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Early Career Award for Alice Gates

Alice Gates, social work, was selected as this year’s recipient of the Council on Social Work Education Early Career Faculty Award for Service and Leadership in Social Work Education.

Founded in 1952, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include over 800 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education. CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories.

St. Joseph, An Extraordinary Man: Did You Know?

Did you know about St. Joseph?

You only get a vague image of this extraordinary person in the New Testament.  This unusual man, Joseph believes in the Incarnation, God becoming human, long before any theologian taught about this. He trusts that something special is happening in Mary, his betrothed, becoming pregnant with Jesus. As you read further in the Gospel account, there is a story of Joseph seen as a man who perceives God’s communication to him through dreams. Thus, believing in one of those dreams, he takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod, the king who seeks to put Jesus to death. However, in terms of a real description of Joseph’s virtue, the Scriptures leave us one central word. Joseph is spoken of as a “just man.”

A classical definition of the word “just” is to give to all what is due them. Therefore, you can imagine Joseph being a carpenter who worked hard to provide a good service and asked reasonable recompense. Where else did he offer what was due? One possibility is that he treated his foster son and Mary his wife as sacred people.  This is based on the fact that Joseph’s life was filled with a great deal of hallowed mystery. God had asked him to live in mystery and to be a husband and father of faith.  He fulfilled that role of “protector of the sacred” by giving Mary and Jesus what was just, everything that was due to them.

Perhaps our call to justice involves our treatment of others ahead of anything else. Ask yourself, “Are all the people in my life being given what is due to them while treating them as part of a sacred mystery?”

“Did You Know?” is a regular feature in UPBeat to help staff and faculty understand dimensions of this Catholic, Holy Cross university. You can send questions to Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C. (Campus Ministry) or Karen Eifler (Garaventa Center).

Dean Robin D. Anderson Announces Retirement

Robin D. Anderson, dean of the Pamplin School of Business and Franz Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship, has announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2020. Anderson has served the University of Portland with distinction since 1998 after a successful career in business, entrepreneurship, and education leadership. Joining UP as the Robert W. Franz Chair for Entrepreneurship, he created the University’s distinguished Entrepreneur Scholars Program. He also founded the Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, which has received the NASDAQ Center of Excellence Award and continues to be recognized as a leading academic center.
Anderson was named dean of the Pamplin School in 2006, and he championed experiential learning, optimized the structure and organization of the School of Business, and strengthened the School’s ties with alumni and industry partners around the world.  He has expanded the School’s academic offering through the creation of new disciplines, specializations, and certificate programs. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy of professional achievement and personal devotion to UP.
Political science professor Gary Malecha will serve as Interim Dean of the Pamplin School of Business until a permanent successor is named. The University will commence a search for the new Pamplin Dean in the late summer or early fall.
Please wish Robin, his wife Jean, and his family a retirement filled with the satisfaction of a job well done.

Woot Woot, Aaron Wootton!

Mathematics professor Aaron Wootton has been awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award for the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Pacific Northwest Section. Winners of the section award are automatically nominated for the national MAA Deborah & Franklin Tepper Haimo Award, given to nominees who are widely recognized as extraordinarily successful in their teaching, who have had an influence in their teaching beyond their own institution, and who foster curiosity and generate excitement about mathematics in their students. The Pacific Northwest Section includes all institutions of higher education in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwest, Nunavut, and Yukon territories.

Wootton has been teaching math classes spanning the entire undergraduate curriculum for 21 years. The success of his teaching comes down to his willingness to listen carefully to his students and colleagues and adapt his teaching methods accordingly. He teaches classes offering students multiple formats to help in their learning, creating a safe and comfortable learning environment, and by regularly communicating with them to learn about their individual needs and concerns. For example, he requires that every student picks up each of their tests from his office in person. Though these meetings take up a tremendous amount of time (200+ meetings per semester), every minute is time well spent as it allows him to build an honest and trusting relationship with his students, and it provides him with the opportunity to identify and help students who are struggling.

Outside of the classroom, to pique student interest in mathematics, Wootton created a course in cryptography and drafted an accompanying 200-page textbook. Nationally, Aaron is recognized as the founder and series editor of the book series Foundations for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (FURM, published by Springer Verlag). To date, FURM has released one volume with two further volumes in press. He is a member of the Mathematics Calculus Consortium, a group of educators ranging from high school teachers to faculty from world-renowned research universities. Since joining the Consortium, he has been involved in the completion of four new edition textbooks, all of which are published by Wiley, and are strong sellers throughout the world.

An Evening with Susan Sygall, Feb. 3

The Dundon-Berchtold Institute will welcome Susan Sygall for an Ethics Week Conversation on Monday, February 3, at 7:15 p.m., in the Brian Doyle Auditorium. Sygall is a world-renowned disability rights and leadership advocate, a MacArthur Fellow, and an honorary doctorate recipient at the University’s May 2019 commencement.

