UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

President's Office

2019 Commencement Honorees: Nominations Welcome

The University of Portland invites nominations for the 2019 commencement speakers, Christus Magister Medal recipient, and honorary degree recipients. All nominations should be emailed to poorman@up.edu and greene@up.edu and should contain the following information:

  • Name of nominee.
  • A paragraph or two answering the following question(s):
    • If a nominee for Christus Magister Medal: How has this nominee evinced a vigorous spiritual life and an accomplished professional career in service to others?  How has this nominee been a source of inspiration and consolation to the world?  How has this nominee illustrated and enhanced the mission of the University of Portland?
    • If a nominee for Honorary Degree: How has this nominee contributed to the University’s values of teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership?  What impact has this person had on his/her local community and/or the world?  Is this a person that the University would like for its students and faculty to imitate in their own lives?
    • If a nominee for Commencement Speaker: Why would this nominee be an exceptional Commencement speaker?  What sort of message would this nominee deliver to the graduates of the University and their families?
  • Any contact name(s) for the nominee (if possible).
  • Any connection between the nominee and the University of Portland (if applicable).

The deadline for nominations is Friday, October 26.

Administration Promotions, President’s Leadership Cabinet Appointments Announced

University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., has announced that Andrea Barton, general counsel, and Sandy Chung, associate vice president for human resources and interim title IX coordinator, will be promoted to Vice President and General Counsel, and Vice President for Human Resources, respectively, effective July 1, 2018.

Barton joined the University of Portland in January 2017 as General Counsel and Special Assistant to the President. She oversees all legal matters on behalf of the University and advises the University and members of the campus community in connection with higher education issues.

Chung joined the University of Portland as Director of Human Resources in December 2015. In 2017 she was promoted to Associate Vice President for Human Resources and in May 2018 was named Interim Title IX Coordinator. She has extensive experience in human resources, and is also a member of the California and Oregon State Bars.

There are also four new appointments to the President’s Leadership Cabinet: Rowena Bramlette, who has been promoted to associate vice president for budgeting; Eduardo Contreras, assistant provost and studies abroad; Elise Moentmann, associate provost; and Matthew Rygg, associate vice president for student development.

Businessman, Philanthropist, Regent Earle M. Chiles, 1933-2016

earlechiles copyPortland businessman and philanthropist Earle M. Chiles passed away on Thursday, June 23, after a long illness. Chiles was a longtime supporter of the University of Portland and had been a member of the University’s Board of Regents since 1975.

A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 1, at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1716 NW Davis St. in Portland, with University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., presiding. A luncheon for family and friends will be held afterwards at the Earle A. and Virginia H. Chiles Center on campus.

Chiles received his undergraduate degree from Menlo College and held a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University. As president of the Chiles Foundation, he assisted thousands of Oregonians through grants to non-profit organizations and transformed lives through gifts to higher education and medical research. He was the chief executive officer of Chiles and Affiliated Companies and served on the board of directors of Fred Meyer, Inc. His father, Earle A. Chiles, was the stepson of local supermarket pioneer, Fred Meyer.

Chiles and his late parents had a longtime relationship with the University. Spanning over 40 years, Earle Chiles and the Chiles Foundation generously contributed over $10 million to the University. Most significantly, the Chiles Foundation provided the lead gift to construct the Earle A. and Virginia H. Chiles Center, which was dedicated in 1984. The center ushered in a new era for the University, and it quickly became a cultural and athletic center not only for the campus but the region.

He was also a major supporter of Pilot Athletics, with the Chiles Foundation providing funding for its programs and student-athletes. In 1994, Earle was named to the Pilots Hall of Fame for his decades of support. More recently, in 2011 the Chiles Foundation gave $2 million to support the expansion of the Chiles Center and the renovation of its locker facilities. In addition to athletics, the Chiles Foundation generously contributed to the Rev. Chester “Pru” Prusynski Endowed Scholarship in Accounting to honor Earle’s longtime friendship with the priest. He also was the benefactor of one of the 14 bells that ring out from the iconic Bell Tower and for many years he provided support for the ongoing floral arrangements in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher.

Chiles was a trustee emeriti and overseer of Boston University and overseer emeriti of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; a lifetime member of the board of the Oregon Symphony Association; and a life trustee of the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. He was a board member of Providence Portland Medical Foundation; on the advisory board of Providence Heart and Vascular Institute; an honorary member of the advisory board of the Institute of International Education in San Francisco; a past advisory board member of the Graduate Schools of Business at Stanford University and Harvard University; and a past board member of Menlo College.

In 1987, the University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Boston University; an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Menlo College; a Presidential Medal from University of Oregon; the Aubrey R. Watzek Award from Lewis and Clark College; and the Simon Benson Award for Philanthropy from Portland State University. He was a Senator of the Board at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, and was awarded the Silver Cross of Honor from the German Armed Forces.

Strategic Plan Survey: Your Ideas, Please

WaldschmidtHall150Vision 2020, a new strategic plan, will propel the University of Portland toward being its best: a dynamic, mission-centered, comprehensive Catholic university with a liberal arts focus known for its academic strength and preparation of world citizens through teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership. University president Rev. Mark. L. Poorman, C.S.C., has charged a committee with gathering the best and most strategic ideas to continue UP’s trajectory toward excellence, and that is where all University community members can help. He has asked for ideas to:

  • Sustain superb undergraduate education while advancing relevant new programming;
  • Expand rigorous, meaningful, self-sustaining graduate programs; *develop first-rate infrastructure, services, and facilities;
  • Infuse our entire community with a sense of multi-cultural opportunities and instruction;
  • Enhance our Catholic character and to enrich the expression of our faith.

