Portland State Magazine Winter 2012

ALUMNI PROFILE ABUBAKER SAAD M A ' 74 A Qadhafi insider "You had 42 years to establish democracy and prosperity in Libya and you wasted it!" If he could, that's what Abubaker Saad would say to his former boss, the Libyan leader Moammar Qadhafi who was captured and killed in October. Saad says he and many other young, well-educated Libyans rallied behind Qadhafi when he seized power in a 1969 bloodless coup. They believed he would lead Libya into a bright future. Instead, Qadhafi led the Libyan people into more than four decades of terror. "I stayed for the hope of change. That was the tradition at the time, and I couldn't speak out for fear," Saad was quoted as saying to national media, which inundated him with interview requests as events unfolded in Libya. In the 1970s, Saad was a Libyan diplomat and one of Qadhafi's personal interpreters. He traveled frequently-a fact that probably saved his life in 1978 when a coup attempt, in which he took part, was discovered. Saad drove straight to the airport and left the country one last time-without belongings, without saying goodbye to his parents and siblings, without any clear idea where he would live, and, most importantly, without having to explain to airport officials why he was leaving on such short notice. Saad, now a U.S. citizen, teaches history at Western Connecticut State University, but his homeland still calls to him. "What I miss most is my family, and the heritage, the customs and traditions, that I grew up with," says Saad. Fearful for his family's safety, he had no direct contact with them for more than three decades. He now looks forward to reuniting with themopenlyandsafely. BY MEG DESCAMP 22 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WINTER 2012 Howard Ben Tre '78 is an internationally recognized artist known for his sculptures and large-scale works of arc. Ben Tre's art includes urban plaza design, fountains, and benches for both private and corporate commissions. His work can be found in the Metropolitan Museum ofArt; the Museum of Fine Arcs, Boston; the Phila– delphia Museum of Art; the Renwick Gallery of the Smith– sonian Institution; the National Museum ofModern Art, Kyoto, Japan; and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nice, France. 1980-1989 Thomas Crofoot MSW '80 is a member of the Washington State Racial Disproportionality Advi– ory Committee, which works to reduce disparities for children in child welfare. Crofoot is an associate professor ofsocial work at Clark College in Vancou- ver, Washingron. He earned a do torare in social welfare from University ofWashington in eattle. He is a descendant of the Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band. Sara Kerr '80 is a professor of biology at University of the Incarnate World in San Antonio. Kerr earned advance degrees from Texas A&M University. Her area of research is transmission of pathogenic protozoa. Brenda Eichelberger '81 was a judge for the Portland Scare Business Accelerator's annual seed money and mentoring competition for students. Eichelberger is a business instrucror in the PSU School of Business Administration. Marty Miller '81 is a managing agent with Bisnett Insurance in Hood River. Gilbert B. Luzader '82 is coun– sel for HJM International Law Offices in Guangzhou, China, where he interviews current and potential foreign clients and reviews English documents produced by the firm. Previ– ously, Luzader was a corporate language trainer at English First in Guangzhou. He also was a visiting international professor at the Guangdong University of Foreign rudies in Guangzhou and the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai. Jennifer Sherman '82 is direc– tor of human resources services at Trupp HR, Inc., in Hillsboro. Susan Daluddung MURP '83, PhD '05 has received the cre– dentialed manager designation from the International Ciry/ County Management Associa– tion. Daluddung is deputy city manager for development and community service with the office of the city manager in Peoria, Arizona. Previously, Daluddung was chief planner for the city of Porcland. Brenda Meltebeke '83 has been elected chair of Ater Wynne law firm in Portland. Meltebeke has chaired the firm's Emerging Business Group since 2009. Roger Muller '84 is a member of rhe Oregon Health Lead– ership Council and marker medical direcror for United Healthcare's Pacific Northwest Region . Muller earned his medi– cal degree at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and completed his emergency medicine residency at Ohio Seate University. Michael Reese '85, MPA '08 is chief of the Portland Police Bureau. He was previously com– mander of the bureau's East and Central Precincts. Reese lives in southwest Porrland with his wife and three daughters. He enjoys competing in triathlons, playing music, coaching youth basketball, and attending school events with his family.