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News Release

St. Mary’s Academy Invites Portland Community To Experience “Racing To Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years” - 03/30/26

St. Mary’s Academy (SMA) will host a free community evening on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. centered around the traveling exhibit “Racing to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years.” The event is open to SMA students, families, alumnae, and members of the broader Portland community who wish to reflect, learn, and connect around Oregon’s civil rights history. 

 

The exhibit chronicles the individuals and communities who fought to create lasting change in Oregon — and the evening is designed to bring those stories into conversation with our present moment. 

 

The evening will include a special pre-event reception beginning at 5:00 p.m. for BIPOC guests — an intimate space to experience the exhibit and connect with community members before the wider program begins at 6:00 p.m. The event also includes a guest speaker, Dr. Jesse Hendryx-Dobson, Education Manager, from Oregon Black Pioneers. He will be tracing the history of Black education in Oregon—from the Colored School Era in Oregon through desegregation and into the present—revealing how systems of access, exclusion, and inequality have evolved over time rather than disappeared. It highlights how Black families and communities consistently resisted these conditions, pushing for educational opportunity, equity, and belonging despite structural barriers. Ultimately, the presentation challenges folks to see this history as ongoing and local, emphasizing that teaching Black, place-based history is essential to creating more accurate, inclusive, and meaningful learning experiences today. 

 

“St. Mary’s Academy has always believed that education extends beyond the classroom,” said Ellie Glusman, Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. “This evening is an opportunity for our whole community to engage with Oregon’s history and the ongoing work of building a more just and equitable society.” 

 

Event Details 

Date 

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 

Pre-Event (BIPOC guests) 

5:00 p.m. 

Main Program 

6:00–8:00 p.m. 

Location 

St. Mary’s Academy, Portland 

Admission 

Free — registration required, space is limited 

Register 

link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=bx2LO4TOOEu2z6tZlilHaPmeoxwf3-lJgtpe_8n6e3dUMDVLS09CWkNLTk8wOFZSMlFJNDhBRlJPRC4u&route=shorturl

 

About Oregon Black Pioneers 

Oregon Black Pioneers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching, preserving, and sharing the history of Black Oregonians. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and community partnerships, the organization brings to life more than 400 years of stories, resilience, and contributions that have shaped Oregon’s past and present. By amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering dialogue, Oregon Black Pioneers works to ensure that the rich legacy of Black communities in Oregon is recognized, celebrated, and preserved for future generations. Learn more at oregonblackpioneers.org. 

 

About St. Mary’s Academy 

St. Mary’s Academy is an independent Catholic high school for girls in Portland, Oregon, with a 170-year history of sisterhood, academic excellence and leadership development.

St. Mary’s Academy Invites Portland Community To Experience “Racing To Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years” - 03/30/26

St. Mary’s Academy (SMA) will host a free community evening on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. centered around the traveling exhibit “Racing to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years.” The event is open to SMA students, families, alumnae, and members of the broader Portland community who wish to reflect, learn, and connect around Oregon’s civil rights history. 

 

The exhibit chronicles the individuals and communities who fought to create lasting change in Oregon — and the evening is designed to bring those stories into conversation with our present moment. 

 

The evening will include a special pre-event reception beginning at 5:00 p.m. for BIPOC guests — an intimate space to experience the exhibit and connect with community members before the wider program begins at 6:00 p.m. The event also includes a guest speaker, Dr. Jesse Hendryx-Dobson, Education Manager, from Oregon Black Pioneers. He will be tracing the history of Black education in Oregon—from the Colored School Era in Oregon through desegregation and into the present—revealing how systems of access, exclusion, and inequality have evolved over time rather than disappeared. It highlights how Black families and communities consistently resisted these conditions, pushing for educational opportunity, equity, and belonging despite structural barriers. Ultimately, the presentation challenges folks to see this history as ongoing and local, emphasizing that teaching Black, place-based history is essential to creating more accurate, inclusive, and meaningful learning experiences today. 

 

“St. Mary’s Academy has always believed that education extends beyond the classroom,” said Ellie Glusman, Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. “This evening is an opportunity for our whole community to engage with Oregon’s history and the ongoing work of building a more just and equitable society.” 

 

Event Details 

Date 

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 

Pre-Event (BIPOC guests) 

5:00 p.m. 

