Faculty honored for service to PSU, students, community Hoffmann Award acknowledges scholarly efforts The first George and Virginia Hoffman Award for distinguished service to the University has been given to Michael F. Reardon, director of the University Scholars' Program. Named after the former Dean of Social Science and his wife, the Hoffmann Award honors service by a faculty member done in a "spirit 01 humanism, civility, collegiality, dedication to students, and loyalty to Portland State University." Reardon, who has been at PSU since 1964, served as head of the history department until 1977, when he became director of the Scholars' Program. He designed the Program's annual colloquium series 10 give students of every discipline the opportunity to meet and discuss the work of foremost scholars. The Hoffmann Award recipient has fostered several other unique and multidisciplinary programs, among them ''The Interdisciplinary Humanities Course" (1975~78) and "Public History and Humanities" (beginning in 1978), both lunded by the National Endowment tor the Humanities. Recenlly, Reardon was elected president of the Western Regional Association of Honors Programs, and he has served as executive secretary of the Nationat Honor Societies ot Oregon. His contributions were best characterized by faculty colleague David Johnson: "When I think of the best qualities of our university I I thInk Immediately of Professor Reardon's ongoing, tireless efforts to enliven and enhance the intellectual life of students, faculty, and the rommunity at large." The Hoffmann Award will be presented at June Commencement. Musician's international stature applauded with Millar Award Tomas Svoboda Oregon Symphony conductor James DePreist says of PSU's Tomas Svoboda, "As the ideal musician, pianist, teacher and composer, Tom is a treasure and brings singular credit to the University and to this state." Those qualities, voiced by his students and recognized by his faculty colleagues. won for Svoboda the prestige and $1,000 cash prize accompanying The Branford Price Millar Award for Faculty Excellence. Svoboda, associate professor of music, has been at PSU since 1970. During that tIme he has established himself as a pianist and percussionist, and has acquired an international reputation 8S a composer. His music has been performed by major orchestras in the U.S" Europe and Japan, and on national television. He has completed more than 100 works including those commissioned by the Oregon Symphony and for the dedication of Eugene's Hult Performing Arts Center. The Millar Award, dOOded by faculty committee, is given to a faculty member tor excellence in instruction, scholarship, university and public service. The award will be presented to Svoboda at the University's June commencement. Past recipients have included Gordon Dodds, Frederick Heidel, James Hart, Rudi Nussbaum, and Susan Karant~Nunn. Coaster Theater schedule set Optical system could aid cancer research PSU's Coaster Theater inaugurates its 15th season of presentations at Cannon Beach with the opening July 1 of Agatha Christie's ''Ten Little Indians." Director Jack Featheringitl is assembling an outstanding line~ up of guest artists and plays for the Coaster season, which runs through August 28. Included in this year's season Is PSU's nationally recognized production of Jean Anouilh's comedy, "Waltz of the Toreadors." Two researchers from PSU and the University of Oregon have the opportunity to perfect a device which could permit scientists to study individual cancer cells with dramatically improved clarity. The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Vancouver, Wash., awarded the inter~institutional researchers $87,000 in flrst~year "seed money" to help Ihem perfect an advanced electron optics system for photo~electron microscopes. The scientists' device would correct aberrations of the microscopes' imaging system. "This would enable us to see single proteins attached to the surface of single cells," noted Gertrude Rempfer, principal investigator and a professor emeritus of physics at PSU since 1978. Since cancer cells and normal ~lIs are known to differ, but in very minute ways which scientists don't yet understand well, being able to use this ne"W device to see clearly and learn exactly how they differ could mark a needed breakthrough In cancer detection and research. Gertrude Rempfer "Other scientists could then design 'magic bullets' capable of targeting cancer cells and killing them without harming normal cells," ventured O. Hayes Griffith, professor of chemistry and molecular biology at Oregon and co-principal Investigator on the project. Rempfer and Griffith have been inter~institutional collabOrators and researchers for nearly 15 years on projects relating to the physics, chemistry and biology of Einstein's photo-electric effect. This knowledge, first explained by Einstein in 1905, later won him a Nobel Prize, But it has never been applied to the task of imaging biological specimens until now, according to Griffith . "This is Ihe only project of its kind in the United States or elsewhere in the wortd," he said. If their effort is successful, this electron optical correcting system also could be applied to other electron optical systems used in research and industry, such as transmIssion electron microscopes, electron or Ion probes, and cathode ray tubes. The development work is anticlpated to take up to three years, at a total estimated cost of S257,0(Xl If the optical correcting system can be perfected in PSU laboratories, a federal~level granting agency would thao be asked to finance the actual ~nstruction of a new photo~electron microscope incorporating the perfected opllcal system, Griffith said. Guest artists fOf this season wi\! include Dallas McKennon, Jack Sheilds and Victoria Parker, as well as a possible appearance by nationally known television performer and PSU alum Terence Knox, who starS as Dr. White in the series "St Elsewhere." The complete Coaster schedule inctudes: "Ten little Indians," July 1-17; "Waltz of the Toreadors," July 2O~31; Alan Ayckboume's "Bedroom Farce," Aug. 3~14; and Kaufman and Hart's "You Can't Take It With You," Aug. 17-28. Ticket prices for the Coaster are $7.50 per show or $22 lor the season. Tickets may be purchased starting In June from the Coaster Theater. However, ticket order Inlonnation is available through PSU The.ter Arts, PO Box 751, Portland, 97207 (229-4$12). 17
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