University of Portland Summer 2022

Summer 2022

How to Tide Pool Exploring the Oregon Coast with a UP Expert

FEATURES

18 What One Person Can Do

2 ON THE BLUFF 3 The Experts 4 Sports 6 Campus Briefs 8 Dream Teams

by Danielle Centoni

40 CLASS NOTES

Trauma nurse Alena Romanyuk ’09 flew by herself to Ukraine with nearly 800 pounds of medical supplies.

45 In Memoriam 49 For the Love of It

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How to Tide Pool

At the Center Is Joy

by Tara Prestholdt

by Anita Thomas

Tips for how to enjoy, protect, and explore the wild beauty of Oregon’s coastline.

On the surprising places you can find yourself while walking a labyrinth.

Summer 2022 Vol. 40, No. 3 Acting President/Provost Herbert Medina Vice President Michael E. Lewellen Editor Jessica Murphy Moo Designer Darsey Landoe Associate Editor Cheston Knapp Contributors Karen Bridges, Danielle Centoni, Hannah Pick Editorial Intern Sydney Gannon

24 Our Corner of the Cosmos

by Kunal Nayyar ’03

The Big Bang Theory star treated the Class of 2022 to a hearty serving of wit, with a side of wisdom.

30 In Honor of Hard Work

by Jessica Murphy Moo A new building dedicated to the memory of a father and in service of UP’s talented Facilities Services Department.

Cover photo by Tara Prestholdt Portland is published three times a year by University of Portland.

Copyright © 2022 by the University of Portland.

All rights reserved.

Editorial Offices Waldschmidt Hall, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798 Email jmurphymoo@up.edu Online up.edu/portlandmagazine Printed on 10% recycled and FSC-certified paper in Portland, OR. Third-class postage paid at Portland, OR 97203. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product—Sales Agreement No. 40037899. Canadian Mail Distribution Information—Express Messenger International: PO Box 25058, London, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8.

Opinions expressed in Portland are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University administration. Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Magazine, University of Portland, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798.

EDITOR’S LETTER

On Beauty, Work, and Hope I LIKE TO imagine you holding this little magazine—the University’s message in a bottle—and wondering over the cover. What in the world is this magical creature?

Lucky for us all, a liberal arts university opens doors to name such wonders.

I’m delighted to report that it is a WhiteLined Dirona, species name dirona albolineata, and it is a type of sea slug or Eastern Pacific Ocean nudibranch. Those translucent, otherworldly chalk-lined petal-like extremities—called cerata— can be white, pink, or, like our cover model, both. Bonus: you don’t need to be a deep-sea diver to see them. These little miracles live on the Oregon Coast.

Professor Tara Prestholdt photographed the cover image off Cape Perpetua and she has some tips for finding them in one of our state’s many tide pools (page 10).

They typically grow to five or six centimeters—all of this exquisite detail in the length of a stick-and-a-half of gum.

It’s also a predator, with tiny jaws that can chomp through a snail shell.

If my family and I are fortunate enough to find a White-Lined Dirona— and you can be sure we’ll try this summer—we won’t touch it. Because if we do, their defense mechanism will

kick in: they’ll shed all of those cerata, scattering all that beauty to distract us while it escapes. But like the lizard who sheds its tail, this nudibranch can regrow its petals, though it takes time and energy to do so. I can already hear myself shouting at the kids—Do not touch that nudibranch! Do not cause it unnecessary stress and fear!

Nature! I find it incredible that this animal has the capacity to regrow its limbs, to regenerate. Although it takes a tremendous amount of work, it can return to its former glory. While we humans can’t regenerate limbs—a realization that has in the past been a great disappointment to my son’s active imagination—I wonder and hope and pray that we share with this tiny wild creature some ability to build ourselves back up, to renew ourselves, even— especially—out of our darkest hours.

I’m taking a bit of courage from Alena Romanyuk, a UP nurse alum whose story you’ll find on page 18, who recently flew to Ukraine with medical supplies.

Her story has nothing to do with the White-Lined Dirona, but it has everything to do with defiant acts of renewal in the face of the immense stress and fear of war. She says there is always something you can do. I believe her.

I am reminded of the wise words of one of UP’s recent Christus Magister awardees, Sr. Marilyn Lacey, RSM, who has devoted much of her life’s work to the empowerment of refugees, many from regions ravaged by war. She told me (and I’m paraphrasing): If all I did was read the newspaper, I’d feel despair.

But if I do some of the work, I end up feeling hope.

Jessica Murphy Moo, Editor

SUMMER 2022

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BOTH PHOTOS: CHRIS HO

PORTLAND

ON THE BLUFF THE EXPERTS

Introducing UP’s 21st President After a rigorous nation-wide search, University of Portland announced that Rob Kelly, PhD, will be UP’s 21st president, starting his term on July 1, 2022.

ONE OF THE most influential people in Rob Kelly’s life is his grandmother.

Bedrock and dispenser of wise words, she once posed a question to Kelly that has been a touchstone for him. “You’re guaranteed to have someone listening to you,” she said. And, indeed, throughout his career—in the roles of professor, scholar, administrator—many people have been (and will be) listening to what Rob Kelly has to say. Her challenging question? “But when they walk away,” she asked, “what did they hear you say?”

I only had a brief interview with Kelly, when he and his lovely family visited Portland for the announcement of his presidency, and well, even in this short time, I heard so very much.

The first thing I heard is that Kelly is ready to step in and lead. “Everything in my life has led me to this moment,” he told me. Much has been written in the press about the fact that he is the first lay president at UP, as well as the first African American president in the institution’s history. These characteristics are notable and historic, though they aren’t what make him qualified for the job.

His long career in higher education does.

Most recently he was vice president and special assistant to the president at Loyola University Maryland, a Catholic Jesuit school, where he oversaw the divisions involving mission and identity, external affairs, student development, Title IX, and intercollegiate athletics. He also held leadership positions at Seattle University, University of Vermont, Loyola University Chicago, Union College, and Colgate University.

When he spoke about his philosophy of leadership, he nodded to Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement about service: “Everybody can serve.” Within this philosophy are echoes of the humble servant leader we regard so highly in Catholic higher education, a philosophy and perhaps a style that I could feel in his easy and open presence.

Kelly’s commitment to Catholic education came through loud and clear.

He grew up attending Catholic schools in New Jersey—Sacred Heart and St. Peter’s Prep. He also attended Loyola University Maryland for his undergraduate degree. For Kelly, the Catholic

piece was always both the “why” and the “how” of his education. “The Catholic mission,” he said, “is how the education connects us to a larger world during our lives and in terms of our citizenship and leadership and our equity and diversity and inclusion efforts. It’s also the nature of the rigor.” He wants those who work here to find a supportive environment where the work becomes more than a job, a vocation.

Catholic social teaching and social justice are important to him personally and professionally. He was part of a team that created a series of “anchored in Baltimore” listening sessions between Loyola students and community neighbors to find ways the university could fill needs, be a better neighbor. He has written about successful staff and faculty collaborations. And he is ready to take on the role of lay collaborator that the Holy Cross order cherishes so deeply.

“Charism matters,” he said, “If we are bringing hope to the world, the city, the region, there are no bounds to what we can do.”

But his primary focus is on the lives and well-being of students. “Students are our whole reason for being,” he said. At Loyola, he has walked with students through the challenges of the pandemic.

It’s been a tough time. He can see how some young people may feel right now that some institutions have failed them.

Still, he believes educational institutions—and devoted faculty and staff—have a big role to play in making sure students stretch and grow and ultimately, feel supported and whole.

On the day of the announcement, when he stood at the podium in front of the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, he said, “I believe in the transformative power of what we’re doing for and with students.”

We all heard that too. We’re excited to see him succeed here at UP. Portland will be profiling Rob Kelly in more depth in our fall issue.

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ON THE BLUFF SPORTS

Etzel Field

A stadium you’re proud to call home GEOFF LOOMIS ’94, the Pilots’ baseball coach since 2016, admits that he’ll always have a soft spot for Pilot Stadium, the field he played on while attending University of Portland.

“When I came here to play baseball in 1990, the stadium, at that point, was only within five years of being brand new,” Loomis says. “In the Northwest, and at that time, I would say that our stadium was one of the best. I remember that it had an influence on my decision to come here.”

Over time, the Pacific Northwest elements we’re all familiar with—driving rain, howling winds, and the occasional dusting

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of snow—began to take its toll on the field that Loomis excelled on from 1990–92.

“The stadium was one strong wind from blowing over,” Loomis says. “It had served its purpose. Its time had come.”

Enter Joe Etzel Field, which might be one of the nicest baseball stadiums in the West Coast Conference, and possibly the West Coast—a ballpark that’s undergone several development phases over the last eight years to become the gem it is today.

The Pilots officially opened Joe Etzel Field on Feb. 21, 2021, with a doubleheader against Seattle University. The Pilots won

Below: During the game, we captured the shenanigans of three uber-fans—Theo Salomone (9), Milo Salomone (14), and Jude Salomone (11) —making good use of the grassy berm along the first base line, but they’re only permitted to head over there after cheering for the Pilots from their stadium seats for three full innings. Family rule.

BOTH PHOTOS: BOB KERNS

Left: The Pilots played the University of San Francisco on March 25. In four of the last five seasons, the Pilots have eclipsed the 20-victory mark, the exception being the 2020 season (when they finished 12-4 but the season was cut short due to the pandemic).

the second game that day, 7-0, thanks in large part to a grand slam by Jake Holcroft.

In 2014, the Joe Etzel Field got a new AstroTurf surface— which is a must in these parts—a scoreboard, bullpen area, and a new fence. Two years later, the ballpark got a grass berm down the right field line and new lighting.

In 2020, Phase III of the development plan was completed as a new press box, grandstands, and other amenities were finished to give the ballpark the look of a polished minor league stadium.

Toss in the Andy Pienovi Hitting Facility, constructed in 2005, and you now have one of the top college ballparks in the game, giving the Pilots a distinct home-field advantage.

“We didn’t need to increase the number of seats in our stadium to 5,000 or something, but if we made it for 1,500 spectators, it’s going to feel like the stadium is packed,” Loomis says of the ballpark, which can fit 1,300 fans.

“The final product makes all the difference in the world,” Loomis says. “It’s a perfect setting for a mid-major school.”

Chad Stevens, a shortstop for the Pilots from 2018–2021 who is now part of the Houston Astros’ minor league system, says Joe Etzel field is a stadium “you’re proud to call home.”

“The renovations turned out beautiful and it was awesome to be able to play on it last year—the field is everything you can ask for as a player,” Stevens says. “It’s great to be able to play in the center of campus and feel the support of the Portland community.

“The upgraded stadium is ushering in a new generation of Portland baseball that will continue to grow and reach new heights.”

COREY BROCK is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, WA.

SUMMER 2022

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ON THE BLUFF CAMPUS BRIEFS

The Pilots are Grateful We were humbled yet again by the generosity of our community!

