UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

CAS

Call for CAS Faculty Applicants: CAS Advantage Institute for Spring 2025 (Apply by Nov. 15)

The CAS Advantage Institute is a faculty development program in collaboration with the Career Education Center.  This training series provides tools, strategies, and a supportive community to implement career readiness concepts into courses to help students recognize and communicate how their CAS education prepares them for future endeavors. 

By the end of this series faculty will have developed an assignment, activity, syllabus or course content that incorporates career readiness tools and strategies to be used in their classroom and shared with the CAS Advantage Institute community. Selected faculty members will receive a stipend of $500 and create and benefit from a supportive working group of reflective teachers.

Application Deadline: Friday, November 15 

Workshops are held every other Monday from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Workshop 1, January 27: Welcome, Framing, & Orientation
Workshop 2, February 10: The Liberal Arts & Career Readiness 
Workshop 3, February 24: A Menu of Readiness Integration: Tools & Strategies to Implement 
Workshop 4, March 10: Design and Implementation 

Apply Here

Thank you for applying to be a part of this professional development opportunity! Questions? Contact Natalie Nelson-Marsh (nelsonma@up.edu) and Chelsea Chase (chase@up.edu).

CAS Colleagues: AI Across UP (Nov. 22)

Join your colleagues from the College of Arts and Sciences for a special event highlighting how your fellow faculty members are innovating with and exploring ethical implications of the world of Artificial Intelligence in their academic work! Whether you’re actively using AI tools, curious about their potential, or seeking to better understand their impact on academia, this conversation-driven event promises valuable insights and connections.

Friday, November 22, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Library Classroom (room 211)

This informal gathering is your chance to:

  • Learn how other faculty are incorporating AI into their teaching and research
  • Share your own experiences and questions
  • Connect with potential collaborators
  • Explore new possibilities for AI in your field

Event Highlights:

  • Six engaging lightning talks from your colleagues showcasing diverse AI applications and perspectives
  • Open discussion to spark new interdisciplinary collaborations
  • Refreshments provided, courtesy of the College of Arts & Sciences
  • Family-friendly environment with a special kiddie table hosted by Drs. Allie Stewart and Hannah Highlander

Invited Speakers:

  • Lauren Alfrey (Sociology & Social Work)
  • Anita Gooding (Sociology & Social Work)
  • Naveen Gudigantala (Pamplin School of Business)
  • Hannah Highlander (Mathematics)
  • Andrew LaFrenz (School of Nursing & Health Innovations)
  • Azeb Madebo (Communication & Media)
  • Dave Turnbloom (Theology)

Mark your calendars and join your colleagues for this thought-provoking discussion!  

Please direct any questions about this event to either Christi Hancock (hancock@up.edu) or Hannah Highlander (highland@up.edu)

NEW Student Faith and Science Discussion Group! (Sept. 16)

Curious about Faith & Science? Join us for an informational meeting and conversation on Monday, September 16, at 7 p.m. in the upper room of Chapel of Christ the Teacher. Books will be provided for our first discussion, which will focus on Inventing the Universe by Alister McGrath.

For more information or questions contact Shannon Mayer, Physics, (mayers@up.edu) or Steve Mayer, Chemistry and Biochemistry, (mayer@up.edu). Co-sponsored by Campus Ministry.

Mary Bruno: “An American River” (Events Mar. 13-21)

The College of Arts and Sciences, in partnership with the Departments of Theology, Environmental Studies, and Communication and Media are pleased to announce a series of events with aquatic ecologist, author, and journalist Mary Bruno.

Bruno has worked as a writer, editor, and editorial director for a variety of publications, including Newsweek magazine, Seattle Weekly, ABCNEWS.com and Grist.org. Her 2012 environmental memoir: An American River: From Paradise to Superfund, Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic, about growing up along the degraded lower stretch of the Passaic, is now an award-winning documentary (American River). A proud New Jersey native, Mary now lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she is at work on a book about aquifers and inner lives.

MARCH 13: WEDNESDAY

4:00 p.m., Brian Doyle Auditorium (Dundon-Berchtold Hall)

Screening of the award-winning documentary American River on campus. The documentary was inspired by Mary Bruno’s book: An American River: From Paradise to Superfund, Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic.

MARCH 20: WEDNESDAY

4:30-5:30 p.m., Brian Doyle Auditorium

A presentation by renowned author Mary Bruno: The Call of the River. The presentation will be followed by book-signing opportunity and light refreshments.

MARCH 21: THURSDAY

10:00-12:00 (12:30) p.m.

“The River Lament Walk”. This event will be hosted on our UP Campus and focused on the Willamette River. The event will be led by local Lutheran Pastor Solveig Nilsen-Goodin with Mary Bruno and Cherice Bock, MDiv, MS, PhD and Climate Policy Manager at 350PDX. This event is being sponsored by The College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, the Department of Environmental Studies, the Department of Theology, and the Department of Communication and Media.

Click to expand full flyer

Undergraduate Research Supported Across Campus

staff & faculty portraitsFaculty members from a variety of University of Portland programs made it possible for student research collaborators to attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) on April 16-18 at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash. It was a one-of-a-kind event for students to present their research, scholarship, and creative activities in all disciplines, according to Ami Ahern-Rindell, biology, who also serves as on the CUR executive board as secretary, and as the book review editor for the CUR Quarterly.

The Council on Undergraduate Research partners with an institution each year to organize NCUR and offer the conference venue to undergraduates across the country. This year UP students who presented at NCUR had the support of faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences (biology, environmental sciences, and mathematics) and the Shiley School of Engineering in preparing their presentations. Students’ expenses were supported in part by the Office of the Provost, deans from Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences, and the newly formed Undergraduate Research Club.

For more information, contact Ahern-Rindell at ahernrin@up.edu.