PSU to hold memorial for professor

To honor Dr. Craig Wollner, a much loved Portland State professor, researcher and friend, a campus-wide memorial will be held on Wednesday afternoon. Wollner died on Nov. 20, 2010, due to liver problems.

“[Wollner was] the epitome of an ideal teacher,” said Fred Nunn, Wollner’s long-time colleague and professor emeritus of history and international studies. “He was a scholar, a researcher and a teacher, and he was always careful to allow for balanced views in his work; that was just his way.”

Nunn will be one of seven friends, colleagues and former students to speak at Wollner’s on-campus memorial service. Among the other scheduled speakers are Wollner’s brother, Larry Wallack, president of the College of Urban and Public Affairs, and Marissa Lara, a student and mentee.

Wollner is remembered on campus for his numerous contributions to the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, where he taught American history courses for a number of years, and to the College of Urban and Public Affairs, of which he was the associate dean.

He was also a founding editor for Metroscape, a bi-annual publication that has been printing stories covering topics from ecology to engineering since 1995.

Nunn first met Wollner in 1965 when Wollner became his teaching assistant for a history course. According to Nunn, they taught together for many years, including co-teaching courses in the Waseda Oregon program, an international study program for Japanese students.

“Craig was interested in mentoring young faculty and students, both traditional and international,” Nunn said.

Wollner taught a wide variety of courses at PSU. He was interested in the history of the health care profession and labor, according to Nunn.

He was successful as both a teacher and faculty leader because of his “fairness and equality,” Nunn said.

“Because of these qualities he was able to work with all kinds of people, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally…He did many things that few people knew about, and he didn’t care about the credit,” Nunn said of Wollner’s community and university involvement.

For instance, Nunn said few people knew that Wollner was largely responsible for moving the Oregon Jewish Museum from a temporary location into a permanent one.

“He put a lot of work into making that happen, and didn’t tell anyone about it,” Nunn said. “Craig loved his work, loved his family and did a lot of things from his heart.”

Wollner’s wife, Pat, is establishing a fund for junior faculty in his honor, according to a press release. Donations can be made through the PSU Foundation.

The memorial service will be held on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. ?