The University bookstore will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Saturday and Sunday during summer session, according to Erin Cave, manager. Please be sure to check the Events page on the bookstore website (http://tinyurl.com/oal8rpf) for current event hours. For more information contact Cave at cave@up.edu.
05-12-2014
Ground Broken For Beauchamp Recreation & Wellness Center
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center took place on Friday, May 9, at the future site of the $23 million center, which will be constructed entirely from donor-supported funding. It is set to open in early fall 2015, thanks to the work of 360 Architecture, Dan Danielson and Soderstrom Architects, and SKANSKA. Renderings of the proposed building can be found at http://tinyurl.com/kurlp7z.
The building is expected to become a dynamic focal point on campus and will enhance the physical and mental health of students, faculty and staff. Designs call for a new, modern facility, which will feature state-of-the-art equipment and space to accommodate the growing University community. Gifts made to the Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center were included in the University’s RISE Campaign, which was announced in December 2010 with a goal of raising $175 million by the end of June 2014. The RISE Campaign is one of the largest development campaigns ever for a Pacific Northwest private college or university.
Fr. Beauchamp announced last year he is stepping down as president at the end of June 2014. He will be succeeded by president-elect Rev. Mark Poorman, C.S.C., who was elected by the University’s Board of Regents in January. The University’s president since 2003, Beauchamp has been a strong supporter of the new center.
The center’s main level will have three gyms. The total space available for the three courts is 23,090 square feet – and another 2,830 square feet for locker rooms. This level also will have 1,480 square feet of administrative office space and an outdoor recreation and bike shop, with 1,520 square feet available. Overlooking the main floor will be treadmills and stationary bikes; suspended above all three recreational gyms will be a 10,130 square foot track designed so that eight laps equal one mile. The center will include a strength and weight training area and a 730 square foot rock wall for climbing.
For more information see the Beauchamp Wellness Center website at http://tinyurl.com/l5plm7t.
2014 Faculty Awards
The University’s 2014 Faculty Awards were presented on Tuesday, May 6, at the Faculty Awards Dinner, with the following results:
- The James Culligan Award, established in 1953 in memory of a dedicated servant of the University and presented annually to a faculty member in recognition of distinguished service, was presented to Karen Eifler, co-director of the Garaventa Center and School of Education professor extraordinaire. Winners of the Culligan Award wear the medal with their academic regalia, as a sign of the University’s highest faculty honor.
- The Deans’ Award for Faculty Leadership, presented annually to a tenured faculty member who exemplifies, in an extraordinary way, the qualities of teaching and scholarship described in the University’s Articles of Administration for appointment, advancement in rank, and tenure, was presented to Elayne Shapiro, communication studies.
- The Outstanding Teaching Award, presented annually by the University’s Committee on Teaching and Scholarship to a faculty member who is a particular exemplar of the University’s commitment to superb teaching, was presented to Trudie Booth, international languages and cultures, to wild applause, of course.
- The Outstanding Scholarship Award, presented annually by the University’s Committee on Teaching and Scholarship to a faculty member who presents unusually significant and meritorious achievement in professional scholarship during the past two academic years, and whose work substantively enhances the effectiveness of his or her classroom teaching, was presented to Matthew Warshawsky, international languages and cultures.
For more information contact the provost’s office at 7105 or staten@up.edu.
UP Celebrates RISE Campaign With Heroes Among Us Gala
Although the RISE Campaign doesn’t officially end until June 30, University of Portland celebrated the Campaign’s close with a gala attended by more than 600 friends and benefactors on Thursday, May 8. Called “Heroes Among Us,” the gala honored the men, women, corporations, and foundations who helped UP achieve its ambitious $175 million goal. To date, the Campaign has raised more than $180,741,561. The gala also celebrated UP’s “future heroes”—the students and young alumni who have directly benefited from the Campaign.
Among the highlights of the RISE Campaign:
- 12 new or renovated buildings and structures
- 9 new professorships
- Nearly $49 million for 232 new scholarships
- The establishment of the Dundon-Berchtold Fund for Moral Development and Applied Ethics and the Beckman Humor Project; the expansion of the Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation; and many gifts in support of campus ministry, the Garaventa Center, and the Moreau Center.
The RISE Campaign doesn’t officially end until June 30, and the University is still pursuing a participation goal of 7,000 donors for the fiscal year. Participation rates of alumni, faculty, and staff affect national rankings and influence grant-making decisions of some foundations. For information about the RISE Campaign, or to make a gift, contact Diane Dickey, development, at dickey@up.edu.
Tom Nelson, 1934-2014
Thomas J. Nelson, who served as engineering dean for 19 years (1977 to 1996), passed away on May 6, 2014. A native of Budapest, Hungary, he was born Tamas Janos Neubauer; the family changed their last name to Nemenyi in 1939 to escape persecution by the Nazis, and changed that name to Nelson when they achieved U.S. citizenship in the 1950s. He earned bachelor and master of science degrees in electrical engineering from MIT and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1968. While working at RCA Laboratories he met and married Mary Baker in 1957. He taught at the University of Michigan before joining the UP engineering faculty in 1974. He began his tenure as dean on June 1, 1977, after being chosen from a field of 58 applicants.
