Annuals

At the end of the 2024-25 academic year, nine members of the University of Portland faculty will retire after many years of service to this institution and making a difference in the lives of untold numbers of students.  The University gives thanks to our retiring faculty for their dedication and commitment to teaching and learning and wishes them all the best.

Dr. Brian Fabien, Dean, Shiley School of Engineering, at UP since 2020
Rev. Mark Ghyselinck, Instructor of Fine Arts, at UP since 2005
Dr. Randy Hetherington, Associate Professor, School of Education, at UP since 2016
Dr. Gary Laustsen, Professor, School of Nursing & Health Innovations, at UP since 2023
Dr. Kenneth Lulay, Margaret and Vincent Aquino Endowed Associate Professor of Engineering, at UP since 1998
Dr. V. Dakshina Murty, Professor of Engineering, at UP since 1981
Dr. Stephanie Sideras, Instructor, School of Nursing & Health Innovations, at UP since 2020
Dr. Isabelle Soulé, Associate Professor, School of Nursing & Health Innovations, at UP since 2019
Rev. Arthur Wheeler, CSC, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, at UP since 1987

Photos from the University of Portland Archives, Marketing & Communications, School of Nursing & Health Innovations.

Each year the campus community is ever renewed with new members, about whom established faculty and staff forever sigh: so young.  Even the senior class envies the fresh-faces of the First-Years. The Faculty and Staff population too is ever renewing. But with a powerful continuity which we witness in the senior members of our community who preserve, practice and hand-on our Catholic, Holy Cross mission. Our previous entry on this topic was posted in 2021 so we thought it was time to take a timely re-look at our 25 year and 20 year classes of faculty and staff who were NEW in 1999 and 2004.

Beginners from 20 years ago (2004) include —  Andrew Guest, psychology, Mike Eom, business; Dan McGinty, Dundon-Berchtold Institute. Our 25 year class of new faculty and staff from 1999 includes — Fr. John Donato, CSC, Associate VP for Student Life; Mindi Logan, performing and fine arts; Janice Lundborg, information services; Nick McRee, sociology; Mark Meckler, business; Michael Pelley, international student services; Jason Brough, athletics.  Joining the 25 year club since our previous post are: Arjun Chatrath, business; Joseph Hoffbeck, engineering; Deana Julka, psychology; Jeff Kerssen-Griep, communication studies; Lora Looney, Spanish; Kenneth Lulay, engineering; Elise Moentmann, Vice Provost; Lisa Reed, business; Heidi Senior, library. Each contribute to and enrich our common enterprise through their years of service, leadership, and advancement of our Catholic, Holy Cross mission. They are friends and colleagues whose continuing influence benefits UP student life and learning today. 

Click on image for slideshow

At the end of the 2023-24 academic year, thirteen members of the University of Portland faculty will retire after many years of service to this institution and making a difference in the lives of untold numbers of students.  The University gives thanks to our retiring faculty for their dedication and commitment to teaching and learning and wishes them all the best.

Dr. James Baillie, Professor of Philosophy, at UP since 1990
Lori Chorpenning, Senior Instructor of Nursing and Health Innovations, at UP since 2004
Dr. Karen Eifler, Professor of Education, at UP since 1998
Dr. Rebecca Gaudino, Senior Lecturer of Theology, at UP since 2008
Dr. Sally Hood, Associate Professor of Education, at UP since 2005
Dr. Bohn Lattin, Associate Professor of Communication, at UP since 1992
Dr. Ellen Lippman, Professor of Business, at UP since 1983
Dr. Kay Molkentin, Professor of Business, at UP since 2019
Dr. Debra Stephens, Associate Professor of Business, at UP since 1997
Dr. Ed Valente, Professor of Chemistry, at UP since 2009
Dr. Jacqueline Waggoner, Professor of Education, at UP since 2004
Dr. Valerie Walters, Senior Instructor of Chemistry, at UP since 2014
Dr. Bruce Weitzel, Associate Professor of Education, at UP since 2004

[Click on image to enlarge photo, read captions, and view slide show]

Photos from the University of Portland Archives, Marketing & Communications, School of Nursing & Health Innovations, Pamplin School of Business, Franz Center, School of Education, Theology Department, The Beacon.

At the end of the 2022-23 academic year, five members of the University of Portland faculty will retire after many years of service to this institution and making a difference in the lives of untold numbers of students.  The University gives thanks to our retiring faculty for their dedication and commitment to teaching and learning and wishes them all the best.

Dr. Janet Banks, ’87, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Health Innovations, at UP since 2009
Dr. Gregory Hill, Professor of Mathematics and Environmental Studies, at UP since 2000
Sr. Angela Hoffman, O.S.B., Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, at UP since 1989
Dr. Sally Rothacker-Peyton, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Health Innovations, at UP since 2015
Dr. Steven Vegdahl, Associate Professor of Engineering, at UP since 1996

[Click on image for photo captions and slide show]

Photos from the University of Portland Archives, Marketing & Communications, School of Nursing & Health Innovations

Every summer the University’s All-Alumni Reunion calls alumni back to the Bluff. Paused in 2020 and 2021, this annual event draws alumni for a 4-day “homecoming” event each June to reconnect, reminisce, and renew. Maintaining and networking alumni connections began in 1908 with the establishment of an Alumni Association. (Which would have comprised a modest 40 people, joining the 17 graduates of June 1908 with all previous degree recipients from 1902-1907.)  In 1924 records announce the first “homecoming” dinner for alumni athletes– returning alumni to campus during the school year — which expanded in 1933 to feature football games.  By the mid-1930s, Homecoming events include a dinner, dance, alumni meeting, rally, Mass, breakfast, and weekend football game.   

