UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Alumni

New Director for Office of Alumni and Parent Relations: Gina Amato Yazzolino

Gina Amato Yazzolino ’96 has been named director of alumni and parent relations effective April 12.  Yazzolino succeeds Craig Swinyard, Ph.D. ’98, who stepped away from the position last December to resume teaching as an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics.

“Our University of Portland community will benefit from Gina’s strong non-profit experience and her zeal for relationship-building,” said Bryce Strang, vice president for University relations.  “At a time when we are hopeful to return to some sense of normalcy, Gina joins a collaborative, University–wide effort to connect and provide meaningful engagement opportunities with our alumni and parent population.”

Yazzolino comes to UP from the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon where she was development manager since 2015 with a special focus on major gifts and planned giving.  Her career also features other successful nonprofit assignments, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Archbishop Howard School at St. Rose.

“It is an honor and privilege to be joining the University of Portland community as director of alumni and parent telations,” said Yazzolino.  “As a proud alumna returning to The Bluff, I look forward to strengthening connections and engagement with the alumni and parent communities through service, leadership, advocacy and faith rooted in our Holy Cross education.” 

Nominate Students For 2021 Gerhardt Award

The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations is accepting nominations for the 2021 Thomas A. Gerhardt Award for Student Leadership. Criteria for selection include:

  • Student must be a graduating senior;
  • Student must have demonstrated leadership throughout his/her/their undergraduate career;
  • Student must demonstrate consistent dedication to the University and the community through service to God and neighbor.

Nominations are due by Monday, February 25. Complete a nomination form here.

For more information contact Fr. Ed Obermiller, C.S.C., interim director of alumni & parent relations, at obermill@up.edu.

Leadership Position Open in Alumni & Parent Relations: Your Help Appreciated!

The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations is seeking applicants for a leadership position and asks that faculty and staff who can think of alumni that they believe would be a good fit contact them and help spread the word. The full job description and requirements can be found using this link.

For more information contact alumni and parent relations at alumni@up.edu.

NIKE Employee Store: Faculty & Staff Welcome Nov. 8-19

The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and the Office of Athletics are excited to provide all UP faculty and staff access to the Nike Employee Store from November 8 to November 19. Please register by Wednesday, November 4 for store access. More information and registration can be found at this link.

Contact Anna Horlacher, alumni and parent relations, at horlache@up.edu or Karina Handeland, athletics, at handelan@up.edu with any questions.

UP Month of Remembrance

For many centuries, the Catholic Church has dedicated November as a month of prayer for the deceased. Since its founding in 1901, the University of Portland has observed this ancient custom. On behalf of the University and Holy Cross community on The Bluff, we invite faculty, staff, alumni, families and friends to join with us in prayer again this year for those who have gone before us.

Please click this button to share with us the names of your beloved departed and we will remember them in our Masses and prayers throughout November.

For more information contact Sarah Kuenzi, alumni and parent relations, at kuenzi@up.edu or x8696.

Reunion 2020 Canceled: UP Community Is Always Here For You

The alumni and parent relations office has reached the difficult decision to cancel Alumni Reunion Weekend for 2020. While current reports from the CDC suggest that June 25–28 may be safe for large gatherings, we asked ourselves, “What is the best way to serve our alumni in the coming months?” Our decision to cancel this weekend was made not only out of concern for everyone’s health and safety, but also because we recognize that, for many of you, large milestones are currently being celebrated or mourned through screens and phone calls rather than in-person gatherings: weddings, births, passing of loved ones, anniversaries, retirements, and graduations.

This cancellation is assuredly an acknowledgement of the important opportunity for this summer to be one where you can reconnect with your friends, your family, your neighbors, and your local community. We appreciate that financial uncertainty may be weighing on you as well.

Your UP community is always here for you. And we look forward, now more than ever, to bringing everyone together for an exuberant celebration of Pilots at Reunion 2021. Our gathering as a community will be that much sweeter.

For more information contact alumni and parent relations at alumni@up.edu.

Switchboard – UP’s Online Community Platform

Alumni & parent relations moderates a community platform called Switchboard, which serves as a closed community space for faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni to ask for what they need and offer what they have. Craig Swinyard, director, encouraged current Switchboard users to lean in to the power of connection. In these times of uncertainty, now more than ever, members of the UP community are here to support you. If you need help – or can offer help to your fellow Pilots – please reach out to your community here.

Columbia Sportswear Offer for UP Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Friends

Spring will be here before you know it, and we want to let you know about a great deal for University of Portland alumni, faculty, staff, and friends currently being offered at the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store. The invite only runs from now to March 15, so sign up today using this link.

The offer features a Columbia Sportswear employee discount, with items marked at 40 to 50 percent off regular retail pricing, on all of the latest product from the Columbia Sportswear Company family, including SOREL, Mountain Hardwear, prAna, and more.

For more information contact the alumni and parent relations office at alumni@up.edu.

 

Nominate Students For 2020 Gerhardt Award

The Office of Alumni & Parent Relations is accepting nominations for the 2020 Thomas A. Gerhardt Award for Student Leadership. Criteria for selection include:

  • Student must be a graduating senior;
  • Student must have demonstrated leadership throughout his or her undergraduate career;
  • Student must demonstrate consistent dedication to the University and the community through service to God and neighbor.

Nominations are due by Monday, March 2. Complete a nomination form using this link.

For more information contact Craig Swinyard, alumni & parent relations, at swinyard@up.edu.

First-Year and Sophomore Family Weekend, Feb. 14-16

The University will soon welcome approximately 800 participants in the inaugural Family Weekend for first-year and sophomore students. Parents and family members will arrive on Friday afternoon, February 14, complete their registration at the UP bookstore, and are welcome to attend a full slate of academic showcases and social events throughout the weekend.

This weekend provides a special opportunity for families to spend time together learning, exploring, and experiencing the true sense of our community here on The Bluff. The complete schedule of events can be found at this link. For questions or concerns, please contact Kathryn Seccombe at the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at x7328 or Jeromy Koffler, student activities, at x7470.