PSU Magazine Spring 1999

Honoring our own on May 6 You're invited to PSU Salutes, a joyous and inspirational celebration of our friends and supporters. Share the success of our outstanding award recipients, mingle with friends and colleagues, and enjoy wine and hor d' ouevres in the festive atmosphere of Hoffmann Hall. This 10th annual event is Thursday, May 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and is sponsored by the Alumni Association , Viking C lub, PSU Foundation, and Office of University Relations. For tickets, call 725-4948. Portland State proudly honors the following individuals. Tanya Collier '75, MPA '79, this year's Outstanding Alumna, is recog– nized for her inspirational efforts on behalf of Portland State, and her devo– tion to community service , says nomi– nator Joan Johnson '78. Collier is a former Multnomah County Commissioner with a long record of public service that includes positions as councilor for the Metropolitan Service District, member of the Multnomah County Auditors and City of Portland Auditor's Review commissions, and member of the Multnomah County Charter Review Commission. Collier demonstrates commitment to civic causes beyond the norm, says the volunteer selection committee. "She didn't have to go the extra mile for PSU and the community, but she did," says selection committee member Brian Black '69. At Portland State, Collier has served as an adjunct instructor in the School of Urban Studies and Planning. She has also been a member of the PSU Alumni Association and Foundation boards and has co-chaired special events fo r the University. "Tanya has worked tirelessly on behalf of PSU for many years. Her dedication and commitment to the Un iversity is an inspiration," says Robert Dryden, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Collier's other civic and profes– sional activities include honorary board member of Lents Boys and Girls C lub and membership in the Montav illa Kiwanis C lub, City C lub, and Oregon Women's Political Caucus. 18 PSU MAGAZINE SPRING 1999 Terry Cross MSW '77, Outstanding Alumnus, is executive director and founder of the National Indian Child Welfare Association in Portland. He advocates for children at the local, state, and national levels, and through training programs with social service workers and family members. Cross has become a nationally recognized expert in child welfare services. He has been a consultant to the White House and has testified before Congress. He continues to teach as an adjunct faculty member for the PSU Graduate School of Social Work, and he serves as a consultant to PSU on issues pertaining to students of color and cross-cultural curricular development. "The theme of Terry's work has been the prevention of child abuse through the use of cultural strengths. He works from the tradition of caring within these communities," say nomi– nators Dean James Ward and Professor Joan Shiremen of the Graduate School of Social Work. "Terry's efforts on behalf of Native American fami lies are innovative and imaginative; he dev ises these programs because his heart dictates it," says Susan Hauser '70, a member of the selection committee. Cross is a licensed clinical social worker, a member of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse, and an international lecturer and writer. He was the facu lty adviser to the PSU United Indian Students for Higher Education, a faculty liaison for the Minority Child Welfare Training Project, and continues to serve as guest lecturer in PSU social work classes. Devorah Lieberman, professor of speech communication and director of Teaching and Leaming Excellence for fac ulty, is the 1999 recipient of the Alumni Association's Distinguished Faculty Service Award. The selection committee, which judges this annual award based on evidence of quality teaching and significant community service, was overwhelmed by Lieberman 's accomplishments. A facu lty member since 1987, Lieberman teaches intercu ltural communication, which she believes enhances quality of life. She has demonstrated excellence in her own classroom, and she is responsible for improving the teaching of all facu lty through her position as director of Teaching and Learning Excellence. "What makes Devorah's service particularly noteworthy is that she has had an enormously positive impact on how the Univers ity's faculty teach, thus enabling us to better reach the thousands of students who sit in our classrooms," says nominator Teresa Bulman, associate professor of geography. Lieberman serves in a volunteer capacity as an executive board member and program developer for the Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement, where she helped establish a Latino mentoring program involving PSU students and area high school students. As past coordinator for the Adventure School (Portland Public Schools), Lieberman designed and implemented a collaborative program with PSU's computer labs, providing fourth– through eighth-graders exposure to advanced technology and the univer– sity environment.