May 30, 2023

News

Picnic in the Park illustration and photo of PSU President Stephen Percy

RSVP to attend the Picnic in the Park on June 7

The faculty and staff of Portland State University are invited to celebrate the contributions of retiring President Stephen Percy with a Picnic in the Park on Wednesday, June 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. A catered lunch will be provided by PSU Eats. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by tomorrow, May 31, so the organizers can plan accordingly.

Weekly campus safety incident reports now available online

In an effort to better inform the PSU community about the safety landscape of the campus, the Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO) has introduced a weekly report of safety incidents on its website (scroll down to find link ‘The Weekly Blotter’). Additionally, CPSO has also posted an updated edition of its policy manual online. In response to feedback from the April announcement that PSU campus police were returning to more frequent armed patrols, President Stephen Percy convened an ad-hoc committee to establish a communications plan for CPSO. And Chief Willie Halliburton is available for conversations during "Coffee with the Chief" on Wednesdays at noon at Smith Memorial Student Union.

Board of Trustees leadership update

PSU Board of Trustees Chair Greg Hinckley stepped down from his leadership position last week and Vice Chair Benjamin Berry took over as Acting Chair. Berry will preside over the remaining committee meetings and the last full Board of Trustees meeting on June 22. Pending Senate approval, there will be four Board of Trustee re-appointments and a new faculty representative named to the Board. For full agendas and more information visit pdx.edu/board.

PSU faculty and staff play a vital role in June 18 commencement

Make the combined commencement ceremonies at Moda Center on June 18 extra special for our graduates. PSU staff are encouraged to sign up to volunteer at the ceremonies, while faculty may show up to marshall and participate in the procession.

Graphic and photo for Camille Thurman jazz performance

Don't miss acclaimed jazz artist Camille Thurman at Lincoln Hall

Enjoy the lush, velvety, rich and warm sounds of nationally known Jazz Saxophonist, Vocalist and Composer Camille Thurman as she performs alongside PSU's Jazz Band. Thurman is a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and her first two albums, released by Chesky Records in 2018 and 2017, peaked at #3 and #25 respectively on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart. Thurman performs on Monday, June 5 at 7 p.m. in Lincoln Performance Hall (LH 75). Tickets are available through the PSU Box Office.

Team up or go solo at the Faculty/Staff kickball tourney

It's time for the annual Faculty/Staff Kickball Tournament on Thursday, June 8 from 4-6 p.m! All equipment is provided and no experience is necessary. Free and open to all PSU faculty and staff; no Campus Rec membership required. All players will receive an exclusive Campus Rec Pride t-shirt. Register as a team or a free agent by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6.

News Briefs & Announcements:

On Friday, join PSU faculty, land conservation advocates and elected officials to discuss the impact of Oregon Senate Bill 100, which created a framework for land use planning across the state 50 years ago.
Tune in to the latest episode the PDXPLORES podcast about the impact of community-engaged art with Staci B. Martin, Asst. Professor of Practice in the School of Social Work.
Richard Wattenberg, Professor of Theater Arts, directs his final play this week at Portland State University.
Read all about Portland’s Ice Queen, a PSU alum featured online at Portland State Magazine.
Check out the ASPSU election results.

PSU in the news

Sam Sennott, an assistant professor of special education, spoke with NPR’s Marketplace about the benefits of AI; Emeritus Professor of Black Studies Darrell Millner talked with OPB about Black exclusion laws in Oregon; and Center for Women's Leadership Executive Director Jessica Mole Hellman shared how PSU is meeting students needs with the Portland Tribune.

Accolades

People

Óscar Fernández, Cynthia Gomez, Kay Gordon, Staci B. Martin, Aoi Mizushima, Nayeli Naranjo-Robles, Melissa Patiño-Vega, Mireya Rosas-Barajas, Carrie Vasquez

Presented

Jola Ajibade, Jill Emery, Maurice Hamington, Mary Marshall

Published/Exhibited

William J. Comer, Ted Khoury, Amaradri Mukherjee, Jack Straton

Events

Additional Links

Currently is Portland State University’s weekly faculty and staff newsletter. It is published online every Monday during the academic year by University Communications. News items should be emailed by noon the Tuesday before publication. See the Currently website for submission guidelines and schedule.