From FH. HGP members demonstrate their willingness to display their skills, talents, hobbies, dreams for the rest of us to appreciate. Be prepared to potentially witness (and/or commit) acts of poetry, music, and/or other artistic exhibitions. Hosted by our inimitable, indisputable, and indubitable master of ceremonies, HGP's Al Christians.
Video of Programs (search and sort)
Solution Salon - Homelessness
09/28/2025
Brandi Tuck
Why do we spend so much on solving homelessness, yet still see so many people outside on our streets? Listen to Path Home’s Executive Director Brandi Tuck give a presentation on the history, causes, and effects, examining its root causes and exploring different populations that experience homelessness including the “invisible homeless”, maybe the most vulnerable group but receiving the least attention. You’ll also learn what we can do to end the crisis once and for all. For more than 20 years, Brandi has provided direct services to thousands of families with children experiencing homelessness in Oregon.
Preparing for Coming Climate
09/21/2025
Vivek Shandas
We are still early in our ability to apply the implications of rising temperatures on human and ecosystem health at urban and regional scales. PSU professor Vivek Shandas will provide a general overview of the shifts in temperature regimes across the Pacific Northwest, our emerging understanding of institutional response, and then make a case for developing adaption system that foster greater resilience to extreme climate-induced events. With 5 books and 100+ publications, Dr. Shandas's projects on regional climate systems and decisions have been featured in international media outlets, and he has served on National Councils and Academies.
Contact: Vivek Shandas vshandas@gmail.com
Insights From A War
09/14/2025
Dr. Gordon Orians
In the early 1970s, at the Vietnam war's height, Dr. Orians traveled to Vietnam with a fellow scientist to consider what the war was doing to the biological environment of the country. What they encountered there was not only the devastating destruction of biological diversity but also of livable habitat and food supplies. Additionally, they drew some fascinating insights into news reports and what was actually happening on the ground. Orians is an HGP favorite, a U. Washington Professor Emeritus of Biology, has served as its Director of Environmental Studies, and has served on National Academies.
Science: https://www.science.org/toc/science/168/3931
Connecting the Dots: A New Paradigm for Solving Homelessness
09/07/2025
Dr. Sharon Meieran
People often wonder why, despite spending so much money, local governments’ efforts to end homelessness have resulted in a worsening of the public health, safety, and humanitarian crisis on our streets. Although the problem of homelessness is complex, the solutions are more straightforward than we might expect. Join retired Multnomah County Commissioner Dr. Sharon Meieran as she returns to take us on a journey behind the scenes of local government to understand the real challenges that brought us to our current state, and how, together, we can address them and move forward on a better path.