February 15, 2024 (Portland, Oregon)—Palatine Hill Review from Lewis & Clark College, has been recognized as a REALM First Class magazine for the 50th Anniversary Edition, “growing pains” by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Palatine Hill Review, “growing pains”, Volume 50 Student Editors: Jillian Jackson, AJ Di Nicola, Elizabeth Huntley, Zach Reinker, Max Allen, Burton Scheer
From ceramics to glycomics, learn how Lewis & Clark’s new faculty developed an interest in their field—and why they are excited to join the L&C community.
The Inclusion & Multicultural Engagement (IME) office is excited to launch a First-Generation Mentorship program and we are calling upon all first-generation staff, faculty, and alum!
In May, West Linn, Oregon, residents resoundingly chose 23-year-old Rory Bialostosky BA ’22 as the city’s youngest-ever mayor. His election as mayor follows a series of “firsts,” including a term as West Linn’s youngest city council member while he was a full-time student at Lewis & Clark.
Three recent alums have served at Hygiene4All, a Portland-based nonprofit that works to ensure those who are unsheltered have equal access to basic resources like hot showers, trash disposal, and first aid.
Director of Accounting Marietta Lawson BS ’79 grew up across the street from Lewis & Clark, and will retire at the end of this month after working nearly 30 years in the Office of Business and Finance. Here she reflects on her countless adventures on campus as it changed over the years.
Lots of moves, name changes, and more are reflected in the August update of the printable campus map.
Hillary Dixon BA ’99
2023 L&C Alumni Leadership Award (for service to L&C alumni)
Hillary was an English major at L&C who worked on the student produced literary magazine, theLiterature Review. Hillary interned for the British Museum and Bloomsbury Publishing and went on to complete her MA in English from Boston University. Later Hillary would begin her work in social services, focusing on survivors of domestic violence.She initially worked on the crisis hotline for Call to Safety and most recently at the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services. She feels enormously privileged to have had a Lewis & Clark education and has helped to create an annual English student scholarship. Interested in volunteering her time, Hillary joined the Board of Alumni in the fall of 2012. During her eight-year tenure on the board, she served in many capacities, including president.
Mark A. Duntley
2023
Donald G. Balmer Citation (for service to the college)
Mark served on the staff of Lewis & Clark College for 32 years. He began his time as chaplain and was later promoted to dean of spiritual life. His responsibilities included chaplaincy for the entire L&C community along with undergraduate teaching. Mark served as a pastoral presence in times of both joy and tragedy. He maintained a passion for service on college committees while affirming a climate of inclusion and equity that supported the diverse religious and spiritual identities on campus. During his time at L&C, he married over 235 couples - many of whom were alumni, staff and faculty, and officiated 125 funerals and memorial services, including services for both Don and Betty Balmer. Mark earned his PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in 1988. He served as both a Presbyterian parish pastor and a seminary professor before coming to Lewis & Clark.
Ululani Brigitte Russo Oana BA ’15
2023 Outstanding Young Alumna Award
Ululani is a middle school science educator in Hawaiʻi who epitomizes an unwavering commitment to fostering culturally responsive pedagogy and environmental stewardship. She teachesat Wai‘anae Intermediate Schoolas a member of Teach for America. Ululani was recognized for her ability to intersect science curriculumwith ʻike kupuna (ancestral knowledge),andin 2022 she was selected fora We The Peoples Before Education Fellowshiporganized by the First Peoples Fund, a nonprofit organization that works to support the art and culture of Indigenous communities. During this time sheearned her MS in education from Johns Hopkins University and her PhD in education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Art Van Zee BS ’69
2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award
Art graduated from L&C with a BS in history in 1969. He completed medical school and began working at a health center in an Appalachian coal mining town. Art has been a buprenorphine (Suboxone)-prescribing physician, treating patients with opioid use disorder since 2003, and is board-certified in addiction medicine as well as internal medicine. Art has become an outspoken critic of Purdue Pharma’s marketing, testifying before a Senate committee hearing on the OxyContin problem in 2002. His work with local community groups who are seeking public policy changes and expansion of evidence-based treatment was featured in the books Painkiller and Dopesick.
Please join us February 27 - 29 for the 10th annual Middle Eastern and North African Studies Symposium. Driven by the Middle Eastern North Africa Studies program at Lewis & Clark, this year’s symposium sets out to explore linguistic diversity and identity, multicultural communications, and language politics.
For the seventh time in 10 years, Lewis & Clark has been named one of the top producers of Fulbright Award winners in the country, according to the U.S. Department of State. With four Fulbright grants in 2023–24, Lewis & Clark is in the Top 50 baccalaureate producers of student Fulbrights in the nation.
In mid-January, the Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership hosted its annual entrepreneurial workshop, known as Winterim. The event brought 29 students to campus prior to the start of spring semester for a week of learning, networking, and mentoring, which culminated in a pitch competition for $13,000 in prizes.
Our campaign success has enabled us to make significant investments in the people of Lewis & Clark. This translates into expanded scholarship opportunities as well as endowed faculty positions in areas such as entrepreneurship —plus, much more!
The History department is excited to share that Aidan Bennett (BA, ’21) is currently serving with the Peace Corps in Cambodia, and has shared with us a bit about his experience.
This year’s symposium, Life Within Capitalism: Reconsidering Market Consequences and the Earth System, will be held October 16–19, 2023. The symposium will feature keynote speakers Professor Yuko Aoyama and Clarence Edwards, as well as an art workshop and trading game. All events are free and open to the public.
