UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Brian Doyle Scholarships

Brian Doyle Scholarship for Creative Writing: 2019-2010 Applications Welcome

The Brian Doyle Scholarship for Creative Writing was established in 2018 by University of Portland regent Ralph Bliquez in memory of Brian Doyle, who passed away in May 2017. One aspiring writer will receive a $35,000 scholarship award for the 2019-2020 academic year. Applications are being accepted from now until April 1, 2019. Faculty and staff are encouraged to reach out to current freshman, sophomore, or junior students to let them know about this exciting creative writing opportunity.

Please use this link for more details.

 

 

Four New Humor Scholarships

U of P - students and faculty on a white backgroundOne of the University’s most entertaining RISE Campaign gifts are the annual Brian Doyle Scholarships in Gentle & Sidelong Humor – $3,333.33 per student for one academic year, during which the recipients must create and publicly share a project of some sort that “brings the community together in laughter, acts as a statement that the cultural bias to cruel humor and constant irony is shallow, promotes helpless giggling, and insists gently that true humor is a weapon against violence and greed,” says donor John Beckman ’42, who began the scholarships last year with his wife Patricia, as the start of what they hope will be a renowned Humor Project on The Bluff, akin to the University’s nascent Character Project. The first three recipients, last year, were students who devoted themselves to improv comedy, humorous film, and humor on the Web. The four recipients of the scholarships (named for Portland Magazine editor Brian Doyle) for the 2013-2014 year are Katherine Hampl (who plans to organize a campus comedy week), Sara Jacobs (who plans to bring local children to campus for humorous events), Andrew Stacey (who hopes to start a comic film competition and festival), and Katy Stevens (who plans to make a hilarious promotional video over the course of the year).

The scholarships are open to any current or prospective student (there were 66 applications this year), and are awarded by the University’s financial aid office; the only requirement on acceptance is public sharing of all projects. For information on applying for the annual scholarships (there will be six next year), contact Denise Stack, development, at 8545 or stack@up.edu; for information on the projects, contact Brian Doyle, marketing and communications, at 7202 or bdoyle@up.edu.

Unique Scholarship Opportunity

Patricia and John Beckman ’42 have funded four scholarships of $3,333 that will be awarded to University of Portland undergraduate students during the 2013-14 academic year. Recipients of the Brian Doyle Scholarships are expected to, over the course of next year, “create a gently humorous project, something that makes people laugh, draws people together, and reminds us that we are brothers and sisters in a joyous way.” Faculty or staff who know of students who may qualify for this new scholarship are asked to have them send an e-mail to scholarshipthankyou@up.edu with their first and last name, student ID number, and a few sentences describing their idea for a humorous project. They should type “Humor Scholarship” into the subject line of their e-mails. The deadline is Friday, May 3.

Unique Scholarship Opportunity

Patricia and John Beckman ’42 have funded four scholarships of $3,333 that will be awarded to University of Portland undergraduate students during the 2013-14 academic year. Recipients of the Brian Doyle Scholarships are expected to, over the course of next year, “create a gently humorous project, something that makes people laugh, draws people together, and reminds us that we are brothers and sisters in a joyous way.” Faculty or staff who know of students who may qualify for this new scholarship are asked to have them send an e-mail to scholarshipthankyou@up.edu with their first and last name, student ID number, and a few sentences describing their idea for a humorous project. They should type “Humor Scholarship” into the subject line of their e-mails. The deadline is Friday, May 3.

Project Improv Portland

The University will host Project Improv Portland on Friday, February 22, from 6 to 9:30 p.m., in Buckley Center Auditorium. There is a recommended donation of $3 per person to offset costs of putting on the show and to benefit UP’s Bluffoons improv group. Patrons are welcome to come and go throughout the event, which will feature six improv teams, including the University of Portland Bluffoons, improv professionals from the Brody Theater, and the Dead Parrots Society, winners of the 2010-2011 National College Improv Tournament.

This project has been made possible by the Brian Doyle Scholarships for Gentle & Sidelong Humor, created by Patricia and John Beckman ’42 as a RISE Campaign gift. For more information, contact Ryan Belisle at belisle14@up.edu.