CAS News

English

Lou Masson Reading September 25

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Louis MassonLouis Masson, Tyson Distinguished Emeritus Professor of English, will appear as part of the English department’s Readings and Lectures Series on Wednesday, September 25, at 7:45 p.m., in Mago Hunt recital hall. His reading is free and open to all. Masson is the author of three collections of essays, most recently Across the Quad (Corby Books, 2013). His other collections include Reflections: Essays on Place and Family and The Play of Light: Observations and Epiphanies in the Everyday World. Masson has been a regular contributor to Portland Magazine and has published poems and essays in a number of other publications. He retired from the University in 2011 after teaching here for 40 years.

For more information, contact the English department at 7264 or english@up.edu.

More than an office

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FROM THE BEACON

By Olivia Alsept-Ellis|

You see the artifacts in their offices every visit. You want to ask about the Star Wars X-Wing fighter and the garden gnome but don’t want to come across as nosy. But the questions don’t stop plaguing you. Why does he keep a toilet brush in his office?

Some professor’s offices look like scholarly sanctuaries while others are more sterile and focused. However, all of them carry special artifacts with interesting stories attached.

And perhaps the best thing about the stories behind the asparagus plants or Alexander Pope is being reminded that professors aren’t just teachers, but highly creative and intriguing people. The complexity of their environment is evidence of their individuality.

Five professors from different departments share the stories behind their beloved clutter. [Read more…] about More than an office

CAS Faculty Receive All Four University Awards

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photoCongratulations to the following University of Portland Faculty Award winners, announced during the Annual Faculty Awards Dinner on May 7, 2013:

Dr. John C. Orr,  Department of English 2013
Culligan Award
The James Culligan Award, established in 1953 is presented annually to a member of the faculty in recognition of distinguished service inside the classroom and in the larger University community. Winners of the Culligan Award wear the medal with their academic regalia, as a sign of the University’s highest faculty honor.

Dr. Lars Larson, Department of English 2013
Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching
This award is presented annually by the University’s Committee on Teaching and Scholarship to a faculty member who is a particular exemplar of the University’s commitment to superb teaching. The requirements or the award are “commitment to students and their learning, the creation of instructional settings and their learning, the creation of instructional settings that engage students, a deep understanding of the subject and effective ways to teach it, critical and systematic thinking and practice of teaching, and wide respect for the teacher as expert and resource for other professors.”

Dr. Steven Kolmes, Department of Environmental Studies, 2013 and Dr. Russell Butkus, Department of Theology 2013
Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship
This award is presented annually by the University’s Committee on Teaching and Scholarship to a faculty member who presents unusually significant and meritorious achievement in professional scholarship during the past two academic years, and whose work substantively enhances the effectiveness of his or her classroom teaching.

Dr. Kathleen (Kate) Regan, Department of International Languages and Cultures 2013
Deans’ Award for Faculty Leadership
This award is selected annually by the University’s Deans to a tenured faulty member who exemplifies, in an extraordinary way, the qualities of teaching and scholarship described in the University’s Academic Administration Manual for appointment, advancement in rank, and tenure. Over the course of his or her career at the University, this faculty member has also made significant contributions to the professional development of his or her colleagues and to the advancement of the University.

Students visit Edelman PR

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Seven students from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Pamplin School of Business visited Edelman PR firm on Friday, April 19th in downtown Portland.  A panel of Edelman public relations professionals shared insights about the agency (voted the #1 privately held PR firm and one of the 100 best companies to work for in Oregon), the different facets of today’s public relations industry as well as qualities that make a great intern.  Students also learned that one of the major benefits of working in a smaller big agency office is greater diversification in experience!

Students (left to right): Matthew Langer, Christina Tenorio, Nastacia Voisin, Julia Kennedy, Bruce Garlinghouse, Gilbert Resendez, Caroline Lai

This visit was arranged by UP’s Career Services in partnership with Communication Studies, English and the Pamplin School of Business.

Cindy Weinstein at the 2013 Northwest Undergraduate Conference on Literature

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English professor and author Cindy Weinstein will deliver the keynote address for the 2013 Northwest Undergraduate Conference on Literature (NUCL), sponsored by the University of Portland English department, on Saturday, April 13, at 1:30 p.m., in Mago Hunt Center recital hall on the University campus, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. Her lecture, titled “When is Now? Time in American Literature,” is free and open to the public.

