Benjamin Case, recently joined UP as Hall Director for Haggerty & Tyson Halls. Before coming to UP he taught high school in New Orleans and worked in residence life at Arizona Christian University.
New to The Bluff
New to The Bluff: Ken Pifer, Associate Vice President for Finance & Controller, Financial Affairs
Please join Financial Affairs in welcoming Ken Pifer as UP’s new Associate Vice President for Finance & Controller. Ken brings a wealth of experience in higher education as a Controller/AVP, most recently at Willamette University. He is a regular speaker at conferences sponsored by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and is a highly respected colleague among his peers in the business offices of private colleges in the west. Ken graduated with a BA in Business Administration (Accounting and Finance) from The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, CA.
New to The Bluff: Rebecca Neal, Academic Program Counselor, Shiley School of Engineering
The Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering is happy to announce that Rebecca Neal joined our team in January 2022 as an Academic Program Counselor. Rebecca was most recently an academic advisor at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. She has a lot of experience to draw from serving as an academic advisor in Georgia and Missouri before joining us. Rebecca is originally from the South and completed her Master of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education degree from Missouri State University.
New to The Bluff: Greg Peterson, Director of Student Wellness, Health and Counseling Center
The Health and Counseling Center welcomes Greg Peterson as the Director of Student Wellness. Greg previously held the role of Clinical Supervisor at Community Integrated Health Services from May 2020 until June 2022.
New to The Bluff: Amy Howlett, Office Manager, Office of Student Activities
Starting on May 18, Amy Howlett will join the Office of Student Activities as our new Office Manager. Amy is from San Jose, California and recently earned her degree in Sociology from UP. Amy has had an excellent experience working in our department as an Office Assistant over the past two years and serving as a Pilots After Dark Event Coordinator for the past year. During this time, she has taken a leadership role in developing and updating our social media and website. Please join us in welcoming Amy!
New to The Bluff: Federico Martínez-García, Head of Public Services, Clark Library
The Clark Library warmly welcomes our new Head of Public Services, Federico Martínez-García Jr, MLIS, MPA. Federico comes to us from the Kraemer Library at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where he was Faculty Director of Access Services. He brings to his work a deep empathy and a passionate commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition to his duties as Head of Public Services, Federico will serve as the liaison librarian to a number of departments and groups on campus: the Air Force & Army ROTC, Integrative Health & Wellness, Nursing, Psychological Sciences, Social Work, and Sociology.
Federico loves to learn about languages, culture, religion, and new points of view. He loves his family, Luna (a 10-year-old Yorkie), tacos, crochet, and dancing to almost all kinds of music. He enjoys supporting local breweries and plans on learning the brewing process. And he dreams of one day creating an inclusive crochet group called “Yeast & Yarn.” Please join us in welcoming Federico!
New to The Bluff: Introducing 2022–2023 New Faculty Members
This week, the Office of the Provost is pleased to introduce the following new faculty members:
- Patrick Cochran-Green, Clinical Teaching Associate: Standardized Patient Educator, School of Nursing and Health Innovations
- Faith Curammeng, Instructor, Communication Studies
- Sean Gestson, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, Shiley School of Engineering
- Kiya Riverman, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies
Visit the 2022 New Faculty Highlights page and get to know all our new faculty members.
New to The Bluff: Jennie Cambier, Associate Vice President for Land Use and Planning
Jennie Cambier has been hired as the Associate Vice President for Land Use and Planning. She previously served as a Project Manager at Hacker Architects in Portland.
The AVP for Land Use and Planning provides leadership in two primary areas. The first area involves developing, overseeing, and coordinating University land use and development along with integrated planning and resource conservation, with the purpose of achieving the University’s land use and development objectives in conformance with design standards, objectives, and local, state, and federal regulations. The second area is leading and overseeing the relationship between the University and local neighborhood associations and external regulatory or concerned agencies and their representatives.
Welcome to The Bluff, Jennie!
New to The Bluff: Maraina Montgomery, Director of Studies Abroad
After an international search, the University of Portland has named Maraina Montgomery, Director of Studies Abroad, effective July 1. Montgomery joins UP from Washington D.C. where she was Assistant Director of Study Abroad in the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University. Her work at Howard University was instrumental in internationalizing one of the premier HBCU’s in the United States. Her writing has been included in numerous venues including the PIE News and International Educator Magazine. Furthermore, she has served on multiple academic advisory committees for national study abroad providers and professional organizations.
Maraina has a B.A. in Spanish Studies and Anthropology from Howard University and a Master’s in Education (Higher Education and Student Affairs) from Rutgers University. She has worked abroad in Japan, South Korea, & Ghana, and she studied abroad in Spain, Belize and the Dominican Republic.
Welcome to The Bluff, Maraina!
New “New to The Bluff” Section!
Introducing the “New to The Bluff” section of UPbeat! Send over information about your new hires to upbeat@up.edu to introduce your new teammate to the University community.
In your “New to The Bluff” email, please include information:
- Person’s Name
- Their new role and department
- Their previous employment before joining UP
- Submitted photo for the post
Questions? Send an email to upbeat@up.edu.