Please assist the committee by responding to this survey with your thoughts. The survey will be open through January 31.

For more information contact Tom Greene, provost, at 7105 or staten@up.edu.

David Brooks Lecture at UP: March 16, 2016

brooks copyNew York Times columnist David Brooks has accepted an invitation by University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., to speak at the University of Portland on the evening of March 16, 2016. The event will be open to the public and tickets will be available for sale in fall. There will be special discounted rates for faculty, staff, and students. Brooks’ lecture will be sponsored in part by the University of Portland and the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics.

Brooks is an analyst on PBS Newshour, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, a frequent contributor on Meet the Press, and author of The Road to Character. His previous books include The Social Animal, On Paradise Drive, and Bobos in Paradise.

For more information contact the president’s office at 7101 or simek@up.edu.

SOLD OUT – State Of The University, Alumni Awards, March 17

poormanUniversity president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., will give his first  State of the University address and present the 2015 Alumni Awards at a sold out event on Tuesday, March 17, at the Sentinel Hotel, 614 S.W. 11th Ave. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., with a program from noon to 1 p.m.

With KGW’s Laurel Porter as moderator, Fr. Poorman will discuss ongoing effects of the recently completed RISE Campaign (which raised more than $182 million), the latest achievements in athletics and academics, and other factors affecting the University’s short-and-long-term success. Also on the agenda will be the annual Alumni Awards. This year’s winners are Scott Reis ’98, Distinguished Alumni Award; Stan Muessle ’62, Rev. Tom Oddo, C.S.C. Outstanding Service Award; Christina Palmer Fuller ’07, MBA ’12, Contem­porary Alumni Award; and UP senior Nicholas MacKinnon ’15, winner of the Thomas A. Gerhardt ’55 Memorial Award for Student Leadership.

For more information, contact the marketing and communications office at 7202 or speaker@up.edu.

Faculty and Staff Reception With Fr. Mark Poorman, C.S.C.

upbeat-inauguration-seal.jpgPlease join the University community in officially welcoming Fr. Mark Poorman, C.S.C., as our 20th president on Wednesday, September 24, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons dining room and patio. This casual reception will feature light snacks (including some of Fr. Mark’s favorites), an assortment of hors d’oeuvres, full bar, and soft drinks.

Please send regrets only to university events at events@up.edu.

Fr. Poorman Becoming 20th UP President, Tuesday July 1

PoormanFormalRev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., becomes the University of Portland’s 20th president this week on Tuesday, July 1, 2014. Fr. Mark has served as executive vice president for the past three years overseeing the divisions of university operations, financial affairs, university relations, and student affairs. In addition, he served as pastoral resident in Schoenfeldt Hall. Prior to working at the University, Fr. Poorman served for seven years on the University of Portland Board of Regents.

He is also professor of theology, having taught courses in Christian ethics and moral theology, and he was instrumental in the formation of the Dundon-Berchtold Fund for Moral Development and Applied Ethics, which includes the Character Project and the Dundon-Berchtold Fellowships for students and faculty.

Fr. Poorman came to the University of Portland from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a member of the theology faculty and vice president for student affairs from 1999 to 2010. In that capacity, he was responsible for residential life as well as other student services, activities, and programs, including campus ministry, Notre Dame Security Police, the student activities office, the counseling center, health services, the career center, the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education, the Gender Relations Center, and multicultural and international student services. Prior to his appointment as vice president for student affairs, Poorman served as executive assistant to the executive vice president and the president.

Fr. Poorman’s inauguration will take place on Friday, September 26, 2014.

For more information contact the president’s office at 7101 or simek@up.edu.

 

 

Fr. Beauchamp Named President Emeritus

beauchampprofileUniversity president Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., has been honored with a resolution appointing him as President Emeritus for the University of Portland. The resolution was read by president-elect Rev. Mark L. Poorman, soon to be the University’s 20th president, during a farewell gathering for Fr. Bill in Bauccio Commons on Wednesday, June 11.

Faculty/Staff Presidential Forums

lies-poorman150 copyInterviews of the two University of Portland presidential candidates will take place on Tuesday, January 14 and Wednesday, January 15. A crucial part of that process is feedback from faculty and staff who have had the opportunity to meet with the candidates and ask questions. To that end, all faculty and staff are invited to the following forums:

Staff Forums (Bauccio Commons Boardroom):

  • Tuesday, January 14, 11 a.m. to noon, with Fr. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.
  • Wednesday, January 15, 9:15 am to 10:15 a.m., with Fr. James M. Lies, C.S.C.

Faculty Forums (Buckley Center room 163):

  • Tuesday, January 14, 11 a.m. to noon, with Fr. James M. Lies, C.S.C.
  • Wednesday, January 15, from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., with Fr. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.

Forms will be available at the conclusion of the forums to provide feedback to members of the Presidential Search Committee, who will provide a report and recommendation to the board of regents. The board will vote to elect the next president of the University of Portland on Saturday, January 25.

For more information contact Danielle Hermanny, president’s office, at 8715 or hermannd@up.edu.