News Briefs

Joseph M. Ha Associate Professor of International Affairs Elizabeth Bennett joined University of Amsterdam Professor Phillip Schleifer to discuss his latest book, Global Shifts. Business, Politics, and Deforestation in a Changing World Economy, as part of a webinar hosted by EU Renew, a multidisciplinary network that educates and concerns itself with the place Europe holds in the world.

Former Governor of Oregon Kate Brown JD ’85 spoke with Harvard Political Review in August 2023 about her historic governorship as the first LGBTQ+ governor of Oregon, her antiracist measures, and what she thinks about the current issues Oregon faces.

Adjunct Professor of Music Luke Price is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, but his roots lie in American fiddling. In June 2023, Price was named grand champion of the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest for the fifth time in ten years.

Women We Admire, an organization and network comprised of women executives and leaders named two Lewis & Clark alumni on their “Top 50 Women Leaders of Oregon for 2023” list. Maureen Bradley BS ’81 is currently senior vice president and chief development officer for Legacy Health. LM Alaiyo Foster EdD ’17 is the president and chief executive officer for the Black United Fund of Oregon.

Professor of Psychology Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell, Assistant Dean for Student Success Katie McFaddin, and Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research Renee Orlick were all involved in a recent study published in Science Magazine. The study showed that efforts to cultivate feelings of belonging in diverse student groups improved the likelihood of students to complete their first year of full-time study. (Content behind paywall).

The director of the Lewis & Clark Graduate School’s TransActive Gender Project, Jenn Burleton, is the keynote speaker at the 2023 GAIN Higher Ed Conference: Becoming Radically Inclusive. The conference is held April 26 to 28, in Ashland, Oregon.

Andrew Gildersleeve JD ’05, chief executive officer of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe in Yakutat, Alaska, appeared on Wyoming Public Radio’s “TED Radio Hour”  to discuss how his tribe has benefited from LIDAR (light detection and ranging) scans of certain historically and sociologically significant parts of their lands, allowing them greater and deeper insight into the forces at work there, both natural and not.

Professor of History Elliot Young was recently published in The Washington Post. His op/ed, titled “Locking up the mentally ill has a long history,” discusses recent bipartisan trends in politics that call for the imprisonment of mentally ill members of society, a reversal in the decades long trend of reduction in mass incarceration. Young is the author of Forever Prisoners: How the United States Made the World’s Largest Immigrant Detention System.

Greg Caldwell, previous associate dean of students and director of International Students and Scholars, as well as the founder of the Greg Caldwell Scholarship for International Students, was awarded “The Order of the Diplomatic Service Merit Changui Medal” by the president of Korea, for his service as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Korea.

Renowned author of Geek Love Katherine Dunn’s unpublished novel, Toad, was rediscovered within Watzek’s Archive of the author’s work by editor Naomi Huffman. Now, the book has been released, and the New York Times has published a review. (Content behind subscription paywall).

Lewis & Clark Football’s player mentor and former assistant coach Marcus Lattimore was featured by ESPN in a story about the injury he suffered as a running back for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and his subsequent recovery and career trajectory.

Hannah Rempel BA ’16 was chosen as the 2022 Editors’ and People’s Choice Award winner for Visualizing Science by the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. Rempel is currently pursuing a PhD in marine science.

Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan, the new president of Lewis & Clark, has joined the Oregon State Treasury’s Oregon 529 Savings Board. This citizen board focuses on helping Oregonians save for job training and education, and also advises the state administration of the Oregon ABLE Savings Plan.

Recent graduate Andrew Gard JD ’22 appeared on the cover of a September issue of Portland Business Journal. He spoke about his post-graduation job search and his decision to accept a clerkship with a Multnomah County circuit court judge. (Log in required to access story).

Warren Pereira BA ’99 appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Think Out Loud to discuss his first feature length documentary Tiger 24. The film follows a specific tiger in Northern India’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, but it addresses much broader topics around nature, conservation, and land rights. 

Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan, Lewis & Clark’s new president, was interviewed on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s radio program “Think Out Loud.” She appears alongside University of Portland President Robert Kelly, and Oregon Health and Science University President Danny Jacobs.

