Alumni NewsFall 2024

Stan Boyd, ’76, was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Idaho Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Agriculture. Boyd served 37 years as executive director for the Idaho Wool Growers Association and represented several agricultural organizations in the Idaho Legislature.

Doris Cancel-Tirado, MPH ’12, Ph.D. ’12, was named the College of Health’s new associate dean for student services and well-being. She is part of the inaugural cohort of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities ENLACE Leadership Program.

Angie Chown, M.S. ’11, school counselor at Sage Elementary School in Redmond, was named 2023 Oregon School Counselor of the Year.

Debbie Colbert, Ph.D. ’05, a biologist and oceanographer, is the first woman to lead the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. 

Robert W. Ellison, ’48, was profiled by Fox 12’s “Show & Tell with Tony” show for his role as resident engineer for the construction of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, which opened in 1966. Watch the story.

Taliese Fuaga was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. Anthony Gould, ’23 (Indianapolis Colts), and Kitan Oladapo, ’23 (Green Bay Packers), were selected in the fifth. Beavers signed as undrafted free agents include Deshaun Fenwick, ’23 (New England Patriots); Ryan Cooper Jr. (Baltimore Ravens); Jesiah Irish, ’23 (Seattle Seahawks); and Riley Sharp, ’22, MBA ’23 (Baltimore Ravens).

Jen-Hsun Huang, ’84, ’09 (Hon. Ph.D.) Time magazine named Jen-Hsun Huang one of the 100 most influential people of 2024. The NVIDIA co-founder and CEO was celebrated for his part in making possible the computing hardware that powers artificial intelligence, one of today’s most transformative technologies. Huang was named to Time’s 100 Most Influential People in AI list last year.

Photo by Darryl Lai

Randy Fuller, Ph.D. ’79, accepted a new position as deputy director of forest management with the National Forest Service’s Southwestern Regional office.

Abbie Hawley, ’23, and Staci (Dreher) Ballard, ’18, and began new positions at Kernutt Stokes, a leading certified public accounting and business advisory firm serving clients throughout Oregon.

Kent Lauder, ’66, published his first novel, Pendulum, with Authority Publishing. Learn more at kentlauder.com.

Lauren Lieberman, Ph.D. ’96, professor of kinesiology, sport studies and physical education at SUNY Brockport, published The Camp Abilities Story: The Global Evolution of Sports Camps for Children Who Are Visually Impaired with SUNY Press (available in print and audio editions).

Jake Mackenzie, M.S. ’64, Ph.D. ’71, was appointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Mary Marston, ’80, senior project manager at Davis Evans and Associates in Tustin, California, was named one of the American Public Works Association’s top 10 public works leaders of the year.

Dr. Timothy C. McCarthy, ’67, diplomate emeritus for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, is the editor of two editions of Veterinary Endoscopy for the Small Animal Practitioner. He also wrote the book Veterinary Arthroscopy for the Small Animal Practitioner.

Jeannie McGuire, ’61, received a lifetime achievement award from the Lake Oswego City Council and the Historic Resources Advisory Board for contributions to the city’s historic preservation programs. The award is now known as the Jeannie McGuire Lifetime Achievement Award for Historic Preservation.

Ali A. Karakhan, Ph.D. ’20, a lecturer in the Department of Reconstruction Projects at the University of Baghdad, was published in the peer-reviewed journal, SHIFT. 

Angela Kargel, ’92, has become the first woman to hold the position of state traffic engineer with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Colton Weinstein, ’14, chief executive officer and co-founder of Liba Spirits and consulting distiller for Corsair Distillery in Nashville, Tennessee, was chosen by his peers as Artisan Spirit magazine’s 2024 Artisan Spirit Distiller of the Year. Weinstein was also named to Imbibe magazine’s list of 75 People to Watch in 2024.

Photo by Devon Trevathan

Brent Keeler, ’06, was awarded the Quanta Services CEO Innovation & Entrepreneurial Award for his work as team leader in designing, building and implementing an anti-rotation device for the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter. Keeler is a senior pilot and CH-47 “utility hook” program manager for PJ Helicopters out of Northern California. 

Michael Kondo, ’77, retired head gardener of the Portland Japanese Garden, was profiled by KGW8 for his 40 years on the job and lasting impact on the garden’s beauty. Watch the story.

Scott Rueck, ’92, MAT ’93, head coach for OSU women’s basketball, was voted Pac-12 Coach of the Year by the media. Rueck guided the Beavs to a 23-6 regular season finish and No. 4 seed in the Pac-12 tournament, after finishing 13-18 the previous season. 

Robert Schalla, M.S. ’78, a retired geologist, published Black Diamonds from the Treasure State with Indiana University Press about early efforts to bring rail transport to the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park and the Red Lodge-Bear Creek coal field.

Jim Schwarz, ’69, was honored as the eldest member of William Paterson University’s Class of 2024. Schwarz returned to school in his 70s to pursue a second bachelor’s degree — this time in health studies — after watching his wife of 48 years recover from medical issues. Read more.

Ellen Yin, ’16, is the first Asian American in nearly 30 years to be crowned Mrs. Oregon America. She represents the state in the Mrs. America competition — the longest-standing national pageant for married women — at the end of August in Las Vegas. Yin is the founder and host of the Cubicle to CEO podcast, which features weekly case-study interviews with entrepreneurs and CEOs. Learn more about her work at ellenyin.com.

Photo by Mathieu Lewis-Rolland

Melanie Spraggins, ’01, and Jamae Hilliard Creecy, ’91, were featured in Hydro Leader magazine as part of the all-female executive team now leading the Bonneville Power Administration’s Power Services Department. Spraggins commented, “We are also both Black females, making this truly a historical milestone in the predominately white male energy industry.” 

Tom C. Veblen, M.S. ’55, co-convener of the Washington, DC, Cosmos Club Freethinkers Conversation Table, published Reimagining America’s Experiment in Self-Governance: The Way Forward with Dalen Publishing.

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