Emma Chaput

Emma is an Associate Professor of Biology at Central Oregon Community College (COCC), with a discipline focus on infectious diseases and human physiology. Beyond classroom instruction, Emma works to actively promote education and health equity, particularly in STEM fields. Emma seeks to expand this work into new spaces, including building expanded higher education opportunities for adults impacted by the criminal legal system. Collaborating with partners throughout the state of Oregon and at COCC, Emma is working to initiate an Associate’s degree program at the Deer Ridge Correctional Institute. Further, as a part of the Oregon Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, there is a push to develop a statewide structure for students in custody to pursue higher education and pathways for completion after reentry. Emma holds a BA in Biology from Johns Hopkins University and a MPH in the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases from Yale University.