?
Opening Up to Family
Therapy in China
The University of Oregon College of Education?s Couples
and Family Therapy program has impressive objectives,
with a reach of more than 5,500 miles. 
Wihen Beijing Normal University first  iamily
therapy program to train Chinese faculty and cre-
ate mutual student exchanges, UO Couples and
Family Therapy (CFT) program director John Miller,
Ph.D., saw the potential for advancing the breadth
of professional counseling for both countries.
?We have much to learn from each other,? says
Miller. ?China is developing at an amazing pace.
There is unprecedented opportunity for our pro -
gram at the University of Oregon and the program
at Beijing Normal University to collaborate in train-
ing student therapists, conducting research, and
promoting further faculty exchange.?
In December 2006, Miller led a delegation of 24
American professionals in social therapy services
on a tour of universities and hospitals in China, part
of the People to People Citizen Ambassador
Programs. U.S. therapists and counselors spoke
with Chinese psychologists and doctors about
expanding delivery of mental health care in China?s
cities and rural communities. Miller also returned to
China in August 2007 to teach week -long semi-
nars in Beijing and Shanghai for psychologists,
counselors, and family therapists.
New Interest in Community & Family Therapy 
Family therapy is fairly new to China, says Miller. To
further complicate treatment issues, China has little
tradition of community-based mental health care
outreach. ?Mental health treatment has been han-
dled through hospitals as acute care. There is 
interest in strategies to overcome the stigma of
treatment, which even today is a significant barrier,?
says Miller, who notes that, traditionally, rural fami-
lies have not only been independent in terms of
economy and folk medicine, but have taken great
pride in solving personal problems privately.
Open to New Ideas
In striking contrast to such strictly held privacy, ?The
Opening Up? is what China calls the new receptivity
to what the West has to offer in commerce, commu-
nication, and capitalism. The flourishing exchange is
embracing academic institutions as well?a hallmark
of transformation in the years since Tiananmen
Square, with intellectuals now entrusted with lead -
ing a free flow of discourse.
?The whole world market is turning toward the East,
and rapid expansion is also affecting social support
systems,? says Miller, who notes that as agrarian-
based communities transform to manufacturing
centers, traditional communities are disrupted, with
young families migrating to centers of employment.
Exposure to Western influences of technology and
media depictions of postmodern lifestyles have also
contributed a confusing array of social models, not
all of which are positive, says Miller. 
FALL 2007
VOL. 12 ? NO. 2
INSIDE
Family Therapy in China
International Learning
Mexico Study
Building Project Insert
Faculty Afield
Outstanding Alumnus
Solving for Success
Alumni Highlights
Continued on page 8
E D U C A T I O N
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 
matters
?I invite you to
come and see the
construction and
to envision what
your college will
become in the
next few years.? 
Michael Bullis
THE ABOVE SAYING IS PARTICULARLY TRUE for the
College of Education this school year. For those of
you who have not had the opportunity to see the
college site recently, we have turned into a con-
struction zone with the long-awaited building
project in full swing. Where once stood the ten-
nis courts (for those who remember), or the stu-
dent parking lot (for those who are younger),
there now is a huge hole in which the founda-
tions for the new HEDCO Education Building
will be placed. Also, beginning this winter, we
have initiated renovation and updating of exist-
ing college buildings. In total, it will take one to
two years for the entire project to be completed.  
Of course, to effect the renovation of the existing
buildings, all the faculty and staff previously
located in those buildings have moved, or soon
will move, to temporary quarters in buildings or
trailers around the college. Needless to say, the
temporary space available to us for this purpose
is less than desirable, and many of our college
family are being asked to tolerate substandard
?digs?for the next one to two years. I think it is
especially noteworthy that through these
moves?which constitute the largest number of
faculty and staff ever moved for a building pro-
ject at the University of Oregon?everyone, and
I mean everyone, has been positive and reason-
ably happy. I think that the way these individu-
als have handled this inconvenience is a great
tribute to the people they are and their collective
commitment to the future of the college. There is
no doubt that the building project will greatly
improve our physical resources and capacity to
continue to be among the leaders in the field of
education and social services in this country. 
