Commencement

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

The College of Forestry community gathered at the Forestry Club Cabin in Peavy Arboretum on June 12, 2026, to celebrate the graduating class. Watch highlights from the 2026 College of Forestry Commencement Celebration and join us in recognizing our newest alumni as they begin the next chapter of their journeys. Congratulations, graduates!

Meet some of our newest alumni:

Abby Schroeder

Forest Management

“I think it’s really important to put yourself out there in college,” she said. “You should volunteer, be an active member in the College of Forestry, go to class and really get engaged with your classmates.”

Christoph Anderson

Natural Resources

Christoph will be moving to Adelaide as the first student in the Forestry Centre of Excellence’s bio‑economics and forestry master’s program.

Emily Hayes

Forestry

"Professor Ries has assisted me a lot in my growth as an urban forester, from teaching me the administration side of management to aiding me in prepping for the interview that got me my job."

Jourdan Dimoff

Tourism, Recreation and Adventure Leadership

"I've really felt like I found my community with TRAL at OSU-Cascades, especially just returning from a whole term of expeditions."

Julia Wine

MS in Sustainable Forest Management

Julia will join The Ember Alliance as an assistant module leader, leading a field crew on LiDAR scans and vegetation surveys.

Kade Metzger

Natural Resources

"One of my favorite memories of my time at OSU was seeing an osprey at Marys River for my mammal identification class."

Lexi Melvin

Natural Resources

"My favorite memory from my time here is taking FES 486 Public Lands Policy and Management with Dr. Emily Rabung, where I got to study the wild horse crisis through the lens of a land manager."

Lucy Heflin

Natural Resources

"I am probably most proud of conducting my own research and writing a paper of the quality that it didn't get immediately rejected."

Matthew Kaltenbach

Forest Management

Matthew was one of two recipients of the Oregon State University Outstanding Student Award from the Oregon Society of American Foresters.

Nicholas McClaskey

Tourism, Recreation and Adventure Leadership

Nick will step into a new role after graduation with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department at Honeyman State Park in Florence.

Sarah Trautner

Tourism, Recreation and Adventure Leadership

"I have many fond memories of the different TRAL classes I took at OSU. I loved learning about the human and ecological dimensions of outdoor recreation management from Ashley D’Antonio’s classes!"

Zeke Bluhm

Forestry

Zeke will join Trout Mountain Forestry after commencement. One of his favorite memories from his time in the College of Forestry is competing in logging sports.