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Alumni Fellows

 

Since 1988, the Oregon State University Alumni Association in partnership with the university has recognized caring, passionate and talented members of Beaver Nation who have distinguished themselves in their professions and their communities. Alumni Fellows will be celebrated on campus this spring on Thursday, April 23.

Through the Alumni Fellows program, Oregon State colleges, departments and the OSU Alumni Association reconnect with alumni that have distinguished themselves in their professions and communities and celebrate them for all that they have done and will continue to do. Alumni Fellows will share their experiences and wisdom with alumni and current students, as well as build stronger ties with faculty and their alma mater. The OSU Alumni Association looks forward to working closely with each college to make this a memorable and meaningful experience for their honoree. 

Nominations are solicited from the deans of the academic colleges in consultation with department chairpersons and faculty or by leadership from other units/departments outside of the colleges, such as Ecampus, Athletics, Student Affairs and the Office of Graduate Education. For any departments outside of the academic colleges, please inform the alumnus’ graduating college of your nomination. Representatives from the nominating college/department are expected to attend the celebration in support of their nominee.

The number of Alumni Fellows to be chosen, and the number of colleges/departments represented, will be dependent upon the quality of applicants and their nomination materials. The alumni association does not guarantee that every college will have a Fellow. 

Please see the linked documents for directions and award criteria.

Join us for this year’s celebration on April 23, 2026.

REGISTER

 


Adam Bean, ’00
Honored by the Honors College
Catalyzing collaboration and community engagement at every stage of the Honors College’s evolution.

A member of the first Honors College class in 1995, Adam Bean helped shape the college’s identity from its earliest days. When the student lounge moved to the basement of Strand Agricultural Hall, he coined the name “Students Learning Underground,” or the SLUG — a term that remains central to Honors College culture today. After earning his honors bachelor’s degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering in 2000, Bean built a successful career leading cross functional teams and driving process improvements in the semiconductor and energy storage industries. He has been a dedicated supporter of the Honors College for more than two decades and is a go-to contributor to new initiatives. An early donor with an unbroken annual giving streak, he joined the Board of Regents in 2011 and remains one of its longest serving members, helping build a culture of collaboration and student-focused commitment. Through alumni networking events and mentorship, he continues to be a cornerstone of the Honors College community.

 

 

 


Scott W. Christianson, ’08
Honored by the College of Business
Blending financial leadership with service-driven values to uplift Oregon’s people, institutions and businesses.

Starting his career at Ferguson Wellman Capital Management the Monday after graduating from Oregon State’s College of Business, Scott Christianson, CFP®, has grown into his current role as a principal and portfolio manager, guiding investment and wealth management strategy for high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. His work reflects a disciplined approach to portfolio construction, risk management and long-term financial stewardship. Beyond his professional accomplishments, he serves on the college’s Dean’s Council of Excellence and Finance Advisory Circle, regularly mentors students and represents his firm at OSU career events to support emerging professionals. In the Portland community, he is past president and a current board and finance committee member for Meals on Wheels People and contributes fiduciary guidance as a 401(k) Committee Member for Friends of the Children Portland. A past president of the Security Traders Association of Portland, he continues to strengthen Oregon’s business and nonprofit communities through leadership and service, and was recognized on the Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list in 2023.

 

 

 


Dr. Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’09
Honored by the College of Education
Advancing student empowerment and culturally responsive mental health care as a leader, advocate and mentor.

A three‑time Oregon State graduate, Keith Dempsey has dedicated his career to advancing equity and culturally responsive counseling practices. After serving as department chair of the Graduate Counseling Program at George Fox University, he now leads his own counseling and consulting practice and is known for his work addressing racial trauma and expanding access to mental health care. His leadership and advocacy have been recognized through OSU’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award, the OSU Black Achievement Award and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. During his years as a student, he was an impactful leader and highly involved in the Educational Opportunities Program, which engendered values that live on in his work today. He continues to foster belonging as a founding member of the OSU Black Alumni and Friends Network and is a dedicated mentor and role model, advocate and connector, empowering students and alumni to thrive.

 

 

 


Christine Ervin, ’77, M.S. ’81
Honored by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences 
Driving progress in clean energy and sustainable markets through visionary leadership and innovative public-private partnerships.

