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Longtime University of Portland political science professor Gary Malecha receives 2014 Spirit of Holy Cross Award

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MalechaGary Malecha, a longtime professor of political science at the University of Portland, has received a 2014 Spirit of Holy Cross Award. The award is given annually to lay collaborators of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. The award  recognizes lay collaborators who devotedly work to make Blessed Basil Moreau’s vision and mission to “make God known, loved, and served” a reality at the Congregation’s education, parish and mission apostolates.

Malecha was one of six award recipients announced on Sept. 15 by Rev. Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C., provincial superior of the United States Province of Priests and Brothers, to mark the Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows.

“On our Congregation’s feast day — the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows — we  thank our lay collaborators who are living examples of stewardship to the Word of God and the embodiment of Our Lady’s love for all her children,” Fr. O’Hara said. “This year’s Spirit of Holy Cross recipients live their vocation through their work with Holy Cross. May God continue to bless them as they give of their time and talents.”

Malecha, who has been a professor at the University since 1992, served as chairman of the Department of Political Science for 13 years and currently serves as the NCAA faculty athletic representative for the University. He earned a bachelor’s of political science, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. (1976); a master’s of science in political science from Notre Dame (1978); and a doctorate in political science from Notre Dame (1987). He also has served as a lecturer, teaching assistant and assistant or associate professor at Purdue University North Central; Indiana University South Bend; Notre Dame; University of Northern Iowa; California Polytechnic State University; Trinity College; and Weber State University. He has been married to Linda Gammill, Ph.D., for 27 years.

Malecha was nominated by Rev. Jeffrey Allison, C.S.C., on behalf of the Holy Cross Community at the University of Portland. Fr. Allison said Malecha is supportive of the mission of Holy Cross and is deeply committed to students at the University.

“He is highly regarded by the faculty and students here,” Fr. Allison said, noting that Gary won the Becky Houck Award for Excellence in Advising and the James Culligan Award, the highest award a UP faculty member can receive. “In many ways, Gary embodies the Spirit of Holy Cross. His concern for educating the whole person is evident in his genuine concern for his students both in and out of the classroom.”

The 2014 recipients are:

  •     Melanie Chapleau, assistant to Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame
  •     Lori Gorny, office and payroll manager, Provincial Administration Office (Notre Dame, Ind.)
  •     Patti Schlarb, seamstress at the Basilica of Sacred Heart, Notre Dame
  •     Gary Malecha, professor of political science, University of Portland
  •     Edwin J. and Lea M. Zorn, parishioners, Sacred Heart Parish (Tri-Community Parish), Colorado Springs, Colo.

Holy Cross at University of Portland will formally honor Malecha at Mass and a dinner in January, 2015 as part of the celebrations of Blessed Moreau’s life (Father Moreau died on January 20, 1873 in Le Mans, France). Honorees will receive a proclamation of gratitude signed by Provincial Superior Fr. Tom O’Hara on behalf of the entire U.S. Province.

Vail Fletcher wins 2014 Outstanding Edited Book Award from National Communication Association

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FletcherVail Fletcher, a University of Portland communication studies professor, has received the 2014 Outstanding Edited Book Award from the National Communication Association. The book, Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland, was co-edited by former University of Portland professor Renee Heath, now at the University of New Hampshire, and Ricardo Munoz, University of Colorado, Boulder.

The award, announced by the association’s Committee for the International and Intercultural Communication Division, will be presented at the NCA Annual Convention in Chicago, Ill., on Friday, November 21.

Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland uses economic insights and contemporary theories of communication to better understand the Occupy Movement. The collection of articles focuses on global, local, and mediated perspectives. Contributors also examine social movement phenomena by stepping outside of social movement theory to analyze the macro- and micro-processes of the Occupy movement.

Fletcher teaches courses related to interpersonal and intergroup communication, international development, eco-feminism, gender, and social media and culture. Her research focuses on the intersections of culture, conflict, and identity with an emphasis on romantic and interpersonal relationships.

She recently completed a grant-funded project that explored the re-creation and disruption of identity among youth in a post-genocidal Rwanda. She has taught at West Virginia University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of New Mexico, and California State Polytechnic University.

For more information contact Fletcher at fletcher@up.edu.

