returning faculty and staff members, who met to prepare for a new academic year beginning Sept. 30.

As a tradition marking the start of each academic season, Convocation is an opportunity for faculty and staff to learn emerging trends and improve upon existing procedures. This year, President Nagi Naganathan introduced his theme for 2026-27: Lifting Oregon Tech through the Headwinds.

"We cannot control every force that will shape the year ahead," Naganathan described. "Higher education continues to face significant headwinds. We will encounter pressures we can anticipate and, undoubtedly, some we cannot. Our task is not to pretend those headwinds do not exist. Our task is to understand them, prepare for them, and use the strengths of this university to keep moving forward."

"We have extraordinary faculty and staff," Naganathan continued. "We have students who come here because they want an education that leads somewhere. We have programs with exceptional outcomes, an ambitious strategic plan to guide us, and a community that has demonstrated time and again its ability to adapt, innovate, and move forward together."

Honoring the people of Oregon Tech, Convocation is also a time to celebrate the dedication and contributions of Oregon Tech faculty and staff. At the opening event, Oregon Tech celebrated the dedication and long-term contributions of its faculty and staff through years-of-service recognition. This year, 57 employees were honored for reaching service milestones, representing a combined 615 years of service to the university. Faculty and staff are recognized in five-year increments, with this year's honorees reaching milestones ranging from five to 40 years of service. A complete list of employees recognized and their years of service can be found below.

In recognition of their commitment to both Oregon Tech and its students, several employees received special recognition during the ceremony. Award recipients were selected based on nomination letters detailing their commitment to the university and their impact on students and colleagues, embodying the spirit of Oregon Tech.

Awards presented this year include:

• Student Affairs Most Valuable Partner Award: Dr. Lara Pracht, Director of Academic Affairs at Oregon Tech Portland-Metro; and Michelle Meyer, Director of Audit and Compliance
• Oregon Tech Foundation Rising Faculty Scholar Award: Dr. Rachel Edwards, Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences
• Oregon Tech Foundation Faculty Achievement Award: Dr. Su Jin Lee, Assistant Professor and Program Director of Geomatics; and Christy VanRooyen, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and Natural Resources
• Faculty Mentor Award: Dr. Kevin Brown, Professor of Communication Studies
• Classified Staff Award: Sonja Bieler, Admissions Business Systems Analyst
• President's Staff Award: Tony Richey, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer; and Michelle Meyer, Director of Audit and Compliance

Also recognized at the event were recently announced Oregon Tech Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award recipients Professor Todd Breedlove of Computer Systems Engineering Technology, and Associate Professor Richard Carson of Medical Imaging Technology.

As faculty and staff prepare to welcome students back to campus, the accomplishments recognized during Convocation reflect the talent, service, and determination that define the Oregon Tech community.

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The following individuals were celebrated for years of service:

40 Years

• Calvin Caldwell, Professor, Computer Systems Engineering Technology, Klamath Falls

30 Years

• Todd Breedlove, Professor, Computer Systems Engineering Technology, Klamath Falls

25 Years

• Christopher Bowman, Campus Security/Public Safety Officer, Campus Safety, Klamath Falls
• Kevin Brown, Professor, Communication, Klamath Falls

20 Years

• Diana Angeli, Executive Assistant, President's Office, Klamath Falls
• Richard Carson, Associate Professor, Medical Imaging Technology, Klamath Falls
• Michael "Bruno" Daenzer Jr., Trades/Maintenance Worker 2, Facilities Services, Klamath Falls
• Irina Demeshko-Prosnik, Associate Professor, Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology, Klamath Falls
• Hui-Yun Li, Professor, Natural Science, Klamath Falls
• Brandy Nightingale, Program Representative 1, Advising and Retention Center, Klamath Falls