Emeritus Professor of Art Phyllis Yes’ play, “Good Morning Miss America,” has been developed into a film by director and producer Katie O’Regan, who also wrote and stars in the film. The movie premiered at Star City Film Festival in Waukon, Iowa, with subsequent showings planned in Portland.

An article in Twin Cities Business about the importance of college campus tours features quotes from Lewis & Clark’s own Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid Eric Staab.

A feature on Dr. Alan Hart, a student at Albany College (now Lewis & Clark), was recently published by OPB. Dr. Hart was the first documented patient to undergo gender-confirming surgery. Oregon doctor J. Allen Gilbert performed the procedure and a psychological evaluation of Hart, stating officially that he should be accepted by society as a man. A collection of Dr. Hart’s writings can be viewed in the Lewis & Clark Digital Collections.

Jenn Burleton, founder and director of the graduate school’s TransAcive Gender Project, joined Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden on June 18, 2022, to celebrate the achievements of our LGBTQ+ community and push back against the horrifying wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation taking place across the country. Burleton focused her remarks on the existential threat of anti-trans legislation and hate, and the need for Federal protections guaranteeing access to trans-affirming healthcare for transgender/nonbinary adolescents and teens. 

Arielle Hammond, a current student in the Education in Leadership doctoral program at Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, is one of five recipients nationwide to receive the AASA Educational Administration Scholarship for aspiring superintendents.

Lewis & Clark’s Feminist Student Union was covered in a PDX Monthly article about the crowd safety and sexual assault prevention resources they provided for a local band’s house show.

Mimi Huang, Assistant Dean of Admissions for Lewis & Clark Law School, was quoted in an article from Inside Higher Ed that covered the rapid rise in law school student applications due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the search for social and racial justice.

Mila Wolpert BA ’19 is Lewis & Clark’s most recent Fulbright award recipient. Mila, who majored in History and French Studies and holds a Master’s degree in Heritage Studies from Cambridge University, will spend the year conducting research in Paris, France on the art collection of Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

Daena Goldsmith, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Professor of Rhetoric and Media Studies, along with her colleagues at the University of Iowa, received a $149,999 NEH Humanities Initiatives grant for their collaborative project titled, “Salud, to your Health! Resources for Teaching Health Narratives in English and Spanish.”

Lewis & Clark Law School’s Small Business Law Clinic was awarded a $104,000 grant by Business Oregon’s Technical Assistance for Underrepresented Businesses Program.

Erin Miller BA ’99, wine director at Sonoma’s Dry Creek Kitchen, was interviewed about her career path in Wine Spectator Magazine.

Lizzy Clyne, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies has been quoted in a Wired magazine article about the decline of Antarctica’s “Doomsday Glacier”.

Katherine FitzGibbon, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, was recently elected President-Elect of the National Collegiate Choral Organization.

Reiko Hillyer, associate professor of history and director of ethnic studies, has received an additional $25,000 of support for her research project with the Vital Projects at Proteus Fund, a donor advised fund interested in human rights and criminal justice reform.

Jenn Burleton, trans youth advocate and director of TransActive Gender Project at Lewis & Clark’s Graduate School of Education and Counseling, has won the 2021 LGBTQ Nation Hometown Hero of the Year award.

Jennifer Hubbert, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, is quoted in an Associated Press (AP) article marking the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. The wire story appeared across the globe, including in the New York Times.

Jessie Starling, assistant professor of religious studies, has a new book out. Guardians of the Buddha’s Home: Domestic Religion in Contemporary Jōdo Shinshū, was reviewed in the American Academy of Religion’s publication, Reading Religion.

Eric Tymoigne, associate professor of economics, was interviewed about the national debt in the February 17 online edition of New Economic Perspectives.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Michael Namkung is mentioned in the Hood River News June 5, 2019 edition. The article explores Namkung’s involvement with the Maryhill Museum of Art’s collaborative “Exquisite Gorge” art project.

