Klamath Falls, Oregon – Oregon Tech’s newest trustees arrive with three very different kinds of experience: one from advanced materials and manufacturing, one from biotechnology and clinical research, and one from the student body itself. Together, they give the university’s governing board a wider lens at a moment when higher education is being pushed to connect classroom learning with fast-changing industries, research needs, and student priorities.
Three new members joined the Board of Trustees of Oregon Institute of Technology this month: Arnel Fajardo, Ph.D.; Christine “Chris” Mangan; and current Oregon Tech student Cruz Collin. They were nominated by Governor Tina Kotek, confirmed by the Oregon Senate on June 17, and will begin their service July 1.
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Fajardo, of Beaverton, brings a career rooted in chemistry, technology, and advanced manufacturing. He serves as Senior Director of Technology for ATI Specialty Alloys & Components, where he leads innovation work tied to advanced alloys, zirconium chemistry, and defense-related materials. His background also includes leadership roles in business development and research and development at ATI, along with earlier work at Intel in semiconductor manufacturing and environmental process engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. He also serves on the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Committee and the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development Board of Governors.
Mangan, of Palo Alto, brings Oregon Tech alumni experience back to the boardroom. She is the founder and owner of Mangan Consulting, Inc., where she provides scientific, technical, and management consulting services in biotechnology and clinical research. Her career has included senior clinical research work at Connective Therapeutics and leadership roles in clinical research and compliance at Syntex. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Allied Health-Medical Technology from Oregon Tech and an MBA in Management and Marketing from Golden Gate University. Mangan also serves as Vice President of the Oregon Tech Foundation Board of Directors.
Collin adds a current student voice with a research-heavy profile. A Renewable Energy Engineering student at the Klamath Falls campus, he is expected to graduate in June 2028. Originally from Keystone, South Dakota, and an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Collin focuses on renewable energy systems, battery storage, hybrid energy production, and connections between Indigenous and Western science. He has received awards including the Udall Scholarship and Dreamstarter research grants, co-authored peer-reviewed research, holds multiple patent applications, and serves in student leadership roles.
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Fajardo and Mangan were confirmed for four-year terms, while Collin was confirmed for two years. The Senate also confirmed the reappointments of Stefan Bird, John Davis, Kanth Gopalpur, Celia Núñez, and Faculty Trustee Mark Neupert, Ph.D. More information about the board is available at www.oit.edu/trustees.