In 2007, the college was ranked by US News and
World Report as the 12th-best college of educa-
tion in the country and 8th among all colleges of
education located in public universities. We also
continued as a leader for educational faculty in
terms of research productivity and accounted for
more than one-third of the University of Oregon?s
external funds?a great achievement for a college
with few faculty and in a time of incredibly tight
grant opportunities. We were also successful in
hiring three new faculty members?outstanding
young scholars who I am certain will lead the
college in the years to come. 
In an effort to evaluate our instructional pro-
grams and examine the impact of that prepara-
tion on our graduates, we have begun a
follow-up survey of those former students. This
past year we surveyed more than 400 graduates
from across the college who had been out of
school for one or three years. We found that
fully 83 percent of the respondents were
employed in their chosen field, and that those
who were not employed typically were either
back in school or not working because of family
concerns. Those who were employed were
laudatory of their programs in the college and
also made some clear suggestions for improve-
ments?information that is critical to our
ongoing efforts to better our programs. 
This year we are continuing to serve our stu-
dents?doing so creatively given the disruption
of our space?and are engaging in grant writ-
ing. We also are engaging in other work that
will establish a foundation for the college?s
future. As we become a ?flat world? in a global
economy with a diversified and worldwide
workforce, we must establish ways to train our
students for that reality. We have begun several
initiatives to create international academic and
service programs in Mexico, Southeast Asia,
China, and Chile. We will conduct four tenure-
line faculty searches this year, as well as a
national search for a new dean. 
Our future is truly bright and the college is
moving in a positive direction. As always, I
appreciate your inquiries and questions. I
invite you to come and see the construction and
to envision what your college will become in
the next few years. 
Michael Bullis
Dean, College of Education
Sommerville-Knight Professor of Education
Be Careful What You Wish?It May Come True
2 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 
A new vice provost and
an expanded mission 
for international higher
education help raise the
UO profile as a leading
international research
university.
Chunsheng Zhang, Ph.D.,
joined the University of
Oregon as the new vice
provost for international
affairs and outreach 
in May 2006. Zhang
received his Ph.D. in
higher education admin-
istration from Bowling
Green State University
in 1993 and has worked
in international educa-
tion ever since. 
Fluent in Chinese and
English, Zhang also
speaks basic Japanese,
French, and Spanish. 
He is married to Guihua
Li, Ph.D., and they have
one daughter who is
currently pursuing a J.D.
degree in media law.
?
?
and businesses; they come from taking part in
study, teaching, or research abroad,? says Zhang.
?To facilitate these opportunities for students, the
UO is seeking faculty development in research
and teaching abroad,? says Zhang, who notes that
faculty members who work within a discipline to
highlight the global relevance of their work, who
are themselves internationally experienced, and
who teach courses with international content
inspire and challenge students who, in turn, pursue
international experiences and become effective
and sensitive global citizens.   
Closer to Home
In Oregon, immigration
already impacts schools,
business, and medical
and social services.
People of many cultures
live and work in Oregon;
increased business,
trade, and technology
transfer brings workers
to the state from coun-
tries and business part-
ners worldwide. 
?How do we support the
learning of these students?? asks Zhang. ?How will
teachers communicate with parents? How will
therapists advise clients who are deeply reluctant
to get the help they need because seeking that
kind of help has not been a part of their culture??
Zhang suggests preparing professionals in all 
sectors of social services with international experi-
ence, in part through goodwill partnerships with
international university faculties that facilitate 
academic program exchanges.
In these exchanges, international students and
faculty members come to the UO bringing with
them dollars to the economy?and a desire to
learn about Oregon, says Zhang, who sees that for
UO students, the impact is yet more dramatic: 
?Internationalization opens the world to them?it
provides a chance to seize their dreams. And when
we bring our curiosity, really seeking learning from
each other, being a member of the human family is
more enjoyable. We enrich each other.?
?It is my dream campaign: You will never regret that you
did not study abroad?because the UO has made it 
possible for you.? ~ Chunsheng Zhang
Iinternational learning exchanges were once
and culture studies in liberal arts institutions. 