A two‑time Oregon State graduate in physical geography, Christine Ervin has dedicated her career to accelerating clean energy, climate solutions and green building innovation at scale. As the first president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, she guided its transformation from a startup into a global force for transforming the built environment, helping establish the LEED rating system as the leading standard for green building. Earlier, as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, she directed $1 billion annually in clean and renewable energy investments across buildings, transportation and other industries. Ervin’s leadership in Oregon includes her tenure as director of the Oregon Department of Energy and founding board member for the Energy Trust of Oregon. Today, through her Portland‑based consulting practice, she serves as a respected public speaker and advisor on strategies for resilient green markets, inspiring OSU students and championing women’s leadership roles.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Dr. Jerry F. Franklin, ’59, M.S. ’61
Honored by the College of Forestry  
The “father of new forestry,” shaping foundational strategies for sustainable forestry and ecosystem stewardship.

A world-renowned forest ecologist, Jerry Franklin has shaped modern forestry through six decades of research, teaching and leadership. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forest management from Oregon State, he served as a U.S. Forest Service research forester and chief plant ecologist. Later, as a professor of forest science at OSU, he was an early advocate of applying ecosystem theory to the management of old-growth forests. As lead principal investigator at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest from 1982 to 1995, he launched pioneering research on forest structure, carbon storage and ecosystem resilience that continues to guide global understanding of old-growth systems. A member of the “Gang of Four” scientists who developed the Northwest Forest Plan, Franklin helped craft one of the world’s most influential conservation frameworks and remains an advisor to its ongoing evolution. He has authored more than 300 publications and mentored generations of scientists, creating an enduring legacy in forest ecology and conservation.

 

 

 


Ben Rivera, ’90
Honored by the College of Engineering
Advancing American manufacturing with the ingenuity and integrity of an Oregon State trained engineer.

For over three decades, Ben Rivera has helped shape the global success of Leatherman Tool Group. After earning his mechanical engineering degree from Oregon State in 1990, he joined Leatherman as a manufacturing engineer and quickly became known for improving processes, elevating quality and advancing new product development. He went on to design several of the company’s most iconic tools — including the Micra (its highest volume product) and WAVE (its most successful product) — and contributed to more than 150 U.S. patents. In recognition of his professional accomplishments and leadership, he was inducted into OSU’s Academy of Distinguished Engineers in 2014. Becoming Leatherman’s president and CEO from 2013 to 2026, Rivera demonstrated that global competitiveness can be achieved through innovation in product, manufacturing and business without compromising commitments to employees, community, environmental responsibility or Portland-based manufacturing. Now an innovator and advisor, Rivera continues to mentor teams and drive product and process evolution, exemplifying the ingenuity, craftsmanship and community-minded leadership that Oregon State engineers bring to the workplace and the world.

 

 

 


Dr. Shannon B. Wanless, Ph.D. ’09
Honored by the College of Health 
Leading national progress in social emotional learning by uniting research, practice and community partnerships.

A nationally respected scholar and leader in social emotional learning, Shannon Wanless has dedicated her career to advancing child wellbeing, equity and community engaged research. After completing her doctorate in Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State, she built a distinguished career at the University of Pittsburgh, where she now serves as director of the University Center for Social and Urban Research. As executive director of the Office of Child Development from 2018 to 2025, she helped secure more than $20 million in competitive grants and deepened collaborations focused on mental health, literacy, family engagement and racial equity. A Fulbright Scholar and Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow, she has codeveloped nationally recognized initiatives such as the P.R.I.D.E. program and the award-winning 3Rs Initiative. She remains connected to OSU to this day, contributing her expertise through mentorship, guest lectures and collaborations that inspire future leaders.

 

 

 


Kathy Ward, ’77
Honored by the College of Agricultural Sciences
Uniting Oregon roots with decades of global collaboration to strengthen the future of agriculture.

