1960s
Gordon Davis (’68 Ag, ’69 Ag. Ed.) and his wife, Joyce, gifted $44 million to the Texas Tech University agriculture college, now called Gordon W. Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. It’s the largest single donation in the university’s history. In 1984, Davis established CEV Multimedia, which develops online curricula, instructional materials and certification testing for career and technical education. Davis grew up on a dairy and wheat farm in Eastern Washington. In 1980, he became an assistant professor at Texas Tech, where he coached the meat judging team. Now retired, he continues his philanthropic work through the Gordon and Joyce Davis Foundation.
1970s
Mark D. Hayward (’75 Socio). is a 2022-23 Visiting Scholar for Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honors organization, with its Gamma chapter founded at WSU in 1928. Since 1956, the Visiting Scholar program connects students and faculty with some of America’s most distinguished scholars. Hayward is a Centennial Commission Professor in the Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. His work focuses on health demographics and population health science, and he is an editor for his field’s major journal, Demography.
Katherine Ankerson (’78 BS, ’79 BA, ’94 MS Arch.) is the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As dean of the College of Architecture, Ankerson oversaw a 24 percent increase of architecture faculty recognized with academic and professional honors and a 21 percent increase in the six-year graduation rate. Anderson was the International Interior Design Association’s 2020 Educator of the Year, and she served as a professor and associate dean at Nebraska from 1996 to 2011.
1980s
Forest G. Maryott (’81 Forest & Range Mgmt.) has retired as a sergeant with the Ephrata Police Department. A former Marine, Maryott has also worked for the Spokane sheriff’s office, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and as a detective and more for the city of Ephrata.
Thomas Eades (’83 Comm.) has retired from the San Juan County sheriff’s office after 33 years as an emergency services dispatcher. He now works for San Juan Island Fire and Rescue as a fire apparatus operator.
Robert Granberg (’89 Civ. Eng.) is the president of Granberg and Associates, a company he founded after 29 years in municipal utility and public works project management. He is the general manager for a joint powers authority to plan, design, construct, and operate a new surface water supply for the cities of Turlock and Ceres, California. He is a licensed civil engineer in both California and Washington.
1990s
Celeste Mastin (’90 Chem. Eng.) is executive vice president and chief operating officer at H.B. Fuller, a chemical products company based in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was CEO of PetroChoice Lubrication Solutions and has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing and distribution.
Chris Knauer (’92 Busi., Psych.) is the 2021 World Champion in the Open (all ages) and Masters (ages 50-54) divisions of the International Powerlifting League. He’s won several other powerlifting titles in the past two years and co-owns Seattle’s Power Body Gym.
Pamela Brulotte (’94 Elem. Ed.) is the 2021 recipient of the Brewers Association F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award. The award honors individuals or companies for their contributions and efforts in championing the small brewing industry. Brulotte is owner of Icicle Brewing Co. and München Haus in Leavenworth.
Juanita (Burke) Rogers (’96 Land. Arch.) is a landscape architecture manager for MacKay Sposito, a consulting group based in Vancouver. She has 25 years of experience in master planning, urban design, parks and recreation, trail planning, and more.
Jean-Maria C. Langley (’97 Biol.) is recognized as a Distinguished Otolaryngologist by Continental Who’s Who, an organization that spotlights thousands of professionals each year. She specializes in sinus and sleep apnea surgeries in Oklahoma.
Richard French (’98 Busi.) is the new executive director of Palouse Knowledge Corridor, a regional economic development organization that brings talent and expertise from regional universities to offer Palouse-based activities for the benefit of the local community. French was president and CEO of Federal Engineers and Construction during his 15 years with the company and served as a project manager for Lockheed Martin Services.
Milton Lang (’98 Elem. & Sec. Ed., ’08 EdD Higher Ed. Admin.) is CEO of Washington STEM, a nonprofit organization focused on education and social change. Lang was vice president of student services at Ohlone College in Fremont, California, and vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer at California State University, Chico. He previously oversaw student life at University of California, Davis, and Washington State University.
