1960s
Loren Koller (’65 DVM) received the 2025 WSU Alumni Achievement Award. Pathologist Koller pioneered immunotoxicology in the 1970s. Previously, he served as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University and associate dean at the University of Idaho. He has also served on editorial boards, grant review panels, and National Academy of Sciences committees, and held leadership roles in the Society of Toxicology and other professional organizations.
Avon Murphy (’67 MA English) created TCBib, a searchable database hosting thousands of technical communication articles. It was programmed by two computer science capstone teams at WSU Vancouver. The project is part of open-access publishing collaborative WAC Clearinghouse and hosted at Colorado State University. Murphy owns Murphy Editing and Writing Services and has been annotating technical communication literature since 1975.
1970s
Governor Bob Ferguson reappointed Jim Anderson (’74 Env. Sci., ’78 MA Env. Sci.) to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission. He was appointed to the commission in 2019 and has four decades of experience in natural resources. Previously, he worked with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.
Duane Wolverton (’74 Vet. Sci., ’77 DVM) received the 2025 Outstanding Service Alumni Award from the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine for four decades of veterinary care in his hometown of Orofino, Idaho. Wolverton has performed discounted spays and neuters and provided a sanctuary for pets in need.
1980s
Peter Anderson (’81 DVM) received the 2025 Excellence in Teaching and Research Award from the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Anderson is a professor of pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. His research on cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, and stents has resulted in more than 100 publications and six patents. He also cocreated the Pathology Education Informational Resource, an image database used for medical education.
Rena Carlson-Lammers (’86 Vet. Sci., ’89 DVM) received the Professional Achievement Award for 2025 from the Idaho State University Alumni Association. Carlson-Lammers served as ISU’s attending veterinarian for 28 years and co-owned Alpine Animal Hospital in Pocatello, Idaho. She has held leadership roles in the Idaho Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association and was named Idaho Veterinarian of the Year.
Terry McElwain (’86 PhD Infect. Diseases & Immun.) received the 2025 Graduate Alumni Award from the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. McElwain retired as a Regents Professor in 2016 after 32 years at WSU. He cofounded the Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, helped establish the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Previously, he served as executive director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at WSU.
Paul Morley (’86 Ani. Sci., ’87 Vet. Sci., ’89 DVM) received the 2025 Excellence in Teaching and Research Award from the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Morley is a professor and director of research for the Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach program at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is an internationally renowned epidemiologist, animal scientist, and veterinary internal medicine specialist known for his expertise in infectious diseases. Previously, he was a faculty member at Ohio State University, Colorado State University, and University of Colorado.
Gary Ballew (’88 Hotel & Rest. Admin., ’94 Civ. & Env. Eng., ’97 MS Env. Eng.) is assistant city manager for Yakima. Previously, Ballew was vice president of economic development for Greater Spokane, Inc., and director of economic development and marketing at the Port of Pasco. He has more than 20 years of experience in economic development.
Steve Johnson (’89 Biol., ’97 Pharm., ’98 PharmD) is chief development officer for Zealand Pharma, a Danish biotechnology company. Previously, he was senior vice president and head of regulatory stakeholders at UCB Biopharma and held leadership roles at Medpace, Inc. and Novo Nordisk. He also served as a master reviewer in the Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products at the Food and Drug Administration.
1990s
Rich Flanigan (’91 Accounting, Finance) is chief commercial officer of the Grant County Public Utility District in Ephrata. Flanigan joined the agency in 2006 as a senior financial analyst, and later served as senior manager of wholesale marketing and supply.
Mike Bednar (’92 Geol., ’04 Crop Sci.) is first runner-up for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s 2025 Healthy Land Stewardship Award. Bednar, superintendent of Palouse Ridge Golf Club, was recognized for his dedication to maintaining healthy ecosystems and sustainability practices.
Daniel Duncan (’94 Poli. Sci.) is commander of the Joint Munitions Command based at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. Previously, Duncan, a brigadier general, was deputy commander for the Combined Arms Support Command and executive officer to the commander of the Transportation Command.
Samantha Swindell (’95 MS, ’98 PhD Psych.) received the inaugural Assessment Champion Award from the WSU Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness, in recognition for advancing the assessment of undergraduate programs. She is a professor in the psychology department and associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Scott Tingey (’96 Busi., ’00 MBA) is associate laboratory director for operational systems at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Previously, Tingey was senior director for operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, chief operating officer at the Fermi National Accelerator Facility, and director of program and human resource management at the National Biodefense and Countermeasure Center. He started at PNNL as a hot cell technician in 1992, eventually becoming chief operating officer for the Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate. He is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M.
Heidi Shultz (’97 Ed.) was inducted to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s Hall of Fame class of 2024. Shultz is head volleyball coach at Columbia High School in White Salmon. She competed in the heptathlon on the WSU track and field team, earning a place in the NCAA national championships her senior year.