Kim Stafford, associate professor, director of the Northwest Writing Institute and Poet Laureate of the State of Oregon, was featured in a Madras Pioneer article about Stafford’s participation in an honored poets’ reading event held in that community. 

Linda Christensen, instructor and director of the Oregon Writing Project at the Graduate School of Education and Counseling, has an essay featured in the spring 2019 edition of the journal, rethinking Schools.

Emma Redfoot BA ’13 is featured in a High Country News article about the resurgence of nuclear energy, titled, “Is Nuclear Energy the Key to Saving the Planet?” (Dec. 10, 2018)

Law Professor Michael Blumm co-authored an op-ed in The Oregonian/OregonLive titled, “Oregon court ignores climate danger in youth case.” (Jan. 18, 2019)

The Oregonian/OregonLive profiled Lewis & Clark’s newest Rhodes scholar, Katie Kowal BA ’17, in an article titled, “Curiosity is power: How a star Lewis & Clark student became a Rhodes scholar.”
Nov. 28, 2018.

Oregon Arts Watch: Lewis & Clark prof Stepan Simek opens a small, flexible studio space. (Jan. 25, 2019)

Parvaneh Abbaspour and Mark Dahl (Watzek Library), “Data in the Disciplines: Developing a Network to provide Data Management and Data Information Literacy Services at Small College and University Libraries,” Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Sparks Innovation Grant. (August 2018)

Greta Binford (Biology), “Head Group Preference in Recluse Spider Phospholipase D Toxins,” National Science Foundation’s RUI and Chemistry of Life Processes. (July 2018)

Kim Stafford, associate professor and director of the Northwest Writing Institute, was named Oregon Poet Laureate by Oregon Governor Kate Brown JD ’85. Stafford’s appointment was covered by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), among others.

Associate Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair Jay Odenbaugh has been selected as a 2015-16 Fulbright Scholar. This award will allow Dr. Odenbaugh to serve as Visiting Research Chair in the Philosophy of Science at the University of Calgary in Canada during part of his sabbatical next year.

Julio de Paula, Professor of Chemistry and Program Chair of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, been named as a Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. In the 20-year history of the Program, de Paula is one of only five Cottrell Scholars in Oregon. 

The College of Arts & Sciences has received a grant in the amount of $300,000 from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation to design and implement curricular and co-curricular initiatives that support first-generation college students interested in the mathematical and natural sciences.

Charlene Williams EdD ’15, former principal of Roosevelt High School in Portland and current deputy superintendent of Vancouver’s Evergreen School District, has been nominated to lead Oregon’s Department of Education by Governor Tina Kotek. If she is confirmed by the state senate in the fall, she will be the first Black woman to take the position.

Professor Emeritus Steve Beckham and his son, Andrew Beckham BA ’98, MAT ’01, run Beckham Estate Winery, in Sherwood, Oregon. In August 2023, the winery was named by Wine Enthusiast magazine as one of the eight must-visit Willamette Valley wineries.

Cascadia 9.0, a video game developed by a multidisciplinary team including Associate Professor of Geological Science Liz Safran, Associate Professor of Psychology Erik Nilsen, Associate Professor of Computer Science Peter Drake, and Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Media Studies Bryan Sebok, was featured in Willamette Week. L&C Magazine also covered the project.

Marjorie Weber BA ’07, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, was featured in Science News. She is one of the “SN 10: Scientists to Watch,” a list of influential or up-and-coming scientists the journal maintains each year. Weber credited Professor of Biology Greta Binford’s courses with inspiring her to pursue science.

Carra Sahler JD ’02, a staff attorney with Lewis & Clark Law School’s Green Energy Institute, was quoted in The Oregonian’s recent story about the campaign to reduce Oregon’s reliance on natural gas, and the opposition faced from longstanding gas providers NW Natural. (Content behind paywall).

Visiting Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Media Studies Heather Ashley Hayes will speak at SXSW EDU, running from March 6 to 9, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Her talk is titled “How Knowing Our Brain Transforms the World,” and draws from her own personal experience and recovery from a life-threatening brain tumor.

