April 6, 2026

PSU's Veterans Resource Center (VRC) celebrated last week when the university was recognized as a 2026-2027 Military Friendly School, achieving Gold Award status. Portland State ranks within the top 10% of institutions nationwide for its commitment to student veterans and the military-affiliated community. The Military Friendly Gold Status recognizes PSU’s strength in three specific tiers: academic support, mental health and wellness, and career support. Achieving the designation was a strategic goal for the VRC.

Ron Mansolilli, director of the VRC, said, “This is about giving confidence to military and veteran students across the nation that Portland State doesn’t just welcome them — we have a proven track record of standing behind them.”

The search committee for the Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ED of DEI) invites PSU faculty and staff to meet the three finalists for the position. The person in this new position will serve as the principal advisor to the president and play a visionary role in fostering a campus culture of fairness, belonging and respectful dialogue.

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming Open Forums:

Candidate CVs will be posted on the position search webpage 24 hours prior to their visit. Feedback forms and more details about the position are also available on the page.

A report for 2025-2026 is now available on the PIVOT website. This report summarizes more than nine months of collaborative work across Academic Affairs and Research & Graduate Studies, including reviews of academic programs and administrative units, financial projections, and recommendations presented to President Cudd. Along with this, unit leaders will share relevant program-specific classifications with their employees, and OAA will continue to work toward implementing recommendations and managing transitions. 

New Mexico State University President Valerio Ferme named Joseph Bull as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. He will start in his new role at NMSU on July 13.

Bull became Portland State University’s H. Chik M. Erzurumlu Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science in 2022. An enrolled citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, Bull is distinguished as the first and only Native American dean of engineering in the country.

PSU Provost Shelly Chabon will appoint an interim dean in the coming weeks.

It’s National Public Health Week, and the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is hosting a week-long series of events with the theme, “Ready. Set. Action!”, speaking directly to the urgency, collaboration and collective responsibility at the heart of public health work. This also marks the tenth year of PSU’s partnership with the Oregon Health & Science University.

PSU President Ann Cudd wrote a blog post highlighting the importance of public health and encouraging the PSU community to participate in this week’s events, discussions and activities that showcase the impact of public health and the people behind it.

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is introducing a formal Fundamental Alteration Request Process to support both equitable access and academic integrity.

A “fundamental alteration” occurs when a requested accommodation would significantly change an essential course element or core learning outcome, as defined by the ADA and Section 504.

The new process gives faculty a clear, structured way to raise concerns about specific accommodations and work collaboratively with the DRC to:

Faculty are encouraged to review the new Fundamental Alteration Review request form and guidance on identifying essential course elements.

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), in collaboration with Environmental Science Management (ESM), will be hosting an in-person training on Working Safely in the Field. It is open to all students, staff, faculty, post-docs, volunteers, etc. of the Portland State University research community.

This training session will address a number of safety scenarios that may occur in the field — including trip planning, risk assessment and bystander intervention. This session will have two special guest presenters: Eleanor Gaines, Director of the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, and Reno Nims, assistant professor in Research and Graduate Studies.

Friday, May 1
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
In-Person (location TBD)

Portland State University is honored to host the Oregon Tribal Language Speaker Series, in which the university’s tribal partners present their language program’s history, revitalization efforts, and future projects. This week features members of the Burns Paiute Tribe, a tribe of 210 people located near Burns, in southeast Oregon, in Harney County.

Thursday, April 9
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Native American Student & Community Center (NASCC)

Through a panel discussion and audience engagement, this event explores how former Oregon Senator Hatfield's values continue to shape public leadership and how institutions inspired by his legacy can strengthen connections and build a stronger Hatfield Network. This year's speakers include Masami Nishishiba, Director of PSU's Hatfield School of Government; Seth Cotlar, Professor of History at Willamette University; Mark Farley, Director of Operations at OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center, and the presentation will be moderated by Laurel Singer, Senior Fellow at PSU's National Policy & Consensus Center. 

