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Susan Murray

New Grants Signal Science Success

March 22, 2019

The College of Arts and Sciences Natural Sciences and Mathematics division is pleased to announce that four junior faculty in the departments of biology, chemistry, and environmental studies have each received external grants to support their research and K-12 outreach work in the local community. Collectively, these individual grants total almost $180,000, with an additional $50,000 in matching funds contributed by CAS. This success in funding is a demonstration of the commitment faculty have made to pushing the boundaries of science, while simultaneously engaging with undergraduate and local K-12 students in transformational educational endeavors. The first of these grants is funded by the Society for Developmental Biology and the latter three by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which has been a generous, key contributor to CAS for many years. All four projects will involve undergraduate students.

Laura Dyer, biology, received an SDB Education Grant, “Engaging elementary school students in developmental biology through brine shrimp lifecycle activities.” This grant will provide approximately $1,500 for dissecting microscopes and lab supplies in support of a developmental biology-related project for the fourth graders of Astor K-8 School.

Rachel Hutcheson, chemistry, received a Natural Sciences Grant, “Spectroscopic, mechanistic, and structural investigations of uncharacterized radical S-adenosyl L-methionine enzymes.” Funding in the amount of $59,650 will support research on Radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzymes, using an anaerobic chamber (a chamber with no oxygen).

Kristin Sweeney, environmental studies, received a Natural Sciences Grant, “Quantifying feedbacks between topography, rock properties, sediment, and ecology on rocky shore platforms of the Oregon Coast.” This grant will provide $58,777 in research funds to use combined measurements of topography, rock hardness, and biodiversity to quantify the extent to which topography influences ecosystem structure and vice versa. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Tara Prestholdt, biology, and is a great example of how UP’s close campus community can inspire fruitful cross-departmental partnerships.

Susan Murray, biology, received a Natural Sciences Grant, “Effect of SMAC (second mitochondrial activator of caspases) mimetics on human T cell activation and function.” This project is essentially about understanding the signals that determine T cell activation. $60,000 in funds will help drive research on an overall hypothesis that a new class of chemotherapy drugs called SMAC mimetics, which were developed for their ability to kill cancer cells, might have a very different effect on T cells—namely to relieve T cell negative regulation, and thus improve the ability of T cells to attack a patient’s tumor.

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

 

 

Filed Under: 03-25-2019, Academics Tagged With: College of Arts and Sciences, Kristin Sweeney, Laura Dyer, Rachel Hutcheson, Susan Murray, Tara Prestholdt

Final ReadUP Discussion Group, Feb. 22

February 16, 2018

All UP faculty, staff and students are invited to discuss this year’s ReadUP selection, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, in a final discussion group facilitated by Fr. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., on Thursday, February 22, from noon to 1 p.m., in the Library Conference Room. Philosophy professor Thompson Faller, beloved retired member of our UP community, will join the conversation to add his knowledge of medical ethics. Light refreshments will be served; participants are encouraged to bring their lunch if desired. For a complete schedule of events related to ReadUP and author Rebecca Skloot’s visit to campus, please visit up.edu/readup. Questions about the book discussion can be directed to Fr. Charlie (gordon@up.edu) or Karen Eifler (eifler@up.edu) in the Garaventa Center.

Filed Under: 01-29-2018, 02-05-2018, 02-12-2018, 02-19-2018, Academics, Campus Services, Garaventa Center Tagged With: David Wynne, Fr. Charlie Gordon, ReadUP, Susan Murray

21 new faculty join UP in 2014

August 17, 2014

new faculty 2014The University of Portland is pleased to welcome 21 new faculty members this fall. New faculty will participate in a two-day orientation program August 18 and 19 to learn more about the University’s educational philosophy and organizational culture and learn about services and support systems available to ensure faculty and student success. Each new faculty member has been assigned a mentor with whom they will meet regularly during their first year at UP. New faculty for 2014-2015 include:

