SOU News: Faculty & Staff Spotlight podcast
The student podcasters for Southern Oregon University's Marketing and Communications Department tap the interesting and insightful viewpoints of faculty members, that make SOU News.
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SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #12: Dee Fretwell Carreon
06/24/2025
SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #12: Dee Fretwell Carreon
The final episode of the 2024-25 academic year for SOU's Faculty & Staff Spotlight podcast is a conversation with Dee Fretwell Carreon, a senior instructor of business and director of the Global Innovation Scholars program. Carreon is also a co-director of the annual SOU Creativity Conference and is a former chair of the School of Business. Carreon began her career in 1999 as an operations director and later worked 10 years as vice president of operations for agricultural manufacturer Ecoteas of Ashland. She has recently worked on scaling issues with Heather's Choice, a "packable meals and snacks" company that was featured on Shark Tank and has since relocated to Ashland. She has worked in the nonprofit world, assisting in nonprofit development for organizations across the United States. She also enjoys developing systems and assisting in the direction of music festivals and major events. Carreon describes herself as an "operations girl" who is admittedly nerdy about the nuts-and-bolts of businesss. She is interviewed in this 12th installment of "Faculty & Staff Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which a student multi-media host in SOU's Office of Communications shines a light on SOU faculty and staff members who make an impact on students and their campus community. This year's podcast host is SOU freshman Hailey Demarest, of Wolf Creek, Oregon.
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SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #11: Danielle Hammer
05/06/2025
SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #11: Danielle Hammer
The light shines on Danielle Hammer, an instructor in SOU's First Year Seminar program, in the latest episode of the Faculty & Staff Spotlight podcast. Hammer talks about her upbringing – raised by a single mother and unhoused at times – and then finding her footing in community college before transferring to SOU and earning bachelor's degrees in English and Anthropology. She was a McNair Scholar at SOU, which set the stage for graduate studies, then she returned to teach at SOU after earning her Ph.D. in Literature at University of California, San Diego. She teaches writing courses and is coordinator of SOU's Bridge Program, which serves first-year students from under-represented populations. Her academic fascination is the representations of madness and haunting in Irish literature – a theme that she continues in her Purposeful Learning Seminar course, Unsolved Mysteries. Hammer says she learned to trust and rely upon faculty members and her peers when researching topics as an undergrad, "before 'Googling' was a verb." Hammer is interviewed in this 11th installment of "Faculty & Staff Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which a student multi-media host in SOU's Office of Communications shines a light on SOU faculty and staff members who make an impact on students and their campus community. This year's podcast host is SOU freshman Hailey Demarest, of Wolf Creek, Oregon.
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SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #10: Val Soto
04/24/2025
SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #10: Val Soto
Val Soto – an instructor in SOU's First Year Seminar program – is in the spotlight for this latest podcast episode. Soto discusses his his stint in the U.S. Army and then his decision to attend Southern Oregon University, and how his years as an undergraduate – eventually earning bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Studies (Health and Physical Education, and Mathematics) – prepared him for his graduate studies in the University of Iowa's Interdiscplinary Neuroscience program and his teaching career. He teaches writing courses in the First Year Seminar program, integrating his functional neuroanatomy interests such as the physical implications of stress, focusing on free will and the manifestations of consciousness. Soto says that in his academic journey, he has been "guided by mentors who consistently showed up for me, and that's something that I strive to do for my students." Soto is interviewed in this 10th installment of "Faculty & Staff Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which a student multi-media host in SOU's Office of Communications shines a light on SOU faculty and staff members who make an impact on students and their campus community. This year's podcast host is SOU freshman Hailey Demarest, of Wolf Creek, Oregon.
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SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #9: Joshua Goodman
03/18/2025
SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #9: Joshua Goodman
Joshua Goodman – an assistant professor in SOU's Department of Psychology who is also affiliated with the Human Services and the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies programs – is in the spotlight for this latest podcast episode. Goodman discusses his research, which focuses on parent support for LGBTQ+ youth – and most recently, intervention for parents who are unsure of their children's sexual orientation. His career has emphasized the development and assessment of interventions to facilitate parent and family support. He teaches courses at SOU that are related to counseling and clinical psychology, as well as gender and sexuality, including Crisis Intervention Strategies, Human Sexuality, and Introduction to Helping Skills. Goodman has worked in a variety of roles as a clinician, including at university counseling centers, intensive outpatient mental healthcare and an LGBTQ+ community counseling center. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Goodman is interviewed in this ninth installment of "Faculty & Staff Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which a student multi-media host in SOU's Office of Communications shines a light on SOU faculty and staff members who make an impact on students and their campus community. This year's podcast host is SOU freshman Hailey Demarest, of Wolf Creek, Oregon.
