UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Franz Center

Have You Considered Becoming a Leadership Fellow with the Franz Center?

The Franz Center is providing free leadership education and development during the 2019-2020 academic year for faculty and staff who want to learn more about becoming a Leadership Fellow, according to Dave Houglum, Franz Center. There have been over 130 faculty and staff from across the University who have participated in the Leadership Fellows program and the Franz Center is seeking to include 30 additional faculty and staff who will begin their leadership education and development next fall.

Once faculty and staff members complete the Leadership Fellows curriculum, they are certified as Leadership Fellows and receive the opportunity to serve as leadership instructors and coaches in the Leader Certificate Program and earn a stipend of up to $2,500 for their teaching or coaching. Only exempt (salaried) employees can take part in the program at this time. Please contact Dave Houglum at houglum@up.edu if you would like to participate, want to nominate a colleague, or need more information, by Friday, May 3.

“Becoming Human” Discussion With L’Arche, Nov. 14

On Tuesday, November 14, the Garaventa Center will host a community conversation about the challenges and opportunities of “Becoming Human” as introduced by Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche, with a focus on learning how to fail well. The event will take place from 4:30-6 p.m. in the quiet side of the Commons (please note venue change), and is free and open to all. This event is a collaboration with L’Arche Portland and the Franz Center. For ADA accommodations or more information: x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.

 

Dexheimer Leadership Fellows Welcome

The Franz Center is providing free leadership training and development during the 2017-18 academic year for faculty and staff who want to learn more about becoming a Dexheimer Leadership Fellow. There are over 70 faculty and staff from across the University who have been trained as Dexheimer Leadership Fellows and the Franz Center is seeking to include 40 additional faculty and staff who will begin their training next fall. Dexheimer Leadership Fellows serve as instructors and coaches in the Leader Certificate Program and earn a stipend of $2,500 for their teaching or coaching. We are able to include only exempt (salaried) employees at this time. Please contact Dave Houglum, Franz Center, at houglum@up.edu if you would like to participate, want to nominate a colleague, or need more information, by April 7.

Franz Center Create-A-Thon, Feb. 25

The Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation will present a Create-A-Thon in conjunction with the Shiley School’s Engineering Week, February 20-24. This event is open to all UP students on Saturday, February 25, in Franz Hall room 120, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. According to Franz Center director Peter Rachor, the Create-A-Thon offers the chance for an individual or team to ideate and develop a basic prototype for a product, service, or venture. Prizes will be awarded in 5 categories, and the event will mark the start of UP’s participation in Invent Oregon, a Statewide program for student inventors.

For more information about the Create-A-Thon contact the Franz Center at rachor@up.edu and more information about Invent Oregon is here.

UP student Michael Williamson awarded runner up in University Start-Up World Cup

williamsonMichael Williamson, a senior Finance major, was awarded runner up in his category for his venture Sentri Performance at the finals of the University Start-Up World Cup, held Friday, October 7 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Sentri makes a line of lightweight high performance outdoor wear styled as a ‘hoodie’ specially designed by Williamson, and incorporating technical fabric and features.

The 4-day event featured 50 teams from more than 30 countries. Williamson was one of two students representing the USA at the University Start Up World Cup, with the other student being from Stanford University.

Williamson was also the winner of UP’s 2016 $100K Venture Competition last April.

For more information, please contact Peter Rachor, Franz Center, at x7782 or rachor@up.edu. 

Franz Center’s New Innovation Lab Opening For Fall Semester

InnoLab copy

The Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation will unveil its new Innovation Lab in the Fall semester, according to director Peter Rachor. Finishing touches are being put on the lab, located in Franz Hall room 123, along with the new, updated Franz Center office in room 121.

The Innovation Lab is based on the model of the d.school Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, and is designed by the same firm, Steelcase. Designers from Steelcase worked with local dealer SmithCFI and a diverse team of UP students and faculty to develop the new lab’s design.

“This is designed to be a learning studio, as opposed to a lecture space,” says Rachor. “It is the first real innovation space of its kind in the state, which enhances our leading role in innovation offerings and supports creativity and learning styles for our students.”

The idea for the Innovation Lab came from students who participated in the National Science Foundation’s University Innovation Fellows program (http://universityinnovationfellows.org). As part of the program, they spend a weekend at Stanford’s d.school and returned with a mission to develop a similar space at UP. The lab was funded through the RISE Campaign, including the support of several donors to the Franz Center.

