A transdisciplinary team of Oregon State University researchers, Extension specialists and students dedicated to helping coastal communities adapt to natural hazards has been recognized as one of four regional winners of the Outreach Scholarship W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award.
The Oregon Coastal Futures Project is one of four regional award winners announced today by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The winners will compete for the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, the top honor nationally for this type of initiative. The Magrath Award will be announced in November.
“As a modern, land-grant university, OSU partners with communities to solve of some of our state’s greatest challenges,” OSU President Jayathi Murthy said. “The Oregon Coastal Futures Project is a shining example of how transdisciplinary research and teaching can combine with community engagement to benefit all Oregonians.”
Oregon’s coastal counties are susceptible to sea level rise, coastal storms, and the rupture of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which could lead to a massive earthquake and resulting tsunami. In response to a request from Oregon’s coastal communities, OSU launched the Oregon Coastal Futures Project with community partners to improve the ability of underserved and rural residents to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, storms and rising sea levels.