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SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #8: Clinton Lytle
02/26/2025
SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #8: Clinton Lytle
Clinton Lytle, SOU's veterans resource coordinator, discusses is military career in the U.S. Navy, his college experience at OIT and the importance to him of that school's Veterans Resource Center. Lytle was trained in the Navy as a "nuke" – a nuclear propulsion plant operator – and machinist mate. His degree at OIT is in Renewable Energy Engineering, and he worked as a student employee in the Veterans Resource Center. Lytle's responsibilities at SOU include helping student veterans and their families with VA benefits, operating the Veterans Resource Center and managing the VA Work Study program. He is interviewed in this eighth installment of "Faculty & Staff Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which a student multi-media host in SOU's Office of Communications shines a light on SOU faculty members who make an impact on students and their campus community. This year's podcast host is SOU freshman Hailey Demarest, of Wolf Creek, Oregon.
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SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #7: Tanya Blakeley
02/11/2025
SOU Faculty & Staff Spotlight #7: Tanya Blakeley
Tanya Blakeley, an instructor in Southern Oregon University’s , talks teaching, learning and living. Blakeley has previously taught in two disciplines – Education and Criminology & Criminal Justice – but this year began a full-time position in the Education Department. Before beginning at SOU in 2009, she taught K-12 students, and she incorporates much of what she learned in those classrooms into her curriculum for future teachers. She models an inclusive classroom and believes in building a supportive learning community for SOU students. Blakeley, who also has experience in education and program coordination with various non-profit organizations, received her bachelor’s degree in education from Texas Christian University and her master’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She is interviewed in this seventh installment of "Faculty & Staff Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which a student multi-media host in SOU's Office of Communications shines a light on SOU faculty members who make an impact on students and their campus community. This year's podcast host is SOU freshman Hailey Demarest, of Wolf Creek, Oregon.
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SOU Faculty Spotlight #6: Erik Sol
12/03/2024
SOU Faculty Spotlight #6: Erik Sol
Erik Sol, a senior instructor and chair of Southern Oregon University’s program, talks teaching, learning, travel and (yes) adventure! Sol teaches everything from whitewater rafting and backcountry split-boarding to avalanche, swiftwater and technical rope rescue skills. He enjoys helping students to become outdoor guides, and says sharing the success stories of program alumni is “a dream come true.” Sol, who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SOU, has traveled on expeditions to Nepal, India, Bhutan, Tibet, New Zealand and throughout the U.S., meeting and working with “humans who are doing amazing things all over the world.” He is interviewed in this sixth installment of "Faculty Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which a student multi-media host in SOU's Office of Communications shines a light on SOU faculty members who make an impact on students and their campus community. This year's podcast host is SOU freshman Hailey Demarest, of Wolf Creek, Oregon.
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SOU Faculty Spotlight #5: Erica Knotts
06/12/2023
SOU Faculty Spotlight #5: Erica Knotts
Erica Knotts, a senior instructor in the Southern Oregon University , discusses her teaching style – blending fun exercises with rigorous learning – along with some of her favorite courses, her background and much more. Knotts teaches communication courses including Conflict Resolution, Nonverbal Communication, Small Group Communication and Negotiation. She especially enjoys observing face-to-face communication in real-world environments as she shares practical learning experiences in the classroom. Knotts is interviewed in a fifth installment (and third of the second season) of "Faculty Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which the student multi-media reporter in SOU's Communications Office shines a light on SOU faculty members who make an impact on students and the campus community. This year's multi-media reporter is communication major Angelina Caldera.
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SOU Faculty Spotlight #4: Precious Yamaguchi
04/25/2023
SOU Faculty Spotlight #4: Precious Yamaguchi
Precious Yamaguchi, an associate professor in the Southern Oregon University , discusses her family ties to Los Angeles, her sideline as a small business owner and her first book: "Experiences of Japanese American Women During and After World War II: Living in Internment Camps and Rebuilding Life Afterwards.” She also discusses her background in fashion and textiles – which she has taught in the past – and "writing about the good things that have happened" on social media. "That's kind of the way I create my mindset going forward," she says. Yamaguchi is interviewed in a fourth installment (and second of the second season) of "Faculty Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which the student multi-media reporter in SOU's Communications Office shines a light on SOU faculty members who make an impact on students and the campus community. This year's multi-media reporter is communications major Angelina Caldera.
