The Sciences are Growing

CLAS Dean Marvin Kaiser

Although we are making significant strides in all parts of the College, this month I'd like to focus on growth in the sciences. Enrollment has shot up by 46% in the last 10 years, with most of that growth occurring in the last 5 (notably in the pre-health professions). During that same period, grant funding has grown by 390%, from slightly over $2 million in 1996-97 to nearly $11 million last year. With the quantitative changes have come qualitative changes, among them a new PhD program in Biology and another, in Chemistry, in the pipeline; development of the PSU Center for Electron Microscopy into a world-class facility; drug discovery; and nationally recognized work in sustainability. Recently our science facilities have hosted tours by Congressman Wu and a delegation from the state legislature. As we continue to grow these programs, we are also working to upgrade the spaces they inhabit. Our goal is to equip our scientists and science students with state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories. Our vision is for the Science Research and Technology Complex not only to match the high quality of the work now taking place there, but also to enable more and better teaching, learning, and research.
 
Marvin A. Kaiser
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Newsletter Format Change

You may have noticed a changed look to the March Newsletter. The new logo and format reflect the new Visual Identity adopted by PSU in the Fall of 2006. For more information about the Integrated Marketing Plan and the new University Identity, please visit http://www.pdx.edu/ucomm/integrated_marketing.html.

The 24th Annual Intel Northwest Science Expo

The Intel Northwest Science Expo will be held March 16, 2007. Portland State University, Vernier Software & Technology, and Edward and Rommell Ackley Foundation will present this year's Science Expo.

The Northwest Science Expo System is a series of science fairs held in Oregon for 5th-12th grade students in Oregon, Vancouver and some neighboring California counties. The Intel Northwest Science Expo (NWSE) is the state fair held at PSU following seven regional qualifying fairs. The Center for Science Education at Portland State University is organizing the NWSE Expo at PSU. The exhibits will be in the Stott Center for the middle school students and the Smith Memorial Union Ballroom for the high school students.
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English Faculty Receives Acclaim

Barry Lopez and Debra Gwartney

Professor Debra Gwartney, Portland State University English faculty, had her co-authored book, Home Ground, appear on three "best" lists: 2006 "best" lists for National Public Radio, New York Times, and the Oregonian's Best Books of 2006. Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape, edited by Barry Lopez and Debra Gwartney is a geographical dictionary in which poets and writers from across the nation created more than 850 original definitions for terms such terms as cutbank, birdfoot, delta, riprap and swale.

In January, Debra Gwartney also had articles published in two major local publications. "Runaway Bus" was published in the January 2007 issue of Portland Monthly, and her review of, Web of Deceit, by Barry Lando appeared in the January 14 issue of The Oregonian.
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State Board Approves Sociology and Social Inequality Ph.D.

Veronica Dujon

The State Board of Higher Education has approved a new doctoral degree program in Sociology and Social Inequality at Portland State University, effective fall 2007. This is the first Ph.D. of its kind to be offered in the Pacific Northwest. "The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is very pleased to have PSU take a vital leadership position in Sociology, with its special emphasis on healthcare and on social inequality," said Dean Marvin Kaiser.

"The Sociology Department's scholarly and research profile has grown remarkably over the last few years and we are well poised to move to the next tier," said Veronica Dujon, Sociology professor and chair. "We have invested heavily in growing areas of national importance and we anticipate making significant contributions at both the state and national levels."
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AAC&U National Report Highlights Portland State University

PSU has been recognized as one of the top colleges in preparing graduates to navigate our complex and volatile world. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) released their report, College Learning for the New Global Century, honoring Portland State University as an institution that is putting a new set of principles of excellence into practice.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has also selected Portland State University and 75 other U.S. colleges and universities for its new Community Engagement Classification. Portland State was one of only 62 schools that was classified in two categories: Curricular Engagement and Outreach & Partnerships.
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PSU Offers Minor in Elementary Education

In January the Faculty Senate approved a new 54 credit minor in Elementary Education, offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The 54 credit requirement is almost twice the credits as most other minors, and almost as many credits as some majors. The Teacher Education Committee spent one and a half years developing this minor which gives students an opportunity to explore a career in education at the undergraduate level. Currently, the School of Education only has graduate programs available.