University of Portland - Rise - Latest News

University of Portland announces RISE campaign pledge of $100,000 from Richard and Diane VanGrunsven for fatigue testing machine in Donald P. Shiley Hall

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Portland has announced a pledge of $100,000 from Richard and Diane VanGrunsven to fund the purchase of a fatigue testing machine that will be placed in Donald P. Shiley Hall, the building that houses the Shiley School of Engineering.

The machine by Instron is called an ElectroPuls, which allows for slow-speed static testing and high-frequency dynamic fatigue testing. The equipment can be used in engineering and chemistry instruction, with uses that include the testing of vibrations, metals, polymers and bones.

“It’s a great addition to our university,” said mechanical engineering professor Deborah Schenberger, who plans to use it in the testing of biological tissues. “Several professors in engineering and chemistry have needed this for some time, and it will be frequently utilized by students as well.”

Richard VanGrunsven graduated from the University in 1961, and was

University of Portland announces a $100,000 grant from The Hearst Foundations for undergraduate research

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Portland has announced a $100,000 grant from The Hearst Foundations. The grant will establish the Hearst Summer Research Program to support undergraduate/faculty research for two years at the University.

The program supports four students each summer over a 10-week research project overseen by faculty advisors. Students receive credit for their research and gain practical experience as researchers as they make progress on completing their degrees.

“Our Board members are delighted to support this innovative program,” said Paul “Dino” Dinovitz, Executive Director of the Hearst Foundations. “Student research overseen by faculty advisors benefits students and faculty alike. We applaud the University of Portland for its commitment to providing students with meaningful research opportunities.”

In recent years, University of Portland students duri

University of Portland receives $230,000 from E. L. Wiegand Foundation for new learning lab in Wilson W. Clark Memorial Library, which begins renovation in May

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Portland has announced a grant in the amount of $230,000.00 from the E. L. Wiegand Foundation in Reno, Nevada, for the renovation project of the Wilson W. Clark Memorial Library. This significant grant is part of University of Portland’s RISE Campaign.

Starting in May, the library will be renovated and rebuilt for an estimated $12 million, with designs for a new, modern library on the basic root structure of the old. The library will be closed during the 2012-2013 academic year, re-opening in August 2013. Library services will be offered during the interim year.

The renovated library will help facilitate new tools and resources for the University’s students. While maintaining a similar infrastructure, many aspects of the library will change from the renovation.

The main floor will be named the E. L. Wiegand Learning Lab and feature new movable seating and computers. It will encompass a generous 4,300 square

University of Portland announces RISE campaign gift of $670,000 from the late Francis J. Lang, a 1952 graduate and longtime resident of Molalla

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The University of Portland has announced a gift of $670,000 from the late Francis J. Lang, a University alumnus who donated his home and 65 acres, located in Molalla, Ore. Lang, who passed away in February 2011, earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University. His gift will establish the Francis J. Lang Endowed Scholarship.

Francis Lang graduated in 1938 from Sandy High School and worked various jobs until 1941 when he was drafted. After serving in World War II, he returned to Oregon and enrolled at the University of Portland on the GI bill. He graduated from the University in 1952 and then embarked on a career at Crown Zellerbach, where he retired after a 30-year career.

The gift is part of the RISE campaign, which was announced in December 2010 and seeks to raise $175 million over the next several years, which would result in one of the largest development campaigns ever for a Pacific Northwest private

University of Portland announces RISE campaign gift of $110,000 from Leonard and Brenda Aplet of Scappoose, Oregon

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Portland has announced a RISE campaign gift of $110,000 from Leonard and Brenda Aplet, of Scappoose, Ore., to support endowed scholarships.

The Aplets have four children, two of whom are currently University of Portland students, Amanda, a senior, and Christina, a sophomore. Their oldest daughter, Marcy, graduated from the University of Portland in 1999. Their youngest daughter, Monica, will be a freshman this fall at the University of Portland. Leonard Aplet is Managing Director at Columbia Management Investment Advisers.

The Aplet Family Endowed Scholarship was established to help four University students per year. The gift is targeted to help graduates of Scappoose High School or those who graduated from school in nearby Columbia County.