This fall, Lewis & Clark reopened the Stewart-Odell residence halls after a sweeping renovation. In addition to many interior and exterior upgrades, Stewart-Odell now houses the Travel Lounge Living-Learning Community, the Student Counseling Center, and select Campus Living offices.
Professor of English Pauls Toutonghi’s newest novel, The Refugee Ocean, has been named one of Barnes & Noble’s “Discover Picks of the Month” for October. Toutonghi will discuss the book at Powell’s City of Books on Sunday, October 15, at 7 p.m.
Lewis & Clark recently met―and surpassed―the most ambitious fundraising goal in its history, marking a new era of growth and momentum. A reception is planned for October 19 to celebrate this achievement and the community that made it possible.
The Student Alumni Association retreat was a huge success and we have three incredible events in the works, including Homecoming and Family Weekend! Watch this space for more details about the events you can expect for the fall semester.
Waylon Lenk BA ’08, a Shakespeare scholar and theatre artist, will join the college as its first Native Scholar-Artist in Residence this fall. Lenk will give a talk at New Student Orientation and direct the theatre department’s fall production of Henry IV, Part 1.
Associate Professor of Biology Tamily Weissman’s research, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), could shed light on new treatment pathways for Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders.
Mike has over 27 years of experience in higher education. In 2022, he was named chancellor of the University of New Mexico at Los Alamos. Mike has stayed involved with L&C as a volunteer, and he is a former member of the Board of Alumni and Board of Trustees.
Janet is the Douglas K. Newell Professor of Teaching Excellence at Lewis & Clark Law School. She was L&C’s institutional dean of diversity and inclusion from 2016 through 2019. As dean, Janet started partnerships with off-campus organizations, oversaw the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion’s action plan, revamped L&C’s hiring process, and more.
Watch the Alumni Honors Celebration 2023! Dan is trained in a number of instruments and music production, and he was very involved with the music department while at L&C. In 2018, he scored his first number-one record. He has sold over 10 million records, has streaming numbers in the billions, and just signed a new publishing deal in Los Angeles.
Benedikt was born in Reykjavik, Iceland. He has had a robust international career in climate and development issues. Benedikt is currently the special envoy on climate and permanent representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency through his work with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland.
In late April, 15 students from Lewis & Clark and 15 students from the Columbia River Correctional Institution performed an original theatre piece as the culmination of their Inside-Out history course, Crime and Punishment in the United States.
As recipients of prestigious Fulbright awards, four members of the L&C community will work abroad as teachers and researchers next year: Grace Bird BA ’23 (Bulgaria), Caroline Gray BA ’17 (Kenya), Michael Mulrennan BA ’22 (Andorra), and Lucia Sheridan BA ’23 (Germany).
Gila Winefeld BA ’23, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, received this spring’s Rena J. Ratte Award, the undergraduate college’s highest honor. Named for an esteemed professor, the award recognizes a senior whose abilities and commitment have combined to produce work of the highest distinction.
Valerie White, L&C’s ombudsperson, shares her family’s history as Black abolitionists in an exhibit at Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia and in an upcoming book.
On April 14, the undergraduate campus took a break from classes to enjoy the Festival of Scholars and Artists, an annual event that includes research discussions, poster sessions, live music and theatre performances, and much more.
Robin Holmes-Sullivan found her way to becoming L&C’s president via a career in student affairs administration. Hear her thoughts about the profession and program in this short video.
The 61st annual Lewis & Clark International Affairs Symposium is one of the oldest student-run symposia in the country. This year’s event, which runs from April 10 to April 12, is titled Functions of Fear: Conflict, Compliance, Chaos.
President Robin Holmes-Sullivan was honored with a “Pillar of the Profession” award from the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated distinction in their field and made a lasting impact on the institutions where they have worked.
This spring, Lewis & Clark unveiled the newly renovated Stephanie Fowler Student Center (formerly known as Templeton). Designed to be the “heart of campus,” the updated student center features enhanced meeting and activity spaces, outdoor gathering spots, and improved accessibility features.
On March 20, Lewis & Clark’s speech and debate team took center stage for Night Before Nationals, an exhibition event that showcases the team’s talents and skills in front of an enthusiastic campus audience.
Bon Appétit, L&C’s food service vendor, shared a presentation with undergrad and law students about its strategies and methods of sustainable food sourcing.
In an expansion of its three-year relationship with the Posse Foundation, Lewis & Clark will welcome to campus this fall its inaugural cohort of scholars from Posse’s newest recruitment location: Puerto Rico.
More than 80 students participated in the second annual L&C Peer Collective Summit, held on March 10 and 11. The event, designed for current and emerging student leaders, featured a keynote speaker, breakout sessions, and numerous opportunities to connect with like-minded peers.
President Robin Holmes-Sullivan has been nominated to the International Women’s Forum, which is made up of 7,500 members representing 33 different countries.
The Imaginary Invalid, a classic French comedy reimagined for modern audiences, opens on March 3. Directed by Štěpán Šimek, professor of theatre, the show provides a hilarious take on the medical profession, helping viewers forget their woes, even if just for a little while.
Lewis & Clark has chosen an expert in advancing the goals of mission-driven organizations through media outreach, storytelling, and message development to be its inaugural Vice President of Communications.
For the sixth time in 10 years, Lewis & Clark has been named one of the top producers of Fulbright Award winners in the country, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. With four Fulbright grants in 2022–23, Lewis & Clark is in the Top 40 baccalaureate producers of Fulbrights in the nation and the only top producer in Oregon.
Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan will attend the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on February 7. She’s the special guest of Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer BA ’70, JD ’76.
