Portland State Magazine Fall 2008

It's great to be a Vil<ing A FEW YEARS AFTER Idroppedourofcollegero "find myself" and enter rhe work force, I came to appreciate rhe importance of a college education as a platform for future ambitions in life. Enter Portland Stare University. After several years of night classes, I graduated with a BS in psychology. (I was rhen working in rhe field of men– tal health.) PSU provided me rhe op– portunity ro grow up, srrerch my mind , meer interesting people, and obtain an undergraduate education that provided the necessary foundation for arrending law school and embarking on a 25-year Jeff Austin was a non- traditional student. career as a lawyer ar Miller Nash LLP. Thank you PSU! When I graduated in 1977, PSU afforded many "nontradi– tional" tudenrs like me the opportunity for a solid education. It was a great time to be a Viking. Over rhe years, PSU has undergone significant growth and change, offering many more academic studies, disciplines, and degrees to borh rradirional and nontraditional students. The future is very bright for PSU. Ir is now the largest university in Oregon, wirh nearly 25,000 students and 4,738 degrees conferred in the 2007-08 academic year. Many civic and busi– ness leaders of Oregon are among its alumni, and PSU is an important partner with many constituencies in the Portland metropolitan area. With new president Dr. Wim Wiewel, PSU offers even greater promise for future growth in excellence and stature. Over the past five years, I have had the privilege of being on the board of the Portland Stare University Alumni Association and giving a lirde back to the insrirurion rhar provided me the opportunity to enjoy whatever success I have achieved. 11,e Alumni Association serves approximately 125,000 alumni. As a board member, I have mer many women and men who are pas– sionate about PSU and who had similar experiences at PSU in gaining rhe necessary skills and experiences for success in life. I encourage all PSU alumni to ger involved (or perhaps reac– quainted) wirh PSU: join rhe Alumni Association, rake a class, arrend P U weekend October 18-19, or rake advantage of rhe many lectures, arc exhibit , athletic or performing arcs even rs on can1pus. Ir is a great rime to be a Viking! Jeff Austin '77 - President, PSUAlumni Association Ambassador to Qatar sworn in on campus WASH INGTO N, D .C. , is rhe usual serring for rhe pomp and circumstance surrounding new ambassadorships. Alum– nus Joseph E. LeBaron chose Portland Stare, however, for his official swearing-in as new U.S. ambassador to the Middle East country of Qatar. Fellow sociology alumnus, Paul DeMuniz '72, chief justice of rhe Oregon Supreme Court, presided over the July ceremony. Joining LeBaron at the campus event wa his wife, Elinor (Drake) LeBaron '67; their daughter, Perra; and family, friends, other alumni, and PSU Qarari students. The fol– lowing day he spoke at a dinner of PSU Gulf Cooperation Council alumni representatives from Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. The hundreds of council alumni hold yearly reunions in rhe Gulf Scares. A career diplomat, LeBaron, 60, is well suited to d1e new 20 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE FALL 2008 senior posr. He earned a doctorate in Near Eastern srudies from Princeton and has held previous embassy assignments in Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, and Bahrain, as well as top stare depart– ment posts in Washington, D.C. He speaks French, Turkish, Persian, and Auent Arabic. Career diplomat, Joseph E. LeBaron '69, speaks French, Turkish, Persian, and fluent Arabic. Photo by Andie Petkus