Meet the 2014-2015 Student Leadership & Advisory Council

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The Student Leadership & Advisory Council (SLAC) is composed of students representing each department in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Council meets approximately twice a semester to provide advice to the dean about the programs of the College and assist with projects.  SLAC welcomes the new 2014-2015 Advisory Council:

Bridget Sloat  Bridget Sloat: Biology
Haley Mukensnabl  Haley Mukensnabl: Performing & Fine Arts
Martha Olson  Martha Olsen: Physics
Nathan Chatterton  Nathan Chatterton: Philosophy
Elizabeth Hjort  Elizabeth Hjort: Communication Studies
Matthew Chavarria Matthew Chavarria: Chemistry
Megan Leecher  Megan Lester: English
Elvia Gaona  Elvia Gaona: Political Science
Maggie Bruckner  Maggie Bruckner: Environmental Studies
Sierra Huitt  Sierra Huitt: History
Ryan Mealy  Ryan Mealy: Sociology & Social Work
Zack Hartman  Zach Hartman: International Languages & Cultures
Noah Banks  Noah Banks: Theology
Michelle Longtain  Michelle Longtain: Mathematics
Brett Bankson Brett Bankson: Psychological Sciences

Visit the SLAC website for more information

Dec. 6, 2 p.m; The Slavic Concert, With The Wild Symphony & Special Guests Anastasia & Co.

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music notesThe Wind Symphony is proud to present the American premiere of Boris Kozhevnikov’s First Symphony. This performance is presented as part of the Graves Award in the Humanities, won by Patrick Murphy to conduct research in Moscow and bring this composition to American audiences. In addition, junior oboist Janna Riley will solo with the band on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Variations on a Theme of Glinka. The Wind Symphony also welcomes the Portland/Vancouver Russian community to this concert, and is pleased to share the stage with the Russian/English contemporary Christian band Ana Stasia & Co. Lead singer Anastasia Belonozhko is a former UP student, and she and her band have toured the United States and internationally. This concert is free, but tickets are required. Saturday, December 6 2 p.m., Buckley Center Auditorium

Bob Butler Honored By Oregon Science Teachers Association

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ButlerBob Butler, environmental science, has been selected to receive the Fred Fox Distinguished Service to Science Education Award from the Oregon Science Teachers Association. The award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to mentoring and developing new teachers, and is based on career longevity, breadth of influence, enthusiasm for science and the profession of science education, and the demonstrated ability to motivate.

Butler has been a professor of geophysics at the University since 2004. He teaches Earth System Science, Natural Hazards, and Oceanography, but is probably best known as an expert in the field of earthquakes and earthquake preparedness. Butler is also the project director of Teachers on the Leading Edge (TOTLE), a K-12 Earth Science teacher professional development program featuring Pacific Northwest geology and geological hazards.

Butler was a professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona from 1974 to 2001, and was recognized as Distinguished Professor of Geosciences there from 2001 to 2004. Among his many awards, Butler was named the Oregon Academy of Science 2013 Outstanding Higher Education Teacher in Science and Mathematics. This award will be presented during the annual Oregon Science Teachers Association conference on Friday, October 10, at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel (1919 NE 181st, Portland, OR 97230).

For more information contact the environmental science department at 8342 or inanb@up.edu.

Feb. 26, 5:00 p.m; ReadUP Community Reading Initiative

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GreeneAuthor and John Hopkins humanities professor Alice McDermott will be on campus on February 26, 2015, as a guest of the University’s Schoenfeldt Visiting Writers Series. In preparation for her arrival, the provost’s office has announced the annual ReadUP community reading initiative. All University community members—students, faculty, staff—are invited to read McDermott’s novel, Charming Billy, which won the National Book Award in 1999. Copies of the book can be secured at the Clark Library, and the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in the Pilot House will have an array of McDermott’s books for sale at the Schoenfeldt Series book signing on February 26.

All community members will be invited to book discussions facilitated by Fr. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., Garaventa Center, in the Clark Library conference room:

  • Wednesday, February 11, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, February 19, noon to 1:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, February 24, noon to 1:30 p.m.

Schoenfeldt Series events will include an author’s reception on Thursday, February 26, from 5 to 6 p.m.; a public lecture by McDermott that night in Buckley Center Auditorium at 7 p.m.; and a book signing immediately following the lecture. ReadUP is sponsored by the provost’s office, the Garaventa Center, the Clark Library, student affairs, residence life, and university relations.

