PSU is growing up

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Robert and Robin Holmes establish GSE’s first scholarship for aspiring arts educators

https://schoolofed.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/robert-and-robin-holmes-establish-gses-first-scholarship-for-aspiring-arts-educators/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Inspired by the memory of Robin Holmes’s grandmother, Ethel Ray, who taught music in the public schools of Vernonia and Willamina, Oregon, Robert and Normandie (Robin) Holmes have established the Robert and Normandie Holmes Endowed Scholarship for Fine and Performing Arts Educators in the Graduate School of Education (GSE). Through an estate gift, the Holmeses have also generously provided for the endowment’s future growth. The GSE’s first scholarship for aspiring arts educators, it will provide support to fine and performing arts graduates of PSU’s College of the Arts who plan to pursue careers as arts education teachers and have been accepted into the GSE. The first award will be available in the fall of 2016. The Holmeses also support other funds at PSU, including the Robert and Normandie Holmes Endowed Travel Fellowship in the College of the Arts and the Normandie and Robert Holmes Endowed Collection Fund in the Branford P. Millar Library.

Robert and Robin Holmes have had successful careers in public accounting, telecommunications, government, and education. Their lives have been deeply enriched by experiences related to the arts, and they have always been supporters of the performing arts in the communities in which they have lived. They believe that the arts education they received in public school was a major factor in developing this interest and that an arts education is a critical element in an individual’s overall education. They have witnessed the important role that arts educators play in the broader community as well, supplying professional support to local theater, music, and arts groups. Robin Holmes said:

“GSE graduates who become arts educators will no doubt be remembered by their students as they recall the life-changing, life-enhancing experiences of school plays, marching bands, and choir trips. And the communities in which those teachers live will no doubt be enriched by their contributions.”


The Holmeses are committed to supporting gifted teachers who will transform the lives of young people and enrich their local communities by offering instruction in music, art, dance, and theater in the schools. This scholarship honors Robin’s grandmother, Ethel Ray, and all the teachers who make arts education their life’s work. About her grandmother, Robin said, “I remember her…pursuing a dedicated professional life, and I sensed the same commitment in the music, art, and drama teachers I was fortunate to have throughout my school years in Coquille.”

Thanks to the Holmeses, the GSE has a permanent funding source to assist aspiring arts educators on their career paths, and thus inspire the next generation of artists, musicians, performers, parents, business leaders, and patrons.

You can join the Holmeses in supporting aspiring educators in the Graduate School of Education. To discuss options, please contact Jaymee Jacoby, GSE director of development, at 503-725-4789 or [email protected], or make a gift today.

 

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Creating Futures campaign surpasses $50 million

http://www.pdx.edu/news/creating-futures-campaign-surpasses-50-million" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The PSU Foundation has raised more than $50 million for scholarships through the Creating Futures mini campaign, surpassing its initial goal nine months ahead of schedule.

In less than three years, the campaign has funded more than 100 new scholarships, which will offset falling state support for higher education and tuition hikes for PSU students.

“PSU donors share our commitment to make a college degree affordable for all students,” said PSU Foundation President/CEO Françoise Aylmer. “Because of the overwhelming support we have received, we will continue raising money for scholarships through Creating Futures. Now is the time to build on our success.”

Creating Futures was launched on July 1, 2012. It was designed to attract top students to PSU and broaden access to higher education for those who wouldn’t otherwise have the financial resources to earn a degree.

The mini campaign has already made a measureable impact, with the creation of 122 scholarships since it began, an increase of more than 20 percent. PSU’s scholarship endowment has grown from $17 million to nearly $25 million, a 47 percent increase. But it still lags considerably behind the scholarship endowments of the University of Oregon ($162 million) and Oregon State University ($175 million).

“Part of our mission to serve the city is to make our academic excellence as accessible as possible,” said PSU President Wim Wiewel. “It’s one thing to bring students into PSU and quite another to make sure they come out the other side with an excellent education, a degree in hand and not overburdened by debt. Scholarships make that happen.”

