Meet your future Friday April 4th! In the Chiles Center on March 31st, April 1st, 2nd, and 3rd there will be employers and grad schools who want to meet you! Workshops will be 30 minutes so link in live networking this Tuesday, April 1st at 1:00pm & 4:00pm!
First Avenue Career Expo, March 31st
Return of the poet: alum to read from published works, March 31st
Spring time of most students’ senior year is filled with severe cases of senioritis, job hunting or receiving acceptance letters from graduate school. By the spring of UP alumna and poet Lilah Hegnauer’s senior year, she had published her first book of poetry.
Hegnauer will be reading her poetry at UP March 31 at 7:30 p.m. in BC 163. The reading is in honor of her second book, “Pantry,” which was published in February of this year and has already won the Hub City Press New Southern Voices Poetry Award.
Hegnauer’s poetry career began in English professor Herman Asarnow’s poetry workshop class during her junior year. Her first book of poetry was published soon after, on the first of January her senior year. “Dark Under Kiganda Stars” was written as her honors senior thesis and reflected on her experience doing service work in Africa the previous summer. Her love of poetry has since taken her in a variety of directions after graduating in 2005 as an English major, from teaching poetry at several universities to living in the house of another well-known poet.
Her work has been widely recognized, having been published in journals such as Poetry Northwest and The Kenyon Review, but that’s not the reason she continues to write poetry.
“I think that people who write poetry write it because they cannot not write it,” Hegnauer said. “But by the same token, it’s very nice to be recognized for the thing that is your lifeblood, the actual reason for your existence.”
Her most recent book’s publication came after six months spent being paid to live and write in the home of American poet Amy Clampitt, who passed away in 1994, as part of the Amy Clampitt Poet Residency in Lenox, Mass.
“It was the most amazing blessing ever because, not only were (my husband, new baby and I) able to live off of my residency for those six months, but it was just amazing to live in Amy Clampitt’s house. Her entire library was intact, and every book she wrote, every book she read had marginalia in it,” Hegnauer said. “Her sofas, her blankets, her great aunt’s china … it was really amazing to just sort of step into her household.”
Asarnow became close friends with Hegnauer during her time at UP, as they would often spend hours discussing poetry for her senior thesis. Her work at UP has come full circle, as Asarnow is currently teaching “Pantry” in his poetry workshop class. He said that one of the things that makes Hegnauer stand out as a poet is that her work is easily accessible and challenging all at the same time.
“Lilah’s a very powerful, risk-taking person,” Asarnow said. “She manages to use being absolutely present wherever the mind of the poem is, the mind of the speaker, and bringing together things you would never think of, to create this sense of being alive and of what it is to think through or feel through or live through various important things.”
Freshman English major Sara Coito is currently in the poetry workshop class, and agrees with Asarnow that the courage Hegnauer displays in her writing makes her especially unique. Additionally, Coito feels that she has somewhat of a special connection with Hegnauer, being that she’s in the same position Hegnauer was in several years ago.
“I think it’s really cool to see that (the students in the class) could be in (Hegnauer’s) position ten to fifteen years from now, which gives us something to look forward to,” Coito said. “I’m really looking forward to her reading… and to hearing how she perceives her own lines.”
Hegnauer, too, is looking forward to coming back to UP and reconnecting with the community and the students with whom she feels a close sense of identification. She’s also excited to enjoy some of the spring weather that, living in Boston, she’s not getting at home yet.
“I’ve been teaching at big state schools mostly, and their college experience is different than mine was (at UP),” Hegnauer said. “I’m excited to come back and feel that sense of recognition with the students there.”
Sourced from Beacon
English Professor Couple Awarded Fulbrights to India
Chosen over hundreds of scholars applying for a handful of highly competitive placements, English professors and married couple Lars Larson and Molly Hiro have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Scholar Teaching Grants to India.
They’ll be embarking to the southeast Asian country in August with their two daughters to teach comparative American literature courses and enjoy the international experience as a family.
