University of Portland Public Research Fellows

Still looking for an undergraduate research opportunity for the coming year? We just added 3 late-breaking projects to the PRF roster that are recruiting student researchers: “Communicating about Climate Change,” led by Dr. Paige Hall, Chemistry; “Columbia Park: Weaving Narrations of Everyday Democracy” led by Dr. Itzel Cruz Megchun, Business; and “Sustainable UP: Empowering Community Dialogue for a Greener Campus” led by Dr. Ruth Dittrich, Economics. See the link in our bio for details on each of these exciting projects and how to apply to the program. Deadline’s coming up (8/21) but you still have time!

Pssst….we updated our 24-25 Call for Student Fellows, now with a snazzier title and detailed project descriptions. If you’re looking for an undergraduate research experience that connects academic work with issues in our local communities, and like the idea of joining a cohort of engaged students from a variety of majors who work alongside faculty to design cool projects, then you should apply! Added bonus? You’ll be able to say you worked on a program supported by the prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities—a great line for your resume. See the link in our bio for details and submit your application by 8/5.

Check out the latest PRF newsletter, complete with project recaps from the past year and a sneak peek of what’s to come in 24-25! Link in bio.

Join us NEXT FRIDAY, April 26 from 3-5pm in the Franz lobby and surrounding area to learn more about what we’ve been up to this year! With 6 public-facing, humanities-rooted research projects there’s plenty to learn about our campus and city! We’ll also be welcoming our friends at StreetBooks back to campus, so make sure to come say hi and learn more about their mobile library meant for those who live outside. We’ll have snacks, prizes, and other fun goodies. We hope to see you there!

Thinking about life after graduation? Curious how some have put their Humanities degree into practice? PRF is bringing 5 UP alumni back to campus (virtually and IRL!) to answer all of your burning questions! Make sure to head over to DB 230 or join the Zoom link on Thursday, March 21 from 6:00-7:15pm. We hope to see you there!

Looking for reading material while nibbling on all that leftover Valentines candy? Check out the PRF January 2024 Newsletter, spotlighting the incredible work of our student and faculty fellows and the vitality of the humanities! Click the link in our bio to read more 💌

In tackling the many stereotypes humanities majors face, the students in our pilot workshop ‘Humanities Futures’ were excited to offer up many of these counterpoints! The workshop aims to create structured opportunities for students to visualize their futures in the humanities and in their careers. Our course has been kindly received by these students as we begin to discuss what it means to be a humanities major, and what the future of the humanities could look like.

Calling all humanities majors! Do you love what you study here at UP but aren’t quite sure how to put your academic experiences to use in your life after college? Want to be a part of building a lasting contribution to humanities education at UP? PRF is recruiting a small cohort of humanities students to participate in the development of the Humanities Futures pilot workshop in Spring 2024. Registration now open; link to details in bio. Join us!

Make sure to stop by and give a warm welcome to our visiting authors, Laura Moulton and Ben Hodgson in the bookstore, tomorrow night, 11/15! They’ll be doing a short reading of their book Loaners: The Making of a Street Library as well as holding a Q&A session. Meet us in UP’s bookstore at 7:15PM— we hope to see you there!

Thank you to everyone stopped by PRF’s tabling event! If you are still interested in receiving a free copy of Loaners: The Making of a Street Library in preparation for a reading with the authors on November 15th, reach out to Dr. Jen McDaneld at [email protected]. More information about the reading coming soon!

Our first project spotlight goes to Dr. Lizz Schallert’s “Liberated Archives Exhibit: Memory Work Partnership with Don’t Shoot PDX”! This project aims to highlight themes of systematic oppression, displacement, and collective resistance in Portland through researching the University of Portland’s historical archives. The project works alongside Taishona Carpenter and Teressa Raiford of Don’t Shoot Portland to learn about the lived experiences of minoritized communities in North Portland. Their goal is to ultimately create an art exhibition on campus to demonstrate their collective findings, coming later this school year!

Our 2023-24 year has come to an auspicious start! With our theme ‘Engaging Portland’ kicking off, our multiple research projects are taking a forefront in our program this year. Keep an eye on this page to find more information about these projects as the semester progresses. In the meantime — How do you engage with the community? In what ways do you engage with Portland?