CAS Class Notes

Mark Peterson BA ’83 reminds himself every morning how blessed he is to enjoy early retirement, which means lots of time for family, friends, travel to Germany, and volunteering in Seattle. He is very excited about this year’s Alumni Weekend and hopes to see many classmates in June. Peterson is determined to set foot in China, Israel, Kenya, and Japan before January 1, 2020.

Mark Peterson BA ’83 completed a master’s degree in Soviet history at the University of Washington in 1986. That same year, he returned to Moscow, where he met his future wife, Iris, a citizen of East Germany. Their son, Lukas, was born in 1995. From 1989 to 2016, he worked for the U.S. Customs Service. Since 2016, he has been volunteering as chair of Mwanzo Proud Farmers, a nonprofit serving western Kenya.

Toby Padgett BS ’78 is Pacific Northwest studio manager for a group of three “licensed and legal” internet radio stations operating out of England. Padgett also DJs two weekly radio programs, with another coming soon. She credits her Lewis & Clark communication professors with helping her further develop her communication skills, “which really come in handy when on-air, especially when conducting interviews with recording artists in all genres of music. It’s incredible to really get to know these artists. At this point in my life, it’s all about having fun—and I am!”

Ruth Gregerson Tyler BS ’55 lives in Salem, Oregon, with her retired husband, oral surgeon Joseph Tyler. She still lives in the home they built 50 years ago. In June 2016, Tyler and her husband celebrated 60 years of marriage. Their five married children live in Oregon and Washington, along with 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. During the summer months, they enjoy their family cabin in McCall, Idaho. Tyler says she is proud to be an L&C alumna of 60+ years.

Katherine Paul BA ’11 is a rock musician and the frontperson of the indie rock band Black Belt Eagle Scout. In a conversation with Pacific Standard Magazine, Paul talked about using music to explore her indigenous and queer identity in a culture that is dominated almost completely by white male artists. She was raised on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community reservation in Washington, where she found inspiration in the powwow drumming traditions of her family and the riot grrrl scene of the Pacific Northwest. “I want to talk about my music and background, and hopefully other indigenous and queer voices can be raised up too.”

Katherine Paul BA ’11, who performs as Black Belt Eagle Scout, has released her first solo album, Mother of My Children. She recently received a shout-out in Willamette Week’s “Best of Portland” issue. Since studying at Lewis & Clark, Paul has performed with various local bands, including Genders and Forest Park. Her desire to go her own way stemmed from a need to branch out creatively. “I wanted to feel fulfilled and to flourish in music,” she said in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Susie Brown BA ’90, recently public policy director for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and now executive director for the Hennepin County Bar Association, was interviewed in St. Paul, Minnesota’s Legal Ledger in a segment called “Breaking the Ice.” In the interview, Brown discusses her hobbies, career highlights, and start in the nonprofit world.

Linda Austin BA ’76 was one of 17 artists recently awarded a fellowship from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, which offers financial support and recognition to contemporary performing and visual artists. Austin received the foundation’s Merce Cunningham Award, a biennial grant in recognition of outstanding achievement in the arts that reflects the creativity and spirit of choreographer Merce Cunningham.