The lab will be open to all students, faculty, and staff, regardless of major. The space can be used for group project sessions, class assignments, breakout sessions, and more. The lab will offer technology and office configurations to facilitate collaboration and idea generation, as well as materials and tools for early stage prototyping and mock-ups.

Scheduling for the two innovation pods will be done online, and will be incorporated into the Clark Library’s scheduling app later this semester. Eventually, card keys will allow access from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with extended hours in the future.

An official opening ceremony will take place in October. For more information contact the Franz Center at x7769 or rachor@up.edu.

$100K Venture Competition Results Are In

100K 2016The annual Franz Center $100K Venture Competition took place on Saturday, April 23, with a record number of 34 teams participating, according to Peter Rachor, Franz Center.

The winner in the Social Enterprise category was Pro Social, a web platform to help people find a volunteer organization that fits with their passions and interests, by Spencer Fovell and Ashley Lund.

Winners in the For-Profit category:

  • First Place: Sentri Performance, which developed an outdoor “hoodie” for snowboarding and outdoor pursuits, by Michael Williamson
  • Second Place: Doda Aroma Miracle Patches, aromatherapy patches for homeopathic healing, by David Govshtein
  • Third Place: Benefit Biscuits, handcrafted dog biscuits containing natural ingredients, by Chris Jordan.

The competition provides students with the opportunity to receive feedback from experts in the entrepreneurial community, win cash prizes, and acquire legal and other services that will help advance an idea to the next stage in the entrepreneurial process. Prizes included $1,250 for first place (for-profit and non-profit); $750 for second place (for-profit) and $250 for third place (for-profit). Sponsors included D&B, LivePlan, Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt, Domain.com, AARP, Portland Business Journal, and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN).

For more information contact Peter Rachor, Franz Center, at rachor@up.edu.

Dexheimer Leadership Fellows Wanted

New employee and staff portraits

The Franz Center is providing free leadership training and development for faculty and staff who want to learn more about becoming a Dexheimer Leadership Fellow. There are over 70 faculty and staff from across the University who have been trained as Dexheimer Leadership Fellows and the Franz Center is seeking to include 30 additional faculty and staff who will begin their training next fall. Dexheimer Leadership Fellows serve as instructors and coaches in the Leader Certificate program and earn a stipend of $2,500 for their teaching and coaching.

Please contact Dave Houghlum, director for leadership for the Franz Center, at houglum@up.edu if you would like to participate, want to nominate a colleague, or need more information, by Friday, April 8.

Artists and Entrepreneurs, Take Note

meyer copyViolinist, composer, and entrepreneur Jessica Meyer will present “Learn How to Go Form Artist to Entrepreneur” on Friday, September 18, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., in Mago Hunt Center. Her talk is free and open to all, and is cosponsored by the performing and fine arts department and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Club.

Known for her “polish, focus, and excitement” (New York Times) and playing that is “fierce and lyrical” (The Strad), violist and composer Jessica Meyer is a versatile musician who has been featured as a soloist and collaborator throughout the world. She has presented workshops at the Curtis Institute, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, NYU, the Longy School of Music, the Chamber Music America Conference, and at various Universities around the country.

For more information 0r ADA accommodations contact the Franz Center at franzcenter@up.edu.

Wanted: 20 Faculty, 20 Staff for Dexheimer Leadership Fellows

University of Portland, upThe Franz Center is seeking 20 faculty and 20 staff members who want to learn more about becoming a Dexheimer Leadership Fellow as part of leader development at UP, according to Pete Rooks, Franz Center. Dexheimer Leadership Fellows are intended to encourage, develop, and help prepare students for tomorrow by serving as coaches and teachers to students throughout their developmental leadership journey in the Leader Certificate Program and the Faith-Based Leadership Program.

Candidates must be either full-time staff members or faculty members appointed as an adjunct or higher level. After  training, coaches and teachers will be recruited from the student affairs division, all five schools and colleges, the library, admissions, athletics, and the Shepard Freshman Resource Center. Dexheimer Leadership Fellows will be selected based on alignment of the goals of the Franz Center with individual interests and capacity. The Franz Center will appoint Dexheimer Leadership Fellows for a 12-month term. Leadership teachers and coaches will receive a stipend of $2,500.

To learn more about becoming a Dexheimer Leadership Fellow please send your notice of interest to your dean or director by May 15, 2015. To nominate a colleague to become a Dexheimer Leadership Fellow, contact Pete Rooks at 8914 or rooks@up.edu by May 15.