1960s
Henry Wyborney (’62 Anthro.) and Art Sandison (’70, ’73 MS Phys. Ed.) were recently inducted into the Port Angeles High School Roughrider Hall of Fame. Henry set the state record for high jump at Port Angeles in 1957, and went on to break WSU’s high jump record three years later. Art held the second-fastest 800-meter time in the history of American track while at WSU, and still holds the state’s fastest 800-meter time for college or high school athletes, which he set for the Roughriders in 1965.
1970s
Former president and CEO of Boeing, and current WSU Regent Scott Carson (’72 Busi.) was presented with the Weldon B. “Hoot” Gibson Distinguished Volunteer Award, the Washington State University Foundation’s highest honor. He has given decades of volunteer service and donations to WSU; the Carson College of Business was named in his honor in 2014.
After 40 years in private practice in Colfax, Gary J. Libey (’73 Poli. Sci.) took the reins as Whitman County Superior Court judge after being elected last November. His predecessor and classmate, J. David Frazier (’73 Poli. Sci.), previously served on the bench first as Whitman County District judge for 18 years, and then Whitman County Superior Court judge for 16 years. He retired in January 2017. Both Frazier and Libey studied political science and served as president of their fraternity, Alpha Kappa Lambda. Libey is also a lifetime Alumni Association member.
Bill White (’74 Busi.) was named the interim president and CEO of Intellicheck, Inc. In addition to his current position as CFO, Bill will take on the additional role as a part of the company’s efforts to combat identification fraud.
Michael S. McGough (’79 Mat. Sci.) joined Saulsbury Industries as the firm’s chief nuclear officer. Michael has lent his expertise to a number of nuclear operations across the globe during his 38-year career, most recently as NuScale Power’s chief commercial officer.
1980s
Charlie Kronvall (’80 Chem. Eng.) retired from the Hanford Nuclear Site after more than 37 years. He served in an assortment of roles during his time Hanford, including vice president at the Richland Operations Center and as the company’s chief engineer.
Neil McClure (‘80 Ag. Econ.) was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to Yakima Valley College’s Board of Trustees. He has served on a range of Yakima organizations in the past couple decades, including the Yakima City Council. He also owns the family business, Firman Pollen Co.
Lee Cheatham (’81 MS Elec. Eng.) was appointed the director of technology deployment and outreach at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he will work to widen the influence of the firm’s science and technology through improved relationships with industry partners.
Billy J. Williams (’81 Crim. Jus.) was nominated to remain as Oregon’s U.S. attorney by President Donald Trump. Williams was a Multnomah County senior deputy district attorney until he joined the U.S. attorney’s office in 2000. He has been acting U.S. attorney since April 2015.
The Covenant School of Dallas named Robert Littlejohn (’83 PhD Botany) its next head of school. Formerly the head of school at Trinity Academy of Raleigh, he is also a published author and dedicated advocate for classical Christian education.
Newpark Resources, Inc. appointed John C. Mingé (’83 Mech. Eng.) as a new member to its board of directors. Newpark is a worldwide provider of drilling fluids systems and composite matting systems used in oilfield and other commercial markets. Mingé is chairman and president of BP America, Inc., where he has worked for 34 years.
Jeff Butler (’84 Comm.) was chosen to be Alaska Airlines’ new vice president of inflight and call center services. He has worked in a range of positions since beginning with Alaska Airlines in 1984, including editorial assistant, sales agent, and managing director of inflight operations, and was named a “Customer Service Legend” by the company in 2016.
Mark Jutila (’84 MS, ’86 PhD Bacterio.), head of Montana State University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, was confirmed as a Regents Professor at MSU. Jutila’s research focuses on human and animal immunology. His research into the body’s inflammatory response has fed into the development of clinical treatments for disorders like psoriasis or inflammations of the gut and nervous system that target the cells causing the inflammation and shut them down at the molecular level. He remains active in the classroom, directs other high-level research programs, and has received grants at MSU totaling more than $25 million.
Gene Dowers (’86 Phys. Ed.) was selected as executive director for the nonprofit Pateros-Brewster Community Resource Center. In his new role, Gene will work to find resources for those in need of health care, chronic pain treatment, disaster relief, and insurance coverage.