The return to campus signals more than just classes—it’s Phonathon time. Answer the call to connect with a student, and to have the opportunity to shape the future at Lewis & Clark.
The Hoffman Gallery and the art department are excited to announce the two spring 2023 faculty shows: Dru Donovan’s Scrum and Cara Tomlinson’s Betwixt and . . . The exhibits run from January 26 to March 23, 2023.
Lewis & Clark Libraries support Everybody Reads 2023
Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being is the Multnomah County Library Everybody Reads 2023 title. In support of this community reading project, free custom copies are available for pick up at Watzek Library and Boley Law Library. Read, reflect, and participate in online and in-person activities outlined in Multnomah County Library’s accompanying project guide. Explore the power of books to create a stronger community!
Elliott Young is professor of history at Lewis & Clark College and the author of “Forever Prisoners: How the United States Made the World’s Largest Immigrant Detention System.”
Last month, three alumni joined the ranks of the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Alumni. The board’s charge is to strengthen ties between and among alumni and other members of the college community.
Warren Pereira BA ’99 spent more than a decade making Tiger 24, a film that focuses on tiger conservation through the highly publicized removal of a tiger dubbed T-24 from his natural habitat in India.
Freddy Vilches, associate professor of Hispanic studies, composed a Latin American suite to help commemorate the 160th anniversary of Urubichá, Bolivia. In August, he traveled to the Bolivian town for a live performance, along with L&C orchestra director and Urubichá guest conductor Lance Inouye.
Our Community Friends Program matches international students with local resident volunteers to help them feel welcome and at home during their time at Lewis & Clark College.
Chris is senior business advisor with the Portland Mercado, a Latinx market hall and culturally inclusive business incubator, and project director with Community Co-Pack, a manufacturing startup supporting the scaling of BIPOC- and women-owned consumer products. He is committed to supporting a more diverse and equitable ecosystem for entrepreneurs.
Cathy built her career in the legal world, and she finished her work as an administrative law judge, retiring in 2012. Cathy’s engagement with L&C has remained strong, including as former president of the Philanthropy Council, former member of the CAS Board of Alumni, and current vice president and president-elect of the law school’s Board of Alumni.
Jane joined L&C in 1978 as an assistant professor of anthropology, where she was involved in many improvements in the department and institution as a whole. In 1995, Jane was named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and from 2000 until her retirement in 2018 she served as vice president and provost.
Anna has spent her career striving to end intimate partner violence (IPV), human trafficking, and exploitation. Working across public health and health delivery systems for over 20 years, Anna has developed national campaigns, academic conferences, and multi-state initiatives. Anna is currently a director at Futures Without Violence, leading their Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation initiative, with a focus on community health centers.
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The Lewis & Clark Board of Trustees announced today it has selected Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan as the institution’s 26th president. The appointment of Holmes-Sullivan follows a rigorous nationwide search that attracted a strong pool of over a hundred applicants.
Last month, Hilary Martin Himan began her new position as Lewis & Clark’s chaplain and director of Spiritual Life. In the following Q&A, Hilary shares her path to Lewis & Clark, her work toward social justice, and the necessary adaptations of spiritual care and wellness during a pandemic.
Two recent Lewis & Clark alumni have been awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Three other L&C alumni have been given honorable mentions.
President Wiewel announced today that next academic year will be his last as president of L&C. “Serving in this role has been a great privilege and joy. The institution is well positioned for future success.”
Emily Hayes-Rich BA ’19, Stephen Holden Jones BA ’18, and David Manicke BA ’21 have recently been awarded Fulbright research grants, while last year’s winners, Noah Foster-Koth BA ’19 and Cole Harris BA ’20, are now hoping to begin their postponed fellowships. The Fulbright Program was particularly competitive this year, with applications up 12 percent.
Lizzy Acker BA ’05 is the pen behind The Oregonian’s new column doling out sharp, honest advice on the big and small problems in life. Acker is a trending news reporter at the paper, covering a range of issues relevant to the Oregon community.
Starting in the fall of 2021, Lewis & Clark’s Department of Mathematical Sciences will begin offering a new concentration within the computer science program: cybersecurity. The new concentration in cybersecurity provides students an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together technology, people, information, and processes through the creation, operation, analysis, and testing of secure computer systems.
Roger has been involved with Lewis & Clark for 51 years, and many of his fondest memories are getting to know students outside of the classroom by leading five overseas programs, and serving as faculty advisor to the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Roger served as Phi Beta Kappa chapter president twice and represented the college at its Triennial Council four times. After retiring in 2009, Roger served on the selection committee for the President’s Scholarship for Student Engagement for three years, and is currently the faculty representative for the Albany Society.
David’s experience on the L&C 1968–69 Austria overseas study program inspired him to stay connected with his cohort and the college. He has organized reunions every five years since returning home from the program, and in 2018, he led the group on a return to their homestays in Sankt Veit an der Glan and then back to Vienna. David has hosted biweekly virtual reunions for the group since the start of the pandemic. He served on his 50th reunion class committee and is currently the L&C Class of 1969 correspondent.
After her experience as a foster parent, Judy was moved to create the Treehouse Foundation. For 18 years, she has served as Treehouse’s executive director and has stayed true to the founding beliefs that every child deserves a permanent, loving family and families need a supportive community to succeed. The foundation leads two major initiatives: first, the award-winning Treehouse Community, a vibrant intergenerational neighborhood designed to support families adopting children from foster care and older adults who act as honorary grandparents, and second, the Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America Movement, which works to inspire widespread investment in foster care innovation.
