SOU showcases living laboratory at resilience summit

Southern Oregon University joined resilience leaders, practitioners and community partners from across Oregon for the three-day Oregon Resilience Summit in Sunriver, featuring presentations and discussions on building stronger, more resilient communities.

A talk by SOU’s Bret Anderson, Jamie Trammell and Becs Walker – “The University as a Living Laboratory for Resilience” – made the case for regional public universities like SOU to serve as anchor institutions for community resilience. Their presentation was framed around three interconnected strengths:

• Campus energy infrastructure that supports resilience both on campus and in the wider community.
• Deep relationships with community partners, co-creating solutions to real-world challenges.
• A curriculum built around mentorship and experiential learning, opening new career pathways for students.