May 5, 2025

At Portland State University, we are explorers, problem-solvers, and changemakers. Our research and scholarship bring discoveries and possibilities into focus. Together we're answering some of the world's toughest challenges while equipping our students with the skills they need to reach their full potential. Research Week honors and elevates the exceptional research, scholarship, and creative work of PSU faculty, staff, and students.

PSU's 2025 Research Week is May 5–9, with the research award winners being celebrated in a banquet and awards ceremony on Friday, May 9.

5 - 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 6

The MCECS community is invited to an Open House, with multiple activities including a self-guided tour of research labs, Ignite-style talks from award-winning faculty and poster presentations of student-led research projects. Please RSVP.

The collaborative exhibition 'Through Our Lens' represents the culmination of a yearlong creative residency with artist Diana Marcela Cuartas and FRINQ Creativity in Action students, supported through PSU Housing and the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Over 100 first year PSU students worked with Diana over the course of fall, winter and spring terms. Through a series of conversations, experiments, and place-based photography exercises - students explored the places they inhabit. As a learning community, we are left with a deeper sense of what makes Portland State University a place.

Artist + Student Talk
4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8
Lincoln Hall Room 225

What does an artist’s practice reveal about creative research? The Artist + Student Talk will feature artist-in-residence, Diana Marcela Cuartas and FRINQ Creativity in Action students. Come hear highlights from this yearlong collaborative project, culminating in the exhibition, ‘Through Our Lens’ in Lincoln Hall’s Broadway Gallery. 

Through Our Lens Exhibition 
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8
Lincoln Hall Broadway Gallery
Opening reception immediately following talk. Meet the artist and student collaborators at this convivial spring celebration featuring interactive visitor experiences, zines, music, and film - all designed by students.

The exhibition will be on display in Lincoln Hall through June 7.

Fluid Mechanics (FLOO·uhd muh·KA·nuhks)
11 a.m. Thursday, May 8

Fluid mechanics impacts a wide range of natural and human-made systems, so understanding the specifics of these phenomena can lead to a broad range of applications. Join PSU's 2025 Presidential Career Research Award Winner and internationally renowned MCECS Professor Raúl Bayoán Cal for this 45-minute talk exploring fluid mechanics at work, from wind and solar energy farms to a water droplet in outer space.

Q&A and lunch to follow. RSVP to attend

You are invited to attend open forums to meet and engage with the four finalists for the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) position. These sessions will be held in person and are an important part of the search process. Each forum will include a brief presentation by the candidate, followed by an open Q&A session. All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and participate.

All forums are from 3 - 4 p.m. See dates and times below:

Candidate name, CV and feedback form link will be added to the search webpage 24-hours prior to campus visit.

The Campus Climate Survey opens next Monday, May 12. All faculty and staff will receive an email from Viewfinder inviting them to take this anonymous survey. The results will help Global Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) and university leaders better understand how employees experience the workplace—what’s going well and where improvements are needed. The survey supports PSU’s commitment to Imperative #3 of the Future in Focus strategic plan: Support and Empower Our Employees and Operations. It will take about 15 minutes to complete. The last campus climate survey, in 2018, helped inform the creation of Time to Act.

The "Dismantling the Cheating Industrial Complex" event series, hosted by the Office of Academic Innovation, offers a two-part exploration into academic integrity, anti-cheating software, and aligning assessment practices with teaching philosophies. The event encourages collaboration among faculty and includes hands-on sessions to redesign assessments and foster authentic learning experiences. Begins Tuesday, May 6!

Global Diversity and Inclusion invites you to join them for the launch of the First-Gen Student Action & Training Team’s campus-wide workshop—created by first-gen students for PSU faculty and staff. This interactive training offers real stories, practical tools, and actionable strategies to better support first-generation college students. You'll learn to recognize the strengths first-gen students bring, identify key barriers they face, and commit to inclusive practices that foster their success.

Come by Campus Rec TONIGHT - May 5 - from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. to kick off PSU Pride Month with some Drop-in Giant Pink Volleyball! Play, meet others, and prepare for the PRIDE Giant Pink Volleyball Tournament on May 28! All orientations and skill levels are welcome. The ball is four feet in diameter, so volleyball skills are not required! Plus, we'll be giving away previous Campus Rec Pride t-shirts to participants while supplies last. Participation is free for Campus Rec members, who may also bring up to three guests for $7 per person. No registration required, just show up and play for as long as you'd like!

Make waves at the Campus Rec Pool! Campus Rec is partnering with the Services for Students with Children (SSWC) to host another family-friendly pool party this Friday, May 9, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. for snacks and a fun time! Test your balance on the log roll, play water basketball, unwind on innertubes, float on fun noodles and relax in the spa! Families and their youth of all ages are invited to this event as well as any regular Open Rec Swim times. All-User restrooms with changing tables can be found on floors 2, 3, and 4 of Campus Rec.

