PSU Magazine Summer 1990

I AROUND THE PARK BLOCKS I Tribute to Edgington The University community is invited to a day of special events, Wednesday, July 25 , honoring Interim PSU President Roger Edgington. A campus reception is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Smith Memorial Center, Room 338; and cocktails, chinese buffet and entertainment are planned for that evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Masonic Temple, 1119 S. W. Park . Cost for the evening event is $25 , and reservations can be made with University Special Events, 725-4910 . Edgington , who first came to the University in 1976 as director of Business Affairs, has served as interim president of PSU since January 1989. During his presidential tenure he oversaw the appointment of key university deans and administrators; formation of a new student microcomputer lab; building of the new library addition ; acquisition of the former State Fish and Wildlife building; approval of new degree programs in Fine and Performing Arts , Computer Science and Urban and Public Affairs; an agreement with Khabarovsk Institute in the Soviet Union to offer PSU's Master of Business degree program; formu lation of responses to the Governor's Commission on Higher Education in Portland; and appointment of a task force to look at education in Washington County. Edgington will leave the interim president post on August I, when Judith A. Ramaley becomes permanent president of Portland State University. He will remain on campus through September to work on special projects . Rare tree donated to university A rare dawn redwood tree is now growing in the grassy common area north of the School of Business/Education building, much to the delight of PSU biology and geology professors . The seven-foot specimen of Metasequoia was donated to the University this spring by PSU 4 Ione Plaza resident Louis Oberson . The tree has delicate soft needles which drop every year. Until 60 years ago the dawn redwood was thought to be extinct. Fossils of this genus are common in eastern Oregon, dating back some six million years . In the 1940s living trees were discovered in Chinese temple yards , and cones were brought back to this country and cultivated. Geology Professor Richard Thoms, who spoke during the ceremony dedicating the tree this May, said he was pleased that a specimen of this rare tree will be available for study on campus. Louis Oberson , who raised the tree from a seed, is a long-time friend of the University and many of its faculty. His daughter, Mary Lou Oberson, graduated from the University in 1969. NSF funds weather teaching program Three researchers from Portland State have been awarded a $377 ,090 grant from the National Science Foundation to help teachers use computer-interfaced weather stations to introduce their students to scientific concepts using " real world" examples in meteorology. Professors William Becker, David Cox and Daniel Johnson will co-direct the "Regional Teacher In-service Project in Meteorology." This three-year project will involve 80 teachers from 40 middle and high schools in Oregon and southwest Washington . Teachers will learn to use and maintain a Solus WeatherPlus data-gathering system that is connected to an IBM personal computer. Each weather station will continually monitor seven atmospheric parameters through sensors mounted on each school 's roof. During the second year of the project, the weather stations will be connected via telephone lines to a central computer at PSU. Schools will then be able to gather and display weather information for all schools in the network. It was a grand time This spring, Portland State honored Out– standing Friends and Alumni of the University at "PSU Salutes," a reception and luncheon held at the Multnomah Athletic Club on May 4. Outstanding Friends awards went to: Norm Daniels , vice president of merchandis– ing for G. I. Joe's in Portland and supporter of intercollegiate athletics at PSU; Lee Koehn, a 1973 graduate and president of his own executive search and consulting firm, as well as past president of the PSU Foundation; Fred Stickel , president and publisher of The Oregonian newspaper and a member of the PSU Advisory Board; and Gretchen A. Willison, civic leader and president of the PSU Foundation . Paul Linnman , KATU-TV news anchor and PSU alumnus, served as master of ceremonies , and Interim PSU president Roger Edgington presented Outstanding Alumni awards to Alcena Boozer ('74 MA) and Bill Lemman (Vanport). PSU President– elect Judith A. Ramaley flew out from Kansas to serve as guest speaker. Faculty garner awards Norman L. Wyers, professor in the Graduate School of Social Work and a faculty member since 1974, received the "Social Worker of the Year Award" for 1990 from the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. This is the first time in more than a decade that the 1,400-member state organization has chosen a facu lty member for the honor. Wyers, who teaches social policy and social welfare courses , received the award for his leadership in AIDS education. Joan Malling , director of the Professional Development Center in the School of Business Administration since 1985, received a national award in April for her work from the National University Continuing Education Association . The association's "Certificate of Excellence" award honors the development center's