UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

02-06-2017

International Night at UP, March 3: All Welcome

international-week

The University of Portland will celebrate its annual International Night during Diversity Dialogues Week on Friday, March 3, beginning at 4:30 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons. The annual event is a night for the campus and community to come together and celebrate everything that international cultures contribute to the world. The event is free and open to the public and will start off with a student hosted Showcase of Nations highlighting various countries around the world. Student and professional musicians including Portland Taiko, Turkish group Ritim Egozotik, and Mariachi Viva Mexico will perform. During the night, international cuisine will be served a la carte. There will also be free henna body art, a Chinese calligrapher, and a photo booth for participants to enjoy.

For more information contact International Student Services at iss@up.edu.

 

Flip Your Classroom: A TLC Workshop for All Faculty on February 23

fish-flip-dtOne promising practice for deepening students’ engagement with material in just about every discipline is “flipping the classroom,” in which the teacher provides background information to students online prior to face-to-face class sessions, in which learners then play with the ideas, solve complex problems drawing on the content, and many variations on that theme. UP’s Teaching & Learning Collaborative invites all faculty to an interactive workshop facilitated by Zach Simmons, psychological sciences; Rebecca Gaudino, theology; and Lindsay Benes, nursing; all of whom “flip” some of their classes, and all of whom do so differently. Each will share their model and field questions about what has worked and not worked for them. They promise time for discussion and hands-on trials for those who bring their own devices. The workshop will be in Franz 120 on Thursday, February 23, 3:30-5 p.m. RSVP to Karen Eifler at eifler@up.edu.

Founders’ Day, Tuesday, April 11

christiesThe University’s annual Founders’ Day celebration will take place on Tuesday, April 11. Four sessions of student presentations will be held in place of regularly scheduled classes, and all students and faculty are encouraged take part in the day’s events, featuring senior presentations, undergraduate research, panel discussions, recitals, and more. Classes scheduled to begin after 4 p.m. will be held as usual.

Founders’ Day was first celebrated at the University in 1902, when University founder Most Rev. Alexander Christie visited the school he had established on The Bluff the summer before. For more information, including a schedule of the day’s events, go to https://www1.up.edu/foundersday/.

Rank and Tenure: 2017 Tenure, Promotions

tam-copy2The provost’s office has announced the following promotions and grants of tenure, effective July 1, 2017:

  • Alice Gates, social work: tenured, promoted to associate professor
  • Anne Santiago, political science: tenured, promoted to associate professor
  • Elinor Sullivan, biology: tenured, promoted to associate professor
  • Sarah Weiger, English: tenured, promoted to associate professor
  • Christine Weilhoefer, biology: tenured, promoted to associate professor.

For more information contact the president’s office at x7101 or staten@up.edu.

Join the Conversation: “Invisible Suffering: The Air We Share,” Feb. 6

clean-dirty-air-dt-150-copyPlease Join College of Arts and Sciences faculty and regional representatives for an interdisciplinary conversation on the topic of “Invisible Suffering: The Air We Share,” on Monday, February 6, 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Pilot House bookstore. All are welcome to attend.

Presenters include College of Arts and Sciences dean Michael F. Andrews; Ted Eckmann, environmental studies; Mary Peveto, president of Neighbors for Clean Air; Alan Sprott, vice president of Vigor Industrial; and Norah Martin, philosophy. The conversation will feature:

  •   Vised from the perspectives of liberal arts, ethics, and environmental justice
  •   Short presentations to introduce main themes
  •   Student-led Q&A and open discussion’

Refreshment will be served following the event. Sponsored by the McNerney-Hanson Endowed Chair in Ethics.

Celebrate Thirst Friday at the Garaventa Center, Feb. 10

beer-monksReady to celebrate surviving the snow and ice (fingers crossed) and the start of the new semester?  Join us in the Garaventa Center for Thirst Friday on February 10, from 4-6 p.m., in Franz Hall room 330 for lively conversation and tantalizing treats, including our not-to-be-missed M&Ms tasting menu. (Cheesecake M&Ms, anyone?) Come for 10 minutes or two hours but do stop by, and extra credit for bringing someone new. All faculty and staff are invited. For more information, contact Karen Eifler at x8014 or eifler@up.edu.

Nominate Students For 2017 Gerhardt Award

gerhardt-copyThe Office of Alumni Relations is accepting nominations for the 2017 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 Friday, February 24. Complete a nomination form here. A list of previous winners is available here.

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

“Humor In Nursing” Talk with Hob Osterlund: Feb. 7

osterlundWriter, photographer, and advanced practice nurse Hob Osterlund will present “Humor in Nursing: How to Find Time to Laugh When There’s Zero Time for Lunch” on Tuesday, February 7, at 7:15 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons. Osterlund’s talk is sponsored by the Garaventa Center, the School of Nursing, and the Beckman Humor Project and is free and open to all.

Osterlund founded Hawaii’s first inpatient pain and palliative care program at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. She also principal investigator for the Comedy in Chemotherapy (COMIC) Study, where she and her colleagues were the first to conduct a randomized controlled trial demonstrating the positive impact of comedy on the symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy. She will discuss the nursing profession as “one of the highest and hardest trapeze acts youʻll ever see,” where nurses face impossible situations on a daily basis: trying to balance on a high wire between cost-cutting and enormously expensive interventions, between doctorsʻ orders and the reality of patient care, between compassion for others and boundaries with them, between keeping people alive and allowing them to die, and many more.

For more information contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.

TLC Tip of the Week: Creating Engaging Media Assignments

digital-tunnel-wallpaper1-copyFaculty members who are interested in having students use video, design, or audio tools in their classrooms can visit the Digital Lab and schedule a consultation and collaborate on a multimedia assignment, according to Jose Velazco, Clark Library. The Digital Lab provides instruction on software, loans, equipment, and will work one-to-one with faculty to create engaging assignments meeting curricular goals and offering professional development opportunities for students.

Visit the lab’s Faculty page to view sample assignments.

To arrange a consultation, contact Velazco at velazco@up.edu.

 

Who Put Sol in the Solar System? The Muse of Math Knows

1amath150The University museum poses the following Jeopardy answer: “What is a thousand-sided polygon?”  Question: “A mathematical model that can be expressed, but not modeled; for the sake of example, a Chiliagon.” For those who notice that the Museum blog leans towards the Muse of History (Clio) and seems neglectful of the other liberal arts, our latest entry dallies with the Muse of Mathematics (Urania). Or, final question for the win: “Who put Sol in the Solar System?”  Read our latest post on the Museum and Archives blog.

For more information contact Carolyn Connolly, museum coordinator, at piatz@up.edu or x8038.