Main Program 

6:00–8:00 p.m. 

Location 

St. Mary’s Academy, Portland 

Admission 

Free — registration required, space is limited 

Register 

link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=bx2LO4TOOEu2z6tZlilHaPmeoxwf3-lJgtpe_8n6e3dUMDVLS09CWkNLTk8wOFZSMlFJNDhBRlJPRC4u&route=shorturl

 

About Oregon Black Pioneers 

Oregon Black Pioneers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching, preserving, and sharing the history of Black Oregonians. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and community partnerships, the organization brings to life more than 400 years of stories, resilience, and contributions that have shaped Oregon’s past and present. By amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering dialogue, Oregon Black Pioneers works to ensure that the rich legacy of Black communities in Oregon is recognized, celebrated, and preserved for future generations. Learn more at oregonblackpioneers.org. 

 

About St. Mary’s Academy 

St. Mary’s Academy is an independent Catholic high school for girls in Portland, Oregon, with a 170-year history of sisterhood, academic excellence and leadership development.

St. Mary's Academy Students Bring Portland's First TEDx Youth Event To Life With Women In STEM Showcase - 03/30/26

St. Mary's Academy (SMA) will host TEDx SMA Youth, the City of Portland's first official TEDx Youth event and the school's first-ever TEDx event, on Saturday, April 4, 2026, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Academy. The event, themed “Women in STEM,” will feature TED-style talks from some of the Portland region's most accomplished female scientists, researchers, and educators. 

 

What makes TEDx SMA Youth particularly remarkable is that the entire event — from the initial pitch to receive a TEDx license, to recruiting and securing speakers, to building awareness and promotion — has been conceived and executed by four SMA Juniors from the school's Youth Medical Corps (YMC) Club: Georgia L., Sofie A., Violet M., and Katherine O. 

 

"This is something we're incredibly proud of," said the TEDx SMA Youth student organizers. "We wanted to create a space where young women in our community could hear directly from inspiring women who have built careers in STEM, and understand that there are so many paths to get there." 

 

Inspiring Women in STEM From the Portland Region

TEDx SMA Youth will feature TED-style talks from an exceptional lineup of female STEM leaders, including: 

  • Bonnie Nagel, Ph.D.: Dr. Bonnie Nagel is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at OHSU, where she leads cutting-edge neuroimaging research to identify early risk factors for mental health disorders in youth. 

  • Liz Flannery: Liz Flannery is the Portland Metro Forensic Laboratory Director for the Oregon State Police, overseeing the analysis of evidence that drives Oregon's criminal justice system. 

  • Tamily Weissman-Unni, Ph.D. : Dr. Tamily Weissman-Unni is a Professor and Biology Department Chair at Lewis & Clark College, whose research uses innovative "Brainbow" technology and zebrafish to uncover how neural circuits shape behavior. 

  • Grace Crunican: Grace Crunican is a veteran transportation leader who has helmed major agencies including BART, ODOT — where she made history as its first female director — and the Federal Transit Administration. 

  • Kelly Reavis, Ph.D.: Dr. Kelly Reavis is a researcher at the VA Portland Healthcare System whose work investigates auditory health risks among veterans and the elderly, drawing on her combined expertise in audiology, epidemiology, and public health. 

  • Melissa Haeffner, Ph.D.: Dr. Melissa Haeffner is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Management whose research examines water justice and how social, political, and environmental factors shape who gets access to clean water. 

Attendees can expect a lively afternoon of ideas, personal stories, and words of encouragement for the next generation of women entering STEM fields. The talks will highlight the wide variety of career paths in science, technology, engineering, and medicine — and the meaningful differences these women are making in their communities and the world. 

 

A First for Portland 

TEDx SMA Youth holds the distinction of being both Portland's first TEDx Youth event and St. Mary's Academy's inaugural TEDx event. TEDx events are independently organized, under license from TED, and must meet TED's rigorous standards for speaker quality and event organization — standards that the SMA student team has met with distinction. 

 

Event Details 

Date: Saturday, April 4, 2026 

Time: 1:30–4:00 PM 

Location: St. Mary's Academy, Portland, OR 

Admission: Free — registration required, space is limited 

Register: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B49AAAA2DA5F8C61-62604566-tedxsmayouth 

 

The event is open to all who wish to be inspired by Women in STEM, with a primary audience of young women. Attendees are encouraged to register early, as seating is limited.

