PSU Magazine Fall 1998

Stacy Garrett is rhe educarion and markering manager ar Columbia Technology Cenrer in Sr. Helen . Michael Gottlieb is a consul– ranr wirh MG Consulring, a compurer consulring firm in Lake Oswego. Wei H an MS is a design engineer wirh Larrice Semiconductor in Hillsboro. William H ayhurst is rhe vice presidenr of resea rch and devel– opmenr ar lMIGE, a relemed i– cine company in Aurora. Julia Koch MA is a freelance proofreader and copy ed iror living in Tigard . Koch wrires rhar her arricle enrirled "A Henry James Filmography" has been accepred by The Henry James Review. Misayo "Mimi" Matsuda is an inrerprerive park ranger ar G rand Teran Narional Park in Wyoming and worked rhe winrer season ar rhe narional elk refuge in Jackson , Wyoming. In MetTI") ·ia Richard Burdell ' 73 died in June fo llowing a long barrle with amyorrophic lateral sclero– sis (Lou Gehrig's disease) . Prior ro his illness Burdell played rrumper, keyboards, and percus– sion and was a major parr of rhe Portland jazz scene. Ar rhe rime of his diagnosis, he had a pop band, Silenr Trearmenr. He had srudied wirh Woody Shaw and taughr ar Mr. Hood Communiry College. Burdell is survived by his sisrer, C indy, and brorher, Charles. Sally Reardon '64 died in Augusr from complicarions associared with cancer. She was 55 . Reardon raught briefly in the Porrland Public School system. She was also a volunteer at Doembecher Children's Hospira!, rhe Oregon Hisrorical Sociery, and rhe Portland Art Museum. She is survived by her husband , PSU Provost Michael Reardon , and son , Dav id, and daughter, Karhleen. Memorial donarions may be made ro rhe PSU Honors Program. Lawrence "Larry" Smith '69, MS '75 died of a hearr arrack in June. Smith was a member of rhe 1965 narional champion General Elecrric College Bowl ream from Portland Stare. Smirh raught yoga and speech and communicarions ar O regon Coasr Communiry College in Lincoln C iry. He served on rhe board of rhe Connie Hanson Garden Conservancy and worked with rhe Coasral Aids Network. Survi vors include his morher, Evelyn, and brother Ronald. Preserve this oldhouse Teresa "Tisa" Tyree '78 died of cancer in June. Following her graduation from PSU, Tyree earned an MA in literarure and wriring from Srare University of ew York in A lbany. She raughr English ar various colleges and uni versities in O regon, including PSU. Tyree successfully juggled careers as a reacher, morher, and a profes– sional arrisr. Her art is shown ar rhe Whire Bird Ga llery in Cannon Beach and in rhe A rrs Cenrer ar Hull , England . She is survived by her husband , PSU English Professor Don Tyree, and rhree sons. D ... and create a new home for the PS U cAl,umni lASsociation Friends of Simon Benson House is raising funds to renovate this 98-year-old home, which will move to campus in the spring and become the new home for the Alumni Association. With some help, this historic residence of pioneer lumberman Simon Benson will regain its charms. Call the PSU Alumni Association Office, 725-4948, to get involved. Laurel Kirsch '98 says she was hired 16 years ago as office coordinator for the Theater Arts Department because of her deep, throaty laugh. "Sometimes," she says, "the audience needs permission to laugh. And I give it to them." Laughing, though, is only one part of Kirsch's job. She oversees the logistics that make plays and programs possible. "It's kind of a negotiation thing," she says. "Like when the Purchasing Department has a hissy fit with the odd things we put in for. Once we did a beach and ordered 18 tons of sand and put it on the stage." Kirsch also sees bossing around students as part of her job. "I may be office staff, but I have a role in teaching them, too. So I push and push and push them until they learn how to push back and negotiate the system." The students appreciate her for it, and for everything else she does. Danielle Curran, a senior, describes her as their "patron saint" and "surrogate mother." In 1995 the Theater Arts Student Organization (TASO) presented Kirsch with The Star of the Year Award and serenaded her with the song "You Are My Hero. " They have since created the Laurel Kirsch Scholarship and award the annual $300 prize to someone who goes beyond the call of duty. "What a compli– ment!" Kirsch says. "God, I'm not even dead yet." Kirsch says she'll miss the students most when she retires this January. But she will have the satisfaction of taking her own degree with her. She discovered last spring that she had amassed all the requirements needed for a general studies degree. FALL 1998 PSU MAGAZINE 27