More than 2,000 donors contributed to this year’s #PilotsGive, pledging over $1,000,000 to support scholarships, academic programs, Pilot athletics, and more. Donors participated in several challenges, including the Pilot Academic Challenge, the Pilot Parent Student Experience Challenge, and the Club Challenge. Thank you to all the students, alumni, parents, Regents, faculty, staff, and friends of the University who participated. Your incredible generosity ensures that our students will have the support and resources they need to thrive.

EXAMS GOT YOUR GOAT? PET GOATS!

PHOTO COURTESY OF SYDNEY GANNON

Students fought Finals fears by spending time at this year’s Wellness Fair.

They enjoyed Italian sodas from Espresso UP, scoops of Kate’s Ice Cream, and, best of all, some serious cuddle time with baby goats from Portland Goat

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UP Civil Engineers Earn Accolades in EPA’s RainWorks Challenge A TEAM OF four senior civil engineering students, led by faculty advisor Jordy Wolfand, impressed the judges of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Campus RainWorks Challenge. They earned an honorable mention in the Master Plan category, going up against forty-two teams from thirtyfive different academic institutions across twenty-four states.

It was the first time a team from UP entered the ten-yearold competition.

Bryson Tamaye ’22, Elizabeth Diaz-Gunning ’22, Melissa Hamling ’22, and Sean Yoshishige ’22 spent months researching

and talking to stakeholders, including students, to create new ways to manage stormwater runoff on campus. Green infrastructure was the main goal, with all its environmental, economic, and social benefits. Their master plan included living walls, a massive cistern, and improvements to existing infrastructure. But the crown jewel? A river view mental health “haven,” equipped with a stormwater capture device to supply water for an indoor fountain. What a smart way to solve two seemingly unrelated problems by making them work together. Kudos to the team!

Welcome, Dean Valerie S. Banschbach VALERIE S. BANSCHBACH, PHD, will begin her tenure as the new Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on July 1, 2022. Dr. Banschbach joins UP from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, where she served as associate provost and dean of Sciences and Education.

In her nearly 30-year academic career, she has held leadership roles at Roanoke College in Virginia and Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. She has received a State Council of Higher Education Outstanding Faculty Award for Virginia and a Fulbright-Nehru grant for work in India, and recently served as President of the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences.

“I am drawn to the values expressed in the University of Portland’s mission, the commitment to educating heart and mind,” she said, echoing the school’s devotion to the liberal arts.

“The warmth and vibrancy of the UP community shines through the way faculty, staff, and students speak about their work.” Dr. Banschbach received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Pomona College and went on to get her doctorate from the University of Miami. In addition to her new position as dean, she will serve as a tenured professor in UP’s Department of Environmental Studies. Welcome to the Bluff, Dean Banschbach!

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ON THE BLUFF DREAM TEAMS

Blackonteurs Brings (Re)Claiming Black Joy to Life on Stage (RE)CLAIMING BLACK JOY was the theme of UP’s 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance, but what does it mean to reclaim Black joy? What does it look like? How do we create spaces for Black joy to thrive?

One answer to these questions is the Blackonteurs, an all-Black troupe of Portland-area storytellers and performers, founded by Jason Lamb and University of Portland alum Leann Johnson ’84. They, along with four other storytellers, performed in Buckley Auditorium on March 19, as the culminating act of UP’s MLK Day On activities, postponed from January due to COVID. As a returning alum, Johnson’s biggest priority was giving Black students an opportunity to see themselves on stage. According to the UP Office of Institutional Research, Black students made up just two percent of the total undergraduate population in the fall of 2021. To perform here is to say Black joy can thrive here too.

Reflecting on the existential crises of our time—white supremacy, climate change, and the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic—all of which the younger generations must face in their own way, Johnson sees events like the Blackonteurs as a way to show up for those students, affirm them, and provide joy and respite, even if only for a couple of hours.

To Johnson, Black joy is reflected through oral history in Black culture.

And celebrating the stories of several performers makes the point that Black joy does not follow just one narrative.

Since the conception of the Blackonteurs, Johnson and Lamb have been very intentional about showcasing a variety of Black voices, stories, and tones. Featuring storytellers Chloe Stallworth, Dahlia Belle, Oz du Soleil, and Lance Edward, the March 19 showcase was no different.

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Belle, for example, dipped in and out of comedy and tragedy with her story about growing up with a mother who tried to prepare her for a race war as a child, and how it shaped her life as a Black trans woman.

“I think it’s important to have the full range of Black experiences honestly represented rather than the typical trauma mining of popular media,” says Belle.

“Even when we talk about pain, we do it in a tone of celebration,” says Johnson. “We’re so stereotyped and dehumanized as a people. Part of the dehumanization happens because of that lack of nuance. When we can pull out the strands of our humanity and uniqueness, it makes it much harder to say we’re all one thing and perceive that thing as a negative.”

In addition to feeding the audience with a diversity of stories, the creators and storytellers agree the showcase did a lot to feed their spirits as well.

Stallworth, for example, contrasts her performance on the Blackonteurs stage with her experiences being vulnerable in diversity workshops and receiving, what she says, were mostly “golf claps” from the largely white attendees.

“There’s nothing that quite equates to putting yourself out there for your community, for the benefit of your community,” says Stallworth. “It makes me feel like I’m not nearly as alone in a town that’s predominantly white, in spaces that are predominantly white.”

Let’s hope this is only the first of many Blackonteurs performances to grace the University of Portland campus.

BRUCE POINSETTE is a writer, educator, and organizer based in the Portland metro area. His work focuses on social justice, culture, and the arts.

SUMMER 2022

BOB KERNS

Left to right: Chloe Stallworth, Oz du Soleil, Dahlia Belle, Leann Johnson, and Jason Lamb

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ST O RY A N D P H O T O S BY TA R A P R E ST H O L D T I L L U ST R AT I O N S BY M A R I S O L O RT E G A

Opalescent nudibranch

Our resident tide pooling expert has a few things to say about how to enjoy, protect, and explore Oregon’s coastline SUMMER 2022

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Purple amphipod

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WITH 363 MILES of rugged coastline, Oregon is home to tide pools that are teeming with creatures big and small.

Hundreds of species await discovery, many with colors as vibrant as those found in tropical coral reefs. We have urchins that can live more than a century, octopuses so smart they can raid your bait bucket, and algae with holdfasts so strong they can rip small boulders off rocks and carry them up to Canada.

I’ve been visiting our pools every season, every year, for twelve years. And every trip I record who I find as part of a collaboration to understand how anthropogenic change is affecting the animals that live in this remarkably narrow part of the planet—the intertidal zone, where the ocean meets the continents. Since I’ve been watching closely, there have been three significant changes.

First, the loss of the ochre starfish from sea star wasting disease. The disease is caused by a virus, and it decimated the Pacific Northwest populations of starfish. While massive die-offs are concerning for any species, they are particularly distressing with the ochre starfish as it is a “keystone species,” or a species that is so vital to healthy ecosystems that without it they risk collapse. In fact, the phrase keystone species was coined by a marine biologist studying the relationship between the ochre sea star and pacific bay mussels; without the starfish eating the mussels, the mussels take over and make the rocks uninhabitable for

everyone else. Fortunately, the teams of researchers that have been monitoring their populations have data that signals the ochre sea stars will return to healthy population sizes soon.

Second, some species have shifted their ranges due to EÑSO, or El Niño Southern Oscillation, the abbreviation for the unpredictable cycles of warmer temperatures (El Niño) and cooler temperatures (La Niña). The 2014–2016 El Niños were so warm they were renamed marine heatwaves. As a result of the increases in temperature, dozens of species were found farther north than ever before in recorded history, including one species of sea butterfly that was found 870 miles north of its usual locale. It’s currently unknown how the movements of these species towards cooler waters might affect ecosystems longterm, so our monitoring must continue.

And third, plastic waste is gradually accumulating in our rivers, wetlands, tide pools, and open ocean. A recent study published by an undergraduate student and I showed that intertidal crabs prefer to take shelter in natural substrates like rocks or driftwood compared to common litter like Styrofoam, glass, or plastic. It is possible other marine animals show these behaviors as well, and if so, you can be a powerful driver of change; when you tide pool, pick up any pieces of trash you see and tuck them in your pocket. Unlike driftwood, you are free to collect as much of it as you would like.

Stalked jelly Opposite page: Ochre starfish among the Pacific blue mussels

TOP FIVE TI DE POOL TI PS

Prepare by reading and packing. Before planning to tide pool, be sure to read a tide table. Although there are at least one and usually two low tides a day, the best tide pooling in the Pacific Northwest is routinely during the full and new moons of spring and summer. Websites like www.tides.net are helpful because they show the exact time period when the tide will be at its lowest (exposing the most habitat) and when it will be daylight (it isn’t safe to tide pool in the dark). The ocean is a powerful beast, and I always begin my walk back to the car when the tide has reached its lowest of the day. Along with the water at your feet, Oregon is also famous for the water that comes down from above, so proper tide pooling attire includes a raincoat, lots of layers, and, depending on how adventurous you are, a spare change of clothes in the car.

Tai White-Toney, Katie Bates, Matt Ortman, and Tim Luethke (all 2022 UP graduates and co-authors with Tara Prestholdt)

Go slow, for them. Tide pools are full of fragile living beings, many of which have few to no defenses to the rugged treads of your boots or the point of your walking stick; they evolved to handle wave energy and an incredible array of physical conditions, but not the localized pressures of fingers, hands, and feet. Never try to remove an animal or algae that is suctioned to a rock and be gentle when handling free living animals like crabs, gunnels, or sea gooseberries. After you flip a rock to look for the critters hiding underneath, remember to flip it back.

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Sammy Feng, on a marine biology field trip, April 2022

Go slow, for you. The pools reward the patient and persistent. After scanning for the animals that easily pop in the scene such as mussels and anemones, crouch down in a still pool and gently brush the seaweed aside. Look inside cracks and abandoned taube worm casings for skeleton shrimp, sculpins, or snailfish.

Study the rock itself for sponges, minuscule sea spiders, or colonial moss animals.

My favorite smalls to find (1–2 cm) are the Dr. Seussian red hydroids of stalked jellyfish, the translucent sea cherub, or the comical hammerhead doto with its pairs of beaded gills.

Great spots on the Oregon Coast include names such as Chinook, Clatsop, Chilwitz, Tillamook, Tualatin, Siletz, Yaquina, Alsea, Siuslaw, Umpqua, and Coquille; these coastal places and waters are named for the tribes that have a long history of caring for and consuming the animals therein. While enjoying the biodiversity of the water’s edge, take a moment to respect and honor the Indigenous peoples and their practices with coastal wildlife, as many coastal species have a rich history with the Pacific Northwest’s Native peoples. For example, the Salish would cook clams over fires and dry them for winter and the Chinookans often traded clams as a form of currency for goods.

Mind the mammals. Visiting Oregon tide pools, particularly in Central and Southern Oregon, is nearly synonymous with being in close proximity to seals, sea lions, otters, minks, coyotes, and more. If you are lucky, you could see gray whales feeding for crustaceans just off the coastal shelf.

