˿Ƶ, a.k.a. ˿Ƶ Tech, is a newer member of the GTA. ˿Ƶ Tech is the Pacific Northwest’s only polytechnic university and one of ˿Ƶ University System’s seven public universities. ˿Ƶ Tech provides primarily undergraduate degrees in engineering, engineering technologies and allied health professions. With their main campus in Klamath Falls, ˿Ƶ Tech is excited to announce the opening of a new Wilsonville campus this fall. Besides certificates and undergrad degrees, their almost 4000 students can also earn a Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering Technology and new this fall, a Master of Science in Renewable Energy Engineering at the Wilsonville campus.
President Chris Maples notes that close connections with tech companies have allowed ˿Ƶ Tech to provide the most value across ˿Ƶ and Washington. In fact, they have a campus at Boeing near Seattle to serve the training needs of Boeing employees. ˿Ƶ Tech is looking to establish similarly beneficial relationships with Gorge companies, especially now that the Wilsonville campus is open. “Our goal really is to serve the needs of industry in the Pacific Northwest,” says Dr. Maples. “Most departments have industry advisory boards, and we’re small enough to be able to adjust quickly to what industry wants.” As ˿Ƶ Tech focuses more on the Gorge, the GTA hopes to work with them to meet the training needs of our member companies.
Click here for more information about the Wilsonville campus and degree programs offered there. Contact Dr. Maples at 503-821-1103 or chris.maples@oit.edu or Lita Colligan, Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Government Relations, at 503-821-1247 or lita.colligan@oit.edu. Or visit oit.edu to learn more.
˿Ƶ Julie Tucker, Graduate, ˿Ƶ Tech
Julie Tucker has lived in Hood River for 18 years and recently walked with a B.S. in Renewable Energy Engineering from ˿Ƶ Tech. Her path started several years ago with Columbia Gorge Community College’s Renewable Energy Technology program. In her 2nd year at CGCC, she started also taking classes at ˿Ƶ Tech. The program was then brand new and she appreciated the close teacher relationships that ensure each student meets their goals, as well as the classes taught by industry leaders, such as the wind energy class taught by lead engineer at Vestas.
Julie is most interested in work in the Power Energy industry, primarily with protection and controls of generation, efficiency, transmission and distribution. “I’m very fascinated with smart grid technologies and the ability to make a self-healing grid with distributed generation and variable loads,” she says. With the grid requiring revamping to meet current and future energy challenges, Julie wants to be a part of that. The GTA wishes you best of luck!