In 1938, the first alumni chapter was formed in Salt Lake City. The Hooyboer brothers, Fr. John and Fr. Cornelius, served as admissions recruiters visiting high schools up and down the coast and across mountain states in the mid-1940s and 50s.  Their travels (and over-nights) included visits to alumni, thereby helping to strengthen the relationship between graduates and the University.  The first annual Alumni Reunion Weekend occurred in 1955.

Currently, the Office of Alumni & Parent Relations coordinates with the Alumni Association to connect alumni, family and friends to the life of the University of Portland. Alumni chapters exist in 15 Regions across the country providing opportunities for alumni to gather and connect outside of the annual reunion. There are also Academic chapters based on area of study and Affinity chapters for shared interests ranging from professional to social and cultural.

Both the University and the Reunion have grown from a century ago; in fact, during the last twenty-five years the undergraduate enrollment grew from 2700 in 1997, to nearly 4000 today. Pilot alumni strong!

Help us to provide research tools for students right at their fingertips. We invite you to be part of our efforts to support student success at UP by raising funds for laptops for students to borrow. Please support the Clark Library by making a PilotsGive gift now or on April 6-7, 2022, from noon to noon. The direct link is: https://giving.up.edu/clarklibrary

The past two years have taught us how essential laptops and computers are to student success in providing access and distance-support for class-work, class-research, and even class attendance. Remote work closes distances. Drafting and revising essays on computers makes the work portable for students as they move between jobs, campus, residences. So, alongside pens and pencils, modern students carry a device that serves as desk, office, notebooks, and library wherever they go right in their backpack.  The computer is an essential, all-purpose tool– replacing post-it notes, index cards, multi-coded notebooks, marking-pens, erasers, and bottles of liquid-paper and sheets of correction tape which, before personal computers were the norm, meant extra long-nights-before-deadline for term papers and take-homes.

Technology helps, though access to technology is not the same for all students at various levels of income and drawing on different training and resources in their academic preparation. With increasing Zoom & Teams meetings and lectures, on-demand access to resources for classes and research, and greater ease for writing assignments, this year’s Clark Library PilotsGive campaign goal is focused on supporting student success by providing laptops for students to borrow.

Those who give $100 or more will receive a beautiful vintage Clark Library bookplate, placed in a newly purchased book for our collection to commemorate the donation. Make a gift at https://giving.up.edu/clarklibrary

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The Library, Archives, and Museum work collaboratively to make our resources available for student research and discovery through our digitization efforts of archives and museum collections and access to electronic journals and books, and streaming media from the library.

We use the words Family and Community easily and often as campus descriptors: our mission-goals and our values point directly to the people of UP belonging-together.  The annual Parents & Family Weekends have a long history going back to Campus Day picnics in the 1930s, with the current manifestation tracing back to 1973, or 1990, or the 2019-2020 academic year when we doubled the opportunity, inviting Families to campus for November and February weekends.

But putting the question of origins aside: after a long, unplanned hiatus lasting 734 days, Family Weekend returned to the Bluff over the weekend of 18-20 February 2022. Hosted by the office of Alumni and Parent Relations First-Year & Sophomore Family Weekend was the first big event for UP families since the start of the pandemic.

Pilot families participated in campus tours, academic showcases and residence hall open houses, attended concerts (jazz, choir, orchestra), Comedy Sportz and trivia nights, watched baseball and basketball, a stage-drama, and more. Smiles from all were evident, even from behind face masks.

The University Museum was invited and presented a colorful Pilot-spirited and academic memorabilia and photographs display in the Bauccio Commons on Saturday and Sunday for the Academic Presentations and Continental Breakfast.

Over 875 in attendance contributing to campus life throughout the weekend.

Parents Weekend Program Cover, 1973; Parents & Family Weekend, 1990; Junior & Senior, First-year & Sophomore Family Weekends, 2019-2020

Related post:
https://sites.up.edu/museum/taste-of-up-for-families/

Each year the campus community is ever renewed with new members, about whom established faculty and staff forever sigh: so young.  Even the senior class envies the fresh-faces of the First-Years. The Faculty and Staff population too is ever renewing. Our previous entry on this topic was five years ago so we thought it was time to take a timely re-look at our 25 year and 20 year classes of new faculty and staff from 1996 and 2001.

Beginners from 20 years ago (2001) include —  Osiel Bonfim, physics; Kevin Cantrell, chemistry; Brian Dezzani, director of recreational services; Diane Sotak, library. Our 25 year class of new faculty and staff from 1996 includes — Mark Kennedy, engineering; Steven Vegdahl, computer science/engineering; Mary Scroggins, director of printing and mailing services.  Joining the 25 year club since our previous post are: Carolyn Connolly, museum; Sr. Carol Dempsey, theology; Terence Favero, biology; Jeffrey Gauthier, philosophy; Steven Kolmes, environmental studies; Lawrence Larsen, theater; Bohn Lattin, communication studies; Norah Martin, philosophy and environmental studies; Martin Monto, sociology; John Orr, English. Each contribute to and enrich our common enterprise.  People whose continuing influence benefits UP student life and learning today. 

Click on image for slideshow

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