Gifts to Creating Futures include $3.6 million from local tech entrepreneurs David and Christine Vernier, as well as $3 million from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

For many students, scholarships are the difference between getting a degree or dropping out.

Karla Andrade is a senior majoring in communications and philosophy and the recipient of a President’s Equal Access Scholarship. Her parents are Latino immigrants and she is the first in her family to attend college.

If not for the generosity of donors, she said, “I would not be at PSU.”

Pete Nickerson and Tom Fink, co-chairs of the Creating Futures campaign steering committee, thanked the staff at the PSU Foundation and the steering committee for their diligent work on behalf of PSU students.

“The success of this campaign really illustrates how deeply our donors care about our students and the many challenges they face,” Fink said. “We will continue to make clear to our alumni, business leaders and all Oregonians the value that PSU graduates bring to our economy and our communities.”

 

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Portland State University donor creates travel study scholarship

http://blog.oregonlive.com/higher-education/2015/08/portland_state_university_dono.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Larry Levy, a student in Portland State University's senior adult learning program, recently made gifts totaling $705,000 to create the Lawrence Levy Travel Study Scholarship Fund for PSU students.

His gift contributed to the PSU Foundation's recent record-breaking fundraising success. In the fiscal year that ended on June 30, the foundation raised $46 million in private gifts to support PSU, an 18 percent increase over the previous year. It marked the fifth year in a row that private giving to PSU has increased.

Levy and his wife, Pamela Lindholm-Levy, have been generous supporters of PSU for more than a decade, with contributions to the Lorry I. Lokey Jewish Studies Library Fund, Friends of History, the President's Circle and the International Community Development Fund. Last year, they established the Larry Levy and Pamela Lindholm-Levy Judaic Studies Program Fund at PSU.

Levy is a retired attorney and he and Pam are avid travelers who audit classes in history, political science, philosophy and economics.

 

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Obama administration wants to study climate change … indoors

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/12/obama-administration-wants-study-climate-change-in/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Forget violent storms, raging wildfires and steamy outdoor temperatures, the Obama administration’s war on climate change is heading indoors this time.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday awarded $8 million in grants to nine universities to help better understand the impact of climate change on indoor air quality.

The agency said climate change’s impact on indoor air pollutants like mold, mildew and asthma triggers isn’t well understood.

“Learning how air quality, climate, and energy interact in an indoor environment will help us design buildings that better protect people’s health,” explained Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office

The money is nothing to sneeze at for the winning universities.

The funds will be distributed to Harvard University, Florida State University, the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rutgers University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, Washington State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

 

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Report: Portland State University among most innovative in the country

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/272238-147902-report-portland-state-university-among-most-innovative-in-the-country" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

College officials see Portland State University as one of the most innovative in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges 2016 rankings.COURTESY NASHCO PHOTO - Portland State University students do research on a green roof.

The new “Most Innovative” category lists PSU in a tie for 16th place with Clemson University in South Carolina, according to results from a peer survey. Farther up the list are Harvard University (tied for eighth) and Stanford University (second). In first place was Arizona State University – Tempe.

“It’s an honor to be part of a list that includes Harvard, Stanford and some of the greatest universities in the world,” PSU President Wim Wiewel said in a statement.

U.S. News and World Report says they added the category to mark campuses undergoing “cutting-edge changes.”

Portland’s downtown university is not ranked in the top 200 national universities overall in the report. Its highest rankings per subject area are City Management and Urban Policy (16th) and Rehabilitation Counseling (18th).

The University of Oregon ranked 103rd overall and Oregon State University ranked 135th.

