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Conservation and natural sciences

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Chris Holt wears his black graduation cap and gown and a black "Class of 2018" stole. Oregon State's mascot Benny the Beaver stands on Chris' left side, wearing a white Beavers jersey.

Sometimes the right career move brings you closer to home

August 7, 2018

3 minute read Chris Holt was well-settled into a career that was stable and provided for his family, but when the long hours kept him away from home too often and his passion for plants pulled him in a new direction, he chose to follow the call. The hands-on experience he gained in the horticulture program led him outdoors to conduct field work for his courses, into his dream job as a middle school agriculture teacher – and most importantly, back home, where he can spend more valuable time with his family.
Evan Huegel wears his work uniform and stands in front of his Department of Natural Resources law officer truck.

Out of the park and into the woods

June 28, 2018

4 minute read “Getting my degree was by no means ‘easy,’ as it shouldn’t be,” says fisheries and wildlife sciences alum Evan Huegel. “However, going to Oregon State made it an enjoyable and academically challenging experience. After graduating, it is safe to say I was fully prepared to take on whatever the real world had to throw at me.”
A screenshot of the virtual greenhouse used in Alyssa Duval's online classrooms. On the nearest table in the greenhouse, there are several potted plants with white label cards in front of them.

Virtually bringing students closer to nature

May 9, 2018

3 minute read Oregon State Ecampus students are experts at adapting to their environment. They turn coffee shops into classrooms and living rooms into lecture halls. But for students taking crop science classes online, they needed a more lifelike way to learn about plants from a distance. And now they’re getting their hands “dirty” by digging into a variety of crops in a 3D virtual greenhouse.
Fisheries and wildlife sciences alumna Erin Mathias is pictured standing to the left of a rhinoceros at the Oregon Zoo. Erin is smiling and resting one hand on the rhino's snout. She wears a gray and orange Oregon State zip-up jacket.

The first in a legacy of many

March 29, 2018

3 minute read The past does not dictate the possibilities for one’s future. Erin Mathias knows this firsthand. She enrolled online in the Ecampus fisheries and wildlife sciences program to pursue her dream career, becoming the role model she needed when she was younger and serving as inspiration to her siblings and African American girls who want to enter STEM fields.
Fisheries and wildlife sciences alumnus Bryan Zacher stands in front of a lake's boat ramp with his boat on a trailer.

After the Army, Ecampus student focused on doing what he loves

November 3, 2017

2 minute read There was a pit in Bryan Zacher’s stomach as his 22-year Army career came to a close in 2013. He hadn’t put much thought into life after the military, so he jotted down a list of his hobbies: Fishing. Hunting. The great outdoors. Then he had an idea that changed his life trajectory: Turn what you enjoy doing into what you do for a living. That’s how he came to enroll online with Oregon State Ecampus.
Fisheries and wildlife sciences associate professor Brian Sidlauskas stands next to multiple stacked shelves filled with jars of specimens.

Behind the scenes with Brian Sidlauskas, fisheries and wildlife associate professor

August 31, 2017

6 minute read “It is a real privilege to be able to reach such a diverse student population and to be able to share the awesomeness of fishes with people who would otherwise lack access to the brick-and-mortar version of my classes,” says Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Associate Professor Brian Sidlauskas.
Oregon State Ecampus Master of Natural Resources 2017 alumna Irene Sprecher stands with her hands on her hips looking out at a stunning view of green, ridged Hawaiian mountains.

Hawaii’s forests are in good hands

June 16, 2017

4 minute read Clocking in every day at the State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife is much more than just a job to Oregon State University Ecampus Master of Natural Resources 2017 alumna Irene Sprecher. It’s a passion of hers, matched with a spiritual and ecological connection. It’s an opportunity for her to give back to the environment she grew to love. And it’s a chance for her to make a difference for future generations to come.
Orman Morton III in a bright green work vest. He is looking up at the top of a long white measuring stick, and in his other hand he holds a small yellow notebook.

Proving his mettle

March 10, 2017

3 minute read Two hours before he walked across a stage to accept his Oregon State University diploma, Orman Morton III was asked to reflect on what the feat meant to him. The question caught him off guard. His eyes welled up. His booming voice quivered. In that moment, the events of the years leading to his graduation raced through his mind, and the accomplishment overwhelmed him.

Oregon State Ecampus
4943 The Valley Library
Corvallis, OR 97331
800-667-1465 | 541-737-9204
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