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Conservation and natural sciences

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A view of a bay with bright blue water in Hawai'i, taken from the Ala Kahakai Trail.

A biological, cultural approach to conservation begins at home – and online

3 minute read Cayla “La” Crivello wanted to find a way to impact her community without having to leave it. What she found was Oregon State University Ecampus and an environmental sciences degree that she could complete without having to leave Hawai’i. And now? She’s engaging with her local and state government and working in conservation.

Samantha Chisholm Hatfield sits on a traditional tribal blanket in a traditional garment, holding a fan made of feathers.

Providing support comes second to understanding the needs of Indigenous students

3 minute read Through Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield’s own rigorous education and personal experience, she’s helped build a support network for Oregon State’s Indigenous students. And she serves as a point of connection for those students, including those who may never meet her in person because she knows how essential that feeling of belonging can be to student success.

conservation and natural sciences

A closer look at 5 online degrees in conservation and natural sciences

4 minute read Knowing how to take care of the planet and the animals who live here is just one of our areas of expertise at Oregon State. To get there in your career, you can choose from a variety of bachelor’s degree programs that align with your passion for conservation and natural sciences — and they’re all delivered online by OSU Ecampus.

Adrian Gonzalez is pursuing an online zoology degree with Oregon State and takes part in a student club from a distance.

Student clubs create a sense of belonging for Oregon State’s distance learners

3 minute read Nearly 100 student-led clubs and organizations are open to Oregon State’s online learners. The benefits of joining a club from a distance are real. Just ask Adrian Gonzalez — an Ecampus zoology major who is also a member of OSU’s Wildlife Conservation Club.

An urban garden sits in the image foreground with plants in raised beds and elsewhere. A parking garage under construction with a crane is in the background. Urban agriculture online.

Urban agriculture: New online certificate cultivates opportunity

3 minute read When Gail Langellotto began building an urban agriculture program at Oregon State in 2016, it was in response to the College of Agricultural Sciences’ recognition of the important role urban ag plays in the development of a strong, viable, vibrant food system. This past July, Oregon State launched the first credit-based urban agriculture certificate program in the nation. It is delivered online by OSU Ecampus.

An aerial photo of a rainforest in Borneo. Online fisheries and wildlife

Ecampus student 1 of 7 at OSU to earn study abroad scholarship

2 minute read Esmeralda Sanchez, an OSU Ecampus student in fisheries and wildlife sciences, will participate in a forest conservation program in Malaysian Borneo after being awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study internationally during the 2020-21 academic year. It’s part of a congressionally funded program designed to broaden U.S. participation in education abroad.

Carlee Sedgwick, a sustainability and sociology double major with Oregon State University Ecampus, stands with ocean cliffs behind her. She is in the environmental and natural resource option in the sociology bachelor's degree program.

Oregon State Everywhere: Prone to wanderlust, but at home with Ecampus

2 minute read “I think my favorite part about Ecampus, besides the community and approachability of all the faculty, is the overall flexibility allowed through online classes. … When I graduate, I want to continue my education before pursuing a career that involves conservation, environmental justice or really anything to do with environmental sustainability.” – Carlee Sedgwick, sociology and sustainability double major

Heath Blackmon, Oregon State University Ecampus environmental sciences graduate and assistant professor at Texas A&M University

Oregon State Everywhere: ‘My Ecampus degree gave me an edge’

3 minute read “The quality and the rigor of courses that I took at Ecampus were on par with any in-person class and prepared me for a future in science. Even though my classes were taken at a distance, the professors built learning activities that gave me firsthand experience in analyzing and interpreting a range of data from ice core samples to satellite photos.” – OSU Ecampus environmental sciences graduate Heath Blackmon

Joshua Chan Burgos, an OSU Ecampus graduate, wears a graduation cap and gown while surrounded by his family and OSU's mascot, Benny the Beaver

Sustainability, anthropology grad finds inspiration amid poverty, disaster

6 minute read Inside a classroom in the remote countryside of Central Asia in 2013, Joshua Chan Burgos was jolted into a new and ambitious sense of what he needed to do. Volunteering for a nonprofit, he was surrounded by orphans and saw young faces filled with excitement. He saw children determined to get educated so they could give back to their small communities. Something clicked. Chan Burgos knew his next step was to find a place where he could prepare to put into practice his belief that learning and community-building can occur anywhere on the planet. That place was Oregon State.

Andrea Fuchs, an Oregon State University Ecampus graduate in fisheries and wildlife sciences, stands on the OSU campus in Corvallis in June 2019.

Oregon State Ecampus graduate ‘shocked’ by her scientific success

3 minute read As a kid, Andrea Fuchs dreamed of someday working with animals. Those dreams were squelched – at least in her mind – because she struggled in high school math and science classes. But when a web search for reputable online degree programs led her to discover Oregon State’s award-winning fisheries and wildlife sciences bachelor’s program, all she could think about was her childhood aspirations.