PSU Magazine Spring 2006

AL u M _N_ I __ A s s o c I A T I o N__N__ E w s__ ~ PSU: Weekend Edition The Alumni Association is excited to announce that Scott Simon, popular host of National Public Radios Satur– day Weekend Edition, will be the keynote speaker for the 16th Annual PSU Weekend October 20 and 21. Simon will speak at a Saturday brunch as part of a new format for PSU Weekend, which includes free seminars given by PSU professors and area lumi– naries. An exclusive Previ.ew Night party and a pre-football game reception is planned for Friday, Oct. 20. Known as one of the best writers in broadcast journalism and winner of the Peabody Award, Simon's participa– tion in this year's event continues a tra– dition of outstanding, nationally– recognized PSU Weekend speakers. Past speakers have included Frances Mayes, Robert Kennedy Jr., David Hal– berstam, and Ursula Hegi. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Jim Turner at 503-725-8210 or jhturner@pdx.edu . For a PSU Weekend schedule, vi.sit the PSU alumni Web site at www.alumni.pdx.edu . Longtime staffer retires Myrna Duray, administrative assistant in the Office of Alumni Relations, and compiler of PSU Magazine's Alum Notes section, is set to retire June 30. Duray, who has greeted alumni and been the office's sole support staff for the past 12 years, is retiring from a 21- year career at Portland State, nine years of which she spent at the Athletics Department. "Myrna has been our frontline per– son and the face of the Alumni Office to many of our alums," says Pat Squire, assistant vice president for Alumni and Constituent Relations. "The entire community will miss her positive and friendly attitude and her knowledge of the campus. " Duray plans to spend time in her garden, volunteer for pet causes, and do some traveling. 26 PSU MAGAZINE SPRING 2006 Attending the alumni reception in Kuwait City are (left to right) Samir A. Kabbani and Abdulaziz M. Al-Athel, both of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who will be planning next year's reunion; Hassan Al Ghanim of Qatar, host of the 2005 reunion; Abdullah Al Saleh '03 , this year's host; and Majed S. Almotawa, also of Riyadh and on the '07 planning committee. For addi– tional photographs of international events, go to www.alumni.pdx.edu . Alumni Association goes international International alumni comprise a signif– icant portion of Portland State's 105,000 graduates, and this year the University got reacquainted with many of them in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and in the Middle East. Making a first major alumni trip to Asia were President Dan Bernstine, Provost Roy Koch; Michael Reardon, professor emeritus of history and humanities; Cassie McVeety, vi.ce presi– dent for University Relations; and Gil Latz, vice provost for International Affairs. The group met with foundations and university representatives, business leaders, and prospective students. More than 80 alumni and friends gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, Febru– ary 11 at an event organized by alumni Thuchchai "Ake" Piyakulchaidej '04 and Toryos "Och" Pandejpong '97. University officials also met with Min– istry of Science and Technology repre– sentatives, vi.sited a ike contract factory outside Bangkok, and signed a formal cooperative agreement between PSU and Dhurakij Pundit University for exchanges and joint projects. ln South Korea , alumni and friends met February 15 at Sangmyung Uni– versity, which co-hosted the event. Professor Jin Hwan Lee of Sangmyung made all the arrangements for the alumni event as well as the ceremony between the two universities. Visits were arranged with the Korea Founda– tion and the Korean Broadcasting Sys– tem. Ma-Ji Rhee, PSU professor of foreign languages and literatures, was instrumental in the event. The Oregon Bar and Grill in down– town Tokyo was the setting for the Japanese alumni event attended by more than 120 alumni and friends , including a number of dignitaries and PSU's own Patricia Wetzel, professor of Japanese and director of the Institute for Asian Studies. Organized by Hideo Uratani '79 and Hiroyasu Ejima '95 in Japan, along with Yoko Sakurauchi '04 from the PSU Alumni Association in Portland, the event featured speeches, awards, group photos, and a special prize of one round-trip airfare from