It’s unusual for couples to be selected for Fulbright awards to the same country in the same year, and Hiro and Larson are honored and excited to spend five months of their sabbatical teaching together in India.
“We wanted the challenge,” Larson said. “We wanted to figure out what questions we were not asking in life. To step outside of the American bubble, and see what it means to be human outside of that definition.”
Only recently alerted of their successful applications, Hiro and Larson are making practical preparations as they await details on their placements. They hope to be assigned the same university in New Delhi, teaching courses in their respective areas of interest and allowing India to revitalize their intellectual and personal perspectives.
“One of the downsides of working in American literature is that you don’t have global interests,” Hiro said. “As a professor, I’m very excited to allow this to change my scholarship.”
It was Hiro’s wanderlust that inspired the couple to apply for Fulbrights. Neither she nor Larson studied abroad as undergraduates, so after attending a Fulbright workshop in summer 2012, Hiro saw a second chance for travel.
The couple chose India as their destination not because of research interests, but in hopes that the vast number of grants offered in that country would increase their chances of both being selected. And pragmatic considerations aside, they expect their experience in India to be a mix of work and vacation.
Last summer Hiro and Larson researched India through books, films and histories in order to craft intelligent application proposals, but they recognize there’s a limit to what they can prepare for.
They are swift to note the diverse challenges they’ll face: language barriers, infrastructure troubles, bureaucratic red tape, sickness from exposure to unfamiliar foods and microbes, the relentless heat, cultural misunderstandings and possibly adjusting their teaching styles.
Also their two children – soon to be 7 and 10 – have never left the country and may be five months without formal education. Since American and international schools in India have long waitlists, Hiro and Larson might prefer their daughters to learn by exploring the cultural and historical aspects day-to-day of India.
“We fully expect, from how different life in India is – how hot it is, how crowded, how conspicuous they’ll be – they won’t think it’s fun on a daily basis,” Hiro said. “But we hope and believe that they’ll look back with a kind of fondness and feel like they’ve learned a lot.”
Senior English major Cerice Keller, who worked as Hiro’s research assistant, said Larson and Hiro’s humility and self-awareness will help them adapt to life in India.
“They are so deserving of this,” Keller said. “I can’t wait to hear about their experiences when they get back.”
Hiro said the English department has been very supportive, despite how unusual it is to lose two professors to sabbatical at once. English professor Geneviève Brassard will replace Hiro as department chair July 1, and a one-year replacement with a doctorate will be hired as an adjunct to teach American and introductory literature courses. An additional adjunct will be brought on if necessary next fall.
Hiro and Larson plan to return to the States in early January, and spend the second half of their sabbatical researching and writing. They’re excited to discover how taking American literature abroad will reshape their viewpoints, and how a semester in a foreign country will bring them closer together as a family.
It’s that challenge of defamiliarization, according to Larson, that’s central to this Fulbright teaching experience.
“Portland, as everybody knows, is a comfortable town, it’s smug and self-conscious,” Larson said. “We want to get outside of this pristine zone and maybe bring back some things Portland may have forgotten.”
Sourced from Beacon
Junior Biochemistry Major’s Personal Experience Inspires Internship
It’s difficult to imagine how an internship in a research lab could be similar to an episode of Lost, but that’s the reality for junior Brian Carter, and it’s one of the reasons he enjoys his so much.
“I think it’s really gratifying to do research and ask questions, and finally come upon an answer,” Carter said of his internship. “But, of course, every answer comes with two more questions, so it’s kind of like Lost, where every episode you get an answer, but you also get two more questions.”
Carter, a biochemistry major, works in a lab at the Oregon Health Sciences University in the Hearing Research Center. The lab’s primary goal is to study ototoxicity, a condition in which one’s ears are damaged (affecting hearing, balance, or both) as a side effect of certain drugs, most of which are generally used as antibiotics.
“For me, that was a very personal field to try and get myself into because it’s something that’s affected me,” Carter said. “When I was just a couple months old, I had a basic bacterial infection and took antibiotics, and later we learned that I had hearing loss and I’ve worn hearing aids ever since. That’s the story with a lot of the other researchers there, too.”
