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Portland State University PDXScholar University Archives: Campus Publications & Portland State Magazine Productions Fall 9-1-2012 Portland State Magazine Portland State University. Office of University Communications Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/psu_magazine Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Portland State University. Office of University Communications, "Portland State Magazine" (2012). Portland State Magazine. 105. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/psu_magazine/105 This Book is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Portland State Magazine by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. LD s: 4349 .A27 ~N P68512 z vol. 27 m- no. 1 A more perfect UNION Why marriage is good for you / 8 Living large / 11 Asking the right questions/ 18 Walls of green / 20 Open innovator/ 24 CONTENTS Departments 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT 6 FA NFARE Reflections upon entering my fifth Creation continues year at PSU Writing's unintended consequences The truth behind the hits 3 LETTER S Mixing it up Urban renewal caution New Works Rutherfords remembered Similar 'black family' story 22 GIVING Advancing chip design 4 PARK BLOCKS Celebrating 40 years of child care 23 ATHLET ICS Paralympic competitor Big Sky football kicks off Sept. 22 Coastal buzz Honoring past standouts A prize for ingenuity Internationally renowned 26 ALUMNI Picture this Welcome class of2012! Pride of place ELEVEN DAYS Alumni in the news OF SERIOUS FUN, INCLUDING 28 LOOKING BACK PSU WEEKEND EVENTS, 50 years of education abroad PAGES 14-17 Photography by Holly Andres MFA '04 is part of a PSU Art Alumni Exhibit on campus in October ON THE COVER Community health professor Karen eccombe and November. has found chat marriage provides benefits beyond chat of cohabitation. Illustration by Brett Forman. See story on page 8. ◄ FALL 2012 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 1 :s:: ~ )> N FROM THE PRESIDENT rnz FALL 2012 / VOL. 27 NO. 1 EDITOR Reflections upon Kathryn Kirkland CONTRIBUTORS entering my fifth Chris Broderick, Scott Gallagher, Suzanne Pardington, Heather Quinn year at PSU Alice and Wim Wiewel Bork, David Santen '99, MS '04 COPY EDITOR Martha Wagner T HE START of a new academic year at A not-so-pleasant surprise has been the Portland State is always exciting, with shin chronic decline of state funding for higher DESIGN Brett Forman, Sean Martinez ing examples across campus that showcase education. Oregon ranks in the bottom five our rising faculty excellence and vibrant states in the nation in support for public LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 810 Market Center Building student life. This fall also marks the start of universities, and keeping a PSU education PO Box 751 my fiftl1 academic year at PSU, so it's a good affordable continues to be our biggest chal Portland OR 97207-0751 opportunity to reflect on where we've been lenge. As the economy rebounds, we will do 503-725-4451, fax 503-725-4465 [email protected] and where we are going. everything we can to show lawmakers and When I arrived in the summer of 2008, the public that investing in universities yields ADDRESS CHANGES PSU Alumni Association we didn't yet know how deep the recession direct educational, cu lmral, and economic www.pdx.edu/alumrn would become in Oregon and across the benefits essential to securing Oregon's future. click on "update your info" nation. Despite our economic crisis and or call 503-725-4948 severe cuts to higher education, PSU has LOOK I NG FORWARD , I see Portland ALUMN I ENGAGEMENT OFFICE experienced steady growth in enrollment, Stare continuing to grow in enrollment, Tom Bull, Executive Director Simon Benson House record numbers of graduates, improved stu improved facilities, and influence. Our focus 1803 SW Park Ave. dent retention, new and renovated facilities, on sustainability will guide us over the next PO Box 751 and significant increases in research funding 10 years, and I envision our partnerships Portland OR 97207-0751 503-725-4948 and private philanthropy. That makes me will flourish with OHSU, Ince!, PGE, the [email protected] optimistic about our future: If we can do all city of Portland, Multnomah County, public PSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION of chis when times are tough, imagine what schools, and many other organizations. I also BOARD OF DIRECTORS we can accomplish when times get better! predict that our educational delivery model Dan McDonald MBA '91, I was drawn to Portland State and to will change with technological advances and President Ron Adams '60 Portland by the quality of the people, the more online learning opportunitie . Ten Leila Aman '99 strong campus partnerships with all sectors years from now, I can imagine a Portland Aubre Dickson '98 of the community, and the open social and