Portland State Magazine Spring 2012

ALUMNI PROFILE RAMO N TORR ECIL HA ' 8 4 , MA '86 Against all odds Ramon Torrecilha was recently appointed provost, the second highest academic post, at California State University - Dominguez Hills. But back when he began his education at Portland State-as a farm worker who spoke little English-this appointment would be too fantastic to even consider. Torrecilha moved to the United States to participate in an agricultural exchange program that promised education in return for working on an orchard in White Salmon, Washington. But the Brazil native, who came from a laborer background, soon found that his new employers were less interested in teaching than they were in cheap labor. It was only with the help of a bilingual Bible that Torrecilha started to understand English and found his way to Portland State. Here, he became part of a community that encouraged his desire to learn . "I've come to where I am today because of educa– tion," says Torrecilha, "and I received my education through Portland State University. For that, I'm eternally grateful ." He started at Portland State studying English as a second language, a PSU program that is ranked highest by U.S. News and World Report for providing English proficiency for more international students than other universities in the United States. After his first term, Torrecilha enrolled in regular classes and fell in love with sociology. He eventually earned a doctorate in the subject, but he still remembers a conversation with a PSU professor that he recalls as a turning point in his schooling. "She said, 'absolutely, you can do what I do.' And that day my life changed because I had somebody that real ly saw potential in me." 22 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE SPRIN G 20 12 Dennis Hoffman PhD '79 received a 201 2 Alumni Out– standing Teaching Award from the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he is a professor in the school of criminology and criminal justice. 1980- 1989 Teresa Smith-Dixon MSW '81 is a clinical social worker and bereavement care coordinator with Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. Smith-Dixon has spent more than 21 years providing social work services in the community. Christopher Owens '82 has been promoted co major general and will assume command of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan. H e was serving as deputy commanding general for a Marine expedition ary force in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Christopher Owens '82 Lloyd Rice '82 is the Saudi Arabia country manager fo r National Oilwell Varco, a drill– ing rig components supplier. Rice works out of their Houston headquarters. Patricia Maguire Armstrong '83 is a freelance writer and author of nine books . She co– authored Big-Hearted Families, a collection of stories about Catholic families, for Scepter Publishers. Armstrong lives in North Dakota with her husband Mark and their 10 children, including two Kenyan AIDS orphans. Sharon Brabenac '83 MBA '88 is director of development fo r the YWCA of G reater Porcland. She also chairs the member– ship committee for the board of governors at the City Club of Porcland , where she has been a member since 1993. Scott Johnson '83 is vice presi– dent of finance fo r Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas C ity, Mis– souri. Previously, Johnson held the same position for Legacy H ealth System in Portland. Timothy Joy '83 is principal of D e La Salle North Catho- lic High School in Porcland. Previously, Joy taught English, religion, and system dynamics at La Salle Catholic College Preparatory in Milwaukie. Leslie Morehead MBA '84, PhD '96 is a Porcland-based small business consultant specializing in management services. She has worked abroad as a consultant and has taught business management courses in Eastern Europe and Russia. Morehead is a member of the C ity Club of Porcland board of governors, and was given its Member of the Year award in 2010. Dorinda Himes '85 is the envi– ronmental compliance manager for the H etch H etchy Water System Improvement Project, part of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. She over– sees permit compliance and the protection of natural resources during pipeline construction . Matt Jensen MA '85 is the principal executive coach of ExecuFeed.com, an execu– tive coaching fi rm based in Porcland. Fernando Martinez '86 is a councilman in Leesburg, Virginia, where he has lived with his wife and children since 1993. Martinez previously worked as an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, a man– agement and consulting firm in Washington, D.C.