15 Years

• Debra Disko, Program Representative 2, Oregon Tech - Wilsonville
• Tara Guthrie, Associate Professor, Medical Imaging Technology, Klamath Falls
• Patrick Kile, Instrument Technician 2, Civil Engineering, Klamath Falls
• Jesse Kinder, Professor, Natural Science, Klamath Falls
• Karla Lindsey, Administrative Program Assistant, Registrar's Office, Klamath Falls
• Ryan Madden, General Education Program Director and Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences, Wilsonville
• Gregory Pak, Associate Professor, Natural Science, Wilsonville
• Paula Russell, Professor, Dental Hygiene, Klamath Falls
• Feng Shi, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering & Renewable Energy, Klamath Falls
• Sean Sloan, Associate Professor, Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology, Klamath Falls

10 Years

• Kyle Chapman, Professor and Department Chair, Humanities and Social Sciences, Klamath Falls
• Vivian Chen, Director of Procurement, Finance and Administration, Wilsonville
• Carmen Curtz, Instructor, Integrated Clinical Sciences, Wilsonville
• Kenneth Davis, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Mathematics, Klamath Falls
• Caroline Doty, Professor, Integrated Clinical Sciences, Wilsonville
• Jon Kelley, Operating Systems/Network Analyst 2, Information Technology Services, Klamath Falls
• Jesse Kinder, Professor, Natural Science, Klamath Falls
• Michelle Meyer, Director of Audit & Compliance, Finance and Administration, Klamath Falls
• Ashlie Pence, Associate Registrar, Registrar's Office, Klamath Falls
• Yuehai Yang, Professor, Natural Science, Klamath Falls

5 Years

• Arief Budiman, Assistant Professor, Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology, Klamath Falls
• Brooke Cohara, Office Specialist 2, Housing, Klamath Falls
• Michael Crenshaw-Davis, Administrative Program Specialist, Business Affairs, Klamath Falls
• Jeff Daniels, Information Technology Consultant 2, Marketing, Klamath Falls
• Kelly Filipchuk, Assistant Director, Retention, Wilsonville
• Ken Fincher, Vice President, University Advancement, Klamath Falls
• Grace Fore, Administrative Program Specialist, Registrar's Office, Tennessee
• Danny Guthrie, Senior Admissions Counselor, Admissions, Wilsonville
• Emily Gustafson-Plummer, Senior Instructor I, Dental Hygiene, Salem
• John Harman, Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration, Klamath Falls
• Mercedes Harrington Messex, Office Specialist 2, Facilities Services, Klamath Falls
• Shannon Inman, Administrative Program Specialist, Dental Hygiene, Klamath Falls
• Jennifer Kammerman, Research Administrative Manager, OMIC - Scappoose Operations
• Beverly McCreary, Vice Provost for Faculty Success, Office of the Provost, Klamath Falls
• Kyle McGann, Machine Solutions Researcher, OMIC - Scappoose Operations
• David Myers, Head Coach of Golf, Athletics, Klamath Falls
• Josephine Ness, Executive Director, Admissions, Klamath Falls
• Nupur Pande, Instructor, Natural Science, Wilsonville
• Robert "Bob" Reynolds, Pre-College Coordinator, Educational Partnerships & Outreach, Klamath Falls
• Riley Richards, Associate Professor, Communication, Klamath Falls
• Markie Scheidegger, Senior Instructor I, Communication, Klamath Falls
• Tracy Scharn, Instruction & Outreach Librarian, Library, Klamath Falls
• Taylor Schaming, Associate Manufacturing Solutions Researcher, OMIC - Scappoose Operations
• Bryan Wada, Information Technology Consultant 2, Information Technology Services, Klamath Falls
• Jintai Wang, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, Klamath Falls
• Jennifer Wilson, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Equity, Office of DICE, Klamath Falls
• Willow Augustine, Employer Relations Specialist, Educational Partnerships & Outreach, Klamath Falls
• Michael Yilek, Assistant Director, Operations, Admissions, Klamath Falls