2000s
Craig Hughner (’03 Comm.) is the director of media relations for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was most recently vice president of communications for the San Diego Padres. A 2007 internship with the Seattle Mariners kicked off his 15-year career in Major League Baseball.
Sarah (Yates) Monnastes (’03 Psych.) is the human resources director for the city of Dublin, California. She held the same position for the city of San Ramon for four years and has 17 years of human resource experience.
Brynan (Enes) Shipley (’04 Human Dev.) is the Athletic Director of the Year for the 2A Greater St. Helen’s League in southwest Washington. She serves as the director of athletics and activities at the Ridgefield School District, where she’s worked for four years.
Governor Jay Inslee appointed Robert W. Grim (’07 Crim. Jus.) to the Okanogan County Superior Court bench. Grim is a partner of Winthrop law firm Kuehler and Grim, and a former Okanogan County District Court judge. He previously worked as a criminal defense attorney with Kottkamp and Yedinak in Wenatchee.
Irene DeMaris (’08 Math.) is the executive director for Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, a statewide climate action group. A United Methodist deacon, DeMaris has helped the group expand climate programs, lead outreach efforts and secure funding since she joined two years ago. She has spent her career working for faith-based nonprofits and was previously the associate director of the Center for Public Theology at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Isley Gonzalez (’08 Ed.) is a recipient of the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation’s 2021 Golden Apple Award. She is a health and physical education teacher and the cross country and track coach at Cheldelin Middle School in Corvallis, Oregon. Under her leadership, Cheldelin founded a branch of the youth organization Students Advocating for Equality. Gonzalez received a cross country and track-and-field scholarship to attend Washington State University.
Cori Youngblood (’08 Zool., ’12 DVM) is an equine veterinarian and surgeon at Olympic View Equine Medicine and Surgery.
Nicole Mead (’09 Comm.) is the vice president of business development and operations for the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which supports creative initiatives and alternative therapeutic experiences in children’s hospitals. Mead is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and works to bridge the entertainment, healthcare, and corporate communities to provide support for the foundation and the patients it serves.
Melissa Stuart (’09 Comm., Poli. Sci) is a member of the Redmond City Council.
2010s
Taylor Shanaman (’12 Poli. Sci.) is the director of governmental and public affairs for Seattle King County Realtors. She has 10 years of experience and held similar roles with Oregon Realtors, Washington Realtors, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Association of Realtors.
Taylor Hennessey (’14 Poli. Sci.) is the assistant attorney general in the torts section of the state attorney general’s office in Spokane. Hennessey represents the state of Washington in civil lawsuits in Eastern Washington. Previously, he worked in child welfare, where he represented the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
Miranda Jones (’14 Econ.) is a vice president and portfolio manager at Columbia Bank’s Seattle office. Jones was a senior credit analyst at WaFd Bank and has almost seven years of commercial underwriting experience.
Andrea Smith (’16 Pub. Affairs, ’18 MPA) is the building codes and policy manager for the Building Industry Association of Washington.
Hercules Mata’afa (x’17) signed to the Washington Commanders practice squad.
Andreas Bohman (’19 MBA) is the new vice president of University of Washington Information Technology and UW’s chief information officer. He has more than 20 years of leadership experience in technology, security, and operations, and previously served as vice president of operations at Central Washington University.
Chris Guerrero (’19 Crim. Jus.) is the new police chief of the city of Kennewick Police Department. During his 26 years with the department, he previously served as assistant police chief and as a patrol officer, SWAT team member, field training officer, commander, and more.
2020s
Elyse Bennett (’20 Biol.) was selected as the seventh pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft by the Kansas City Current. During her fifth year of eligibility, Bennett returned to WSU as a graduate student after her senior season was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She scored 10 goals and had four assists, leading the team with 24 total points, and received First Team All-Pac-12 honors.
Anthony Gordon (’20 Soc. Sci.) is signed to the Denver Broncos practice squad. Gordon set Pac-12 conference single-season records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, and total offense as WSU’s starting quarterback in 2019. He went undrafted before signing a deal with the Seattle Seahawks as an unrestricted free agent in 2020 and then a future deal with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2021 off-season.