Treehouse Mural by Nell Pierce 2019 featuring three founding members of the Treehouse program, planting seeds to grow into the diversity and belonging program. Includes a quotation by Otavia Bulter, “All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.”

The inaugural Treehouse team commissioned a mural for the newly renovated space by artist Nell Pierce in 2019 featuring four founding members of the Treehouse program. The theme of planting seeds to grow into the diversity and belonging program, includes a quotation by Octavia E. Butler,

"All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.”  

The office of Diversity and Belonging promotes a dynamic, diverse, and inclusive campus through events, programs, and relationship building with all members of the ˿Ƶ Tech community.

Our commitment to diversity includes bringing people together to create a community at ˿Ƶ Tech where all feel a sense of belonging.

by Campuslife2

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all ˿Ƶ Tech sponsored events.  If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Disability Services or the Office of Human Resources in advance of this program.

If you have witnessed or experienced an act of discrimination on campus, please provide information. You may fill this form out anonymously by providing no identifying information, and providing only the information you feel comfortable sharing.

Diversity & Belonging

We empower and support the retention of diverse student populations and communities, and provide services and support in the following areas:

  • Understanding Difference
  • Promoting Social Justice
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Microaggressions
  • Identity Development
  • Intersectionality
  • Community Building
  • Cultural Events
Shawni CayetanoRamos
Associate Director for Student Leadership Development & Cultural Engagement

Klamath Falls

Kim Faks
Assistant Director of Student Involvement & Belonging

Portland-Metro (Wilsonville)

Diversity and Belonging 3

Check out what Diversity & Belonging has provided at ˿Ƶ Tech by theme. This can include trainings on a variety of topics, activities, and conversations to increase participants' understanding of diversity and inclusion, and to create a sense of belonging for all at ˿Ƶ Tech. This training can be tailored to your program, department, or classroom.

˿Ƶ Tech Celebrates Native American Heritage

2023 Featured Events

 

by Campuslife2

 

Read ˿Ƶ Tech's land acknowledgements here.

There are a wide variety of scholarships available around the world by sponsors who would like to support you and your long-term goals! Diversity & Belonging will do our best to share some of the excellent resources that we hear about. 

˿Ƶ Tech awards Leadership and Diversity (LAD) Scholarships each year to students who meet the application criteria. Students must not have a bachelor's degree in order to receive an LAD Scholarship. LAD Scholarship recipients are expected to fulfill ten service hours each term, providing leadership and/or promoting diversity in some way at ˿Ƶ Tech or in the community.

Find out how to track scholarship community service hours here.

"Individuals within the LGBTQ community are already faced with enough obstacles in their daily lives that they don't need the added stress of figuring out how to pay for a higher education. Through the means of finding 30 scholarships dedicated to supporting the community, we're hoping to alleviate some of that stress. Many scholarships go unapplied each year, which means lots of money goes unused. So make sure you while you're planning your educational future." From Zippia.com

Women in STEM Conference

 The inaugural conference took place Friday, April 21st at ˿Ƶ Tech’s Portland-Metro campus in Wilsonville, OR.

Students from ˿Ƶ’s higher education institutions as well as alumni and professionals in STEM fields were invited.

Sessions Facilitated by Topic Experts Include:
  • 8:00am - Check In Opens and Continental Breakfast
  • 9:00am - Welcome Keynote: Dr. Ashton Greer, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, ˿Ƶ Tech
  • 9:30am - Wage Gap by Gender, Salary Negotiation: Rebecca Jordan, DW Fritz
  • 10:30am - Imposter Syndrome: Savannah Loberger, Incomm
  • 11:30-12:15pm - Speed Networking: Facilitated by Industry Professionals
  • 12:15pm - Lunch
  • 1:00pm - Diversity and Inclusion: Garima Gautam, Intel
  • 2:00pm - "What I Wish I Would Have Known": Kristina Landen, Garmin and Carina Hahn, Intel
  • 3:00pm - Resume/Interview Workshop - Helping Students Create Power Statements: Desire' Wooten, ˿Ƶ Tech Career Services

