{"id":1973,"date":"2022-02-28T08:30:31","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T16:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1973"},"modified":"2024-08-05T18:34:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T01:34:21","slug":"steven-jackson-dei-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/steven-jackson-dei-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"Former NFL standout Steven Jackson creates greater diversity for a stronger OSU"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

After finishing a Hall of Fame-worthy, 12-year NFL career in 2015, Oregon State football legend Steven Jackson turned his focus to completing his human development and family sciences degree online with OSU Ecampus.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ecampus graduate’s Jackson Family Fund helps future academic leaders get to know Oregon State<\/h1>\n
Editor’s note:<\/strong> This article was originally published<\/a> by the Oregon State University Foundation.<\/div>\n

Step by step, Oregon State University is becoming a more equitable, inclusive academic community \u2014 and donors like Steven Jackson, \u201920, are helping this work move forward.<\/p>\n

The former Beaver football standout and NFL running back \u2014 who now serves as an OSU Foundation Trustee and on the advisory board for OSU\u2019s director of athletics \u2014 generously supports the Office of Institutional Diversity. Last summer, his gift creating the Jackson Family Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund helped OSU pilot a new program designed to help the university recruit underrepresented faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

Through the\u00a0Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program<\/a>, four ABD (all but dissertation) graduate students spent a week at Oregon State. Each was paired with an OSU faculty member engaged in a similar area of research to help them explore opportunities in their field; the group is pictured below. The program showcases all Oregon State has to offer while building collaborative relationships with future academic leaders.<\/p>\n

Attracting diverse talent from across the nation is one step toward making Oregon State a place where all can feel at home and where everyone can succeed. The result: an even greater impact on the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Oregon State faculty mentors Regan Gurung (far left), Flaxen Conway (back row) and Silvia Rondon (far right) stand with pre-doctoral scholars Aundrea Collins, Olivia Vil\u00e1, Quincy Clark and Jesus Martinez-Gomez.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIncreasing the diversity of the Oregon State community means that we\u2019ll have more ideas and more approaches to solving problems,\u201d Jackson notes. \u201cWe want this to be a place where students and faculty realize that OSU will welcome them with open arms and they can thrive \u2014 where they can become even more than they dreamed. Those who want a brighter future and a university that they can be proud of can all stand together in unison on this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faran Saeed is a graduate teaching assistant for the Ettihad Cultural Center<\/a> and doctoral student in the College of Education. \u201cOften times, students of color and people from marginalized communities do not have a blueprint for success, especially if they are from the first generation in their families to attend college,\u201d he says. \u201cSo having a mentor who looks like them or has gone through similar experiences can be incredibly empowering and can prevent them from feeling isolated.\u201d<\/p>\n

In summer 2020, Oregon State launched the Moving Forward Together<\/a>\u00a0initiative in alignment with the university\u2019s strategic plan 4.0 and diversity strategic plan. It articulates 45 actions to support the long-term success of students, faculty and staff of color. Nearly half of those actions are completed, and all others are underway.<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more about ways to engage with\u00a0diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Oregon State<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Former Oregon State and NFL running back Steven Jackson \u2014 who now serves as an OSU Foundation Trustee and on the advisory board for OSU\u2019s director of athletics \u2014 made a gift to create the Jackson Family Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund. It aims to help Oregon State pilot a new program designed to help the university recruit underrepresented faculty and staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":1974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,3,675,677,8],"tags":[91,64,482],"class_list":["post-1973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-features","category-accessing-college","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-college-of-health","tag-human-development-and-family-sciences","tag-osu-foundation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/steven-jackson-OSUF.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-vP","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1213,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oregon-state-phpa-collaboration\/","url_meta":{"origin":1973,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State becomes exclusive provider of online education for professional hockey association","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"June 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University and the Professional Hockey Players\u2019 Association announced today a collaboration that provides players and their family members access to the university\u2019s top-ranked online degree programs with support from a tuition reimbursement plan. The alliance makes OSU Ecampus the exclusive provider of online education in the U.S. for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hockey players face off with a puck on the ice between their sticks.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hockey-players-news-main.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hockey-players-news-main.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hockey-players-news-main.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hockey-players-news-main.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1703,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/jacquizz-rodgers-osu\/","url_meta":{"origin":1973,"position":1},"title":"Life comes full circle for OSU football legend, graduate Jacquizz Rodgers","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"March 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Jacquizz Rodgers is one of the most beloved and accomplished sports figures in Oregon State history. Since he arrived on OSU\u2019s Corvallis campus in 2008, he has piled up the accolades: NCAA All-American, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, workhorse NFL running back. And now? College graduate.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jacquizz-rodgers-main.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jacquizz-rodgers-main.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jacquizz-rodgers-main.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jacquizz-rodgers-main.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1519,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/fisheries-wildlife-scholarship\/","url_meta":{"origin":1973,"position":2},"title":"Ecampus student 1 of 7 at OSU to earn study abroad scholarship","author":"Steve Lundeberg","date":"August 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u00a0Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship\u00a0to study internationally during the 2020-21 academic year. It's part of a congressionally funded program designed to broaden U.S. participation in education\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An aerial photo of a rainforest in Borneo. Online fisheries and wildlife","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/borneo-forest-online-fisheries-wildlife.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1227,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/military-student-online-taniah-johnson\/","url_meta":{"origin":1973,"position":3},"title":"With her diploma in hand, military veteran puts self-doubt to rest","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"August 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Taniah Johnson didn\u2019t think she was smart enough for college. Just the thought of applying to learn online with Oregon State University Ecampus intimidated her. But she had something to prove \u2013 to herself and everyone else. Now she\u2019s an Oregon State graduate, active duty in the U.S. Air Force\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Taniah Johnson, a human development family sciences graduate of Oregon State University Ecampus","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/taniah-johnson-human-development-family-sciences.jpg?fit=500%2C494&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1319,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/environmental-sciences-online-heath-blackmon\/","url_meta":{"origin":1973,"position":4},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: \u2018My Ecampus degree gave me an edge\u2019","author":"Heath Blackmon","date":"January 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Heath Blackmon, Oregon State University Ecampus environmental sciences graduate and assistant professor at Texas A&M University","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2574,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/graduation-2024-tania-davis\/","url_meta":{"origin":1973,"position":5},"title":"Oregon State University\u2019s Class of 2024 features record-setting number of online learners","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"June 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tania Davis earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in human development and family sciences online with Oregon State. She is one of the 2,049 Ecampus students who will graduate this weekend \u2014 representing 26.8% of all OSU graduates this year (7,648).","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}