The gift is part of the RISE campaign, which was announced in December 2010 and seeks to raise $175 million over the next several years,

University of Portland to celebrate ?Tuition Freedom Day? on Tuesday, March 27

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Portland students will honor and thank the University’s generous benefactors on March 27 as part of “Tuition Freedom Day.” Tuition Freedom Day marks the date when a typical University of Portland student’s tuition “runs out” and the rest of the school year is covered by gifts of all amounts from the University’s donors, as well as grants and income from the endowment. Approximately 20 percent of the cost of a UP education is covered by funds other than tuition dollars.

Beginning at 10 a.m. on March 27, a tent in the center of the main academic quad will be open for students to write thank you cards and tell donors what a UP education means to them. The thank you notes provide donors an opportunity to learn first-hand how their gifts are helping students. There will also be 2,500 doughnuts from Portland’s legendary VooDoo Doughnuts available to all students who write a thank you note as part

University of Portland announces combined $500,000 gift from Nancy and Andy Bryant for Executive MBA in Nonprofit Management program and men?s basketball

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Portland has announced two gifts totaling $500,000 from Nancy and Andy Bryant, Portland residents who are long-time community supporters and friends of the University.

The Bryants’ gift includes $350,000 for the Pamplin School of Business Executive MBA in Nonprofit Management (EMBA) program and $150,000 to support the Pilot men’s basketball program.

Nancy is a member of the University of Portland’s Board of Regents and co-chair of the University’s RISE campaign. The campaign was announced in December 2010 and seeks to raise $175 million over the next several years, which would result in one of the largest development campaigns ever for a Pacific Northwest private college or university.

Andy is Executive Vice President of Intel and Vice Chairman of the Intel Board of Directors.

The Bryants are both involved with organi

University of Portland announces RISE campaign gift of $50,000 from Allen and Kathleen Lund

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Portland has announced a RISE campaign gift of $50,000 from Allen and Kathleen Lund, residents of Pasadena, Calif., and longtime supporters of the University.

Allen Lund is the president and CEO of the Allen Lund Company and chairman of the University of Portland’s Board of Regents. The Allen Lund Company, with headquarters in La Canada, Calif., is a transportation and logistics provider he established in 1976.

The Lunds’ gift will go to the Allen and Kathleen Lund Family Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 2000. The scholarship is awarded to full-time students at the University of Portland who are graduates from St. Francis High School of Flintridge and Sacred Heart Academy (both schools are located in La Canada).

The gift is part of the RISE campaign, which was announced in December 2010 and seeks to raise $175 million over the next several years, whic

University Bell Tower wins 2011 Hammurabi Award for design excellence

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The University of Portland Bell Tower won top honors at the Masonry & Ceramic Tile Institute of Oregon’s 2011 Hammurabi Awards, earning the highest available prize for design excellence. The biennial awards honor innovative and unique building projects in Oregon featuring prominent use of masonry. The Bell Tower was designed by Dan Danielson of Soderstrom Architects and built by Fortis Construction, Inc.

“The jury found the level of craftsmanship to be outstanding,” wrote Randy Nishimura, one of three jurors for the Hammurabi Awards. “The integration of brick and precast concrete elements, and the application of the Flemish bond patterning are particularly successful. The texture, coursing, and brick patterns all complement one another in the service of creating a unified whole. The result is a complete, finished little jewel.”

University of Portland announces RISE campaign gift of $55,108 from Jack Teske, whose family established two endowed scholarships starting in 1987

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The University of Portland has announced a RISE campaign gift of $55,108 from Jack Teske, a resident of Southern California whose family members have been longtime supporters of the University.

Teske is from Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. His gift was placed in two endowed scholarships established by the Teske family for financial aid. The Lois Teske Endowed Scholarship was established in 1987, and the Rev. Lloyd Teske, C.S.C. Endowed Scholarship in 1995.

Jack Teske, the father of four University of Portland alumni, retired as president and CEO of The Garrett Corporation, a diversified engineering and manufacturing company which supplied equipment such as engines for business aircraft, turbochargers for diesel engines, and life-support systems for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space missions.

The scholarships, which have a combined value of more than $1.1 million, were established for Jack’s first wife, Lois, and his brother Lloyd, both of whom have passed away.