News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.
UPBeat will continue on an “every-other-week” schedule during Spring 2022. Please remember to send any submissions the Thursday prior to publication.
Spring 2022 Issue dates:
As we seek to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, while preserving the health and safety of the community, we have modified some of the MLK Day On activities for 2022.
Please make note of the current changes and follow our website for the latest updates. http://UP.edu/mlk-day-on
For questions please contact oiedi@up.edu
We are quickly coming up on the end of the term. You know what this means—time for another round of Zoom updates!
Please see ATSI’s most recent Techtalk Article for instructions on running Zoom updates and the newly released features available this month.
Have a safe and happy holiday season!
With the pace of work slowing a bit over the winter break, you may want to catch up on some of the wonderful talks hosted at UP this past fall. Brew up some hot cocoa or your favorite video libation. The miracle of Zoom video makes it possible for you to view any of the following offerings in the weeks ahead:
A reminder as we head into the upcoming winter break that OIEDI is hosting CheckUP on DEI on Thursday, January 13, from 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. You are all invited to share updates on DEI initiatives in your spheres.
Email oiedi@up.edu for the Zoom link!
A professional photographer will be taking faculty and staff headshots for our online directory on January 11. To schedule a 5-minute session, please contact Suzanne Frey in Marketing and Communications at freys@up.edu.
OIEDI wants to share the University’s successes, events, and more relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and internationalization in its upcoming Spring 2022 newsletter! Please fill in this form with your submissions. Additionally, if you have an idea or resource for OIEDI’s Community Conversation, please share! Email oiedi@up.edu with any questions.
Over the past few weeks the Grounds team has been working to safely remove several dead trees from campus. This has generated many inquiries from the community! The two most visible trees are the Norway Maples along Willamette Blvd. Both of these trees had developed some rot and fungal disease common at the end of life, and they were dead or near dead, which is why you may have noticed they had no canopy this past summer.
We estimate these Norway Maples were 115-120 years old, which is a full life cycle. The estimated life span of a Norway Maple in North America is 80-100 years. If you walk the halls of the Physical Plant, you will see photos from when these trees were just saplings in 1914. Dead trees become larger safety hazards as we move into winter season, which is why the Grounds team is currently prioritizing this removal work.
As most of the Norway Maples along Willamette were planted in the same era, it is likely we will have to replace more of these trees in the coming years. There are various reasons for tree removal on campus. Please know the decision is never made lightly, and we ALWAYS work in conjunction with the City of Portland. The work is planned, permitted, and we always replant. Sometimes we may replant in the same location, sometimes we may replant elsewhere on campus. The University’s canopy is ever evolving, and sometimes tree removal is a necessary element of our stewardship. Please feel free to reach out to the Physical Plant with any further questions, physicalplant@up.edu.
The Clark Library is pleased to introduce Denise McCoy as the newest member of the Circulation team and Weekend Supervisor for the library. Denise has three years of circulation experience from employment at the Oregon City, Gladstone, and Oak Lodge Public Libraries. Prior to working in libraries, Denise’s experience included customer service and administrative positions. She will be starting a library and information science master’s degree program this January and is looking forward to using all that she learns at the Clark Library.
When not surrounded by books, you can often find Denise up to her elbows in craft supplies or tromping through the woods with her nieces and dog. Please join us in welcoming Denise!
The Clark Library is pleased to introduce Kayla Huang, who recently joined the Clark Library as the Evening Circulation Supervisor. Kayla has extensive customer service and management experience from prior positions with Starbucks and Subway. She also has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington State University and is excited to work in an academic library to see if pursing librarianship or graduate work in psychology will be her next step. Kayla manages the Library and the main Service Desk operations during the evening hours and processes electronic course reserves.
During her free time, Kayla enjoys cooking with her friends, spending time with her baby brother, and reading mystery novels. Please join us in welcoming Kayla!