Portland State Magazine Fall 2007

Ramsdell accepted a position at Centra l Union High School in Phoen ix to work as a special education teacher for a Ii fe skills class. His wife, Cathy, will be a school nurse in che Phoenix Union School District. Julie Pinegar-Mick '06 wed longtime boyfriend, Abra ham Mick, in Maui, Hawaii, in July. John Fitzgerald PhD '07 had his doctoral dissertation selected by the American Psychologi- cal Association for che Patrick H. DeLeon Prize for 2007. Ross Seligman '07 is che leader of Echo Helstrom, a Porcland-based orchestral pop quintet. Alessandra Dinu '03 plays violin in che group. Thaddeus T. Shannon, III, PhD '07 received a 2007 PSU Commendation Award. The award is presented to students who have excelled academi– cally, maintained a cumu lative grade point average of at lease 3.75, and engaged in success– ful scholarly activities and community involvement. In Memoriam G. Bernhard Fedde, adjunct professor emeritus of history and international law, died July 17 in Portland . He was 98. While practicing law in Portland from 1956 to 1990, Prof. Fedde caught PSU courses in Internacional and Constitu– tional Law, Western C iviliza– tion, United States History, and Scandi navian History. H e conducted ongoing historical On ladders leaning against Lincoln Hall, students pose for the camera when Portland State receives university status in 1969. research, attended conferences, and presented findings interna– tionally. Prof. Fedde was one of che founders of che Porcland– area Scandinavian Heritage Foundation and remained active in promoting Scandina– vian culture and languages. Debbie Murdock left an indelible mark during her 14 years at P U, where she served as lobbyist and adviser to che president until her death August 14 from cancer. She was 52. Ms. Murdock helped transform the Un iversity to the largest in che state system, leading co tens of millions of dollars in federal funds and stare upport. She also served as mentor to many students, helping chem launch careers in public service. A scholarship has been established in her name through che PSU Foundation. ALUMNI NOTES Jerry Penk, professor emeritus of English, died June 13 in Port– land . He was 75. Penk, who was on faculty from 1964 through 1990, was instrumental in help– ing the Vanguard, the Univer– sity's student newspaper, thrive after che journalism department was disbanded in 1982. He served as head of che journal– ism department and went on to serve as faculry adviser to the Vanguard and the Portland Review while reaching writing. The PSU Publications Board lauded Prof. Penk's contribu– tions to fostering a "climate of creativity and attention to con– tent" that earned the Vanguard national recognition in 1987. ■ Looking Bacl< IN A NEW PICTORIAL HISTORY "In 1970-71, Women's Studies came into existence at Portland State by the imaginative and political gesture of declaring itself legitimate. Undergraduates, teachers, and women from the community opened an office 'donated' by a member of the Philosophy Department and printed and distributed a descriptive catalogue of women's courses offered by academic departments. Then, sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters under Dean William Hamilton, teachers planned and taught jointly an Introduction to Women's Studies course. The new center was housed in the lower floor of Montgomery Court. It later became the Women's Resource Center." Excerptfrom Portland Scare: A Pictorial History, by Richard Sanders, which will be published in 2008. 1he book is a project ofthe Retirement Association ofPortland State. For information on the books release, contact the association by e-mail at raps@ pdx.edu or call 503-125-3447. FALL 2007 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 29