The UOAA’s new executive director Raphe Beck started on August 5, and comes to Eugene after eight years as the director of alumni relations at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Here to introduce you to the man himself is, well, the man himself.

He’s been around universities from a young age

I grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where my father was a sociology professor at Northwestern University. Most of my life has been spent on or near college campuses.

Education is something of a family business

My wife, Eden, grew up in Washington, DC, and is one of nine kids. She’s been an educator for 25 years, mostly teaching middle school English and also working in school communications. We have one daughter, Tillie, who is going into the 7th grade and is an actor, singer, and aspiring rock drummer. When Tillie tells stories at the dinner table, she generally stands up to act them out. I’m the family’s joke-teller and chef, in that order.

His favorite vacation spot is… right here in Oregon

For the past several years we’ve been spending part of our summers in Central Oregon, and there’s nothing I look forward to more. We gather every year with about 15 families of our closest friends and go biking, hiking, and hanging out in the water. These trips were part of what drew me to look at working for the UO.

We live in such a connected world, and there are some real advantages to that. But it’s become harder to find times to totally disconnect. When I’m in a kayak on the Deschutes River, I’m not thinking about my email.

His hobbies include bicycle wheels and movie reels

When I’m outdoors, I’m often on my bike. We’re renting a house on the south end of Willamette Street, and the hill near our house is already kicking my butt. I blame the bike. When I’m indoors, our family loves watching movies together, and we have a strict rotation on who gets to pick the next film. I have a reputation for choosing classic films that my daughter thinks are pretty boring, and I can only hope that one day she’ll bore her own kids the same way.

One of his previous jobs also included movie reels (or digital pixels, anyway)

My screenwriting career was just successful enough to pay my rent for about five years, though none of the scripts I sold ever got produced. I was hired to write a Muppet movie for Jim Henson Pictures, which had always been a dream of mine. It was the story of Animal, the drummer in the Muppet band, and how he had a tough time growing up, not fitting in, never able to follow the rules. In the end, he finds his place through drumming. The good news is: Muppets never grow old, so maybe they’ll still make the movie one day (but don’t hold your breath).

His previous position gives him one notable friend in common with his current one…

I was executive director for the Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Association. The alumni population there is a good deal smaller than Oregon’s, but it’s a very active community, so I managed a fairly busy suite of events and programs. Oregon and the Stanford GSB only share a handful of alumni, but I did have the pleasure of working at a beautiful facility called Knight Management Center, named for one of them. We should keep an eye on this fellow, Knight; I think he’s going places.

… but it was the chance to work with all Ducks that attracted him to the UOAA

Everyone knows that the University of Oregon has some of the most dedicated and enthusiastic alumni of any school. I jumped at the chance to help keep such a spirited community connected to the school and to one another. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing many UO alumni, and some have stayed very engaged with the school, others less so. But what they all have in common is a deep sense of pride in the institution. That’s a big part of the draw for me.

He’s a man with a plan

I think many alumni are aware of the association’s traditional programs, but I’d like to publicize more about opportunities and services that have become available more recently. For example, the UOAA has greatly expanded its career networking for alumni, and we’re partnering with the university on offering more alumni mentorship to current students. I’d love to see connecting with current students to become as typical an alumni experience as watching an Oregon football game. With more than 20,000 undergrads on campus, there’s a lot of room to engage more alumni in student advising.

There’s a reason we call it a Life Membership. The association seeks to foster lifelong relationships among alumni, whether that’s providing opportunities for them to stay connected to the classmates they already know or opening doors so they can meet others who share their industries, interests, and athletic teams. We’re here to support alumni in their careers and help them pay it forward to future generations. And we want to keep alumni informed about where the university is headed and how they can help advocate for its continued success.

Alumni are enthusiastic about rooting for Oregon; we’re just as enthusiastic about rooting for alumni.

(And that plan also involves spending Saturdays at Autzen Stadium)

Autzen Stadium is a pretty intimidating place. I’m looking forward to being the home team.