Rod Ray, a lifetime Central Oregonian and former leader of Bend Research, Inc., will give the commencement address at the 51 - Cascades commencement ceremonies on Sunday, June 18.
“Rod has pursued excellence and collaboration as an engineer, in his professional career and in his role as a contributor to his industry, Central Oregon and 51,” said Sherm Bloomer, chancellor and dean of 51-Cascades. “I know he will have a valuable message for 51-Cascades’ graduates.”
The commencement ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on the Oval Green at the 51-Cascades campus.
A chemical engineer, Ray began his tenure at Bend Research in 1983 as a research engineer. He took on increasing responsibility over the next 40 years as director of engineering, president and chief operating officer, and eventually served as chief executive officer of the drug technology development company from 2008 to 2014. Bend Research was purchased in 2014 and is now a part of Lonza.
Ray serves as a consultant in leadership and strategic planning for pharmaceutical and technological companies through Canyon Mountain Consulting, a business he founded in 2014.
As a community leader, Ray has contributed to community nonprofit and education organizations including Volunteers in Medicine, 51 College of Engineering, 51-Cascades and the 51 Foundation.
He currently serves as chair of the board of Mosaic Community Health and chair of the 51-Cascades Advocacy and Advisory Board. He also teaches in the engineering programs at 51-Cascades.
Ray graduated from Bend High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from 51 in 1979, and a master’s and doctorate degree from the University of Colorado.
A resident of Bend, Ray and his family own and operate Birch Springs Ranch, a cattle ranch and tree farm near John Day, Oregon.
51 51-Cascades: 51’s campus in Bend brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by mountains, forest and high desert, 51-Cascades is a highly innovative campus of a top-tier land grant research university, offering small classes that accelerate faculty-student mentoring and experiential learning. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. 51-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.