What’s new with you matters to us.
Have you been recently promoted or started a new job? Perhaps you are starting on a new educational journey. Maybe, you are newly married or recently added to your family. Let your fellow Ducks know what is happening in your life.
When you submit a class note, it will be considered for publication in the UOAA’s monthly Shout! newsletter, posted to the UOAA alumni website, or highlighted on social media.
Featured Class Notables
Shuangting Xiong
Class of 2015
SHUANGTING XIONG, MA ’15 (English), MA ’17 (Asian studies), became an assistant professor of Chinese at Bard College in New York.
Hannah Garhofer
Class of 2019
HANNAH GARHOFER, BS ’19 (public relations), was crowned Miss Lane County and will mentor youth in the community and advocate for children’s rights.
Katrina Linde-Moriarty
Class of 2015
KATRINA LINDE-MORIARTY, BA ’15 (anthropology), previously director of the public library in Monticello, Wisconsin, became director of the Portage Lake District Library in Michigan.
Zaria Parvez
Class of 2020
ZARIA PARVEZ, BS ’20 (Clark Honors College, journalism: advertising), global social media manager for Pittsburgh-based Duolingo, an educational technology company, was recognized for a popular social-media account that earned the company the Social Marketer of the Year award from Ad Age.
Benjamin Lonergan
Class of 2019
BEN LONERGAN, BS ’19 (journalism), a multimedia journalist formerly with the East Oregonian, joined the Eugene Register-Guard.
Raymond Mcpadden
Class of 2013
RAY McPADDEN, MCRP ’13 (community and regional planning), a National Park Service employee serving as program manager for environmental quality at Yellowstone National Park, was selected as superintendent for Western Arctic National Parklands.
Laura Buckmaster
Class of 2015
LAURA BUCKMASTER, BA ’16 (psychology), social media manager for Trout Unlimited, was featured in Reporter Newspapers of Atlanta as a member of "the next generation of green leaders."
Oliver Bacharach
Class of 2016
OLIVER BACHARACH, BA ’16 (journalism), was featured in Closer Weekly, a source for celebrity news, describing his life as one of the children of composer Burt Bacharach.
Hailey Decker
Class of 2017
HAILEY DECKER, BA ’17 (psychology), was appointed head coach of the Philippine Blu Girls, the national softball team.
Emily Darchuk
Class of 2018
EMILY DARCHUK, MBA '18 (general business), founder and CEO of Portland-based Wheyward Spirit, a maker of sustainable farm-to-flask spirits produced by repurposing excess whey, was featured by Thrive Global, an American company that provides behavior change technology and media to prevent stress and burnout.
Kylee O'Connor
Class of 2018
KYLEE O’CONNOR, BS ’18 (journalism), MS ’22 (sports product management), was publicized as a running back, receiver, free safety, and placekicker for the Oregon Ravens, a female tackle football team in Portland.
Benjamin Kalb
Class of 1969
Benjamin Kalb, 1969, completed a novel, I Belong On A Warning Label about a female serial killer. It's published by Brighton Publishing, and is available on-line from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and booksamillion.com. Amazon's first shipment sold out. The novel contains lot of interesting locations, including Eugene; lot of unusual methods of kill; lot of suspense as FBI closes in on the main character. One great not-to-be-missed chapter with the main character and the Duck Mascot.
Michael Fancher
Class of 1968
MICHAEL FANCHER, BA ’68 (journalism), published an article titled "The Ethics of Engaged Journalism" in the Fourth Estate, a multi-stakeholder public benefit cooperative that provides news and other information.
Paul Mouchakkaa
Class of 2000
PAUL MOUCHAKKAA, MBA ’00 (general business), was appointed senior managing director and head of real estate of Alberta Investment Management Corporation of Canada, leading a real estate investment team and responsible for $18 billion in domestic and foreign program assets.
Edniesha Curry
Class of 2002
EDNEISHA CURRY, BS ’02 (sociology), who completed her first season as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021—22 season, was chosen as keynote speaker for the Oregon Girls Sports Leadership Summit.
Michael Kasahun
Class of 2002
MICHAEL KASAHUN, BA ’02 (sociology), organized a march in Eugene to raise awareness about civil war in Tigray, Ethiopia, his home country.
Steven Lent
Class of 1972
STEVE LENT, BS ’72 (history), retired after twenty years as historian of the Bowman Museum of Crook County.
Marjorie Yap
Class of 1979
MARGIE YAP, BA ’79 (journalism), was featured by Oregon ArtsWatch for her lifelong study of the Japanese tea ceremony and her business, Issoan Tea School, run from her home in west Portland.
Alex Kolodkin
Class of 1987
ALEX KOLODKIN, PHD ’87 (biology), a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Michael Gaynes
Class of 1978
MIKE GAYNES, BS ’78 (journalism), was profiled in a California Public Television documentary titled More Than Skin Deep—Surviving Melanoma, as one of the earliest breakthrough survivors of stage 4 melanoma, a cancer that was often fatal prior to the recent development of immunotherapy.