For their safety and yours, it is illegal to approach a marine mammal, and federal law requires you maintain 50 yards between yourself and our blubbered beasts. And remember that it is illegal to remove anything living from Oregon coasts without a scientific permit.

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Moon anemone

Giant pacific octopus (baby)

Three-lined nudibranch

Cabezon

Purple shore crab

Pacific gaper clam

Where to go?

The north coast has a few gems like Ecola State Park, Hug Point, and Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, but for more biodiversity start with Tillamook County, specifically Three Grace Rocks near Garibaldi and Oceanside State Recreation Area. In the Newport area, try Otter Rock Oregon Marine Reserve, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, and protected Marine Garden, or Seal Rock State Recreation Site. Quarry Cove at Yaquina Head has a tide pool observation platform that is ADA wheelchair accessible, the only one of its kind in Oregon. If home base is closer to Yachats, two places I will never tire of are Strawberry Hill (mile marker 169 on Highway 101) and Bob Creek (mile marker 170) in Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve. The best central-southern spots are the protected areas of Cape Arago, Cape Blanco, and Coquille Point. To reach the pools in Cape Arago State Park (middle or south cove) and Cape Blanco State Park, visitors will have to endure a steep and narrow hike, but Coquille Point has a wooden staircase for easier access and great views of the puffins that live in the Oregon Islands Wildlife Refuge. And for the truly venturesome, mile marker 344 intersects with a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail; follow it down to the beach and head a mile north on a barely-there trail to Whiskey Creek, the best place to see the shaggy, fuchsia Hopkin’s rose. Wherever you choose, I hope you discover a new appreciation for the vibrant flora and fauna of Oregon’s rocky intertidal zone.

TARA PRESTHOLDT is a professor of Biology and Environmental Studies. She teaches classes on marine biology and our oceans at UP, and her research focuses on the ecology, evolution, and the future of marine organisms.

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WHAT ONE PERSON CAN DO

Delivering Medical Supplies to Ukraine Renewed Her Faith in Humanity

B Y DA N I E L L E C E N T O N I ONE EVENING THIS past April, Alena Romanyuk stared into the darkness of her lodgings in Lviv, Ukraine, her jetlagged body heavy with fatigue. She had traveled more than 5,000 miles over the past 30-some hours, switching between cars, trains, planes, and a cargo van with almost 800 pounds of medical supplies in tow. She wanted nothing more than to sleep. And she might have, but the air raid sirens started at 10 o’clock.

“I was lying there, so tired, and I just thought, ‘If this is my time to die, I guess it’s my time.’ I just had to release control.”

This was Romanyuk’s first night back in her native Ukraine in three decades, a surreal sort of homecoming. For the next seven days she would have to trust a network of strangers to transport her, pass impromptu quizzes to prove she wasn’t a Russian spy, and download an app that located missiles in the area. Still, after weeks of watching the war unfold on the news, she knew she’d made the right decision to travel there to help.

“It hit home because it’s my people,” she says. “It was exactly 30 years ago almost to the month when my parents came to the US from Ukraine in 1992. I could have still been there. Who am I to have this privilege and opportunity? I can give back. I’m a trauma nurse. I speak the language. I can get the supplies.”

Romanyuk, who graduated from UP’s School of Nursing in 2009, doesn’t want

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to be called a hero. But it takes a heroic dose of bravery to fly across the world and enter a war zone all by yourself, with no previous wartime experience or institutional backing.

That doesn’t mean she wasn’t scared.

“What if I don’t come back?” looped over and over in her mind. “I was so anxious the whole time I could barely eat,” she says. “I was trying to be strong. I can’t show my fear because the people there are already scared. But it was amazing to see their bravery and resilience. Not once did they complain. They’re like, ‘This is what we have to do and we’re going to push forward.’”

So that’s what she did too. For eight days she surrendered to the chaos and uncertainty of war and went wherever she was needed, from training civilian fighters on how to apply tourniquets to providing translations for Ukrainian refugees at the Poland border.

“You know when a trip just works out? You feel like you’re led by a greater force,” she says. “Everything just worked out every day.”

That her trip went off without a hitch feels like something of a miracle considering Romanyuk was traveling solo, which wasn’t her original plan. She works as a trauma nurse and coordinator in the ER at Emanuel Hospital in Portland and had first reached out to Medical Teams International to offer her services.

But they required a minimum commitment of two weeks. She was only able to get nine days off work, but she was determined to figure it out.

She got connected with the daughter of a medical director in Ukraine who gave her a list of what was needed most, things like tourniquets, QuikClot, chest seals, and combat gauze—trauma supplies that are in great demand and costly. “These civilians going out to fight have nothing on them,” says Romanyuk. “They’re going out to war with Band-Aids.”

She posted messages among her network that she was seeking donations of supplies, or money to buy them, and word spread. A paramedic group in Bend donated fifty Stop the Bleed kits. A yoga studio in Hood River donated mats for refugees to sleep on in shelters. A friend got the bright idea to call the airline and ask them to waive the baggage fees.

“It was so heartwarming to watch people coming together, the ripple effect of people doing good things,” says Romanyuk. “People see you doing something and ask themselves, ‘What can I do?’

That’s the message I want to spread: What can you do with the resources you have to change someone’s life?”

Her trip even gave a fifth-grade class at Buckman Elementary the chance to learn one of life’s most important lessons: There’s always something you can do.

“When my friend’s daughter found out I was going, her class made cards for Ukrainian kids written in Ukrainian.”

With messages like “We stand with you” and “We believe in you,” the cards she passed out to children staying at a Ukrainian refugee center let them know their peers in the US were thinking of them. She took videos and pictures so the students back home could see the impact they made.

“It helped with morale. They were like, ‘You came all the way from the US?!’

It brought their spirits up. It was a boost of morale.”

In one-and-a-half weeks Romanyuk had packed up fifteen giant bags with 780 pounds of life-saving gear that she would personally deliver directly to the people who needed it—which is especially notable considering how difficult it is to get shipments into Ukraine. She also had $25,000 in funds left over to donate to the refugee center. “There are 20,000 people being housed there. The people still in Ukraine are struggling.

That’s where the biggest need is.”

But the supplies aren’t worth much if people don’t know how to use them, and that’s where her thirteen years of nursing experience proved invaluable.

Still, in Ukraine, it felt different.

“When you’re in the hospital and you teach people, maybe once in their life they’ll do these things with a team in a secure setting. But there, the weight it held…that was the most memorable thing for me.”

As dangerous and difficult as it was to travel to Ukraine alone, Romanyuk says, looking back, she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.“I was able to meet people and put myself in situations that opened up so many more avenues. Talking with civilians and hearing their stories, nothing beats that human connection. Now that I have these connections with people,

I’m sending more supplies. I can still be this channel of giving for the community around me.”

And she knows from experience that the effects of making those personal connections will linger long after the last dollar is spent. “When I went to UP, I received one of the Ralph and Sandi Miller scholarships for naturalized US citizens. They took the recipients out to dinner, and we’d also have dinner with them for Founders Day. It was very personal. I remember him saying, ‘I’m giving back because of what I was able to do with what I was given, and I hope in the future you’re able to do the same.’ That idea of giving back to each other instilled a sense of community.”

Working in an ER is challenging even in the best of times, but add in a pandemic and it’s been a rough couple years for nurses like Romanyuk. In many ways, the trip renewed her faith in the power of community, from the way both friends and strangers in the US worked together to get her funds and supplies, to the way strangers became her trusted friends in the midst of war. “Going there made me believe in humanity again,” she says.

“There are good people that still care about humans and want to help each other. It shifts your perspective on what’s important in life: the people around you and the good you can do with the resources you have.”

The hardest part, she says, is holding onto that faith even when despair about the scope of the crisis starts to creep in.

“It was really hard to come back. It was hard to talk about it,” she says. “It’s good to know I did something, but it can feel defeating because there’s so much work to be done.”

That’s when she remembers the important advice she received from colleague, a trauma surgeon who has experience in the military. “He said, ‘You need to go in with the mindset that if you teach someone CPR or how to apply a tourniquet, they’ll teach someone else.

Think of the ripple effect of your actions—what you leave behind that continues to manifest. Even though you’re not there, your work continues.’

That’s what I hold on to. It’s amazing to know what one person can do.”

DANIELLE CENTONI works in UP’s marketing and communications department.

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At the

The labyrinth led somewhere surprising B Y A N I TA T H O M A S

PHOTO BY WARREN LYNN. USED WITH PERMISSION; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Center Is Joy REJOICE I N TH E LORD ALWAYS. I WI LL SAY IT AGAI N: REJOICE! I HAVE REGULARLY engaged in the spiritual practice of walking a labyrinth. A place and a practice that centers and grounds me. I enjoy the sensory experiences: the crinkle of grass collapsing under my feet, the sweet smell of flowers and trees, and the delightful warmth of the sunlight. If birds are chirping, I sometimes find myself humming, and truth be told, I often sing. Usually some form of gospel music.

I find that when I am faced with a dilemma, need to make a decision about some new direction, or when I want to recenter on wellness or start a new season, I’m drawn back to walking the labyrinth, to the attentiveness it inspires.

There are a variety of labyrinths, associated with ancient times and religious orders, with the intention of connecting one’s spirit to the earth and to God, a way to find balance, peace, and engage in mindfulness. A labyrinth path, which differs from a maze, is an intentional path that moves from the outside in a single path to the center.

There are two contemplative approaches to a labyrinth.

The first, apophatic, is open-ended, a stance of internal listening to emotions, thoughts, and sensations that potentially arise without engaging in judgment. The second, kataphatic, has the same sense of openness, with the structured reflection on a situation, question, challenge, or relationship. The idea is that you start walking the labyrinth while contemplating the question at hand and notice where you arrive in decision-making. The difference in the approaches lies in the intent. One walk engages in open discovery; the other aims for directed contemplation.

At the university where I work, we have an indoor labyrinth. I usually enter with an apophatic frame, clearing my mind to simply enjoy the experience and allow myself to be connected to the spirit. That said, the COVID-19 period has made it particularly difficult to clear my mind and enter a space without judgment.

These past couple of years have certainly been for me a time of struggle. In addition to the pandemic, we have experienced the ugliness of racial injustice, the pain and heartache of economic insecurity, and the pain of civil unrest. Time perspective has shifted, as 2020 and 2021 felt like one elongated year. I had Zoom fatigue, I missed visiting with my family and friends in person, and I gave up on separating work and family life. I have found it challenging to stay strong.

One winter day during this period of struggle, I decided to walk our indoor labyrinth. It was a particularly bright and sunny day in the winter wonderland of Minnesota. I decided to walk in my tights to enhance the tactile sensation of walking and to listen for the sounds on the mat.

