Renowned author and Pulitzer Prize winner Marilynne Robinson will present the 2019 Zahm Lecture, “Wisdom and Knowledge,” on Wednesday, September 11, at 7:15 p.m., in the Chiles Center. Robinson will touch upon the roles of wonder, grace, and imagination to explore intersections and disconnects between knowledge and wisdom in this lecture that is free and open to all. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. with first-come, first-served seating. Additional parking available in the Franz river campus lot, with frequent shuttles up to the Chiles Center.
Robinson was the recipient of a 2012 National Humanities Medal, awarded by former President Barack Obama, for “her grace and intelligence in writing.” In 2016 she was awarded the Library of Congress Lifetime Achievement Award in American Fiction, as well as the Dayton Peace Prize’s Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. In 2013, she was awarded South Korea’s Pak Kyong-ni Prize for her contribution to international literature. She is the author of Gilead, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award; Home, winner of the Orange Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and Lila, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her first novel, Housekeeping, won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. Robinson’s nonfiction books include The Givenness of Things, When I Was a Child I Read Books, and Mother Country, which was nominated for a National Book Award. Robinson, professor emeritus at the University of Iowa, taught at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop for 25 years.
The Zahm Lecture, which annually launches the academic year, addresses important issues confronting American Catholic higher education, and honors Fr. John Zahm, C.S.C., an eminent Holy Cross priest and scientist of the late 19th and early 20th century, who was one of University of Portland’s founders.
For ADA accommodations or further information, please contact the Garaventa Center at 503-943-7702 or garaventa@up.edu.
Dundon-Berchtold Hall is nearing completion, and the building will be open for use on Thursday, August 22, for Orientation, and then the start of classes on Monday, August 26. With the opening of the building there are serval new spaces in EMS that can be requested for your events and classes starting Wednesday, August 21.
The University of Portland welcomes 27 new faculty members to The Bluff as they begin new faculty orientation on Monday, August 19. The two day long orientation will introduce new faculty to the University’s resources, traditions, and culture with sessions on teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership. Visit the 
The University’s Opening Convocation takes place Tuesday, August 27, at 4 p.m., in Buckley Center Auditorium. All faculty and staff are invited to attend, starting the year off right by being informed and celebrating our campus community. Following the remarks of President Fr. Mark L. Poorman, all are welcome to attend a reception in the Bauccio Commons Boardroom. 
Scott Leykam, vice president for athletics, has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee, and will serve a four-year term beginning on September 1, 2019. The committee is responsible for the organization and implementation of the NCAA Championships tournament, including selection of the participants and creation of the bracket. The committee also establishes playing rules and procedures for competition.
Every year, the University of Portland recognizes alumni who embody the mission of UP in their life and work. As part of the Pilot community, you are invited to help us identify these alumni through the annual Alumni Awards.
All faculty and staff are invited to attend any one of the CORE Revitalization Forums listed below. Come hear your colleagues from the CORE Revitalization Committee share proposals for an updated Core Curriculum. The Committee welcomes all feedback.
Are you teaching this fall? The Clark Library offers instruction in two areas: information literacy and multimedia skills. Now is a great time to schedule us to meet with your classes before our calendar fills up. Librarians teach information literacy sessions and collaborate with you to make sure key concepts are covered. They also create course guides to support your students in their academic research and projects. To schedule a class meeting, please email preferred dates and times to 
Faculty are encouraged to make course materials available to students through the library’s popular Course Reserves service. Clark Library staff are ready to add materials for fall classes and handle copyright screening. They also ensure that scanned materials meet accessibility standards.
A memorial Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Fr. Claude Pomerleau, C.S.C., on Thursday, September 5, at 5 p.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. All members of the UP and local community are welcome to join with the Holy Cross community and members of Fr. Claude’s family as we celebrate his blessed presence in our midst and offer our prayers for his eternal joy in God’s heavenly communion. A social in the Bauccio Commons Board Room will follow the memorial Mass.