Spring20_Mag_Combined_WEB_single_pages

SPRING 2020 // 29 and interest and creativity, I wouldn’t have cool projects to talk about.” Since he arrived at Wilson in 2009, Bartlo has helped build computer science into a comprehensive, four-year program that is open to everyone, not just those in advanced math classes. He wants his students to become creators rather than simply con- sumers of technology. It’s no surprise that the number of students in the program has grown from about 30 to more than 270. With so little research about best practices in teaching computer science, Bartlo said his collection of degrees from Portland State have come in handy when experimenting with what works best in the classroom. “I’m programmed to collect data and study it, so my research background ends up being really helpful when I try stuff out and document it,” he said. After graduating from Pomona College with a double major in mathematics and science as well as technology and society, Bartlo and his wife, Joanna, lived in Italy for a while. When they returned to the states for graduate school, they decided on Portland and were drawn to PSU’s pro- grams—he for the systems science program and she for the highly regarded mathematics education Ph.D. program. It was also during this time that Bartlo discovered his passion for teaching high schoolers while volunteer- ing at OMSI. He completed his master’s in systems science and earned graduate certificates in simulation and artificial intelligence. He then started the graduate teaching program with an emphasis on mathematics. Once he began teaching, he continued taking classes and eventually earned a master’s in mathematics for teachers, too. Bartlo said he found community at PSU —from the close-knit family in systems science to his cohort of fellow math teachers —and still keeps in touch with classmates. “When you pick a program, hopefully there’s great professors and things like that, but really, you’re getting a community of people who want to learn the same stuff you do,” he said. “PSU is such an interesting mix of people. They’re coming for all different reasons and that’s very stimulating on its own.” CRISTINA ROJAS is the communications manager for PSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Jordan Allen ’05 , founder and CEO of Stay Alfred, a nationwide urban vacation rental company, received the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 Award in the Consumer Service category for the Pacific Northwest. Tareq Amin ’99 , chief technology officer at Rakuten Mobile, was voted 2019’s most powerful person in wireless technology by the readers of FierceWireless.com. Gustavo Balderas MEd ’01 , superintendent of the Eugene School District, was named National Superintendent of the Year. Balderas is only the third Oregon superintendent to receive the distinction. Amelia Eichler ’19 accepted the position of assistant theater manager at the University of Southern California, where she will work with 35 mm film and digital projection in support of the university’s curriculum and events. Abbie Faingold ’18 , former Vikings soccer player, signed a professional contract to play for Charme FC in Japan. Janna Ferguson MArch ’17 has been promoted to Partner at Pyatt Studio, an architecture firm in Boulder, Colorado. Matt Freeman ’89 was hired as director of sales for the Pacific Northwest for Torii Mor Winery in Dundee, Oregon. Stephanie Hough ’11 screened her short film “Century: Summer” in the Portland International Film Festival in March. June Jones ’76, a former Portland State quarterback, is now head coach for the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. ALUMNI IN THE NEWS Share your PSU keepsakes Do you have a treasured object from your time at Portland State? Tell us about it and send a photo in an email to psumag@pdx.edu . If we share your story in the magazine or on Instagram, we’ll send you some special PSU swag.