Fall/Winter 2018-19 | Western Edge magazine

WOU Alum Strives for Stardom

Posted on November 20, 2018 1876 views
Oregon City native Hailey Verhaalen ’15 left Western Oregon University with a degree in social science, and she said the concepts she learned during her coursework have proven invaluable. But she’s not working in social science at the moment. It seems her passion for music has taken her career path in a completely different direction. [more…]
Fall/Winter 2018-19 | Western Edge magazine

Class Notes

Posted on November 20, 2018 1680 views
1950s Janice Kenison Cole ’59 is retired and living in McMinnville. She taught school for 30 years in Salem, Baker City, Dayton and McMinnville before retiring 17 years ago. 1960s The work of late artist Rick Bartow ’69 was featured during August and September at the Newport Visual Arts Center. The exhibition, From the Heart: [more…]
Fall/Winter 2018-19 | Western Edge magazine

WOU education excellence doesn’t take summers off

Posted on November 20, 2018 1604 views
Western Oregon University hosts a lot of groups, conferences and trainings during the summer each year. While most of the sidewalks are quiet, some corners of campus are hosting Zimbabwean cultural celebrations or American Sign Language trainings or high school wrestling camps. In nearly every case, the gatherings happening on campus are educational in nature, [more…]
Fall/Winter 2018-19 | Western Edge magazine

Challenge Accepted

Posted on November 20, 2018 1532 views
Ryanne (Huffman) Whitaker ’19 is a hometown girl, having graduated from Central High School and playing three years at second base for the Western Oregon Softball team. She said that, during high school, she didn’t see college in her future. Yet here she is, three years later and about to earn her degree in social [more…]
Fall/Winter 2018-19 | Western Edge magazine

Long-time WOU Employees Choose Retirement

Posted on November 20, 2018 1479 views
Every June, popular WOU faculty and staff members choose to hang up their higher education hats and retire to a life of relaxation, grandkids and travel. In June 2018, a special retirement option prompted several employees who had been at Western for decades—and who have had countless interactions with students—bowed out for retirement. Depending when [more…]
Fall/Winter 2018-19 | Western Edge magazine

Designing for the Future

Posted on November 20, 2018 1667 views
The Western Oregon University campus may be filled with stately brick buildings that seem as though they’ve been in place for decades—and in many cases, they have—but in truth, the 157 acres that comprise the grounds and buildings continue to evolve each year. Last year brought the opening of the new Student Health and Counseling [more…]
Spring/Summer 2018 | Western Edge magazine

WOU in the World

Posted on April 13, 2018 2000 views
One of the priorities for Western Oregon University is high-impact learning opportunities. The university strives to give students the chance to get hands-on experience in their fields before graduation. In some cases, that means internships and practicums. In others, that means students volunteer in local or national communities to support residents while building life skills. [more…]
Spring/Summer 2018 | Western Edge magazine

Around Campus

Posted on April 13, 2018 1719 views
Veterans Services Earns Recognition, Grants WOU Veterans Support Services had a terrific winter, earning several accolades from multiple agencies. Most importantly, the WOU chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA) won the Chapter of the Year award from among 1,300 SVA chapters nationwide. Student Shane Follett is the president of the campus SVA chapter. “Shane [more…]
Spring/Summer 2018 | Western Edge magazine

Class Notes

Posted on April 13, 2018 1488 views
Dorothy Coyle Blagg ’43, ’64 taught 32 years and has been retired for 32 years. In 2018, she will have graduated 75 years ago, and plans to attend the alumni dinner this year. Tobe Wolf ’65, ’68 was honored as a longtime coach and teacher into the St. Helena High School Athletic Hall of Fame. [more…]
Spring/Summer 2018 | Western Edge magazine

Winter Sports Highlights

Posted on April 13, 2018 1495 views
Men’s Basketball GNAC Champions GNAC Tournament Champions Tied GNAC record for most wins in a season (31) and set GNAC record for most conference wins in a season (19) Ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II and No. 1 in West Region Tanner Omlid GNAC Player of the Year West Region Player of the Year [more…]
Spring/Summer 2018 | Western Edge magazine

New to WOU

Posted on April 13, 2018 1608 views
Leanne Merrill, assistant math professor
Q&A with Leanne Merrill Assistant Math Professor Leanne Merrill, 29, joined the Western Oregon University faculty in September, just weeks after defending her doctoral thesis and, oh, yeah, getting married. The upstate New York native may be young, but she has an interesting story that illustrates the importance of challenging oneself and keeping an eye [more…]
Spring/Summer 2018 | Western Edge magazine

Surrounded by Old Friends

Posted on April 13, 2018 1546 views
Tree Campus Designation Highlights Thoughtful Beauty For many decades, the Western Oregon University campus has been known for its beauty, most notably tree-lined Monmouth Avenue, the signature giant sequoia and the grand, mature specimens in The Grove. That beauty doesn’t come without a lot of work, mainly from the persistent and thoughtful members of the [more…]
Spring/Summer 2018 | Western Edge magazine

Collaboration for Commemoration

Posted on April 13, 2018 1847 views
Friends Expand Jack Morton Legacy Jack and Mary Morton were fixtures on the Oregon College of Education campus from 1955 to 1981. Jack Morton was first the registrar and then dean of students. Mary raised their two children and worked for adult and child service agencies. But they were best known for their hospitality. The [more…]