?Today,? says Chunsheng Zhang, new University of
Oregon vice provost for international affairs and
outreach, ?the scope of what it means to become
an educated person has shifted to embrace skills
and knowledge that reflect the human community
worldwide?from geopolitics, to the environment, to
global economy, to health and social services, and
in the array of the sciences.?
Because serious challenges such as global warm-
ing, terrorism, poverty, or HIV-AIDS can?t be solved
by any single country, an educated person in the
twenty-first century must have the sensitivity,
awareness, and skills to interact with and to exam-
ine issues that are global in nature, says Zhang.
That?s why the UO is moving swiftly to expand
undergraduate and graduate student mastery of
international perspectives, to include disciplines
not typically viewed as engaged in cultural study:
business, law, science, education, sociology, psy-
chology, and human services.
?The deans of our schools and colleges, with the
administration, are infusing internationalization
across the curriculum,? says Zhang, ?to prepare all
graduates to function effectively in the global world.?
Benefits to Graduates and Beyond
?International knowledge and comfort with cultures
is for everyone,? says Zhang. ?If you are a biology
major, if you are employed in coastal fisheries, it?s
beneficial to you to learn something about how
global relationships influence international law or
international trade. E ven if you don?t personally
manage international contacts, attention to how
your business is connected with foreign interests
helps you communicate with those officials who do
advocate for your interests. 
?To be able to contribute in a worldwide economy,
our graduates must acquire skills to meet new
peoples, speak in other languages, and live in
exchange with other cultures. The skills that will
allow them to succeed in international communi -
ties?whether at home or abroad?are those that
come from direct immersion experience with inter-
national educational institutions, trading partners,
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION    3
Seize the Day for International Learning and Exchange
4 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 
Pioneering faculty projects and ongoing colloquiums
made possible by an endowment established by a donor
Iin August, five members of the college (photo
schools and social service agencies in Oaxaca and
Quer?taro, Mexico. Pat Rounds, Valerie Taylor-
Close, Daniel Close, Erin Chaparro, and Linda
Forrest?representing academic, research, and 
outreach programs from the college in family and
human services, early childhood education, coun-
seling psychology, teachers of English language
learners, and literacy?sought the expertise of 
colleagues in Mexico. The study tour is part of 
an ongoing lectureship project funded by the Hope
Baney Memorial Endowment. 
After consultation and homestay visits with
Mexican educators, participants are presenting 
initial findings and sharing insights with college,
university, and local education, public health, and
relief nursery agencies.
?Each of us is interested in the educational and
social effects of dislocation related to immigration,?
says Pat Rounds, Ph.D., coordinator of the English
for Speakers of Other Languages program. ?The
college prepares graduates to serve families and
students whose first educational experiences may
have been in Mexico; we also direct outreach and
support services to families who may be recent
immigrants. So our study focused on questions
raised in each of our professional domains: What
do we need to know about the kinds of educational
experiences students are bringing to U.S. schools
and preschools? What are the family, social, and
economic stressors that may affect children?s readi-
ness to learn? What are the barriers to literacy??
With more than 290 languages spoken in Mexico,
instructing or providing family services to English
language learners of Mexican origin is more com-
plex than brushing up on Spanish language skills
or providing Spanish-based content in classes or
parent consultation, says Val Taylor-Close, co-
director of EC CARES, the college?s early child-
hood special education and referral outreach to
more than 1,200 children in Lane County, Oregon. 
?Given that we know that only approximately 60
percent of Mexican youth finish secondary middle
school, we know that many women raising families
don't have a lot of education beyond middle school,?
says Taylor-Close.
Among those from
rural states in Mexico, 
educational levels 
are likely to be even
lower, and the proba-
bility is quite high that
they may speak some
language other than
Spanish, which is striking to those who provide
Spanish-language content for parent education
programs here in the United States. Eleven percent
of families served by EC CARES 
are Latino. 
