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Biology Department

Can (COVID-era) Science Be Fun? Yes It Can!

August 21, 2020

As faculty prepare for online Fall 2020 classes, tales of ingenuity and perseverance abound. Biology professor Jacquie Van Hoomissen shares the following from her colleague, Ryan Kenton, biology: “I hope you are all staying sane (and healthy) prepping like mad for the semester that no one has ever had before. I am currently assembling take […]

Filed Under: 08-24-2020, Academics, Biology Department Tagged With: Jacquie Van Hoomissen, Ryan Kenton

UP Science Takes Home The Prize!

November 15, 2019

A group of 26 science faculty and students from the College of Arts and Sciences attended the annual M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Undergraduate Research conference on November 8-9 in Vancouver, WA. The annual conference drew hundreds of college students and science educators from across the Pacific Northwest. A number of UP students gave oral and […]

Filed Under: 11-18-2019, Academics, Biology Department, College of Arts & Sciences Tagged With: College of Arts and Sciences, Eugene Urnezius, Laura Dyer, Murdock Charitable Trust

Your 2019 ACUBE Excellence in Teaching Award Winner: Tara Prestholdt

November 8, 2019

Tara Prestholdt, biology, won the 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Association of College and University Biology Educators (ACUBE). The award is offered annually to honor faculty who both practice and promote effective, innovative teaching in the biology classroom. While the entire campus is no doubt aware of Prestholdt’s polymathic […]

Filed Under: 11-11-2019, Academics, Biology Department Tagged With: biology, Stephanie Salomone, Tara Prestholdt

Presentation By 2018 Teaching Award Winner, Nov. 2

October 26, 2018

Tara Prestholdt, the 2018 recipient of the Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching, will share her thoughts on teaching in a talk titled “Gifts, Presence, and Present’ on Friday, November 2, at 4 p.m., in the Clark Library classroom (Room 211). All staff and faculty are invited to attend and light refreshments will be provided. For […]

Filed Under: 10-29-2018, Academics, Biology Department Tagged With: Tara Prestholdt, Teaching & Scholarship

Outstanding Educator Award for Jacquie Van Hoomissen

February 2, 2018

Biology professor Jacquie Van Hoomissen has been selected as the Oregon Academy of Sciences (OAS) Outstanding Educator in Higher Education for 2018. She was cited for her “considerable contributions to life science education at the University of Portland.” She will be presented with the award on Saturday, March 3, at a ceremony at George Fox […]

Filed Under: 02-05-2018, Academics, Biology Department Tagged With: Ami Ahern-Rindell, Jacqueline Van Hoomissen

Student Research Stresses Real Discovery, Knowledge

December 11, 2015

Students in all sections of Ami Ahern-Rindell’s Genetics Lab course presented a Research Poster Symposium on Tuesday, December 8. Posters were presented to fellow students guests including University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.; Tom Greene, provost; CAS dean Michael Andrews, acting assistant provost Lauretta Frederking, and Dan McGinty, director of the Dundon-Berchtold Institute. The […]

Filed Under: 12-14-2015, Academics, Biology Department Tagged With: Ami Ahern-Rindell, Biology Department, Genetics Lab

Come See The Crab Lab, Oct. 3

September 29, 2014

All students, staff, faculty, and friends are invited to visit the Crab Lab during its open house on Friday, October 3, from noon to 5 p.m., in Swindells 139 and 128, according to Tara Maginnis, biology. With over 500 gallons of saltwater and six species of crabs, there is plenty to explore. Maginnis and her […]

Filed Under: 09-15-2014, 09-22-2014, 09-29-2014, Academics, Biology Department Tagged With: biology, Crab Lab, Tara Maginnis

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Susan Mcdaniel and Nicole Hanig, Music, will be performing on the concert series “Chatter PDX” on June 1 at 10:30 a.m. at the Pacific Center with Hilary Oseas, viola and James Shields, clarinet, both of the Oregon Symphony. There will also be spoken word from former professional football player and writer, Marcus Lattimore, in the hour-long concert. Tickets and information at ChatterPDX.

Maureen Briare, Nursing & Health Innovations, published Fountain of Life Mass Setting, with a special dedication to the priests and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross at the University of Portland. GIA Publications. Released April, 2025 

Mohammadhadi Hajilou, Engineering, presented “Effect of fuel size, ignition energy, and wind speed on smoldering to flaming transition of Douglas fir lumber.” Co-presenters: R. Spring, N. Bolden, A. Henry, T. Rowley, A. Burton. 14th US Combustion Meeting, Boston, MA. March 16-19, 2025. Hajilou also published “Fire Whirl Emissions and Burning Rates for Crude Oil Slicks of Varying Thickness.” Co-authors: J. Dowling, W. Cui, M. Gollner. Fuel, 393 138482 (2025).

Kiya Riverman, Environmental Science, was awarded a grant for $489,935.00 on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense, for her research “Impacts of spatial-temporal precipitation, snowpack properties, and snowmelt variability on alpine landscapes and runoff.” February 15, 2025.

Christina Astorga, Theology, served as a Member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Moral Theology. February 26 – July 7, 2019. Astorga also served as the Head of the Local Arrangement Committee for the Catholic Theological Society of America. June 13, 2024 – June 15, 2025

Mohammad Arbabian, Business, published “Optimal Inventory Management Policies When Supply Is Bundled.” 9th North American Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Washington D.C. June, 2024. Arbabian also published “Evaluating the Role of 3D Printing in Decentralized Supply Chains: A Stackelberg Framework for Optimal Manufacturing Decisions.” 15th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. February, 2025.

Aziz Inan, Engineering, has been credited for his research on palindrome dates in multiple news outlets including: USA Today, NDTV, NBC New York, News9live, Courier Journal, 13newsnow.com, Ozarksfirst.com, Inquirer.net, Austin American-Statesman, and The News of Israel.

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UPBeat is a newsletter for University of Portland faculty and staff published through the Division of Enrollment Management, Marketing, & Web Services. Submit your listing information our online form. Submission deadline is noon the Thursday prior to publication. Submissions may be edited for clarity, consistency, brevity, or style.

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