Portland State Magazine Spring 2017

SPRING 2017 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 25 Athletics EDUCATION ALUMNA Carol Scharfer (Engdall) MS ’74 was taking audiology classes at PSU when she first crossed paths with Professor Mary Gordon-Brannan. “Everywhere Mary went a crowd of eager students accompanied her. Her door always seemed to be open so students could ask her questions and share ideas,” Scharfer remembers. Scharfer went on to a career in speech pathology in a variety of settings, including outpatient clinics, public schools, home health and private practice. To this day she thinks of Gordon- Brannan with respect and admiration. A professor emerita and former program director in Speech and Hearing Sciences, Gordon-Brannan taught at Portland State for 30 years, starting in 1972. She and her husband, Steve Brannan ’57, a beloved professor emeritus of special education, have dedicated themselves to supporting and making a difference for PSU students. In 2014, at the encouragement of her husband, Gordon- Brannan established the Mary Gordon-Brannan Scholarship, which was recently awarded to Jenae Dunlop, a soon-to-be PSU master’s graduate and budding public school speech- language pathologist. More than a decade after her work at PSU, Gordon-Brannan continues to feel a special connection with students in the field. “The students in the Speech and Hearing program are fabulous,” she says. “Education today is expensive, and we wanted to help how we could.” MORE THAN 50 colleagues, former students, family and admirers—including Scharfer—contributed to make sure the scholarship reached endowment and benefited students for generations to come. “I just wanted Mary to see her dreams for this scholarship come true,” says Scharfer. In addition, Scharfer says she wanted to support future speech pathologists “who might gain as much joy from their years in the profession as I have.” Scharfer has made several gifts to the scholarship fund, including one in memory of her granddaughter. She encourages others who have found their PSU experience particularly meaningful to consider supporting student scholarships. “The cost of completing a speech pathology course of study is continually increasing, and it seems public funding for college programs is diminishing.” Not only has Gordon-Brannan witnessed the generosity of numerous individuals providing financial assistant for future speech-language pathologists, the scholarship also resonates deeply for her on a personal level. Soon after establishing the scholarship, Gordon-Brannan had a severe stroke. Fortunately speech-language pathologists have provided ongoing treatment and services that have led to significant improvements in her communication and social interactions.  Written by Cecily Walters, marketing and communications assistant in the PSU Foundation. Making a scholarship come true Giving Professor emerita Mary Gordon-Brannan, seen here from 1993, created a scholarship for speech-language pathology students. To learn more about support ing scholarships and thei r importance, please vi s i t PSUF.ORG/SCHOLARSHIPS.