Carter sought out this internship opportunity after being informed of the possibility by a member of the Alexander Graham Bell Foundation, from whom he had received a scholarship. He is now an active member of the lab, and works with people who have come from around the world to participate in the research, including from Japan, China, and Russia.
The internship has acted as a catalyst for Carter to consider a wider variety of paths for his future.
“It’s opened my eyes to my options in terms of what I can do with my education,” Carter said. “I was always set on being a doctor, so stepping myself out of my comfort zone and into opportunity has shown me that my foundation here (at UP) can allow me to do things I would have never even considered.”
Not only has it begun to steer him in a new direction, but his internship experience has also given Carter the confidence to continue progressing as a scholar in his field.
“For me, being a junior undergraduate student, it was very intimidating at first to work with PhDs and people from Harvard or China,” Carter said. “I’ve had to learn to know that my thoughts and my works are just as legitimate as theirs, and there have been times when they’ve been wrong and I’ve had to have the courage to say (so).”
Carter’s internship has acted as a learning experience that has contributed to his overall philosophy about biochemistry as a somewhat of a holistic field of study.
“Biochem has so much to do with learning about the body as a whole,” Carter said. “Every detail of our lives comes together to form a larger picture, and that’s just so amazing to me.”
Story by Clare Duffy
Andrew Cohen Lecture on Using Language, Culture Learning, March 26th
Andrew D. Cohen will present a lecture on using language and culture learning strategies to develop higher levels of proficiency and intercultural competency on Wednesday, March 26, at 4:15 p.m., in Shiley Hall room 123, according to Jeffrey White, international languages and cultures. The lecture is free and open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the public.
Cohen is a leading researcher in the applied linguistics field of language and culture learning strategies. He co-edited Language Learning Strategies with Ernesto Macaro, (2007), co-authored Teaching and Learning Pragmatics with Noriko Ishihara (2010), and most recently authored the second edition of Strategies in Learning and Using A Second Language (2011).
The presentation has been made possible through funding from international languages and cultures, the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Nursing, the McNerney-Hanson Endowed Chair in Ethics, and the Collaborative for International Studies and Global Outreach (CISGO). Cohen’s visit will include a full day of meetings with a variety of UP faculty, staff, and students who are involved with efforts to internationalize curriculum and programming.
For more information, contact White at 7141 or white@up.edu.
Spring 2014 Dean’s Welcome
Dear Friends of the College of Arts and Sciences,
Welcome to the Spring 2014 College A&S News Website! On behalf of the faculty, students, staff, and alumni of the College: it is good to visit with you.
Springtime on the Bluff offers a deep and reverent sense of hope and resurrection. Cherry blossoms burst along the Quad, and everywhere we see signs of the goodness of all creation. As we enter the final months of the semester, I invite you to come to campus for one of our excellent symposia events and be inspired by the College’s academic pursuit of excellence that promotes a vision of the common good through engagement with the humanities, liberal arts, and the social and natural sciences. Nothing quite says “College of Arts and Sciences” like listening to a first-rate academic lecture or watching a student-directed play or catching the University of Portland’s annual Ethics Bowl.
I invite you to check out the College’s many upcoming events for spring semester. And while you are on campus, don’t forget to stop by the Dean’s Suite in Buckley 201 to introduce yourself. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you home.
The Catholic intellectual tradition promotes a habit of mind and heart that is reflective, contemplative, and integrative. And so I invite you to let the University of Portland’s College of Arts and Sciences help renew you, body and spirit, during this special time of Lenten and Easter preparation. For more information, check out the specific links on the College’s news website. Some highlights of activities involving faculty and students in the College during Spring 2014 include:
- The Ethics Bowl, scheduled for Saturday April 5 from 4-6pm in Mago Hunt. This year’s second annual McNerney-Hanson Ethics Bowl Showcase will feature undergraduate students from the University’s nationally-acclaimed Speech and Debate Union.
