Since joining the Honors College in January 2026, Diana Marvel has brought her passion for student support to the role of Cascades honors advisor. Based at OSU-Cascades, Diana works closely with students as they navigate academics, work through their thesis and make the most of their Honors College experience. Her role focuses on creating a welcoming environment where students feel encouraged, connected and prepared for challenges they may face on their journey. In this Q&A, she shares more about her path to advising, what she enjoys most about working with students and what inspires her in her role each day.
Q: What is your role in the Honors College?
My primary role is to advise Cascades students on the thesis process and how to maximize their honors experience. However, because I'm the main point of contact for the Honors College on the Cascades campus, I also get to do a lot more! I'm really here to support all the varied needs and interests of honors students and faculty mentors at Cascades.
Q: What's one project or initiative you've worked on that you're especially proud of?
At my previous university, I collaborated with our partner institution in Ecuador to develop and facilitate a multidisciplinary, bilingual, five-week undergraduate global service-learning and research program. Cascades faculty and students are involved in a diverse portfolio of experiential learning, and I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate on a community-engaged learning initiative here in Bend.
Q: What kind of questions can you answer from honors community members?
I’m still getting to know all things Cascades, but I’m getting up to speed on all the incredible work our faculty and students are doing here at Cascades, and I would love to have the honors community ask me questions about it. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find out-- it gives me a great opportunity to learn something new and valuable!
Q: What's something you enjoy doing outside of work?
I'm an avid hiker and cyclist. My partner Chris and I try and spend as much of our free time together as possible outdoors. We enjoy spending time with family which usually means a trip to Washington or Ohio.
Q: What's a book, podcast or movie that's inspired you or made you think recently?
Actually, the book that has made me reflect the most recently, is a book that I got for my Dad. It’s basically a journal with prompts that allows him to write about and share his life story. My Dad has Alzheimer’s and is losing his memory, but he also has moments of incredible lucidity, and he has shared some poignant and delightful moments in his life in this book that I’ve never even heard before—and that I’ll now be able to keep forever. It’s such a beautiful reminder that we can still learn something new about someone we love and how precious our shared connections are.
Q: If you had the opportunity to work on an HC thesis today, what do you think the theme or title would be?
The study I did for my dissertation was about the impact of global service-learning on a student’s identity development as a global citizen and one of the findings was that some participants felt they had developed a global aspect to their identity but didn’t necessarily identify with the concept of being a “global citizen” but rather a “global community member.” I would love to do a follow up study that digs deeper into how global service-learning experiences facilitate an environment that emphasizes community where students construct their global identities.
Q: What's one of your favorite memories or moments from working in the Honors College?
It's pretty amazing since I haven't been in my role very long, but I already feel like I have lots of great memories, so it's hard to choose! I think a highlight for me was when I got to meet the HC students in the Stage 1&2 class just a few days after I started.
Q: What's something you've learned from the HC community that's influenced you?
In the short time I've been with the HC, everyone I've met is working on some project to make the honors experience even better. Clearly, this is a community that is constantly evolving and adapting to change, while also providing stability and consistency. It's inspiring and energizing.
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