Kemiyondo is the founder of a production company, a music platform, and the #fivefor5 initiative, which will grant five Ugandan female filmmakers the chance to make a short film. Her own directorial debut film, Kyenvu, won multiple international awards; additional awards and honors include John Singleton’s Filmmaker’s Fellowship, Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Filmmaking Fellowship, a Shadow and Act Rising Star Award, Forbes Africa30 Under 30 recipient, and OKAY Africa’s 100 Women of Africa to Watch recipient. Kemiyondo can be seen in Apple TV’s Little America, and wrote for MTV’s Undressed and Starz’s Step Up: High Water.
TIME Magazine’s TIME 100 Talks, a video series highlighting influential people, has included alumna and disability-rights advocate Haben Girma BA ’10 in its line-up. Girma, a recipient of Lewis & Clark’s 2016 Outstanding Young Alumna Award, is the first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. In her talk, Girma expands upon the article she wrote for TechCrunch, “The Robots Occupying Our Sidewalks.”
“Stay Tuned With Preet,” a podcast produced by alumnus Sam Ozer-Staton BA ’17, has earned a Webby Award for News and Politics based on public vote. The podcast, hosted by the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, dissects the politically charged legal issues facing the nation each week.
Cole Harris BA ’20 is Lewis & Clark’s most recent alum to receive a Fulbright award following his undergraduate degree. Next year, Harris will travel to Kampala, Uganda, to conduct original research on the effects of Pentecostalism on community development.
Brothers and alumni Stein and Thor Retzlaff trained for years to survive one of the most remote areas in the world. The expedition to the Atomfjella mountain range in Norway tested their survival skills, while also allowing them to ski incredible peaks and couloirs (steep mountainside gorges). They captured the experience in their short film, “AREA 11.”
David Sack joined John Hopkins University as a fellow in 1974 and has remained on the faculty ever since. He teaches courses on tropical diseases and works with groups to promote vaccine and rehydration solutions— including oral rehydration solution, the rotavirus vaccine, and the cholera vaccine—for severe diarrhea diseases.
In November 2019, Nate joined the Washington Post as its first Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) director. Prior to this he served as FOIA director for the National Security Archive, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that fights for the public release of secret historic documents where he remains a fellow. Nate has overseen thousands of FOIA requests and appeals and continues to work as a liaison with federal agencies on FOIA matters.
During her 42 years with the college, Jean’s teaching reflected her love of rhetoric and history. She chaired many committees and held a variety of administrative posts, including cofounder and director of the Gender Studies Program. Jean’s current research is on the history of our “Cinderella College,” which she enjoys sharing with campus audiences and through publications.
Amal Mansour has been supporting the college since her days as an international student. She served as a member of the Parents Council and is the mother of two L&C graduates. She has hosted many events for alumni throughout the world, including Black and Orange parties in Qatar and California. Amal is an advocate for international students, Third Culture Kids, and Academic English Studies. She also supported the founding of the Arabic language offering and the Middle East and North African studies minor.
Annie Fassler BA ’11 and Jonah Geil-Neufeld BA ’11 met at Lewis & Clark and began working together with the emerging medium of podcasting right after graduation. In 2017 they founded Puddle Creative LLC, and this past fall they hired Sam Peers Nitzberg BA ’19.
After building a 3D printer for a class during his senior year, John Kray BA ’17 enlisted the help of Zach Rose BA ’18 to build and sell innovative desktop 3D printers. Their most recent model is so easy to use that Lewis & Clark purchased one for the physics lab.
Paula Hayes B.S. ’92—a Board of Trustees member and recipient of the Pioneer Alumna Leadership Award—was recently profiled by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) for her innovative cosmetics company. Hue Noir’s beauty products are designed for an underserved market of darker-skinned women whose skin colors and tones aren’t readily compatible with mainstream products.
Emma Grillo BA ’17 has gone from features editor at the student-run Pioneer Log to a staffer in the The New York Times newsroom, harnessing skills from her time in the classroom and on off-campus student programs. Her freelance work covering tech, arts, and culture regularly appears in national publications.
Renee Allums BA ’18 won the fifth annual PitchBlack business competition with her idea #tag that aims to highlight and compensate digital content creators who have previously gone unrecognized and uncompensated.
Julia Huggins BA ’13 has been awarded the Vanier Scholarship to continue her PhD in biogeochemistry at the University of British Columbia, where she is the chief scientist of the oceanography research program. The scholarship will fund her research on oxygen loss in the oceans and the environmental impact of marine microorganisms.
President Wim Wiewel has announced that Mark Figueroa, associate vice president for institutional research and planning, will succeed Janet Steverson as dean of equity and inclusion, effective this summer.
Aron Phillips BA ’07 shapes athletes’ stories with the latest digital media tools. Read more about Aron’s journey in the newest issue of The Chronicle.
Jeff is the cofounder of SAY, a technology platform that transforms stock ownership by opening communication between companies and their owners. The idea was born at Jeff’s first company, Acorns, which he cofounded with his father, Walter, to radically simplify and democratize investing.
Edgard’s involvement with L&C alumni runs deep. He’s volunteered for Black and Orange Parties, Alumni Weekends, class reunions, Homecoming, and more. He is also a member of the Alumni of Color Advisory Group and participated in three L&C Alumni Hood to Coast teams as both a driver and a runner. In the fall of 2018, Edgard joined the Board of Alumni.
