PSU Magazine Fall 2013

PH I L A N T H R 0 p y I N ACTION Fund honors memory of political science student Just six months away from graduating with a degree in political science, 23- year-old Katrina Pongracz lost her life in an automobile accident on a wet and slippery morning in September 2000. A Portland native and Benson High School alumna, Pongracz was looking forward to law school after receiving her PSU bachelor's degree. She worked full time to put herself through school, while carrying a full academic load. Active on campus, Pongracz was vice president of the Oregon Association of Students in International Business & Economics. The association arranges internships in the United States and abroad for American and international students. Charitable gift annuities are a simple way for you to receive lifetime income, while ensuring that the PSU students of tomorrow have the resources they need. .t Dependable high rate-of– return for life. .t Partially tax-free immediate income. .t Substantial tax saving this year. To learn more please call the PSU Foundation at 503-725-5881 or email varnump@pdx.edu . 18 PSU MAGAZINE FALL 2001 "Katrina was the kind of student one always hopes for," recalls political science Prof. Mel Gurtov, "diligent, serious, reliable and of course very intelligent. I feel certain she was headed for great things in interna– tional affairs. Kat– rina is missed by me and my colleagues." In 2000 Pongracz had put her stud– ies on hold for one term in order to help her family during her oldest brother Peter's third recurrence of lym– phoma. He died in July 2001. After her death, the Pongracz fam– ily, including parents Peter and Tilly, five brothers and three sisters, estab– lished the Katrina M. Pongracz-Bartha Memorial Fund to provide scholarships for women students majoring in politi– cal science. It's for students, who like Katrina, have a job or family responsi– bilities, says her sister Sabrina Stein. The family continues to encourage support for the scholarship among family, friends, and within the PSU community. To contribute to the Katrina M. Pongracz-Bartha Memorial Fund, con– tact Tracy Prince, College of Urban and Public Affairs, 503-725-5209 or tprince@mail. pdx. edu . Working with high school science teachers They spend fall, winter, and spring in the classroom, and summer in the lab. That is the itinerary for the next two years for six metropolitan area high school science teachers collaborating with PSU scientists on cutting-edge research projects, thank to Partners in Science grants from the M.J. Mur– dock Charitable Trust. The Partners in Science Program aims to provide high school science teachers with opportunities to work on important scientific research pro– ject , and thus revitalize their teach– ing and help them appreciate the use of inquiry-based methods in the teaching of science. University faculty mentors at the same time benefit from contact with those shaping their future students. For example, Erik Bodegom, PSU professor of physics, and his research partner, Michael Fitzgibbons of Forest Grove High School, hope to help sharpen the pictures taken by CCD imagers, the same kind of camera used in the Hubble telescope. Their project uses infrared light to look at the effects of impurities, such as air pollu- tion, on the quality of images pro– duced by the equipment. A video camera detects photons (particles of light) and a chip conver.ts that light to signals on the screen, explains Bodegom. Any impurities that are present will leave an afterimage and degrade the image. The two scientists are looking at how to detect those impurities and help manufacturers improve image quality. In other Partners in Science pro– jects, teams are examining aerosols, polymers, fuel cells and quantum mechanics. Chemistry and physics professors are working with teachers from Canby, Glencoe, Grant, Gre– sham, and Tigard high schools. Selec– tion of project partners is based on the qualifications of the partners, the quality of scientific research proposed, and the potential impact on the high school setting. The Murdock Trust, created by the will of the late Melvin "Jack" Mur– dock, provides grants that strengthen the Pacific Northwest region's educa– tional and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. D