Chemeketa Partners With Salem Peace Lecture For Community Conversation On Democracy - 09/21/26

37th annual event features author Shane Burley and recognizes Salem Multicultural Institute as 2026 Peacemaker of the Year 

Salem, Ore., September 14, 2026 — Chemeketa Community College is once again partnering with the Salem Peace Lecture to bring community members together for a conversation about issues affecting our world and the role individuals and communities can play in supporting peace, justice and a healthy democracy.

The 37th annual Salem Peace Lecture, “Democracy in Crisis: How Did We Get Here and What Do We Do Now?” will take place Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. in the Building 6 auditorium on Chemeketa’s Salem Campus. The event is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated but not required.

Hosted in partnership with Chemeketa’s Culture and Community Engagement department, this year’s lecture will feature Portland-based author and filmmaker Shane Burley, whose work explores fascism, antisemitism, social movements and political organizing. Burley will discuss the current state of democracy, the forces that have shaped it and ways people and communities can help strengthen democratic institutions and participation.

“We are excited to welcome Shane to Chemeketa and provide a space where our students and community members can come together to explore challenging questions about democracy and civic life,” said Jon Mathis, Executive Director of Chemeketa’s Title IX and Culture & Community Engagement office. “Community colleges have an important role in creating opportunities for thoughtful dialogue, learning and civic engagement, particularly around issues that affect all of us.”

Burley is the author of Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse and Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It. He is also editor of the forthcoming anthology ¡No pasarán!: Antifascist Dispatches from a World in Crisis. His writing has appeared in publications including NBC News, The Daily Beast, The Independent, Jacobin, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, Tikkun, The Baffler, Truthout and the Oregon Historical Quarterly. He has also edited a special issue of the Journal of Social Justice focused on antisemitism in the 21st century.

The evening will also recognize the Salem Multicultural Institute as the 2026 Peacemaker of the Year. The organization is known for bringing people together across cultures and communities, including through its signature World Beat Festival and other cultural and educational programs.

Following Burley’s presentation, audience members will have an opportunity to participate in an open question-and-answer session. The Chemeketa Bookstore will also host a book signing, with copies of Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It available for purchase.

Event Details

What: 37th Annual Salem Peace Lecture, Democracy in Crisis: How Did We Get Here and What Do We Do Now?
Speaker: Shane Burley
2026 Peacemaker of the Year: Salem Multicultural Institute
When: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at 7 p.m.
Where: Chemeketa Community College, Salem Campus, Building 6 auditorium
Cost: Free and open to the public; donations appreciated but not required

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For more than 55 years, Chemeketa Community College has committed itself to transforming lives and our community through exceptional learning experiences in the Mid-Willamette Valley. As the second largest multi-campus district in Oregon, Chemeketa serves more than 18,000 students annually at its Salem and Yamhill Valley campuses, as well as Brooks, Eola, Winema, Dallas, Woodburn and Chemeketa Center for Business and Industry (CCBI).

Chemeketa Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educational institution.

Chemeketa Community College Awarded National Science Foundation Grant To Empower STEM Students Through Course-Based Research (Photo) - 08/24/26

Innovative NSF ITYC initiative embeds authentic scientific research into introductory classes, expands field research at Opal Creek, and creates warm handoffs to regional universities.

Salem, Ore., August 24, 2026 — Chemeketa Community College has been awarded a competitive grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Innovations in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) program for a new project titled “Increasing STEM Persistence and Transfer through Course-Based Research Experiences.” The project aims to transform STEM education for community college undergraduates by embedding authentic scientific research directly into foundational coursework, helping students build professional STEM identities, and successfully transfer to four-year degree programs.

Chemeketa serves over 18,000 students across a 2,600-square-mile district in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Many community college students balance work and family commitments—64% of financial aid applicants are Pell-eligible, 49% are first-generation college students, and more than a third work 20 or more hours per week. Traditional unpaid or extracurricular summer research opportunities are often out of reach. This grant directly overcomes those obstacles by integrating high-impact research experiences straight into transferable courses across biology, chemistry, geology, physics, environmental science, and mathematics.

"I am incredibly excited about this initiative. Research experiences are proven to build student confidence and cut completion gaps in half for low-income and first-generation college students. Yet community college undergraduates rarely get access to authentic research early in their academic journey. By integrating real-world research straight into our curriculum, we are removing barriers, fostering a deep sense of belonging, and preparing our students to excel both at four-year universities and in high-demand STEM careers across Oregon."
— Chemeketa Community College President, Dr. Jessica Howard

Key Initiative Components & Interdisciplinary Scope

The project is led by Dr. Jennifer Johns and Keith Scholeman, together with multi-departmental faculty teams, the initiative encompasses several core strategies including hands-on classroom research, forest research at Opal Creek, community projects with the City of Salem, and transfer university partnerships.

Faculty Development & National Dissemination

Beyond direct student engagement, the grant provides scaffolded professional development and curriculum redesign stipends for both full-time and adjunct faculty, coordinated through Chemeketa’s Center for Academic Innovation. To ensure broad educational impact, project outcomes and tested teaching tools will be compiled into a pedagogical handbook published by Chemeketa Press—the nation’s only community college press—serving as a national model for two-year college STEM education.

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For more than 55 years, Chemeketa Community College has committed itself to transforming lives and our community through exceptional learning experiences in the Mid-Willamette Valley. As the second largest multi-campus district in Oregon, Chemeketa serves more than 18,000 students annually at its Salem and Yamhill Valley campuses, as well as Brooks, Eola, Winema, Dallas, Woodburn and Chemeketa Center for Business and Industry (CCBI).

Chemeketa Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educational institution.