U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer attends a press conference announcing new funding for Portland State University arts programs at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, in Portland, April 2, 2024. (Kristyna Wentz-Graff/OPB)
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer is retiring from his post in Congress but he’s not leaving his civic career behind altogether. Blumenauer will join the faculty of Portland State University in early January, just after his 14th and final term ends in the U.S. House of Representatives.
PSU announced this week that the congressman has signed on to be a senior fellow at the university and a special advisor to Portland State President Ann Cudd.
As a fellow, Blumenauer is expected to be a central figure at Portland State’s Institute for Metropolitan Studies, a program housed within PSU’s College of Urban and Public Affairs. The purpose of the research institute, founded in 1991 and funded by the Oregon Legislature, is to build partnerships between the university and communities within the Portland metropolitan area.
“I like the notion of being located in the heart of Portland, which is the Portland State campus,” said Blumenauer. “This is a very vibrant location. It’s the pulsing heart of Oregon.”
Blumenauer said he does not expect to do much teaching in the traditional sense at PSU. Instead he hopes to engage with students and community members in more informal settings like seminars and round table discussions.
As a former local public official, including a nearly decade-long stint as a Portland city commissioner, Blumenauer appears well-suited for the job. He’s known for advocating for environmentally-friendly land-use policies and championing public transportation. It’s also a return to a familiar workplace. Blumenauer’s first job out of college was as an assistant to Portland State University’s president, a gig he picked up in 1970.
Blumenauer said a big goal for his first year at PSU is to use the university’s resources to help Portlanders digest and fully understand the new form of government taking shape in the city.
“I think [Portland State] is positioned to help convene, discuss and help this new city government find its footing and be able to explain to the citizens what we’ve got,” said Blumenauer.
This new post at PSU is not a surprising move. When Blumenauer announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress last year , he signaled a desire to refocus his time and attention more locally in Portland.
University officials say he’ll help steer conversations and projects dealing with the Portland metro region’s largest issues like rejuvenating downtown Portland, transportation challenges and regional tax reform.
Blumenauer’s decades of local and national political experience and his extensive network will surely be an asset to Cudd, who is still relatively new to the downtown campus and the city itself. She took over as PSU’s leader just over a year ago and navigated a tumultuous transition that included several disruptive campus protests over the war in Gaza.
“I’m really looking forward to having a chance to connect with Earl Blumenauer on a daily basis and get his sense of the city,” said Cudd, who has already worked closely with the congressman over the past year. “I’m looking forward to building my network even further with his help.”
Blumenauer’s first official day at Portland State will be Jan. 3, 2025 — when his term in Congress ends. Cudd said his work week hours and compensation are still being ironed out. But Blumenauer said he expects to work far less than the 80 hours a week he was putting in as a U.S. Representative.
Blumenauer is not the first politician to take up a job at PSU. Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts taught at PSU’s Hatfield School of Government for a handful of years starting in 1998. Former Portland Mayor Vera Katz also held a position at PSU after leaving elected office.
This story was originally published by Oregon Public Broadcasting , a Capital Chronicle news partner.
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