The University’s new campus-wide minor in innovation will be led by Salvador Orara, who will be hired as a Franz Center professor of practice and housed in the Shiley School of Engineering, according Shiley School dean Sharon Jones. Orara has a BFA in graphic design and a MFA in media design. His experience includes numerous UX (user experience design) roles including Jaguar Land Rover. He also has considerable teaching experience, most recently with Pacific Northwest College of Art. He is currently the AIGA Portland Chapter president (the professional association for design). Orara will begin in his new position on Thursday, August 15.
Orara’s new position is part of UP’s push to increase cross-disciplinary learning. Matthew Kuhn, incoming interim dean, says “Sal will add a new aspect to our students’ learning, by building upon their expertise and developing an interdisciplinary innovation mindset to solving complex problems that involve the human and societal dimensions.”
The new innovation minor will be offered campus wide and will be housed in the Shiley School of Engineering. Classes offered through the innovation minor include “Introduction to Design and Innovation,” “Sketching and Prototyping,” and “Empathy, Observational Research and Human-Centered Design.”
For more information contact the Shiley School at x7292 or engineering@up.edu.
Please join the Pamplin School of Business and the Franz Center as we say goodbye to Peter Rachor, Director of Entrepreneurship. The gathering will be held on Tuesday, May 14, from 4 to 6 p.m., in Franz Hall room 120. All University employees are invited to extend their good wishes to Peter.
The Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation will present its annual $100K Challenge Venture Competition on Saturday, April 27, on the third floor of Shiley Hall. This competition provides students with the opportunity to receive feedback on their proposed ventures from within the local entrepreneurial community, win cash awards, and move on to the opportunity to acquire seed funding that will help advance an entrepreneurial opportunity to the next stage. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend and watch student presentations.
The Franz Center is providing free leadership training and development during the 2018-19 academic year for faculty and staff who want to learn more about becoming a Leadership Fellow. There have been over 100 faculty and staff from across the university who have been trained as Leadership Fellows and the Franz Center is seeking to include 40 additional faculty and staff who will begin their training next fall. After completing the leadership training, Leadership Fellows serve as leadership instructors and coaches in the Leader Certificate program and earn a stipend of up to $2,500 for their teaching or coaching. We are able to include only exempt (salaried) employees in this program at this time. Please contact Dave Houglum, Franz Center, at 
The Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation will present its annual $100K Challenge Venture Competition on Saturday, April 28, in Shiley Hall room 301. This competition provides students with the opportunity to receive feedback on their proposed ventures from within the local entrepreneurial community, win cash awards, and move on to the opportunity to acquire seed funding that will help advance an entrepreneurial opportunity to the next stage. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend and watch student presentations.
The Franz Center is providing free leadership training and development during the 2018-19 academic year for faculty and staff who want to learn more about becoming a Leadership Fellow, according to Dave Houglum, Franz Center. There have been over 100 faculty and staff from across the university who have been trained as Leadership Fellows and the Franz Center is seeking to include 40 additional faculty and staff who will begin their training next fall. Leadership Fellows serve as leadership instructors and coaches in the Leader Certificate program and earn a stipend of $2,500 for their teaching or coaching. Only exempt (salaried) employees can be accepted at this time. Please contact Houglum at 
The Franz Center is providing free leadership training and development during the 2018-19 academic year for faculty and staff who want to learn more about becoming a Leadership Fellow, according to Dave Houglum, Franz Center. There have been over 100 faculty and staff from across the University who have been trained as Leadership Fellows and the Franz Center is seeking to include 40 additional faculty and staff who will begin their training next fall.
The University of Portland is participating in the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL), an international research study that provides important insights on the leadership development and learning needs of college students. The students’ responses will help faculty, staff, and administrators at the University of Portland measure how we are doing compared to other peer institutions and will allow researchers to better understand how experiences in and outside the classroom impact life and perceptions at college. Students who are selected will receive an email invitation to complete this important online survey on February 6, and the survey will close on February 25.
On Tuesday, November 14, the Garaventa Center will host a community conversation about the challenges and opportunities of “Becoming Human” as introduced by Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche, with a focus on learning how to fail well. The event will take place from 4:30-6 p.m. in the quiet side of the Commons (please note venue change), and is free and open to all. This event is a collaboration with L’Arche Portland and the Franz Center. For ADA accommodations or more information: x7702 or