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Alumni Stories
Alumnus touts benefits of SCRP Evan Larson '02 credits his achievements in scientific research to his start at Willamette.
02-28-2013
Industry Leader Vanessa Sturgeon MBA '03 devotes herself to motherhood, community service and running her family business.
12-20-2012
Responding to Emergencies Willamette students receive medical and leadership training through Willamette Emergency Medical Services (WEMS).
12-10-2012Successful alumnus visits Willamette Noah Horton '02 relates how he developed and sold a social media platform company.
11-13-2012
Beyond Study Abroad Athletic training, community service and academic courses featured in cultural immersion program.
09-25-2012Alumnus awarded NSF graduate fellowship Michael Harris '10 will use the funding to continue his research in organic chemistry.
08-16-2012
Team Players Emily Bee '12 and Shannon Palmer '12 served as role models at Willamette both on and off the tennis court.
08-10-2012Symmonds earns fifth place in 800-meter final Former Willamette runner sets personal record in 1:42.95 at London Olympics.
08-09-2012Live viewing party planned Thursday The Willamette community is invited to watch Nick Symmonds '06 race in the London Olympics.
08-08-2012Alumnus races for gold Get the latest information about Olympian Nick Symmonds '06.
08-07-2012
Giving back Dr. Bob Hakala '63 donates his medical skills at Volunteers in Medicine in Bend, a free clinic that owes its success to community support.
07-25-2012Alumnus heads to second Olympics Former Bearcat runner Nick Symmonds '06 will compete in the 800-meter run in London.
06-26-2012Grad named Portland’s Funniest Person Nathan Brannon ’06 has carved out a successful career as a stand-up comedian.
06-20-2012
Fulfilling his duty At 32, Ryan York ’97, JD’01, joined the Navy reserves. Three years later — by this time a husband and father — he left his thriving law practice to become part of a Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan.
06-05-2012
Alumnus earns Fulbright grant With the award, Anton Chiono '06 will work in New Zealand to study diverse climate change policies.
05-01-2012
The Next Generation of Researchers Willamette introduced Jason Niedermeyer ’01, MAT’05 to the thrill of scientific discovery — something he strives to pass on to his high school students.
04-11-2012
Community through Art Marie Watt ’90, one of the country’s foremost contemporary Native American artists, engages others in the creation of her work.
03-19-2012
From Barista to Boss As a student, Dani Cone '98 worked for The Bistro at Willamette University. Now she owns three branches of Fuel Coffee and High 5 Pie in Seattle
03-02-2012
From Willamette to Nike Francis Gonzalez ’96 turned his liberal arts degree and his passion for sports into a fulfilling career at Nike.
02-02-2012
Family Weekend draws nearly 1,000 visitors Undergraduate students and their families experience a slice of Willamette life together.
08-29-2011Alum chosen for entrepreneur program Marco Fiallo ’11 will use his experience at the national bootcamp to help him open a hostel and support local businesses in Ecuador.
08-02-2011Alumnus appointed by governor Dmitri Palmateer ’96 will become the Oregon governor’s legislative director later this month.
07-06-2011Alumnus earns Fulbright Evan Larson ’02, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, will spend a year researching forests and teaching in Sweden.
06-30-2011Alumna honored for service Darlene Cain earned a lifetime achievement award from the American Diabetes Association.
06-28-2011Former Bearcat wins national title Nick Symmonds ’06 took first place in the 800 meters for the fourth year straight at the USA Track & Field Championships.
06-27-2011
Directing on a Bigger Stage Shana Cooper ’99 went from putting on plays at Willamette to leading Shakespeare productions at one the oldest and largest non-profit theatres in the country.
06-20-2011Graduate’s blog featured in Time A blog authored by Willamette alumnus J.D. Roth ’91 was named one of the best of 2011 by Time magazine.
06-06-2011Alumnus named board chairman Business consulting company Deloitte LLP has chosen Punit Renjen MM’86 as its board chairman.
04-26-2011Alumna earns national science fellowship Natalie Goldberg’s award will support her PhD work at University of California, Irvine.
04-06-2011Alumnae honored for community impact Three Portland-area Willamette graduates have earned the Women of Influence Orchid Award.
03-08-2011Alumnus joins national commission James Cuno ’73 will serve with prominent leaders and artists on the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences.
02-25-2011WU ranks high for Peace Corps volunteers Willamette is 13th in the nation among small colleges and universities for number of alumni serving.
02-02-2011Alumna named governor’s legal advisor Liani Reeves ’98, JD’01 will build on her successful law career by advising Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber.
01-28-2011Alumni among Forty Under 40 Seven Portland-area Willamette alumni are being honored for achievement in their careers and the community.
01-14-2011Alumnus to lead state organization Kerry Tymchuk ’81, JD’84 was appointed interim executive director of the Oregon Historical Society.