 

About St. Mary's Academy 

St. Mary's Academy is an independent Catholic high school for girls in Portland, Oregon, with a 170-year history of sisterhood, academic excellence and leadership development. The Youth Medical Corps is one of over 40 student-led clubs at SMA dedicated to community engagement and career exploration in the sciences. 

 

About TEDx 

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDx SMA Youth is independently organized under a license from TED.

St. Mary's Academy Students Bring Portland's First TEDx Youth Event To Life With Women In STEM Showcase - 03/30/26

St. Mary's Academy (SMA) will host TEDx SMA Youth, the City of Portland's first official TEDx Youth event and the school's first-ever TEDx event, on Saturday, April 4, 2026, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Academy. The event, themed “Women in STEM,” will feature TED-style talks from some of the Portland region's most accomplished female scientists, researchers, and educators. 

 

What makes TEDx SMA Youth particularly remarkable is that the entire event — from the initial pitch to receive a TEDx license, to recruiting and securing speakers, to building awareness and promotion — has been conceived and executed by four SMA Juniors from the school's Youth Medical Corps (YMC) Club: Georgia L., Sofie A., Violet M., and Katherine O. 

 

"This is something we're incredibly proud of," said the TEDx SMA Youth student organizers. "We wanted to create a space where young women in our community could hear directly from inspiring women who have built careers in STEM, and understand that there are so many paths to get there." 

 

Inspiring Women in STEM From the Portland Region

TEDx SMA Youth will feature TED-style talks from an exceptional lineup of female STEM leaders, including: 

  • Bonnie Nagel, Ph.D.: Dr. Bonnie Nagel is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at OHSU, where she leads cutting-edge neuroimaging research to identify early risk factors for mental health disorders in youth. 

  • Liz Flannery: Liz Flannery is the Portland Metro Forensic Laboratory Director for the Oregon State Police, overseeing the analysis of evidence that drives Oregon's criminal justice system. 

  • Tamily Weissman-Unni, Ph.D. : Dr. Tamily Weissman-Unni is a Professor and Biology Department Chair at Lewis & Clark College, whose research uses innovative "Brainbow" technology and zebrafish to uncover how neural circuits shape behavior. 

  • Grace Crunican: Grace Crunican is a veteran transportation leader who has helmed major agencies including BART, ODOT — where she made history as its first female director — and the Federal Transit Administration. 

  • Kelly Reavis, Ph.D.: Dr. Kelly Reavis is a researcher at the VA Portland Healthcare System whose work investigates auditory health risks among veterans and the elderly, drawing on her combined expertise in audiology, epidemiology, and public health. 

  • Melissa Haeffner, Ph.D.: Dr. Melissa Haeffner is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Management whose research examines water justice and how social, political, and environmental factors shape who gets access to clean water. 

Attendees can expect a lively afternoon of ideas, personal stories, and words of encouragement for the next generation of women entering STEM fields. The talks will highlight the wide variety of career paths in science, technology, engineering, and medicine — and the meaningful differences these women are making in their communities and the world. 

 

A First for Portland 

TEDx SMA Youth holds the distinction of being both Portland's first TEDx Youth event and St. Mary's Academy's inaugural TEDx event. TEDx events are independently organized, under license from TED, and must meet TED's rigorous standards for speaker quality and event organization — standards that the SMA student team has met with distinction. 

 

Event Details 

Date: Saturday, April 4, 2026 

Time: 1:30–4:00 PM 

Location: St. Mary's Academy, Portland, OR 

Admission: Free — registration required, space is limited 

Register: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B49AAAA2DA5F8C61-62604566-tedxsmayouth 

 

The event is open to all who wish to be inspired by Women in STEM, with a primary audience of young women. Attendees are encouraged to register early, as seating is limited.

 

About St. Mary's Academy 

St. Mary's Academy is an independent Catholic high school for girls in Portland, Oregon, with a 170-year history of sisterhood, academic excellence and leadership development. The Youth Medical Corps is one of over 40 student-led clubs at SMA dedicated to community engagement and career exploration in the sciences. 

 

About TEDx 

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDx SMA Youth is independently organized under a license from TED.