- Five CAS faculty members awarded Tenure and Promotion;
- Sr. Angela Hoffman, OSB named the Oregon Academy of Science 2014 Outstanding Higher Education Teacher in Science and Mathematics;
- Professor Alexandra Hill awarded the Graves Award in the Humanities;
- Professor Susan Baillet Awarded the Becky Houck Award for Excellence in Advising;
- Graduation Weekend, May 3-4, with Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony beginning at 2pm on Sunday, May 4 in the Chiles Center.
- World Conference on Science and Soccer, June 5-7, held for the first time in the U.S. For more information visit https://sites.up.edu/wcss2014usa/
Thank you for your loyal and continued support of the College of Arts and Sciences. As you can imagine, the College of Arts and Sciences depends on your generous financial support to be able to offer and expand upon the many academic, social, religious, and public events that make us a unique and excellent Catholic university serving Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. We have great hopes to continue to build upon the strong foundations established by those who came before us. Still, we need your help to ensure that our commitment to the humanities, the arts, and the social and natural sciences continues to grow and flourish. Please choose to be a part of the conversation, a conversation that will help the College engage our nation and the world in striving to be the kind of place we want it to be for our children and our children’s children. Any gift of financial support is deeply appreciated. Please visit the “Support Us” link, located here and on the main CAS News page.
Welcome to the College of Arts and Sciences! Welcome to a whole new world!
Warm regards,
Michael F. Andrews, Ph.D.
Dean, College A&S
McNerney-Hanson Endowed Chair in Ethics
Music Major Theo Clapp’s Internship Experience
They say that smiling is infectious, and I found that to be true as I interviewed Theo Clapp about his internship experience.
Clapp is a senior Music major and Business minor who was told of an internship opportunity working with ‘Stache Media. He never would have thought that working with ‘Stache Media would be in his future.‘Stache Media is a full-service marketing agency specialized in music that operates out of RED, an award-winning division of Song Music entertainment. Clapp has become a ‘Stache lifestyle representative, which means he promotes albums and tours as well as writes reports on artists and the promotion. This internship has provided Clapp with valuable experience and tools including promoting and social media marketing. It’s been helpful for Clapp to have had this first-hand experience. Clapp’s internship has also expanded his social connections, and he’s really enjoyed his time with ‘Stache so far. “Oh, I love it,” said Clapp, “I’ve made great connections around the Portland area.” He says his internship has come with a few perks too, like, free concerts and albums.
Clapp applied even though he did not think he would get it. He said his best advice to students looking for internships is to apply even if you don’t think you’ll get it. Clapp advises, “Put yourself out there, and talk to your advisor.”
When asked about his best experience with ‘Stache, Clapp recalls two specific experiences. The first included promoting Glassnote Records as part of artist Childish Gambino’s tour, where afterwards the founder of Glassnote personally thanked Clapp for his contribution. The second shared was his first day of interning when he was assigned to deliver a bottle of Champagne to the band Chvches. “They basically asked me, ‘hey do you want to bring this bottle of champagne to them?’” Clapp said, “And I was like ‘yeah!’” Clapp was excited to meet a band he admired, and it made for a thrilling first day on the job.
Clapp mentioned that the work he does is “not all fun,” as he emptied his bag of reports, posters, CDs, and event cards onto the table. His internship keeps him busy writing reports for approximately 5-6 hours per week depending on the number of artists. Clapp says, “It’s also hard to get excited about artists you don’t personally like, but it’s a fun challenge to force yourself to get excited.” When asked if this internship has expanded his musical taste, Clapp says, “I appreciate some country [music] now.”
Clapp has applied for Graduate school and hopes to further his education in both Business and Music. He also hopes to continue his work with RED ‘Stache Media.
Story by Terran Benedict
Undergraduate Research Takes Two: The Mutual Benefits for Professor and Student
(Dr. Kevin Jones sits down with his two student researchers. Left to right: Erika Standeven, Kevin Jones, Lauren Mucha)
In 2010, Social Work Professor Kevin Jones decided to get involved in undergraduate research. He hired a student to be his research assistant and to aid him in his projects. Little did he know that this choice would be extremely beneficial, not only for his student assistant, senior Lauren Mucha, but for himself too. There might be some hesitation from professors to participate in undergraduate research, but Prof. Jones is an advocate for undergraduate research and urges professors to look into it because, “there are undergrads willing to make a real contribution.”
