Oregon State University’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences hosted the first trip for geology students at local community colleges to experience three days at the field camp outside of Mitchell, in Central Oregon.
The June 19-21 trip gave students finishing or starting their bachelor’s degree at Oregon State a chance to observe students in their final year out in the field at the camp, while also experiencing the geological attributes of the region.
Students for this trip were notified by instructors in geological courses at local community colleges at Linn-Benton, Chemekita, and Lane. In total, eight students attended the trip. In the past, OSU has hosted trips similar, but this was the first for community college students.
“Since this was the first trip, it served as a trial run. In the future, we hope to announce it more widely,” said Deron Carter, an instructor in the geology department and interim dean at LBCC.
The students left OSU’s Wilkinson Hall at noon Friday after a short tour of the CEOAS building, then headed out on their four-hour drive to Central Oregon.
Along the way, students got to observe the geological anomalies in the Cascades alongside the roads and see the mountain ranges from a new perspective.
“It is such a great opportunity for students to get out of the classroom, get their hands dirty, and see what a field science, like geology, is like first hand,” Carter added in his email.
Once students arrived they were greeted by not only the dry heat of the desert, but also by the senior geology students charting the Earth’s layers in nearby Meyers Canyon.
The community college students engaged in conversation with the seniors, including the focus on their degrees. Most ranged from geology to oceanography and everything in between at CEOAS.
“Not only do they get to apply what they have learned in the classroom, but they also get to engage with each other and build a sense of community,” Carter said. “What better way to get to know your peers than sharing a van ride across Central Oregon, and camping out under the stars for a few nights.”
“Also, this experience allows them to see other OSU students in action, and can help envision their future and build their networks of students and OSU faculty, which can help ease the transfer process,” Carter wrote.
In a separate email, Andrea Balbas said the drive to connect with prospective transfers stems directly from her own roots and is part of the reason this trip is possible.
“I was a nontraditional community college student,” Balbas wrote.
Balbas added that the goal of the trip is to demystify the university experience. “My primary goal is to help students self-actualize. We want to make sure students know they can make their dreams come true with us at OSU.”
Even for those on the fence about geology or Earth sciences, Balbas made one thing clear: you don’t need your entire academic life planned out to step on the van. When asked if students still questioning their major or career path are welcome on future field trips, her answer was straightforward: “Absolutely.”
While the trip centered on geology, Balbas emphasized that CEOAS programs span the broader Earth sciences, including oceanography, climate science, and geospatial analysis.
“Any student with an interest in transferring to CEOAS at OSU can attend,” Balbas said in her email. “They should reach out to me with any questions.”
As the vans packed up and left the dusty sagebrush and the heat behind, one question lingered, “What was an oceanographer doing out in the desert?”
The answer lies beneath the sand and gravel. Millions of years before Mitchell was high desert, it sat beneath a prehistoric ocean, making the ancient marine sediments and fossil beds of Central Oregon just as relevant to studying the sea as the Pacific coastline.
| Explore CEOAS Programs: Learn more about degree programs at; ceoas.oregonstate.edu/future Prospective Student Inquiries: Student Advisor Jen Edwards directly at; jen.edwards@oregonstate.edu LBCC+CEOAS Geology Field Trip: To sign up or get details about the next joint field trip, email Andrea Balbas at; andrea.balbas@oregonstate.edu |
