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Portland State University PDXScholar University Archives: Campus Publications & Portland State Magazine Productions Winter 1-1-2013 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" (2013). Portland State Magazine. 4. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/psu_magazine/4 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]. WINTER 2013 STOP-MOTION MAGIC Travis Knight ’98 leads the enchantment / 10 Cinematic craft / 13 A kinder, greener classroom / 16 Is Portland really Portlandia? / 18 Culture shift / 21 DRIVING THE CLEAN ECONOMY Researchers at PSU are teaming up with Portland General Electric, public agencies, and Oregon’s growing electric vehicle industry to understand how EVs will impact infrastructure, drivers, and the environment. Moving Oregon to a cleaner future—part of PSU’s $1.4 billion annual economic impact. Oregon is our classroom pdx.edu 2 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WINTER 2013 CONTENTS Features 10 STOP-MOTION MAGIC Travis Knight ’98 leads the enchantment at the Laika animation Departments studio in Hillsboro. 13 CINEMATIC CRAFT The University’s film program is 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT 8 FANFARE attracting the next generation of Onstage at the Met Campus life thrives in the heart cinematographers. of the city Opera in the spring Haunting imagery 3 LETTERS Clowning around 16 A KINDER, GREENER Transformative times New Works CLASSROOM Early student housing Too many students? It’s off to the 24 GIVING portable classroom, but this one is 4 PARK BLOCKS Honoring those who give something special. The sex lives of mosses and achieve A rise in rankings Scholarships change lives 18 IS PORTLAND REALLY Studying the origins of life PORTLANDIA? Cyclists make good customers 26 ALUMNI In the hit television show, the young, Unique mission to space The Alumni Association is listening hip, and unambitious find a home Award for green leadership Network where you live in Portland. Two PSU professors pit History of Northwest quakes An evening with King Tut fiction against fact. Alumni in the news 21 CULTURE SHIFT 28 ATHLETICS American Indians are bringing Native All for volleyball teaching practices into their classrooms. Miles of green 29 LOOKING BACK Baby, it’s cold outside In the television show Portlandia, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen Page 13 often depict characters that are marginally employed. How well do they reflect young people in the real Portland? Photo Danielle Mathias/IFC ON THE COVER Travis Knight, president and CEO of Laika studios, works with the puppets that starred in ParaNorman, the animation studio’s summer hit. Photo by Reed Harkness. See story on page 10. 18 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WINTER 2013 VOL. 27 | NO. 2 WINTER 2013 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 1 FROM THE PRESIDENT WINTER 2013 / VOL. 27 NO. 2 EDITOR Kathryn Kirkland CONTRIBUTORS Chris Broderick, Scott Gallagher, Suzanne Pardington, Heather Quinn- Bork, David Santen ’99, MS ’04 COPY EDITOR Martha Wagner DESIGN Campus life thrives in the Brett Forman LETTERS TO THE EDITOR heart of the city 810 Market Center Building PO Box 751 IF YOU HAVEN’T been on campus in a expanded orientation for freshmen and Portland OR 97207-0751 while, I encourage you to visit in 2013 to see transfers, boosted retention rates, and 503-725-4451, fax 503-725-4465 [email protected] firsthand the progress we’ve made in creating maintained class sizes at an average of 24 a lively urban education environment. students. For high-achieving students, we ADDRESS CHANGES PSU Alumni Association Perhaps what has changed the most in recent have strengthened our Honors Program, www.pdx.edu/alumni years is the student experience. which grew by a whopping 59 percent in the click on “update your info” Portland State continues to be the most past year. or call 503-725-4948 diverse university in Oregon. The number ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE of Latino students, for example, has doubled CAMPUS LIFE is anchored by more than Tom Bull, Executive Director Simon Benson House since 2008 to more than 2,230 students this 200 student groups, from traditional sorori- 1803 SW Park Ave. fall. That reflects the efforts of Exito (suc- ties and performance groups to organizations PO Box 751 Portland OR 97207-0751 cess), our recruitment and support initiative such as the Modern Buddhist Student 503-725-4948 that includes La Casa Latina, the campus Association, Viking Vets, Gamers Republic, [email protected] cultural center. The number of international and the Tango Club. Resources include PSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION students also has grown to more than 2,000 the Multicultural Center, Native American BOARD OF DIRECTORS from Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Korea, Student