Roderick J. Ray Jr. Faculty Scholar for Engineering

In 2024, Rod Ray established an endowed faculty fund in engineering at OSU-Cascades. Ray grew up in Bend when it was a mill town of about 10,000 people. Back then, it was isolated and lacked opportunities for young people to pursue science and education, so he’s spent his adult life trying to create access in his community to STEM, including through his giving to OSU’s engineering programs. Ray has also been a longtime advocate and donor to the effort to build OSU-Cascades.

Raised by a single mother, many local families – particularly fathers – took care of Rod Ray since they knew his father wasn’t present. Two of these father figures were starting a business called Bend Research, and Rod convinced them to hire him as one of their only employees. He dug irrigation ditches, painted and built fences. After community college, an OSU chemical engineering degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Rod started full-time at the startup. For the next 30 years, he worked his way up the ranks of the technology development company as it secured more than 100 patents and invented drug delivery methods. He eventually became CEO of the company, which is now part of Lonza, before founding a consulting business. Active on the Bend campus, Rod teaches engineering at OSU-Cascades and serves in multiple volunteer leadership roles. He is also a former OSU Foundation trustee.

“I believe OSU-Cascades provides improved access to high quality higher education for all,” he says.