STATE OF
DIVERSITY
The Office of
Institutional Diversity
2024
Welcome to the 2024 State of Diversity at Oregon State
This annual event highlights innovative programs and intiatives led by community members from across the state advancing OSU's inclusive excellence mission.
The community members highlighted in this year's State of Diversity are making real impact and making real our goals to be a university focused on big disoveries that drive big solutions, a university where every student graduates, and a university that fuels a thriving world in every dimension.
This year's highlights encompass five broad themes: Student support, research, teaching and curriculum, community partnerships and alumni impact. We hope you enjoy the brief interviews, and the accompanying stories, and that you share them with your communities.
Summer Escalera: Latino Network partners with Oregon State
Summer Escalera is designed to support juniors in high school entering their senior year, providing them an experience that gives them a taste of college life and opening the possibilities for their futures.
Read more: A place for all
Veteran and Military-Connected Community Care
Support and services for veteran and military students are provided through Counseling and Psychological Services and the Holcomb Center for Military and Veteran Resources, with an emphasis on mental health and increased awareness.
Read more: Mission-focused on mental health
OSU Core Education
OSU's Core Education program, launching in summer 2025, will prepare students to be proactive members of society who are ready to take on any challenge, solve any problem and help build a better world.
Read more: More relevant, more responsive to the changing world
Alumni Impact: Dr. Keith Dempsey
Dr. Keith Dempsey, '93, M.S. '96, Ph.D. '10 is enacting positive social change in the community and at OSU. He supports Black students at OSU, initiated the Black Alumni and Friends Network and prepares people entering the field of professional counseling, particularly to serve the Black community.
Read more: Counselor Keith Dempsey encourages progress and healing for OSU's Black community
Addressing biases in Artificial Intelligence
Eric Slyman, a Ph.D. student in artificial intelligence and computer science, looks at how AI learns social biases and they’ve built a tool called VLSlice to help AI auditors address it quickly, accurately and economically
Read more: Unbiased vision: Eric Slyman works to address fairness and representation in AI
OSU Assist
OSU Assist is a multidisciplinary support team providing compassionate mobile crisis response and wraparound services for individuals facing extenuating circumstances or experiencing other forms of distress.
Read more: No one should ever feel alone in a time of crisis
OSU-Cascades collaborates with Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Leona Ike, '24, an elder in the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and a recent graduate of OSU, served as student Tribal liaison and Tribal cultural advisor while at OSU-Cascades. In this role, she shared Indigenous culture and history as part of the First Peoples of Central Oregon Cultural Experiences in October 2023.
Read more: Visibility, understanding, respect
Oregon State supports 2023 NDiSTEM conference
The National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) conference is the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity conference in the country. The presenting partnership included a large collaborative investment from the university in the recruitment and support of minoritized students and faculty.
Read more: Conference showcases OSU's scientific excellence, commitment to diversity in STEM
Research supports importance of racial literacy on mental health
Dr. Iván Carbajal's research explores the impact of racial literacy in virtual classroom environments.
Read more: Inclusivity in the virtual classroom
State of Diversity at Oregon State Reception
Tuesday, May 28
Noon to 1 p.m.
Memorial Union, Horizon Room
Join us in honoring and celebrating the many Oregon State community members who have worked for equity and justice over the last academic year. Featuring remarks from President Jayathi Y. Murthy and others.
Livestream available at live.oregonstate.edu.
Special Thanks
University Relations and Marketing
- Carson Dunlap
- David Baker
- Darryl Lai
- Shelby Zacharias
- Ashley Locke
- Gary Dulude
- Oliver Day
- Becky Barrett
University Housing & Dining Services
Memorial Union Staff
Media Services
OSU-Cascades Community Relations and Marketing
OSU Foundation Alumni Association