Alumni NewsFall 2025

1960s

David Bushnell, ’61, M.S. ’63, published Oregon Coast: A Family Travel Adventure with Advanced Media LLC.

Mike Gaulke, ’68, who spent more than 20 years as an executive in Silicon Valley, including 13 years as CEO of Exponent Inc., was awarded the 2025 John W. Gardner Award by the American Leadership Forum of Silicon Valley. The award recognizes exemplary individuals who inspire other leaders and build bridges between diverse communities.

Marvin Lee, ’65, retired former owner of Portland’s Cal’s Pharmacy, was honored by the College of Pharmacy as an Oregon State University Icon of Pharmacy for pioneering the use of computerized pharmacy systems in Oregon and becoming a leading provider of HIV medications during the AIDS epidemic.

Patricia Valian Reser, ’60, ’19 (Hon. Ph.D.), board chair of Reser Fine Foods and of the Reser Family Foundation, was honored as a 2025 Oregon Historical Society History Maker. The award honors living individuals and organizations that are positively shaping the history, culture and landscape of the state.

Roy Saigo, Ph.D. ’69, and Barbara Saigo, M.S. ’69, were honored by Southern Oregon University with the rededication of the Drs. Roy and Barbara Saigo Multicultural Alcove in SOU’s Hannon Library. The collection was originally established during Roy Saigo’s tenure as the university’s interim president and then president, from 2014 to 2016, and contains books that celebrate, support and recognize the diversity of the university’s community.

1970s

Ellen Morris Bishop, M.S. ’79, Ph.D. ’83, published the second edition of her book Living with Thunder: Exploring the Geological Past, Present, and Future of the Pacific Northwest with OSU Press.

Dr. Dennis Godby, ’79, a Sacramento-based naturopathic doctor, begins the final leg of his trek across the U.S. to raise awareness for health equity on Aug. 25. He invites naturopathic doctors and others to join him i from Fargo, North Dakota, to Bozeman, Montana. Learn more at here.

Lan Zhang, M.S. ’96

Co-founder of Century 3 Shanghai, Inc., an engineering and construction company, as well as an Oregon State University Foundation trustee, recently finished development of the Legoland Shanghai Resort, the largest Legoland in the world, which opened on July 5. No stranger to complex theme park projects, Zhang and Century 3 Shanghai were also key partners in the construction of the Shanghai Disney Theme Park. While attending Oregon State in the 1990s, he served as president of the Chinese Student Association

Photo courtesy of Lan Zhang

Duane Nellis, M.S. ’78, Ph.D. ’80, president emeritus and former trustee professor at Ohio University, retired. Nellis, who previously worked as the president of Texas Tech University and the University of Idaho, served as the 21st president of Ohio University from 2017 to 2021 and then transitioned back to teaching and research in geography. He is recognized internationally for using satellite data and geographic information systems to analyze dimensions of the Earth’s land surface.

John O’Connell, ’83, president and CEO of RP Healthcare, a California-based pharmacy focused on serving the assisted living community, and a co-founder of Westcliff Compounding Pharmacy, was honored by the College of Pharmacy as an Oregon State University Icon of Pharmacy.

Don Pettit, ’78, NASA’s oldest active astronaut, returned to Earth on his 70th birthday after 222 days on the International Space Station. Read about his journey here.

Rick Spinrad, M.S. ’78, Ph.D. ’82, former NOAA administrator and College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences faculty member, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

1980s

Eric R. Eaton, ’83, a writer and entomologist, released a new book Bugwatching: The Art, Joy, and Importance of Observing Insects with Princeton University Press. Visit here.

Katie Walsh Flanagan, ’80, was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. Currently an adjunct faculty member at Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Flanagan is a professor emerita at East Carolina University, where she worked for 29 years with their NCAA Division I football team and served as the director of sports medicine. A former member of the NATA board of directors, she has worked internationally with U.S. soccer teams and at the Olympic and Pan American Games. She is also the author of three medical textbooks.

Ian Madin, M.S. ’87, worked on the performance piece, Oregon Origins, an epic new musical work and art exhibition depicting the dramatic events of Oregon’s geologic history, which debuted at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton this June. Learn about it here.

1990s

Nick Otting, ’93, M.S. ’99, Barbara L. Wilson, Ph.D. ’99, and Richard E. Brainerd, ’82, co-authored Field Guide to the Grasses of Oregon and Washington, Second Edition, published by Oregon State Press. This comprehensive reference has become the definitive identification resource for the region.

2000s

Dr. Amanda Achterman, MPH ’06, was named Rural Health Practitioner of the Year by the National Rural Health Association. A primary care physician at Summit Pacific Medical Center in Elma, Washington, Achterman is one of fewer than 20 family medicine providers, fewer than two fluent Spanish-speaking providers, and fewer than four obstetrics providers for more than 70,000 residents in Grays Harbor County.

