USGS-Portland State Partnership (UPP) affiliates

UPP Team members and supporters smile together outside the Vernier Science Center. All USGS unless otherwise noted.

From left: Department of Interior Public Affairs Specialist, Lisa Hoaks; Portland State Partnership Coordinator, Rica Perez; Portland State UPP Principal Investigator, Paul Loikith; Portland State Project Manager, Alison Hopcroft; Portland State Earth Science Professor, John Bershaw; Water Quality Specialist, Abigail Tomasek; Associate Director Alex Etheridge; ORWSC Director Joanna Thamke; Portland State Professor, Dr. Heejun Change.

The Oregon Water Science Center (ORWSC) received Portland State University’s (PSU) 2026 Public Impact Partner Award. This award recognizes external partners whose collaboration with PSU has generated outstanding public impact through research, education, and community engagement. The award recognizes the nearly two decades of close collaboration in the USGS-PSU Partnership.