The Provost’s office is pleased to announce recipients of the Spring 2019 Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research awards. These faculty members have been selected to collaborate with and mentor an undergraduate on a co-designed research experience during the 2019 spring semester:
- Martin Cenek, computer science: “Cell pathology decision support tool” with Julian Donovan
- Lara-Zuzan Golesorkhi, political science: “The Refugee Gender Gap – a new concept for an old phenomenon” with Hazel Stange
- Jeff Meiser, political science: “Strategic Leadership and Military Effectiveness in the First Arab-Israeli War” with Temmo Cramer and Ryan Turner-Brady
- Nermine Ramadan, mathematics: “A brief history of the fusion technology: the road towards the clean energy source of the future” with Grace Wallace, Esaul Castillo Ochoa, and Nicholas Salinas
- Briana Rotter, nursing: “Caring for the dying: Comparison of traditional and transfer nursing students regarding their lived experience with palliative care” with Cheyenne Hoppe and Claire Olson.
A reminder to faculty: applications for Summer 2019 Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research are available here and are due February 15, 2019. Faculty members are invited to apply on behalf of themselves and an undergraduate student researcher for stipend support for an intensive undergraduate research experience during summer 2019. Students are expected to work full-time (35 hours per week) for 6 weeks on the project or the equivalent of 6 weeks over the course of one or both summer sessions. Faculty members are expected to work with and mentor the students in a co-designed research project.
During the summer students will be paid $2,500 for their work on the project and faculty will be compensated $1,000 for mentoring the student in research. Email ur@up.edu with questions or call John Orr, assistant provost, at x7857.
The Portland Pilots volleyball squad has advanced to the third round of the National Invitational Volleyball Challenge, as they took a five-set thriller over the Utah Valley Wolverines on Friday. The Pilots won the match with set scores of 25-19, 16-25, 29-27, 27-29, and 19-17. Portland’s 20th victory of the 2018 season breaks the previous record for most wins in a single season, the record previously held by the 1986 squad with 19 wins. This is the first season for head coach Jeff Baxter.
All faculty and staff are warmly invited to Thirst Friday at the Garaventa Center for festive treats and beverages and good cheer as the semester winds down on Friday, December 7, from 4-6 p.m., in Franz Hall room 330. Come for 10 minutes or 2 hours, and try your courage with the new tasting menu: DormFusion Cuisine! Extra Santa points if you bring someone who’s never been before. For more info: 
The Scholarly Activity Portal is always live and ready for faculty input on PilotsUP under the “Academics” menu. The data obtained via the portal is used to populate A Community of Scholars (published annually by the Provost’s office), the Clark Library’s annual celebration of UP authors, and annual self-evaluations. Faculty members will send a report from their portal to their respective deans as a part of the annual self-evaluation process, and they can also use the data entered to develop their personal curriculum vitae.
It’s time to refresh the Clark Library Juried Photography Exhibit, which showcases fine art photography by members of the UP community. Do you have photographs that could be contenders? Current students, staff, and faculty are eligible to participate and can enter up to five photos taken anywhere at any time. The entry deadline is Friday, February 1. The winning photographs will be displayed in the Dr. James T. Covert Gallery in late spring. 
Campus Ministry will offer Masses on the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, December 8, at 10:30 a.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the conception of Mary, who became the mother of Jesus Christ. It is one of the most important Marian feasts celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church and so all Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass on this holy day of obligation.
University parents are invited to take the opportunity to enjoy four hours of free time with their significant others while the Vermont Hills Family Life Center daycare/preschool watches their children during Parents Night Out on Friday, December 7, from 6-10 p.m. The cost is $40 for one child or $50 for two kids or more, and includes dinner for the little ones.
There is still time to apply for the 2018-19 round of Ignite Grants for Faculty Innovation in Teaching and Learning, as proposals are due on January 18, 2019.
The Committee on Teaching and Scholarship is accepting faculty nominations for the 2018-2019 Teaching Award and Scholarship Award. These awards are an opportunity for the University community to recognize and celebrate two of its own for outstanding achievements in teaching and scholarship. The committee will accept nominations until noon on Friday, January 25. Nominations should be submitted on the committee’s