February 9, 2026

The 2026 Winter Administrative Briefing this week will include presentations on Bridge to the Future 2.0, new digital accessibility requirements, recent recommendations from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), PSU’s legislative priorities, and projects underway to improve how the university communicates with students.

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
3:30 - 5 p.m.
ASRC 515 or Zoom

The last two finalists for the next Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will be on campus this week. All PSU employees are encouraged to attend — candidates will give a presentation and take questions.

All forums are during the Community Hour from 12:45 - 1:45 p.m.

Visit the Provost search website for candidates’ CVs, which are posted 24 hours prior to their visit, and for candidate feedback forms. Feedback is due by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16.

At the request of the search committee, President Ann Cudd has approved a title change for the role formerly known as Chief Diversity Officer. The position will now be titled Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

This change reflects thoughtful consideration of language and its historical context, particularly the ways certain terms have been used in relation to Indigenous peoples. The search is underway, and all search materials and webpages have been updated to reflect the new title.

The university will be reviewing other titles that include the term "Chief".

Cornel Pewewardy, professor emeritus of Indigenous Nations Studies at PSU, wrote about the history of the term in the article, Why We Can't Ignore the "Chief" in Chief Diversity Officer.

This is the last week to catch the Portland Winter Light Festival, featuring three installations on campus that were created in collaboration with LAIKA animation studios. From 6 to 10 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13 & 14, the windows of Smith Memorial Student Union and the Simon Benson House will feature imagery from LAIKA in projected light displays. They are best viewed from the South Park Blocks.

The Alumni Association is hosting a reception this Friday, Feb. 13 from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Simon Benson House. There will be face painting, sweet treats, hot beverages and behind-the-scenes tours of the light installation which features never-before-seen LAIKA imagery and was designed by LAIKA faculty fellow Stephen Lee. The first 100 people to attend will receive a free light-up viking helmet! Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

In addition to the displays on campus, there are hundreds of other displays, performances and events throughout Portland through Feb. 14. The Portland Winter Light Festival was co-founded by PSU professor Jeff Schnabel in 2015.

Congressman Jamie Raskin will visit Portland State as the keynote speaker for the 21st Annual Solomon Memorial Lecture, presented by the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies. In Church and State, Politics and Faith: Why We Need the Constitutional Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson and the Ethical Wisdom of Rabbi Hillel Today, Raskin will draw on his background as a constitutional law scholar and public servant. The lecture will take place Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is required and seating is limited.

In honor of Black History Month, the Portland State University community is invited to the Where We Goin? Power of Place Roadshow — an evening of two short films exploring home, displacement, and Black identity. Dear Young Black Portland reflects on the loss of a family home to eminent domain, while Where We Goin?: The Power of Place follows a young Black filmmaker alongside artist Intisar Abioto and leaders from Albina Vision Trust. The screening wraps with a fireside chat moderated by Executive Producer Donovan Scribes.

Tuesday, Feb. 10
5 p.m.
SMSU Ballroom

February can be a tough part of the term when cold weather, busy schedules and midterms all hit at once. Warm Hands, Warm Hearts is Campus Rec’s way of supporting the PSU community during winter with free, low-key pop-ups focused on comfort, care and connection. Each week in February, stop by Campus Rec for something warm or useful. This Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 12 - 2 p.m., drop by ASRC's 1st floor for Warm Drinks Day, where you can get free coffee, tea, cider and hot cocoa! 

Get moving with PSU President Ann Cudd with a brisk run this Friday, rain or shine. Runners should be able to keep a 10-minute mile pace — you’ll be running a 5K!

Friday, Feb. 13
12:45 p.m.
Meet in Richard and Maurine Neuberger Center (RMNC) lobby

Help pack Viking Pavilion on Thursday, Feb. 19 as PSU’s first-place men’s basketball plays its first nationally televised home game on ESPNU vs. Idaho Vandals. Tipoff is 6 p.m.

This is a special campus moment — come cheer on our students and show PSU pride on the national stage!

Faculty & staff tickets are $7 with code PSUMBB.

The Financial Wellness Center invites you to attend a Budgeting Basics workshop this Tuesday or Wednesday, Feb. 10 or 11, during Community Hour. These interactive sessions are designed for beginners and offer practical budgeting strategies that can be used right away. They are offered to students and employees. Build confidence in managing finances and walk away with helpful resources to support long-term financial well-being!

