2016 Highlights | University of Portland

2016 Highlights

No. 1 - Lund Hall

The University's newest residence hall, which opened in August, was named Lund Family Hall to honor the ongoing relationship between the University and the Lund family. Allen Lund, the president and CEO of the Allen Lund Company and chairman of UP's Board of Regents, along with his wife, Kathleen, made a significant gift in support of the University last May, bringing the Lund family commitment to UP to over $10 million.

Allen and Kathleen Lund give a new gift to the University
View a video about the Lund Family
View a video from the residents of Lund Family Hall

No. 2 - Parkes Kendrick

Parkes Kendrick ’17 is a star athlete as well as a scholar. She is majoring in mathematics with minors in French and biology while also competing in cross country. In 2016, Kendrick was also a Rhodes Scholarship finalist.

Parkes Kendrick ’17

3- Top Rankings

The University received top rankings in a variety of national lists. These rankings included:

No. 4 - Brent Crouch, Nick Carlin-Voight, and Ian Solof

Three Pilot head coaches were recognized for excellence in each of their sports:

  • Senior Eddie Sanchez was named the WCC's Player of the Year
  • Junior Paul Christensen earned the league's goalkeeper of the year
  • Benji Michel was named the conference freshman of the year.

    Five members of the Pilot men's soccer squad earned WCC All-Academic Honors
No. 5 - Michael Williamson

Finance major Michael Williamson '18 was awarded runner-up in his category for his business venture, Sentri Performance, at the finals of the University Start-Up World Cup, held last October in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Michael Williamson '18

No. 6 - Fulbright

The University continues to be one of the top producers of Fulbright awards in the nation among master’s level institutions, according to a study released by the Chronicle of Higher Education. For 2015-16, the University ranked fourth in student Fulbright awards and tied for second in faculty Fulbright awards. UP is one of only fourteen institutions in the country to be a top producer of both student and faculty U.S. Fulbright grant recipients.

Top producer of Fulbright awards

No. 7 - Dennis Hartmann

Dennis L. Hartmann, a 1971 graduate of the University's mechanical engineering program, was elected as a fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Hartmann, a professor of atmospheric sciences at University of Washington, was one of 84 new members and 21 foreign associates from 14 countries to be recognized by the NAS for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Dennis L. Hartmann '71

No. 8 - cross country

Pilot cross country teams performed well at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships. The men finished 13th overall among the elite field, while the women placed 22nd in their first ever team appearance at the NCAAs. The women’s cross country team finished first in the WCC, and the men’s finished second.

2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships

No. 9 - Giving Tuesday

On Giving Tuesday, the UP community supported the biggest single day of giving in University history, raising $56,506 in 24 hours.

Giving Tuesday

No. 10 - Amber Vermeesch

University nursing professor Amber Vermeesch was selected as one of eight participants from around the nation for the 2016 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Faculty Policy Intensive program, held last March in Washington, D.C. She was also recognized as an AACN Faculty Policy Fellow.

Amber Vermeesch

No. 11 - European teaching assistantships

Three French teaching assistantships were granted to University French studies graduates by the French government to teach English in French elementary and high schools: Kealey Johnson ’16 will teach in Lyon, Douglas Blair ’15 will teach in Lille, and Clare Munger ’15 has declined her assistantship to pursue a teaching career in Portland. Two English teaching assistantships were granted by the Austrian-American Educational Commission to Caroline Harpster '16, an education major, and Kristen Jakstis '16, who majored in environmental science and German studies.

No. 12 - Mike Merzenich

University alumnus Mike Merzenich ’64 was awarded the 2016 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience by the Norwegian Academy of Science for his work in documenting the fundamental plasticity of the human brain. Merzenich shared the prize with fellow neuroscientists Eve Marder of Brandeis University and Carla Schatz of Stanford University.

Mike Merzenich ’64

No. 13 - Joe Novello and Monica Enand

Two young alumni were honored for their business acumen: Joe Novello '04 was honored by the Portland Business Journal at the 2016 Small Business Innovation Awards. 

Monica Enand '05, MBA in finance, received the Entrepreneurial Achievement Award during the Oregon Entrepreneurial Network's 2016 Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards last October. Enand was one of 20 finalists chosen from 141 nominees.

No. 14 - Susan Stillwell

The University's Associate Dean of Nursing Susan Stillwell was selected to join the Nursing Board at the American Health Council. She was tapped by the AHC to share her knowledge and expertise in evidence-based practice, nursing, nursing education, curriculum and program development, and nursing education research.

Susan Stillwell

No. 15 - men's soccer

The men's soccer team capped their magical season when they defeated the Saint Mary's Gaels 1-0 to win the 2016 West Coast Conference championship in front of a packed crowd at Merlo Field. 4,362 fans saw the Pilots win their first WCC title since 2002.

2016 West Coast Conference championship
View a video of the celebration and post-game interviews