Watch for additional information on the ReadUp WordPress site at sites.up.edu/readup, beginning Thursday, November 20.

Remembering Kate Regan

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Kate Regan Dear Friends of the College of Arts and Sciences,

It is with tremendous sadness that we learned of the death of our friend and colleague, Dr. Kate Regan, on July 23 2014.  As all who know and love her will attest, Kate was an outstanding teacher and scholar.  Her boundless energy, enthusiastic leadership, and keen insight were tremendous gifts that benefited students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University of Portland for two decades.  Her work with the Center for International Studies and Global Outreach (CISGO) has had a particularly strong and positive benefit for international competency in the University’s curriculum.  From across the globe I have received numerous emails from many of Dr. Regan’s colleagues, expressing intense sadness at her untimely death and joy at having had Kate enrich their lives.  I know that I speak for all of the CAS faculty and staff when I express my condolences to all of Dr. Regan’s students — present and former — who have lost, not only an excellent teacher, but a life-long friend and mentor.  We in the College are diminished by our loss; yet we remain hopeful in our faith that Kate’s generosity and joy-filled spirit will continue bear much fruit.

Kate’s loss to the College of Arts and Sciences and in particular to the Department of International Languages and Cultures and her loss to each of us, personally, is without measure.  On behalf of the faculty, students, and alumni of CAS, please know that I share your sorrow at our personal and collective loss.  In talking with so many of Kate’s colleagues, it seems clear to me that our tears are not merely for losing Kate, but for realizing that we have lost a part of ourselves.  There are no words to describe the joy and love and sheer energy by which Dr. Kate Regan has (and continues) to inspire us and all that we do here on The Bluff.  As we in the College try to come to grips with Kate’s passing and our own personal and collective grief, let us commend her to God, trusting that Kate’s work continues to be our own.

May the angels lead her to paradise, and may Kate’s soul, and the souls of all our faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Vaya con Dios, nuestra amiga.

With warm regards,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Michael F. Andrews, Ph.D.                                                                                                                                                                                                            Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., inaugurated as University of Portland’s 20th President

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Poorman InaugurationRev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., inaugurated as University of Portland’s 20th President: Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., was inaugurated as University of Portland’s 20th president on Friday, Sept. 26 in the Chiles Center on campus. The inauguration ceremony, which followed a Mass also in the Chiles Center, was attended by thousands of individuals, including students, alumni, faculty, regents, staff, community members and presidents of other universities.

Fr. Poorman became the University’s President on July 1, 2014, succeeding Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., President from 2004-2014. Prior to this role, Fr. Poorman served as Executive Vice President, beginning in July 2011. As Executive Vice President, he oversaw the divisions of University Operations, Financial Affairs, University Relations and Student Affairs.

A professor of theology, teaching courses in Christian ethics and moral theology, Fr. Poorman was instrumental in the formation of the Dundon-Berchtold Fund for Moral Development and Applied Ethics which includes the Character Project and the Dundon-Berchtold Fellowships for students and faculty to explore ethics-related issues. Until he assumed the presidency, he served as pastoral resident in Schoenfeldt Hall.

Before coming to the University of Portland, Fr. Poorman was at the University of Notre Dame, where he served as a member of the theology faculty and as Vice President for Student Affairs from 1999 to 2010. In that capacity, he was responsible for that university’s residential life as well as other student services, activities and programs, including Campus Ministry, Notre Dame Security Police, the Student Activities Office, the Counseling Center, Health Services, the Career Center, the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education, the Gender Relations Center, and Multicultural and International Student Services. Prior to his appointment as Vice President for Student Affairs, Fr. Poorman served at Notre Dame as Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President and the President.

Fr. Poorman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Illinois and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Notre Dame and was ordained a priest in 1982. He later studied at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, where he earned a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics. He then returned to Notre Dame to serve full-time on the faculty of the theology department, directing the department’s master of divinity program from 1992-1998.

Prior to his appointment as Executive Vice President, he served for seven years on University of Portland’s Board of Regents.

How To Become A Networking Ninja by Hanna Herrin

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How to (Really) Become a Networking NinjaHannah

Let’s face it. When most of us hear the word networking, our palms get clammy and our hearts beat a bit faster.

