1940s
Val (’46 Liberal Arts) and Dan (’44 Pol. Sci.) Ogden were recently honored for their volunteer service by WSU Vancouver, receiving the Community Award of Distinction for Community Partnership.
1950s
Sarita Jane McCaw (’53 Speech Comm.) of Walla Walla has created a service of collecting rolls of toilet paper to help struggling families. Toilet paper is a necessity, and yet is not eligible for purchase with food stamps and is often in low supply at food banks and shelters.
1960s
Jerry Mills (’67 Math) recently retired after more than 41 years with NOAA, 22 years of which were as a commissioned officer. He served on three different survey vessels in Alaska and along the East Coast. He taught for three years at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, after receiving his master’s degree in oceanography. During the last 20 years of his career he served on a number of committees for the International Hydrographic Organization based in Monaco and the International Federation of Surveyors.
Carroll M. Hayden (’69 Bus. Admin.) took his miniature “Funzville” display to the Great Train Expo in Portland in 2012. Hayden began collecting pieces for the amusement park display more than a decade ago. It’s now complete, with 10 working rides, a scale monorail, and carnival music.
1970s
Joy Wulke (’70 Arch.), a sculptor working with a team, recently completed a lighting installation highlighting the architecture of the Stamford, Connecticut, train station. The Stamford Luminata, which illuminates the exterior of the building, can be programmed for seasons and special events and holidays. The first event was a countdown for New Year’s Eve.
Thomas Bjorgen (‘72 Phil.) was elected to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II. He is a former Washington State Assistant Attorney General and has been in private practice in Olympia for the last 18 years.
Cheri Brennan (’72 Comm.) was recognized by the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America as an outstanding communications professional. She received the prestigious Jay Rockey Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her career achievements.
Betsy Close (’72 Clothing & Textiles), a former Oregon state representative, was recently selected by Linn and Benton county commissioners to fill the vacant District 8 seat in the senate.
Jim Clark (’75, ’76 MS Civil Engr.) was granted an honorary membership to the Water Environment Federation. He is a past president of the organization and has enjoyed a long career in water quality.
Richard Fulton (‘75 PhD English) is retiring after 40 years in higher education, most recently since 2008 as vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Hawaii-Windward Community College.
Leslie (Sluman) Sullivan (’75 Comm.), managing director of the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, has managed the successful ten-year progression of the BHGI, co-founding the organization dedicated to medically underserved women in 2002.
Jeff Busch (’79 Comm.) has been named chief executive officer/managing director at the Minneapolis agency Spyglass Brand Marketing.
1980s
Katy Thorne Coba (x’80) now heads the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Bill Marler (’82 Pre Law, Econ.) recently made the food-based website The Daily Meal’s list of the 50 Most Powerful People in Food, joining the ranks of chefs, writers, food industry leaders, and activists. Marler, a food safety advocate, has a law practice in Seattle and represents clients from around the country, especially victims of food-borne illness.
Debbi Vanselow (’82 Comm.), an Edward Jones financial advisor in Seattle for the past 26 years, has been named a principal with the firm’s holding company, the Jones Financial Companies, LLLP. She is one of only 37 chosen from more than 42,000 associates across the United States and Canada to join the firm’s 336 principals.
John Mingé (’83 Mech. Engr.) has been appointed chairman and president of BP America, Inc., and will serve as BP’s chief representative in the United States.
Debbie Menin (’85 Comm.) has been hired by video game entertainment company Machinima in Los Angeles as vice president of strategic partnerships. She will focus on developing partnerships with broadband and cable outlets to distribute and market Machinima content.
Patrick Pearce (’87 Pol. Sci.) has joined the Employment Law Practice Group at the Seattle office of Ogden Murphy Wallace, PLLC.
John Bryant (’88 Adv.), co-founder of Spokane-based No-Li Brewhouse, celebrated the success of No-Li’s award-winning Crystal Bitter ESB and Born & Raised IPA at last fall’s Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival. The Swedish government selects what products come into their country and No-Li’s beers have been chosen.
1990s
Mike Heston (’91, ’94 MA Pol. Sci.) is the Pullman Fire Department’s new chief. He joined the department as operations chief in 1996 after serving with the Washington State University Fire Services from January 1985 to September 1996.