Joann profoundly impacted many lives as a faculty member of the Institute for the Study of American Language and Culture (ISALC)—now known as Academic English Studies (AES). Since retiring in 2016, she remains engaged with the college, serving on the L&C Dallaire Scholarship Committee, the Fulbright Scholarship Screening Committee, and as an advisor to the students organizing the Middle East and North African Studies Symposium.
Ruthe is an activist and advocate for diversity in technology. She is currently the chief evangelist at CSforAll. Previously, she was senior policy advisor for tech inclusion at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and led strategy and K–12 programs at the National Center for Women and Information Technology. She has an MBA in social entrepreneurship from the University of Oxford.
Brian’s award-winning films reduce stigma and reveal the humanity of people living on the margins. His recent film, Mothering Inside, helped inspire the Oregon Legislature to fund the Family Preservation Project and to make Oregon the first state in the U.S. to pass a bill of rights for children of incarcerated parents. Last year, he was awarded the Media Arts Fellowship by Portland’s Regional Arts & Culture Council.
After graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary, David was ordained in 2014 to work at Broad Street Ministry, a progressive faith community, in Philadelphia. He started a spirituality group for LGBTQ+ youth, along with creating an LGBTQ+ Fellowship. He is currently pastor of Maryland Presbyterian Church in Towson, Maryland.
Beloved by hundreds of students during his tenure as professor of history, Stephen was named Oregon Professor of the Year in 1994. More than just the resident expert on all things Pacific Northwest, he has been the heart and soul behind preserving the college’s history and telling our story. He has authored several books, chaired committees, and made countless presentations on the college’s behalf.
Since her graduation, Carol has represented Lewis & Clark in a variety of capacities. Among other roles, she has served as a member and president of the Board of Alumni, and member and chair of the Hall of Fame committee; has helped organize special reunions; and has spoken at opening convocation, commencement, alumni honors banquets, and Black and Orange parties.
Niels Marquardt has been the CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia since 2013. This position builds on a U.S. State Department career spanning administrations from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama and service as ambassador to four African nations and as consul general in Sydney.
Haben Girma has earned recognition as a White House Champion of Change, in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” celebration, and as a subject in the BBC World Service series “Women of Africa.” The first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, she advocates for equal access to information for people with disabilities.
During his influential 38-year career at the college, Michael Ford directed student activities, campus programs, alumni relations, annual giving, and residence life. He served as dean of students and as associate vice president for campus life, working with all three Lewis & Clark schools.
Bob Fitch has been documenting peace and justice work for close to a half century. From his first volunteer assignment for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Alabama in 1965, through documenting Luis Alejo’s 2010-11 campaign for a seat in the California State Assembly, Fitch’s photographs are about the people who make up the movements for change.
For sixteen years, Toshinobu served as a dedicated volunteer with the L&C Japan Alumni Chapter. He organized events to build community with Japanese alumni, provided hospitality for L&C presidents, deans, college faculty and staff, and helped numerous students and alumni connect with other alumni with a focus on career development.
For over fifty-seven years, Chuck has been a tireless Lewis & Clark College advocate. After graduation he spent several years as a journalist before returning to his alma mater as the public information director - a role he ably served for 19 years. Since 2008, he has been active with the Albany Society, which has as its members alumni who graduated fifty or more years ago.
Samantha is the Founder and Executive Director of Awareness and Prevention through Art (aptART), an organization of artists and activists dedicated to sharing artistic experiences with conflict affected and marginalized youth throughout the world.
Paula Hayes has served on the Board of Trustees and Board of Alumni, and she has volunteered with the Office of Admissions and Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement. She is the founder and owner of Hue Noir, a cosmetic manufacturing company specializing in the formulation and development of cosmetic products designed specifically for women of color.
Award-winning actor Usman Ally, an ensemble member of Chicago’s American Theater Company, has starred in acclaimed theatre premiers around the country, including an adaptation of Disney’s The Jungle Book, The Invisible Hand, Disgraced, and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. His television work includes roles on Damages, Boss, and Madam Secretary.
Paula Hayes B.S. ’92—a Board of Trustees member and upcoming recipient of the Pioneer Alumna Leadership Award—was recently featured in Portland Business Journal for her innovative cosmetics company.
For the past 54 years, Arleigh Dodson’s combined passion for teaching, leadership, and community involvement has placed him in the front ranks of those who have positively impacted life at Lewis & Clark. Since retiring, he has served as a volunteer and can be found at many Lewis & Clark games, concerts, and other events, along with his wife, Marion.
Between 1991 and 2013, Thomas Neff proposed, created, and shepherded the Megatons to Megawatts Program, a $17 billion deal under which Russia destroyed more than 20,000 nuclear weapons, recycling the bomb-grade uranium into fuel for U.S. nuclear power plants. The deal eliminated a third of the global nuclear arsenal and prevented proliferation from a dangerously bankrupt Soviet weapons program.
2013 Donald G. Balmer Citation Meet Dell Smith in this video! Dell Smith’s tenure with Lewis & Clark began in 1967 when he started as professor of health and physical education, head wrestling coach, and assistant football coach. During his time at the college, he has held a variety of positions, including assistant dean of faculty, head of the natural sciences division, director of a Murdock grant in the sciences, and registrar for the College of Arts and Sciences. Since retiring, Smith has remained a fixture on campus, serving in a variety of formal and informal volunteer positions and leading overseas study programs.
