New $25,000 gift endows Sandy Kaplan Scholarship

The GSE has received a new gift of $25,000 from Professor Emeritus Joe Kaplan to endow the Sandy Kaplan Scholarship, a fund established in memory of his first wife, Sandy. He has been supporting this scholarship annually since 2007, but this gift to endow it will ensure the permanent continuation of the scholarship for the future.

The Sandy Kaplan scholarship is intended for a student in a GSE teacher preparation program who has multicultural experience. Preference is given to students who intend to work with children or youth for whom English is a second language.

Signs of spring—PSU 2013 Length of Service Awards

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Held Thursday, March 7, the annual celebration of PSU employee length of service signals that spring, academic hooding, and graduation are not far off. Employees from across campus were distinguished for 20, 25, 30, 35, and even 40 years of service to the university.

This year’s GSE members honored include:

Celebrating 20 years

• Samuel Henry, Curriculum and Instruction
• Emily de la Cruz, Curriculum and Instruction

Celebrating 25 years

• Ellie Justice, Helen Gordon Child Development Center
• Cheryl Livneh, Continuing Education and GSE Associate Dean

Two GSE students from Visually Impaired Learner program receive fellowships

Two GSE students were among 15 selected nationally for a fellowship at the American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Institute. Phyllis Foster and Rian Hansen will travel to Chicago on April 18th to attend the event. Both are students in the Graduate School of Education’s Visually Impaired Learner (VIL) program, working toward licensure in Special Education with a specialization in Visual Impairment.

The Portland State VIL program is one of only four programs in the nation to offer interstate online programming to provide maximum access for students in this critical need area. PSU students attend from many different states across the continental United States, as well as Alaska and Hawaii, where there is a huge shortage of teachers in this field.

Former GSE Assistant Dean George Timmons passes away

An original member of the Educational Leadership Department, George Timmons, passed away March 4, 2013. He was 92.

Dr. Timmons was a Benson High School graduate and obtained a bachelor’s degree at Oregon State University which started him on a successful career in public education.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Oregon in 1964, and joined PSU as a professor. Along with Errett Hummel, Dr. Timmons created a certificate program for school administrators. With Errett Hummel and Jack Lind, he initiated a superintendent’s certificate and began the GSE’s doctorate in education.

He was a WWII veteran who served in the 41^st Division in the South Pacific and led an army band. Music was a life-long passion for Timmons who performed in his band, “Dr. T and His Orchestra,” until he was 90.

Dr. Timmons and his wife, Margaret have four children, 12 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. A service is scheduled at Finley-Sunset Hills Chapel on March 9, 2013 at 10am. 

Oregonian obituary

PSU Adoptions Therapy program nationally recognized

Pictured clockwise from top: Francine Florendo, Renee Daniel, Kellie Herold, Marion Sharp, Toni Ferguson

The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) named PSU’s Therapy with Adoptive and Foster Parents Program the national winner of the 2012-13 Outstanding Program Award: Noncredit. This award is the highest distinction in its profession. UPCEA’s national award is not granted every year, but this year’s awards committee selected the PSU program for “leadership and innovation in programming.”

Alumnus of the Month – Linda Samek

To say that Dr. Samek is dedicated to the field of education is an understatement. She has taught students at every level during her career in education, starting as a middle school math teacher before moving to high school and later elementary school. Currently, Dr. Samek serves as Dean of the School of Education at George Fox University where she occasionally teaches an online course, but most enjoys mentoring faculty for future leadership positions and working on accreditation and assessment for the school. Dr. Samek takes pride in working to provide resources and remove barriers for teachers and students alike. One of her recent projects has been fostering peace and establishing a reconciliation curriculum for Quaker high schools in Kenya in collaboration with Kenyan educators. Teaching is not a one-way road—she insists that there is no one from whom you cannot learn a meaningful lesson.