Helen Pegg (née Simon), Bachelor of Music (University of Oregon '59), M.A. in Education (Pacific Lutheran University, '80) is still teaching piano lessons in her piano studio — though presently on hiatus due to the pandemic — and is organist at Trinity Lutheran Church in Olympia. This is her 72nd year on the organ bench; she began playing for services at her father’s Lutheran church in Newport, Oregon at around age 11! She is retired from a long teaching career with the Olympia School District, and is delighted to pass the family’s educator baton to her daughter Jennifer (Astrophysics, Harvard ’04; History of Science, Stanford Ph.D. ’16), who is in the postdoctoral phase of an academic career. Among Helen’s best memories from her undergraduate years at the University of Oregon are the friendships, fun, and support that she found as a Tri-Delta, unique traditions like riding on a float in the Mill Race parade, wonderful classes, performing in Exchange Assembly under Ken Kesey's direction, and her time working at Claypool’s Drug Store (which was located, she believes, about where Taylor’s Bar and Grill is today on E 13th Ave). She always loves hearing from classmates! Much as it has everyone else, the pandemic has relegated her to her home and garden a bit more exclusively than she would like (though she loves the little acre of forest around her home); she is looking forward to being able to work, travel, and socialize freely again. There is no barrier to an e-mail or phone call, though — so please don’t hesitate to look her up in the alumni directory and get in touch!

Steve Mims, BA 1994, recently began working at New York Life in Eugene. If you are seeking answers on a variety of services including life insurance, long-term care insurance, retirement planning or funding a kids education, please reach out: 541-520-9015 or smims@ft.newyorklife.com.

Mary Donnelly Meyers, BA 1963, General Social Science recently transferred her securities and financial planning business, Threshold, Inc., to
D.A. Davidson and a successor team located primarily in Vancouver, WA. She reports more time available to thoroughly enjoy family and friends, many who were on campus from ’59 through ’63.

JOSE ROMERO, BA '94 (Journalism), began his new position as a sports reporter with the Arizona Republic website and newspaper in Phoenix, Arizona. He's covering the NHL's Arizona Coyotes and assisting with coverage of MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.

COLIN KELLY, BA '03 (Political Science), recently left his position as the Senior Staff Attorney at an environmental non-profit in Orange County to join the Office of Legal Counsel at Cal EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control as a Senior Attorney. He is also in his second term as the president of the Long Beach Ducks, a chapter of UOAA's LA Ducks.

Where does the time go? Hard to believe that 2020 will mark seven years since I left the UO campus. My B.S. in Journalism remains a huge source of pride. My time at the UO was a great experience. Cheers!

Laura SIMIC is an associate with Aspen Leadership Group, providing search services and leader-to-leader consulting focused on navigating successful careers and building teams and cultures that enable organizations to engage donors and to raise the largest possible gifts. Laura lives in Boise, Idaho where she is on the boards of the Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation, Opera Idaho, and the Mortar Board National Foundation.

B.S. Math; M.Ed. SD State U; M.S. USC
Colonel, USAF Ret

Living in Chiangmai since 2006. American Citizen Liaison volunteer U.S. Consulate and Tourist Police volunteer, Chiangmai Thailand.

Jesse Barton, BA '80 (community service and public affairs), authored the sixth "silver anniversary" edition of Felony Sentencing in Oregon: Guidelines, Statutes, Cases, a publication of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

John A. Heldt (UO Class 1985) published Duties and Dreams, his twenty-third novel, in November 2023.

Catherine Ryan Gregory, BA '06 (journalism and Spanish) and MA '12 (literary nonfiction), recently published her first book, Virtual Travel Activities for Kids: Explore the world from home with 52 fun, no-prep lessons. The book provides themed adventures to learn about different countries through play, math, language, movement, creative writing, science, engineering, art and more. The book debuted on several top 10 lists on Amazon, including Children's Travel Books and Family Activities. She wrote the book to help families—her own and others'—continue to travel in whatever way possible in spite of the coronavirus-related lockdown.

Bronwyn Baz, BMus '96 (music performance), BS '00 (biology), was named one of Portland's Top Doctors of 2019 and of 2020. She has been the lead physician for the Northwest Permanente pediatric hospital medicine group at Doernbecher Children's Hospital at Oregon Health and Science University for 7 years, and marks 12 years of medical practice in August 2020. She and husband Matthew Waddell (B.S. Econ ’96) have two children.