and Community Center, Queer Dan McDonald MBA ’91, President India, and other nations. They make vital Resource Center, Women’s Resource Center, Ron Adams ’60 cultural contributions and add a cosmopoli- and a new Resource Center for Students Leila Aman ’99 tan atmosphere to our campus. with Children. Viking sports also play an David Audley MA ’97 Theresa Bell ’11 We’ve been able to attract more inter- integral role at PSU for athletes, fans, and Aubré Dickson ’98 national and out-of-state students largely alumni. Al Fitzpatrick MA ’83 because of the expansion of residential life. Student support, however, takes more than Nicole Gallagher ’01 Richard Helzer ’62 In the fall, we opened University Pointe, academic and social programs. Our busy Kelly Hossaini ’90, MURP ’93 the privately built and operated complex Center for Student Health and Counseling Matthew Johnson ’03, MURP ’06 David Keys ’81, MBA ’92 that increased our residential housing from provides medical and psychological services, Bill Lemman, Vanport, HD ‘04 2,000 to 3,000 students. They have the and we established our CARE intervention Kendal McDonald MA ‘02 opportunity to experience the 24/7 energy team four years ago to help students in dis- Greg Meyer MBA ’08 Jacob Sherman ’10, MS ‘12 and attractions of living downtown. tress. Because of our urban setting, ensuring Kirk Sidley ‘72 Students who live off campus also have a safe campus is our top priority, and we’re Trudy Toliver ‘84 seen dramatic improvements that enable moving forward on a plan to bolster our John Whearty ’91 them to get here without a car. PSU is a hub Campus Public Safety operation. Ex-Officio for TriMet buses, the north-south MAX All this is just a snapshot of Portland Marlon Holmes, ASPSU Vice President train, and the Portland Streetcar. Partnering State’s rich campus life. Look for much Portland State Magazine is published with the city, we have designated a popular more to come as we grow and create more three times a year, during fall, winter, bike boulevard along southwest Broadway, opportunities for all of our students. and spring terms. Contents may be reprinted only by permission of the and our campus now offers more parking for editor. The magazine is printed on bikes than cars. recycled paper. Portland State University Academically, we have added advisers to is an affirmative action / equal opportunity institution. help students determine their majors and chart their coursework toward a degree, Wim Wiewel PRESIDENT, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY 2 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WINTER 2013 Portland State Magazine wants to hear from you. E-mail your comments to [email protected] or send them to Portland State Magazine, Office of University Communications, PO Letters Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Transformative times The working relationship that we In 1975, PSU bought the building, helped develop with the city; the which is now known as the Ondine. support of visionary PSU President Greg Wolfe, Mayor Neil Goldschmidt, and the Portland Development Com- mission; the student protests, which Editorial Clarification eventually led to the closure of the Park The work of the PSU Autism Training Blocks to through traffic, all combined and Research Center was featured in the to profoundly transform PSU into the article “Seeing Autism,” Portland State urban campus of today. Magazine, Spring 2012. We think a bit Stan Amy from 1969 It was an exciting time to be a student more information on the center is in at PSU and help lead that period of order. Established in 2005, the center was I enjoyed reading the article “Living transformation. Stan was a marvelous the result of years of autism research History” (Portland State Magazine, Fall leader, motivator, and creative thinker, by PSU faculty Joel Arick, the center’s 2012) featuring Stan Amy and Portland who, though young, taught me leader- first director; Ruth Falco; David Krug; Student Services in 1969, although it ship lessons and skills that I have used and Helen Young, director of the center was frustratingly brief. It opened a tiny throughout my professional career. today. Collaborating with the Oregon window into a unique period filled with Department of Education from 1998 stories and amazing, visionary people. Paul Eisenberg ’74 to 2003, they conducted the Autism I met Stan early on at PSU and Seattle Spectrum Disorders and Outcome quickly became deeply involved in Port- Study and Training Project —tracking land Student Services (PSS) as its second the educational progress of children secretary and then its third president. Early student housing with autism in early education programs Our first big mission was extending I was reading your article on student and providing teacher training around the 18-month leases to three years and housing (“Living Large,” Portland State the state.