Raised on her family’s Century Farm in Baker City, Oregon, Kathy Ward went on to a career advancing agriculture on a global scale. After earning a degree in agronomic crop science from Oregon State in 1977 and an MBA from Western Michigan University, she built a distinguished career in the vegetable seed industry, culminating as Global Testing and Operations Lead for Vegetable Research & Development at Bayer Crop Science. Her work took her to more than 50 countries, strengthening research partnerships and international collaborations. Ward’s commitment to OSU is equally profound. As a champion for mentorship and career development, a member of the College of Agricultural Sciences Campaign Cabinet and a longtime advisory board member of the CAS Leadership Academy and E.R. Jackman Friends and Alumni, her strategic guidance and philanthropic support open doors for future agricultural leaders. She also volunteers with a nonprofit dedicated to farmland and habitat conservation.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Previous Fellows Talks

 

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS

College of Agricultural Sciences
2026 – Kathy Ward, ’77
2024 – Kirk B. Maag, ’05
2023 – Bob Grover, ’83 
2020 – Julianne Wood-Rethwill, ’75 
2016 – Hiram G. Larew III, M.S. ’77, Ph.D. ’81 
2013 – James E. Womack, Ph.D. ’68 
2011 – James T. Martin, ’69, M.S. ’78 
2009 – Carl M. Casale, ’83 
2007 – William E. Sandine, Ph.D. ’58 
2006 – Gretchen S. Schuette, Ph.D. ’80 
2005 – Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D. ’69 
2004 – Karla Chambers, ’81, MAIS ’83, and William D. Chambers, ’81, M.S. ’85 
2000 – James E. Oldfield, Ph.D. ’51 
1991 – Larry L. McKay, Ph.D. ’70 
1989 – Keith R. McKennon, ’55 
1988 – Ernest G. Jaworski, M.S. ’50, Ph.D. ’52 

College of Business
2026 – Scott Christianson, ’08
2024 – Trey Winthrop, ’93 
2023 – Anita Miller Winn, ’79 
2020 – Richard J. Campo, ’76 
2015 – Tom Toomey, ’82 
2012 – Gayle E. Fitzpatrick, ’78 
2010 – Stephen M. Bailey, ’70 
2008 – John D. Gray, ’40 
2006 – Kenneth Thrasher, ’71 
2003 – Mike Rich 
2002 – Duane C. McDougall, ’74 
1998 – Bernard Newcomb, ’65 
1991 – Benjamin R. Whiteley, ’51 
1990 – Stanley Hong, ’59 
1989 – James E. Coleman, ’58 

College of Education
2026 – Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10
2023 – Joth Ricci, ’90 
2020 – Betty Flad, ’67 
2018 – Camille Preus, Ed.D. ’08 
2016 – Eric C. Meslow, ’91 
2013 – Sandra Henderson, ’83, M.S. ’89, Ph.D. ’02 
2011 – Erin Adams Prince, ’85, Ph.D. ’06  
2009 – Mary F. T. Spilde, Ed.M. ’84, Ph.D. ’96 
2007 – Jerome Colonna, ’66, M.S. ’68, Ed.M ’71 

College of Engineering
2026 – Ben Rivera, ’90
2024 – Patricia McDonald, ’86
2023 – Bill Nicholson, ’80
2020 – Scott A. Williams, ’74
2018 – Ransford S. McCourt, ’78
2015 – Tom Skoro, ’81
2010 – Walter G. Kortschak, ’81
2006 – Jay L. McQuillen Jr., ’86
2005 – Jen-Hsun Huang, ’84
2003 – Donald R. Pettit, ’78
2002 – Jeffrey D. Peace, ’73
2001 – Peter E. Johnson, ’55
2001 – Greg P. Merten, ’68
1993 – Arthur E. Hitsman, ’49, M.S. ’50
1990 – Andy Smith, ’50 

College of Forestry
2026 – Jerry F. Franklin, ’59, M.S. ’61
2024 – Suzanne Simard, M.S. ’89, Ph.D. ’95
2020 – Cristina Eisenberg, Ph.D. ’12
2013 – Martin Goebel, ’79
2011 – William John Lange, M.S. ’78, Ph.D. ’83
2009 – Steven W. Running, ’72, M.S. ’74
2007 – Jaime A. Pinkham, ’81
1998 – Pamela A. Matson, Ph.D. ’83
1988 – James C. Overbay, ’56 

College of Health
2026 – Shannon Wanless, Ph.D. ’09
2024 – Elizabeth Ragan, ’13
2023 – Olivia Quiroz, ’05
2020 – Rebecca Hernandez, Ph.D. ’05
2018 – Jeremiah J. Allen, ’15
2015 – Dave Underriner, ’81
2012 – Celia Strickland Austin, ’76
2010 – Margaret L. Carter, Ed.M. ’74
2008 – Leila Jeanette Hocking Keltner, ’76, M.S. ’78
2006 – Susan Parker, ’74 
2004 – Ann Roth Streissguth, ’54
1997 – Jean A. Thomas, ’78
1994 – Soo-Jae Moon, M.S. ’60
1989 – Katherine E. Smith, ’61 

