March 8, 2010

THIS IS THE LAST ISSUE of Currently for winter term. The newsletter will resume weekly electronic publication March 29, with a Tuesday noon, March 23, deadline.

Lifting people out of poverty through business education

The $10 billion microfinance industry has funded small businesses around the world. But critics, including PSU business professor Kristi Yuthas, argue that the funds do little to lift communities out of poverty. For these funded business owners to succeed, Yuthas advocates support that includes teaching families and children about financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and management skills. Read more about outstanding faculty >

Campus town hall on March 16

Faculty and staff are invited to a campus town hall meeting Tuesday, March 16, at 2 p.m. in the Smith Union Ballroom, third floor. President Wim Wiewel will give a mid-year update on the University and its strategic plan.

Recognized with White House award

Portland State has been named to the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, one of the highest federal recognitions a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. Read more >

Architecture instructor's winning design

Aaron Whelton, adjunct architecture faculty, has created the winning design for a new Portland Fallen Firefighters Memorial. Commissioners Randy Leonard and Nick Fish and firefighter Paul Corah selected his design out of seven contributed by PSU adjunct faculty. It will be built at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge along the Eastbank Esplanade.

Whelton's design is an arrangement of memorial lanterns and benches in a series of parallel lines that define areas to congregate and reflect. The light levels of the lanterns will vary monthly to represent the number of historical line-of-duty deaths during that month. Read more >

Thursday forum on enrollment management

The campus community is invited to discuss Enrollment Management as a Fiscal Strategy Thursday, March 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. in 238 Smith Union. Leading the forum are Jackie Balzer, vice provost for Student Affairs; Sukhwant Jhaj, University Studies director; and Provost Roy Koch. RSVP to goldmann@pdx.edu.

Film talent showcased

James Ofsink is an information systems and records coordinator in Financial Aid. But on Thursday, March 11, he shares his other talent—filmmaking—as his co-directed documentary, Abode, gets a 7 p.m. showing at the NW FilmCenter,  934 SW Salmon. Cost is $9. Abode  is about sustainability and the rebuilding process occurring right now in New Orleans.

New data on Oregon's public universities

More information will now be available to campuses, students, legislators, policymakers, and the public with the release of the Oregon University System's new publication, 2009 Facts and Figures. While the OUS releases a fact book every two years just prior to the regular legislative session, this is the first year that some of these higher education data have been published annually. Read the fact books >

Celebration for Dee Thompson

Join the many friends of Dee Thompson in celebration of her career and upcoming retirement from Portland State University. The program, planned for this Wednesday, March 10, from 3 to 6 p.m. in 228 Smith Union, will include opportunities for guests to say a few words. Thompson has worked at PSU for 29 years, most recently as Career Center director. She will retire March 19. Contact Terri Bennett at 5-4613 to contribute to a gift or for further information.

For March 2010

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