 

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Portland State nets $3.5 million NIH grant to help clear the air on hazards of e-cigarettes

http://blog.oregonlive.com/higher-education/2015/09/portland_state_nets_35_million.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

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PSU nets $1.2 million grant for orientation and mobility training

http://www.pdx.edu/news/psu-nets-12-million-grant-orientation-and-mobility-training

The US Department of Education awarded the PSU Graduate School of Education a $1,247,470 grant to develop a new certificate program to train orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists. This program will be linked to the existing PSU Visually Impaired Learner (VIL) program.

Over the next five years, Project COMET, Certified Orientation and Mobility Educators in Training, will prepare 38 fully trained and highly qualified O&M specialists to help individuals who are blind or visually impaired to develop the skills necessary for independent and safe travel within their homes, workplaces, and communities.

The project is led by Drs. Holly Lawson and Kathryn Botsford, faculty in the Special Education Department. The project is highly collaborative and involves partnerships from state liaisons and O&M professionals within the Pacific & Northwest Consortium for Vision Education (PNWCVE), which includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Hawaii.

O&M specialists train individuals on the concepts, skills, and techniques needed to move from one place to another safely and independently. O&M specialists work with individuals at all levels, birth to adult. O&M specialists cover environmental, spatial, sensory skills, interpersonal, and decision-making skills. Individuals trained in O&M techniques learn how and when to ask for help. O&M skills are reinforced by teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs), parents, and supporters of students who are blind or visually impaired, but this training is the specific purview of the certified O&M specialist.

“This program will help fill a huge gap in providing additional O&M specialists,” said Lawson, who is the director of the PSU VIL program. “Currently, no O&M training program exists in the Pacific Northwest. We are excited about supporting regional capacity to better meet the needs of those with vision loss.”
Project COMET offers an add-on endorsement for currently trained TVIs, a single O&M certificate, and dual TVI/O&M training tracks. Courses are primarily delivered online. The PSU VIL program pioneered online course delivery in the field to serve students across the region and in rural areas where the need is critical.

The components of the O&M program include coursework focused on the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) national standards, scope of practice, and body of knowledge. Classes address research, instructional methods, assessment, Unified English braille, integration of assistive technology, professionalism, and collaboration. A total of 450 hours of supervised experience is required for program completion. To measure effectiveness the program will undergo research-focused and objectives-based evaluation that incorporates qualitative and quantitative data measures with support of an evaluation team.

 

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Portland State awarded $515k grant from APLU to improve undergraduate student success

http://blog.oregonlive.com/higher-education/2016/07/portland_state_awarded_515k_gr.html

 

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Portland St. U. transportation center earns $15M research grant

http://www.metro-magazine.com/university/news/718976/portland-st-u-transportation-center-earns-15m-research-grant

 

[BroadwayVik]

_______________________________

Portland State Future Football Money Games (2017-2023)

2017

BYU

OSU

2018

Nevada

Oregon

2019

Arkansas

2020

Arizona

2021

Hawai'i

2022

San Jose State

2023

Oregon

Wyoming

 

[CaseyOrourke]

_______________________________

Portland State Future Football Money Games (2017-2023)


2021

Hawai'i

Let's hope that by 2021, Hawai'i hasn't joined Idaho as another FBS school financially forced to drop down to the FCS, but then again, playing Hawai'i does give (IIFC) the opportunity to schedule an extra posible money game.

 

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Portland State University to Offer Master of Taxation

http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/news/12290690/portland-state-university-to-offer-master-of-taxation