Weinstein is the author of five books on American literature and culture, including Introduction to the Oxford Classical Edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter; Family, Kinship, and Sympathy in Nineteenth-Century American Literature; and The Cambridge Companion to Harriet Beecher Stowe. She is a professor of English and executive officer for the humanities at California Institute of Technology.

The Northwest Undergraduate Conference on Literature, founded in 2004, creates a professional atmosphere to promote student criticism and challenge student critics. NUCL gives undergraduate and advanced high school students an opportunity to present their own scholarly papers or creative works in organized panels of their peers. Students are also invited to attend NUCL’s keynote lectures by noted academics and writers in the field of literature. Cosponsors include the University provost’s office, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the admissions office.

For more information contact the English department at 503-943-7264 or english@up.edu.

Peer Review Workshop Coming Soon

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Looking for ways to cut some of the work involved in grading student papers? The Writing Center and Teaching & Learning Collaborative are hosting a workshop on that very topic April 17, 4-5 pm in Shiley 319. Click here to see a 90-second overview of this session. Questions? Lars E. Larson (larson@up.edu) or Karen Eifler (eifler@up.edu).

Lois Leveen Lecture and Reading

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Lois Leveen

Author Lois Leveen will give a talk and read from her work on Thursday,March 21 at 4 p.m. in Shiley 319. The lecture is titled “Telling Secrets: Mary Bowser, Race, Gender, and the Fictions of History,” and will explore what it means to teach—and learn—African American history through fiction. At 7:30 p.m. in Buckley Center room 163, Leveen will read from her 2012 novel The Secrets of Mary Bowser as part of the English department’s Readings and Lectures Series, and is co-sponsored by the History department.

Lois Leveen is a Portland-based author and performer.  Her work has appeared in numerous literary magazines, the New York Times, onstage at PerformanceWorks Northwest and NPR’s LiveWire, and in film festivals around the country.  Her first novel, The Secrets of Mary Bowser (HarperCollins/William Morrow), is based on the true story of a free black woman who became a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War–by pretending to be a slave to the family of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. A former faculty member at UCLA and Reed College, Leveen gives talks and leads classes at museums, libraries, and schools throughout the country.

For more information contact Molly Hiro, at ext. 8031 or hiro@up.edu.

Life After The English Major

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From UPBEAT

The English department is sponsoring a panel for English (or any humanities) majors on Friday, February 1, at 3:30 p.m., in Buckley Center room 207.

“Life after an English Major” will feature four UP alumni from the past 7 years who have landed in various careers (editing, digital media, public policy, social work) in the region. The panelists will share their post-grad experiences and answer students’ questions about navigating the working world with a major in humanities.

The panel is free and open to all. For more information contact Molly Hiro, at ext. 8031 or hiro@up.edu.

William Stafford Birthday Poetry Celebration

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From UPBEAT

The English department’s annual William Stafford Birthday Poetry Celebration will take place on Thursday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m., in Buckley Center room 163. The celebration is free and open to faculty, staff, students, and the public.

The party commemorates the 98th birthdayof Oregon’s late Poet Laureate, who died in 1993. Guests and poets will include Friends of William Stafford representative William Howe, Oregonian poetry editor Kirsten Rian, Judith Arcana, Erin Ergenbright, Sara Guest, and UP’s Lars Erik Larson and Herman Asarnow. For more information contact Asarnow at asarnow@up.edu or ext. 7244.

Number of students with double majors nearly triples

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By Kate Stringer, Staff Writer

From THE BEACON

With two majors and a 23 credit hour course load, junior Kristin Wishon is lucky if she gets four hours of sleep at night.

“I don’t have time to do things that are just for fun,” said Wishon, who is double majoring in biochemistry and music. “But I enjoy what I’m doing anyways so I don’t really care.”

Wishon is part of a growing trend at college campuses across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of college students who double major has increased over the past 10 years by 70 percent. While some students choose two majors because they believe it will make them more employable, many are simply passionate about multiple fields of study.

[Read more…] about Number of students with double majors nearly triples