Then the strangest feelings came over me. I found myself needing to concentrate on the walking more than usual

—PH I LI PPIANS 4:4

because a small giggle began to emerge. I had never laughed while walking a labyrinth, but the closer to the center I came, the more the giggles increased, until I was laughing in hysterics. When I reached the center, I felt an incredible amount of joy and peace and began to cry with joy, all while still laughing. I was the only one on the floor at the time, and the idea of someone walking past and looking at the chief academic officer erupting in laughter in a room all by herself led me to laugh even harder. Then these words came to me “Rejoice in the Lord always, rejoice!” These words became the repetitive mantra for my journey out of the labyrinth.

I journaled on the experience because it was such an unusual reaction. I was amazed that the feeling of joy and the freedom of laughter were so intense for me. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had felt so much joy, certainly well before the pandemic, and well before the murder of George Floyd. I recognized that this period felt like a spiritual crisis for me. My values and commitment to Catholic social teaching were constantly being called into question: How did we allow the COVID-19 global pandemic to become a political concern? If we all are working to preserve the life and dignity of each human person, how could we not take actions to protect us all, and especially the least of these, the elderly and children? Why would we continue to allow police brutality to take the lives of individuals? How was I working to build community when I felt and saw fractures and divisions seemingly everywhere, even in my institution? Why were our systems— health, economic, education, political—failing to protect? How were we going to engage in anti-racist work to uproot the racism deeply embedded in our systems? Was the church working as a collective? Couldn’t we respect rights that promote an economy that protects human life, defends human rights, and advances the well-being of all?

Wrestling with those questions in the journal made me laugh out loud again. Again, a surprising reaction to such difficult questions. But I realized that somehow, the burden of the world had become mine. Somehow I had taken on the worry and pain of the redeemer. And somehow, I lost the centrality of joy in my life.

The labyrinth in the sunlight had truly led me to my center.

I had emerged from the experience refreshed and renewed, with the desire to keep giggling and keep my joy intact.

ANITA JONES THOMAS, PHD, is the executive vice president and provost at St. Catherine University. She holds a doctorate in counseling psychology from Loyola University Chicago, specializing in family therapy and multicultural counseling.

Thomas has conducted seminars and workshops on multicultural issues for state and national professional organizations in counseling and psychology, hospitals and corporations, and human service organizations.

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A Grotto, A Labyrinth, An Insight

BY CHRIS SHINE

THE WORLD HAS a way of bringing you to your knees with suffering as old as the Psalms (38:8) or Lamentations (3:17).

At those times, I have walked the labyrinth at The Grotto in the morning to think and pray and remember that wherever my path was taking me, whether the long gentle arcs or the tight sudden twists, the journey was always to the heart of God, that I was never alone, and that at the end—the center—I would find a home in Christ. The labyrinth sometimes tempted me to skip over to a portion I preferred to walk. But at some point I realized that I couldn’t skip out on God’s journey for me. I couldn’t choose only to experience the parts of the labyrinth path (or life path) I found easy or enjoyable. I mean, I could try, it’s just that my route is not a better one than God’s, no matter how smart I think I might be.

CHRIS SHINE is University of Portland’s associate director of major gifts.

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WH ERE TO FI N D A

Labyrinth REV. FARLEY FRIESEN

Here are some special labyrinths in the region:

STEPHEN SHIBLEY

Mount Tabor Presbyterian Church Portland, Oregon Open to the public. Visit taborspace.org for information.

DARSEY LANDOE

DANNY LENNOX BRONSON

Happy Valley City Hall Happy Valley, Oregon Open to the public. Next to Veterans Memorial Park.

The labyrinth at The Grotto in Portland is located in the Upper Garden, which is open every day from 9 am–8:30 pm and requires admission.

Visit thegrotto.org for more.

Trinity Episcopal Church Portland, Oregon Monthly walk schedule: trinity-episcopal.org/labyrinth

©WOLLERTZ/123RF.COM

Previous spread: The Halls Hill Lookout and Labyrinth is a meditative space overlooking Blakely Harbor on Bainbridge Island near Seattle. It is open to the public, dusk to dawn.

Learn more at biparksfoundation.org/halls-hill/

Circles in the Sand Bandon, Oregon Check out sandypathbandon.com/public-schedule for the summer 2022 calendar.

Find more labyrinths at labyrinthlocator.com.

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B Y K U N A L N AY YA R

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Our Corner of the

Cosmos

At this year’s Commencement, Kunal Nayyar—UP alum from the class of 2003 and professional actor known best for his role in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory—addressed the graduates of 2022. He told them that anything is possible, and he used the twists and turns of his own journey as an example.

“I’m an Indian kid from New Delhi, a Hindu at a Catholic university,” he said, who got fired from his first job on campus (he left the emergency brake off a UP transportation truck, and it rolled into the quad and broke someone’s leg).

He also told the story of how he fell in love with acting while trying to woo a crush. The crush didn’t last, but his passion for acting did. An early acting gig paid seven dollars a performance and he spent three hours on the daily bus commute. Not everything came easily. And many lessons came through mistakes. Anything is possible, he repeated. And he was so funny, warm, and charming that it was hard not to believe him.

ALL PHOTOS: BOB KERNS

What follows is a lightly edited excerpt of his speech.

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ONE OF THE most useful things I’ve learned in my life so far is how important it is to cultivate a practice of silence.

Perhaps putting your phone down and just observing the world as it goes by. Sitting in a quiet room and reflecting upon yourself. Taking a long drive to nowhere. In order to be close to yourself, you have to spend some time in silence.

We are living in a time filled with what I like to call “toxic positivity.” This means constantly trying to be positive. So by the time you’ve woken up and done your ten manifestations and looked at your vision board a thousand times and said your mantras and affirmations and used your crystals and done your intentional breathing, it’s 10 p.m. and you’re exhausted. It’s as if we’ve become uncomfortable with feeling sad or down. But it’s important to feel, to feel everything. When you’re going through a difficult period in your life, you don’t want to just put on a fake smile, an emotional Band-Aid, and move on. Sitting in silence allows you to be aware of whatever it is that you’re going through. And trust me. I’ve learned a lot more from the times I was down, than from the times I was up.

We spend so much of our lives wanting and taking and achieving. Accumulating. It’s not our fault, right? It’s what we’ve been conditioned to do. But I’ve realized that it’s so incredibly important to discover and know the me who wants. The me who’s in here, looking out.

Have you ever wondered who this is?

Who am I? We always associate ourselves with the things we want on the outside, but we rarely ask ourselves about the part of us that wants. So, allow time to get to know yourself, to be close to your true natures, and not just stuck in your opinions, judgments, and stories.

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See, the more you know yourself, the more you will begin to see your world the way it actually is, and not the way you think it should be. Because each of us is trying to fit this infinite universe into a finite understanding.

Trying to fit the world into this tiny box so we can control it. But I think to be joyful, light, and peaceful, you have to loosen your grip on the world a little. Do your thing, sure. But let the universe do its thing, too.

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I know you are currently making important decisions that you think are going to change your lives forever. But the truth is, everything works out the way it’s supposed to. And that’s almost never like you think it’s going to happen. Because your imagination cannot predict your reality. So, whatever decision you make, just realize nothing is permanent. I mean, we’re sitting on a spinning planet in the middle of infinite space. Does that keep you up at night? Sometimes I look up and I’m like, “There’s no end to what I’m looking at.” For a while, when I’d think about this, I’d be like, “Okay, so what is my purpose? What is my purpose? What is my purpose?”

But recently I realized, isn’t my purpose just to live? To live this life in its entirety? To touch, to taste, to experience all this world has to offer?

People say, “Find your purpose so you can live a meaningful life.”

Why not live a meaningful life, and then find your purpose?

And when I’d come to understand that deeply, that my purpose is to truly be here, experiencing the gift of this life, a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. I went from focusing on what my single-pointed ego wanted to achieve to what it is that my all-encompassing soul wanted to experience.

This life is meant to be enjoyed now. Not at some later stage in your life when you have everything you think you want. I did that. I postponed my joy until I thought I had everything I wanted. And I was miserable, because I realized the joy was not in the accumulation, but in the journey. A cup of tea with your grandparents. A walk in the park. Going out dancing.

Having a drink with an old friend. Talking late into the night. I had postponed my life to try to fill the unfillable cup for my ego. I’d forgotten the ultimate lesson that life is meant to be lived, enjoyed, and experienced now. The only thing that exists is right now. Not tomorrow in your imagination, or yesterday in your memory.

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So go with me here for a second. Just close your eyes.

Put your hand on your heart. In this moment, with the weight of your hand on your heart, rising and falling with your breath, I’d like you to thank yourself.

For the sacrifice, for the late nights, for the hard work.

You’re here. You’re graduating! You deserve it. No one can take that away from you.

KUNAL NAYYAR received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from University of Portland this spring.

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Franz River Campus

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ALL PHOTOS: BOB KERNS

The fourth in a series on University of Portland’s expanding footprint.

In Honor of Hard Work A building dedicated to the memory of a father and in service of UP’s talented Facilities Services Department

BY J E S S ICA M U R P H Y MO O

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Franz River Campus

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Mike Nelson ’76 CEO, WALTER E. NELSON CO.

MIKE NELSON WANTS you to know a little bit about his dad.

A kind, humble, and hard-working man, the late Walter E. Nelson started a janitorial supplies company in 1945, while home on leave from the Navy during World War II. A whiz at pinochle, Walter had won the seed money for his new venture off his fellow seamen. Given the rations of the time, Walter knew that products such as hand soap, cleaning supplies, and paper towels were often hard to come by. Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention, and Walter had found both a need and an opportunity. He rustled up all the inventory he could find and started selling his goods to the industrial businesses that needed them. Ever the savvy entrepreneur, Walter figured out a foolproof way to know which businesses to approach: he would check the skyline for burning smokestacks. His salesman’s instinct and his genuine people skills earned him loyal business.

University of Portland was one of Walter’s first customers. Walter worked with the custodian who did the ordering for the University from an office in the basement of what was then West Hall.

When Mike was old enough, he took part in the age-old tradition of young people who grow up around a family business. He pitched in. He hopped into a truck and delivered boxes of towels or tissues, whatever needed doing.

This work continued during his years as a student at University of Portland. Once classes were over, Mike was on the clock, a time he calls “a 90-hour workweek situation.” And being his father’s son, he loved it.

Mike’s role during this time also evolved. He was an accounting major at UP. He was learning things. He started paying bills, doing accounting work before returning to Shipstad to hang out with his buddies in Alpha Kappa Psi—many of whom are still tight today—and finish his homework.

Mike started to see how the business could grow. He encouraged his dad to buy property and to incorporate the business. “My professors were almost consultants,” Mike says. “What I learned I immediately put into practice.” And the business grew. Today, the Walter E. Nelson Company has about 1,800 employees, with 18 locations in the Pacific Northwest.

What has stayed the same were many of the long-time customers and relationships, UP among them. And the value of hard work is still central too. Mike’s grandmother was a chambermaid, and his grandfather was a longshoreman. He knows his roots. Mike sees and affirms the hard work of the UP Facilities Services Department. He notices the work that is often unseen. He likes to work behind the scenes too.

Thank you, Mike, for honoring your father, for your immense generosity, and for seeing and valuing the essential contribution of the Facilities Services Department here at UP.