2013 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Meet Isaac Holeman in this video! A cofounder of social enterprise Medic Mobile, Holeman has earned wide recognition for the company’s innovative work using communication technologies to improve the health of underserved communities. A member of the Pamplin Society of Fellows, he has also been recognized as a Compton fellow, Echoling Green fellow, mHealth innovator of the year, and a member of Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30: Social Entrepreneurs list. He is earning a Ph.D. in management studies at University of Cambridge on a highly competitive Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
2013 Outstanding Young Alumna Award Meet Nicolle Rager Fuller in this video! Nicole Fuller is a science illustrator whose artwork helps the general public recognize and navigate the science inherent in our daily lives—from new medical therapies, to environmental issues, to emerging knowledge about our universe. Through her business, Sayo-Art, she works with clients including Science News, the National Science Foundation, the American Association for Cancer Research, and several universities. She recently won the Research and Knowledge Communication category in the Association of Illustrators’ annual international competition.
2013 Distinguished Alumna Award Meet Meg Coker in this video! Meg Coker has been a foreign correspondent since 1996, with postings in the former Soviet state of Kazakhstan, Moscow, Afghanistan, Jerusalem, and Baghdad. She has covered events and trends including the transformation of former Soviet bloc states into independent nations, the rise of globalized finance, and the American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. She earned a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2011. In 2012, she was part of a team at the Wall Street Journal whose reporting earned the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.
2012 Young Alumna Award Amber Case is a cyborg anthropologist and a cofounder of Geoloqi, a company that developed a platform for real-time location-based services. She has been featured in Forbes and Wired magazines, spoken at SXSW, TED and MIT on technology and humans, and was named by Fast Company as one of the Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010. She studies the interaction between humans and computers and how relationships with information are changing the way cultures think, act, and understand their worlds.
2012 Distinguished Alumna Award Lisa Grill Dodson is the director of the Oregon Area Health Education Center and associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. A tireless advocate for healthcare education and for developing care for rural and other underserved populations, she has received a number of awards, including the 2010 OHSU Alumni Association Dean’s Award and the 2009 Oregon Family Physician of the Year Award. In 2009, Lisa launched the Oregon Rural Scholars program, which gives medical students a rotation in rural areas to experience firsthand the rewards and challenges of rural practice.
2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award Roger Ferland is an environmental and natural resources lawyer with a distinguished career representing clients from both the private and public sectors in a number of precedent-setting matters. A veteran, Roger lost his legs in the Vietnam War, and he received the Bronze Star with the V device (for valor in combat), Purple Heart, and Combat Infantry Badge for his service. In addition to his law practice, he has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations and is working to develop resources for veterans who need legal assistance. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Audubon Arizona and is Co-chair of the Audubon Science and Policy Committee.
2012 Pioneer Alumni Leadership Award Amelia Wilcox served several terms on the Board of Alumni starting in 1982 and was president of the board from 2009 to 2011. Her efforts to reach out and connect alumni with the college—whether they had just graduated or were members of the Albany Society—have brought a new era of alumni reengagement and participation. Amelia has also volunteered for the Lewis & Clark student-alumni career network and the admissions office. She is currently an assistant professor with term in the psychology department at Lewis & Clark.
2012 Donald G. Balmer Citation After successful careers in the entertainment and computer industries, Dana Plautz—an avid volunteer throughout her life—now spends most of her free time helping others. Through her service on the Board of Alumni from 2005 to 2011, and as a chair of the Events and Volunteers Committee, she worked to increase interactions between students and alumni, including at the biannual Careers for Pioneers event. Dana also serves on the Parents Council, Alumni Career Corps, reunion committees, and the L&C Strategic Planning Work Group, and she helps select recipients of the Alumni Leadership Scholarship.
2011 Young Alumnus Award Matthias Fripp is a research fellow in renewable energy at the Environmental Change Institute and Exeter College, University of Oxford. He specializes in modeling the technical and economic performance of power systems with large shares of renewable energy, using quantitative analysis to go beyond preconceptions of the role that renewable energy can play. He holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California at Berkeley.
2011 Donald G. Balmer Citation John Bates joined the faculty of Lewis & Clark as an associate professor in 1975; the next year, he was voted the Outstanding Faculty Member of the College of Arts and Sciences. Over three decades later, John and his wife, Susan, are still active at Lewis & Clark. John has served the institution in numerous ways during that time, including as a member of the Board of Trustees, chair of the Board of Trustees, member of the law school’s Board of Visitors, and as a life trustee.
2011 Distinguished Alumna Award Lisa Gaylord is director of strategic partnerships for the Wildlife Conservation Society in Washington, D.C. She has been involved with biodiversity conservation and environment programs since 1987, working for international governmental, development, and conservation organizations during her career. She is a leader in linking environment, economic growth, health, and governance issues through a comprehensive holistic approach.
2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award The late Rudolph P. Byrd graduated as the first African American recipient of the Rena Ratte Award. He went on to graduate studies at Yale University before beginning a distinguished career as a prolific scholar and beloved teacher at Emory University.
2010 Pioneer Alumni Leadership Award Jack Venables and Bill Akers have served Pioneer athletics as a team for decades. Venables took over the public address announcer job from Rick Metzker in 1970, and in 1980 he became public address announcer for both men’s and women’s basketball. Akers began to work in the press box at football games in 1976, operating the game clock and assisting with spotting the players.
2010 Outstanding Young Alumna Naomi Pomeroy is the chef and owner of Beast. Since the restaurant opened in 2007, accolades and awards have followed, including features in Gourmet, Elle, and Marie Claire magazine.
2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award Matt Wuerker is the in house cartoonist and illustrator for Politico. He previously had a successful freelance career, with cartoons published widely over 30 years in newspapers and magazines including the Los Angeles Times,Washington Post, Smithsonian, and the Nation.
