PSU Magazine Spring 2004

Au MN I ASSOCIATION N E W S Alumni are brought together around the world! In Washington, D.C. , alumni meet the governor Washington, D.C.-area alumni gath– ered at the National Press Club with grads from University of Oregon and Oregon State University in February to greet Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The event, organized by the PSU Alumni Office in conjunction with the other two universities and the gover– nors office, was judged a great success by attendees from all institutions. "Gov. Kulongoski seemed positive and upbeat about Oregon'.s future, and I liked his emphasis on higher educa– tion," said Richard Doty '64. Out of the more than 150 people at the event, some 60 were PSU alumni, students, and faculty, including several faculty It was a good showing of PSU's more than 800 alumni in the area. Mary Cunningham '02, legislative director for the United States Student Association and former student body president, was enthusiastic about con– necting with other former students. "My email was buzzing for days after the event," she said, "and I hope we can do it again." In the Middle East, alumni reconnect More than 50 alumni from the Middle East met in Dubai, United Arab Emi– rates, March 6 at an event co-spon– sored by Gunnar Ingraham, Nawzad Othman, and the PSU Alumni Associa– tion. Alumni attended from the coun– tries of Qatar, Saudi Arabia , Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the gathering was to to reconnect with the some 1,500 PSU alumni now living in the Middle East. At the event alumni received updates about the University, including devel– opments in PSU's Middle East Studies Program, and the establishment of a Nohad Toulan endowed chair, named in honor of the retiring dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs. The University received offers from three enthusiastic alumni to host receptions during the next three years. In January 2005 , an event will be held in Doha, Qatar, sponsored by H.E. Hassan Al-Ghanim '79 , Qatar's Minis– ter of Justice. For more information about next year's event, contact Rod Johnson by email at rod@pdx.edu. President Dan Bernstine (left) with alumnus Abdullah Al-Saley '03 and Prof. John Damis, director of PSU's Middle East Studies Center, met at an alumni event in Dubai in March. Al-Saley will be hosting a Gulf alumni gathering in 2006. (Photo by Rod Johnson) 20 PSU MAGAZINE SPRING 2004 In the Seattle area, alumni continue learning The Alumni Association hosted two events in the Seattle area for alumni, friends, and future students. Alums attended a breakfast meeting in Bellevue on April 7 to meet Presi– dent Dan Bernstine and hear Prof. Robert Bertini talk about transporta– tion and technology Bernstine and Bertini also attended an evening recep– tion at the newly opened Rejuve Seat– tle, an offshoot of the Rejuvenation store in Portland, which is managed by Donna Derington '79 , PSU Alumni Board member. Future PSU students had a chance to mingle with alumni and administra– tors to learn more about Portland State. On campus, alumni see the Hewitt art exhibit The Hewitt Collection of African American Art shown at PSU's Littman Gallery was a big draw for more than 120 alumni and friends on February 5. PSU's Multicultural Center was the site for a reception and a lecture by Isaka Shamsud Din '99 , MFA '01, art faculty, before the group walked down the hall of Smith Memorial Student Union to view the exhibit. "Thanks for bringing this wonderful collection to PSU! " said Tamara Lewis '69 , past president of the PSU Alumni Board of Directors. D Stay connected to PSU! Keep up-to-date with the latest alumni news, events, travel programs, and resources available to you as a PSU alum. Visit our Web site at www.alumni.pdx.edu. You can submit alum notes, update your address and email, or sign up for future email newsletters, all online.