Commencement
May 7, 2018
The University of Portland celebrated its Commencement on Sunday, May 6 with nearly 1,200 graduates projected to earn degrees, making the Class of 2018 the largest graduating class in the University’s history.
The University expected 1,169 students would receive degrees from the Shiley School of Engineering, The Pamplin School of Business, the School of Education, the School of Nursing, and College of Arts & Sciences. University President Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C. conferred an anticipated 860 bachelor’s degrees and 116 master’s degrees during two commencement programs.
“The Class of 2018 will always hold a special place in my heart,” said Fr. Poorman. “They began their freshman year shortly after I was inaugurated as President of the University of Portland in 2014. I am proud to have spent the past four years learning with and from them, and I know they will go far as they prepare to leave The Bluff.”
To accommodate the increasing number of graduates and their family members, the University held two ceremonies this year: Commencement I included graduates of the College of Arts and Science and School of Education; Commencement II included graduates of the Pamplin School of Business, Shiley School of Engineering, and School of Nursing.
Jessica Jackley, an entrepreneur focused on financial inclusion, the sharing economy, and social justice who is best known as a cofounder of Kiva, was the speaker at the first Commencement ceremony. Hannah Storm, an award-winning journalist, producer, and director, and a pioneer in the field of sports broadcasting for women, addressed the graduates and their guests at the second ceremony. Both women were among the recipients of honorary doctorates from the University.
Christus Magister Medal
Fr. Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J., recipient of the 2018 Christus Magister award, the University of Portland’s highest honor, is the president of Seattle University, an independent Jesuit institution of more than 7,500 undergraduate and graduate students and 1,000 faculty and staff members. During his 20-year tenure, enrollment has surged, the endowment has grown significantly, and the University has built a new law school, a student center, and student residences. Plans are currently underway for a new Center for Science and Innovation. Often called the Seattle University’s “moral compass,” Fr. Sundborg is strongly committed to promoting social justice, a core value of the Jesuit Catholic education, and has led the school in addressing issues such as homelessness and the needs of underserved populations in the Seattle area.
Honorary Doctorate Recipients
Stephen M. Barr is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware. His research is in theoretical particle physics, with emphasis primarily on “grand unified theories” and the cosmology of the early universe. He also writes and lectures extensively on the relation of science and religion. In 2007, he was awarded the Benemerenti Medal by Pope Benedict XVI and was elected a member of the Academy of Catholic Theology.
Matthew W. Chapman ’71 served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Evaluation Association until his retirement in October 2017. Chapman has combined business careers with a volunteer career focused on education. He co-founded New Avenues for Youth, a program for street youth in Portland that includes an award-winning alternative school, housing, health services, job training, and a drop-in center. As a regent for the University of Portland, he also serves as a mentor for students in the entrepreneurship program.
Mark Edlen is a commercial real estate developer and co-founder of Gerding Edlen Development Company of Portland, one of the national leaders in green building and LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certified properties. He is recognized for his expertise and success in creating sustainable communities in mixed-use commercial, residential, educational and retail developments. Until he retired in 2017, Edlen directed the firm’s vision and growth with the belief that the path to preserving the environment leads directly to a new urban reality, where transformative buildings and quality assets foster communities.
Jessica E. Jackley is an entrepreneur focused on financial inclusion, the sharing economy, and social justice. She is best known as a cofounder of Kiva, the world's first person-to-person (p2p) micro-lending website, letting users lend as little as $25 to individual entrepreneurs, providing them affordable capital to start or expand a small business. Since its founding in October 2005 Kiva has facilitated over $1B in loans worldwide.
Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the senior adviser for nursing at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where she has led nursing strategies since 1997 in an effort to create a higher quality of care in the United States for people, families, and communities. Drawn to the Foundation’s “organizational advocacy for the less fortunate and underserved,” she is helping to assure that RWJF's commitments in nursing have a broad and lasting national impact. In partnership with AARP, Hassmiller also directs the Foundation’s Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, which seeks to ensure that everyone in America can live a healthier life, supported by a system in which nurses are essential partners in providing care and promoting health.
Darlene V. Shiley is the president of The Shiley Foundation, a member of the University of Portland’s Board of Regents, and a renowned patron of the arts, medical research, and education. A resident of San Diego, Shiley’s philanthropy has benefited countless institutions, including the Old Globe Theater, the University of California San Diego (Shiley Eye Institute and Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center), the University of San Diego, Scripps Clinic (Shiley Pavilion, Shiley Center for Orthopedic Research Education: SCORE, and Shiley Musculoskeletal Center), the Salk Institute, and Public Broadcasting Service’s Masterpiece Theatre. In 2007, with her late husband, Donald Shiley ’51, she donated $12 million to the University of Portland, in support of the University's School of Engineering, now known as the Shiley School of Engineering.
Hannah Storm, an award-winning journalist, producer, and director, is a pioneer in the field of sports broadcasting for women, a published author, and an advocate for children suffering from debilitating vascular birthmarks. The Hannah Storm Foundation, which she founded in 2008, has provided funding for critical surgeries to children from the United States, China, and the Republic of Georgia and Slovenia. The Foundation also funds the Hannah Storm Journalism Internship at Notre Dame, Storm’s alma mater, empowering the next generation to pursue their dreams in journalism and broadcasting.
More information about the University’s Commencement ceremonies can be found at http://www.up.edu/commencement
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