This is the only summer edition of Currently.
The next edition of Currently will be published September 30, 2024.

July 29, 2024

Portland State University is thrilled to announce the appointment of six new deans for the 2024-2025 academic year. Each dean will serve as the chief executive and academic officer of their respective school or college, and they will play a crucial role as members of the University’s Academic Leadership Team (ALT). Four of the new deans begin their new roles on campus this week!

Starting Sept. 1, Nicolle DuPont will step into the role of the Associate Vice Provost & University Registrar, succeeding Cindy Baccar, who is retiring. DuPont has worked closely alongside Baccar, the Registrar’s team and the campus community for more than 20 years. She has played an essential part in building and maintaining the strong and effective Registrar’s Office our campus has come to rely on. Nicolle is widely recognized as an outstanding problem solver, collaborator, and customer service advocate for students, faculty and staff. She has led or participated in numerous initiatives to improve student outcomes and is a key contributor to PSU’s annual commencement ceremonies.

Tara Gardner-Brown, FNP, is the new Director of Health Services at the Center for Student Health and Counseling (SHAC). She brings more than 23 years of experience as a family nurse practitioner and more than 14 years of experience in college health to the position. Gardener-Brown has been part of the SHAC team since 2012 and served as Health Services Associate Director since 2016. She brings a rare combination of clinical expertise, leadership experience, public health knowledge, and experience working with diverse populations that will serve our campus well. The position was previously held by Mark Bajorek, MD, who retired in June after 28 years of service to Portland State.

The first phase of PSU’s strategic planning process is winding down. This summer, PSU leadership, the strategic planning steering committee and the 2030 vision committee are finalizing and prioritizing the strategic imperatives — the big actions that must be taken in order to deliver on a bold vision for 2030. The draft plan will be released to the PSU community at the beginning of fall term and then presented to the PSU Board of Trustees for approval during their first meeting of the 2024-2025 academic year. Once approved, the next phase of strategic planning will include establishing benchmarks and metrics for success and setting up working groups for implementation.

The Academic Program Revitalization Summer Data Analysis Team will meet during the week of Aug. 12 to begin the work of evaluating and revitalizing PSU’s portfolio of academic offerings. The process, announced by President Ann Cudd in an email on June 6, will use the methodology developed by Robert Gray Atkins, as outlined in his book, “Start, Stop, or Grow”. Members of the workgroup will analyze and evaluate data compiled over the summer by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) and others. The process will consider alignment with the draft strategic plan, student academic success, market viability and financial sustainability. The data and analytical methods will be presented during an open house on Sept. 19, followed by a town hall on Sept. 25 to discuss with the entire community about adjusting PSU’s program portfolio. An invitation to these events will be sent at a later date.

Amid Oregon’s hot summer and active wildfire season, PSU’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Emergency Management remind you to monitor weather conditions and take appropriate actions for your own safety. Here are ways to keep cool and reduce utility usage on campus:

More guidance and tips can be found on the updated Outdoor Air Quality and Extreme Heat webpages.

When air quality is or is expected to be unhealthy for an extended period, or during prolonged extreme heat, PSU’s Emergency Management will coordinate the response and convene the Weather Status Assessment Group. Notifications about campus closures or changes to hours of operation will be sent via PSU Alert.

The Helen Gordon Child Development Center and ASPSU Infant Toddler Satellite Center on the PSU campus are enrolling for the 2024-2025 academic year. Immediate openings:

Enrollment priority is given to PSU students, followed by faculty and staff. Financial assistance is available.

Complete and submit a waitlist application along with the application fee to the Helen Gordon Child Development Center or via email to joyoder@pdx.edu.

The Student Success team is hosting an event to showcase some highlights of their work. The event will feature results from the 2024 Student Experience Survey, which was sent to all undergraduate students, as well as presentations from the Student Success Fellows. The event will take place on Oct. 2 from 1 - 4 p.m. in ASRC 515. The event will be recorded and shared for those unable to attend in person.

The Currently newsletter is published by University Communications every Monday during the Fall, Winter and Spring terms of each academic year. Submission instructions are available online, as are updated 2024-2025 deadlines and publication dates. With a 70% open rate, Currently is a highly effective way to share your news, events and accomplishments with all of your Portland State colleagues!

Frankline Muthomi, an assistant professor of public administration, spoke with the Oregonian about tax delinquency and government contracts; Kelsey Henderson and Chris Campbell, associate professors in criminology, discussed their findings about the impacts of Measure 110 with the Oregon Capital Chronicle; Associate Professor of Geography Paul Loikith talked with the New York Times about the impact of climate change on recent heat waves in the Pacific Northwest; and Andrea Goforth, professor of chemistry, shared details about PSU’s new Diverse Internships for Semiconductor Careers program with OPB.

Saturday, Aug. 3
Storytime with Latoya Lovely
OrpheusPDX: Acis, Galatea & Polyphemus

Sunday, Aug. 4
OrpheusPDX: Acis, Galatea & Polyphemus

Friday, Aug. 16
PSU Blood Drive

Saturday, Aug. 17
OrpheusPDX: The Rose Elf

Sunday, Aug. 18
OrpheusPDX: The Rose Elf

Tuesday, Aug. 20 - Saturday, Dec. 7
Color Outside the Lines From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

Sunday, Aug. 25
Volleyball vs. Central Washington

Friday, Aug. 30
Volleyball Rose City Showdown - Day 1

Saturday, Aug. 31
Volleyball Rose City Showdown - Day 2

Sunday, Sept. 1
Volleyball Rose City Showdown - Day 3

Tuesday, Sept. 17
2024 Convocation

Find more events at: PSU Events

People

Shane Day, Julia Freybote, Arsh Haque, Daniel Jaffee, Jennifer Kerns, Ji Woon (June) Ryu

Presented

Riëtte Carstens, Berrin Erdogan, Julia Freybote, Martín Alberto Gonzalez, Susan Kirtley, Nariyo Kono, Will Parnell, Ryan Petteway, Melissa Thompson, Lindsey Wilkinson

Published/Exhibited

Lindsay Benstead, Zachary Boyce, Thein-Kim Bui, Alida Cantor, Paula Carder, Douglas Deur, Scott DuHadway, Sarah Dys, Jillian Farley, Kathryn Farr, Teppei Fukuda, Jon Holt, Ryan Petteway, Leah Rosencrantz, Aaron Roussell, Ji Woon (June) Ryu, Jeremy Spoon, Julia Stone, Jack Straton, Ozcan Tunalilar, Marisa Westbrook

Grants

Tim Anderson, Wu-Chang Feng, Yasmeen Hanoosh, Charles Hollands, Bob Liebman, Michael Lupro, Mary Morningstar, Primal Pappachan, Aaron Roussell, Tim Sonneman, Michael Wilson

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University Place Hotel & Conference Center

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.