12-22-2010Alumni create TV pilot Two former Willamette classmates are getting the attention of Hollywood executives for a television series they created.
12-16-2010
From Student to Teacher Dallas Myers MAT’10 applies his lessons from the Graduate School of Education every day at his first teaching job.
12-15-2010
Turning a Passion into a Career After Willamette rekindled his interest in computer programming, Noah Horton ’02 went on to found Involver, a popular company that helps companies market on social media websites.
12-08-2010Alumnus appears on “Glee” John West ’73, a professional musician in Hollywood, sang in a recent episode of the popular TV show.
11-30-2010Alumna nominated to be U.S. attorney President Barack Obama nominated Amanda Marshall JD’95 to serve as Oregon's top federal prosecutor.
11-18-2010Alumna publishes eco-friendly guide A new book by Joy Hatch MAT’97 educates on how to raise children in an eco-friendly atmosphere.
11-15-2010Alumnus honored for classroom excellence Jason Niedermeyer ’01, MAT’05 earned an award for his innovative style in teaching evolution.
11-11-2010Career event inspires students Willamette alumni gave students some food for thought regarding how to turn their majors into careers.
11-10-2010WU alumni recognized for business A family of Willamette graduates was honored for success in their public relations company.
11-08-2010
Willamette Alumnus Wins Nobel Prize Dale Mortensen ’61 and two others earned the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economics for their theory that helps explain why people remain unemployed despite many job vacancies.
10-20-2010Alumna hits the silver screen Theatre graduate Jillian Kramer ’04 stars in John Carpenter’s latest horror film.
10-18-2010Willamette alumnus appointed CEO Fahad Al-Hamidi ’88 was recently named the chief executive officer for Global Saudia.
10-14-2010
Becoming a Manager Michael Boyd MBA’08 turned to the Willamette MBA for Professionals program to help him move up the ranks at Boyd Coffee Company.
10-04-2010Alumna awarded theatre fellowship Shana Cooper ’99 earned a national fellowship in recognition of her achievements in the theatre world.
10-04-2010Law alumna recognized Elizabeth Martin JD’82, a judge in Pierce County, Wash., will receive a notable award for her work mentoring women lawyers.
09-30-2010Reunion Weekend Willamette alumni came back to campus in record numbers to remember and celebrate their alma mater.
09-27-2010Alumna honored for enterprises Dani Cone ’98, who started coffee and pie-making businesses, is one of the Puget Sound area’s 40 Under 40.
09-23-2010Alumna earns competitive fellowship Mariah Mayfield ’07 won an award from the EPA to support her graduate studies in fisheries management.
09-09-2010Alumna named Javits Fellow Rebecca Scofield ’08 earned a major national scholarship to help her complete her graduate work on East Asian culture.
09-02-2010Alumni work on feature film Yoichiro Aoiki ’00 and John Englund ’06 were involved in converting “The Last Airbender” to 3D.
07-26-2010Alumnus in the news Jim Albaugh ’72, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, debuted his company’s new jet in England.
07-20-2010
A Dedicated Leader Whether she’s mentoring future lawyers or leading the Oregon Commission on Asian Affairs, attorney Liani Reeves ’98, JD’01 makes community involvement a top priority.
07-15-2010Former Bearcat continues winning Runner Nick Symmonds ’06 won another U.S. outdoor championship and placed high at the Prefontaine Classic.
07-06-2010
Clearing a Path to College Julie Kennedy ’99 used her chemistry degree and passion for teaching to help found a successful Brooklyn charter school for inner-city students.
06-16-2010
A Different Way of Farming From Willamette to AmeriCorps and now to Chile through a Fulbright Grant, Randall Cass ’08 has dedicated his work to the potential of sustainable agriculture.
06-01-2010Willamette scholars rack up honors Nine students and alumni earned ten national scholarships this spring for their academic accomplishments.
05-24-2010Alumnus wins two research grants Ivo Dimitrov ’08 will study and conduct research in Bulgaria and Spain through two notable awards.
05-04-2010Alumnus wins NSF fellowship Alex Compton ’06 earned a notable award to support his molecular biology research in graduate school.
04-28-2010
Solving Real-World Problems BJ Wright ’03 went from researching chemistry challenges in a Willamette lab to helping health care companies solve issues through his job at McKinsey & Company in New York and London.
04-13-2010Alumnus wins military award Army 2nd Lt. Kyle Soler ’05 was honored for being the most distinguished Officer Candidate School graduate.
03-25-2010Music recital honors women's suffrage Willamette University alumnus and pianist Nikolas Caoile '00 and Canadian mezzo-soprano Melissa Schiel will present a recital of song literature by women composers.
03-22-2010Alumnus honored for community work Ruben Menashe ’55 will receive an award in Portland for enriching Jewish community life.