Ashton Greer

Ashton Greer is an Assistant Professor in ˿Ƶ Tech's Civil Engineering Department. She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from The University of Alabama in 2019 and has professional experience in the construction and water management industries. Ashton's educational background is in water resources, with a particular emphasis in using remote sensing and GIS for hydrologic applications. Ashton's primary teaching roles include a core sequence of water resource courses as well as upper-level water resources electives. Additionally, she leads the First Year Engineering sequence for civil, electrical, and renewable energy engineering students. She maintains an active interdisciplinary research portfolio and aims to meaningfully involve undergraduate engineering students in applied research projects. Ashton also maintains an active service profile at ˿Ƶ Tech, as a faculty senator and member of various campus committees. In her free time, Ashton enjoys biking and exploring the outdoors around Klamath Falls with her dog.


Rebecca Kobzeff Jordan

Rebecca Jordan is the Manager of Employee experience with DWFritz Precision Automation here in Wilsonville. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from ˿Ƶ State University in Economics and Sociology. After 3 years of headhunting for technical experts, Rebecca took a break from recruiting to teach English as a second language in Busan, South Korea. She returned home to the USA a year later with a new perspective on international work culture and collaboration and started internal Talent Acquisition for manufacturing industries. Here, she started including retention building programs and community outreach into her recruiting strategy to build stronger and more engaged teams. Currently at DWFritz, Rebecca is leading the organizations Affirmative Action to ensure engineering and technical industries continue to hire with an inclusive and diverse lens. She understands the obstacles women in technical fields face when it comes to compensation awareness and negotiating competitively. Besides her career, Rebecca enjoys skiing Mt. Hood, weightlifting, walking her dog Birdy, and spending as much time in the sun as possible. 


Savannah Loberger

Savannah is a seasoned Software Developer with over 10 years of experience in the tech industry, currently working as an Application Engineer at InComm Payments. As a former Intel engineer, she has worked on various projects ranging from IT troubleshooting to Data Plane Architecture. She is also an active volunteer and STEM outreach program founder, with a passion for inspiring the next generation of makers and innovators. 

In addition to her technology career, Savannah is a dedicated community builder and STEM advocate. She founded Girls Get IT! back in high school, the first program to be peer-led and provide hands-on STEM learning opportunities in a supportive community for middle and high school girls. In addition to her work with Girls Get IT!, Savannah has volunteered with several organizations wearing different hats. She volunteered as a judge, emcee, and mentor and coach supporting ORTOP and several robotics teams over the years. She has served a term on the board of Girl Scouts of ˿Ƶ and SW Washington. She has been an ambassador at the NCWIT National Summit and participated in the White House roundtable discussion on technology inclusion. She is maybe the only person to have been awarded both the National NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing and the NCWIT Educator Award. She produced the Central ˿Ƶ Maker Faire Digital event, which featured over 50% of speakers who were minority and women makers and the following year produced the Central ˿Ƶ Maker Faire Education event. Savannah's passion for community building, STEM education, and digital making continue to inspire and empower the next generation of innovators and makers. 

In her upcoming talk on imposter syndrome, Savannah will draw on her own experiences to provide insights and advice. Through her talk, she will share practical strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome and building confidence, while also encouraging students to embrace their unique strengths and talents. 


Garima Gautam

Garima Gautam is an Engineering Manager in Equipment Productivity Group under Intel’s Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Operations Group. In 2015 Garima started her Intel career in supply chain and has experience in multiple supply chain areas including lithography, wet and dry-etch and advanced filtration. Prior to Intel, Garima worked at other Fortune 100 companies. Garima holds a M.Sc. degree in Global Supply Chain Management and B.Sc. in Computer Science.  

