Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Soto Zen Buddhist nun/roshi. Former subsistence farmer, writer, forester and firefighter, letterpress printer, library manager. Retired, University of Oregon Libraries, 2009.

Education

M.S. in Arts & Administration (Museum Studies), University of Oregon, 1999.
M.A. in English (English Renaissance), University of Oregon, 1993.
B.A. in English, summa cum laude, University of Oregon, 1989.
Indexing workshops, Marylhurst University, 2000.

Soto Zen Buddhist priest, Shunryu Suzuki lineage, training with Roshi Kenshin Catherine Cascade: 2013-present. Novice Ordination, April 2020. Dharma transmission, April 2024.

Committees, honors and presentations

Presentation, Oregon Newspapers Index, Oregon Library Association's Reference Roundtable, October 2005.
Presentation, Oregon Newspapers Index, OCLC Newspaper Digitization Seminar, Portland, Oregon, August 2005.
Renascence Editions (222 books, Risa Bear, general editor) added to UO Libraries' Scholar's Bank, July 2005
Presentation, Oregon Newspapers Index to American Society of Indexers, Pasadena, CA, May 2005.
UO Libraries Faculty presentation, Oregon Newspapers Index, April 2005.
Gender Equity Team, University Standing Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns, UO, 2004-
Presentation, Oregon Newspapers Index, Oregon Educational Media Association, Seaside, Oregon, October 2004
Presentation, Oregon Newspapers Index, Pacific Northwest Library Association, Wenatchee, Washington, August 2004
Award, contributions to UO Arts & Administration program, July, 2004
Presentation, Oregon Newspapers Index, Oregon Library Association, Eugene, Oregon, March, 2004
Grants & Awards Committee, UO Libraries, 2003-5. Committee Chair, 2004-5
Presentation, online publishing, Renaissance Society of America, 2003, Toronto, Canada
Oregon Library Association Conference, 2002, Portland, Oregon
Online Northwest Conference, 2002, Eugene, Oregon
NINCH Copyright Town Meeting, UO, November 2001
Arts & Administration Courtesy Faculty (Editor, CultureWork), 1997-2004
UO Libraries Faculty Vice President 2001-2
UO Libraries Disaster Preparedness Committee 2001-2
"A History of Renascence Editions," Faculty Forum, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon, March 2001.
UO Libraries Circulation Supervisors Conference 2001-
UO Libraries Collections Initiative Subgroup 2001-2
UO Libraries Map-GIS Librarian Search Committee 1999
Interviewee in "First Impressions," newspaper history documentary that aired on Oregon Public Broadcasting, 1999.
Northwest Academic Computing Consortium Conference 2001
Online Northwest Conference, Portland, Oregon 2000
Spenser Millennium Conference, Doneraile, Ireland (by proxy), 1999
Online Northwest Conference, Portland, Oregon 1998
Presentation, online publishing, Congress of Learned Societies, St. Johns, Newfoundland, 1997 (COCH/COSH)
Awards, Renascence Editions website, 1996-2000
"E-Mail and the Humanities." March 1994. Oregon Humanities Center, University of Oregon.
"Internet for the Humanities." April 1993. Oregon Humanities Center, University of Oregon.