?I think the effect of migration to the U.S. is some-
thing we have only begun to investigate, and typi-
cally we?ve only considered effects on our existing
systems here in the U.S. Visiting villages in Mexico
really brought home the fact that there is a precipi-
tous effect on families who remain in Mexico,? says
Taylor-Close, who notes that migration is affecting
family structures as demographics of male family
members present in households change: As many
as 50 percent of families in Mexico have members
who have migrated north; among families in rural
villages, many children of immigrant parents are
being raised by grandparents or mothers.
Another aspect for U.S. educators to consider is
that Mexico provides free public education begin-
ning at age 45 days through age 14 years, which
amounts to free childcare that anyone can access,
with preschools having licensed teachers.
?We in the U.S. established public kindergarten in
all states only 15 years ago. Yet Mexico has had
free public education from, essentially, birth, for
some time,? says Taylor-Close, who notes that this
may or may not be an expectation of parents 
Did You Know?
? Mexico is about one-
fourth the size of the
United States.
? Minimum wage in Mexico
is $4.25 U.S. per day, but
many things cost the
same as in the U.S.
? The second-largest
source of income in
Mexico is earned in the
U.S. and sent home.
? More than 290 different
languages are spoken in
Mexico, some of which
have no established
orthography.
? The state of Oaxaca has
16 different indigenous
groups and languages.
? Many rural Mexican fami-
lies speak Spanish as a
second language.
? Education is free for
children through age 
14, but uniforms are
required and may be
beyond the means of a
family; transportation to
school is not provided,
and many rural children
cannot get to school.
? In northern Mexico, 
50 percent of families
have a member who 
has migrated.
? Migration has tradition-
ally been from rural
areas, but is now both
urban and rural.
? In Zacatecas,
Guanajuato, and
Michoac?n, as many 
as 70 percent of families
have at least one 
member in the U.S.
~Val Taylor-Close
Co-Director
EC CARES
Baney Fund Supports Mexico Study
Continued on page 5
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION   5
Ellen Hawley McWhirter
Benedict McWhirter
?
coming to the the United States. ?In many rural
areas, there may in fact be public education,? says
Taylor-Close, ?but no transportation is provided, so
that limits the number of families who can access
the services for early childhood education and
screening.?
Tour participants observe that immigrants to this
country are very hard working and motivated. ?They
are here because they want something better for
their kids, their lives, and in terms of learning,
achieving, and improving their family?s economic
well being, these are great motivators,? says Taylor-
Close. ?That is an awareness to keep at the fore-
front of our interpretations when we meet students
from immigrant families.?
Immigration specialists describe how the disloca-
members to the north to help their families, raises
a host of questions about the social contract within
those families: How do migration patterns affect
gender relations? What happens to the family and
community cohesion when so many of the young
men leave? How do Mexican families in the United
States and in Mexico adapt and adjust to the ever-
changing family configurations that result from the
movement of family members back and forth
across the border?  
?The process of immigration is complex,? says Linda
Forrest, Ph.D., head of the Counseling Psychology
and Human Services Department. ?It is economic,
political, social, and psychological. As a psychologist
I am interested in the family influences that affect
migration and how they intersect with and are influ-
enced by the larger social and economic trends. 
?Those who return bring many things back?not
just money, but some less positive influences asso-
ciated with living in the U.S., along with pressure
for change,? says Forrest.
?I have been in Mexico many times as a tourist, 
but discussing immigration and education with
Mexican faculty and social service professionals
gave me whole new understandings of Mexican
people and their culture,? says Forrest. ?Bringing
these insights back to our teaching and outreach
colleagues is energizing professionally and critical
to advancing the dialog about immigration?on
both sides of the border.?
Continued from page 4 More Faculty Afield
All 50 states, as well as 10 U.S. jurisdictions and 18
countries worldwide use the research and outreach
services of University of Oregon College of
Education faculty. A sampling:
Chile ~ Counseling psychology Associate
Professor Benedict McWhirter, Ph.D., was awarded
a 2007 Spencer Foundation Research Grant
($40,000) for a two-year study to examine risk and
protective factors that contribute to or deter problem
behavior and academic success of urban, poor
Chilean adolescents. Both Benedict McWhirter and
Ellen Hawley McWhirter, Ph.D., were awarded
Fulbright Scholar awards for work in Chile in 2004;
they return annually to Santiago, Chile, to continue
community-based teaching, service, and research.
