Board of Directors and Staff

Please view Oregon PSR's philosophy on issuing position statements here.

Charles Grossman, MD

Charles M. Grossman has been on the Board of Directors since 1981. He is a former faculty member at NYU, Yale and OHSU, and has practiced internal medicine in Portland since 1950. He has been an activist throughout his career, working on issues peace, poverty and justice. Dr. Grossman helped in establishing a lunch program for poor children during summer months when they participated in schoolyard play activities. Has been recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award of the Oregon chapter, National Association of Social Workers, and the Albert Schweitzer Peace Achievement Award from IPPNW. To read Dr. Grossman's reflections on the first use of penicillin in the United States, click here.

Susan Katz, MD, Treasurer

I grew up in New Jersey, went to college at Brown University, and then moved west, first to Pasadena and then to Portland 40 years ago. I taught biology and chemistry, and worked as a research assistant before going to Medical School in 1977 at OHSU, so I have a significant identity before medicine.  I have two grown children in Portland and Berkeley, and lost my second husband, the remarkable Jack Fellman, two years ago. Some of you may have known him,as he taught Biochemistry at the Medical School for many years.

After medical school, a Pediatrics residency, and a Child Psychiatry fellowship, I moved to McMinnville , where I had a fortunate priva  Susante and public practice for 20 years. Jack and I built a house at Pacific City for weekends.  Last year I moved to Portland for access to important activities, such as PSR and Powell's, but I still spend most weekends at the beach.

I joined PSR at the beginning, but was always too busy to participate. Now I am very happy to have the time and a great interest in the evolving research in the field of environmental health, especially toxins and neurodevelopment, so I am on the Environmental Health team. I expect to continue learning and communicating what I learn to fellow physicians and health practitioners, who may be too busy, as I was to keep up with it all. And of course, peace and a non-nuclear world are on my mind, so I expect PSR to be a good fit for me, both to give to and to take from. 

Joseph Miller, PhD

Joseph Miller has extensive experience as a psychology, environmental studies and social justice educator, advocate, and writer. He is a past Chairperson of the Department of Psychology, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, where he taught from 1973 until 2008. While in Indiana, Joe worked with many different community organizations and coalitions addressing environmental, public health, and peace and social justice related issues. He relocated to Portland in July of 2008.

In addition to his work on the Board and several committees of Oregon PSR, Joe teaches environmental, media and other courses in the Portland affiliate of the national OASIS educational program for mature adults, and serves on the OASIS Program Committee. Joe received his PhD in Experimental Psychology and MACT in General Psychology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, and his BA in Psychology from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Patricia Murphy, ND, LAc, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)

I am originally from New England., and have enjoyed living in Oregon since 1979. I received a BS in psychology from of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, an ND from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, OR, and am a graduate of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, OR. I also have postgraduate training in Environmental Medicine from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe, AZ.

For several years I was an instructor at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and currently present guest lectures about environmental medicine to acupuncture students at the masters and doctoral levels, to practitioners and to the public.

Since 1984 I have created a blended private practice of acupuncture and naturopathic medicine. A love of being outside in nature and a desire to help people led me to naturopathic medicine. Over the years I have become more and more concerned about effects of toxic chemicals on human health, and am dedicated to helping people learn about how to decrease toxic exposures. I take to heart the naturopathic tenet “prevention is the best cure.”

I have been a member of the PSR Environmental Health Committee since 2007, and am a new member of the Board

Marylou Noble, MA, LPC, President

A native Oregonian, I grew up in Corvallis and have lived in Portland essentially all of my adult life. After many years as a stay-at-home mom, I returned to school for a graduate degree in psychology. Retired after 18 years of practice as a therapist, I now devote my energies to activism endeavors which include the Central America action coordinator for the local Amnesty Chapter and pro bono evaluator for asylum seekers, in addition to PSR activities. After volunteering in various capacities for three years, I became a PSR board member in February 2006.

My primary interests are global warming and non-proliferation of WMDs.

John Pearson, MD, President-Elect

Dr. John Pearson is a pediatric neurologist. He retired in 2000 after being chief of pediatrics for Kaiser Permanente in Portland for the previous ten years. He is currently an Investigator in Epidemiology at the Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente and adjunct professor at OHSU. Dr. Pearson has been active on the board of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility for over two years and has contributed significantly in outreach and education about the Health Effects of War and solutions to the issue of terrorism.

Joy Spalding, PhD

Joy Spalding, Ph.D. has degrees in anthropology, social work and social research. She has specialized in aging and mental health and is known for her advocacy work and long term care policy. She has been Family Medicine faculty at UVA and OHSU. Dr. Spalding is currently working on an Oregon PSR 25 Year History project.

Frances Storrs, MD

I am a 70 year old OHSU academic dermatologist. I work 3 days a week.  I have been very active in my national and local dermatology associations and chaired committees and held offices.  I have a long standing interest in civil liberties and peace.  I have sat on the ACLU board and been a VP for education. I  remain active in ACLU committees. I chaired a committee for the City of Portland that resulted in a ballot measure and institution of an oversight committee for the Internal Affairs Division.  I have been president and board member for the City Club of Portland. I have also sat on boards for Outside IN, Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette, and the Portland Baroque Orchestra. I am active in the Collegium of the Foundation for Medical Excellence, the Oregon Womens’ Forum, and a committee working on a history of medicine in Oregon for the Oregon Medical Association. I have lived in Portland since 1964.  My husband, deceased, was a local architect.  I have a son, 3 step-children, 5 grand children and 3 sons or daughters in law.  Much of my family is in Portland or close by and I spend important time with them.  My principal hobby is gardening. I grow flowers, vegetables, and plants that cause skin disease. ( not poison oak)  I also have 7 chickens and 2 cats.   Friends are very important to me as well. I am pleased to be serving as the chair of the Peace Working Group for Oregon PSR.