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Franz River Campus

Mercedes Yanez CUSTODIAN

MERCEDES HAS KEPT Holy Cross Court, the housing for UP’s retired priests and brothers, in working order since 2004. She loves where she works, and it’s hard for her to believe seventeen years have gone by. “I love it,” she says. “I feel this is my house. Since the first day I came here, I could see that they are nice here.” Sometimes she attends Mass with the priests in their chapel.

She likes to be able to share of herself and Catholic traditions from her Mexican heritage.

On Epiphany day, she brings the “Rosca de Reyes,” a special Mexican bread made in the shape of a ring with a figurine of baby Jesus baked inside. The priests she works with always ask after her family, and when her parents passed away, they were a great spiritual support to her. In a way, UP has become a family affair. Her husband, Marco Antonio Gonzalez, is a mechanic here, and both of her children, Karen Yanez Gonzalez ’19 and Marco Yanez Gonzalez attended the University (Marco played soccer here and transferred). Her daughter and her coworker Melissa Peterson’s daughter have become close friends, and so the next generation of friendship continues. Mercedes is also a brand-new grandmother. The day we spoke she was making birria—a beef soup—for the weary parents of her beautiful new granddaughter, that age-old trick of bringing a meal as an excuse to visit, give the parents a break, and (most important) snuggle the precious little one.

Mercedes loves to go hiking, especially on her birthday. And she finds humor wherever she can.

During the very early days of the pandemic, when things were still shut down and everyone was asked to stay home, she did a video call with one of the priests. “I said, ‘Time to get up. Time to make the bed!’ They laughed and laughed. I like to joke with them.”

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Arturo Barroso Mendoza GROUNDSKEEPER

ARTURO LIKES WORKING in his own garden, too. The tulips in his front yard looked especially lovely this spring, the perfect accent for his St. Johns home.

He added a fountain that ties everything together, and he enjoys spending time there with his family and German Shepard. Walk by and you might feel compelled to compliment his work, as many other passersby do. Of course, these curational landscaping skills come as no surprise to his coworkers at UP. They know how hard it is to maintain this impossibly beautiful campus.

The team has impeccable timing, too.

Those petunias that bloomed purple just in time for families to arrive on campus for Commencement? All of that is intentional—the color, the timing, all of it. They are the conductors of these orchestral grounds. And Arturo has been one of those proud parents on Commencement weekend. His son, Jordy Barroso, who graduated from UP in 2021. His daughter is at Central Catholic. They’ve both grown up in the Catholic school system. When he moved to the US from Puebla, Mexico, in 1991, he worked in the apple orchards in Washington with his brother, but he wanted to work year-round. He has worked at a ranch on Sauvie Island and at a golf course (he likes to golf), and he has worked a few different positions at UP since he started here nine years ago.

Groundskeeping has been a good fit.

And being outside while Jordy was here meant he’d bump into his son on occasion. That was nice. His favorite plant on campus is agapantes, which grows between the library and Buckley. It blooms in August, a stem comes up two to three feet and then the flower appears. But it doesn’t bloom every year. “You need to watch for it,” he says.

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Franz River Campus

Kimo Yamaguchi ’88 FACILITIES SERVICES MANAGER

WHEN KIMO ATTENDED UP’s Luau this year, the memories came flooding back. He pictured himself, along with fellow classmates, right back in the Bauccio Commons kitchen, preparing teriyaki sauce, salting the lomi salmon. “The kids did an awesome job,” he said of this year’s event. It’s among the moments that make him feel grateful to be back on The Bluff. When Kimo tells people that he’s come back to the mainland after thirty-one years working at University of Hawai'i, he is often met with surprise. “Wait. You left Hawai'i?” But when he explains that one of his daughters (also a UP alum) lives near Portland and talks about his close connection to this University, his return makes a whole lot of sense.

“I learned so much from this place,” he says. “I wanted to give back.” A native of Hawai'i, Kimo came to UP to learn business management. He was a resident assistant while he was here. His academics and experience set him up for his career in the University of Hawai'i system, managing resident halls and special events. He also supervised a team when UH was expanding their campus, experience that is directly relevant to his work with the Franz River Campus. In terms of the new building, Kimo is most excited about the big conference room. It’ll be the first time the Facilities Services team has a meeting space that can fit everyone. And bringing people together is something Kimo genuinely loves to do. It’s why he restarted the Hawai'i Alumni Chapter, it’s why he stays connected to fellow alums, it’s why he hosts BBQs year-round. He’s also a foodie, loves Portland’s food scene, and loves to travel (he recently returned to Japan for the eighth time, where he delighted in well-prepared, delicious raw pufferfish that should never be prepared without a license). Right now he manages the day and night custodial department and events operations. “We’re part of the living experience that students have. One of the rewards of this job is that you’re part of somebody’s life.”

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Franz River Campus

Emily Reilly BUILDING MECHANIC

WHEN EMILY GOES to a rock concert or a sporting event—softball is her game—she always takes a moment to appreciate all the work that goes into making it a success. All the planning, the preparation, the effort that takes place offstage. This year’s Commencement, for example, which went off without a hitch and brought families together for a wonderful celebration, filled her with joy. And pride. She has worked events in Chiles and across campus for years, and has attended her share of events on The Bluff. In a way, she grew up here. Her dad worked in admissions for more than four decades, her mom and grandfather went here, as did two of her siblings. Her brother works here, too. And now her career here is evolving. She recently moved into the role of building mechanic, part of the (very) busy team that does lighting and plumbing maintenance in the academic and residence halls.

She is also in the process of getting her LBME (Licensed Building Maintenance Electrician) certification. She is the only woman on the building mechanics team, and one of few women in her certification classes. Some of her time involves shadowing Bill Vandervelden (see right), who has become her mentor. She appreciates that he shares not only his knowledge but his encouragement, and she loves that she is always learning. “I learn new things every day,” she says. The new building is going to be great for the team, she thinks, because a fresh start almost always brings opportunities. “Everybody is excited!”

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William Vandervelden SENIOR BUILDING MECHANIC

BILL LIKES TO solve problems, which is a good thing, considering the problems that come his way can sound downright biblical in proportion. He’s been called— sometimes in the middle of the night—to fix floods, fires, and power outages. He’s fixed burst water lines and other pump house fiascoes that nobody wants to picture in high definition. And he’s helped the Secret Service set up secure areas for a presidential visit. That’s all fine and good, you might be thinking, but has he ever extracted a sheet pan a student crammed sideways into a dishwasher?

Yes, he’s done that, too, and lived to tell the tale. When we sat down to chat, the mechanics had more than 200 job requests marked in the hallway monitor, outpaced only by HVAC requests. At a university of this size, something’s always in need of fixing. Bill has worked here since 1981, and as he says, “No two days are the same. It’s never boring.” An Oregon native, he grew up on the coast and now lives close to campus in North Portland. When you have the decades of experience in the trades as Bill has, mentorship often comes with the territory. Bill likes that.

He likes to see his coworkers learn and blossom and grow, and eventually hear them say, “Get out of my way, Bill.”

(For the record, he thinks Emily (pictured left) is doing great.) When he isn’t fixing things and responding to disasters, he’s fishing on the coast in Miss J, the boat he named after his lovely wife. She’s a Special-Ed schoolteacher and that’s what her students call her. He loves being out on the water, fishing for halibut and salmon, and keeping an ear open for the exhale—sounds like a loud shush—of migrating gray whales. Among the many talents (and secrets) in Facilities Services is the smoked salmon recipe Bill guards, handed down to him by Kurt Bottcher, longtime painter here at UP. Of all the amenities the new building has, Bill is most looking forward to settling in to the new and much-improved workshop.

JESSICA MURPHY MOO is the editor of this magazine.

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Her Students Are Survivors WHILE SCRAMBLING TO find toilet paper during the first March of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah Mooney ’96 received a call from her program director. He gave her the classic, anxiety- inducing phrase: “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.” The good news was that she won the 2019 Correctional Services Contractor of the Year award for the GED tutoring program she manages. The bad news was that she could no longer go to work. Columbia River Correctional Facility was on lockdown.

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Like every teacher in the field of pandemic-era education, the lockdown didn’t mean the teaching would stop, but it would certainly change. Sarah responded by doubling down on her commitment to a student population she views as underserved.

Sarah has been running a GED tutoring program for incarcerated adults for the past four years. The program is run in partnership with Portland Community College. Both the students and the tutors are adults in custody, ranging in

CLASS NOTES

age from 19 to mid-60s. She might have 50 to 60 students and 15 to 20 tutors at a time. The state of Oregon requires most incarcerated adults to get their GED if they do not already have a high school diploma.

Some of her students start out resentful of this requirement.

“For some, they come in kicking and screaming,” Sarah says.

“They think it’s a waste of time.”

But Sarah has yet to see one graduate who was not incredibly proud of themselves by the end of the process. “I think, for a lot of people, it is a sense of accomplishment. It might be the first thing that they have accomplished that is positive,” she says.

“I had a student who came in in his late 50s,” she says, “and he was probably at a first-grade reading level, and he had absolutely no self-esteem that he could do this. He had no confidence that he could get his GED. And he graduated.”

Sarah attributes the initial reticence of some of her students to a fear of failure. To combat this fear, she encourages them to celebrate small, incremental successes, like passing a little test, to help build their self-confidence.

Students come to class with a range of motivations. Although adults in custody in Oregon who are 65 years of age or older are not required to work toward their GED, Sarah has met many who feel motivated to do so because they have never had the opportunity before.

Many have told Sarah that they want to set a good example for their children or grandchildren, “because what am I supposed to say to them when they decide they’re going to drop out of high school?” Some want a college education. Some need the certification to pursue a career in certain trades.

One way that Sarah encourages her more skeptical students is by conveying the twists and turns of her own path. She got her undergraduate degree in English, but her passions for food and food justice—she’d worked in soup kitchens and had built housing for migrant farmers on a blueberry farm—inspired her to go to graduate school at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, where she studied ethnobotany and sustainability. In addition to learning about food, she discovered she had a passion for making cheese—who knew?—and she learned about international food policy and efforts to ensure that everyone has fair food accessibility. Sarah even traveled to Bosnia to learn more about their Indigenous food systems and worked with a community of women who survived the Bosnian War by foraging for food.

Making cheese and studying food systems may be wildly different from how Sarah started and what she does now, but for her, it’s an example of self-reinvention. One thing did lead to the next. She’d been teaching classes about cheesemaking and raising chickens, while taking some grad classes in education at Portland State, which led her to Portland Community College and the Columbia River Correctional Facility. It all came down to her passion for teaching and service.

“Listen, I went to college. I got a degree in English, and I became a cheesemaker!” Sarah tells her students, “I reinvented myself. Like, anything is possible. You can literally do anything you want. You just have to figure out the right path to get there.”

Of course, the playing field for reinvention isn’t equitable, and she recognizes this in terms of her students’ lived experiences. Sarah tends to see her students as survivors. “They’ve survived for a long time without an education, but also without the opportunity to do something else.” She sees her program as a tool toward new options.

