Alumni

Winter 2003

Working to prevent another Chornobyl

“While it is devastating to see the impact of the Chornobyl accident—both economically and socially—international nuclear safety has advanced significantly because of this incident.”—Susan Senner

Teams of communications professionals at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, juggled shifts to respond to hoards of news media calls in April 1986 about a catastrophic accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Susan McKenna Senner worked with this group, responding to questions about Hanford’s N-Reactor, which had some design similarities to the ill-fated Chornobyl plant. The Hanford crew manned phones and provided reassurance that multiple safety systems in place at N-Reactor would prevent such an accident … » More …

Winter 2003

On top at last: John and Jess Roskelley scale Everest together

“The goal you set for yourself is to stay the course . . . to stay focused. At any time you get tired of the glare off the snow, the dust, the miles of glacial terrain, the travel, the lack of sleep, the altitude. The altitude just takes a huge toll on you.”—John Roskelley

After four failed attempts, the last one 10 years ago, John Roskelley must have wondered if he’d ever get another chance to conquer 29,035-foot Mount Everest. Or even if he wanted to.

Never underestimate Roskelley’s resolve.

The Spokane County commissioner has been climbing since 1965. For years he was among the … » More …

Winter 2003

Tim Pavish new head of WSU Alumni Relations

Tim Pavish has been named executive director of Washington State University Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association. The 1980 graduate of WSU’s Edward R. Murrow School of Communication was selected from 50 applicants in a national search. He began his new job September 8, succeeding Keith Lincoln, who is retiring.

“Tim has been a tremendous friend of our university over the years. We have greatly appreciated his loyalty, his hard work, and his wise counsel. He is an ideal choice to continue the job of building the association and meeting the needs of our alumni,” says WSU president V. Lane Rawlins.

Before accepting the WSU … » More …

Fall 2003

Walter Clore: a wine visionary

The prose is deliberate, straightforward, and academically understated: “If hardier varieties free of diseases are used and the best cultural practices known to obtain full vine maturity are followed, it is feasible to grow European grapes in favorable sites in south central Washington.”

Those words from Bulletin 823 by Chas Nagel, George Carter, and Walt Clore, exciting as they were in 1976, still could only suggest the potential of Washington’s barely nascent wine industry. By convincing Washington farmers that they could grow vinifera grapes, the source of fine wine, Clore, who died this past January at 91, empowered Washington to join the ranks of the … » More …

Fall 2003

Brayton has his day in the sun, as WSU retires his number

Dan Wodrich couldn’t attend Bobo Brayton’s banquet. He wanted to be there when Washington State University honored its winningest coach May 24 by retiring baseball jersey no. 14. He played second base for Brayton in 1977-80, fulfilling a dream he had growing up in Kennewick. But on the day of the banquet, Wodrich, his wife, and three daughters were attending the funeral of a 13-year-old girl, a friend of the family.

Sometimes life throws you a curve.

Not one to let Brayton’s milestone pass without comment, Wodrich (’81 Mech. Engr., ’83 M.S. Mech. Engr.) sent a letter. Brayton shared parts of it with the 225 … » More …

Fall 2003

World War II decision influenced Brimble's career

A single gunshot wound influenced Bob Brimble to change his career direction more than 50 years ago.

While serving with the U.S. Army in China during World War II, he was shot in the leg. The nearest doctor was 10 days away by pack mule. But after five days on the trail, he chose to be tended by a veterinarian who came to his aid.

The decision not to be treated by a physician, Brimble believes, cost him a Purple Heart, because an attending physician did not provide official certification of the battle-related wound. However, as a result of the veterinarian’s concern and care, Brimble … » More …

Fall 2003

Petland owner started from the ground up

What happens when Fluffy dies?

David Bielski knows where the bodies are buried. “Samantha.” “Bubbles.” “Fluffy.” In fact, the owner-president of Petland Cemetery, Inc. lives on the grounds of the adjoining Fern Hill Cemetery, which has been in the family for three generations. The two cemeteries are situated above the Wishkah River on the north side of Aberdeen.

Bielski’s grandfather, Paul, started working at Fern Hill about 1924 after immigrating from Germany, and eventually acquired ownership. When he died in 1947, his son, Hans, purchased Fern Hill. Seeing a need, he and a monument builder founded Petland in 1973. In the beginning most of Petland’s … » More …

Fall 2003

Campbell heads Seattle Foundation

Phyllis Takisaki Campbell (’73 Bus. Adm.) has been named president and CEO of The Seattle Foundation, the state’s oldest and largest community foundation. She succeeds Anne V. Farrell, who served in that position for 19 years before announcing her retirement last December.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Campbell says, “and an unparalleled opportunity to make a positive difference in our region.”

In 2002, the foundation distributed nearly $39 million in grants, and has assets approaching $285 million.

Campbell concluded a 28-year banking career as president of U.S. Bank of Washington, 1993-2001. She was appointed to the Washington State University Board of Regents … » More …

Fall 2003

WSU Alumni Association honors Seals, Sharratt

Rupert Grant Seals, one of WSU’s first Black Ph.D.s

Rupert Grant Seals was honored twice by Washington State University, where he gained distinction as the fifth African American to earn a doctorate (’60 Animal Science).

He received the Alumni Achievement Award “for exemplary academic leadership in agricultural education, and for his advocacy and action in creating a national awareness of the vital need for increased economic support and opportunities for African Americans at land-grant universities.”

He also was named “Distinguished Graduate: Science, Education and Technology” for 2003 by the Department of Animal Sciences. Both awards were given at the April 12 animal sciences recognition … » More …

Fall 2003

Summer busy time for Canadian canoe and kayak executive

Surrounded as she is by an inventory of 600 canoes and kayaks, one would think Pamela Robertson spends her summers on the water near her Waverley, Nova Scotia home.

She’d love to. But as vice president of Old Creel Canoe & Kayak Inc., she’s too busy. The Halifax-based company supplies 36 outlets and outfitting operations in Canada’s four Atlantic provinces-New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

“You’re working so hard from April through September,” she says, “you don’t have time to paddle yourself.”

The pleasant Canadian with short, black hair and rimless glasses earned a master’s degree in home economics at Washington State … » More …