It doesn’t matter if you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert: chances are, the idea of making small talk with complete strangers in the hopes of landing a job, internship or simply making connections for the future can be a little intimidating.

I’ll let you in on a little secret of mine—we ALL have a network. The kicker is that many of us fail to recognize those closest to us as a valuable resource. Your professional network can include everyone you know.

We ALL have a personal network of friends, family and extended family that we can tap into for information. Chatting with Aunt Kathy is much less intimidating than trying to impress a CEO at a stuffy networking event.

Follow these steps and you will be well on your way to utilizing the network you already have. True story: I landed both of my major summer internships through personal connections.

Step 1: Make a List (Check it Twice)

In order to take full advantage of your personal network, you first need to figure out who constitutes your network.

Take out a piece of paper, write your name in the center (that’s right, we’re going back to elementary school) to make the beginnings of a tree diagram. Each line you draw as you create the diagram should connect you to someone you know (friends, family, etc). This constitutes your first level of connections.

Step 2: Time for Some “Recon”

Hopefully, by now, you’ve created a Linkedin profile. If you haven’t, I urge you to check out Career Services’ AWESOME workshops. Don’t have many connections yet? No worries! Use this opportunity to connect with the people you do know, such as professional acquaintances and family members.

After you connect, take a peek at their connections. (Visit Career Services or check out this resource if you need help.) Search for companies or jobs that you are interested in finding more about and add any names you discover to your tree diagram. These names become your second level connections.

Step 3: The Art of the Informational Interview

Now that you have a good idea of the people you already know (and who they know), seek out opportunities to meet with a few of them. In other words, carry out an informational interview! Keep in mind that informational interviews don’t have to take place in a traditional office setting. They can be a one-on-one at a coffee shop or a casual conversation at an upcoming family dinner or reunion.

Chances are, your family is going to want an update on how school is, what you are majoring in, future plans, etc. Hone in on those who made it on the tree diagram you created earlier—I won’t judge if you bring it along for reference—and start by asking this one, simple question:

“Can you suggest the names of two or three other people I might contact for more information? May I use your name when contacting them?”

I am 100% certain they will happily respond with advice for you, and potentially connect you with people they know (second-level connections) who can give you even more advice. Immediately after you chat with a family member or friend, write down any names they drop into your tree diagram, this time, connecting their name to the connection’s name. Make sure to write down any relevant information that goes along with the connection (where they met, if they work together, etc.)

Step 4: Follow Up With a Thank You Note

By now, your tree diagram should be full of first level and second level connections. Look at you, master networker! Ready for the next step? It’s an important one.

Follow up with a thank you note! I prefer hand-written, but a personal email will work as well. Include information about the conversation you had and the contacts they mentioned. Taking the initiative shows that you valued the conversation you had and that you are serious about taking their advice.

Step 5: You did it! (But don’t stop.)

Look at you, networking ninja! That wasn’t so bad, right? You aren’t done yet, though. Use this newfound networking confidence to continue building your network outside of your friends and family through informational interviews with your second level connections

You don’t have to go for the top right away. Start by seeking out young professionals in your area of study or even UP alum, who will most likely be willing to talk with you.

My best advice? Take advantage of EVERY opportunity you have to network with your classmates and professionals on campus. Join clubs in your area of study. Listen to guest speaker and attend career events on campus. Here are a few I’m planning on attending:

Wednesday, November 5th at 4:15pm in Career Services

Wednesday, November 12th at 4:15pm

Wednesday, November 12th from 6-7pm in BC 163

  • Lyndy Davis (UP alum and HP marketer, hosted by UPMG

Thursday, November 13th from 6-7pm in Franz Hall 214

Whatever you do decide to do to expand your network, do it with confidence!

  •   About Hanna Herrin. Hanna Herrin is a senior at the University of Portland, due to graduate in May with a B.B.A in Marketing and a minor in Communications. Hanna is the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus Portland and co-president of the UP Marketing Group. She has taken internships with Outerwall Inc., the World Conference on Science and Soccer, Davis Elen Advertising and the Pamplin School of Business. She hopes to pursue a career in Public Relations after graduation. Connect with Hanna on Linkedin, Twitter or through her personal website.