2009 Donald G. Balmer Citation John Wright is the Chief Executive Officer of Global Sage, a specialist financial-services search practice with significant operations in New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The firm was founded in 1998 by Mr. Wright, who has grown the company to be a global industry leader serving the world’s best financial services companies and their CEOs. Global Sage is currently ranked as the No. 1 search firm in Asia-Pacific and the fifth best boutique in Europe.
2009 After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication and international affairs , Sadna co-created a web design and development business, InSiteLogic, Inc (www.insitelogic.com), which provides websites and custom web based solutions to a broad range of clients, including over 30 professional member based associations across the United States. As a Partner and Director she manages client services, liaising between clients, designers and developers, and handles long term strategic planning, marketing and product development.
2009 Sandy Sunrising Osawa is an independent filmmaker, member of the Writer’s Guild of America, and a member of the Makah Indian Nation. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington and is the co-owner of her production company along with her husband Yasu.
2008 Frank Lawrence and Donna Macklin met in William Stafford’s English class in 1948. They graduated from Lewis & Clark in 1952 — Frank with a degree in business and Donna with a degree in music and education.
Donald G. Balmer Citation Cyrus Partovi graduated from Lewis & Clark in 1967 and received a MALD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1969. He has extensive field experience in international relations, having served from 1970 to 1977 in the imperial court of Iran. His last position was foreign affairs director general of the imperial court. In exile, after the Iranian revolution, he served as foreign affairs advisor to the former crown prince of Iran.
2008 Satya Byock graduated from Lewis & Clark in 2004 with a degree in history. Soon afterward, she traveled to Colombia and developed an internship at a prison in Bogotá, photographing prison life and helping a group of Afro-Colombian male prisoners discuss race discrimination in the prison, nonviolent conflict resolution, and the potential for personal transformation.
2008 William Feltz’s 35-year career at the East-West Center in Honolulu has been heavily influenced by his experiences at Lewis & Clark College, particularly his overseas trip to Japan and his studies as a music major. Feltz has been instrumental in developing the East-West Center’s arts program, acting as a key figure in arranging for more than 300 exhibition and performance programs. Under Feltz’s leadership, the East-West Center has presented music, dance, and visual arts from nearly every country in the Asia-Pacific region, and ethnic and regional arts from the United States.
2007 David LaFrance has served on the Board of Alumni since 2000. As president of the board from 2005 to 2007, he refined the direction and purpose of the body and increased board membership among young alumni. LaFrance and his wife, Justine Miani ’86, have also been alumni coordinators for enrollment for the Office of Admissions, hosting numerous events and attending college fairs for prospective students.
2007 Donald G. Balmer Citation People close to Pat Hibbard have often heard him begin a conversation by saying, “You know, I love this college.” Hibbard graduated from Lewis & Clark in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in business. After many busy years, he reconnected with the College during his Golden Reunion. He has devoted himself to the institution ever since.
2007 Shahzeb Jillani has established a reputation as a versatile journalist through his international reporting on issues ranging from the environment to politics. As a student, Jillani, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs, was a resident assistant, leader in student government, member of student media groups, and participant in the international student speakers’ bureau.
2007 E. Ward Plummer holds the titles of Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Tennessee and Distinguished Scientist in the solid-state division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A member of the National Science Foundation and recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, he has authored or coauthored more than 300 publications and also directs the Tennessee Advanced Materials Laboratory.
2006 Sagala Ratnayaka initially set his sights on a career in international banking. When he was approached by the head of one of Sri Lanka’s leading political parties to run for a provincial office, though, Ratnayaka saw it as a welcome opportunity to be of service to his community.
2006 Kim Hansink served as president of Lewis & Clark’s Board of Alumni from 2003 to 2005. A senior consultant in the San Francisco office of the Gallup Organization, where she helps client companies enhance financial performance by assessing and improving employee and customer engagement, Hansink is also an executive coach and talent advisor. Hansink graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a bachelor’s degree in English.
2006 Donald G. Balmer Citation Ray Warren ’65, M.A.T. ’71 once wrote, “My vision is to do something positive with my life to improve race relations in the Portland community, to leave this a better world.” The late associate dean of students and director of ethnic student services at Lewis & Clark College succeeded on both counts.
2006 Jaiya John is the founder and executive director of Soul Water Rising, an educational mission devoted to improving human relations and overcoming prejudice. For 15 years he has traveled the country as a professional speaker, poet, author, and youth mentor. The author of the award-winning memoir Black Baby White Hands: A View From the Crib, he currently writes poetry, novels, plays for screen and stage, songs, and children’s books.
2005 Donald G. Balmer Citation James L. Forman is the past president of Lewis & Clark’s Board of Alumni and a former ex officio member of the Board of Trustees. A partner with the law firm Rider Bennett in Minneapolis, where he practices commercial and business litigation, Forman is also a director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, headquartered in Washington, D.C.; a director of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program of Minnesota; and a member of the fund advisory board of St. Paul’s Casa de Esperanza. He was named a “super lawyer” in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005 by Minnesota Law and Politics.
2005 Aaron W. Meyer, who made his stage debut as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 11, combines classical, world, and popular music in a blend often called classical crossover. He has performed at two World Peace Conferences, for the Dalai Lama, in Thailand to raise money for tsunami relief, and with orchestras and ballet companies as well as artists such as Smokey Robinson and the group Everclear.
2005 Paul R. Barker has worked for CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) International for over 20 years. Currently, he is the director of CARE Afghanistan. During his first Afghanistan tour, which ran from 1995 to 1999, the Taliban seized control of most of the country and quickly imposed severe restrictions.