State where students no longer have to Al Fitzpatrick MA '83 Nicole Gallagher '01 cultural climate of the city. Still, there was attend lectures to learn general information, Richard Helzer '62 a persistent notion that PSU didn't get the enabling faculty to go deeper with individual Kelly Hossain, '90, MURP '93 Matthew Johnson '03, MURP '06 respect as a university that it should, and students to engage them in academic projects David Keys '81, MBA '92 we've worked hard to change that percep and real-world problem solving. Bill Lemman, Vanport, HD '04 tion. After years of being satisfied to be a I feel lucky to be part of a team at Portland Greg Meyer MBA '08 John Whearty '91 school of convenience, PSU is emerging as a Stare working every day to make a differ school of choice for high-achieving students, ence. Our an1bition is to become a model Portland State Magazine is published our-of-scare and international students, for urban universities across the nation, and three times a year, during fall, winter, and spring terms. Contents may be transfer smdencs, and smdents of color. At we're on our way. Of course we have our reprinted only by permission of the the same time, we remain committed to our challenges, but as we start a new year at P U, editor. The magazine is printed on recycled paper. Portland State University mission to be accessible to all students and I feel more than ever that we're faced with 1s an affirmative action / equal create opportunities for them to succeed. insurmountable opportunities. opportunity 1nst1tut1on. There have been many pleasant surprises over the past four years. For exan1ple, both my wife, Alice, and I have found the community to be warm and welcoming to newcomers. And like many Oregonians, we WimWiewel have come to love the natural environment PRESIDENT, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY here, from the coast to the mountains. It's a beautiful place, and chat shared value con tributes to PSU's devotion to sustainability. 2 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE FALL 201 2 Urban renewal caution Similar 'black family' story I guess it's a good thing for PSU co be promised millions I truly enjoyed reading the article, of dollars in urban renewal funds, but I question President "Saving a Black Family's Scory," Port Wim Wiewel's assertion that the area around PSU is blighted land State Magazine, Spring 2012. ("Urban Renewal will Jumpstarc the Ciry and PSU," Portland On February 2, 1985, 7he Oregonian State Magazine, pring 2012). I don't see much blight there; ran a imilar article, "Early-day Black the booksrore plaza, for example, looks positively upscale. Porclanders Found Social Life in 1here are many parrs of Portland that are truly blighted and Dining Together," which mentioned in much greater need of renewal, bur as is typical of our ciry my mother's parents (Lee and Anna council, the west side comes first. Shepherd), who came co Portland in Verdell and Otto Rutherford Dr. Wiewel enthusiastically mentions expansion and 1912 and lived in southwest Portland. display a treasured newspaper improvement of busine s-relared schools, bur makes no men My parents cold me about the restric from the 1950s. tion that the humanities will receive any benefits. I sincerely tions they faced living in Portland hope that in the final analysis, arr, music, English, and related during rhe 1920s co the 1950s. Thank departments are given fair consideration. fully, things have changed. Ray Horton '70 Carol Morrison '73 Portland Rutherfords remembered The article on page 10 of the pring 2012 magazine was awesome ("Saving a Black Family's Scory"). I actually grew up across the street from tl1e Rurherfords and know their daughter, Charlotte, a retired Oregon administra tive law judge. [Edicor's note: Charlotte donated her family's papers and Charlotte Rutherford '76 phocographs co rhe PSU Library and Black Studie Department.] Lari White '74 Rencon, Washington Porcland State Magazine wants to hear from you. E-mail your comments to [email protected] or send them to Portland rate Magazine, Office of University Communications, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751. We reserve the right to edit far space and clarity. FALL 2012 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 3 Parl< Blocl<s Celebrating 40 years of child care IN 1972, student mothers staged a sit-in in the PSU president's office to demand on-campus child care. They got it. This year, the Helen Gordon Child Development Center celebrates 40 years of providing low-cost care for children from 4 months to 6 years old. The center operates as an academic laboratory for the Graduate School of Education. "It really improved my life. It gave me a foundation as I grew older, knowing how to be a good student, a good person," says student Bennett Okello, who was a child at the center in 1987 when his parents were students and who has a son going there now.