Cambodia & Viet Nam ~ Advancing psychology
research, training, and practice in Southeast Asia
starts with collaborative exchange among academic
faculty and clinical practitioners, says Shoshana
Kerewsky, Psy.D., assistant professor of family and
human services. In August 2007, Kerewsky coordi-
nated a visit to Oregon by the head of the first?and
only?university psychology program in Cambodia.
She traveled to Cambodia and to Viet Nam in 2006
and 2007 and is discussing collaboration with faculty
members at Viet Nam National University in Hanoi. 
From Oaxaca to Ukraine ~ In addition to devel-
oping a student faculty exchange and study abroad
program in Oaxaca, Mexico, Dan Close, Ph.D., assis-
tant professor of family and human services, contin-
ues to work with Holt International Children?s
Services to reform the child welfare and adoption
system in Ukraine. He is the technical assistance
expert for the federally funded project and provides
training for Ukrainian officials.  
Going Global ~ Alumni-Knight Professor Robert
Horner, Ph.D., says that British Columbia is adopt -
ing School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports
(SWPBS) in 234 schools. In addition, Norway is
adopting SWPBS, with investment in building train-
ing and coaching infrastructure to implement it.
Twelve New Zealand schools are adopting SWPBS,
and the Australian government also has endorsed
adoption of SWPBS. 
China ~ ?All cultures want to maximize outcomes
for their children,? says Jane Squires, Ph.D., early
intervention program director. Early intervention
researchers adapt assessment to account for differ-
ences in societal expectations for development,
societal mores, or linguistic variances. Squires spent
10 days this fall in several cities in southern China,
presenting on screening and early identification of
young children with developmental delays and intro-
ducing infant assessment measures to pediatricians
and primary care doctors.
Jane Squires
Shoshana Kerewsky
Dan Close
Rob Horner
Funds Solve for Success
Leanne Ketterlin Geller, Ph.D. ?03, heads up profes-
sional development with teachers in algebra.
?It?s striking that 70 percent of eighth graders
score below proficient in mathematics, according
to the 2005 National Assessment of Educational
Progress,? says  Leanne Ketterlin Geller , an assis-
tant professor of educational leadership. Along
with project coinvestigator Kathy Jungjohann*
(special education), Ketterlin Geller received a 
project award for algebra professional develop-
ment from the college?s Fairway Fund. 
Many difficulties that students face when learning
mathematics first become apparent in middle
school, says Ketterlin Geller. ?During this time,
algebraic reasoning is usually emphasiz ed across
the curriculum. Students are expected to have a
firm understanding of rational numbers, procedural
fluency with computational skills, and advanced
problem-solving skills in order to successfully
engage in analyzing and
solving the linear functions
and equations presented in
algebra,? she says. 
?Students who lack these
skills in middle school often
benefit from supplemental
instruction designed to
help them develop the pre-
requisite skills they need to
be successful in secondary
and postsecondary algebra and advanced math
classes, as well as in job or career tasks. We pro-
posed working with Eugene?s Bethel School District
to create professional development opportunities
for teachers to help them create a multitiered
model of educational service delivery to support 
the development of these students.?
According to Ketterlin Geller, research shows that
the choices students make about high school cur-
riculum?which may affect their subsequent
access to postsecondary education opportunities?
are profoundly influenced by proficiency in algebra. 
Ketterlin Geller directs research projects with Behavioral
Research and Teaching at the UO College of Education.
*Her coinvestigator Kathleen Jungjohann has more than
20 years of experience training and supervising preservice
and inservice teachers. Jungjohann currently teaches
coursework in reading, math, content area strategies, 
collaboration, and field-based practices.
Supported by private donors, the Fairway Endowment
supports research projects to increase capacity of faculty
and prepare teachers to work with diverse learning needs. 
?Hill?s visibility,
among a field of
notable faculty,
has been synony-
mous with the
College of
Education and
the University 
of Oregon for
more than 
a quarter 
century.?
