PCC staff speak about their international lives
Narce Rodriquez speaks at Rock Creek
In the first of a series, Narce Rodriquez spoke on Thursday November 4, 2013 from 11:30am-1pm at the Rock Creek Event Center.
Narce Rodriguez is currently the Dean of Student Development at Portland Community College/Rock Creek Campus. Narce was born in Tempe, Arizona and was raised part of her life in Mexico. She comes from a Mexican American family who has worked in the agricultural fields throughout the United States. Passionate and dedicated to education, she is involved in many community activities that promote cultural awareness and sensitivity to diversity. As well, she has taught Chicano Latino Studies, Women Studies and Counseling Guidance Courses. Narce has received a Bachelors in Sociology and Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Education & Race Class and Gender from OSU. She often finds herself as a Latina pioneer being the 1st Latina in leadership roles.
Roberto Suarez speaks at Cascade
Second in the series, Robert Suarez spoke on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 from 11:30am-1pm at MAHB 104.
Having worked at Portland Community College since 1997, Roberto Suarez has held positions in workforce development, transition programs for high school equivalency recipients, and career technical program advising. Since 2005 he has worked as the Outreach and Orientation Coordinator for the PCC Cascade Campus and has been instrumental in the development of the new student orientation program throughout the PCC district. Roberto has presented at both local and regional conferences on the challenges undocumented students face in accessing higher education. Roberto has a strong interest in technology and in figuring out ways to best incorporate its use in helping students gain access to higher education. His commitment to prospective students is admired by peers and superiors, and he has been recognized by his PCC colleagues as a leader in student affairs.
Rock Creek psychology instructor speaks about growing up in Jerusalem
Marlene Eid spoke on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 from 1-2pm in the SY PAC Lobby.
Marlene Eid is a Palestinian American psychology and a Women Studies instructor at PCC. She is currently the department chair for psychology, sociology, geography and women’s studies, at the RC campus. She is also chair of the EAC membership committee. She has been with PCC for 20 years. Before PCC she taught at PSU and OHSU. She has experience working in many different aspects of PCC, among other things, being the first International Initiative Coordinator, working on diversity issues with the diversity council, starting a mentoring program” High school to College” at Cascade campus (Jefferson Seniors and Faculty at CA), serving on the EAC Curriculum Committee, serving on the state wide Cultural Literacy Team, the Rock Creek Coordinator of the Bridges to Baccalaureate Program (PCC & PSU . She received a Susanne Christopher Leadership Internship grant, several ASPCC awards, also received the Gordon Galbraith faculty award.
Marlene was born and grew up in Jerusalem where she received her high school degree from De La Salle college des Freres. She earned a BA degree and a Diploma in the Masters program in psychology and psychopathology respectively from the “Sorbonne” University in Paris (was awarded a four year scholarship by the French government throughout her studies at the Sorbonne). She obtained a second MS degree in psychology with a focus in clinical work from Portland State University (PSU). Marlene has six years of clinical work in three countries around the world, and she speaks four languages, currently attempting to learn Spanish. In April of 1990, as one of the founding members of the “Gaza Community Mental Health Program”, she left the United States for the Occupied Territories of Palestine to help set up the mental health program with a group of mental health professionals in Gaza.
Southeast Campus panel discusses their international journeys
Jessica Howard, Esther Loanzon and Eszter Vegh spoke on March 5, 2014 from 2-3pm at Southeast Campus, SCOM 322.
Jessica Howard is the campus president of the Southeast / Extended Learning Campus of Portland Community College. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University in Performance Studies and, from Rice University, degrees of Master of Music, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Arts in English. Her graduate work explored the fields of music theory and Cultural Studies. Dr. Howard grew up primarily in San Antonio, but was born in Bombay, India and lived as a child in Bangkok, Thailand. She also spent a year abroad during college at King’s College in London, where she sang in the King’s College Choir.
Before moving to the US, Esther Loanzon was a university counselor for 14 years and taught interdisciplinary research for five years. When she visited Portland in 1993, she tagged along with her sister who worked at PCC Sylvania and she told herself at that time, “one day I will work at PCC, too.” When she moved to the US in 1995, Esther worked as a pre-school and after school teacher in Lake Oswego. Then, she found a job as a full-time Basic Skills Educator for Multnomah County and stayed at that job for ten years. Simultaneously, she was a part-time instructor at PCC until she attained a full-time position in 2006. She enjoys working with her students at PCC Southeast Campus.
Eszter Vegh was born and raised in Hungary and spent a part of her adult life there. In receiving her Master’s Degree at Jozsef Attila University in Szeged, Hungary, she majored in English and Russian Literature and Linguistics, as well as completing her teaching certificate there. Right after graduating from the University, she was hired on at the university to teach English language classes, intro to psycholinguistics, and intro to American cultural studies at the school’s teacher training center. Eszter worked there for three and a half years. Then Vegh moved to the States in 1995 because she married an American citizen, and he wanted to move back the U.S. after having spent three years in Hungary.