1950s
Paul R. Sellin (‘52 History) has learned that Yankee Book Peddler, United Kingdom, has selected his revisionist study Treasure, Treason, and the Tower: El Dorado and the Murder of Sir Walter Raleigh (Farham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing) as a UK Core Title for 2011.
Milton K. Leonard, P.E. (‘54 Mech. Eng.) was recently honored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) with his elevation to the ASME grade of Life Fellow. Leonard is an active member of the Oregon chapter of ASME and a licensed professional mechanical engineer in the Portland, Oregon, area for more than 50 years.
Ellen Franzen Dissanayake (’57 B.A. Hum.) was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore in May 2013. Ellen received the J. Horace Nunemaker award at the end of her junior year (spring 1956) at WSU, honoring a student “with the promise of making a contribution to the humanities.”
1970s
Jim (‘72 Forest Mgt.) and Jane Thornes were named on March 25, 2013, Idaho “Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year” for their management practices in Moscow, Idaho.
Bob Walter (’72 Forest Mgt.) has been elected to the Eatonville town council. For the past 11 years, he and his wife, Dixie, have published a local news website called Eatonvillenews.net as a community service.
1980s
Doug Burnett (‘81 HMB) was appointed as a representative of Idaho’s Travel Council. Since 1995, Doug has worked for Hagadone Hospitality and is currently the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s resident manager.
Sheryl Hagen-Zakarison (’83 Agronomy, ’91 Acc.) has been appointed to the Farm Service Agency State Committee. She has also been active with several agricultural organizations such as Tilth and the Wheat Growers. She and her husband Eric have a small farm north of Pullman.
Eric Jerde (‘84 MS, Geol.) has been elected vice president of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences.
1990s
Jackie Peer (’96 Elect. Eng.) was honored by the Manufacturing Institute with a 2014 Women in Manufacturing STEP Award. Jackie works for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc.
2000s
Jessica Pack (’05 Ed.) became one of five California teachers of the year. She is on her second year piloting the Student BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Program. She has piloted several other technology-based programs for the Palm Springs Unified School District. She is the president of the Cahuilla chapter of Computer Using Educators and has written and published an e-book on student film production called Digital Storytelling: Connecting Standards to Movie-Making.
Jacob Spangler (’05 Biochem., Gene. & Cell Bio.) completed his doctorate in genetics at Clemson University.
Dr. Casey S. Gamache (’07 Med. Sci.) has opened Gamache Orthodontics in Yakima. He attended the University of Washington Dental School and completed his orthodontics residency at University of Texas, Dental Branch in Houston.
Isaac Powell (’07 MFA) featured a collection of paintings at the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center at Tarleton State University until March 17. His exhibit “Paintings” showcases organic imagery and the structure of the picture plan. In 2011 the Armory Show, held in New York City, included Powell’s work.
Elise Jackson (‘09 Mktg., Business) and Megan Hughes (‘04 Comm.) have both joined their parents in the family wine business at Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland.
2010s
Marisa Sandoval (’10 DTC, English) and Matt Lamb (’10 Biochem.) married on December 28, 2013, in New Mexico.
Dirk Rogstad (’11 Civil Eng.) has been hired as a design engineer by CG Engineering in Edmonds.
Scott Button (’13 MS Eng. Mgmt.) was honored with Boeing’s annual Special Invention Award.
James Ellis (’13 Civil Eng.) has been hired as a civil engineer-in-training by CG Engineering in Edmonds.
Jennifer Leach (’13 Business) has been appointed special projects and events manager at the Olympia Lacey Tumwater Visitor & Convention Bureau.