Pope Francis has dedicated 2015 as The Year of Consecrated Life. Many associations flow from the term: one lucid and joyful specification of Consecrated Life widely familiar to our University community is Sister Angela Hoffman, OSB.
Sr. Angela Hoffman, O.S.B., 1995
(University Archives photo, Click to enlarge)
Professor Hoffman, a sister of St. Benedict, has taught Chemistry at the University since 1989, as full professor from 2008. Through her initiative UP has a stand of yew trees planted for research on the river campus. And also hundreds of inspired students planted well beyond the campus grounds. As to her practice as a teacher, she says: “Teaching students how to fail well is an important aspect of my teaching. They make a lot of mistakes . . . experiments and models don’t explain how life works . . . . I am always telling them that failing is the surest chance of learning, and not to waste a chance to learn by failing to learn from your mistakes.”
Sr. Angela Hoffman planting yew tree, 2006
(Marketing & Communications photo, click to enlarge)
Sr. Angela Hoffman and students, 2006
(Marketing & Communications photo, Click to enlarge)
In her own life, Sr. Angela appears to have continually ‘failed-upwards’ earning honors and distinctions through service given to God, science, and the University of Portland community. An innovator in pharmacological medicine (holding multiple patents), 2014 Oregon Academy of Science Outstanding Higher Education Teacher, 2012 American Chemical Society Fellow, 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow.
UP News, February 24, 2014 http://www.up.edu/news/showNews.aspx?id=4967
The Beacon, March 6, 2014 http://upbeacon.com/2014/03/06/sister-angela-hoffman-wins-teaching-award/
Leave a Reply