Do you have gently-used PSU gear (clothing or other merchandise) that you no longer wear or use? Do you need gently-used PSU gear? The first annual PSU Gear Swap is Wednesday, May 13 from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. You are not required to donate gear in order to "shop."

If you have gear to donate, drop it off in the University Welcome Center (first floor ASRC), no later than Tuesday, May 12. The University Welcome Center is open Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm (closed from 12 to 1 daily). If you have questions, contact campusvisits@pdx.edu.

Save the date! Join PSU Anthropology and partners for the 13th annual Archaeology Roadshow in Portland on May 31 in Gateway Discovery Park!  Immerse yourself in the heritage of our region through pop-up exhibits and hands-on activities around this year's theme, "The Archaeology of Art & Craft." Discover hidden Portland stories, make a stone or a basket, or throw an ancient spear.  Have a panel of experts interpret your personal objects (stone tools, pottery, animal bones); no financial appraisals are given. The event is free, family friendly and fun.

This Thursday, our colleagues in The Learning Center are hosting a fun and rejuvenating break from mid-term stress: Studypalooza! Students can drop by between 4 and 7 p.m. (Millar Library, 2nd floor) for massage, acupuncture, coloring, guided stretches, free tacos and a chance to win a $50 Powell's gift card. Students should register to secure their spot.

The PSU Writing Center is open for online and in-person appointments. They can help writers at any step in the process, from generating ideas to the final polish. Their website has a variety of writing resources for students and instructors. We also offer walk-ins Monday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Fariborz Maseeh Hall (FMH) 360 — first come, first served.

Students from all majors interested in healthcare are invited to connect with employers at PSU’s first Healthcare Industry Day on Tuesday, May 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Smith Memorial Student Union Room 327. This event features recruiters from organizations like Providence, Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente, OHSU, and more. Students will explore jobs, internships, and volunteer roles across both clinical and non-clinical paths—including administration, HR, tech, patient advocacy, nursing, medical techs, and more. Encourage your students to attend and take a valuable step toward their career goals! Space is limited - please share this registration link.

Marisa Zapata, director of the Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative, talked with the Oregonian about the importance of the point-in-time count; xx Professor Jay Nadeau discussed a new holographic microscope destined for space with KATU; and Paula Carder, director of the Institute on Aging, spoke with the Guardian about the assisted living industry.

All week

Genevieve Hildebrand-Chupp: Play Along Meadow

Beyond the Periphery: 2025 BFA/MFA Showcase

Monday, May 5

Biology Seminar Series: Mechanisms that Maintain Genome Stability During Cell Division

Taylor Lauritsen “Ex Fundamentis: The Evolution of Façade Masonry in Pompeii”

PRIDE: Drop-In Giant Pink Volleyball

Tuesday, May 6

Dismantling the Cheating Industrial Complex

Integrating Modelling of the Earth and Human Systems: Progress, Challenges, and Outlook

Godzilla vs The Bubble: Consumption, Conceit, and Compulsion in Late-Capitalist Japan

Women’s+ Pickup Basketball

Grand Kyiv Ballet: Swan Lake

Wednesday, May 7

Dismantling the Cheating Industrial Complex

Master or Architecture Thesis Presentations

Department of History Publications Open House

Hydrosocial Stories: Water and Society through Art and Science

Mark O. Hatfield School of Government Public Service Recognition Event: Strengthening the Roots

Thursday, May 8

How to Actually Use AI

Master of Architecture Thesis Presentations

Noon Concert Series: Voice Area Recital

Show & Tell Design Lecture Series Presents Emily Klaebe

Institute for Asian Studies Lecture - The Shape of Time; Korean Art After 1989

Friday, May 9

Master of Architecture Thesis Presentations

Humanities Career Conversations

Fridays@1 | Conceptual Architectural Thinking: Office of (Un)Certainty Research

Family Friendly Pool Party

Saturday, May 10

Serve the City Day

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

Presented

Tina Acker, Martín Alberto Gonzalez, Deb Arthur, Rachel Bhansari, Maneka D. Brooks, Micki M. Caskey, William J. Comer, Jack Corbett, Hollie Hix-Small, Lillian Martz, Shanté Stuart McQueen, Madhu Narayanan, David Percy, Leanne Serbulo, Nahlee Suvanvej, Dilafruz Williams

People

Berrin Erdogan, Lillian Martz, Dilafruz Williams

Published/Exhibited

Heejun Chang, Madhu Narayanan, Sue Taylor

Grants

Peyman Abbaszadeh, Robert Bass, ilke Celick, Elliot Gall, Andrew Greenberg, Kristen Harrison, Atul Ingle, James Pankow

Currently  |  Events  |  Athletics News & Schedules  |  Training & Development  |  Vacancies
HR Policies, Contracts and Forms  |  University Policy Library
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.