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SOU Faculty Spotlight #3: Alena Ruggerio
03/21/2023
SOU Faculty Spotlight #3: Alena Ruggerio
Alena Ruggerio, a professor in the Southern Oregon University , discusses her Midwest roots, her longstanding love of debate and speech, her introduction to the West Coast and her "dream job" teaching SOU students to be speakers at the "opera singer" level. She also explains the Ruggerio Benediction – "Go forth and use wisely every heartbeat" – that she bestows upon her students at the end of each class. Ruggerio is interviewed in a third installment (and first of the second season) of "Faculty Spotlight," an SOU News podcast series in which the student multi-media reporter in SOU's Communications Office shines a light on SOU faculty members who make an impact on students and the campus community. This year's multi-media reporter is communications major Angelina Caldera.
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Faculty Spotlight #2: Andrew Gay
08/22/2022
Faculty Spotlight #2: Andrew Gay
Andrew Gay – an associate professor of and chair of Communication, Media and Cinema at SOU – recently received the Teaching Excellence Award from the University Film and Video (UFVA) association. Gay was nominated by Jennifer Proctor, a professor at University of Michigan, Dearborn, who also founded Edit Media – a media educator organization with which he is involved. Association holds conferences each year, at which educators in the field of filmmaking and media meet to share ideas on teaching the craft, screen projects and recognize influential figures in the field during an award ceremony. Gay attended the 2022 UFVA conference in July, giving featured presentations on his “ungrading” grading style in which students decide their final grades, and on the Digital Cinema program’s , in which students get on-set experience through an immersive, 12-credit course as they collaborate with faculty and industry mentors on a significant film project. Gay is interviewed in a second installment of "Faculty Spotlight," a new SOU News podcast series that shines a light on SOU faculty members who make an impact on students and the campus community.
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Faculty Spotlight #1: Margaret Perrow
08/09/2022
Faculty Spotlight #1: Margaret Perrow
Margaret Perrow, an English Education and Writing faculty member at Southern Oregon University, recently was recognized with the Oregon Excellence in Teaching Award from the Oregon Council of Teachers of English. is a non-profit organization whose goals are to provide access, share educational methods, provide opportunities and contribute materials to English teachers in Oregon. Dr. Perrow is interviewed in a brand new podcast series, discussing her background, passion for language arts and being honored with the prestigious award. This is the first installment of the new series, “Faculty Spotlight,” in which we interview SOU faculty members that have made a special impact on students and the campus community.
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Tabitha Wheeler's ground-breaking capstone project for SOU Digital Cinema
06/10/2022
Tabitha Wheeler's ground-breaking capstone project for SOU Digital Cinema
Digital Cinema student Tabitha Wheeler is spearheading a capstone film project unlike anything seen before at SOU. The project is likely to catch the eyes of movie lovers in the Ashland community and beyond, following its successful crowdfunding campaign, backing from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a passionately committed cast and crew. Wheeler, a senior at SOU, wrote and is director and head producer of the film, “The Lost Years of Shakespeare.” She developed the script in early 2021, with the story following a woman who finds herself entwined in a mystery surrounding the cryptic death of Shakespeare. The film is set mostly in Ashland, and features landmarks such as the Ashland Springs Hotel and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It features professionally choreographed sword fights, and ties in with real historical events.
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TRIO-SSS Selects a New OTA Fellow
03/28/2022
TRIO-SSS Selects a New OTA Fellow
The (OTA) recently selected TRIO-SSS student Whillamina Wise of Southern Oregon University as its 2022 OTA Fellow. She participated in the Council for Opportunity in Education Policy Seminar as Oregon’s representative last week in Washington, D.C. The OTA Fellow’s main responsibility is to encourage funding for TRIO and hear stories of how the federal Student Support Services (SSS) program has helped first-generation, low-income and other underrepresented students around the country. Whillamina and the student representatives of other states help the organization to support students in the program nationwide.
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Rotaract raises $10k for ShelterBox
02/09/2022
Rotaract raises $10k for ShelterBox
Nash Bennett of SOU News interviews SOU Rotaract Club member Teal Hamner about the club's success in raising $10,000 for the international ShelterBox program, and more.
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