PSU Magazine Fall 1998

HILANTHROPY I N Alum heads Foundation Jan Kurtz '87, new executive director of the PSU Foundation, doesn 't have much to learn about the University. During the past 15 years she's been a PSU history student, Alumni Board president, and development director. In her newest role, Kurtz, 36, will head the Foundation , which manages more than $13 million in charitable contributions, as well as raise funds and cultivate friends for the University. She will provide leadership to the Foundation's board of directors and its host of affiliated volunteers. Jan Kurt:: '87, new executive director of the PSU Foundation Since 1996, Kurtz has served as development director for the PSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Prior to that she was execu– tive director of the Portland-based American Advertising Museum. While working at the museum she served as president of the PSU Alumni Association Board . "This is an exciting time to be involved in the PSU Foundation," says Kurtz. "Our assets have grown tremen– dously in the past two years, which poses some major challenges-Dnes that any Foundation would be happy to face." New to the board The PSU Foundation Board of Directors added fi ve new members this past year. They are Julie Strasser Dixon, author; Nicholas Fish , attorney with Kell, Alterman and Runstein, LLP; Peggy Miller '78, senior v ice president and CFO with Virtual Relocation; Mohammad Rahman '77 , senior vice president for investments at Everen Securities Inc.; and Keren Brown Wilson Ph.D. '83, president and CEO of Assisted Living Concepts Inc. 18 PSU MAGAZINE FALL 1998 Alums give athletics lab For more than 30 years Bob '63 and Jane Morrow '66, MS '77 have supported PSU athletics- both as fans and as donors. "They've probably attended every game in every sport," says Bob Tayler of the Viking C lub. "They're always there together, and what's more, they're interested in the futures of these athletes-what they will do once they're done being athletes." To that end, the Morrows have donated the fund s to reconfigure a space in the Peter W. Stott Center into an academic support center. "This project was one of a list Jim Sterk suggested ," says Bob Morrow, referring to the Athletics Department director. "It looked interesting because we believe academics to be the purpose of the institution, and, of course, it's an important part of athletics as well." The new center will include 16 computer workstations, room for a tutor/lab administrator, and poss ibly a study area. The center will give student athletes the fac ilities they need in a convenient place. It also comes at a crucial time for the devel– opment of PSU athletics. The recent move to the Big Sky Conference and to Division I brings more stringent academic requirements for athletes than Division II. "We're looking forward to the center getting done," says Bob Morrow. "My wife and I met at Portland State. We've been active in sports and all sorts of other things. It's our school. We think everybody should support academics and their school to the extent they're comfortable." The donation for the center continues the Morrows' tradition of giving. Bob Morrow was a board member of the Viking C lub; he and ACTION Jane have volunteered time to raise money for scholarships and other programs. Bob Morrow donated his 1969 Volkswagen beetle for the foo t– ball rally squad. "I bought it new," he says. According to Bob Tayler, the Morrows were also among the first to step up to be Big Sky Founders. Big Sky Founders pledge $ 10,000 a year for five years to help the University's tran– sition to the Big Sky Conference. The Athletics Department recog– nized the Morrows' contributions to its program by sponsoring them for the Outstanding Friends of Athletics award last May. The center is expected to open as early as winter term and will be called the Bob and Jane Morrow Academic Center for Athletics. Exceeding the challenge James Miller challenged the PSU Annual Fund to match his $25,000 gift in only two months' time. Alumni and friends of the University exceeded the task by donating more than $70,000. During the brief challenge period ending June 30, 1998, more than 1,650 donors provided gifts qualifying as matches to the Miller challenge. Miller is no stranger to meeting and exceeding challenges. A successful broker with PaineWebber, Miller, at 93, is still on the job at his New York office. He spent his early career work– ing fo r the company in Oregon. Miller continues to support numer– ous educational and other philan– thropic causes in Oregon. He is a fri end to Chuck Putney '63, whom he men tored at PaineWebber. According to Putney, Miller was especially successful at guiding Oregon business leaders through the transformation of their companies into publicly owned corporations. The more than $95,000 raised through Miller's challenge will be used for scholarships and the development of PSU's schools and colleges. D