03-08-2010Alumnus honored for service Dave Haugeberg ’62 received a Person of the Year award for making a positive difference in his community.
03-03-2010Former Bearcat wins championship Nick Symmonds ’06 won the 800-meter race at the U.S. indoor championships.
03-01-2010
Working on the International Stage Sarah Hamilton ’07 went from producing and acting in theatre productions at Willamette to helping manage events on a much larger stage — the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
02-15-2010
Fighting Global Poverty A study abroad experience at Willamette launched Ryan Calkins ’99 on the path to co-founding a popular Seattle microfinance association.
01-28-2010
A Model Teacher High school teacher Kevin Zerzan ’89, MAT’90 integrates the environment and technology into his science classes — and his successes earned him a national award.
12-22-2009
Law Alumnus Appointed to Federal Post Charles Harwood JD’83 will become deputy director in the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
12-03-2009National Educator Award Goes to Alumnus Kevin Zerzan ’89, MAT’90 was honored for his teaching and leadership talents.
11-20-2009Alumnus Leads New Medical School Dr. G. Richard Olds ’72 is founding dean of the program at the University of California, Riverside.
11-16-2009
CEO Position Goes to Willamette Alumnus Punit Renjen MM’86, a Willamette trustee, will lead Deloitte Consulting LLP.
11-10-2009Alumnus in Oregon Aviation Hall of Fame Former U.S. Rep. Denny Smith ’61 was honored for his important contributions to aviation.
11-09-2009
The Human Face of Technology As senior director of Microsoft’s disaster management team, Claire Bonilla ’95 uses technology to connect people with the help they need during crises.
11-02-2009
Alumnus Teacher Featured The College Board profiled Steven Crawford ’98 as a teacher who epitomizes the positives of the profession.
10-26-2009
Turning Sports into Art What can you do with an art degree? Jason Kenitzer ’00 translated his Willamette education into a job creating graphics for Oakley.
10-12-2009
The Story Behind the Stories Patrick Carman ’88 says his Willamette education encouraged him to “dream big,” and he did — today he is a best-selling children’s book author.
10-06-2009
Entrepreneur in BusinessWeek Magazine readers chose College of Law alumnus Carlos Moncayo as the best young entrepreneur in Asia.
10-05-2009
Alumnus Writes Popular Children’s Book Patrick Carman ’88 recently met Martha Stewart and Al Roker to promote a multimedia book series.
09-25-2009Distinguished Alumni Awards The university honored six alumni during Reunion Weekend for their accomplishments and service to Willamette.
09-14-2009Obama Appoints Willamette Alumnus Thomas Angelo ’68, JD’71 was named to the Federal Services Impasses Panel.
09-01-2009
Aiming High Environmental science graduate Jon Shea ’05 followed his career path to the top of the world — literally.
08-20-2009Alumna Teacher Honored Cary Cermak-Rudolf ’98, MAT’01 received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
08-13-2009
Third Alumna Earns Fulbright Emily Johnson ’08 will go to Benin to research connections between climate change, health and gender.
08-11-2009
Falling Toward a New Life Sara Brown ’01 was negotiating a jump she had made many times before, but this time a gust of wind blew her off course and changed her life.
08-07-2009
NCAA Scholar Cross country and track and field athlete Ali Maki ’09 won a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
06-30-2009
Alumna Wins Fulbright Kate D’Ambrosio ’06 will head to Australia to research wildfire policy through a Fulbright Grant.
06-22-2009
Green Economy Inspired by his experience at Willamette, the “stimulus czar of Oregon” is making sure the state’s federal stimulus dollars help create a sustainable future.
06-10-2009Media Praises Alumnus Zoo Keeper A volunteer stint at the Oregon Zoo led Dave Thomas ’71 to a career working with the facility’s primates.
06-03-2009
Two NSF Winners Two Willamette alumni, Monica Rother ’05 and Jennifer Bufford ’08, have received science graduate fellowships.
04-28-2009
Professional of the Year Cambridge Who’s Who honored John Spencer Stewart JD’71 for his work in business and corporate law.
04-21-2009
Rising Leader U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski JD’85 has made a name for herself in the Senate’s Republican ranks.
03-26-2009Alumna at Microsoft Claire Bonilla ’95 turned her passion for volunteerism into a corporate job — The Wall Street Journal finds out how.
03-26-2009
When the Shoe Fits From the general counsel and chief legal officer to the sustainable projects manager to the Asian Pacific brand manager, more than 50 Willamette graduates are NIKE employees.
03-22-2009
Dedicated to Philanthropy Dedicated to Philanthropy: Alumni Rank Tenth in Nation for Peace Corps Service
03-01-2009
Willamette night at the Volcanoes Hundreds of first-year students and alumni showed their Bearcat pride at Volcanoes baseball outing.