Timothy Buckley (’93 Arch.) recently received the Jennie Sue Brown Award, the highest honor of the American Institute of Architects Washington Council (AIA|WA). Buckley is the principal and founder of Greenstone Architecture, PLLC.
Ryan Hart (’93 Comm.), the district director for Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03), participated in the fundraising competition “Vancouver’s Dancing with the Local Stars,” which raised $115,000 for the Fort Vancouver National Trust.
Ken Lisaius (’93 Pol. Sci.), former White House deputy director of the Office of Media Affairs, has been named vice president of communications for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, a non-profit biotechnology trade organization.
Shari Fernandez (’97 Comm.), Idaho State University development associate, was selected by the Idaho Business Review as one of its 50 Women of the Year. All 50 will be profiled in the IBR’s annual 2013 Women of the Year publication.
Ray Picicci (’97 Zoo.) was named the Washington State 2013 Assistant Principal of the Year and will be honored later this year in Washington D.C. as part of the pool of candidates for the National Assistant Principal of the Year Award. At Cheney High School Picicci organizes the state testing, created an after-school homework center with tutors from local colleges, and was the driver behind the summer school program.
Jim Pettis (’98 Liberal Arts) is one of 14 new lawyers elected to partnership with the international law firm Bryan Cave LLP. Pettis is a member of the Product Liability, Commercial Litigation, and Class & Derivative Actions Client Service Groups.
David R. Cillay (’99 PhD Higher Ed. Admin.) has been named vice president of Washington State University’s Global Campus, which includes WSU’s online degree program. His new responsibilities will include expanding WSU’s market share, supporting faculty in technological innovation, and using eLearning tools to ensure that WSU remains open and accessible.
Chrissy Shelton (’99 Liberal Arts), a Washington State University College of Education staff member, has won a regional 2013 Rising Star Award from the international Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
2000s
Karla Slate, APR (’02 Comm.), who works for the City of Covington, and Amy Turner, (’02 Comm), of EnviroIssues, each received the President’s Award for Volunteerism from the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Curtis (’05 Fine Arts) and Shelby ( ’06 Int. Bus.) Jurgensen welcomed baby Ethan Grant Jurgensen in October 2012. The family lives in Bellevue.
Matt Almond (’06 Sport Mgmt.) is general manager of Washington State IMG Sports Marketing. His new position was jointly announced by Washington State University Athletics and IMG College, the multimedia rights holder for Cougar athletics.
Animesh Dalakoti (’07 Computer Sci.) recently started up MaishaCare, a crowd-funded charitable organization based in Silicon Valley, California, to help people find funds for medical treatment.
Jessica “Jessie” Owen (‘07 Ed.) is recovering from a car accident that took place in Stevens Pass in December 2012. She was traveling with her family when a tree crashed onto their SUV. Both her parents were killed and her brother, sister, and brother-in-law were injured. Jessie suffered paralyzing injuries to her spinal cord. Prior to the accident, she taught at Bothell’s Frank Love Elementary School. Friends are raising money to help defray the Owen family’s medical expenses. For more information, visit lovetheowens.wordpress.com.
Aron Baynes (’09 Mvmt. Studies) has been signed to the NBA team the San Antonio Spurs. Baynes played at Washington State from 2005 to 2009, where in 122 career games he played an average of 22 minutes per game and averaged 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds.
2010s
Patrick Lipsker (’11 Comm.) recently joined GreenCupboards Inc. as a buyer. The Spokane company is an online retailer of eco-friendly products for homes and businesses.
Nick Montanari (’12 Psych.) was awarded the Student Distinguished Service Award at the Washington State University Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration in recognition of his more than 1,000 hours of community service and his passion for helping others. Since graduating, Montanari is helping other civic- minded young men establish Acacia chapters on campuses in Michigan, Illinois, and Texas.
Alexander Schilter (’12 Sport Mgmt) is the director of basketball operations for the Lions at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Erika Stauffer (’12 Ed.) teaches second grade at Cape Horn-Skye, the same elementary school she attended as a girl growing up on a Washougal dairy farm.