Barbara LaSalle, ’64   
Leveraging a lifelong love for OSU to forge unshakeable bonds, resulting in a transformational impact in the university community.

Known as Mrs. OSU, Barbara LaSalle’s unshakeable bond with Beaver Nation began from her first days in Corvallis and included varsity rowing, yearbook and membership in Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Following graduation and the passing of her fiancé Patrick Wayne Valley, in 1969, Barbara began to serve on the board of the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation, a philanthropic partner of OSU, where she remains today. She is a regional ambassador and member of the 1868 Society, playing a significant role in forging relationships that have a transformational impact on the university. Barbara and her husband, Tom, and daughter, Brooke, are often seen on campus and attend countless OSU events.  

Bob, ’65, & Sara Rothschild 
Inspiring OSU students through international experiential learning and research, including making a lifelong impact by establishing an endowed faculty position in the College of Health.  

When Bob and Sara Rothschild first traveled to Africa in 2004, they had no idea it would lead them to inspire generations of students across multiple continents. In 2005, they established the Robert and Sara Rothschild Family Foundation. This philanthropic organization has partnered with the Botswana Government to build 20 libraries in rural areas, improving education, literacy and community cohesion. In 2017, they brought their passion for international awareness to OSU with the funding of the Robert and Sara Rothschild Endowed Chair in Global Health.  

Sue & Gerald Vickers 
Enthusiastically going above and beyond to bolster philanthropic momentum for OSU Athletics and student-athletes, getting ahead of their greatest moment of need.  

In the eight years since Sue and Gerald Vickers were honored with the Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award, their support of OSU Athletics has escalated. Since the mid-1980s, they have prioritized significant leadership gifts for athletic facility initiatives and joined the Harris Society in 2005. Their generosity has been pivotal to developing Reser Stadium, the Valley Football Center, Gill Coliseum, OSU Basketball Center, Goss Stadium, the new Baseball Hitting Facility and more. Their leadership was a cornerstone to the Completing Reser Stadium project, where in addition to their leadership gift, they made an additional significant gift to inspire and challenge new donors to the project, enabling OSU to increase its fundraising goal. 

George Cabrera, ’68, Ed.M. ’69, Ed.M. ’72 
Uplifting Oregon's Latinx communities and helping students thrive and belong as an educator and culture-shifter. 

As an educator and emeritus professor, U.S. Army veteran, coach, mentor and volunteer, George Cabrera reminds all those at OSU and within his communities that acting to help just one person can have an exponential effect over time and may impact thousands of people. After graduating from OSU, he earned his Ph.D. at Syracuse University. Known by his peers for standing beside the most vulnerable throughout his career and community service, he has been instrumental in creating pathways for underrepresented students to access higher education, transforming their lives, since his first high school teaching job. His tireless efforts have fostered inclusion and equity within both educational institutions and the Latinx communities of McMinnville.

Cathy, ’76, & Jim Rudd 
Promoting student success, campus vitality and unparalleled excellence in OSU Athletics through visionary philanthropy and service.

Jim and Cathy Rudd have a demonstrated history of philanthropic and community work. They are ardent supporters of Beaver Nation, regularly attending OSU Athletics events and making sizeable contributions to the Our Beaver Nation Fund, Men's Intercollegiate Athletics Basketball Program Fund and the OSU Football Fund for Excellence. Their substantial gift to Completing Reser Stadium was essential to the project’s success. Jim and Cathy have both served in leadership roles with the OSU Foundation, and Cathy is a past member of the College of Health's Cabinet and President’s Club Leadership Council, while Jim is the past board chair, and a current board member, for the Athletic Director’s Board of Advisors.  

Daniel De León, M.S. ’22 
Fostering a sense of community among OSU's Latinx graduate students while promoting the benefits of STEM education and careers to Latinx youth in Oregon.  

With a passion for engineering, Daniel De León encourages Oregon Latinx youth to pursue STEM education and careers. Daniel brought his undergraduate involvement in the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to OSU, fostering a sense of community among Latinx graduate students, and he continues to recruit for Oregon State engineering graduate programs. His advocacy work doesn’t end there. Daniel promotes STEM learning at Portland elementary schools, teaches at Mariachi STEAM summer camps and has been a guest speaker at the Portland Metro STEM Partnership "STEMposium" and the Hillsboro School District Latino Youth Program.  

Lori Rush, ’78 
Empowering careers and communities through steadfast leadership and strategic HR solutions. 

Lori Rush is the founder and president of Rush Recruiting and HR, providing consulting and hiring support to businesses and job seekers since 2006. She excels at capturing organizational culture, fostering relationships and helping others — traits that have made her a much-admired OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors member since 2013. She served as board chair during university leadership changes and the turbulence of the pandemic, creatively keeping meetings lively and interactive despite the challenges of going virtual. Lori led the board’s post-career task force and to this day drives efforts that maintain and strengthen connections between former board members. She also volunteers her expertise through OSUAA career programs and the Beaver Caucus. Beyond OSU, she served nearly 20 years on the executive committee of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, receiving the "Power of Many" award in 2009.  

OSU Innovation and Design Network
Connecting design and merchandising professionals and bringing valuable insights to students preparing for their careers.

Established in 2009 in partnership with the OSU Alumni Association, the OSU Innovation and Design Network has fostered a robust, inclusive and uplifting community for students and alumni. Through signature events including Industry Connect, alumni-led Industry Talks and Industry Socials, and previously, an annual fashion show, the network has created opportunities for networking, knowledge-sharing, and celebrating and advancing design fields. It has especially served as a conduit connecting Portland-based design professionals and OSU students. Over the last 15 years, an active council of current and past board leaders have facilitated countless inspiring and conscientious conversations, helping Oregon Staters become the leaders who drive forward positive change in global design and merchandising industries. For their unwavering dedication and support of the OSU community, the OSU Alumni Association is proud to select the OSUIDN as the inaugural recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Network and Group Award. 