Thursday, April 9
5 - 7:30 p.m.
University Place Hotel
Wahkeena & Elowah Ballrooms

Portland State University is partnering with the Institute for the Understanding of Anti-Palestinian Racism (IUAPR) to host a virtual workshop entitled, “Recognizing Anti-Palestinian Racism and Creating an Environment of Understanding.”

This 90-minute interactive workshop is specifically created for PSU faculty and staff. The workshop is designed to help participants identify anti-Palestinian racism and understand how these patterns of exclusion harm the integrity of the entire community.

Friday, April 24
12 (noon) - 1:30 p.m.

Please take a few minutes to fill out a completely anonymous pre-workshop survey.

Mark your calendars! Portland State’s Day of Giving is April 15 & 16, with early bird giving starting April 8. This annual event is a 36-hour, campus-wide giving campaign that brings together alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends to support the programs, scholarships and causes that make Portland State thrive.

On their website, the Foundation has created some tools to help you get the word out about donating to your favorite PSU program or resource.

Wine lovers, now is a great time to stock up! Thanks to extra inventory from the PSU Alumni Association’s Vikings on the Vine Wine Club, the PSU community can enjoy 15% off all alumni‑made wines for a limited time. Purchase six bottles and receive two complimentary tickets to the Vikings on the Vine Winemaker’s Tasting at Stoller on May 30.

Join in four weeks of small group courses: Self Defense, Learn to Climb, and Women on Weights. These classes focus on the fundamentals and are perfect for members new to the activity! A series of classes is $40. Reserve your place in class.

Campus Rec is also offering the Ace Personal Training Prep Course, which will prepare participants to become certified personal trainers through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Cost includes exam fee and all study materials. Academic credit is available. Limited to 20. Register for personal training prep.

Tell students about all of the free academic help they can get from Student Academic Support Services, including Academic Coaching, Peer Tutoring and specialized workshops and study groups. (And check out their ROADS to Success presentation series for boosting student success in the classroom!)

Doctoral, graduate and undergraduates are invited to present their research at PhD Day on May 15. The deadline to register as a presenter is April 10. Learn about PhD Day.

Please share the Career Week catalog with your students so that they can join in on Spring Career Week programming!

Professor of Computer Science Bart Massey talked with KGW about the trend of false AI information appearing in legal documents and Lynn Santelmann, professor of Applied Linguistic, provided insight into shifting pronunciations in younger populations to the Oregonian.

All week

Mapping Familiar Territories, Charting New Paths

Arlene Schnitzer Visual Arts Prize Exhibition

Monday, April 6

Biology Seminar Series: Deep Dive into Ancient Marine Venoms

Tuesday, April 7

Using AI for Course Accessibility

Wednesday, April 8

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies 50th Celebration

Radical Roots: A Panel Discussion | Two Spirit & LGBTQ+ Health Seminar Series

Developments in Iran: A Multidisciplinary Panel Discussion

Thursday, April 9

What’s an International Career and How Do I Get One? Panel Discussion with GlobalPDX Members

The Changing Landscape of Cannabis, with PSU Fellow Earl Blumenauer

Friday, April 10

Viks Softball vs. Weber State

2026 Northwest Horn Society Symposium (through Sunday)

Reclaiming the Urban Landscape for Food, Medicine, and Ceremony

Music @ Midday: Woodwind Area

Matthias Kemeny Design Lecture Series Presents April Grieman

Saturday, April 11

Viks Softball vs. Weber State

Viks Volleyball Tourney

Find more events at: PSU Events, OAI Events, Viks Athletics

People
Kai Hang Cheang, Ken Ruoff

Presented
Kai Hang Cheang, Susan Kirtley, Piman Limpaphayom, Joel Owens, Jennifer R. Perlmutter

Published/Exhibited
Sarah Dys

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CURRENTLY is a weekly newsletter for the employees of Portland State University, published by University Communications. News items, events and accolades should be sent to currently@pdx.edu. Deadline is noon, the Tuesday before publication. See the Currently website for submission guidelines and schedule.