Kallan Picha

Farewell to Kallan Picha, International Education, Diversity, and Inclusion

November 13, 2020

Please join the Office of International Education, Diversity, and Inclusion (OIEDI) in wishing Kallan Picha a fond farewell as she leaves UP to accept a position with one of the longest-serving study abroad organizations in the United States, Semester at Sea. Since Kallan joined the University in the summer of 2019 she has brought her considerable experience, enthusiasm, and student-focused approach to her role as Director of Studies Abroad. Since then, she has revitalized the study abroad application process, introduced new mechanisms for short-term study abroad programs, and developed collaborative relationships throughout the UP community.

Kallan has led our study abroad students through the COVID-19 pandemic with care and professionalism. Beyond her emergency triage and evacuation, she communicated with concerned parents at the time of evacuation and worked closely and professionally with colleagues abroad and on campus to navigate the repercussions of our cancelled study abroad programs. Most recently, she also served in the Shepard Academic Resources Center overseeing the first-year workshops. We will miss working with Kallan, but our diminished spirits will be buoyed knowing that the move will be a good one for her. Gute Reise Kallan!

For more information contact Eduardo Contreras, international education, diversity, and inclusion, at contrera@up.edu.

An American Dream—an opera by librettist/Portland Magazine editor, Jessica Murphy Moo, and composer Jack Perla—was produced by OperaLab Japan in Tokyo (November 2024) and Manhattan School of Music (December 2024).

Larry Larsen, Performing and Fine Arts, designed the scenery for this year’s production of Nordic Fire for the Portland Revels that is playing at the Alberta Abbey from December 13 through December 22. He also is designing the lighting for Lakewood Theatre Company’s production of The Maltese Falcon based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett, which plays at the Lakewood Center in Lake Oswego from January 3 through February 9.

Lizhong Hao, Business, presented “The Impact of Auditor and Client Bargaining Power on Audit Pricing: A Two-Tier Stochastic Frontier Approach.” The 2024 Corporate Behavior and New Development of Financial Markets International Conference. Chongqing, China. November, 2024.

Simon Aihiokhai, Theology, was a discussant and participant at the International Congress on the Future of Theology ‘Legacy and Envisioning.’ Organized by the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Vatican City. December 9–10, 2024. Aihiokhai was also a discussant and participant at the General Assembly of the International Network of Societies for Catholic Theology (INSeCT). Rome, Italy. December 8 – 13, 2024.

Dave Houglum, Director of Leadership Studies and Leadership Professor of Practice, Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, completed the training requirements to be certified in the DiSC assessment on December 19, 2024. The DiSC assessment is a powerful tool that helps individuals and teams improve communication, collaboration, and workplace dynamics by providing insights into behavioral and communication styles. If you’d like to explore using the DiSC assessment for your individual or team’s leadership development, please contact Dave Houglum.