Alumni Fellows Conversations with OSU Influencers

 

Since 1988, the Oregon State University Alumni Association has recognized caring, passionate and talented members of Beaver Nation who have distinguished themselves in their professions and their communities. This year, we took a special look at the amazing ways alumni are making a positive change in the Portland Metro area – including our neighbors in southwest Washington. 

 

Get to know each one of our 2023 Alumni Fellows better through four small group conversations.

 

 

Headshots of Anita Winn, ’79, Matt Morton, Ed.M. ’98, and David Vernier, M.S. ’76 with a play button

Conversations with OSU Influencers with Anita Winn, ’79, Matt Morton, Ed.M. ’98 and David Vernier, M.S. ’76.

Watch above or listen below.

 

 


 

 

 

Headshots of Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10, Olivia Quiroz, ’05 and Mary Deits Rousseau, ’71 with a play button

Conversations with OSU Influencers with Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10, Olivia Quiroz, ’05 and Mary Deits Rousseau, ’71

Watch above or listen below.

 


 

Headshots of Joth Ricci, ’91, Lori Gibson, DVM ’99, and Bill Nicholson, ’80 with a play button

Conversations with OSU Influencers with Joth Ricci,’91, Lori Gibson, DVM ’99 and Bill Nicholson, ’80

Watch above or listen below.

 

 


 

 

 

Headshots of Kim Fritz-Ogren, M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’15, Bob Grover, ’83, and Julia Rosen, Ph.D. ’14 with a play button

Conversations with OSU Influencers with Kim Fritz-Ogren, M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’15, Bob Grover, ’83, and Julia Rosen, Ph.D. ’14

Watch above or listen below.

 

 


 

 

 

ALUMNI FELLOWS ONLINE CELEBRATION 

 

View our celebration where we honored all 12 alumni and explored how they are ensuring that OSU's economic footprint and innovative spirit are positively felt in Portland communities and beyond, and how OSU prepared them for this work. This program was originally recorded on April 11, 2023. 

Headshots of all of the 2023 Alumni Fellows with a play button

 

 

Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award

With more than 20 years of experience in the fields of counseling, therapy and health care advocacy for African Americans, Keith Dempsey leads his own counseling and consulting practice in the Portland area. He is a founding member and chair of the OSU Black Alumni and Friends Network and has served on the Oregon State University Alumni Association Board of Directors, the OSU Alumni Council and the OSU Alumni Undergraduate Scholarship Committee.

 


Kim Fritz-Ogren
, M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’15 

Nominated by the Graduate School  

Through her work at the Oregon Water Resources Department, Kim Fritz-Ogren has played important roles shaping water policy through years of challenging drought, supporting the director of OWRD and the Water Resources Commission in strategic planning, managing the contentious issue of water rights, working for interstate and intertribal negotiations, serving as lead on Columbia River issues and leading the formation of a new section of the agency focused on partnering with Oregonians on innovative solutions to water management challenges. As a testament to her bright future as a public servant, she was also selected to participate in Leadership Oregon, an executive leadership program.  


Lori Gibson
, DVM ’99  

Nominated by the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine   

Dr. Lori Gibson is the owner of Compassionate Care, an in-home pet euthanasia company serving the Portland area and Salem that offers 24-7 services and an eco-friendly cremation process known as aquamation. Her entrepreneurial spirit has brought new options to pet families dealing with difficult times. Gibson was an executive board member of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association from 2010 to 2017, and is a member of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association and the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, as well as the Portland chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization. 


Bob Grover
, ’83  

Nominated by the College of Agricultural Sciences  
 
In the 21 years since Bob Grover started Pacific Landscape Management, his company has grown to become the Northwest’s leader in commercial landscape management, providing sustainable maintenance and enhancements services in Portland, Salem and Seattle. Grover served as the president of the National Association of Landscape Professionals and the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association and as past chair of the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Revitalize Portland Coalition and a supporter of OSU’s Department of Horticulture.  


Matt Morton
, Ed.M. ’98 

Nominated by the College of Liberal Arts  
 
Matt Morton has dedicated years to improving educational opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. He is the president of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, which funds student scholarships and nonprofit grants. Previously, he led Oregon’s largest private philanthropic grantmaking strategy focused on K-12 public education with the Meyer Memorial Trust. Morton became the first Native American to be elected to the Board of Education for Portland Public Schools, the region's largest school district, and served as the executive director of Portland’s Native American Youth and Family Center and as the deputy director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association.


