Portland State University

Join Dr. Mas Subramanian, the inventor of YInMn Blue—the first new blue pigment discovered in more than 200 years—for a fascinating lecture on the science, history, and future of color. Dr. Subramanian will share the story behind this accidental discovery and explore the role of pigments in art, design, technology, and everyday life, offering a unique perspective at the intersection of scientific innovation and creative practice.

This is a virtual program held via Zoom Webinar. The webinar will also be screened inside the new building for the Jordan Schnitzer School for Art + Art History + Design on 1981 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201. Attendees can also join remotely.

Transplantation, Regeneration and Parasitic Stem Cells- the Interesting lLife of an Invertebrate Chordate

Tony De Tomaso from University of California Santa Barbara

Welcome to the Lester Newman Seminar Series, where you can learn more about current events and research in the science world. Students, as well as members of the public are encouraged to attend! Light refreshments will be provided.

Sign up for the poster session here!

The 2026 Pauling Medal will be presented to Professor Wooley at the 2026 Pauling Medal Symposium on November 7, 2026, at Portland State University in Portland, OR, in recognition of her pioneering studies.

Information about the symposium is posted at the Pauling Medal web page. The symposium includes lectures by eminent scientists and the awardee, a student poster session, a reception, and an evening banquet with presentation of the Pauling Medal to Professor Wooley.

The symposium is free and open to the public. The Awards Dinner is open to the public but requires advance purchase of a banquet ticket. Please visit the Pauling Medal web page for event details and banquet tickets.

Schedule:

• 11:00am - 1:00pm: Poster Set-up Time

• 1:00 - 5:30pm: Symposium in Hoffman Hall
  Symposium speakers

  • Prof. Geoff Coates, Cornell University
  • Prof. Craig Hawker, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Prof. Doug Keszler (emeritus), Oregon State University
  • Pauling Awardee, Prof. Karen Wooley, Texas A&M University
• 5:30 - 7:00pm: Reception and poster session in SRTC lobby
• 7:00 - 10:00pm: Banquet and award lecture in Hoffman Hall

Portland State University is honored to host the Oregon Tribal Language Speaker Series. Our tribal partners will present their language program’s history, revitalization efforts, and future projects.

Justine Flynn is a dedicated citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and currently serves as the School Administrator for the Shawash-iliʔi Skul. Justine has been an active member of the community of Grand Ronde her entire life and grew up participating in tribal activities and program since preschool. As a strong advocate for place-based learning and immersive language education, Justine is passionate about supporting and advocating for tribal students. She works hard to support the staff within her program to create an education environment that responds to families and students while also centering language and culture as the first priority. Justine holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Oregon in Race and Ethnic Studies, a Master’s Degree in Elementary Teaching, and a graduate certificate in Indigenous Educational Leadership from Kansas State University.

Join the Physics Department for our weekly seminar series that brings speakers to campus to dive deeper into a field of physics research. This week, we're joined by Erik Henriksen from Washington State University.

Some refreshments will be provided.

🌍 The Enduring Color Line in South Africa

Join us for a Black Bag Lecture with Dr. Trevor Makhetha, who will share his research on race relations in post-apartheid South Africa, expanding upon W. E. B. Du Bois’ theory of the color line.

⏰ 12:40–1:30 PM
📍 Pan-African Commons | Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 236
💻 Join online: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/87668392970

Free and open to the public! Refreshments will be served. Masks suggested.

Presented by the Center for Black Studies, PSU Pan-African Commons, and the Black Studies Department.

In the interwar period (1919-1939), French colonial officials heavily relied upon an “Arab-Berber” racial model in their North African colonies, using it to shape policy and strategy and subdue “unruly” populations. Around this time, an increasing number of French musicologists, borrowing the language of physical anthropology, began arguing for their field’s utility as a “race science” that could be deployed to decisively address the colonial “Berber question.” In this talk, I argue that, in surprising ways, music – often understood as an apolitical aesthetic form – was rather intensely political; and that interwar French musicologists intentionally made a case for musicology as a race science with colonial North Africa as their laboratory.

Show & Tell welcomes Brian Yonki, Sign Painter at Well Done Signs

Bryan Yonki is an artist, sign painter, and instructor currently based in Portland, Oregon. His love for hand-painted signs began during his childhood in Santiago, Chile, where he grew up admiring the art adorning public transportation buses and witnessed the decline of this traditional craft with the rise of vinyl. Bryan moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2014, where he taught himself the art of sign painting and eventually established his own sign studio called "Well Done Signs" in 2016, and is now a brick-and-mortar storefront in NE Portland. Embodying the motto "Always hand painted," he has dedicated himself to enhancing the urban landscapes of L.A. and Portland by creating numerous hand-painted signs and murals adorning storefronts throughout the city. Bryan actively shares his knowledge and passion for the trade through workshops, encouraging newcomers to contribute to the preservation of this traditional craft. He frequently travels and offers these workshops in various cities across the West Coast.

Show & Tell is PSU Graphic Design’s online lunchtime lecture series where working design professionals stop by to blow our minds with wisdom! Our lectures happen (nearly) every Thursday during the school year at noon Pacific and are hosted by DES 125 Show & Tell students!

Free and open to the public

All talks are presented live in ABX 260 or on twitch.tv/psugd

Portland State University is honored to host the Oregon Tribal Language Speaker Series. Our tribal partners will present their language program’s history, revitalization efforts, and future projects.

Maiya Osife is the Language Program Manager for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and an enrolled member of the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians. She attended Portland State University from 2014 to 2018, where she studied Social Science with a minor in Indigenous Nations Studies. With over a decade of experience supporting Indigenous communities and more than six years leading Tribal language revitalization initiatives, her work today focuses on community-centered language planning, curriculum development, digital accessibility, youth and family engagement, and sustainable approaches to Indigenous language transmission. Maiya has led language revitalization programs in both Southern Paiute and Cowlitz Coast Salish communities, emphasizing practical strategies that strengthen language use in everyday life.

Esther Smithlin is the Language Technician with the Cowlitz Language Program and is an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. She has been working for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s language program for one year and previously served the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe as a carver and graphic designer. Combining her background in graphic design, Salish carving, and Indigenous language learning, she supports language revitalization through educational resource development, language documentation, community instruction, and cultural engagement. Esther contributes to archival restoration projects, curriculum development, and the creation of language-learning materials that help increase community access to Cowlitz language and culture.

Hosted by the Center for Japanese Studies

The Japanese imperial system has been facing a declining number of imperial family members. Under the current system, only male members of imperial family are eligible for succession. However, at present, there is only one male member under the age of 50. While there are 5 female members under 50 years old, since current legislation stipulates that female members leave the imperial family upon their marriage, there are concerns about the shrinking number of imperial family members.

Regarding this situation, the Japanese Diet and government are considering countermeasures. While there is strong public support for allowing a female emperor, the Diet and government continue to insist on succession through the male-line. As of June 2026, the government is drafting amendments for Imperial House Law to deal with the situation, but the policy of maintaining male-line succession remains unchanged.

In this lecture, Prof. Naruse will examine why the Japanese Diet and government continue to adhere to male-line succession and what lies behind this policy. Beginning with the history of the emperor system and the rules governing imperial succession, he will discuss the current challenges facing the imperial system and the measures proposed to address them, how and why the Japanese Diet and government insist on male-line so strongly.

12:45 PM, Thursday, November 12, 2026
Fariborz Maseeh Hall Room 333
Free and Open to the Public
Please use the Broadway Entrance
For more information on the Center for Japanese Studies and our upcoming events, please visit: https://www.pdx.edu/japanese-studies