Not only that, but Jones is certain he would not have been able to complete the projects as quickly or efficiently as he has without a student assistant. He attributes the efficiency to holding each other accountable for their duties.
“Accountability was big,” said Jones. “We held each other accountable; set goals and deadlines. The thing about working alone is that you aren’t held accountable if you don’t meet a deadline, but with Lauren there, I had to set a good example.”
The pair has spent three years together, which is not typical in undergraduate research as students normally work for about a year. Due to this extended time together, Lauren has been able to see a couple of different projects through to the end. The first project they worked on together was a conceptual one, which gave her the opportunity to write several sections of a manuscript, so much so that she was labeled co-author of a published academic article, Sustainability Assessment and Reporting for Nonprofit Organizations: Accountability “for the Public Good.” An undergraduate student with a publication under her belt “looks great on a resume,” said Prof. Jones.
Jones and Mucha cited many other benefits from undergraduate research, including more confidence. Students can prove that they have the brain power to make it this far but knowing and doing are two fundamentally different things altogether. Prof. Jones said that Lauren has always been a confident individual, but she has become more outgoing over the years. He noted an event where the pair went to Vancouver, B.C. for an international conference to present the conceptual study of their academic article.
He expressed that Lauren seemed very comfortable in front of the audience and even claimed that she did a better job than he. “Her part of the presentation was more compelling than mine,” Jones said.
Story by Terran Benedict
Not Just for the Sciences: English Major Participates in an Undergraduate Research Project
While the University of Portland takes pride in their small student to faculty ratio, few professors get to know their students well enough to about one’s passion for glitter. However, senior English major Cerice Keller and English professor Dr. Molly Hiro are an exception to the rule. The pair spent the summer of 2013 working together on an undergraduate research project.
“This was one of the key moments of my undergraduate career,” Keller said of the research experience. “It was working one-on-one with a faculty member, which I don’t think many students get to do very often.”
Hiro seized the opportunity when Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Terry Favero offered to give scholarships to students working on research with faculty members. Over a six week period, Keller worked to compile a bibliography (essentially, an annotated list of sources) for Hiro on Hiro’s research topic: Racial Feeling and Empathy. The project ended up being the motivation for Keller’s senior thesis.
“I thought, ‘I should look into that…working on a student with something’,” Hiro said. “So I apporoached Cerice and asked if she wanted to do it…when I was a grad student, I was hired by one of my professors and mentors to be a research assistant for her to compile a bibliography.”
Keller feels that she gained a better understanding both of herself and her field of study through her research experience.
“I got to create the environment that I had always wanted for my first three years of college. Being able to wake up in the morning and have a cup of coffee and sit with my blanket on my couch and I’d have spread of books on one topic that I am, as well, very interested in,” Keller said. “It was just my own enclave of fantasy, but it was actually happening.”
Hiro agrees that she witnessed growth in Keller throughout the process, as well as growth in herself.
“I had to kind of pin myself down and explain the questions I was interested in,” Hiro said. “Conversations like that make you become a teacher because I think it makes you realize how much you take for granted and how much explaining foundational concepts can be really useful.”
Additionally, Keller cited the value of working so closely with a professor in completing such a project, and in developing as a student in general.
“A lot of people are surprised at how excited I was to get to meet with my professor once a week,” Keller said. “Getting to talk with somebody who knows more than I do about literature and life stuff, too, it was like a mentorship.”
Hiro and Keller agreed that the experience was extremely positive, and that students and professors alike can benefit from working together on such a project. Hiro cautioned interested professors to choose carefully when considering which student to collaborate with.
“I would say, don’t be hesitant to show how passionate you are for a subject,” Keller said, offering advice for students considering undergraduate research. “Don’t be afraid to ask those questions that you may think are stupid because chances are other people have the same questions.”
Story by Clare Duffy