Bill Nicholson
, ’80 

Nominated by the College of Engineering  

Bill Nicholson started his long career with Portland General Electric as an OSU student intern. Over the next 40 years, he worked in a variety of engineering and operations leadership roles, including as senior vice president. In the process, he played a major role in providing reliable electric power to people across the Portland metropolitan area. He serves on the Oregon State College of Engineering Dean’s Leadership Council, the OSU Nuclear Science and Engineering Industry Advisory Board and is a supporter of the College of Engineering’s Catalyst Scholars Program.  


Olivia Quiroz
, ’05

Nominated by the College of Public Health and Human Sciences  

Olivia Quiroz is the executive director for the Oregon Latino Health Coalition (OLHC), a statewide organization dedicated to eliminating health disparities affecting Oregon's Latinx communities through collaboration, leadership and advocacy. Under her leadership, OLHC passed historical legislation (Oregon House Bill 3352) to expand Medicaid coverage to adults regardless of their immigration status. While working at Multnomah County Health Department, she served as a contributor to the health equity framework to address racial health policy and systems change strategies. She has served on the OSU Alumni Multicultural Steering Committee.  
 


Joth Ricci
, ’91 

Nominated by the College of Education   
 
Joth Ricci, CEO of Dutch Bros, has been an example of leadership and vision for the business community both through his role as chair of the Oregon Business Council and his work supporting Oregon’s diverse business owners. Ricci co-founded Taste for Equity, a nonprofit that supports, promotes and inspires action for equity advances in Oregon. He has also been a valuable contributor to statewide conversations about racial equity in policy and practice as part of Oregon’s Racial Justice Council. Ricci served on the College of Education’s Alumni and Friends Leadership Circle for several years.  


Julia Rosen
, Ph.D. ’14  

Nominated by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences   

As a journalist and writer, Julia Rosen has applied her deep understanding of the planet — based in geology doctoral work studying polar ice cores — to create an all-important bridge between science and humanity. She writes about how the world works and how humans are changing it. Her award-winning work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Science, Hakai, High Country News and The Los Angeles Times, where she was a former climate reporter. She is currently working on her first book, for Ecco, about grass and humans and our relationship to nature. Rosen has also shined a spotlight on Portland and the Pacific Northwest itself, bringing national attention to environmental issues in our state.  


Mary Deits Rousseau
, ’71 

Nominated by the Honors College  

A national trailblazer for women in the courts, Judge Mary Deits Rousseau has consistently worked to create positive changes across Oregon. She was the third woman to work as an assistant attorney general at the Oregon Department of Justice, the second woman to serve on the Oregon Court of Appeals and the first woman chosen to serve as Chief Judge of the Court. In that role, she implemented a variety of nationally recognized reforms designed to create efficiencies in the courts and reduce caseload backlog. An early member of OSU’s honors program, Rousseau has been one of the college’s most committed advocates and supporters in the Portland area.  


David Vernier
, M.S. ’76 

Nominated by the College of Science  
 
David Vernier is a steadfast advocate for science education across Oregon and the world. The company he co-founded, Vernier Science Education, has products in 60% of high schools and 40% of K-8 schools and offers numerous workshops for science educators. Vernier’s work at Oregon State includes supporting the College of Science’s Learning Assistants program, which trains high-achieving undergraduate students to support large enrollment courses. The Vernier Promise Fund also supports a range of programs designed to create opportunities for students from underserved communities. 


Anita Winn
, ’79 

Nominated by the College of Business 

After earning a degree in clothing textiles and related arts, Anita Winn embarked on an extensive career in merchandising. She managed stores, gained experience as a regional merchandiser and clothing buyer, and, in 2016, retired as business planning director of North America Nike Factory Stores. She is a founding and executive member of the College of Business Merchandising Management Advisory Council and has been a member of the OSU Design Network since 2014, serving as its chair for two years. This group of Portland-area alumni and friends working in design and merchandising management offers networking connections and career advice to OSU students. 