Work history

October 2009-present. Retired; Soto Zen Buddhist nun. Received dharma transmission in 2024 from Kano Kenshin, SZBA
September 2005-2009. Concurrent with supervisory and project duties, below. Digital Content Coordinator. Seek out and capture local and federal online planning documents for inclusion in the Scholars Bank electronic archive, University of Oregon Libraries. This includes creation of PDF documents from a variety of formats and creating metadata using DSpace, an open-source archiving system with Dublin Core metadata format.
February 2004-2009. Concurrrent with supervisory duties, below. Principal Investigator, Oregon Newspapers Index. Conceived project. Obtained LSTA federal grant for 2004-2005 to convert 800,000 record card index to online database, with object of sharing developed software and procedures with other Oregon libraries and create collaborative opportunities.
Hire, train and equip crew of one classified and up to 25 student workers. With in-kind contributions and grant awards, budget totaled more than $200,000.
February 2000-2009. Circulation and Support Services Supervisor, Document Center, University of Oregon Libraries. Supervise four classified staff and up to 28 Library Student Assistants. Oversee documents processing, circulation, maintenance of paper and microfilm collections, equipment maintenance, and patron assistance. Manage physical aspects of four major collections, including planning collection shifts and ensuring proper care and housing of materials. These materials comprised 2.25 million items in a variety of formats and call number systems. Develop and maintain departmental intranet, forms, and schedules. Oversee personnel budgets. Develop and maintain documentation for all procedures. Carry out technical functions related to the Library's automated system, including regular communication and cooperation with Library Systems, Preservation, and Access Services staff. Hear and adjudicate appeals on fines and other charges.
1998-2004. Concurrently with Library positions: courtesy faculty; creator, editor and webmistress of CultureWork (ISSN 1531-983X), an online advisory from the Institute for Community Arts Studies at the University of Oregon.
1997-2000. Microforms Coordinator, University of Oregon Libraries. Maintain microfilm, microfiche, and microprint collections. Maintain computer network and microform viewing and printing equipment. Assist patrons, in person, by phone, fax, and email. Assist the Government Documents and Microforms Librarian in special projects. Design, build, and maintain the Microforms website and listserv. Develop finding aids and inventories for uncatalogued sets. Develop and carry out the preservation plan for the Collection. Publish 110 Oregon newspapers on microfilm, maintaining contact with the customers (newspaper offices, libraries, and historical societies) for these titles.
1989-97. Evaluator, University of Oregon Admissions. Evaluate and process student applications for admission to the University. Determine admission eligibility, transfer course work equivalence, and general university requirements completed. Create and maintain student records. Respond to telephone and in-person inquiries on University requirements. Interpret State Board of Higher Education and University admission policies, requirements, and standards.
1987-89. Manuscript processor, University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives. Organize and inventory collections of manuscripts, personal records, photographs, and artwork. Specialize in children's authors and illustrators. Prepare exhibits for display cases in the Oregon Room.

Professional and advocacy associations

American Society for Indexing (ASI)
Consortium for Computing in the Humanities (COCH/COSH)
Advisory board member emerita, Northwest Outreach Center, Regional Resource Center on Deafness
Advisory board member emerita, Wired Humanities Project (WHP)
Wired Research Interest Group, Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS)
National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP)
Oregon Library Association (OLA)
Oregon State Council of Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Renaissance Society of America (RSA)
University of Oregon Alumni Association (UOAA)

Publications and lectures

"Conversion of Paper-Based Newspaper Indexes" in Microform & Imaging Review, Vol. 35 No. 3, Summer 2006.

Poems have appeared in Rockhurst Review, Cold Mountain Review, Bellowing Ark, Sand River Journal, ZeroCity, Aerious, Ariga: Visions, Disquieting Muses, Lynx: Poetry from Bath, writtenmind.com, and New Zoo Poetry Review. Nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 1999 for "Cityscape with Pink Rose."

"The Spenser Project: A Proposal." Spenser Millennium Conference, Doneraile, Ireland, August 27, 1999 (by proxy).

"The Lady of May: A Case Study in the Rhetoric of Etext" in TEXT Technology, Winter 1998.

"The Lady of May: A Case Study in the Rhetoric of Etext." May 1997. COCH/COSH, Congress of Learned Societies, Memorial University, St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada.

Founding editor emerita and webmistress of CultureWork (ISSN 1531-983X), an online advisory from the Institute for Community Arts Studies at the University of Oregon.

"'Text Version': An Exercise in Accessibility Design" in Culturework: A Broadside for Arts and Culture Workers Vol. 2, No.
1 (February, 1998).

Publisher, general editor and webmistress of the award-winning online book archive Renascence Editions (222 titles).

Books at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/risabee. 

Author page at http://www.amazon.com/Risa-Bear/e/B00IICOH8I.