Hydrogen Advertising of Seattle chose Brenda Collons (’87 Hum.) to be its new vice president and director of strategic communications and public relations. Brenda has worked in the advertising field for almost 30 years, most recently as partner and owner for Seattle- and Portland-based C Squared Advertising.
Glen Schumock (’87 Pharm.), professor and head of pharmacy systems, outcomes, and policy, in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, became dean of the UIC College of Pharmacy. Schumock is co-principal investigator of the UIC Center for Excellence in Comparative Effectiveness Research Education, which is funded by the PhRMA Foundation. He is the founding director of the UIC Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomic Research and led the center from 2002 to 2013.
Jennifer Miller (’88, ’15 PhD Nursing) was recently hired as an assistant professor in the University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ nursing and health sciences department. Previously, Jennifer was a faculty member and lecturer at Gonzaga University in Spokane.
1990s
Robert Harding (’91 DVM) was presented with the 2017 Dairy Quality Veterinarian of the Year award at the fiftieth American Association of Bovine Practitioners conference. Robert runs a dairy practice in Utah which emphasizes antibiotic responsibility, animal comfort, and management of dairy quality through data analysis.
Patrick Kramer (’92 Psych.) was appointed as vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement of the Texas Tech University System and chief operating officer of the Texas Tech Foundation. Patrick’s almost 25-year career has led him to a variety of fundraising and leadership roles with WSU and the University of Colorado.
Juanita Bay Veterinary in Kirkland welcomed Kari Johnson (’93 DVM) to its practice. Kari has experience as an emergency and rehabilitation doctor. She also teaches undergraduate human anatomy and physiology to college students.
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) appointed Nicole Cecil (’96 Int. Des.) to its national committee, where she will oversee seven of the organization’s chapters in California and act as a liaison with its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Nicole currently serves as interior design studio manager at CSHQA, an architecture and engineering firm in Boise, Idaho, and recently completed a term as ASID’s Intermountain Chapter president.
Marcus Glasper (’97 Eng. Mgmt.) was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to serve as acting director for the Washington State Lottery. Currently the deputy director at the Washington State Department of Revenue, Marcus will draw upon years of managerial experience with organizations such as the Department of Corrections and the U.S. Department of Energy.
M. Lorena González (’99 Busi.) was re-elected to the Seattle City Council in November for her second term. As an attorney and civil rights activist, she is nationally recognized for her work in anti-discrimination, police misconduct, and wage theft cases.
Greg Petry (’99 Busi.) has been changing the look of downtown Pullman recently with a number of construction projects around the city. Greg is helping remodel the vintage State Inn hotel, as well as a redevelopment of the old Pullman Building Supply.
Skillspire, a technical academy offering the most in-demand skills training to underrepresented populations in the high-tech sector, added Erika Price (’99 MBA) as its business development manager. She spent over a decade working in product and program management for Microsoft, Symantec, and Intel. Erika recently completed Reboot Seattle, the career accelerator focused on women returning from a career break.
Jeff Snell (’99 MED, ’17 EDD) regularly runs marathons to raise money for various charities with his son, Micah, who has a developmental genetic disorder that affects his ability to walk and speak. Jeff started Micah’s Miles in 2012, an organization that raises money to support people with cerebral palsy. He’s currently superintendent of the Camas School District.
2000s
The Vidette newspaper of Montesano, Washington, recently welcomed Todd Bennington (’01 Fine Arts, ’10 English) as its newest reporter. In addition to four years of journalism experience, Todd served four years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and intelligence analyst.
Tacoma’s BLRB Architects named Jonah Jensen (’02 Arch.) its new associate principal. He has served as a designer, architect, and project manager since beginning at the firm in 2006. During this time, Jonah has worked on a number of K–12 school projects, including the expansion and modernization of Seattle’s historic Loyal Heights Elementary, as well as the rehabilitation and expansion of Washington Elementary in Tacoma.
ITS Logistics announced Jim Dingman (’03 MBA) as the firm’s new president of fleet operations. A veteran of the trucking and distribution field, Jim has acquired over 25 years of management and sales experience with a range of companies and served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years as a diesel mechanic.
Mercer Wine Estates of Prosser recently chose Jeremy Santo (’03 Bio.) to take over as head winemaker. He boasts years of industry experience, creating award-winning wines for Washington estates such as Chateau Ste. Michelle and Wahluke Wine Company.