One of her current students, who is in his 60s, came to her one day in tears. He held a book in his hands. He told Sarah, “This is the first book I’ve ever read in my life.” He came in about a week later, saying he’d be done with book two over the weekend and asked if he could check out book number three in the series beforehand, to which Sarah responded, “Oh my God, yes!”

Before the pandemic hit, Sarah would hold a final celebration for her students who completed their GEDs in the form of a graduation ceremony with caps, gowns, tassels, cake, the works. They would have speakers and invite the graduates’ friends and families to the ceremony to take part in the celebration. “It was as authentic to a graduation as we could make,” she says. “Those little things that make it so, so valuable.”

Then the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, and Sarah’s work life was changed completely. The Columbia River Correctional Facility was locked down, and Sarah was told that she would have to stay home for a month. She wasn’t allowed back into the facility until June of 2020, and then was kicked out several more times due to new variants. The pandemic has been uniquely difficult for adults in custody in Oregon. After many months of uncertainty, Sarah was finally able to see her students in March of 2022.

The pandemic also posed a major challenge to Sarah’s communication with her students. While schools all over the world had moved to a majority online format, meeting via Zoom calls, Sarah’s students do not have access to the internet.

She could not call or text them.

So, how did Sarah keep teaching her students? She went old school. Her students got packets. All her students were given a calculator, a notebook, and packets that contained their lessons. They would fill out forms telling her their academic needs. Sarah would receive these packets every week, grade them, and then send them back with new packets. That has been her main source of communication with her students off-and-on for the past two years.

Because the Columbia River Correctional Facility is a release facility, Sarah lost over half of her students and most of her tutors to release during the pandemic. Now that she is able to see her students again, Sarah is starting over with new students and tutors. “There’s a lot of resilience because the ones that really want it are going to keep going,” she says. “It’s incredible to watch.”

She is currently working on breaking down barriers for adults in custody who, after finishing their GEDs, want to continue to a college education by getting the Pell Grant.

“We’re just trying to create a really cohesive process for our students to just get folded into the community at PCC.”

He told Sarah, “This is the first book I’ve ever read in my life.”

SYDNEY GANNON ’24 is Portland magazine’s editorial intern.

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50s 1956, ’69

Rev. Richard F. Berg, C.S.C ’54, ’69 received an honorary doctorate. He earned his first PhD in Psychology from UP, taught in that department for years, and eventually served as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He founded Maybelle Center for Community in Northwest Portland for people experiencing mental illness and urban poverty. Fr. Berg serves as the chaplain at Mary’s Woods, a retirement community, and recently finished a book about working with veterans suffering from PTSD. At eighty-five years old, Fr. Berg continues to be a tireless servant to his community and an immense blessing to University of Portland.

70s

1971, ’72, ’93, ’99

Marla Salmon ’71, ’72, ’93, ’99 returned to The Bluff to receive an honorary doctorate. In 2021, the American Academy of Nursing recognized her as a Living Legend, their highest honor.

Marla served as the director of the Division of Nursing with the US Department of Health and Human Services and held dean positions at Emory University and University of Washington.

She was also a member of the Clinton White House Task Force on Healthcare Reform and the chair of the WHO’s Global Advisory

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Group on Nursing and Midwifery. Her amazing journey fills her with gratitude for her husband, Jerry Anderson; her children and parents; and God.

1974

We recently heard from Rafael Antonio “Raf” Nazario ’74, who is now a composer and pianist. He told us of his journey of studying music at UP, despite having had no piano lessons prior. He told us the following: “I remained firm…I would not desist because I simply couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It wasn’t easy that first semester. …

But I also had my supporters that first year. My classmate Tim Gorman became friend, mentor, and unofficial piano tutor.

And so it is that Moonlight Sonata has remained a near and dear piece, one I have taken many a poetic license with over the years.”

SEND US YOUR NEWS Share the latest on your family, career, or accomplishments.

Even a failure or two would be fine. We just want to be in touch.

Send updates to portlandmagazine @up.edu

80s 1988

Lori A.G. Hellis ’88 has published her first book.

After UP, she earned an MFA in creative writing from Oregon State University and a law degree from Lewis and Clark Northwestern School of Law. She retired from family and criminal law practice in 2019 to write.

Her book, The No Nonsense Guide to Divorce, was published by Rowman and Littlefield and is available at all book retailers and online shops.

Her next book, a truecrime story, is expected to release in early 2024.

90s

In an interview with Sgt. Darren Wright, Shannon said: “I have two girls, 11 and 9, who think it is the coolest thing that their mom is the very first female assistant chief for the agency in the 100-year history, so yes, I am very honored to be in this position.”

00s 2000

Sheri Freemont ’96 presented the 2022 Mazzocco Lecture, titled “Indigenous Ways of Being,” on March 22 at University of Portland.

Sheri is an Indigenous lawyer and activist who is currently providing expert advice and education on improved legal standards and child welfare law to Tribes and State justice systems in the US. She received her legal education at the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University.

Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell ’96 was promoted to the position of undersheriff of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in August 2021. She is the first female undersheriff in the department’s history.

Way to go, Nicole!

In 2020, Nicole Bestard ’00 founded the public relations strategies agency Quarter Horse in New York City. She is serving as the agency’s Principal. Quarter Horse recently launched their Instagram page on February 4, 2022. Their social media says they provide “purpose-first public relations strategies for mission-driven companies.” Congratulations to Nicole on this achievement!

Col. David Gregory ’00 was recently featured on the UP Air Force ROTC Detachment 695 Facebook page.

The alumni spotlight said the following: “He is currently finishing up his Residency in Aerospace Medicine at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He will be going to Joint Base San Antonio to head the Aeromedical Waiver Division. They are responsible for processing medical waivers for active duty personnel, ROTC cadets, and flying/special duties.”

1999

2001

1996

Shannon Bendiksen ’99 recently became the first woman to be promoted to Assistant Chief of the Washington State Patrol.

Daoud Chaaya ’01 was recently named vice president of sales, marketing, service, and dealer CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAY & LESBIAN ARCHIVES OF THE PACIFIC NW

Bill McCoy The Oregon Historical Encyclopedia recently reached out to our Alumni office to confirm that the late Bill McCoy graduated from UP. He did, indeed, class of 1950, and we wanted to share what we learned about his remarkable life and career.

BILL MCCOY TOOK his seat in the Oregon House of Representatives in 1972, as the first African American elected to the Oregon legislature. And one of his first actions was to right a historical wrong. In 1868, the US Congress adopted the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which includes a section known as the Due Process Clause that protect the rights of recently freed slaves. Later that same year, the Oregon legislature rescinded its 1866 ratification of the amendment. McCoy co-sponsored a measure to re-ratify it, and the legislature promptly approved the resolution. Over the course of his twenty-four-year career in politics, he worked to bolster public education, to provide access to fair housing, to achieve social justice, and to prohibit discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation.

Advocating for the less fortunate was always a top priority for McCoy—it wasn’t just a legislative plank, but his life’s work. After graduating from UP with a degree in business administration, he worked as a

counselor for the Multnomah County Juvenile Court, as a caseworker for the state welfare agency, and as a program director for Providence Child Center. He met his wife, Gladys, as a volunteer at the Portland YMCA. Together they raised seven children while working in politics. The Oregon legislature named Bill and Gladys McCoy the “first African American political family of Oregon,” and McCoy Park in North Portland is named for them. If you find yourself at the Oregon Convention Center, visit the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. out front. It commemorates the thirty-fifth anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” and bears a plaque that reads, “In loving memory of Bill and Gladys McCoy.” They did everything in their power to make the dream come true.

Thanks to the OREGON HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA for sharing their work with us.

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CLASS NOTES

operations at Thomas Built Buses, a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America.

Congratulations to Daoud on his promotion!

2002

Lindsey Smart ’02 recently joined the Alumni Council at the University of Denver, where she attended graduate school. She is currently an Associate Vice Chancellor for Leadership and Faculty Equity and Inclusion in the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is also an Associate Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist for the UNM Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

2005

Taya Saxton ’05 was recently featured in a Nike

employee highlight. In the feature, Taya speaks about her time at the US Olympic Training Center as a rhythmic gymnast and how she received a scholarship from the Air Force to study electrical engineering. During her service, she helped design aerospace satellites and launch vehicles. She is now the Global Solutions Delivery Director at Nike and a member of the Nike Military Veterans Network.

2009

Walter Thompson-Hernández ’09 wrote the Beats by Dre commercial that aired during the 2022 Superbowl.

His words were read by Dr. Dre and heard by over 200 million viewers. His short film, If I Go Will They Miss Me, won Sundance’s Short Film Jury Award. Congratulations to Walter on these accomplishments!

Air Force Alums Talk Ethics ON OCTOBER 28, 2021, Air Force ROTC Detachment 695 at University of Portland (led by Col. R. Scott Grainger ’94) partnered with UP’s Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics to host a Zoom event featuring three alums now serving in the Air Force. The speakers engaged current undergraduate cadets in Q&As around ethical decision-making. The featured speakers were First Lieut. Sam Swanson ’18, the lead Public Affairs Officer for the Department of Defense’s largest Air Operations Center located at Scott Air Force Base in Southern Illinois; Capt. Sean O’Hollearn ’15, a critical care nurse in the ICU at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland; and Col. Russell “Rusty” Williford ’99, a Division Chief on the Joint Staff within the Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate (J-5) in the Pentagon.

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10s 2011

On February 21, 2022, Gordon Kawaley ’11 led a virtual talk at University of Portland about generational wealth in Black history. The talk was hosted by the UP BIPOC Chapter.

Gordon has worked for Bonneville Power Administration for 14 years and as a Transmission Planning Grid Modeling Engineer for nine of them. He is also a Financial Advisor and Finance Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers in Portland.

2012

Hailey (Knettles) Lampe ’12 and Jacob Lampe ’12 are preparing to go on four big cruises this summer on their sailboat. They are running a blog called Cruising Climate (cruisingclimate.weebly.com), where they document their travels and explore lowimpact habits. One of Hailey’s hopes for the blog is that it will “encourage people to start noticing maybe their own low impact habits or what’s happening around them.”

Best of luck to Hailey and Jacob in their adventures!

2013, ’14

Suzanne Blair-Rodgers ’14 and Derrick Rodgers ’13 were featured on the UP Facebook page for Valentine’s Day. They met during their time on The Bluff and are now married and have three children. Suzanne and Derrick are now operating their own chiropractic practice in Colorado.

2015

Scott Fauble ’15 placed seventh in the 2022 Boston Marathon. This was the top finish by a runner from the United States. He completed the 26.2-mile course in about two hours. During his time at UP, Scott ran for the Pilots cross-country team.

Congratulations to Scott for his athletic achievements!

2018

Taylor Stewart ’18 delivered a TED Talk at the Moda Center in Portland, the largest TEDx venue in the world, on May 28. Taylor, who was featured on the cover of Portland Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue, started the Oregon Remembrance Project in 2018 to uncover stories of racial injustice and work towards reconciling historical harm. Before this, he worked to memorialize Alonzo Tucker, the only documented African American victim of lynching in Oregon.

