PSU Magazine Winter 1989

I AROUND THE PARK BLOCKS Letters Thank you for highlighting two wrestlers (Broderick Lee and Travis West) in your fa ll issue. As an alumna of PSU, I'm proud to have these two young men as counse lors in our program for Kids at Ri sk ! They truly believe in giving back to the community - a skill given to them by the ir previous coach and lifetime mentor, Roy Pittman. Faye Palmerton (BS '86) Coordinator, TLC-TnT Program Portsmouth Middle School, Portl and I was pleased to read in the Fall issue the excellent article on Candice Goucher. When I was a PSU student , there were few courses avail able for those of us with an interest in studying about Africa. Fortunately, we had an African student popul ation that richl y represented many African countries and cultures. This, together with a few enthu siastic professors willing to let us tailor the ir courses to meet our spec ific interest in Africa , prov ided a framework that allowed me to turn my interest into an exc iting career opportunity. I' m happy to see the progress that Dr. Goucher and others are making toward enl ightening the PSU community , as well as the rest of Oregon, about African civi li zation, culture and current affairs. Jeanne D. Nelsen (BA '80, MST ·3 1) Reston, Virgini a Renowned researcher is visiting professor Dr. Ki yoshi Niwa, renowned for hi s work on arti fic ial intelligence techno logy, has jo ined the graduate Engineering Management Program at PSU as a visiting professor for the 1989-90 school year. Dr. Niwa comes to PSU from the Hitachi Advanced Research Laboratory, an elite development lab for fu ture tec hno logies. While on campus. Dr. iwa wi ll app ly an artific ial intell igence approach to re earch areas in organi zational decis ion maki ng. in PSU 4 human/computer cooperation for knowledge transfer, and in other dec isionmaking processes in technologybased organizations. His recent book, "Knowledge-based Risk Management in Eng ineering," (John Wiley, 1989) , reflects hi s work in these areas. Dr. Ni wa's research at PSU is being full y underwritten by Hitachi , Ltd . PSU's Engineering Management Program prepares sc ienti sts and engineers in new management capabilities and technology. The program 's first graduate received a master's degree in eng ineering in 1988 . Brenda J. Green New assistant dean Dean of Student Affairs Morris K . Ho ll and has announced the appoi ntment of Brenda J. Green as a sistant to the dean. Green wi ll coordi nate organizational development , planning and evaluation, and wi ll ass ist the Uni versity in des igning programs to he lp minority students attend and succeed at Portl and State. Gree n, who earned a doctorate in ed ucation from Washington State Uni versity, has been with the Oregon Department of Human Resources si nce 1982 . She most recently was a spec ial ass istant to the adm inistrator in the Adult and Fami ly Serv ices Di vision. She also has had extensive experience as a Model C ities admini strator, a teacher and school admini strator. Awards honor faculty This fa ll four PSU faculty members rece ived Burlington Northern Foundation Faculty Achievement awards for excellence in teaching: Sandra C. Anderson, professor, Graduate School of Social Work ; Jean P. Edwards, professor, Schoo l of Education; Claudine Fisher, professor, Fore ign Languages & Literatures; and Trygve P. Steen, associate professor of Biology . Sandra Anderson' s work and publications in the fie ld of alcoholism and the homeless are nationall y and internationally known . Her experience as a clinic ian, community advocate and researcher influence and enhance her classroom presentations, interjecting a view of "the real world" into the confi nes of academia. Jean P. Edwards was recognized fo r her involvement in preparing handicapped young adults fo r competitive employment and independent living. She has acquired a reputation as a pioneer and national leader in the fie ld of deve lopmental disabilities. Claudine Fisher rece ived the Burlington No11hern award for her relentless efforts to better her students , her program and the Uni versity. She has bee n elected repeatedly by her colleagues to Head of the French Section, handles much of the advi ing for the study abroad programs, and is a consultant fo r anything French. Trygve P. Steen rece ived his MS and Ph .D . from Yale , spec ializing in deve lopmental biology . At UC- Berke ley , emphas izing environmental health and tox icology, he rece ived a Masters in Public Health . Hi s interests in those fi elds as well as the fie ld of microphotography have served PSU and its students well . The Burlington Northern award, which carries a cash stipend of $1500, is bestowed by co ll eagues in response to testimonials by fe llow fac ulty , professionals in the fi eld , students and forme r students.