 

 

 

 

 

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS

Agricultural Sciences
1988 - Ernest Jaworski
1989 - Keith McKennon
1991 - Larry McKay
2000 - James Oldfield
2004 - Bill and Karla Chambers
2005 - Roy Saigo
2006 - Gretchen Schuette
2007 - William Sandine
2009 - Carl Casale
2011 - James T. Martin
2013 - James E. Womack
2016 - Hiram Larew
2020 - Julianne Wood-Rethwill

Business
1989 - James Coleman
1990 - Stanley Hong
1991 - Ben Whiteley
1998 - Bernard Newcomb
2002 - Duane McDougall
2003 - Mike Rich
2006 - Ken Thrasher
2008 - John Gray
2010 - Stephen M. Bailey
2012 - Gayle Fitzpatrick
2015 - Tom Toomey
2020 - Ric Campo

Education
2007 - Jerry Colonna
2009 - Mary Spilde
2011 - Erin Prince
2013 - Sandra Henderson
2016 - Eric Meslow
2018 - Camille Preus
2020 - Betty Hutchinson Flad

Engineering
1990 - Andrew Smith
1993 - Arthur Hitsman
2001 - Peter Johnson
2001 - Gregory Merten
2002 - Jeffery D. Peace
2003 - Don Pettit
2005 - Jen-Hsun Huang
2006 - Jay McQuillen, Jr.
2010 - Walter G. Kortschak
2015 - Tom Skoro
2018 - Randy McCourt
2020 - Scott Williams

Forestry
1988 - James Overbay
1998 - Pamela Matson
2007 - Jaime A. Pinkham
2009 - Steven Running
2011 - William Lange
2013 - Martin Goebel
2020 - Cristina Eisenberg, Ph.D

Public Health and Human Sciences
1989 - Katherine Smith
1994 - Soo-Jae Moon
1997 - Jean Thomas
2004 - Dr. Ann Streissguth
2006 - Susan Parker
2008 - Leila Keltner
2010 - Margaret L. Carter
2012 - Celia Austin
2015 - Dave Underriner
2018 - Jeremiah J. Allen
2020 - Rebecca Hernandez, Ph.D

Honors College
2009 - Ruth Beyer
2011 - Daniel D. Euhus
2013 - Carol Hill Pickard
2016 - Andrew Bartmess
2018 - Jeremy Cutsforth-Gregory
2020 - Dr. SreyRam Kuy

Liberal Arts
1991 - Harley Jessup
1992 - Chris Anderson
1993 - Norman Monroe
1994 - William Krippaehne
1995 - Jennifer Dorn
1996 - Larry Kirkland
1999 - Rod Chandler
1999 - Rebecca Parker
2005 - James “Jim” Wiggett
2006 - Michael Chamness
2010 - Jonathan Isaacs
2012 - Roosevelt Credit
2015 - Mary Carlin Yates
2018 - Angela Snow
2020 - Christopher Johns

Earth, Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences

1995 - John McGowan
2008 - Margaret Leinen
2010 - Richard W. Spinrad
2012 - Ellen Bishop
2015 - Laura Anderson
2018 - Ian Madin
2020 - Margaret Hiza Redsteer, Ph.D.

Pharmacy
1992 - Steven Oliva
1997 - Stephen Roath
2006 - Sara White
2008 - Robin Richardson
2010 - Kim L. Brouwer
2012 - Shelton Louie
2015 - Penny Reher

Science
1988 - James Bowen
1989 - Warren Washington
1992 - Kenneth Evenson
1993 - Leslie Gottlieb
1994 - Robert Coleman
1995 - Steven Lindow
1996 - Roy Teranishi
1997 - Karl Drlica
1998 - James Reinmuth
1999 - Janet Ford
2000 - Peggy Cherng
2001 - Zelma Long
2002 - Jon DeVaan
2003 - David Wong
2004 - Barry Willis
2009 - Rusty Gorman
2011 - Duane Nellis
2013 - Jack R. Borsting
2016 - Kent Thornburg
2018 - Marian Waterman
2020 - Dr. Eva Galvez

Veterinary Medicine
2000 - Scott Campbell
2007 - Helen Diggs
2009 - Bruce Mueller
2011 - Joseph H. Snyder
2013 - Debra Nelson
2016 - Kris Otteman
2018 - Connie White