2004 Donald G. Balmer Citation Dean A. Sempert began his college education in 1942 at the University of Oregon, but left after his second term to volunteer for the U.S. Army. He served in France and Germany with the 328th Engineer Combat Battalion of the 103rd Infantry Division and was awarded the Purple Heart.
2004 Suzanne C. Segerstrom is the 2002 winner of the Templeton Positive Psychology Prize, one of the largest prizes in psychology, for work showing the influence of optimism on cellular immunity. Her research examining psychological influences on the immune system, particularly the interaction between environmental stressors and personality characteristics, is widely cited and has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Norman Cousins Program in Psychoneuroimmunology, the Dana Foundation, and the Templeton Foundation.
2004 Richard M. McCourt is an associate curator of botany at the Academy of Natural Sciences. His research on green algae helped answer a longstanding question about the evolution of land plants from aquatic ancestors. McCourt also spearheaded a project to renovate the storage conditions of the Lewis and Clark Herbarium, a collection of more than 200 dried plant specimens collected by Meriwether Lewis. He has coauthored several articles on the history and scientific uses of the collection, and coordinated presentations of the specimens at venues around the country.
2003 Donald G. Balmer Citation Lloyd Babler is the president and chair of Babler Brothers, a family-owned general contracting firm founded by his father and uncle. The firm, which has several subsidiaries, is involved in highway construction and paving and supplies fabricated metal products, concrete pipe, and other building materials throughout the Northwest.
2003 Bal Krishna Joshi is the founder of Thamel.com, a Web site and business that enables expatriate Nepali to purchase gifts and arrange for their delivery within Nepal. The employee-owned company, which currently employs 40 people, helps sustain the ties of far-flung friends and family and has contributed greatly to the economy of Joshi’s native country.
2003 Jane T. Nishida served as the secretary of the environment for the state of Maryland from 1995 to 2002. Nishida was responsible for all aspects of environmental protection, including air pollution, water quality, waste management, and emergency response. During the 2001 anthrax scare, she was responsible for the emergency testing of mailroom facilities in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas and for overseeing the safe transport of anthrax-contaminated waste material to Fort Detrick, Maryland.
2002 Donald G. Balmer Citation Richard Woolworth is chair and chief executive officer of The Regence Group, the largest affiliation of Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield companies in the western United States. Woolworth is also a board chair of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Regence HMO Oregon.
2002 Koehn was a founding member of the Pamplin Society of Fellows and a Barbara Hirshi Neely Scholar. Additionally, she was named one of Glamour magazine’s Top-Ten College Women. At Lewis & Clark, she served as a hospice volunteer and, while participating in the Kenya overseas study program, she studied traditional healers. Since graduating, Koehn has volunteered with the Office of Admissions and the Holiday Gala alumni choir
2002 Massengale is the founder and chief executive officer of Spinoza Technology, a Seattle-based company that provides wireless handheld devices and communication software. Over the past three decades, Massengale has worked in marketing, human resources, and operations management in organizations at the forefront of technology, including Tektronix, Intel, and Microsoft.
2001 Donald G. Balmer Citation In the years since earning his bachelor’s degree in political science at Lewis & Clark, Charles J. “Butch” Swindells has tirelessly served the College as well as the entire Portland community.
2001 Bradley R. Cairns’ career is impressive, particularly for someone who earned his bachelor’s degree less than 15 years ago. While at Lewis & Clark College, Brad majored in chemistry and graduated with honors. He then enrolled in Stanford University, where he earned a Ph.D. in cell biology. In 1999 he completed a postdoctoral degree in genetics at Harvard Medical School.
2001 After Etta Kralovec earned her bachelor’s degree in English at Lewis & Clark College, she began building an outstanding career in education. For more than 12 years, she was a teacher and administrator at Laguna Beach High School, where she designed and headed California’s longest-running public alternative school.
2000 Donald G. Balmer Citation Paul Jorgensen has been an active member of the Lewis & Clark community since his college days. After graduating in 1985, he attended Georgetown Law School in Washington, D.C. Since then, he has carved out a niche as a successful attorney and star alumnus.
2000 Donald G. Balmer Citation Mike Kasperzak has faithfully and tirelessly served Lewis & Clark since his graduation in 1976. As a member of the Board of Alumni since 1995, and as president from 1998 to 2000, he has been instrumental in strengthening alumni programming, initiating student involvement, and leading by example
2000 Hideo Nagura epitomizes the dedication and determination of Lewis & Clark’s brightest students. A transfer student, he entered Lewis & Clark through ISALC, the Institute for the Study of American Language and Culture. He earned his bachelor’s degree in international affairs in 1988.
2000 Don Johnson majored in political science and Spanish while at Lewis & Clark. Originally, he intended to pursue a legal career but became intrigued by international affairs while studying international law and foreign policy with Professor Carlin Capper-Johnson. On a whim, he took the Foreign Service Exam—and passed. Initially, he thought he would serve just a few years before pursuing his interest in law. But now, 26 years later, he is still dedicated to foreign affairs and the work of the U.S. Foreign Service.
1986 John Loy (M.A. Ph.D) is a founding father of the sociology of sport. He served as President of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport and as Vice President of the International Sport Sociology Association. His coauthored and co-edited books include: Sport, Culture and Society (1969), Sport and Social Order (1975), Sport and Social Systems (1978), The Social Significance of Sport (1989), and Sport in Social Development (1993). Upon his retirement as Dean and Professor of Sport and Leisure Studies in the School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla (Finland).