UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Brad Franco

Core Matters: Fine Arts, History, and Math

Three new essays have been posted on the Teaching & Learning site as part of the Core Matters series, which offer richly thoughtful explanations of the role each discipline plays in our University core curriculum. Learn about a discipline you might not yet have pondered: Nicole Leupp Hanig and Mead Hunter discuss Fine Arts 207; Brad Franco explores history; and Stephanie Salomone explains the role of mathematics.

Previous essays have covered literature, environmental science, chemistry, and psychology.

2020 Orientation Planning: Suggestions & Ideas Welcome

The planning process for Fall 2020 new student orientation programs and activities is underway, according to Jeromy Koffler, student activities. Any suggestions, recommendations, proposals, requests, or other “we should really do that!” ideas will be gratefully accepted by Koffler (koffler@up.edu); Brad Franco, history (franco@up.edu); or Shazib Vijlee, Shiley School of Engineering (vijlee@up.edu), by Thursday, February 13.

Covert Gallery: Through Kaleidoscope Eyes Reception, Sept. 6

The Clark Library is hosting an opening reception for Through Kaleidoscope Eyes: New Works by Brad Franco on Friday, September 6, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Join us and see the world through a playful perspective while enjoying refreshments. Brad Franco is a UP History professor who creates whimsical, surrealist art to inspire a deeper understanding of our shared human experience. The exhibit will be on display through October in the Covert Gallery on the Library’s main floor.

For more information, contact the Clark Library at x7111 or library@up.edu.

Dante, St. Francis, and Pope Francis lecture, Nov. 6

danteThe Garaventa Center is bringing renowned medievalists Ron Herzman and William Cook (distinguished teaching professors of English and History, respectively, at SUNY Geneseo) to campus for a joint lecture on Dante, St. Francis, and Pope Francis on Thursday, November 6 at 7:15 p.m. Please note the new venue of Buckley Center Auditorium for the lecture. For the occasion, Herzman and Cook have recommended an article to read in advance, entitled “What Dante Learned from Francis.” The article can be found at this link. Questions may be directed to Brad Franco at franco@up.edu.

Faculty Symposium on Dante’s Divine Comedy, Oct. 30

University of Portland, upBrad Franco, history, will conduct a faculty symposium in advance of the November 6 lecture on Dante’s Divine Comedy, according to Jamie Powell, Garaventa Center. The symposium will take place on Thursday, October 30, from 4 t0 5:30 p.m., in the Holy Cross Lounge on Franz Hall’s third floor. All faculty are invited and refreshments will include wine and cheese.  Those who plan to attend are encouraged to read articles by Bill Cook and Ron Herzman, which include “What Dante learned from Francis,” provided at this link. Tapes developed by Cook and Herzman are available in the Garaventa Center, which is sponsoring the symposium as well as the November 6 lecture.

For more information or to RSVP contact Franco at 7192 or franco@up.edu.

Craige Champion Lecture, Feb. 17

Craige_Champion copyCraige Champion, associate professor of history at Syracuse University, will give a lecture, “To Believe or Not to Believe: Roman Senators and the State Religion,” on Monday, February 17, at 7 p.m., in Shiley Hall room 319. Champion will present the findings of his recently completed manuscript on ancient Roman religion (Pax Deorum: Elite Religious Practices in the Middle Roman Republic, Yale University Press). Countering an embedded, widely-held interpretation over two thousand years old, he argues that Roman governing elites did indeed believe in their gods, rather than being the skeptical and incredulous manipulators still perceived by most scholars on Roman religion. The argument should be of interest to anyone who is concerned with questions of the intersections between politics and religion, and elite/non-elite social relations in any historical society.

The lecture is sponsored by the history department with the support of the Distinguished Historian Fund, founded by Fr. James Connelly, C.S.C. For more information contact Brad Franco, history, at 7192 or franco@up.edu.

CISGO Seed Grant Recipients

Staff and faculty portraitsThe Collaborative for International Studies and Global Outreach (CISGO) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2013-2014 CISGO Seed Grants, according to Kate Regan, international languages and cultures. The grants are for projects related to increasing international issues and learning on campus, and support faculty, staff, and student projects that increase international awareness and inter-cultural competency at the University of Portland and beyond. The awardees are:

  • Student Erika Standeven: “CSWE Training in Intergroup Dialogue: Knowledge and Skills for the Practice of Cross-Cultural Competence, Awareness, and Social Justice”
  • Student Aurora Myer: “A Comparative Study of Food Distribution Policies in the U.S. and Central America: Tackling Inequity through Social Entrepreneurship”
  • Sally Hood, English: “English as a Second Language (ESL) Curriculum Development in Toledo and Madrid, Spain for School of Education Students”
  • Alice Gates, sociology and social work: “Exploring Brazilian and U.S. Perspectives on Social Work Practice, Research, and Education”
  • Jeffrey White, international laguages and cultures: “Peer Mentoring for Global Learning: Program Planning and Implementation”
  • David Taylor, biology: “A Moveable Feast: A Comparison of Food Crop Diversity and Utilization among Portland-area Asian and Latino Immigrant Communities”
  • Mark Meckler, business administration: “The impact of authenticity and truthfulness driven cultural leadership and followership on regional and national economic health”
  • Jennette Lovejoy, communication studies: “Coming Together Through Stories”
  • Howard Feldman, business administration: “Intercultural Effectiveness Scale Workshop”
  • Brad Franco, history: “UP Study Abroad Program in Siena, Italy.”

For more information contact Regan at 7364 or regan@up.edu.

Peter Ames Carlin Lecture

Portland author Peter Ames Carlin will present a lecture, “Revolving Sounds: How the Beatles and the Beach Boys Created Art-Rock in the 1960s,” on Tuesday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m., in Buckley Center room 163. His talk is free and open to faculty, staff, students, and the public.

Carlin has written critically acclaimed biographies of Paul McCartney (Paul McCartney: A Life, 2010), Brian Wilson (Catch A Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, 2007), and Bruce Springsteen (Bruce, 2012). His talk will contrast the personal and creative stories behind the work of Lennon & McCartney and Beach Boys founder and composer Brian Wilson. Carlin will explore an intriguing paradox: while the Beatles’ creative explosion was fueled by confidence and collaboration, Brian Wilson’s creativity grew out of deep-seated fear and a stiffening resistance to his creative impulses, yet both sets of creators were chasing the same ideal and inspiring one another along the way. The lecture is an offshoot of the honors course in progress, “Beatles, Beach Boys, and God,” led by Brad Franco, history, and Michael Cameron, theology.

For more information contact Cameron at 7369 or cameronm@up.edu.