Michael Bullis
6 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 
College of Education Alumni Association
Outstanding Alumnus 2007
Hill Walker 
PH.D. ?67 SPECIAL EDUCATION; M.A. ?64 COUNSELING
PSYCHOLOGY, has made the study of behavior 
disorders among children and youth a national
priority. His influence on special education and
the educational field?both in the state of
Oregon and nationally?is unparalleled, says
College of Education Dean Michael Bullis. ?Hill?s
visibility, among a field of notable faculty, has
been synonymous with the College of Education
and the University of Oregon for more than a
quarter century.?
When Walker began his academic career in
1967, there was little understanding of students
with behavior disorders within the public educa
tion system. His work clearly described the
plight of these students, their characteristics,
and the fact that our educational system tended
not to serve them effectively. He subsequently
developed and disseminated widely used
assessment instruments and intervention pack-
ages to help professionals address the needs of
students?especially at-risk students headed
toward violent or destructive behavior. Among
Walker?s pioneering interventions is First Steps,
a program that provides early screening and
treatment to address antisocial behaviors in 
children from preschool through third grade.
With its comprehensive home-to-school
approach, which recruits parents as partners
with the school, the program was widely
embraced and so effective that the Oregon 
legislature provided support to implement First
Steps in Head Start classrooms in each Oregon
school district.
Hill Walker is acknowledged by academic col-
leagues for the rigor of his research, and by prac-
titioners for the importance and usefulness of the
products he has developed. He has been recog-
nized as one of the 50 most influential leaders in
the history of the field of special education.*
One of the most important gifts Walker has
given to the college and the UO has been his
stewardship of the next-generation educators.
He has mentored literally hundreds of academics
and practitioners to leadership positions and
through that guidance changed the lives of 
thousands of children and their families.
*Remedial and Special Education, 21 (Nov/Dec 2000). 
Leanne Ketterlin Geller
?
?
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION   7
Uni High Alums Unite
In 2004, after a poignant and celebratory reunion
High School, the ?Uni High? reunion steering com-
mittee wanted to leave a lasting legacy at the site
of their school?one of two buildings built in 1921
in what is now the College of Education. 
Alvin C. Stockstad (UHS class of ?44) and
Delores Damewood Moreland (?51) spear-
headed the reunion committee effort to honor 
the uniqueness of their high school as a training
ground for student teachers. Alumni still share
fond memories and lively stories of their experi-
ences?some as self-proclaimed ?guinea pigs? for
educational practice?at University High School. 
As part of the Eugene School District in 1921,
University High School was created as a laboratory
school for the teacher training program in the
College of Education. Many alumni attribute their
success stories to the creative and exuberant
young student teachers and the outstanding edu-
cation they received at the high school, so support -
ing a future educator was a natural outcome. 
More than 100 UHS alumni donated to the effort
to create a $25,000 endowed scholarship fund for
future educators in the University of Oregon
College of Education. The fund, created in perpetu -
ity, will support COE students who are preparing to
be secondary school teachers.
Tihe inaugural recipient of the University High
student Aliza K. Fones. Aliza?s passion lies in
working with high school students from all back-
grounds, especially those whose first language is
not English. She will be endorsed to teach in this
area, as well as in social studies. 
Alumni remember Uni High as fun and engaging,
with caring staff members who encouraged stu-
dents to succeed and be their best. Aliza will cer-
tainly carry on that tradition through her vocation
as a teacher. Upon receiving the award, Aliza
summed up her feelings: ?Thank you for your
scholarship. It is with great anticipation and excite-
ment that I begin the next phase of my education. 
I am honored to be a part of your history.?
IN MEMORIUM: Uni High alumnus Alvin Stockstad passed
away on July 26, 2007, but his spirit and efforts to help
create a lasting legacy will be gratefully remembered. 
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
IN MEMORIUM: Contributed by Richard Schmuck in
honor of Philip J. Runkel, both professors emeritus of 
the University of Oregon College of Education
Philip J. Runkel (1917?2007), a superb social
psychologist, died on June 7, 2007, at his home in
Eugene, only three weeks short of 90 years old.
Runkel was internationally known for his creative
work on research methods, organization develop-
ment, and the control theory of human motivation.
