Jacque Nelson

Mock Trial Team Heading To National Tournament

February 16, 2015

The University of Portland Mock Trial Team took two squads to the Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament in Boise, Idaho, over the weekend of February 7-8. Out of 19 teams competing, UP placed second with a 6-2 record, and placed ninth (top honorable mention) with a 4-4 record, according to coach Aaron Johnson, political science. The team’s second place finish ensures a spot at the Opening Round National Championship tournament scheduled to be held in Minneapolis, Minn., on March 13-15.

The UP team also brought home four individual awards: Nicolas Barradas, senior and captain (pictured), was awarded the top attorney award at the tournament with a perfect score. Freshman Jacque Nelson received an outstanding attorney award, and freshman Ariana Ebesu took home an award for top witness with a perfect score, and freshman Kathryn Murdock also received an outstanding witness award.

Team members are Nic Barradas, Emma England, Mackenna Krohn, London Ballard, Triton Pitassi, Emily Strand, Kathryn Murdock, Katherine Miller, Edward Richter, Jacque Nelson, Natalie Hagen, Ethan McBride, Will Gunnels, Ariana Ebesu, and Chastin Kekahuna. Assistant coaches are Kathya Acuna and Jeremiah Swisher.

For more information contact Johnson at 7274 or johnsocu@up.edu.

Jeffrey White, international languages & cultures, attended “Engaging College Students Using Active Learning Techniques,” .Magna Online Seminar, October 2020; and Southeast Supplemental Instruction Conference (SESI), University of North Georgia (online), September 2020.

Fr. Jim King, C.S.C., conducted the first session in a six-part workshop on the Catholic Church’s social justice teaching and Christian education from a Holy Cross perspective to the faculty and staff of Holy Redeemer Parish in North Portland on November 4, 2020.

Simon Aihiokhai, theology, presented “Alterity and Violence in Nigeria: Rethinking Interfaith Encounters” at the 63^rd annual meeting of African Studies Association (Virtually). November 20, 2020. He also presented “Rethinking One’s Gifts as a Leader in a World of Radical Diversity,” a virtual lecture on transformative leadership given to FGEN sophomores at the University of Portland Shepard Academic Resource Center, November 20, 2020; as well as “Reading Things Fall Apart through a Decolonial Lens of Inquiry: Retelling Africa’s Stories,” a virtual lecture given to students registered in PHL 410: Education and Politics. University of Portland, October 22, 2020.

Aziz Inan, Shiley School of Engineering, presented and published the paper titled, “Conducted Emissions Feedback from VSD operated products” with Pete Perkins (Principal Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs Consultant), Henry Benitez (Electromagnetic Investigations), Christian Miles (Mentor Graphics), and Joshua Thompson (Intel Corporation), in the IEEE Symposium on Product Compliance Engineering (SPCE) 2020 Virtual Conference, November 16-20, 2020. Note that except Inan, all of the other authors are UP alumni.

Alice Gates, social work, received national recognition from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) as the 2020 recipient of the Early Career Faculty Award for Service and Leadership in Social Work Education. Gates was recognized during the virtual Annual Program Meeting of CSWE on November 20, 2020. The award presentation highlighted the contributions Gates has made at the university, local, state, and national level to address injustice and amplify the reach and impact of social work.