UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Laura McLary

Laura McLary: Thank You and Congratulations!

After 22 years of service at University of Portland, interim dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Laura McLary has accepted the position of Nora Kizer Bell Provost at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, effective July 1. According to Herbert Medina, provost, “This announcement is both joyful and somewhat unhappy for all of us at UP, especially those who have had the privilege of working with Laurie throughout the years. While we are saddened by her departure, we offer her our heartfelt congratulations as she takes on this new and exciting leadership position.”
A prolific scholar of Austrian literature and culture and celebrated professor of German, Laurie has achieved many successes at UP. She established the German studies program; mentored dozens of students as they prepared Fulbright dossiers; was recognized in 2015 as Oregon Professor of the Year by the national Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; engaged in numerous service roles including the Collaborative for International Studies & Global Outreach (CISGO) and the Strategic Planning Committee; served as academic associate dean; and most recently served as interim dean of CAS. 
Medina will appoint a new interim dean for CAS and, as planned, we will continue a national search for a permanent dean in the fall.

Call for Participants: CAS Fellows Program Pilot Initiative

Are you interested in developing innovative undergraduate research projects in a supported environment? Have you considered connecting your teaching and scholarship with the wider public but haven’t been sure where to start? The Humanities Collaborative invites faculty from across all disciplines to an informational meeting on Thursday, March 14, at 8:30 a.m., in the Clark Library conference room (no. 222). Attendees will find out more about the CAS Fellows Program, a pilot initiative for the 2019-2020 academic year that aims to build a replicable, scalable model for undergraduate research around an annual theme and innovative public-facing projects at UP. The inaugural theme will be “The U.S. Suffrage Centennial.”

A full description of the CAS Fellows program can be found at this link.

For more information contact Laura McLary, academic associate dean, College of Arts and Sciences, at mclary@up.edu.

Council for Undergraduate Research: Increasing Opportunities for UP Students

Four faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences (Nicole Leupp Hanig, performing and fine arts; Lora Looney, Spanish; Laura McLary, German; and Josh Swidzinski, English) applied to and were selected to participate in the Council for Undergraduate Research in the Arts and Humanities yearly institute at Montana State University in Bozeman, October 5-7. Participants developed a plan for achieving goals to increase participation and opportunities among students and faculty in undergraduate research in the arts and humanities at UP and attended panels detailing best practices in working with undergraduate students to promote creative inquiry in the arts and humanities. This project is supported by the College of Arts & Sciences as works towards broadening and strengthening its undergraduate research initiatives.

For more information contact the College of Arts and Sciences at x7221 or cas@up.edu.

Humanities Collaborative Discussions, 2018-2019

The College of Arts and Sciences Humanities Collaborative invites you to participate in a lively lunch-time discussion about topics relevant for the humanities and interdisciplinary connections to the humanities. Please RSVP to Laura McLary at mclary@up.edu. Each lunch is limited to the first 12 participants who reply. All members of the UP community are welcome. This initiative is supported by College of Arts and Sciences dean Herbert Medina.

  • Oct. 30: Discussion led by Anne Santiago and Nina Henrichs-Tarasenko, article “The Coddling of the American Mind” (Atlantic Monthly), Teske Dining Room, noon-1:30pm
  • November 30: Discussion led by Gregory Pulver, “Creativity vs. innovation in the arts and sciences,” place and time TBA
  • January 23: Discussion led by Allie Hill, “The neo-liberal academ,” place and time TBA
  • March 12: Discussion led by Lora Looney, “Teaching for understanding,” place and time TBA
  • April 10: Discussion led by Cheri Buck-Perry and Josh Swidzinski, topic, place, time TBA.

 

Migration and Integration: European and American Perspectives

The German Studies program invites students, faculty, and staff to a panel discussion on migration and integration from both European and American perspectives on Monday, November 6, at 7:30 p.m., in Shiley Hall room 124. Holger Mahnicke, head of the Department for Communication and Culture at the German Embassy, will give a short presentation on Germany’s response to the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis and will join a panel of UP students in a discussion on migration and integration from multiple perspectives. Light refreshments will be served. A detailed flyer is available at this link.

For more information, contact Laura McLary at mclary@up.edu.

Invitation: CISGO Reading Group

mclary copyThe Collaborative for International Studies and Global Outreach (CISGO) invites all members of the campus community to join a reading and study group dedicated to learning more about international and global education. The reading group will help to develop a common vocabulary and support the development of learning outcomes as a part of the campus initiative to create a framework for meaningful, intentional, and rigorous international and global learning. Kimberly Ilosvay, education, and Jeffrey White, international languages and cultures, will lead the discussion.

The first reading is available via Moodle at this link. Enter the password “culture” to enroll. The first meeting takes place on Wednesday, April 8, from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., in Franz Hall room 210. Refreshments will be served.

For more information contact CISGO chair Laura McLary, international languages and cultures, at mclary@up.edu.

Faculty Sharing Their Work

The winners of two prestigious University of Portland faculty awards are scheduled to present their work on Friday, April 5, from 3 to 4 p.m., in Franz Hall Room 034. Outstanding Teaching Award winner Laura McLary, international languages and cultures, will present “Communities, Cultures, Connections: Making Second-Language Learning Relevant,” followed by Outstanding Scholarship Award winner Lauretta Freder­king, political science, who will present “Exclusion and Inclusion of Muslim Americans after September 11, 2001: From Religious Identity to Political Interests.” Light snacks will be served. For more information, contact Aziz Inan, engineering, at 7429 or ainan@up.edu.