Daniel Vázquez, BA '07 (political science), joined the board of directors for Radio Tierra, a Spanish-English community radio station in Hood River.

Recent publication: Daté, B. and Monkman L. (2019) Justice-With-Healing: An adapted indigenous model of justice and healing of relationships. In Peace Research: The Canadian Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, Volume 41, Number 2: 65-104

Also Barbara has been teaching many of her workshops via Zoom through the Center for Dialogue & Resolution (See lanecdr.org)

Recent publication: Daté, B. and Monkman L. (2019) Justice-With-Healing: An adapted indigenous model of justice and healing of relationships. In Peace Research: The Canadian Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, Volume 41, Number 2: 65-104

Also Barbara has been teaching many of her workshops via Zoom through the Center for Dialogue & Resolution (See lanecdr.org)

Mike McCord, a career Senior Foreign Service Officer with the US Agency for International Development, recently completed his latest assignment in Washington, DC as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia. He arrived in Vientiane, Laos in June 2024 as the USAID Country Representative.

Dena Taylor (BA, TcF, 1988) published her memoir, "I Don't Wanna Be Pink—How a single, 39-year-old refused to let breast cancer and its fervent culture define her," in 2019. Her heartbreaking, candid and witty story takes readers from diagnosis, mastectomy and treatment to awkward encounters as a survivor navigating the worlds of dating and pink ribbon advocacy. Taylor is an award-winning professional copywriter (and occasionally-published humorist). This is her first book.

After graduating from U of O, I went to work for the Japanese Foreign Ministry at the Consulate in Chicago, and then the Japanese Ministry of Education in Osaka. I then worked for Osaka Gaigo College, and as Senior Programme Administrator designed curriculum utilising art and film as teaching tools, and lived in the Kansai region for about ten years.

I moved to Edinburgh, Scotland in 1996 and completed a Masters of Science with Distinction in Social Anthropology; I completed my Ph.D. in 2003 with a focus on economic anthropology, consumption, identity and performance. I began working at Scottish Natural Heritage while writing up my dissertation, and continued working as a Licensing Officer for sites of special scientific interest until I was elected Vice-Convenor of PCS and Prospect trade unions, in which role I travelled around Scotland visiting all of the SNH field offices.

After SNH's headquarters relocation, I used my redundancy pay to set up a social enterprise working with women’s community groups in Africa and Central America. After the 2008 crash I began to take on temporary contracts, working at architectural and engineering firms, and the National Library of Scotland, until I ended up working for Edinburgh Council in the Child Protection Team. I was elected trade union shop steward, then trade union side Convenor for Children & Families, and finally Unison International Relations Officer.

In 2017 I ran for political office in the city council, and was elected to represent Leith Walk ward (District 12) in Edinburgh. I'm a member of the governing administration of the city, and hold the position of Vice Convenor (deputy chair) of Culture & Communities, as well as chairing the Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership. My remit covers all aspects of culture in the city, from responsibility for our museums, galleries, theatres, music halls and historic monuments, to our world-famous festivals, our parks, libraries, and sporting events. The public safety aspect of my job includes oversight of community safety, justice, addiction, domestic violence, counter-terrorism and antisocial behaviour. I sit on the Council of Scottish Local Authorities Wellbeing board, with thematic oversight of issues such as homelessness, trafficking, participatory civic budgeting and encouraging greater diversity in elected office.

I also sit on the boards of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Capital Theatres Trust.

Jan E. Frydman, BBA with Honors ’80, was knighted by H.M. King Philippe of Belgium in March, 2023 as Officer of the Order of Leopold, the oldest and highest order of the Kingdom of Belgium. Besides his law practice, Jan serves as the Consul of the Principality of Monaco to the Kingdom of Sweden, and as the Head of the Swedish delegation to the European Council of Bar Associations and Law Societies.

Retired from The Dow Chemical Company in June 2005 and moved to Montana. Now still working as a semi-retired independent corporate pilot flying 3 different jets for 5 clients. Having a ball still flying jets and Warbirds!