The Rubesh family: three generations of Ducks 

Danna Rubesh, class of 2026 (pre-global studies), is a third-generation Duck. Her father, Kevin Rubesh, BA ’96 (computer and information science, linguistics), and uncle, Ken Rubesh, BS ’76 (computer and information science), graduated exactly twenty years apart.  

Kevin is a diplomatic technology officer with the US Department of State, serving across more than a half-dozen different countries. Ken, now retired, worked in business intelligence and still has wonderful memories of the UO, mostly related to the progressiveness of the student body. 

Kevin has loved representing Oregon during his time in Foreign Service. 
 
“People may not have heard much about Oregon, but they’ve heard about the Ducks . . . and it’s a great entry point to conversations about the great Pacific Northwest,” he says. 
 
However, having a dad who works on the other side of the world isn’t always easy. 

“I love being close to family and with my dad living overseas this felt like a really good way to stay connected to him despite being in different countries. My dad definitely inspired me . . . because when I was younger, we would visit the campus and watch Ducks games, so I’ve grown up knowing I wanted to go to UO,” says Danna.  

Kevin and Ken visited the Eugene campus in August and recently helped Danna move into her residence hall. Together, they walked down memory lane and saw what has changed since their graduations. Ken is excited about the ways athletics have helped the university’s reputation grow.  

“When I attended in the 70s, we would have been thrilled to have the football team even ranked. Today’s sports, particularly football and track, are a way to highlight the university’s appeal and comradery beyond sports,” says Ken. 

Kevin, on the other hand, enjoys the additions and is especially grateful that the Eugene campus is still as gorgeous as ever and that some of his old professors are still teaching.  

Danna echoes this.  

“A lot of the buildings have definitely changed but I still think there’s a lot of the same energy,” she says. “I’m proud to be a Duck because of the legacy I get to continue and because of the incredibly supportive community.”