Katherine Paul BA ’11, a singer-songwriter in the Pacific Northwest who performs as Black Belt Eagle Scout, spoke with Rolling Stone about her latest album, “The Land, the Water, the Sky,” and about her music being featured in the Hulu drama “Reservation Dogs.”

Associate Professor of Computer Science Peter Drake talks about learning management systems, your purpose as a students, and “how to college” in the Adventures in Online Education podcast.

President Robin Holmes-Sullivan was featured in the Portland Business Journal in a story about higher education’s necessary restructuring following the impact of Covid, and the surprising hope that the leaders of impacted institutions are feeling as they look to the future. (Content behind paywall).

Associate Professor of International Affairs Kyle Lascurettes spoke in November 2022 at Princeton University’s World Order Colloquium. His talk was titled “Great Power Politics, Hegemonic Ordering, and the Life and Times of the Liberal Order”, and was followed by a question and answer session with attendees.

Professor of Lawyering and Director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic Aliza Kaplan was interviewed by the Washington Post in a story about nonunanimous juries in Oregon and Louisiana following the Supreme Court’s outlawing of split-jury verdicts.

Assistant Professor of Economics Aine McCarthy is the recipient of a grant of $1.5 million from USAID. She will be conducting research in Sierra Leone on how free eyeglasses provided to students affects their learning performance and mental health, in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone. She was recently profiled on our website.

Mohammed Hasan Alwan, a past student with Academic English Studies, has been longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award for Translated Literature. His book, Ibn Arabi’s Small Death is a fictionalized presentation of the life of the celebrated Sufi philosopher in first person.

Lewis & Clark special collections and archives, which acquired the Katherine Dunn Literary Collection and Archive in 2016, shortly after the author’s death, is cosponsoring an event at Powell’s Books on November 1, 2022. The event will serve as a tribute to the deceased poet, journalist, and author of the cult classic Geek Love, as well as a release event for her posthumous novel, Toad.

Venus Edlin, class of ’23 and current editor-in-chief of The Pioneer Log, reported a story on 16-year-old climate activist Adah Crandall as part of National Public Radio’s “NextGenRadio.”

Director of Physical Education and Athletics Mark Pietrok was interviewed by the Portland Tribune. He discusses the challenges faced by our athletics department in recent years, as well as hopes and plans for the future.

In an article published in Time Magazine about the struggles of a Texan family that fled the increasingly restrictive state in search of support and care for their trans daughter, the TransActive Gender Project was mentioned as a welcoming presence during the family’s arrival in the midst of Portland’s Pride festival.

The Lewis & Clark College Graduate School of Education and Counseling was mentioned in an Oregonian article about the push for a more equity-centered pipeline to find new principals for Oregon schools. A grant from the Wallace Foundation has enabled this partnership between the Graduate School, Portland State University, and Portland Public Schools.

Instructor of Chamber Music Nancy Ives was profiled in the Oregonian about the premiere of her composition “Celilo Falls: We Were There.” The chamber orchestra piece honors the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians and features original poetry and narration by renowned writer Ed Edmo and projected imagery by photographer Joe Cantrell.

Members of Lewis & Clark’s Tiny House Club were recently interviewed about their plans and efforts in The Oregonian.

Zoe Cook BA ’22 was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and plans to study at Stanford University.

Kim Stafford, founding director of Lewis & Clark’s Northwest Writing Institute and former Oregon poet laureate, was featured in an Oregonian article covering the donation of his life’s work to the Watzek Library’s Special Collections and Archives.

Professor of History Elliott Young recently had an article published in the Washington Post analyzing the dynamics of the war in Ukraine and providing historical comparisons to previous wars.

Jenn Burleton, program director of the Transactive Gender Project at the Graduate School of Education and Counseling was quoted recently in an interview with KGW about the work she and her program are doing to provide support to transgender children.

Aliza Kaplan, professor of lawyering and director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic has received a grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to support her work seeking clemency for approximately 100 Black men with the Black Oregonian Pardon Project.

Rory Bialostosky BA ’22, the youngest city council member of West Linn, was interviewed by OPB about his experiences during the first year of his term.