While the event is free and open to all, the Dundon-Berchtold Institute asks that attendees please RSVP using this link.

Sygall is CEO and co-founder of Mobility International USA, a non-profit organization advancing disability rights and leadership globally. She has co-authored numerous publications and lectured throughout the world on a variety of topics related to inclusive international development, women’s leadership, and disability rights. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum, and also received the President’s Award from President Bill Clinton at the White House for her active role throughout our country and the world in empowering people with disabilities.

For more information, contact Hannah Pick, Dundon-Berchtold Institute, at x7825 or pick@up.edu.

UP Shamrock Run Team 2020: Get Fit, Run or Walk For A Cause!

The Portland Shamrock Run is one of the city’s largest events and the University of Portland team is back. Participants can sign up for any distance (5k, 8k, 15k and half-marathon runs, as well as the 4k Stride and 1k Leprechaun Lap for kiddos).
To sign up, go to this link.  The “Join a Team” option is near the T-shirt selection stage of registration; search for and select “University of Portland.”  Save $5 per registrant for a limited time with the code “fit2020”.
All racers are helping support Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.  The last day to register with the team is January 31, 2020. Team registrants may have their race packets mailed to them; other registrants must pick up their packets at the Expo Center on Friday or Saturday before the race. Take advantage of this convenience and joint the UP team!

For more information contact Kaitlin Bourne, recreational services, at bourne@up.edu or the UP team captain, Hans Nordstrom, mathematics, at x7295 or nordstro@up.edu.

MLK Day Celebration, Jan. 20: A “Day On” at UP

In 2020 the University of Portland will mark national Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a “day on,” not a day off, according to Yuri Hernández Osorio, student activities. As the University community celebrates the legacy of Dr. King, there will be opportunities to engage in events throughout the day and ways to serve the community in the local neighborhood and beyond. The latest information is available at this link.

Keynote speaker Walidah Imarisha will share with participants from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Buckley Center Auditorium. The Brian Doyle Auditorium will serve as an overflow space as well. Childcare will be provided.

The event is free and open to the public, although tickets are required to manage seating. Please RSVP and sign up here by Wednesday, January 15.

 

Faculty and Staff Giving: Sending A Powerful Message

Each year some 8,000 donors — including more than 300 staff and faculty members — give financially to support UP students and programs. Gifts from faculty and staff, totaling more than $100,000 annually, send a powerful message to alumni, businesses, foundations, and friends of the University, that those closest to UP believe in this community and choose to support it beyond giving of their time and talent.

When you give to UP, you can designate your gift to an area that you are passionate about, including scholarships, a particular school or program, Campus Ministry, athletics programs, and more.

One of the easiest ways to give is through a payroll deduction. To sign up for or renew a payroll deduction gift, please use this link. For more information about giving opportunities, visit the Giving UP page here.

Moreau Center Silent Auction, This Week!

The Silent Auction is fast approaching, to be held Dec. 3-6, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Bauccio Commons. We have received many wonderful donations already. As always, the more the merrier. This is just a reminder that we need donations  to be delivered to the Moreau Center office in St. Mary’s as soon as possible Thank you for your support!

Don’t miss out on the great offerings at the Silent Auction. There are affordable things to purchase outright, and a wide range of wonderful items to bid on, including an autographed Timbers soccer ball! Don’t forget to purchase a raffle ticket in support of the Tanzania and Peru Immersions – you could be the happy winner of $165 in gift cards. We hope to see you there and we appreciate your support.

For more information, please contact Theresa McCreary, Moreau Center, at mccreary@up.edu or x7131

Your 2019 ACUBE Excellence in Teaching Award Winner: Tara Prestholdt

Tara Prestholdt, biology, won the 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Association of College and University Biology Educators (ACUBE). The award is offered annually to honor faculty who both practice and promote effective, innovative teaching in the biology classroom.

While the entire campus is no doubt aware of Prestholdt’s polymathic proficiency, mathematics professor Stephanie Salomone explains it best: “Tara is a true mentor to her undergraduates. Tara’s expectations for her co-researchers are high. They will not just do good science, but they will be able to explain their work to people who are as far as possible from experts. They will not just enjoy science, or like science; they will find science exciting,the process of discovery exhilarating, and the difficult cognitive task of explaining science to laymen motivating. Every student that I’ve known who has worked in Tara’s lab has come out skilled in scientific research, and eager to get back into the lab or the field to do more.

“Further, Tara Prestholdt is dedicated to improving undergraduate education on campus and beyond. Tara’s work on the NSF-funded REFLECT project has helped transform the culture of undergraduate STEM education at UP into one that responds to the evidence of what makes for great teaching – active, hands-on, engaged approaches to instruction. She is a supportive mentor for other faculty who are new to evidence-based practices, she is innovative in her own approaches to teaching, and she is a leader who deeply deserves this recognition.”