Director's Welcome

Welcome to the Spring 2023 Toulan School newsletter! This is our second newsletter in this new quarterly format. I appreciated the enthusiastic responses from so many of you to our inaugural edition, which is here in case you missed it.       

Here in Portland spring has sprung—the much-welcomed end to a particularly long, cold, rainy Pacific Northwest winter. With it, the Urban Center Plaza and Park Blocks have come alive again with students, faculty, and community members. But spring is a period of transition in many ways, not just as a segue to the warm, verdant summer. In a few short weeks, nearly 75 students will graduate from the Toulan School’s undergraduate and graduate programs, launching their transition to the next step in their professional or academic journey. We are excited to celebrate with them and their families during our Toulan School graduation celebration on Friday, June 16, and the PSU Commencement on Sunday, June 18. Rain or shine, it is without a doubt one of the most joyful days of the year.

And there are important transitions happening within the PSU faculty and leadership. One notable transition is the retirement of Professor Sy Adler. He has been a pillar of the Toulan School faculty for 41 years with a distinguished record of teaching, scholarship, and service, including: four books; dozens of scholarly articles and chapters; more than 40 doctoral dissertations supervised; hundreds of students taught and advised; and abundant service to the university, planning academy, and Portland community. Most recently, as the interim dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA) for three and a half years, Sy led us through the challenging years of the pandemic. We wish Sy all the best in retirement and know he will remain a revered member of the Toulan School community.

Read Sy’s “Toulan Story”, along with the stories of MURP alum Héctor Rodríguez-Ruiz and Community Development student (soon-to-be-graduate) Hannah Althea.

This spring also witnesses the beginning of a presidential transition at our university. In early March, Dr. Ann Cudd was named the 11th president of PSU starting this August. She will succeed former CUPA Dean Dr. Stephen Percy, who has served in the role since 2019. Dr. Cudd has expressed enthusiasm for PSU’s motto of “Let Knowledge Serve,” and in doing so recognizes the unique role CUPA plays in fulfilling that mission. Dr. Cudd has made engagement for the revitalization of downtown Portland a key priority. I look forward to working with her to engage Toulan School students, faculty, and alumni in that important endeavor. At the same time, I want to express my gratitude to President Percy for his steady leadership over the past four years.

As PSU faces historic budget challenges, I am compelled to remind you how critically important your financial support is, especially in supporting students. I am thankful to the many alumni, faculty, and friends who contributed to the Tony Lamb Racial Justice Fellowship Fund as part of the PSU Day of Giving back in April. But there are lots of ways to support the work and the people of the Toulan School, and I urge you to consider making a contribution.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter and continue to stay engaged in the life and the work of the Toulan School. I look forward to hearing from you.

With gratitude,

Greg Schrock

School Director