Lisa Benjamin, assistant professor of law, was invited to give a lecture at University College of London about her article “Group Companies and Climate Justice”. Professor Benjamin also serves as a cochair for the Climate Accountability Working Group at the Climate Social Science Network.

Elizabeth A. Bennett, Joseph M. Ha Associate Professor of International Affairs and Program Director of Political Economy has been appointed a research fellow at The Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing to study how granting stock to employees can sustain and grow the middle class as part of our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

James Oleske, professor of law at the Lewis & Clark Law School has become a newly elected member of the American Law Institute.

Jess Perlitz, assistant professor of art and studio head of sculpture, took part in an interview about public art and monuments on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Think Out Loud®”. Professor Perlitz is also a coleader of Portland’s Monuments and Memorials Project. 

Aliza Kaplan, professor of lawyering and director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic has worked tirelessly pursuing justice for marginalized individuals and ensuring future lawyers will have the knowledge they need to continue that fight. The Oregon State Bar plans to recognize Aliza with their highest honor, the Award of Merit.

Jess Perlitz, assistant professor of art and studio head of sculpture, is featured in an interview dated May 29, 2019 in Title Magazine. The article is titled, “Art as Tool, Riddle, Problem, Absurdity, Desire: A Conversation with Jess Perlitz.”

Maryann Bylander, assistant professor of sociology, is interviewed in the February 11 edition of the Bangkok Post about the perils facing migrant workers in South Asia.

Susanna Morrill, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, has been named an editor of the academic journal, Mormon Studies Review, according to the University of Illinois Press blog.

Lyell Asher, associate professor of English, is cited in a May 7, 2019 article by The College Fix, which also mentions Asher’s earlier Chronicle of Higher Education essay on the diversity debate in higher education.

James F. Miller Professor of Humanities and Professor of Philosophy Nicholas Smith’s book, Plato’s Socrates, was mentioned in an article in the April 15, 2019 edition of the New Yorker.

Dyan Watson, associate professor of education, is featured in a February 5, 2019 Washington Post story about a new book Watson co-edited, Teaching for Black Lives.

Clinical Professor of Law Erica Lyman was quoted in a syndicated Washington Post article titled, “Japan to leave International Whaling Commission, resume commercial hunting.” (Jan. 26, 2018)

Portland Tribune/Pamplin Media Group profiled artist Mark Brody BA ’87 and his decades of working with local schools to create murals. (Jan. 24, 2019)

Professor of Biology Kellar Autumn is mentioned in the MIT Technology Review, in a Dec. 19, 2018 article about robotics titled, “Forces of Nature.”

Kim Stafford, associate professor, director of the Northwest Writing Institute, and Oregon Poet Laureate, is featured in an article in the East Oregonian newspaper titled, “Kim Stafford’s Road to Unity.”

Louis Kuo (Chemistry), “Fundamental Investigation towards Phosphorus Recovery through Organophosphate Pesticide Degradation by Molybdate Complexes,” National Science Foundation’s RUI and Environmental Chemical Sciences (ECS). (July 2018)

Julio de Paula (Chemistry), “Applications of Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy to Chemical Analysis: Free Resources for Undergraduate Education,” Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s (RCSA) Cottrell Plus SEED grant. (July 2018)

Cort Dorn-Madeiros, assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education and Counseling’s counseling psychology program, was featured in a news story about Lewis & Clark’s gaming and screen disorder program. The news was covered by Oregon Public Broadcasting and syndicated by Jefferson Public Radio, among other outlets.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Lewis & Clark an additional $261,000 in support of Associate Professor of Biology Greta Binford’s project, “Comparative Venomes of Recluse Spiders and Kin: Treatments and Toxin Discovery.” Supported by the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program, this three-year multidisciplinary project will involve undergraduate students in cutting-edge bioinformatics-based research using proteomics and high throughput sequencing of transcriptomes.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Rebecca Lingafelter won a 2015 Drammy for “Outstanding Achievement in Solo Performance” for her work in Grounded (CoHo Productions). 

Assistant Professor of Biology Tamily Weissman has been awarded a $20,000 Life Sciences Renewal grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.