Kelly Campbell, Executive Director

Kelly Campbell is thrilled to join Oregon PSR, bringing together her experience and passion working for both peace and environmental health. She was previously the Portland Area Peace Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee and is a founding member of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. In January 2002, Kelly traveled along with three other 9/11 family members to Kabul, Afghanistan to meet with Afghan families affected by the US bombing and returned to the US to advocate on behalf of civilian victims of war. She has served on the steering committees of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and the national coalition United for Peace and Justice. Kelly worked in the environmental health and justice field as Communications Director for Pesticide Action Network North America, and as Campaign Coordinator for the statewide coalition, Californians for Pesticide Reform. She was born and raised in the Midwest and has a BA in Anthropology and English from the University of Iowa. She lives in Portland with her husband and baby boy.

Email: kelly@oregonpsr.org

Phone: 503-274-2720

Maye Thompson, RN, PhD, Environmental Health Program Director

I am so glad to be doing this work. By way of introduction, I have worked as a volunteer on environmental health issues for the past 10 years with Oregon Nurses Association, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, Oregon Center for Environmental Health, Oregon Environmental Coalition, and PSR. I'm familiar with many of the issues before us. My PhD is in nursing, with a focus on women's health and policy. I managed to get out of graduate school as a generalist rather than a specialist, which was hard to do.

My interest in Environmental Health started during nursing school. I became fascinated by the cultural aspects of health and health care. So after graduating, I worked in a small town populated largely with Spanish-speaking agricultural workers in California's Central Valley. There were many kids and adults with asthma, with dermatological problems, with malnutrition.  What was surprising, considering the level of pesticide and herbicide use in the area, was how few people we saw with acute poisoning from these chemicals. One of my coworkers explained that workers who thought the "plant medicine" had made them sick waited to seek treatment for fear of getting fired.

My goals at PSR are to educate and mobilize health care professionals about environmental toxicants and strategize about how to use the Precautionary Principle in policy-making. I'm inspired by health care professionals and scientists who are willing to step out and express the potential policy implications of their work. PSR is a wonderful resource.

I was recently featured on the CHE website. If you are interested, click here.

Email: maye@oregonpsr.org

Phone: 503-274-2720

Rick North, Campaign for Safe Food Program Director

After teaching high school social studies for five years in Canton, Ohio, Rick had a 21-year career with the American Cancer Society in Ohio, Maryland and Oregon, completing his service as executive vice president (CEO) of the Oregon Division from 1993 to 1998. After several years of volunteer work in sustainability issues, he became managing director at the Northwest Earth Institute in Portland from 2000 to 2002.

Rick has a B.A. degree from Mt. Union College in Alliance, Ohio and an M.A. degree in history from Akron University. He and his wife Holly, a special education teacher for Multnomah County ESD, reside in Durham, OR. They have two children, Michael, 26, and Tanja, 25.

Rick’s current priorities in the Campaign are leading a grass roots effort to discontinue the use of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST) in cows and to ensure that genetically engineered biopharmaceutical crops do not contaminate the human food supply or environment. He has been a speaker on genetically engineered foods at numerous regional and national meetings and in the media.

Email: hrnorth@hevanet.com

Phone: 503-968-1520

Emma Sirois, Health Care Without Harm Program Director

Emma Sirois directs OPSR’s Health Care Without Harm Program.  Health Care Without Harm is a international environmental health campaign working with hospitals to green their facilities and operations.  Emma is currently working with Oregon hospitals on efforts to improve the ecological sustainability of their operations with a particular focus on sustainable foodservice operations.  Emma has worked with HCWH, supporting Oregon hospitals for 2 ½ years prior to joining PSR in January 2010. 

Before moving to Oregon in 2005, Emma worked in Arizona, building accessible and sustainable food resources and regional food systems through: direct marketing opportunities for local farmers, urban agriculture projects, food and nutrition education, advocacy and public policy work. Emma holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from Arizona State University.

Email: emma@oregonpsr.org

Phone: 503-274-2720

 Gretchen Miller, Project Coordinator, Healthy Food in Health Care Project

Gretchen Miller is the Program Coordinator for the Oregon Healthy Food in Health Care Project. She has helped coordinate and assist in the execution of sustainable food education and procurement at Oregon hospitals since 2008. Prior to this, she worked for organizations promoting the proliferation of sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and community food security. As a teaching assistant and project aid at the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project she co-taught classes to immigrants and refugees on creating viable farm businesses in New England. At the Oregon Food Bank she created a Farm to Pantry program, taught fresh vegetable based cooking classes, and supported the development of a farmers’ market in a low-income neighborhood. Ms. Miller has a Master of Science in Agriculture and Food Policy from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Email: gretchen@oregonpsr.org

Phone: 503-274-2720

Sean Tenney, Communications and Development Associate

I began my work as the Communications and Development Associate with Oregon PSR in March of 2010, and am very happy to be here! I am a longtime peace, environmental and social justice activist, having previously worked with such great organizations as American Friends Service Committee, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Sierra Club. Originally from Georgia, I moved to Oregon in 2006, and have spent my time since then engaging in my favorite hobbies: reading and learning, traveling the world, stargazing, hiking, biking, and camping, and community activism. In my current role with Oregon PSR, I very much look forward to working with our wonderful volunteers and staff to make the world a more just, healthy, and peaceful place for all of us. Peace!

Email: sean@oregonpsr.org

Phone: 503-274-2720