Dear Maseeh Community,
Fall term is well underway, and our campus is alive with energy and innovation. There are many reasons to feel proud of Maseeh College’s achievements, and I’m excited to share some highlights with you.
As we recognize Native American Heritage Month, I want to reflect on our ongoing efforts to make Portland State University—and Maseeh College in particular—a destination for Indigenous students in STEM. Our commitment extends beyond recruitment; we’re working to foster a more inclusive, supportive, and diverse environment for all students.
Recently, on October 25, President Joe Biden delivered a historic apology on the Gila River Indian Reservation, acknowledging the federal government’s role in operating boarding schools that abused Native children and enforced assimilation. While this moment marks an important step toward healing, as Biden noted, no apology can fully undo the harm caused by the Federal Boarding School policy: “I know no apology can or will make up for what was lost during the darkness of the Federal Boarding School policy. But today, we’re finally moving forward into the light.”
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian Community) deserve immense credit for their leadership in bringing national attention to this issue. This moment resonates with the values we are fostering at PSU and Maseeh College, as we pursue inclusion not as a symbolic gesture—like land acknowledgments—but as a commitment to systemic change in education and beyond.
This work is especially meaningful to me as the first Indigenous dean of an engineering college in the US. My journey here underscores the importance and impact of opening doors for students from underrepresented backgrounds and creating pathways for future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our new and ongoing FUTURES initiatives are only the beginning.
At Maseeh College, we are building partnerships across campus, industry, community organizations, and philanthropic groups to create meaningful opportunities for Indigenous students and other underrepresented groups. As I wrote in a recent Op Ed for the Portland Business Journal, this effort is not about assimilation or checking a box—it’s about changing STEM fields of study to be more welcoming and innovative. Research consistently and conclusively demonstrates that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones, leading to greater creativity and productivity. By embedding diversity into the heart of engineering and computer science education, we are driving innovation and creating solutions that benefit everyone.
This issue of Maseeh Matters highlights the achievements of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are making an impact in Portland, across the region, and beyond. These stories reflect the core of what Maseeh College stands for: solving real-world problems with ingenuity, dedication, and collaboration. From addressing environmental challenges to advancing technology that serves the public good, our engineers and computer scientists are shaping the future.
I am grateful to be part of such a vibrant community, and I’m excited about the work ahead. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us make Maseeh College a place where all students—no matter their background—can thrive. Together, we will continue to grow as a top tier urban research institution dedicated to offering an education that is inclusive, affordable, accessible, and committed to making a difference.
Sincerely,
Dean Joseph Bull