Garima is committed to empowering women to thrive through advocacy, mentoring, meaningful connection and strategic opportunities. She is very engaged within Women at Intel Network having held both site and cross-site leadership positions. She drives multiple diversity & inclusion projects inside and outside Intel. She is a recipient of Intel's Global 

Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact Achievement Award. Garima is a recipient of STEP ahead national award and serves on Manufacturing Institute’s Diversity and Inclusion advisory committee. She leads SEMI’s manufacturing ownership diversity group & co-chairs WiS (Women in Semiconductor). She is an adjunct faculty at Portland State University’s School of Business and volunteers at mentoring circles. Outside of work she loves travelling and learning about other cultures with her family. 


Kristina Landen

Kristina Landen is a Software Engineer at Garmin AT in Salem, ˿Ƶ. She has a BS in Software Engineering with a concentration in Cyber Security, and a Minor in Systems Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ. In her five years at Garmin, Kristina has led the testing efforts of multiple features and driven process changes and improvements benefitting each team she's worked with. Outside of work, Kristina mentors a FIRST Robotics Competition team. 

 

Carina Hahn

Carina Hahn has worked at Intel for over 6 years. She started as a process engineer in Intel’s Logic Technology Development group and is now an Engineering Manager leading an organization helping to develop Intel processors. She graduated from the University of Utah in 2016 with her BS/MS in Materials Science and Engineering. Carina is also involved in the Society of Women Engineers where she has held numerous local and society-level positions including local section President. In 2020 she received the Society of Women Engineers Distinguished New Engineer Award, and in 2015 she received the Outstanding Collegiate Member Award. 

 


Desiré Wooten

Desiré Wooten has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources and Office Management with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from Colorado State University- Global Campus. Throughout her education and experience Desiré has specialized in talent acquisition, career, workforce and professional development and training. Desiré has worked in the staffing and hospitality industries before starting her current journey in Higher Education. It was through these experiences and her own struggles as a first-generation college student, that she realized her biggest strength and passion is helping people navigate the barriers and winding path to an individual’s perfect career that often occurs. When Desiré isn’t working with and cheering students on, she is spending time traveling and learning new recipes with her husband. 


 

Campus Parking

Parking Permits

Parking is free at the Portland-Metro campus every day!
Just be sure to park in a space designated “OT.”

 

ADA Parking

Persons displaying a DMV issued ADA placard or license plate are authorized to park in any valid parking space on campus in addition to parking in designated ADA spaces.
Student Involvement and Belonging Logo

 

Event programming by ˿Ƶ Tech’s Student Involvement and Belonging Team.
Please direct all questions and inquiries to Getinvolved@oit.edu
Portland-Metro Student Services image showing various student activities (ASOIT brings baby goats, Clubs Fair,  Painting with Bob Ross event, Career Fair, Paper Airplane contest)

Please give us 2 weeks to prepare for your workshop/training. Workshops can be facilitated for students, staff, or faculty. If you do not see a relevant training or workshop listed, please reach out to our office to see if there is something else we can offer or build together.

This training can include a variety of topics, activities, and conversation to increase participants' understanding of diversity and inclusion, and to create a sense of belonging for all at ˿Ƶ Tech. This training can be tailored to your program, department, or classroom.

These trainings are opportunities to learn about LGBTQ+ identities, gender and sexuality, and examine prejudice, assumptions, and privilege. Attend this training to learn how to be supportive and provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty
This workshop explores our understanding of race, how it is defined in society and the history of racism, then moves on to processing and responding to racism. Activities, scenarios, and discussion ask workshop attendees to share and examine racism, build solidarity, and be empowered to respond to racism in day-to-day living.

Contact us to explore more options!

Klamath Falls

Associate Director for Student Leadership Development and Cultural Engagement

College Union 214

541-885-0164

 

Portland-Metro

Assistant Director Student Involvement & Belonging

Wilsonville 430

503-821-1361

˿Ƶ Tech students may submit a  form to update their preferred name for their official school email address and academic rosters. 

The following resources are designed for LGBTQ students and anyone who supports them. From apps to campus organizations, there is help, assistance and encouragement there for the taking.

Portland-Metro Student Services wants all students to know that they are welcome on our campus and in our community. Image shows rainbow and rainbow heart.