Aarti Arora – Communication Studies
Christina Astorga – Theology
Michelle Collazo – Nursing
Teri Grimmer – Business
Sean Kavanaugh – Athletics
Alison Knoedler – Athletics
Matthias Kullowatz – Mathematics
Gregory May – Psychological Sciences
Kala Mayer – Nursing
Jen McDaneld – English
Jeffrey Meiser – Political Science
Susan Murray – Biology
Col. Scott Peel – AFROTC
Nicole Ralston – Education
Sruthi Rothenfluch – Philosophy
Jane Scott – Library
Amber Vermeesch – Nursing
Cpt. Brice Virell – AFROTC
Shazib Vijlee – Engineering
Valerie Walters – Chemistry
Wilfred Wu – Business

Filed Under: 08-18-2014, Academics, Featured, Provost's Office Tagged With: Aarti Arora, Alison Knoedler, Amber Vermeesch, Brice Virell, Christina Astorga, Gregory May, Jane Scott, Jeffrey Meiser, Jen McDaneld, Kala Myer, Matthias Kullowatz, Mihcelle Collazo, Nicole Ralston, Scott Peel, Sean Kavanaugh, Shazib Vijlee, Sruthi Rothenfluch, Susan Murray, Teri Grimmer, Valerie Walters, Wilfred Wu

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Hannah Pick, Dundon-Berchtold Institute, published a review of Yuval Levin’s A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus: How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream through the journal of Christian Higher Education (22 January, 2021; DOI: 10.1080/15363759.2020.1865123).

Natalie Nelson-Marsh, communication studies, was featured in the Portland Business Journal magazine February 26 edition for her participation in the panel discussion on “Organizational Transformation – The Impact of COVID on the Future of Work.”

Katie Danielson, education, published “Enacting content-rich curriculum in early childhood: The role of teacher knowledge and pedagogy.” Early Education and Development, 32(3), 443-458. doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1753463

Alice Gates, social work, presented on March 3, 2021 as part of the University of Minnesota School of Social Work 2021 Research Colloquium Series.  Her paper was titled “Engaging equity and critical race perspectives in community-based research.”

Jordy Wolfand, Shiley School of Engineering, published Assessing resilience of a dual drainage urban system to redevelopment and climate change. Journal of Hydrology. 2021. 596. 126101.

Stephanie Salomone, mathematics, was an invited participant at Envisioning and Enacting an Inclusive and Diverse STEM Professoriate: Aligning the Recruitment and Retention of Diverse STEM Faculty, an APLU Think Tank, virtual.

Jeffrey White, International Languages & Cultures, presented MS Teams And Office Integrations During Covid (2.0). Roundtable presentation and discussion at the 2021 National College Learning Center Association Virtual Winter Conference.

Hillary Gaudio and Randy Hetherington, education, presented Inequity in the classroom: Improving teacher training by listening to completer voice. Virtual paper presented at the Oregon Association of Teacher Educators (ORATE) conference.

Randy Hetherington, education, co-presented Training transformative leaders: Valuing teacher wellness in complex change. Virtual paper presentation at the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges of Teacher Education (AILACTE) conference.

Jacqueline Waggoner, Randy Hetherington, Hillary Gaudio, Bruce Weitzel, James Carroll, education, presented Inequity and the reality of teacher preparation: Hearing the voices of completers. Virtual paper presentation at the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges of Teacher Education (AILACTE) conference.

Bruce Weitzel, Hillary Gaudio, Jacqueline Waggoner, James Carroll, Randy Hetherington, education, presented The completer voice: Inequity revealed. Virtual paper presentation at the Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) conference.

James Carroll, Randy Hetherington, Jacqueline Waggoner, Hillary Gaudio, Bruce Weitzel, education, presented Educator preparation in traumatic stress. Virtual paper presentation at the Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) conference.

Randy Hetherington, education, co-presented Interrelated leadership: Valuing teacher impact in a complex school. Virtual paper presentation at the Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) conference.

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UPbeat is a newsletter for University of Portland faculty and staff published through the marketing & communications office; submit information to Marc Covert, upbeat editor, at 8132 or upbeat@up.edu. Submission deadline is noon the Thursday prior to publication. Submissions may be edited for clarity, consistency, brevity, or style.

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