Portland State Magazine Winter 1991

I AROUND THE PARK BLOCKS 16th Century Style: The Countess of Bath and her Family," at 7:30 p.m. in the School of Business Auditorium, Room 190, 631 SW Harrison. She will examine affection among families during the 16th century and how elite women found ways to control their lives despite the restrictions of the times. April 11 at 7:30 p.m., professor David Horowitz speaks in a more contemporary vein , discussing "Beyond Left and Right: The Anti-Corporate Impulse in 20th Century America." He investigates the political impulse that represents small business/anti-corporate interests and the continuation of traditional 19th century values in 20th century politics. "Beyond Left and Right" is also the working title of a book in-progress by Horowitz. Faculty receive Burlington awards This fall four faculty members received Burlington Northern Faculty Achievement Awards for excellence in teaching. Honored were Gregory Goekjian, English; Jack Semura, Physics; George Tsongas, Mechanical Engineering; and Lawrence Wheeler, University Honors Program. Through testimonials by fellow faculty , professionals in the field, students, and former students, the awards recognize quality classroom teaching, high scholarly standards and significant student impact. The awards, funded by the Burlington Northern Foundation, carry a $1,500 stipend. Gregory F. Goekjian, associate professor of English, has been on the PSU faculty since 1970. He has contributed to numerous conferences and prestigious journals in the areas of Milton studies and literary criticism. PSU ' s national reputation in the fields of literary criticism and theory is the result, in part, of his courses. In addition, Goekjian is completing a book on Milton. Goekjian teaches the most difficult subjects in the department yet his classes are always full, his colleagues note. And his students applaud him for his PSU 4 Gregory Goekjian Jack Semura Lawrence Wheeler George Tsongas "charismatic teaching style," "infectious enthusiasm," and "generosity of spirit." Jack S. Semura, professor of physics, has been a PSU faculty member since 1973. He received the Russell B. Scott Award for Best Research presented at the 1985 Cryogenic Engineering Conference at MIT. His research and publications on thermodynamics, heat transfer and statistical mechanics are nationally known. Semura was cited by students for his ability to simplify difficult material without losing scientific accuracy and to relate the study of physics to real life. "He makes students care," said one student. "He holds high standards which he maintains himself and to which he encourages his students." George A. Tsongas, professor of mechanical engineering, has been a faculty member at PSU since 1971. He is a licensed professional engineer, consultant/ advisor to private industry and government agencies, and an internationally recognized researcher in building science (moisture effects and energy management) and oowerplant performance. During his years at PSU he has contri– buted to development of the department in many ways, including the addition of 16 new courses. Both "his commitment to teaching and his compassion for students" were noted in written testimonials. Lawrence P. Wheeler , instructor and assistant to the director in the University Honors Program, has been on the PSU faculty since 1976. He is a multi-faceted instructor in the humanities with expertise in language, literature and rhetoric. He was nominated for this award by Honors Program students who cited his erudition, open-mindedness and devotion to students. " He inspires students to their personal best, whether through subtle encouragement or a swift kick in the seat," one student said with affection. He sets high standards and guides students to achieve them. Helping homeless fami lies Homelessness is just a lost job or large medical bill away for many low-income families in the Portland area, according to a study being conducted by the Regional Research Institute for Human Services (RRI) at PSU. The federally funded Homeless Family Self-Sufficiency Project is in the second year of research, having conducted 114 interviews of homeless families at Portland Impact, the only family day shelter in Portland. Most of the interviewed famil ies received specialized service by caseworkers at Portland Impact. The goal of the study is to assess the effectiveness of this intensive case management in helping homeless families to become more self-sufficient. Social work graduate students conducted the initial interviews and are currently performing six-month follow-up interviews with the homeless families . Social work professor Nancy Koroloff is the principal investigator, and Wendy Lebow ('80 MSW) is project manager. The initial 114 interviews have provided a good picture of Portland ' s homeless and the compiled statistics closely resemble those found in other urban areas across the nation. According to the data: • A majority of the families lived in their own apartment or home for a median of eight months prior to becoming homeless, • • •