CORVALLIS, Ore. – Angie Morrill, an accomplished scholar and experienced leader in Native education and cultural support, has been named the inaugural director of Native American and Tribal Programs for the Oregon State University Division of Extension and Engagement.
Morrill, an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes, will cross-collaborate with a variety of OSU Extension Service programs to meet the needs of the Native American/Alaska Native communities in Oregon. Morrill will provide leadership for curriculum development, scholarship, research and data gathering in relation to Native American/Alaska Native and Tribal inclusion and traditional knowledge consideration in the educational programming and services of OSU’s Extension and Engagement.
“We are extremely excited to have Dr. Morrill join the OSU Extension leadership team in this inaugural role,” said Jeff Sherman-Duncan, associate vice provost for partnerships in the Division of Extension and Engagement. “Dr. Morrill brings a wealth of relationships, experiences and knowledge from across the state, including as the director of Indian Education, admissions and teaching experience at University of Oregon, public relations director with Klamath Tribes, and most recently as a contractor to write the implementation plan for the statewide curriculum, ‘Tribal History/Shared History.’”
Due to systemic racism in government policies, such as relocation and termination of Tribes, the boarding school era and many other factors, Native American/Alaska Native students in Oregon face several challenges. They include a lagging high school graduation rate, lack of representation of Native American/Alaska Native teachers and staff and lack of understanding of tribal history and culture in higher education institutions. As a result of these issues, the need for dedicated culturally responsive programing to engage Native American/Alaska Native students and families in post-secondary education pathways is urgent.
Morrill will serve as a member of the OSU Extension Open Campus leadership team to advance and sustain its mission to provide local access to education through community-based partnerships and culturally relevant programming to help meet the needs of Native American/Alaska Native Oregon communities.
Morrill is an Ecampus instructor at OSU and a pro-tem instructor at University of Oregon where she teaches classes in Native studies. She was the program director of Title VI Indian Education for Portland Public Schools from 2016-2021.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in ethnic studies at the University of Oregon and a master’s and doctorate in ethnic studies at the University of California, San Diego. Morrill was awarded a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship in Native American Studies at University of California, Davis.