20s 2020, ’21

Maddie Nguyen ’20 and Riley Olson ’21 recently debuted their new play, The Misadventures of Missy Black, at Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival. Maddie and Riley met in their Acting I class during their first year of college. The play, which was written by Riley and directed by Maddie, was pre-recorded and streamable as part of the festival.

The cast and production team were mostly current UP students and alumni.

CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM

Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to the families of the following individuals. Requiescat in pace.

Charles Lane ’50 passed away on February 5, 2022, at age 95 after a short battle with esophageal cancer.

Charles was born in Three Forks, MT, and graduated high school early so he could join the Navy to serve in World War II, serving in the South Pacific. He had a long career as a professional geotechnical engineer. He is survived by six children, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a large extended family.

Joseph Patrick Megale ’52 passed away on January 23, 2022, at the age of 94, among family in Palm Springs, CA. Joe was born on March 12, 1927, in Coos Bay, OR, where he grew up.

After serving in the Army during the war, he attended undergrad studies at the University of Portland, followed by dental school at the University of Oregon.

Joe ran a successful family business, West Seattle Dental Center, from which he retired in 1995. He loved his wife, Diane, and his family most. Together they raised seven wonderful children, and he loved their spouses and enjoyed his seven grandchildren and was immensely proud of each one’s successes.

Although he will be dearly missed, his inspirational force, determination, integrity, and love of life will never be forgotten.

John Hill Quiner II ’52 died on December 12, 2021. He was one of the early graduates of the UP School of Engineering. He served

as a Combat Engineer in the US Army in Tokyo. John was the head engineer for the Thomas Creek Bridge construction, the highest bridge in Oregon. He loved alpine skiing and was a member of the US National Ski Patrol at the 1960 Winter Olympics as the flag bearer for team Finland. He was a founder of the Oregon Bridge Engineering Company. John is survived by his three children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

We recently learned of the passing of Lloyd Salvisburg ’52. He was born on December 12, 1929, and died on October 1, 2021, at the age of 91 in Happy Valley, OR. He will be deeply missed.

Pat Harvey ’53 passed on February 1, 2022. She studied nursing at UP and worked in several schools as a teacher and computer room supervisor. She met her husband, Bernard Harvey, at a basketball game in 1954. They had ten children together. Pat was a lover of opera and sports. Her interest in genealogy inspired her to write a volume of family history with her cousin, Jim Gilbertson. She is survived by her children and very large extended family.

Worth Caldwell Jr. died on January 26, 2022. He married his wife, Barbara, in 1958, and they raised their five children on a 10-acre farm on Briar Lane.

He followed in his father’s

footsteps when he inherited the family business, Caldwell’s Colonial Mortuary funeral home. Worth was involved in multiple civic organizations and was instrumental in many projects, including the hospice movement and the Portland Japanese Garden. In recognition for his service, he received the Spirit of Portland Award.

Eldine Joanne Anderson ’56 died on January 27, 2022. After graduating from UP, she began her career teaching high school physical education, drivers education, and typing in Scappoose. Later, she taught at Grant Watts Elementary until retiring in 1994. An active member of St. Wenceslaus Parish, Eldine enjoyed teaching Sunday School and served on the leadership council.

She also played in a slowpitch softball league and a bowling league.

Jacquelyn “Jackie” Gillam Archer ’56 passed away peacefully on January 24, 2022, in the company of her family. Born in Portland, Jackie graduated from Lincoln High School and earned her BS in nursing at UP. By her second date with John Archer ’56, she knew she’d found the one and they were married for 66 years. “She always had a smile on her face,” says John. She was an avid golfer and active in her church.

She is survived by her husband, five children, 13 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Earl “Skip” Twietmeyer II ’56 passed away on January 3, 2022. He received a degree in business administration from UP and served in the Oregon Air National Guard. After working for United Radio Supply (URS), he went on to buy the company and expand it across Oregon and Washington before retiring in 1997. He loved family and music and sang in the Portland Symphonic Choir. Skip is survived by his wife, Elaine; their four children; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Arthur Wiens ’56 passed away on December 18, 2022. He was inspired to enter the mental health field while attending Tabor College. He completed his PhD at UP and joined the newly founded Department of Medical Psychology at OHSU, where he worked for 39 years as a dedicated mentor and teacher. He received many awards and honors for his work. Arthur had a passion for tracing his family history. He is survived by his children, his brother, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and large extended family.

Eugene Amman ’57 passed away on March 21, 2022, in Mountain View, CA. He was eighty-six years old. Eugene grew up in Portland, OR, and graduated from University of Portland with a degree in electrical engineering. He received his PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford and spent his career working

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as a laser scientist. He enjoyed tutoring students in math and science, singing in his church’s choir, and attending Stanford’s football and basketball games.

He will be remembered by all who knew him as a kind and gentle man.

Martin Burke ’57 passed away on December 4, 2021.

He was a child of immigrant parents from Italy and Ireland. He served during the Korean War as a train dispatcher and received the Korean Service Medal (with three bronze Service stars) and the United Nations Service Medal for his service.

Martin and wife, Martha, started the Coffee Break Company and worked for Freightliner until his retirement. He is survived by his four siblings and many nieces and nephews.

Lt. Col. David Given ’57 passed away on January 14, 2022, from cancer. He retired from the US Air Force in 1976. He was interred at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, FL, on February 15, 2022, with full military honors. Our condolences to his loved ones.

Harry M. Hanna ’58 died on November 25, 2021. While attending UP, he enlisted in the Oregon National Guard.

He practiced law in Portland for over 55 years, specializing in real estate and estate planning. He served as a pro tem judge, taught law at Lewis and Clark, and worked with the firm Sussman Shank LLP until his passing. He is survived by his wife, Pat; son, Harry Jr. ’97; grandchildren, Harry III ’24, Rachelle, Michael, and Luke; his brothers, Joe ’60 and Don; and numerous extended family.

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Lt. Colonel William Sykes ’58 passed away on December 14, 2021, surrounded by family after a prolonged illness. He was a decorated US Air veteran and flew a wide variety of aircrafts during his 21-year career.

He retired to his ranch, where he bred, raised, and raced horses for 17 years.

In his later years, he was a Red Cross volunteer. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his children; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

Frank Webber ’59 passed away on February 6, 2022.

He served in the US Marine Corps Reserve from 1958 to 1963, when he received his Honorable Discharge as a Private 1st Class. He and his wife, Marilyn Kijewski, married in 1961, and they lived a happy life together until her death in 2011.

Frank was an avid sports fan and loved playing golf.

He was also a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Catherine’s Church, Holmdel, NJ. Patricia “Pat” McMichael ’60 died on January 24, 2022, surrounded by her family. A native of Portland and a devout Catholic, she studied nursing at UP and worked in the ER at St. Vincent’s Hospital. During this time, she had a blind date with a naval officer whose ship was undergoing an overhaul at Swan Island. Two years later, she and Captain George McMichael, USN, married, and they traveled with their daughter, Elizabeth, during his military career. Patricia spent her free time figure skating and scratch golfing and cared deeply for the Naval Academy midshipmen whom her family sponsored.

She is survived by her husband, her daughter, her

four grandchildren, and her brothers and sister.

Michael Doherty ’61 of Scottsdale, AZ, passed away on May 15, 2022, surrounded by his loved ones. Born in Seattle, he grew up in Portland, and was an accomplished high school and college athlete. Many of the records he set as a high school quarterback at Lincoln High School remain unbroken to this day. He attended Notre Dame on a football scholarship and later transferred to University of Portland on a basketball one.

University of Portland proved to be a special place, as it’s where he met his loving wife, Eileen. In December they celebrated sixty years of marriage. He worked as vice president of sales and marketing for Doubletree Hotels and was a lifetime member of the Fiesta Bowl board of directors. Mike blessed so many of his friends and family with his positive attitude, sense of humor, and mentorship. He enjoyed life and family to the fullest and was absolutely devoted to his wife, children, and granddaughters.

Sr. Anita Noe ’62 passed away on February 17, 2022, at the age of 103. She entered the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary after high school. Sister Anita was a teacher and principal in SNJM elementary schools in the Pacific Northwest.

She received an MA in School Administration at UP. She was known for skillfully hand-crafting stuffed animals. This year would have celebrated her 85th anniversary as a Sister of the Holy Names.

Dennis Bean ’64 died on December 13, 2021, at the

age of 79. He graduated from UP with a business degree and was a pitcher on the Pilots baseball team. He practiced law in Oregon for 50 years and started his own firm in Silverton. For 25 years, Dennis served as City Attorney. He was known for giving friends nicknames and his love of sports. He is survived by his daughter and grandson, his two sisters, and a large extended family.

Jim Cox ’64 passed away after a long illness on January 21, 2022. Jim was a member of ROTC, Alpha Kappa Psi, and the Holy Cross Men’s Dorm Council. He worked at the UP Bookstore, where he met his second his wife, Sally. Sally attended UP during the 90s. After college, Jim spent 16 years in the Air Force as a navigator on KC-135 Refueling Tankers and other assignments.

He retired after nearly 30 years at Boeing, where he worked on the B-2 and other military airplanes.

He traveled the world and lived in a number of states.

Warren Sherlock ’64 passed away on February 11, 2022.

He was a skilled track sprinter and attended UP on a track scholarship. He received his master’s degree from Sonoma State University before going into youth counseling, serving as a county probation officer and working in youth and family services programs in El Centro, CA. Warren was also a part-time professor at San Diego State University where he loved watching his students grow in their careers.

Gwen Edwards ’67 died on February 18, 2022, at home in Vancouver, WA, with her husband, Doug, and her best friend, Becky Goldenbaum, at

her side. She became an ICU nurse at OHSU immediately after graduating from UP. She met Doug, an Air Force pilot, only eight days before graduating. Gwen worked in various ICUs and emergency rooms throughout the US as she and Doug moved around for his assignments. She later took an eight-year sabbatical to travel Europe while based in England for Doug’s work.

They settled in Vancouver in 1991. Gwen will be remembered for her boldness and zest for life. If you would like to donate in Gwen’s memory, please consider the Gwen Edwards Native American Nurse Scholarship at the University of Portland, giving.up.edu/gwenedwards.

Frank Magdlen ’70 passed away at home on November 22, 2021. Frank worked for US Bank in Portland for over 20 years as a certified chartered financial analyst and a vice president for the trust investment department. Frank loved to sail, and raced sailboats for most of his life. Frank is survived by his wife, Sherri, with whom he shared 43 years of marriage, his three children, and eight grandchildren.

Service in San Leandro, CA, for the last 15 years. He is survived by his loving wife, Grace, of 30 years; daughter, Mary; son, Alex; and brother, Randy. He loved his time at UP and enjoyed many happy reunions with his friends from college days.