Kirk Maag, ’05 
Honored by the College of Agricultural Sciences  
Cultivating community in the next generation of agribusiness and forest products industry leaders.  

Eric MacKender, ’00 
Honored by the Honors College 
Valuing lifetime learning with an unwavering commitment to alumni engagement and student support.  

Having received scholarships to fund his education, Eric MacKender joined the second class of first-year Honors College students. He studied chemical engineering and enjoyed the colloquium courses offered by the Honors College. Recruited by Chevron post-graduation, Eric became an immediate financial supporter of OSU and the Honors College. While he has moved seven times for his career with Chevron, his commitment to OSU has remained steadfast. Eric joined the Honors College Board of Regents in 2014 and remains an active member. He's hosted game watch parties and happy hours to bring together local alumni in Houston, Portland and Los Angeles. In 2018, he was named to the Council of Outstanding Early Career Engineers by the OSU College of Engineering, and in 2023 he became the first Honors College alumnus to be recognized as an Honors College Champion for his and his wife's support for student success. 

Patricia (Pat) McDonald, ’86 
Honored by the College of Engineering  
Motivating and mentoring early career engineers while championing women's success in STEM programs.  

For over 30 years, Pat McDonald has balanced building her work at Intel and serving her community with steady support and advocacy to OSU. Over her impressive career, she has focused on countless initiatives, including advancing the well-being of Intel employees and connecting with women in STEM. Thanks to her personal and professional contributions, Pat was named an Outstanding Early Career Engineer by the OSU College of Engineering in 2005 and in 2016 was a governor-appointed member of the Port of Portland Commission. Through her service on the Dean’s Leadership Council for the OSU College of Engineering, as judge during the Engineering Expo, in the Celebration of Women in Engineering Career Diversity panel and more, her commitment to Beaver Nation is unwavering. 

Joel Peterson, ’69 
Honored by the College of Science 
Showcasing how professional endeavors fueled by passion can create a winemaking industry icon. 

Setting the standard for high-quality wines since he first founded Ravenswood Winery in 1976 and currently with Once & Future Wine, Joel Peterson has been nicknamed “the Godfather of Zin” by his winemaking peers. His notable winemaking career has included being inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame, serving on the boards of numerous prestigious vintners’ and growers’ associations and having his winery and original tools featured in the Smithsonian Institution’s evolution of food and wine exhibition. Joel has been a member of the College of Science Board of Advisors since 2014 and previously served on the college’s Board of Visitors. With his wife, Madeline Deininger, Joel funds student travel to give future scientists professional development opportunities that weren’t previously available.     

Julie Pullen, Ph.D. ’00  
Honored by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences 
Accelerating initiatives to address climate risk through leadership and investments in ocean climate solutions and technology. 

As a climate scientist, oceanographer and meteorologist, Julie Pullen is on the frontlines of creating climate resilience and solutions. She is the founding partner and chief scientist with Propeller Ventures, a climate-tech venture fund that invests in early-stage ocean and climate tech companies. In addition to her countless professional accomplishments, including leading the Department of Homeland Security’s National Maritime Security Center and leadership positions in the American Meteorological Society and The Oceanography Society, Julie generously gives her time to OSU. She was instrumental in establishing a partnership between Propeller and OSU, served as a panelist on the 2023 CEOAS and OSU Alumni Association Earth Day lecture, has called on CEOAS to lend its expertise to international meetings and is a great champion and advocate for CEOAS faculty and students. 

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Ragan, ’13 
Honored by the College of Health
Advocating for health equity and disability rights through public service and volunteerism at the local, state and national levels. 

Driven by her vision for a better world, Lizzy Ragan has contributed substantially to the field of public health. A standout student while at OSU, Lizzy was a student employee with the now College of Health and the Center for Writing and Learning and volunteered with numerous local health organizations — earning her the Waldo-Cummings and Kalervo Oberg Outstanding Senior Awards before graduating summa cum laude. Her extensive work in global health and in the COVID-19 response, along with her disability advocacy work, earned her an appointment to the 2022-2023 class of White House Fellows, for which she was placed at the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Lizzy is a former appointee of Oregon Health Authority’s Health Equity Committee and is a peer mentor for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and a current appointee on the accessibility committee for the District of Columbia. Lizzy now serves as the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Suzanne Simard, M.S. ’89, Ph.D. ’95 
Honored by the College of Forestry 
Pioneering plant-communication research to forever change the world’s understanding of how forests operate and expand woodland restoration efforts.   

Known as a pioneer in the study of plant communication and intelligence, Suzanne Simard’s work has gained global recognition. She was recently named one of Time magazine’s 100 “most influential people” in the world and even received a nod on the critically acclaimed show Ted Lasso. A professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, she is the author of the book Finding the Mother Tree. Simard's revolutionary work in forest ecology led to recognizing the overlooked but potentially important role of plant cooperation in determining forest responses to climate change and disturbance. 

Trey Winthrop, ’93 
Honored by the College of Business 
Leveraging a people-first philosophy to prioritize the well-being and development of OSU students and Portland communities.  

Throughout his career, Trey Winthrop has always made time to support his community and Beaver Nation. Appointed the CEO of Bob’s Red Mill in 2022 after a 17-year tenure with the company, he continues to give back through leadership positions, including President of Financial Executives International’s Portland chapter, board member of the American Heart Association and more. He was previously a member of the OSU Portland Business Roundtable and currently sits on the College of Business Dean’s Council of Excellence. Additionally, Trey and his wife, Jamie, established the Winthrop Family Scholarship fund, which supports students in the College of Business.