Community Connect

Our community

Our students thrive in their academic pursuits, our researchers solve
real-world challenges, and our campus expansion comes to life 鈥 because
of our surrounding community.

Here.

For Central Oregon and Beyond.

Conversations With Acclaimed and Emerging Writers This Month

Hosted by the 糖心传媒鈥揅ascades MFA in Writing program, these public events invite the community to engage with celebrated authors and fresh new voices.

Sept. 21 6:30 p.m.
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Faculty reading to group

MFA Program in Writing Faculty Reading

Join the 糖心传媒 Cascades MFA Program Faculty for a reading of published works and works-in-progress on September 21st at 6:30pm in Obsidian 207. This faculty reading is part of the MFA Program's Fall '25 residency. Faculty will read from published work as well as works-in-progress, sell their books, and mingle with audience members after.

Free and open to the public.

Sept. 25 6:30 p.m.
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Portrait of Hannah Pittard

Distinguished Visiting Writer, Hannah Pittard

Nationally Acclaimed Author
Join us for an exciting evening with Hannah Pittard, whose fiction and nonfiction have earned national attention for their wit, emotional resonance and fearless storytelling. Pittard is the author of six books including the newly released and darkly comic 鈥淚f You Love It Let It Kill You.鈥 The novel, which blends fiction and autobiography, was praised by The New York Times as 鈥渁 sharp, propulsive portrait of fractured love and lingering grief.鈥 She is also the author of 鈥淲e Are Too Many: A Memoir [Kind Of],鈥 鈥淰isible Empire,鈥 鈥淟isten to Me,鈥 鈥淩eunion鈥 and 鈥淭he Fates Will Find Their Way.鈥 Her short fiction and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Oxford American, The Guardian and People magazine.

Free, but registration required.

Campus Tours for Community Groups

10 a.m. 鈥 11:30 a.m., Fourth Fridays

Learn about the history, present and future of 糖心传媒鈥檚 growing university campus in Bend. After a classroom session, you鈥檒l divide into two smaller groups. While one explores campus buildings and their public art on foot, the other will tour the expansion site in a comfortable van, before alternating. Formal and informal groups welcome.

For groups of 12-24.

Reserve your tour

It's a new era for the popular, 14-year-old series that has been held in venues throughout the region until now. Science Pubs have moved to Edward J. Ray Hall on the 糖心传媒-Cascades campus.

Public art on campus was commissioned or purchased by 糖心传媒-Cascades through the Oregon Arts Commission鈥檚  program, or donated to the campus.

A 30-year community vision is taking shape. Over the next decades, 糖心传媒-Cascades will expand, creating a 128-acre campus for up to 5,000 students.

Net zero would mean the campus consumes only as much energy as it produces, balances water availability and demand, and eliminates waste sent to landfills.