Jean Marie VanDyke SSMO ’74 died on December 11, 2021. She entered the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon in 1958. She received her master’s degree in education at UP and taught and acted as principal in many Oregon Catholic schools. In 1963, she opened St. Pius X School. Committed to a life of service, Sr. Jean Marie volunteered at the Rose Haven Women and Children’s Center, and loved sewing, cooking, and gardening. She is survived by her many siblings and nieces and nephews.

Tim Ryan ’70 passed on December 13, 2021. He married fellow UP alum Laura Ryan ’70, and they raised five children: Paul ’92, Greg, Philip, Katie, and Patrick. Those in his life described him as a “force of goodness and joy.” Family meant everything to him.

Tim is survived by his wife, children, his 12 grandchildren, and his sisters and brothers.

Richard Moss ’77 passed away peacefully on December 13, 2021. He served in the US Navy as a radioman in the Pacific and received several awards for his service.

Richard studied business and journalism at UP. He worked in corporate communications for many Portland organizations, including UP, and founded his own consulting business. During his retirement, he worked with the Oregon Department of Corrections mentoring parolees.

He owned many dogs, all of whom were very special to him. He is survived by his sister, Molly; his four children; five grandchildren; and dog, Willie.

Robert “Bob” Frank Ferrando ’73 died on November 5, 2021, after a courageous seven-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was the CFO for Western Roofing

Carol Joanne Allen ’81, passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 25, 2020. After earning her nursing degree at OHSU, Joanne followed her brother,

Jerry Allen, to Munich, Germany, where she worked in the US Army Hospital ICU for several years. During her free time, she traveled throughout Europe and discovered her desire to explore new cultures and countries. After returning to the US, she earned her MS in Nursing at UP and began working at the Oregon Health Division in Portland, where she collaborated with 36 county health departments. Carol also traveled to Azerbaijan three times with OHSU to teach medical and nursing students. She spent much of her retirement traveling. She is survived by her brother, Jerry, and half-sister, Sue Tylock.

Beatrice “Bea” Gilmore ’81 passed away on December 29, 2021. She was the first Black student to graduate from the OHSU School of Nursing. Bea knew she wanted to work in health care when her family moved to Vanport, OR, and experienced segregation while taking her grandmother to a clinic that required separate entrances for Black patients. Very distressed by this experience, she decided that she wanted to be a nurse, “and she wanted to deal with the inequities of segregation,” said her daughter, LeVeta Gilmore Jones. She was also a survivor of the 1948 flood that destroyed Vanport. Bea received her MS in Nursing at UP in 1981 and worked as a public health nurse, teacher, clinic manager, and health care advocate for nearly 50 years. She also served as a voting member on the Institutional Review Board at OHSU. Doré A. Jaeger ’86 died on December 20, 2021. She was a very talented and dedicated

athlete and had a twosport scholarship at UP. She especially loved fishing, swimming, and water-skiing.

She taught for 25 years and was a talented artist in multiple artistic mediums and a creative writer. She is survived by her mother, Janice; her children, Margarete, John, and Mark; her granddaughter, Edie; and many nieces and nephews.

Patricia “Tish” Kingsborough ’87 died on May 11, 2022, in Yakima, WA. She was seventy-seven years old. Tish grew up in Whit Swan, WA, and received her undergraduate education from Marylhurst University, where she met her husband, Donald. Together they raised five children in Sellwood and Milwaukie, OR. She earned a Masters in Religious Education from University of Portland. Tish enjoyed singing in the church choir and traveled with The Portland Chorale to sing in Carnegie Hall. She also went on a performance tour of Spain. She was a lifetime member of Warner Grange, a community organization, and spent many years volunteering for the Boy Scouts while her three boys were active. She cherished the time she got to spend with her five children and nine grandchildren.

Marcella “Marcy” Waite ’94 passed away on December 24, 2021. She earned her master’s degree in education at UP and worked as a teacher for 38 years. She especially loved teaching art, creative writing, shorthand, and journalism. She loved art and traveling (she traveled to 24 countries).

She sponsored a family in Thessaloniki, Greece, for 50 years. She is survived by

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her daughter, grandchildren, and large extended family.

Jon Tokuhara ’97 passed away on January 13, 2022, at the age of 47. He grew up in Honolulu, HI, and attended UP and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. He owned and operated Tokuhara Acupuncture and Healthcare in Waipahu, HI, for 19 years. Jon was an athlete and loved the ocean.

In August 2021, he paddled the Kaiwi Channel solo, an accomplishment he was very proud of. He is survived by his mother, sister, brother-inlaw, and his two nephews.

Suzanne Zeitouni ’02 passed away on May 12, 2021, after a battle with cancer, with her husband, Carl, and daughter, Maria, at her side. She studied biology at UP and received her PhD from Tulane University. Suzanne worked as a Research Scientist at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University. Suzanne will be remembered for her infectious smile and generous and caring soul.

She is survived by her husband, daughter, parents, and her sister and brother.

Scott Dees ’06 passed on December 29, 2021, after a battle with a kidney and liver disease. He grew up on a farm in Montana and was the high school valedictorian. After graduating from UP with honors and a degree in biochemistry, he worked as a senior clinical research associate specializing in oncology research. He is survived by his parents, his two siblings, his nieces and nephews (whom he always supported), and a large extended family.

We were recently informed

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of the passing of Brady Hofmann ’15, who died on November 15, 2019, at the age of 26. He was an undergraduate student at the UP School of Nursing. He went on to become a registered nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, CA. The School of Nursing called him, “an incredibly warm, kind and hardworking individual that was dedicated to helping others.”

FACULTY, STAFF, FRIENDS We recently learned of the passing of former UP faculty LeRoy “Fr. Clem” Clementich, CSC, from UP alum Mike Olson ’72. Fr. Clem died at the age of 96 at the Holy Cross House, Notre Dame, IN, after a short illness. He grew up in North Dakota as the oldest of eight children.

After graduating from St. Leo Catholic High School, he enlisted in the US Army and served as a postal clerk in Berlin, Germany, for three years. During his time in the Army, he dedicated time to go to Mass every day, which led him to become a chaplain’s assistant. Fr. Clem taught at UP from 1966 to 1969. In 1993, Fr. Clem began working for the Archdiocese of Anchorage where he traveled to remote villages to celebrate the liturgy and train laity. He called this “one of the most satisfying ministries of my priesthood.” Our prayers and condolences to those who knew and loved him.

Rev. Harry Cronin passed away on April 7, 2022, at the Holy Cross House in Notre Dame, IN. From 1968 to 1978, he was the playwright-in-residence at UP and then served as director of its theatre until 1982.

He had a long career serving

in multiple parishes and schools, and a playwright and director. In 2001, he became the director of Holy Cross Center in Berkeley, CA, before moving to Notre Dame in 2020. A prolific playwright, Harry received several awards, grants, and recognitions for his work.

Dan Gordon Danner, former UP professor of theology, died June 4, 2021. Professor Danner taught here for thirty-two years, winning a loyal following of students with his considerable skills as a storyteller and his extensive knowledge of church history. He was the first nonCatholic professor in the theology department. His writings on church history included his book, Pilgrimage to Puritanism, and a host of articles in academic journals.

He retired in 1998 to sunny Arizona where he continued with his love of golf and singing. He is survived by his sister, Dawn, wife Dorothy, his two sons, J Darin Danner (Karin) and Kirt Holland Danner, and five grandchildren. They all honored him in a memorial service held in November 2021 at The Church of Litchfield Park.

Franz Mayr, a longtime professor of philosophy at UP, passed away on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2021, at the age of 89. He was born in Linz, Austria, and grew up on a farm during World War II. At the age of 10, Franz attended gymnasium, an eight-year school program in Europe, where he excelled in all subjects. “I loved learning, although I hated chemistry,” he told The Beacon in 2010.

His mother, who had a large influence on his childhood, died when he was 13 years old. After finishing gymnasium, Franz studied philosophy

and theology at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

He received his PhD in philosophy at the age of 23 and began working as a research assistant for Jesuit priest Karl Rahner. He also attended law school in Innsbruck during this time. He married an American woman in 1968 in Innsbruck and together they had two children, and then one grandson. As a professor here at UP, he was known for making his lessons relevant to the world and his own life. He always carried a magnet of Einstein in his pocket to remind himself of his humanity.

Let us take a moment to remember the extraordinary life of Lee Kelly, the acclaimed Portland sculptor who, along with his late wife Bonnie Bronson, created the “Tree of Life” that adorns the front of Mehling Hall. Lee’s steel sculptures can be seen in gardens and museums across Oregon, but many of them reside here in Portland.

Some Portland locations that display his pieces include Washington Park, the North Park Blocks, OHSU, and Reed College. Lee grew up on a cattle ranch in Idaho, which he said influenced his artwork. He studied architecture at Vanport Extension Center, the higher education institution in Vanport, Oregon, which grew into Portland State University.

Lee had a prolific career as a sculptor for more than 60 years. Some of his notable works include “Memory 99” at the North Park Blocks, “Akbar’s Garden” at the University of Oregon, and “Akbar’s Elephant” in the lobby of the Fox Tower in Portland. Lee passed away on March 28, 2022, from natural causes at the age of 89 in his home near Oregon City.

BRAD FRANCO

FOR THE LOVE OF IT

A Map of Home FOR YEARS BRAD FRANCO , chair of UP’s history department, had wanted to make a map of Portland. How fortuitous, then, that the Admissions team asked him to jump in and give it a try. They wanted a map to send to prospective students, one that highlighted the city’s neighborhoods, its parks, its famous food scene, and other cultural institutions—all the fun things that were waiting for them here.

That Franco had never created a map before wasn’t really a deterrent—even if he admits that in the end it was a bigger undertaking than he’d ever imagined. (The excerpt above is about one-eighth of the full map.) And really, if his kneejerk answer to projects he’d never done before had been to avoid them, then he’d never have started making art in the first place.

Visual art has been a later-in-life pursuit, one he started only about five years ago. It probably loosely started doodling with his kiddos on a cross-country flight from Portland to upstate New York, where he grew up and discovered his love of history—he got his PhD from Syracuse. It’s also where he acquired his love of making music. That was his comfort zone

as a teenager. “Music and songwriting and recording—I’ve loved that whole process since I was fifteen,” he said.

Mustering up the courage to make visual art took a little longer. “I swore off art at age twelve,” he said. After getting a so-so grade on an art project, he just thought he couldn’t do it. But the energizing and meditative quality of making something new always stayed with him.

“I’ve always felt most alive during the creative process,” he said. And he includes teaching among his creative pursuits. During a sabbatical, when he had the headspace for a new creative hobby, he started to draw. And he kept drawing.

Now his work has been exhibited in Buckley Center and Clark Library galleries, and he created an official NBA Gameday Poster for the Portland Trail Blazers. He enjoyed the map project because he loves living in Portland and creating this map of his home reminded him of all the things that make it special.

To see more of Brad’s art or for more information on the poster, visit his Instagram @bradfrancoart.

SUMMER 2022

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BOB KERNS

Exuberant graduation traditions never get old.

Warm congrats to the Class of 2022!

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