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Happy New (School) Year!
It was great to welcome the newest flock of PPPM students last week. The energy and excitement of the new school year are so infectious. For our new student orientation retreat this year, we visited a new location along the Umpqua River at Kellogg Springs Camp. Climate change-induced wildfires along the McKenzie River made the lodge we typically visit unavailable this year. This new location offered yet another example of the wonders of Oregon's splendor while we welcomed the newest Ducks to the PPPM family.
On Wednesday, our second-year MPA and MNM students were given their charges for their quick-response projects. The 48-Hour Project (MPA students) and the Nonprofit Charette (MNM students) quickly responded to policy and management issues. These classes give students a chance to experience that all too real call from a supervisor, telling them that they need advice, and they need it fast. Like so many others in our School, these classes exemplify our educational model, demonstrating that "You don't have to wait to start making a difference in PPPM."
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Students gathering outside of Hendricks on monday morning.
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Playing beach volleyball and getting to know each other at the retreat.
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48-Hour Project and Nonprofit Charette presentations on Friday
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A note from the School Director, Ben Clark
Since stepping into the role of School Director in July, I've been busily meeting with faculty, staff, students, and community partners. I continue to be blown away by the generosity and thoughtfulness of our community. We have challenges ahead of us, but I am so grateful to have this service-minded community at my side.
With this start of the school year newsletter, I wanted to share what has been happening over the summer with everyone because the PPPM faculty, staff, and students have been up to many incredible things.
And to those of you who celebrate, Yom Tov.
-Ben
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Welcoming New Visiting Faculty and New Staff
We're thrilled to introduce the newest additions to the PPPM family. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our talented visiting faculty members, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our campus. This year, we welcome Visiting Assistant Professors Alex Li, Tapan Dhar, and Andrew Russo to the PPPM faculty. We are also lucky to have visiting assistant professor Roland Ofori continue a second year with PPPM. It is great to have their unique set of experiences and perspectives added to our stellar faculty.
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In addition to our visiting faculty, we're delighted to welcome a new PPPM support staff member to our team. Mia Kubu joins Tana Gonzales in keeping the wheels on the PPPM bus.
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Student Successes Receive State and Nationwide AttentionThe Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) commissioned a report from our students to assess the implementation effectiveness of textbook affordability policies across Oregon's 24 public community colleges and universities. Master of Public Administration (MPA) students Ramona Bias, Adriana Flowers, Esmeralda Flores, Tram Anh Hoang, and Katie Inger completed six months of research in June 2023 that is shaping the future of HECC policies on textbook affordability. This August, the HECC noted, "Overall, Oregon’s community colleges and universities can be proud of the progress made since 2015. Significant work has gone into implementing these policies, and the data reflects this. The [MPA] capstone group’s recommendations offer guidance for improving on the foundation already laid.”
This July, The Metrolab Network named a team of PPPM graduate students (now alumni) from Professor Rebecca Lewis’ budgeting course a finalist in their Student Cup. The teams evaluated funding options’ financial yield on whether they were equitable, neutral, and efficient and made recommendations ensuring a successful local option levy. This is yet another example of how the applied, community-based learning our students are doing makes tangible differences in our community. It is so great to see them recognized nationally for their work.
Both of these student projects demonstrate yet again that you don't have to wait to start making a difference
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Hannah Shafer and Calvin Hoff presensting at the MetroLab Conference in July.
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Faculty Research SuccessOur faculty have been hard at work advancing their research agendas. We're proud to share some highlights of their accomplishments, breakthroughs, and publications over the summer. These achievements demonstrate the exceptional quality of scholarship and engagement that makes PPPM a difference-maker in Oregon and beyond.
Congratulations to José Meléndez and Rebecca Lewis on being awarded one of The Housing Solutions Lab’s 2023 Housing Policy Innovation in Small and Midsize Cities Research Grants. Their project is one of four research teams, chosen through a competitive process, that will receive funding to investigate housing policy insights and strategies. Their project will study midsize cities in Oregon, specifically examining their approaches to community engagement during zoning ordinance updates and how such engagement informs local code adoption, particularly with underrepresented groups. We cannot wait to see the results of the project.
Eleonora Redaelli’s edited volume, "Visiting the Art Museum," came out this summer. This book is a transformative companion for museumgoers, guiding them through an intellectual exploration of their museum experience. This interdisciplinary work delves into urban studies, architecture, art history, and more, empowering readers to view their visits from a fresh perspective. Authored by passionate scholars, it caters to students, professionals, and researchers, offering a rich tapestry of ideas and opportunities for active participation in the world of art and culture.
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Jessica Matthiesen, PPPM’s Undergraduate Program and Internship Director, has been busy working on building a PPPM Pilot Internship Program for our thriving undergraduate program. The program is scheduled to debut this coming academic year with six community partners onboard (surpassing our original goal of two). Remarkably, all six internships will be fully paid at $15 per hour or equivalent stipend. For many students, internships are not an option because, historically, many did not pay students for their time. Jessica’s hard work is helping to remove barriers to this kind of experiential learning that many students face, ensuring that even more of our PPPM students will leave with these vital skills.
You can help students experience the opportunity of a lifetime by giving a gift of any size today. These gifts can help PPPM students access hands-on experiences outside of the classroom.
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Summer Travels and Adventures AbroadSummer is often a time for exploration and enrichment, and our faculty and students didn't disappoint this year. From academic conferences to fieldwork to study abroad, our community embarked on incredible adventures.
During the summer, Lisa Abia-Smith presented her paper, "Whole Personhood in Medical Education: Integrating Arts and Humanities with Equity," at Sorbonne University's International Research Conference in Paris. The project is a collaboration with researchers at Oregon Health Science University, where they are using a visual art and narrative medicine course to improve implicit bias awareness and perspective-taking skills in 3rd-year medical students. In 2024, Abia-Smith will be part of an OHSU team developing a medical education textbook based on this research and presentation.
Julie Voelker-Morris spent some of her summer in Tampere, Finland, presenting at the 2023 DKG International Women Educators Conference. She shared her experiences leading the University of Oregon's successful Common Reading program. Her presentation inspired educators from various countries to consider implementing similar programs. The University of Oregon is a model of education that so many others seek to emulate because of the hard work and dedication of people like Julie.
Marc Schlossberg took students across Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands in the 2023 edition of the University of Oregon's study abroad class, titled "Redesigning Cities for People (on bike)." The class immersed students and three US-based professionals in renowned cycling cities in learning from local experts, embracing the cycling culture, and learning how lessons from these places can be applied back home in the US. This unique blend of education and collaboration enriches the learning experience PPPM students have come to love about our School. Read more from Marc and his students on the blog of blogs.
Dyana Mason took a group of students to Thailand and Cambodia this summer to learn about NGOs in Southeast Asia. This allowed so many PPPM majors and minors to learn from the field. See the photo below of Mason and her students.
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Dyana Mason and the students pictured in the heart of Chiang Mai, Thailand’s old city, in front of a 650-year-old as they took part in a study abroad course. Photo courtesy of Mason
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Dog Days Coming SoonWe'll be bringing the dog days of PPPM back soon--so you can meet and greet the furry friends of PPPM. Today, however, I'd like you to meet a new member of the PPPM dog community, Izzy Mae. This cute little Husky was rescued by Professor Ben Clark's family and Charlie the dog (an exuberant three-year-old mini Aussie) just last week.
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Alumni, share your successes with us!We love hearing from our alumni about the differences you are making in your community. If you want to share these with us--and allow us to share them with the PPPM community, please fill out the form linked below.
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