“Governor Brown’s presence on campus further demonstrates her commitment to Oregon Tech and the Klamath Falls region,” said Oregon Tech President Dr. Nagi Naganathan. “She has engaged deeply with our students and truly cares about their success both in and after college. We look forward to the words of wisdom Governor Brown will share with Oregon Tech family and friends, and the attention she will bring to the university’s most important event of the year.”
Brown assumed office in February 2015 as the state’s 38th governor, and the state’s second female governor, after previously serving as Oregon’s Secretary of State and as majority leader of the Oregon State Senate.
Since taking office in 2015, Governor Brown has successfully raised Oregon’s minimum wage, made record investments in education, guaranteed women’s reproductive health services, became the first governor in the country to end the use of coal power, and made the largest investment in public transit in Oregon’s history. Governor Brown’s continued focus is to advocate for policies that give Oregonians the tools they need to reach their full potential.
As Secretary of State, Brown most notably helped balance the budget, cracked down on fraud and abuse in the initiative and referendum system, implemented online voter registration, and received national recognition for her innovative use of technology to make it easier for active-duty service members and people with disabilities to vote. Before being elected statewide, Governor Brown served 17 years in the legislature, making history in 2004 as the first woman to serve as Oregon’s Senate Majority Leader.
Before her career in elected office, Brown worked as a child advocate and a juvenile and family law attorney. She taught at Portland State University, worked with the Juvenile Rights Project and co-founded the Oregon Women’s Health & Wellness Alliance.
Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Conservation with a certificate in Women's Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a J.D. degree and certificate in Environmental Law from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College.
More information about the university’s commencement ceremonies, visit www.oit.edu/registrar/graduate/commencement.
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About Oregon Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is the premier public polytechnic institution in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in engineering, health technologies, business, technology, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public and international communities through applied, relevant learning and professional practice. Oregon Tech has a full-service, residential campus in Klamath Falls; an urban, industry-focused campus in Portland-Metro (Wilsonville); an Online campus; and offers degrees at Boeing Seattle and at other sites. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.