Kerith Burke (’04 Comm) will offer in-game interviews, insight, and analysis on social media as NBA Sports Bay Area’s new sideline reporter for the Golden State Warriors. During Kerith’s sports broadcasting career of over ten years, she reported on the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team for four years, including hosting the Geno Auriemma Show, and covered the 2016 Rio Olympic Games for NBC.
Hale Makua Kahului, Maui’s largest skilled and intermediate nursing home, rehab center, and adult day health center, hired Teana Kaho‘ohanohano (’07 MHPA) as its new administrator. She has over 10 years of experience in the industry in California and Hawai‘i. Teana will oversee activities, nursing, social services, maintenance, and engineering at the organization.
Jerry Langreder (’09 Crop Sci.) was selected to be the new director of operations for River Ranch McCall, a 458-acre housing development in McCall, Idaho. Jerry is a 17-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran and has held positions in landscape and property management at Eastern Washington University and the Manito Country Club in Spokane.
Founded in Pullman by Pavlo Rudenko (’09 Physics, ’15 PhD Mat. Sci.), TriboTEX was honored with the Defense Innovation Award at Technology Acceleration Challenge 2017. Pavlo’s thesis research at WSU provided the basis for TriboTEX, which uses nanotechnology to combat automobile engine wear.
Luke Schueler (’09 Soc. Sci.) was chosen as Top CEO of the Year and “40 Under 40” by the International Association of Top Professionals. Aiming to create safer trampoline technology, Luke and his twin brother founded Shock Trampoline Parks and Flying Squirrel Sports, which builds the largest indoor trampoline parks in the world.
2010s
Baker Boyer Bank promoted Karen Benge (’10 Env. Sci.) as the company’s new vice president and asset management operations manager. She has worked her way up the management chain, holding a variety of positions at the Walla Walla-based bank since beginning in 2013.
The University of Mississippi recently welcomed Francis D. Boateng (’12 MA, ’15 PhD) to its applied sciences department. Formerly an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Crookston, Francis shares his research findings about criminal justice theories and related fields in speeches across the country and a variety of academic journals.
Former Cougar rowers took gold, silver, and bronze in the women’s pair, as a combination of six former and current Washington State rowers competed at the 2017 RCA National Rowing Championships, the Canada Cup, at Burnaby Lake, November 7–12. Lisa Roman (’12 Psych.) won gold, Nicole Hare (’17 Busi.) won silver, and Morgan Cathrea (’16 Neurosci.) won bronze. WSU senior Emily Thomson, sophomore Ivy Elling Quaintance, and freshman Emma Gribbon also represented Washington State rowing at the championships.
The Geological Society of America named Melanie R. Thornton (’12 MS, ’17 PhD Env. Sci.) as one of its three 2017–2018 fellows for science policy and communication. She will work with a member of Congress or congressional committee in order to better society through greater efficacy in science and public policy. During her doctoral research at WSU, Melanie collaborated with stakeholders and scientists on water sustainability issues in the Spokane River Basin.
In pursuit of a master’s degree from Miami University, Rachel Hughes (’13 Zool.) recently traveled to Belize to study how communities there work to protect local wildlife, such as coral reefs and howler monkeys. She is currently a reptile and carnivore keeper at the Frank Buck Zoo in Sherman, Texas.
Treehouse recently named Maddie March (’14 Acc.) as one of its twelve Young Professionals Board members. As a board member, she will work with the Seattle nonprofit to support the academic success and other essential needs of youth in the Washington foster care system.
Lareesa Marquette-Blakely (’15 Soc.) performed on the quarter-finals of NBC’s America’s Got Talent on August 29 as a part of the 43-member Danell Daymon & Greater Works gospel choir. During her time at WSU, she served as the director of God’s Harmony gospel choir and still performs regularly in the Pullman community.
Jacob Medley (’17 Elec. Eng.) was hired as the Jefferson County Public Utility District’s newest staking engineer. A second-generation public utility worker, he joins the company after working as intern for Tacoma Power in 2016.
DCI Engineers in Seattle welcomed Kyle Montzheimer (’17 Civ. Eng.) to the position of project engineer. He will begin his work for the structural and civil engineering firm designing modular projects in Washington, Colorado, and California.
Alexander Wolfe (’17 MAR) recently joined ALSC Architects as an architectural intern. He is working on projects for both the Central Valley and Cheney school districts.