Rogue Community College (RCC) and the RCC Foundation have named Zackary Salem-Bango, MD, a 2015 RCC graduate, the 2025 Alum of the Year.
Salem-Bango, a former Peace Corps volunteer now working as a resident physician in Seattle, was selected for his professional accomplishments and dedication to service, mentorship and the community where his journey began. He will be formally recognized at the President’s Circle dinner on Sept. 25, an annual celebration hosted by the RCC Foundation to honor donors and highlight the life-changing impact of education.
A native of Applegate, Salem-Bango began his higher education journey at RCC, where he earned an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree in physics. He first enrolled at RCC at age 13 while also attending high school, an opportunity he describes as pivotal.
“RCC provided me, at the age of 13, the crazy option to pursue higher education at a nontraditional age while also attending high school,” Salem-Bango said. “It’s beyond doubt that without this option, I would’ve ended up in a completely different career and place in life.”
Salem-Bango recalled RCC instructors Matt Haugen (mathematics) and Rick Williams (world literature) as shaping his academic trajectory.
“Prior to taking classes at RCC, I absolutely hated mathematics,” he said. “Luckily, Matt showed me not only how much fun math can be, but also how essential it is. His creative calculus projects made me a long-time math enthusiast and propelled me into a computationally dense and exciting career.”
After RCC, Salem-Bango completed a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and biophysics at Oregon State University, then went on to serve in the Peace Corps in Botswana. During that time, Salem-Bango found his passion for medicine and global heath, which led him to obtain a medical degree at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His experiences span the globe—from malaria work in Botswana to critical care and infectious disease work in The Gambia, where a molecular diagnostic system he developed for rapid fungal diagnosis is still in use.
Currently, Salem-Bango is an emergency medicine resident physician at the University of Washington, training at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His professional goals include completing a critical care fellowship and working alongside his wife, Lindsay, who serves with Doctors Without Borders, to expand access to global emergency care.
Despite his busy career, Salem-Bango remains deeply connected to RCC. He has reached back to mentor transfer students through the college’s TRIO Student Support Services program, offering encouragement and guidance to those interested in medicine.
“Zackary is an inspiration to our students,” said Jodi Simons, director of TRIO SSS. “He demonstrates the power of starting at a community college and shows our students that their dreams—whether local or global—are possible.”
NOTE: This post has been updated with changes to Salem-Bango’s education and work history.