Nelson was known as a tireless worker, and strove mightily to increase enrollment and excellence in the School of Engineering. On his watch the University chartered the Eta Kappa Nu national electrical engineering honor society; the Civil Engineering program was first accredited in 1980; an Engineering Management degree was inaugurated in 1983; a computer aided engineering laboratory was dedicated in Engineering (now Shiley) Hall in 1985; the University’s first fully endowed chair, the Edwin and Sharon Sweo Chair of Engineering, was established; and many other accomplishments. On his retirement ceremony in April 1996, University president Rev. David Tyson, C.S.C., said in part: “He provided stability, vision, and discipline to his school and so greatly advanced the University in the eyes of the city, state, and nation. He has also been an inspiring companion to many hundreds of members of this community, and we will remember him best as our friend Tom, who may stop being the Dean but will never stop being a memorable, diligent, and integral member of the University’s family.”
Survivors include his two sons, Peter and Theodore; Tom’s beloved Mary passed away in 2002. Services have been held. Our prayers and condolences to Tom’s family, friends, and colleagues.
Fall 2014 Shaping Up As Record Class Year
The University has received a record number of deposits – 1,145 for incoming freshmen – and the school is anticipating Fall 2014 to be the largest first-year class in its 113-year history. Jason McDonald, dean of admissions, anticipates the University’s incoming freshman class could be about 1,100, exceeding the previous record of 888. He notes that the numbers historically drop slightly as a small percentage of students change their decision over the summer months.
Continuing a trend of the past decade, the University saw a marked increase in the number of students applying for admission with more than 11,000 completed applications, a new school record, and a nearly 16 percent increase over the previous record of 9,500. McDonald says the growth is in all academic areas, adding that a higher percentage of students are coming from outside of Oregon, with about 75 percent from out of state, which speaks to the University’s expanding reputation nationwide. The incoming class will be one of the University’s most academically talented and diverse.
University of Portland is Oregon’s only comprehensive university to feature schools of business, education, engineering, nursing, a College of Arts and Sciences and a graduate school. For more information contact the admissions office at 7147 or admissions@up.edu.
UP Welcomes iUrban Teen Tech STEM+Arts Summit, May 17
The University of Portland will host the iUrban Teen Tech STEM+Arts Summit on Saturday, May 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Shiley Hall, the Bauccio Commons, and Franz Hall. The event, which is being organized by Deena Pierott of Mosaic Blueprint, is free and open to a target audience of African American, Latino, and Native American youth; however, the program is inclusive of all youth who fall within the Non-Traditional STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Learners category. Teens who would like to attend should sign up as soon as possible at http://tinyurl.com/jwsbp87. Parents are welcome to attend as well, and a parents roundtable is scheduled for 10 a.m. Lunch and snacks will be provided free of charge.
The iUrban Teen Tech Summit brings together underserved and underrepresented teens in an all-day, immersive technology event that shares opportunities in a myriad of technical careers. The goal is to expose youth to cutting-edge technology and inspire them to become tomorrow’s technology leaders. Attendees will have the opportunity to increase awareness and knowledge of local, regional, and global technology trends and issues; and much more. Teens will experience a hands-on, fun filled day of workshops, thought-provoking discussions, and interaction with new people. The summit is an opportunity to network with industry professionals and have a great time exploring the fields of STEM and the arts, like gaming or animation.
The program received national recognition last year as a Rockefeller Innovation Award nominee, and was selected as a White House Champion of Change for Tech Inclusion in August 2013. The iUrban Teen organization is also aligned with President Barack Obama’s new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. Since 2011, iUrban Teen has had more than 1,250 youth participate in programs in Portland, OR, and Vancouver, Kirkland, and Seattle, WA. Portland iUrban Teen Tech Summit sponsors include the Portland Development Commission, Microsoft, US Fish and Wildlife, University of Portland, Multnomah County, Knowledge Universe, Hitachi, and Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.
For more information go to http://iurbanteen.org; for registration go to http://tinyurl.com/jwsbp87.
Fall Registration, Schedule Changes Closed May 12-18
Fall 2014 registration will be closed to students and faculty/staff during the week of May 12 for fall room assignments. This closure will not affect summer registration changes. Registration will re-open on Monday, May 19. Additionally, the registar’s office will not be processing any schedule changes for the Fall 2014 semester during this week. Any schedule changes submitted during the week of May 12 will be taken in to consideration and faculty will be notified of any changes processed during the week of May 19. For more information contact the provost’s office at 7105 or staten@up.edu.
Learning Assistance For Summer Session No. 1
During the initial weeks of the first summer session, the Learning Assistance Program will offer individual consults on time management, test taking, note taking, reading strategies, reduction of test anxiety, and memory skill development. Individual appointments may be made with Bro. Thomas Giumenta, C.S.C., at this link: http://tinyurl.com/kqm9ffn.
Faculty/Staff Kickball Extravaganza, May 15
Kickball aficianados Joe Kuffner and Mary Beebe, marketing and communications, are organizing yet another UP faculty/staff kickball extravaganza, scheduled for Thursday, May 15, at 4 p.m., on the Shipstad Quad. The weather is forecast to be in the mid-80s, so come out and enjoy the sunshine with your colleagues. Players of all skill levels are welcome, and please feel free to invite anyone you would like… the more the merrier! If you’d like to play, RSVP to kuffnerj@up.edu or beebe@up.edu.