Joseph Smith-Buani Curriculum Vitae

 

Education

 

Ph.D. in Urban Studies (Regional Science), 2001; Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

 

Dissertation:

"State-to-state migration during 1975-80 and 1985-90: An Analysis by Age, Race, Sex, and Education."

 

Advisers:

Professor Barry Edmonston; 250-472-4714; be@uvic.ca; Professor Anthony Rufolo; 503-725-4049; rufoloa@pdx.edu

 

M.S. in Mathematics (Computer Science & Statistics), 1981; Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

 

B.S. in Mathematics, 1978; Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

 

Teaching EXPERIENCE

 

Instructor, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; Black Studies Department, 2002 to Present

 

Teach courses on Africa/Africans (history, development, culture and cinema, migration) for the Black Studies department.  Teaching has included International Studies (INTL) and University Studies (UNST) courses.

 

Courses:

 

BST 450/550, African Cinema/Cultures: Winter 2009

BST 467/567, African Development Issues: Fall 2008, 2009

BST 450/550; BST 407/507, African Women in Film: Summer 2008

BST 450/550, African Immigration Issues - U.S.: Spring 2004

BST/INTL/UNST 211, Introduction to African studies: Spring 2007

UNST 421, Out Reach Africa: Spring 2005

 

Mathematics Instructor, Portland Community College, Cascade Campus, Portland, Oregon; Lower Division Transfer, 1995 to 2001

 

Planned and taught pre-calculus mathematics courses as assigned.  Courses included basic mathematics, elementary and intermediate algebra, and college algebra with above average retention and completion rates.  Provided mathematics related academic advising.

 

Mathematics Instructor, Portland Community College, Cascade Campus, Portland, Oregon; Alternative Learning Center, 1990 to 1995

 

Coordinated the mathematics lab and assisted operation of the center, serving over 100 students per term, using traditional and non-traditional approaches.  Assisted and supported lab users with solutions to a wide range of mathematics and computer problems. 

 

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; Department of Mathematics, 1979 to 1980

 

Taught several courses in elementary algebra and monitored students in self-paced study of pre-calculus mathematics.  Tutored students in the department's computer room and mathematics help center.

 

Research EXPERIENCE

 

Research Associate - State Data Center (SDC) Assistant, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; Population Research Center (PRC), 2007-Present

 

Assisted the PRC director and SDC coordinator execute the duties and responsibilities of the SDC.  Duties include answering public data inquires; improving and maintaining the SDC/PRC website; organizing and helping conduct the annual SDC meeting; helping conduct Census 2010 outreach; and, assisting the PRC meet goals and responsibilities as needed and requested.

 

Projects:

 

2008-09: MERC's First Opportunity Target Area Data Analysis; Community Based Participatory Research census data acquisition/analysis; State of Black Oregon data acquisition support

 

2007-08: Reynolds School District Enrollment and Population Forecasts;  Multnomah County Headstart, Marion County school district population forecast, Annual Projections data processing; Census 2010 Complete Count Committee outreach

 

Graduate Research Assistant, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; Development, Education, and Work Research Group, 1998

 

Analyzed and interpreted literacy data for an intergenerational literacy study.  Contributed data charts, data tables, GIS maps, and research notes to the project report.  Also managed an Internet website for DEW.

 

Graduate Research Assistant/Webmaster, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; Population Research Center, 1992 to 1998

 

Assisted and supported assistance to PRC faculty research and State Data Center client quarries.  Developed and maintained the PRC Internet website.  Assisted and participated in several surveys and publications such as the pilot American Community Survey of selected Portland neighborhoods.

 

Lab Assistant, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA), Computer Lab, 1991 to 1992

 

Co-operated the CUPA computer lab and assisted graduate students with various computing tasks.  Answered questions related to microcomputer hardware and software.

 

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

 

Academic Achievement Coordinator - African, Portland, Oregon; Immigrant Refugee Community Organization, IRCO, 2004 to 2007

 

Coordinated the "Social and Support Services for Educational Success" program.  Recruited and served 20 immigrant-student families every six months.  Bridged the gaps between schools and families to better communicate and solve problems.  Program narratives and statistics reported to Multnomah County twice a year.

 

Research Assistant, Portland, Oregon; Clackamas County Benchmarks Project, 1998 to 1999

 

Helped lead consultant collect and process county benchmarks data.  Produced data tables and data charts to compare statistical significance of differences between county and state trends.

 

Research Assistant, Portland, Oregon; Development, Education, and Work, Portland State University, 1997

 

Managed and extracted data from a large proprietary data set for a workforce diversity study.  Contributed charts, tables, electronic maps, and research notes to the project report, "It's good business - A study of diversity in the United States postal service".

 

Computer Programmer/Analyst, Portland, Oregon; Small Systems Group, Kaiser Permanente, 1989 to 1990

 

Designed and programmed a population based disease tracking computer package.  Experience covered problem definition, systems design and programming, and implementation.

 

Computer Programmer/Analyst, Portland, Oregon; Dendrite Systems, Inc, 1985 to 1988

 

Designed and programmed a radiology patient and reports tracking system.  Experience covered problem definition, systems conversions, user training, and system maintenance.

 

Computer Programmer/Analyst, Portland, Oregon; Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, 1981 to 1985

 

Designed and programmed a biomedical-physics equipment tracking system.  Experience covered system conversion and maintenance, and user training.

 

PUBLICATIONS & WORKS IN PROGRESSS

 

2009 - WORK IN PROGRESS - "African Ancestry in Oregon: A view from the American Community Survey", Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.

 

2008 - "Reynolds School District Forecasts for 2007-08 to 2016-2017", Population Research Center, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.

 

2007 - "Social & Support Services for Educational Success Biannual Narrative Progress Report", Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (2004 to 2007), Portland, Oregon.

 

2001 - "State-to-state migration during 1975-80 and 1985-90: An Analysis by Age, Race, Sex, and Education", Dissertation, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.

 

CONFERENCES & PRESENTATIONS

 

2008 - Nigerian Community of Oregon and Southwest Washington (NCOSWA) celebration of 48^th Independence Anniversary, Presentation: "Community Unity", Portland, Oregon.

 

2005 - Nzuko Ndi Igbo (NNI) celebration of 2005 Igbo Day, Presentation: "Popular culture and future Nigerian Communities in Portland", Portland, Oregon.

 

2002 - Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization conference on immigrant and refugee issues, Presentation: "Educating the next generation of African community leaders", Portland, Oregon.

 

1998a - Symposium on Sierra Leone post war rehabilitation, reconstruction, and national development, Presentation: "Educational rehabilitation and assistance - the University of Sierra Leone Book Project", Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.

 

1998b - Southern Demographic Association annual meeting, Annapolis, Maryland

 

1996 - Southern Demographic Association annual meeting, Presentation: "Dissertation proposal: state-to-state migration during 1975-80 and 1985-90: an analysis by age, race, sex, and education", Memphis, Tennessee.

 

AFFILIATIONS

 

Cascade Festival of African Films - Africa education through films by Africans about Africans - founding member

 

Coalition for Educational Excellence - Communities of color aligning for educational issues - inactive

 

Regional Science Association International - Continuing Education, Professional Development

 

Southern Demographic Association - Continuing Education, Professional Development - inactive