Honors College
2026 – Adam Bean, ’00
2024 – Eric MacKender, ’00
2023 – Mary Deits Rousseau, ’71
2020 – SreyRam Kuy, ’00
2018 – Jeremy Cutsforth-Gregory, ’05
2016 – Andrew D. Bartmess, ’82
2013 – Carol Hill Pickard, ’76
2011 – Dan Euhus, ’99 
2009 – Ruth A. Beyer, ’77 

College of Liberal Arts
2023 – Matthew J. Morton, ’98
2020 – Chris Johns, ’74
2018 – Angela Snow, ’81
2015 – Mary C. Yates, ’68, ’07 (Hon. Ph.D.)
2012 – Roosevelt A. Credit, ’90
2006 – Michael P. Chamness, ’71
2005 – Jim F. Wiggett, ’72
1999 – Rodney D. Chandler, ’68
1999 – Rebecca Hansen Parker, ’74
1996 – Lawrence P. Kirkland, ’72
1995 – Jenna Dorn, ’73
1994 – William W. Krippaehne Jr., ’73, MBA ’76
1993 – Norman W. Monroe, ’62
1992 – N. Christian Anderson III, ’72
1991 – Harley W. Jessup, ’76 

College of Earth, Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences
2026 – Christine Ervin, ’77, M.S. ’81
2024 – Julie D. Pullen, Ph.D. ’00 
2023 – Julia Lee Rosen, ’14 
2020 – Margaret Hiza Redsteer, Ph.D. ’00 
2018 – Ian P. Madin, M.S. ’87 
2015 – Laura M. Anderson, M.S. ’00 
2012 – Ellen Bishop, M.S. ’79, Ph.D. ’83 
2010 – Rick Spinrad, M.S. ’78, Ph.D. ’82 
2008 – Margaret S. Leinen, M.S. ’76 
1995 – John A. McGowan, ’50, M.S. ’51 

College of Pharmacy
2015 – Penny Ellings Reher, ’82
2012 – Shelton Louie, ’78
2010 – Kim Rowse Brouwer, ’78
2008 – Robin J. Richardson, ’84
2006 – Sara White, ’68 
1997 – Stephen D. Roath, ’63
1992 – Steven J. Oliva, ’63 

College of Science
2024 – Joel E. Peterson, ’69 
2023 – David Vernier, ’76 
2020 – Eva M. Galvez, ’99 
2018 – Marian L. Waterman, ’81 
2016 – Kent L. Thornburg, M.S. ’70, Ph.D. ’72 
2013 – Jack R. Borsting,  ’51 
2011 – M. Duane Nellis, M.S. ’78, Ph.D. ’80 
2009 – Rusty Gorman, ’77 
2004 – Barry G. Willis, ’63 
2003 – David T. Wong, M.S. ’64 
2002 – Jon DeVaan, ’85 
2001 – Zelma Reed Long, ’65 
2000 – Peggy Tsiang Cherng, ’71 
1999 – Janet R. Ford, ’80 
1998 – James E. Reinmuth, M.S. ’65, Ph.D. ’70 
1997 – Karl A. Drlica, ’64 
1996 – Roy Teranishi, ’53 
1995 – Steven E. Lindow, ’73 
1994 – Robert G. Coleman, ’48, M.S. ’50 
1993 – Leslie D. Gottlieb, M.S. ’66 
1992 – Kenneth M. Evenson, M.S. ’60, Ph.D. ’64 
1989 – Warren M. Washington, ’58 
1988 – James M. Bowen, M.S. ’58, Ph.D. ’61 

College of Veterinary Medicine
2023 – Lori L. Gibson,  DVM ’99
2018 – Connie Neville White, Ph.D. ’95, DVM ’97
2016 – Kris Otteman Brant, ’82, DVM ’86
2013 – Debra M. Nelson, DVM ’87
2011 – Joseph H. Snyder, DVM ’83
2009 – Bruce W. Mueller, ’83, DVM ’86
2007 – Helen E. Diggs, DVM ’85
2000 – Scott D. Campbell, ’80, DVM ’85