Michael Haymon (’98 Crim. Jus.) is the thirty-fifth commander of Naval Air Station Fallon in Churchill County, Nevada. Captain Haymon has served 27 years in the military.
2000s
Clayton Thomas (’00 Hum.) is the International Association of Top Professionals’ 2025 Top Global Entrepreneur of the Year. He is founder and board chair at the ROOT Brands, a health and wellness company, and hosts The Green Edition, a health and wellness show sponsored by his company.
Angie Senter (’02 Ag. Ed., ’10 MS Ag.) received the Outstanding Staff Award for Student Engagement from the Carson College of Business. Senter, event manager for the college, led or supported more than 200 events in 2024.
Tim Sperber (’04 MEd) is superintendent of the Lewiston School District in Lewiston, Idaho. He has been an administrator for the district since 2006.
Raul Alvarado (’05 Kinesio.) is boys’ basketball coach at Davis High School in Yakima. Alvarado started there as a physical education teacher in 2012, then joined the girls’ basketball coaching staff before becoming boys’ basketball assistant coach. Previously, Alvarado coached for an Amateur Athletic Union team in Hermiston, Oregon. He was head coach for middle school teams in Echo, Oregon, and Moscow, Idaho, and an assistant coach at Wapato High School.
Molly Schotzko (’05 Comm., ’08 MA Sport Mgmt.) received the Excellence in Teaching a Large Class Award from the WSU Teaching Academy. Schotzko is an assistant professor of strategic communication in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.
Jennifer Erickson (’06 Neurosci.) received the 2025 Undergraduate Alumni Award from the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Erickson is an assistant professor at the University of Washington, medical director of the Traumatic Brain Injury-Behavioral Health ECHO program, and associate program director for the Adult Psychiatry Residency Training program. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of New Mexico in 2015 and is board-certified in psychiatry, consultation liaison psychiatry, brain injury medicine, and neuropsychiatry-behavioral neurology.
Allie Wittenberger (’06 Accounting) is vice president of audit programs for Alaska Airlines. Wittenberger joined Alaska in 2010 as a senior internal auditor, then director of ethics and compliance and manager of financial planning and analysis. She most recently served as Alaska Air Group’s managing director of corporate affairs and compliance.
Liv Bourne (’07 Hosp. Busi. Mgmt., ’18 MBA) was featured in South Sound Business Journal’s 2025 40 Under 40, which recognizes business leaders for their contributions in the region. Bourne is the director of sales and catering at Alderbrook Resort & Spa in Union, and an adjunct professor in the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management.
Bronson Pocock (’07 History) is a fire captain at the Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety in Hawaii. Pocock joined the department in 2012 and worked as a firefighter in Wailea and Makawao and as captain in Pūko’o and Lahaina.
Jana Fischback (’08 Comm.) is sustainability coordinator for food safety and compliance at Stemilt, a family-owned tree fruit packing company based in Wenatchee. Fischback cofounded the educational nonprofit Sustainable NCW, where she worked with organizations to implement environmental sustainability programs and helped educate the community on how to live more sustainably. Previously, she worked as sustainability coordinator for Metro Parks Tacoma.
2010s
Beau Schwieso (’16 Comp. Sci., ’24 MBA) is chief operating officer for Caf2Code, a Microsoft Solutions partner that specializes in enterprise resource planning and digital transformation for businesses. Previously, Schwieso worked as an information systems technician manager for the US Navy, a senior Dynamics AX developer for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, a senior engineering manager for enVista and H-E-B, and vice president for enterprise solutions delivery at HOLT CAT.
Ruiying Cai (’18 PhD Hosp. Busi. Mgmt.) received the Outstanding Faculty Research Award from the Carson College of Business. Cai is an assistant professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management and has published 15 journal articles as a WSU faculty member. She has been featured in Forbes, the Telegraph, and Yahoo News, and has more than 2,000 citations on Google Scholar.
2020s
Erin Mullins (’22, ’23 Comm.) is a general assignment reporter for the Whitman County Gazette in Colfax. Previously, Mullins worked for the Leavenworth Echo and the Lovell Chronicle in Wyoming. At WSU, she worked at the Daily Evergreen and was a varsity track and field athlete.
Melody Davis (’23 Crim. Jus.) is head coach of the dance team at Ephrata High School. Davis, an experienced coach and choreographer, was a member of the Denver Nuggets dance team and served as captain of both her high school and WSU dance teams, earning a Washington Interscholastic Activities Association State Pom Championship.
Gabrielle Feliciano (’24 Comm.) is a reporter at the Newport Miner in Newport. At WSU, Feliciano was a reporter and editor for the Daily Evergreen and a copy and nonfiction editor for LandEscapes. She also interned at the Olympian as a general assignment reporter.