CORVALLIS, Ore. — A transdisciplinary team of Oregon State University researchers, Extension specialists and students dedicated to helping coastal communities adapt to natural hazards has been named a regional winner of the Outreach Scholarship W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award.
“The Oregon Coastal Futures Project is a shining example of how transdisciplinary research and teaching can combine with community engagement to benefit all Oregonians.”
The Oregon Coastal Futures Project is one of four regional award winners announced by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The winners now advance to compete for the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, the nation’s top honor for university-community partnerships. The Magrath Award will be announced in November.
“As a modern, land-grant university, OSU partners with communities to solve some of our state’s greatest challenges,” OSU President Jayathi Murthy said. “The Oregon Coastal Futures Project is a shining example of how transdisciplinary research and teaching can combine with community engagement to benefit all Oregonians.”
Building resilience with coastal communities
Oregon’s coastal counties face threats from sea level rise, severe coastal storms and the eventual rupture of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which could generate a massive earthquake and tsunami. In response to requests from local communities, OSU launched the Oregon Coastal Futures Project to help underserved and rural residents prepare for these risks.
The project uses a collaborative approach to examine social, economic and ecological tradeoffs of adaptation strategies. The team collects social, economic, natural resource and infrastructure data to help partners create equitable adaptation policies that protect assets and maintain access after disasters.
Project lead Peter Ruggiero, a professor in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS), said early and ongoing engagement with a Community Advisory Council was critical to success.
“Our frequent meetings and conversations with the Community Advisory Council led to co-produced research approaches and priorities that broadened authentic connections with coastal communities,” Ruggiero said.
Sharing results and building community capacity
Students, postdoctoral scholars and community partners involved in the project regularly share findings across Oregon’s coastal region. Their work includes more than 30 presentations to lawmakers, community groups and public audiences; multiple “Science on Tap” talks; more than 15 peer-reviewed publications; and the development of two websites and several story maps.
Marina Denny, associate vice provost for engagement in OSU’s Division of Extension and Engagement, noted the national importance of this work.
“We are the people’s university, committed to engaging communities to mutually find solutions to big problems,” Denny said. “Engagement, when done well, is a transformational approach to strengthening university-community partnerships.”
Team members
- John Bolte, professor, Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering, College of Agricultural Sciences
- Patrick Corcoran, associate professor emeritus, CEOAS; retired Oregon Sea Grant Extension coastal hazards specialist
- Daniel T. Cox, professor and director, Cascadia Lifelines Project, College of Engineering
- Steven J. Dundas, associate professor, College of Agricultural Sciences; researcher, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station
- Felicia Olmeta Schult, professor of practice, CEOAS; Oregon Sea Grant Extension coastal hazards specialist
- Jenna Tilt, assistant professor, CEOAS
This is OSU’s second time receiving a regional Kellogg engagement award. Open Campus, an OSU Extension program providing access to education statewide, won in 2014.
APLU and the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, have recognized university-community partnerships through these awards since 2007. The four 2024 regional winners — Oregon State University, East Carolina University, the University of Minnesota and West Virginia University — will receive $5,000 each to further their work.
“Community engagement is a critical part of public universities’ mission,” APLU President Mark Becker said. “We’re pleased to highlight institutions solving pressing challenges through meaningful partnerships.”
Previously titled OSU Oregon Coastal Futures Project recognized with national engagement award
