Alumni | Business & global affairs

Two WOU Business Owners Use Creativity To Create Community During Pandemic

Posted on July 3, 2020 349 views
Tables with umbrellas in a parking lot
Two Western Oregon University alumni business owners have found there’s a solution to every problem, even one that seems like it is taking them on a wild, stop-and-go roller coaster ride. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered how Dawson Officer ’06 of 4 Spirits Distillery in Corvallis and Angela Anderson ‘99 of Syndicate Wine Bar in [more…]
Alumni | Class of 2020

Alumni Award of Excellence: Micheal Morgan

Posted on June 7, 2020 247 views
Man in a woodworking shop
Dr. Micheal Morgan ’70 has a simple explanation for why he goes above and beyond in everything he does. “It’s innate,” he said. “I was raised to work hard, do a good job, help others and do what’s right.” The recipient of the 2020 Alumni Award of Excellence, Morgan has been a  staunch supporter of [more…]
Alumni | Education

WOU Alumna Finds Herself in the Spotlight

Posted on June 1, 2020 288 views
People at a press conference
Western Oregon University alumna Colleen Thayer’s new high-profile assignments have placed her in a spotlight that’s slightly outside of her comfort zone. Even so, she gladly accepts the challenge, because she believes it’s important to provide accurate information to the deaf community during this unprecedented moment in history. A Certified Deaf Interpreter, Thayer has been [more…]
Academics | Alumni | Social & behavioral sciences

WOU Alum Jay Bates Graduates From FBI National Academy

Posted on April 23, 2020 567 views
World map with country flags in place of each country
After earning his bachelor’s in Business Administration, Western Oregon alum Jay Bates ’93 took a job with a finance company, where he quickly learned he didn’t enjoy the corporate world. As a former WOU baseball player and high school athlete, Bates found himself missing the team atmosphere. He also remembered the advice of a WOU [more…]
Academics | Alumni | Education

Recent InfoTech Graduate Helps Educators Navigate Emergency Shift to Online Learning

Posted on April 20, 2020 600 views 1 comment
Person in a WOU sweatshirt standing outside in front of tall rocks
By Anthony Rimel Kaitlin Lucas graduated from WOU’s Information Technology M.S.Ed. program in December 2019. And just a few months later she would be on the frontlines of one of the biggest moments in the history of educational technology: the unprecedented shift to online learning following the global outbreak of COVID-19. Lucas, who also earned a certificate [more…]
Alumni

WOU Grad Encourages People to Conquer Their Challenges

Posted on April 10, 2020 96 views
Western Oregon University alum Kacey McCallister ’12 knows how quickly a person’s life can unexpectedly change, leaving no discernable path forward. When he was 6 years old, McCallister attempted to run across a divided highway and was struck by a semi-truck. He believes he was incredibly lucky to survive; the accident severed his left leg, [more…]
Academics | Alumni | Education

WOU Alum named National Superintendent of the Year

Posted on February 14, 2020 466 views
Man standing at podium and speaking
Congratulations to WOU alum Gustavo Balderas ’90 was just named the 2020 National Superintendent of the Year! This significant recognition speaks to his dedication to Oregon’s youth. Balderas is the son of a migrant family from Mexico who settled in Oregon. Balderas works for the Eugene School District and he’s the second WOU alum to [more…]
Alumni | Campus & community

Leadership at WOU: An Alum’s Impact on Campus

Posted on December 18, 2019 49 views
Felicia Dickinson stands in front of the ASWOU emblem in the WUC.
“Leadership isn’t something you go into lightly. It’s a choice. We make a choice to be leaders.” Felicia Dickinson is a WOU alum who exemplifies student leadership. A native Oregonian and a transfer student from Lane Community College, she attended WOU for three years, with a major in Political Science and a minor in Communication [more…]