Portrait of Iain Pangburn

Young business owner was learning to weld before he could drive

Iain Pangburn was born and raised in Grants Pass. His early education was mostly homeschool and charter schools, but when he was 15, he got tired of the high school curriculum and took a placement test at Rogue Community College. At first, he pursued welding. Iain had always liked the idea of building things and knew he didn’t want an office job. After meeting a...

RCC to launch boat welding program

Rogue Community College is launching an Aluminum Boat Welder certificate program designed to prepare students for a career with local sport boat manufacturers. Aluminum boat building is a staple industry in the Northwest and especially the Rogue Valley. RCC’s three-term certificate program will allow students to develop an understanding of basic boat building procedures and welding requirements. From basic vocabulary up to fabrication of scale and full-sized boats, students will learn from industry professionals...

RCC mechanical engineering student wins prize at statewide invention competition

A mechanical engineering student from Rogue Community College won the community college division of the InventOR Collegiate Challenge on Friday. It’s the third time in four years RCC students have received the honor, which includes a $1,500 prize.  Cesar Navarrete, 31, of Medford, is developing an exoskeletal hand that could help workers from a wide spectrum of industries with jobs that require significant grip strength....

Outstanding RCC alum Gary Malone helps UO keep its cool

Think you’re too busy to go back to school? Gary Malone wondered, too. But, like many students, he was attracted to the flexibility Rogue Community College offers, which allows non-traditional students to earn a degree while juggling full-time jobs and family responsibilities. This spring, the RCC Foundation has named Gary as recipient of the 2021 RCC Outstanding Alumni Award—proof that the system works. Like many...

RCC’s Markforged Metal X 3D printer is a first for Oregon community colleges

By Steve Foster, Instructor and Department ChairRCC Manufacturing, Engineering Technology & Mechatronics In January 2021, Rogue Community College became the only community college in Oregon to have a Markforged Metal X in-house for faculty and student use. How did this come to be? Well, it began like so…. 3D printing, also referred to in the manufacturing industry as additive manufacturing, is currently being used in...