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
Vanessa Nordyke
Class of 2008
VANESSA NORDYKE, JD '08, was appointed to Salem City Council.
Karen Gaddis-Philips
Class of 1971
KAREN GADDIS-PHILIPS, BA '71 (English), MEd '72 (curriculum and instruction) rode in Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness last summer on a nine-day pack trip with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Outfitters.
Courtney Wertz
Class of 2002
The Classroom Law Project named COURTNEY WERTZ, BA '02 (English), 2019-2020 Civic Educator of the Year for her work as an English and social sciences teacher for the Paisley School District in Lake County.
Sharon Ko
Class of 2010
Television reporter SHARON KO, BA '10 (electronic media production), will coanchor Eyewitness News at 6 p.m. with KENS 5, San Antonio's CBS affiliate, and also anchor the station's noon newscast.
Harlen Springer
Class of 1970
HARLEN SPRINGER, BA '70 (management), chair of the Florence Public Arts Committee and a founding member and past president of the Florence Regional Arts Alliance, was appointed by Governor Kate Brown to the Oregon Arts Commission.
William Wrightsman
Class of 1984
WILLIAM WRIGHTSMAN, BS '86 (journalism), joined Cedar Crest College of Allentown, Pennsylvania, as an assistant professor of occupational therapy and director of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program.
Jeanne Savage
Class of 1993
Jeanne Savage, BS ’93 (biology), was named chief medical officer at Willamette Valley Community Health.
Daniel Levitin
Class of 1993
DANIEL LEVITIN, MS '93, PhD '96 (psychology), a neuroscientist, musician, and author, released his latest book, Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of our Lives.
Michael Adams
Class of 1982
MICHAEL ADAMS, BA '83 (English), joined the board of directors of the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance in Arizona.
Melissa Carpenter
Class of 1983
MELISSA CARPENTER, BS '83 (psychology), was appointed chief scientific officer of ElevateBio, a biotechnology company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Alexander Quirici
Class of 2016
ALEX QUIRICI, BS '16 (general social science), joined California-based StaVin Inc., a supplier of toasted oak products for wine, as a business development specialist, managing customer relationships in Napa, Sonoma, the Central Valley, and the Sierra Foothills.
Ryan Rouillard
Class of 2016
RYAN ROUILLARD, BA '16 (journalism), radio voice for the minor league baseball Frisco (Texas) RoughRiders for four seasons, is moving to Fort Collins, Colorado, to pursue a career as a firefighter. ZACH BIGLEY, BS '17 (journalism), was named manager of media development for the team.
Jonathan Bach
Class of 2016
Reporter JONATHAN BACH, BA '16 (journalism), formerly with the Salem Statesman Journal, joined the Portland Business Journal to cover commercial real estate and economic development.
Shawn Taylor
Class of 2014
SHAWN TAYLOR, BS '14 (journalism), was named editor of the Wake Weekly and the Butner-Creedmoor News in North Carolina.
Claire Luchette
Class of 2017
CLAIRE LUCHETTE, MFA '17 (creative writing), received a National Endowment for the Arts 2020 Literature Fellowship in Prose.
Arianna Urban
Class of 2016
ARIANNA N. URBAN, MS '16 (historic preservation), joined the city of Mesa, Arizona, as historic preservation coordinator after spearheading projects in the Bay Area.
Zachary Bigalke
Class of 2015
ZACH BIGALKE, BA '15, MA '17 (history), a PhD student at Penn State University, received the 2020 Robert K. Barney Graduate Essay Award from the Center for Sociocultural Sport and Olympic Research at California State University, Fullerton, for research in Olympic studies.
Keanon Lowe
Class of 2014
KEANON LOWE, BA '14 (general social science), was recognized as a Hero Who Went above and Beyond in 2019 by Time magazine for his efforts to disarm and comfort a student gunman at Parkrose High School in Portland.
Timothy Wright
Class of 2017
TIMOTHY WRIGHT, JD '17, was hired as an associate in the Portland litigation department of law firm Tonkon Torp.
Joe Fischer
Class of 1960
Longview artist and philanthropist JOE FISCHER, BS '60 (fine and applied arts), MFA '63, was named Lower Columbia College Foundation's Benefactor of the Year for 2019-20.