Alumni NewsSpring 2026

1950s

William R. Johnston, ’57, published the memoir CHOICES — My Life’s Choice Points, Mine and Those of Others During my First 87 Years, now available from Amazon.

1970s

Ruth Beyer, ’77, long-time attorney at Stoel Rives, LLP, and currently senior vice president and general counsel for Precision Castparts, received the Thomas Lamb Eliot Service to Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Oregon and SW Washington on Nov. 17, 2025.

James C. Carnahan, ’74, was elected to a two-year term as president of the Baker County Livestock Association, a division of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. He retired in June of 2024 after 50 years as a civil engineer, including four years as a U.S. Marine Corps engineering officer, 31 years as a consulting engineer in Central Oregon, and 15 years as a U.S. Forest Service bridges and dams engineer. He has also served on the OSU-Cascades advisory board and the Central Oregon Community College board, among other community activities.

Penny Fentiman, ’79, Oregon State University bowling instructor, won her sixth title in the Oregon State U.S. Bowling Congress Queens Tournament and an invitation to the National USBC Queens Tournament, taking place in Las Vegas this April. The Queens Tournament is one of the most prestigious women’s bowling competitions in the country.

Graham Parker, ’73, emeritus senior staff engineer at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was honored with the Utility Energy Forum’s Graham Parker Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades of leadership in energy efficiency.

Charles Robinson, ’70, published the book, Ice Age Flood Tour. It provides readers with a self-guided automobile tour of the Ice Age Flood in Eastern Washington and the Columbia River Gorge and features photographs of the geologic features along the route and detailed maps. Learn more.

Photo by Story Gorge

Jeanne Carver, M.S. ’78

Jeanne Carver, M.S. ’78, founder and president of Oregon-based Shaniko Wool Company, once again helped outfit Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics. This marks the fifth Olympic Games that her company’s merino wool has been used in the team’s Ralph Lauren-made uniforms. Shaniko was the first farm group in the U.S. to be certified under the Responsible Wool Standard, and its work showcases sustainable agriculture and American craftsmanship on a global stage.

1980s

Wanda Crannell, ’88, advisor and instructor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, and Doris Cancel-Tirado, MPH ’12, Ph.D. ’12, associate dean for student services and well-being in the College of Health, were honored with OSU Extension Service’s Community Engaged Scholarship Team Award at the 2025 OSU Engagement Conference for their work as team leads for OSU’s Puerto Rico Service-Learning Initiative.

Angela Snow, ’81, former vice president and senior design ambassador at Nike and honorary OSU Foundation trustee, co-chaired the Portland Art Museum’s Connection Campaign, which recently celebrated the completion of a significant expansion and renovation of the museum made possible by the $116 million campaign.

Katy Wright, ’83, a retired endodontist and former member of the OSU varsity women’s golf team, placed third in the 2025 Veterans Golf Association National Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago.

1990s

Shelby Filley, Ph.D. ’98, professor of animal and rangeland science and the OSU Extension Service area livestock and forage specialist, retired after 27 years of service.

Victoria Nguyen, ’95, MAIS ’06, director of Global Workforce Strategy and Talent Enablement for Genesys, was awarded Oregon State University’s 2026 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award in recognition of the impact of her volunteerism and professional work.

Joth Ricci, ’90, former CEO of Dutch Bros., Stumptown Coffee and Adelsheim Vineyards, and his family purchased Winderlea Vineyard and Winery in Dundee, Oregon. Anna Ricci, ’21, MBA ’23, now serves as the winery’s director of engagement and ownership relations.

2000s

Emmanuel Agamloh, Ph.D. ’06, associate professor of electrical engineering at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, was named an IEEE Fellow in recognition of his contributions to electric motor test procedures and efficiency standards.

Trini Amador IV, ’07, owner of Gracianna Winery in Sonoma County, California, celebrated a standout 2025 awards season, with the winery earning 15 awards — including Gold, Double Gold and Best of Class honors — across three major competitions. The 2023 Mercedes Riverblock Estate Pinot Noir was the winery’s most decorated wine, earning a Best of Class and Double Gold win.

Josh Axelrod, ’06, COO of Aldrich and member of the Board of Advisors for OSU College of Business, and Trey Winthrop, ’93, CEO of Bob’s Red Mill and OSU Foundation trustee, were named Portland Business Executives of the Year by the Portland Business Journal.

Lori Bautista, ’04, became a National Institute of Governmental Purchasing Certified Procurement Professional in November. She is one of only seven Oklahomans who currently hold the certification.

Trent Bray, ’07, former Beaver head football coach, was hired as defensive coordinator for Washington State University.

