PSU Magazine Spring 1997

Invisible no more The Invisible College has found a new home at Portland State. Most recently located at Brown University, this membership organiza– tion encourages service learning-the appl ication of subject material to real– world situations. This link of commu– nity service with academic study provides students and faculty with research opportunities that can aid the community. The Invisible College includes nearly 70 faculty members and educa– tors from 40 institutions of higher learning, ranging from Georgetown University to University of California– Berkeley. Founded in 1994, the organi– zation provides a means for educators to exchange ideas, experiences, and critiques about service learning. The Invisible College gets its name in part because service learning often embraces nontraditional approaches to learning that are sometimes over– looked or made invisible within a univer ity. Mystery giver revealed In January it was revealed that a New Jersey businessman has been giving away his fo rtune, and Portland State was one of the lucky beneficiarie . The University received an amount le s than $1 million from a fo undation formed and financed by Charles F. Feeney. (The foundation stipu lates that the amount it donate not be revealed.) During the past 15 years, Feeney anonymously doled out $600 million made through his duty-free airport shops. He only revealed his identity this winter after a lawsuit was filed over the sale of the shops. The New York Times broke the story, and President Judith Ramaley wa one of the few recipients to be interviewed. Until called by the paper, he had no idea that one man supported the foun– dation that gave Portland State such a generous gift. "It was a marvelous mystery. I ju t hope I can shake his hand someday," said Ramaley. 4 PSU MAGAZINE SPRING l997 Feeney leads an unpretentious life-no flashy clothe or cars-and he doesn't even own a hou e, according to The Times. Atlantic Trust, the foundation to which he transferred most of h is wealth, has at lea t $3 .5 billion in assets. Feeney's own personal worth is estimated at less than $5 mi llion . At Portland State the money was used to train faculty for the final phase of the University's new undergraduate curriculum. Next year students will perform capstone projects that involve public service. Geology professor dies John Eliot Allen, beloved teacher, prolific author, and respected professor emeritus of geology, died Dec. 17 at age 88. He founded the department in 1956 after serving 20 years as a field geologist throughout the United States. He retired in 1974, but came in daily to his office on campus until thi past November. Professor Allen wa an expert on the Columbia River Gorge. His most recent book, Hiking Oregon's Geology, a guide to the state's landscape, was co-authored with Ellen Morris Bishop. His autobiography, Bin Rock and Dump Rock, will be publi hed in 1997. Professor A llen was honored by the University in June 1995 with a Presidential C itation for his "outstanding service and dedication" to Portland State. Backed by research The Urban League of Portland is both a partner and a client of PSU 's new enter fo r ommunity Research . Long-term discussions between the Urban League and PSU 's Institute of Portland M tr politan Studies have re ulted in a center that will provide re earch backing fo r League projects and fo r other community group . It will also furnish Portland tate students with new re earch opportuni– ties in the community. "Community-based organizations are plentiful , but they're con tantly competing fo r a shrinking number of dollars," says center Director Karry Gillespie. "They often don't have the fac ilities or expertise to ask the right que tions or to pursue grant money that could help them meet their needs. They're often too busy serving their constituents." The Urban League, a nonprofit agency, helps metro area re ident with jobs, economic growth, and soc ial justice issues. The new center is based at two locales: the Urban League's main office at 10 N. Russell Street, and the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studie in Harder House, 1604 W 10th, on campus. Two project involv– ing the Urban League already are under way. One, modeled after a program in St. Louis, is the "State of African– American Children in Multnomah and Washington Counties." The project will prov ide a snapshot of what it's like to be an African-American child in the Portland area. The second Urban League project covers a detailed survey of the Urban League's annual Career Connection Job Fair held in April. Future projects fo r the center may involve the Jefferson Caring Community, an organization that connect Jefferson High School students and staff with the immediate neighborhood. Talks also are under way with the A lbina Ministerial Alliance, which prov ides emergency assistance to people in the north– northea t Portland area. D