He earned a doctorate in social psychology from
the University of Michigan in 1956.
Runkel arrived in Eugene in 1965 to become a
pioneer member of the Center for the Advanced
Study of Educational Administration with a teach-
ing position in the Department of Psychology . He
came from doing educational research at the
University of Illinois and from being a draftsman in
the Panama Canal Zone. For the next 25 years he
spearheaded applied work with his close col-
league, Richard Schmuck, on organization develop-
ment in public schools. Together Runkel and
Schmuck wrote four editions of the Handbook 
of Organization Development in Schools and
Colleges, which, now in its 35th year, continues to
be read by educators worldwide.
Runkel was known by his students as a caring and
gentle taskmaster, a stickler for accurate reporting,
and a strong advocate of clear and undecorated
prose. He had a relaxed and easygoing demeanor,
a penetrating mind, and a very sharp intellect. He
took the role of teacher and mentor seriously,
often using more words in his feedback with the
red ribbon of his typewriter than a student had
typed with black ribbon in his or her first draft. 
Friends gathered in Phil?s office at the home of
Claire Runkel on September 21, the eve of Yom
Kippur, to celebrate his extraordinary career and to
remember why they still loved him. 
The inaugural recipient
of the University High
School Scholarship is
current COE master?s
student Aliza K. Fones.
Alum Wins National Award
College of Education alumna  Krista Parent
?84, '92, ?04, was selected as 2007  National
Superintendent of the Year by the American
Association of School Administrators. Parent, the
superintendent of South Lane School District, is
the first Oregon educator to receive this distinctive
honor in the 20-year history of the program.
Previously recognized as Oregon Superintendent
of the Year in October 2006, Parent traveled to
Washington, DC, in January 2007 to face a panel
of education experts along with three other final-
ists, including leaders from school districts in
Georgia, Kansas, and Washington.
?
?
Nonprofit 
Organization
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Eugene OR
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Families at Risk
Chinese psychologists point to the rapidly rising
rate of divorce?from nearly zero a decade ago, to
25 percent?as evidence that families need better
support systems. ?In a country where many mar-
riages are still arranged, there is now also what
Chinese are calling the flash divorce,? says Miller.
Alcoholism, substance abuse, and child welfare
issues have also become more visible in the
Chinese family. In particular, an alarming increase 
of youth suicide has focused Chinese social welfare
and professional medi-
cal interest in counsel-
ing strategies promoting
resilience in youth. 
Unique challenges for
mental health profes-
sionals in China include
family dynamics created
by what is loosely
referred to as the ?six-
to-one problem??an
unintended consequence of Chinese law, which
allows couples to have only one child. Because this
law has been in effect for three generations, says
Miller, a child may shoulder the expectations and
performance pressure of six forebears.
8 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 
EDUCATION MATTERS
is published by the 
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College of Education.
Address inquiries to 
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Proofer
The university is an equal- 
opportunity, affirmative-action 
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Photography:
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?2007 University of Oregon 
COE1207F10816
Continued from page 1
Cultural Influences Shape Interventions
Of all the psychology models of treatment, family
therapy has the most potential for China, Miller
reports. Family has long been a central force in 
the sociology of China, with several generations
often living together under one roof. As a result,
the family-system approach to therapy makes a
great deal of sense to Chinese psychologists.
To facilitate a joint family therapy pilot program for
the UO with China and Southeast Asia, UO Provost
Linda Brady has dedicated initial support from the
university. In December, Miller will lead a delegation
of U.S. marriage and family therapists to consult
with professional colleagues in Vietnam and
Cambodia. He will also revisit Beijing and Shanghai
to continue lectures on clinical techniques.
?We aren?t suggesting that Chinese and Southeast
Asian psychologists simply transplant what?s
worked in the West,? says Miller. ?Rather?seeing
how U.S. doctors and counselors approach similar
barriers?how do we encourage people to seek
treatment, overcome social stigma about mental 
illness, and engage the natural support systems 
of home and school? Sharing this growth may 
help create uniquely effective solutions for China
and Southeast Asia.?
? Read more about Family Therapy in China online at
http://education.uoregon.edu/cft