Inoke Breckterfield, ’08, former defensive line coach for Baylor University, is returning to Corvallis to serve as the Beavers’ defensive line coach. Breckterfield played for OSU from 1995 to 1998 and was a Third Team Associated Press All-American and won the Pac-10’s Morris Trophy Award.

Brian Hall, ’03, CEO of NIC Industries; Toby Luther, ’96, president and CEO of Lone Rock Resources; and Laura Naumes, ’81, vice president of Naumes Inc., were named to Governor Tina Kotek’s new Prosperity Council this January. The council is tasked with advising the governor on how to accelerate Oregon’s economy, create jobs and recruit and grow the state’s businesses.

Delfina Homen,’04, an intellectual property litigator, was elected as partner at the Portland-based law firm Miller Nash LLP.

Gary Newbloom, ’09, founder and CEO of Membrion, was named a Hydro20 honoree for his breakthrough work in industrial wastewater treatment.

Cody Sheehy, M.S. ’07, Emmy-award-winning filmmaker and founder of Rhumbline Media, directed The Last Dive, about a man’s 20-year-long relationship with a giant Pacific manta ray. Released in the summer of 2025, the film was honored with the award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Festival in New York City. Learn more.

Skye Walker, ’01, an Encinitas, California-based artist and muralist, was featured in the magazine SDVoyager. Read the story.

Photo by QEPrize/Jason Alden

Jen-Hsun Huang, ’84, ’09 (Hon. Ph.D.)

Jen-Hsun Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, emerged as one of the world’s most recognized technology leaders in 2025, named Person of the Year by both Time and the Financial Times and receiving the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering — presented by King Charles III — in honor of NVIDIA’s foundational work in AI and machine learning. The Cambridge Union Society and the Hawking family also awarded Huang the Professor Stephen Hawking Fellowship in recognition of his impact on scientific advancement.

2010s

Lacey Beaty, ’12, mayor of the city of Beaverton, and Charlene Zidell, ’71, vice president of strategic partnerships and legacy vision for Zidell Industries, were named to Portland Business Journal’s 2026 “Women of Influence” list. The award recognizes trailblazing women leaders in Oregon and Southwest Washington from a cross section of organizations in tech, healthcare, education and more.

Megan Partch, Ph.D. ’18, chief health officer at Father Joe’s Villages in San Diego, California, was recognized by San Diego Business Journal as a Women of Influence in Healthcare. Father Joe’s Villages opened a 44-bed detox program in September 2025 to support community members experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder. Previously, the City of San Diego had only two detox beds available to individuals with state-funded benefits.

Photo courtesy of Morgan Stosic

Morgan Stosic, ’19

Morgan Stosic, ’19, research scientist and psychologist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list of innovators in transportation and aerospace. As a lead scientist at Johnson Space Center’s Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory, she analyzes astronauts’ facial expressions, voices and body movements to detect markers of fatigue, cognition and team cohesion. This data is being used to develop a next-generation spacesuit that will be worn by astronauts exploring the Moon’s South Pole.

2020s

Burke De Boer, ’24, published Songs of the Cyberspace Cattle Drive, a collection of essays profiling singer-songwriters from across the American West, available through Amazon. Learn more.

Lauren Haas, MCoun ’25, an elementary school counselor in Central Oregon and advocate for amplifying adoptee voices, published the book A Heart that Holds it All: A Story of Adoption, available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Josh Misko, ’23, co-founder and COO of Seatfun, a ticketing and marketing company, announced that the startup closed a funding round at a multi-million dollar valuation. Read more.

Michelle Winham-Gee, ’22, Ph.D. ’24, a fluids and computational engineering doctoral student at Stanford University, was named part of the Department of Energy’s Computational Science Graduate Fellowships 35th cohort.

Emily Zamarripa, ’20, plant propagation specialist, and Noah Koker, ’24, lead field technician, both with the OSU-Cascades HERS Lab, were recognized at the 2025 OSU Engagement Conference. The two are members of the award-winning East Cascades Native Plant Hub, which earned the OSU-Community Partnership Engagement Award for addressing a national shortage of native plant materials critical to post-wildfire restoration and ecological recovery.

Photo courtesy of Giulia Wood

Giulia Wood, ’23

Giulia Wood, ’23, was named Oregon State’s first Marshall Scholar. This prestigious scholarship program for outstanding U.S. students funds up to three years of graduate study at any university in the United Kingdom. After finishing her master’s in Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at OSU this spring, Wood will pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Liverpool, studying Antarctic krill physiology and their role in biogeochemical cycling in the Southern Ocean.

Fill out the form to share your good news with the alumni community.