PSU International Special Programs (ISP) and their official homestay partner, ACES-American Cultural Exchange Service, are seeking kind, empathetic host families for international high school and college students this summer. Your two- to four-week time commitment could very well change a young person's life. Students will have weekday classes and activities, commuting to and from PSU on public transit. They are excited to spend evenings and weekends as part of an American family. Orientation, 24/7 support, and a stipend are provided. Email aces.or@exploretheworld.org, or call (503) 673-6898 for more information.

Thank you to everyone who has shared their stories of friendships formed and true loves found at PSU. To kick off Valentine's week, here is one from PSU alum Christiane Anciete:

"My wife Shannon and I are high school sweethearts and proud double Portland State University graduates for both our undergraduate and graduate degrees. Right after graduation, PSU became more than our alma mater — it became the place where we launched our careers and grew up together. Shannon joined Student Legal Services, I joined University Communications, and suddenly our everyday lives were woven into the Park Blocks. From running student organizations side‑by‑side to popping into each other’s offices with our dog Bella or taking lunchtime walks through campus, PSU shaped the rhythm of our relationship. When we married on August 30, 2014, nearly our entire wedding party was made up of fellow Vikings — a testament to the community that raised us."

Share your PSU love story by Feb. 12. Love stories will appear in the annual Valentine blog and on social media next weekend.

Nogginfest is an annual, free, all-ages community fair put on by Northwest Noggin and the PSU Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Association/Neuro Club. There will be art and science booths, live music, opportunities to discover cutting edge research — and hold brains! Nogginfest is Saturday, March 7 from 1 - 9 p.m. at Leaven Community Center in NE Portland.

Plan to bring family and friends to join your colleagues at the annual All-PSU Blazers game on Sunday, April 12 — the final game of the Portland Trail Blazers regular season! What makes this game special to PSU? Early on game day, the PSU community shows its advocacy for people with communication disabilities at the Court of Dreams — a chance to shoot some hoops, join a dance party and other activities on the floor at the Moda Center.

Organizers Linda Akagi and Samuel Sennott, of the College of Education, are looking for a DJ for the dance party and student groups to partner with in service. Email sennott@pdx.edu to participate and/or to make a bulk discounted ticket purchase.

Career Fair Today!

Presented by the University Career Center, the All Majors & Business Career Fair is today from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Viking Pavilion. Students can connect with potential employers to learn about jobs and internships.

Internship opportunity at OHSU

Applications are open for the OHSU Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Internship Program this summer (2026). This 10-week, full-time, paid internship provides hands-on experience in biomedical informatics and data science through faculty-mentored research projects. Please share the application link with interested students.

Banafsheh Rekabdar, assistant professor of computer science, discussed her new research focused on utilizing artificial intelligence to track the health of astronauts in space with KOIN and Assistant Professor of Applied Developmental Psychology and Education Susana Beltrán-Grimm talked with the Hechinger Report about fears facing Hispanic families as immigration enforcement ramps up across the country.

All week

Residual Moments | Archiving the Building: The 5th Avenue Years

Mapping Familiar Territories, Charting New Paths

Monday, February 9

Biology Seminar Series: Biogeography of the Mammals of Ecuador

Basketball Shooting Challenge - 3-Point

Tuesday, February 10

Women on Weights

Open Forum: Provost Candidate C

Where We Goin? Power of Place Roadshow

Queer Climb Night

Wednesday, February 11

Talking Community-Engaged Learning

What is College For?: Teaching and Learning in a Polarized Age

Thursday, February 12

The Spectacle of Safe Migration in Southeast Asia

Show & Tell Design Lecture Series Presents Walker Noble

Open Forum: Provost Candidate D

Friday, February 13

Music @ Midday: Rose City Trio

2026 Winter Light Festival Alumni Gathering at Simon Benson House

Women’s Basketball v. Northern Arizona

Saturday, February 14

Women’s Basketball v. Northern Colorado

PSU Guitar Series Presents: The Assad Brothers — 60th Anniversary Farewell Tour

Sunday, February 15

Guitar Masterclass with the Assad Brothers

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

People
Frederik Vos

Presented
JJP Veerman, Marisa Westbrook

Published/Exhibited
Paula Carder, Piman Limpaphayom

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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.