Portland State University’s (PSU) School of Business Administration (SBA) is known for innovation and its collaboration with the business community. Its latest venture, a hybrid online and on-campus Master of Taxation program, is no exception.
“We saw that the demand for professionals with advanced tax knowledge is soaring in the United States, so we created a program uniquely designed to give graduates an edge,” said Nancy Ganong Neslund, J.D., LI.M., master of tax director at PSU. “Program coursework is online with quarterly on-campus meetings for greater flexibility. We also co-developed coursework with public accounting and corporate tax leaders, and designed it specifically for working business professionals in tax or law roles.”
National Shortage, Regional Learning
According to the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA), there is a national shortage of entry-level tax professionals with graduate tax education. This, despite tax managers being among the top 10 highest paying, in-demand jobs in 2015, according to Forbes magazine. While the PSU SBA’s MT program is the only one in Oregon or SW Washington, its flexibility is designed for regional and even national accessibility.
“Our students will be closely engaged with faculty who have extensive tax experience. They’ll also have access to a network employers who consistently recruit PSU graduates.” said Neslund.  “The program is also designed to allow students to interact with high profile tax professionals.”
 Timeline
With an official start date set for summer 2017 term, students are already signing up for the 12-month MT program. During the program, 1:1 advising and career preparation tools will help students define the next steps in their careers.
Portland State University’s School of Business Administration is renowned for its leading-edge research and world-class faculty. Located in heart of Portland, Oregon, this urban campus takes a realistic and holistic approach to learning with a focus on sustainability, economic impact, and social and environmental stewardship. PSU’s SBA offers eight master’s degrees, seven undergraduate concentrations, four minors, and multiple certificate programs, all with real-world applicability. US News & World Report ranks its AACSB-accredited undergraduate and graduate business programs among the best in the nation. The Princeton Review recognizes the School as a “Best College” to major in business. For more information, please visit: pdx.edu/sba.

 

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PSU to receive $15.6 million for transportation research

http://psuvanguard.com/psu-to-receive-15-6-million-for-transportation-research/

 

[BroadwayVik]

A handsome sum indeed. In spite of UO alum Neil Goldschmidt's moral turpitude, his enduring legacy as Secretary of Transportation under Carter lives on at Portland State.

 

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Portland State virus study receives major NASA grant

https://scienmag.com/portland-state-virus-study-receives-major-nasa-grant/

(Portland, Ore.) — Portland State biologist Ken Stedman has received a $540,000 grant from NASA to study the evolution of viruses, which may shed light on how viruses form, adapt and infect hosts.

The study stems from a bizarre virus Stedman discovered in a hot spring at Lassen Volcanic National Park five years ago. The virus's genetic code is derived from both DNA and its evolutionary predecessor, RNA. The vast majority of life on Earth switched its genetic code from RNA to DNA about four billion years ago, so the fact that this virus has both is highly unusual, according to Stedman.
Studying the hybrid virus may show that viruses themselves paved the way for genetic evolution eons ago. It may also show how viruses remain one of the most adaptable and resilient lifeforms on Earth. The NASA grant will fund a team of researchers to look into nature of the hybrid virus and how – and whom – it infects.
"This research seeks to further our fundamental understanding of evolution and the biochemical processes that drive it," Stedman said.
Stedman is co-founder of PSU's Center for Life in Extreme Environments, which explores the origins and physical and chemical boundaries of life. His article about a different aspect of viruses – their ability to infect hosts even after undergoing mutations – was highlighted in the May 2017 issue of the Journal of Virology.

 

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Portland State NASA grant furthers satellite ocean research

https://scienmag.com/portland-state-nasa-grant-furthers-satellite-ocean-research/

 

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PSU lands $1M Mellon grant to save valuable art from an untimely demise

The lab, the first of its kind in the region, will work with five Pacific Northwest museums, including the Portland Art Museum.

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/10/06/psu-lands-1m-mellon-grant-to-save-valuable-art.html

 

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PSU receives $1M National Science Foundation grant to make computer science accessible to all high school students

https://www.pdx.edu/news/psu-receives-1m-national-science-foundation-grant-make-computer-science-accessible-all-high-school

 

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PSU receives $110,000 from The Standard’s record-breaking Employee Giving Campaign

https://www.pdx.edu/news/psu-receives-110000-standard%E2%80%99s-record-breaking-employee-giving-campaign

 

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These 3 New Buildings Will Transform Portland State
Here’s a preview of the university’s ambitious plans.

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/4/17/these-3-new-buildings-will-change-portland-state-forever