Kyle DeVan, ’08, former Oregon State offensive lineman and most recently offensive line coach for the Beavers, was hired by the NFL’s Chicago Bears.

Haley Lyons, ’04, partner at Kernutt Stokes, was named to the prestigious Forbes 2025 list of Best-in-State CPAs.

Ryan Meldrum, ’04, was appointed director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University.

2010s

Erin Bodfish, ’19, completed her third year teaching art history and studio art at OSU-Cascades. Her first major solo exhibition appeared this spring at the After/time Collective Gallery in Portland. A fourth generation OSU graduate, Bodfish comes from a long lineage of OSU women. Her mother, Julie Bodfish, ’84, was a member of the OSU track team. Her great grandmother was a music major at OSU in the early 1920s.

Lara Jacobs, ’15, Ph.D. ’24, edited Indigenous Critical Reflections on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, published by OSU Press.

Tim Cook, Ed.D. ’05

President of Clackamas Community College, set off this June from Hood River on a journey to run 1,500 miles in 50 days, crisscrossing the state to reach each of Oregon’s 17 community colleges. By running the equivalent of more than a marathon per day, he hopes to raise awareness of — and funds for — Oregon college students struggling to meet basic needs. A 2019 survey found that 52% of Oregon community college students had experienced housing insecurity, 46% struggled to afford balanced meals and 20% had been homeless. See updates and learn more here.

Photo courtesy of Tim Cook

Rakan Khaki, ’11, MPH ’12, chief operations officer and co-founder of Biome Analytics in Denver, was named to the Cardiovascular Business “Forty Under 40” list for his work transforming complex data into actionable strategies, allowing hospitals to make informed decisions that improve patient outcomes and operational performance. 

Malory Turner, ’16, a special education professional learning coach with the Northwest Regional Education Service District in Hillsboro, Oregon, was awarded the Noel Connall IPD Award by the Oregon Education Association. The award recognizes her work providing training and technical assistance to K-12 special educators across Washington, Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties.

Ed Woods, Ed.M. ’10, director of the Mid-Willamette Education Consortium, was honored by the Northwest Council for Computer Education as the NCCE 2025 Outstanding Technology Leader of the Year, in recognition of his work securing student access to industry-leading tools and for his integration of new technology into Oregon’s classrooms.

Maj. Mason Zhang, ’19, director of pharmacy operations at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii, and adjunct professor of pharmacy practice for the University of the Pacific, was honored by the College of Pharmacy as an Outstanding Young Alumni Inductee. In his four years of service with the military, Maj. Zhang has been recognized as the Society of Air Force Pharmacy’s Clinical Pharmacist of the Year, 60th Medical Group’s Officer of the Year, 60th Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Squadron’s Officer of the Year, 60th Air Mobility Wing’s Officer of the Quarter, and 15th Healthcare Operations Squadron Innovator of the Quarter.

2020s

Sara Anne Brandt, ’23, began service with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica this July as a youth in development volunteer.

Hailey Coll, ’24, goalkeeper for the women’s professional soccer team Spokane Zephyr FC, was nominated for the USL Super League, Players Association, Player’s Choice Humanitarian of the Year Award. Coll volunteers approximately 20 hours a week with River City Youth, a Spokane-based nonprofit organization.

Fabricio Costa, M.S. ’22, recently joined Amazon Web Services as a program manager for Data Center Design Engineering, where he leads global initiatives in high performance infrastructure to support next-generation AI and cloud computing. He also began his doctorate in business administration at the University of the Potomac, focusing on innovation in engineering management and technology-driven project delivery.

Morgan Eckroth, ’20, was honored at the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards, presented by Pacific Barista Series, for Best Coffee Writing. Read the winning essay at here. Eckroth, “your friendly internet barista,” creates popular coffee-related online content with 1.2 million followers on Instagram and 6.1 million followers on TikTok (@morgandrinkscoffee).

Jaydon Grant, ’20, MSB ’22, former Beaver Football defensive back, signed with the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders this April.

Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber, M.S. ’11

Was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The award, announced by the White House and National Science Foundation in January, recognizes educators for their teaching skills, deep knowledge of their subjects, and commitment to continual improvement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. It is the nation’s highest honor for K-12 science and math educators. Fuentes-Tauber, known as “Dr. T” to her students, has been teaching for 18 years, and teaching at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the past four.

Photo courtesy of Poudre School District / PSDTV

Faisal Osman, ’24, took a new position as the constituent services lead for the Office of Mayor Keith Wilson, ’86, in Portland.

Ben Riddell-Young, Ph.D. ’23, published a paper in the journal Nature that found that global increases in wildfire activity likely occurred during periods of abrupt climate change throughout the last Ice Age.

Dean Skillicorn, ’20, manager for imaging services at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho, was recognized with a fellowship with the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). This lifetime appointment honors individuals who have dedicated their careers to improving healthcare technology, standards development and the AAMI’s mission.

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