1960s
Karen Kasselman Beverly ’61, MED ’67 shared an unexpected Logger encounter with the Arches team, writing: “It’s always rewarding to be called to substitute teach! In Oceanside, Calif., a local charter school encourages their staff to wear their college shirts on Thursdays, and I always proudly wear my UPS shirt. Imagine my surprise when another teacher showed up wearing his UPS shirt! Pat Garrett ’06 and I had lots to talk about. Even though we are generations apart, there were lots of positive commonalities about our campus experience.”
Alta Dyer Smith ‘61, P’93 was featured in a December article in the Centralia Chronicle, celebrating a lifetime of work improving her community. Although a retired full elder, the article notes that Smith still teaches, as she did in October when she led a four-week study at the Centralia United Methodist Church focused on the power of kindness, finding common ground, malice toward none, and more.
Jerry Thorpe ’63, ’67 called the Arches office to let us know that he and his wife, Janet, celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in January 2026. “We celebrated quietly, since we figured our 60th is coming up and we would save a big celebration for that.” The couple met while teaching at Baker Junior High School.
Jim Hopper ’68 recently published Beyond the Sirens, a non-fiction collection of on-scene accounts from his work as a fire and law enforcement chaplain. Having responded to more than a thousand emergency calls — including mass-casualty incidents and school shootings — he said he wrote the book to give readers a glimpse into a world most people never see and to honor the resilience of first responders and families. The book has been noted for offering practical tools to help school counselors address teen suicide. He retired as lead chaplain in 2019 from South County Fire in Snohomish, Wash.
1970s
In her role as director and co-founder of the Lowlander Center, Kristina Peterson ’72 was quoted in a Daily Mail article about the effects of coastal erosion in Louisiana on Native tribes. The Lowlander Center has been working to rebuild homes on tribal land to withstand future hurricanes. So far, they’ve rebuilt or repaired 13 homes in the community of Pointe-au-Chien.
Ellen Ferguson ’72 received the University of Washington and UW Foundation’s 2025 Gates Volunteer Service Award in recognition of her work with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.
Jeffery Vance ’74 received the 2025 University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Senior Faculty Research award in recognition of his groundbreaking work that has transformed the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and opened new potential therapeutic pathways for millions of patients worldwide.
Nancy McDaniel ’75 recently published her third book, I Had a Few Moments to Write, a collection of personal letters from the front lines of the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. The book includes letters from internees at a detention camp in the Philippines during World War II, as well as the last letters home from a Marine and a soldier before they were killed in action. All proceeds in excess of the publishing costs will go to Wounded Warriors.
1980s
The writing of Seattle author Karen Eisenbrey ’85 is included in the November volume of Antifa Lit Journal, which features fiction, poetry, and visual art by creators who wear the anti-fascist label. Eisenbrey is the author of the Daughter of Magic trilogy (Daughter of Magic, Wizard Girl, and Death’s Midwife), the St. Rage series (The Gospel According to St. Rage, Barbara and the Rage Brigade, and Far from Normal) and Ego and Endurance. She also sings in a church choir and plays drums in a garage band.
Tom Sarris ’83 sent the Arches team this remembrance of a classmate, Paul Rader ’85, who died Nov. 21, 2025. “I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of friend and classmate, Paul Rader. I met Paul as a fellow DJ at KUPS-FM and our relationship quickly transcended the radio station. Beyond our astonishingly similar music tastes and sense of humor, we became fast friends in a broader circle that included fellow KUPSers Dave Elliott ’83, P’16, P’18, John Maltman ’83, and Chris Dederer ’85, among others. Paul was kind, funny, smart and a kindred spirit; may he be long and fondly remembered.”
Sarah Rudolph Cole ’86 of Columbus, Ohio, was elected to the National Academy of Arbitrators, honoring top U.S. and Canadian labor and employment arbitrators.
Casey Kochmer ’87 tells Arches: “I have been a wandering Taoist teacher for the last 20 years, helping people live kindly around the world. A lot has changed since graduation... best wishes, gang!”
1990s
Kirsten Davies ‘92 was sworn in as chief information officer for the U.S. Department of War in December, following her presidential nomination and U.S. Senate confirmation. Prior to her federal service, she served as chief information security officer for Unilever, where she led global cyber resilience for one of the world’s largest consumer goods enterprises. She also held technology and cyber roles at the Estée Lauder Companies, Barclays-Africa Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, and Siemens.
Lori Box MAT’97 was among the class inducted into the Highline High School Athletic Hall of Fame in October. Box has worked in the Highline School District, south of Seattle, for 24 years, 13 of them as the athletic director.
Trustee emeritus Jeremy Korst ’97 recently co-authored an article in the Harvard Business Review titled “The AI Tools That Are Transforming Market Research.” The article discusses how AI tools are reducing the time and cost of traditional research by simulating consumer behavior. “[Now] is the time for companies to start experimenting and testing possible use cases to understand how large language models and synthetic data can augment and enhance their decision-making,” Korst and his co-authors write.
John Herold ’99 recently published his second book, Project Bright Horizon: A COVID-19 Thought Experiment. He tells Arches: “This book is the first to use the awesome powers of artificial intelligence to critically analyze the events of COVID-19. Framed as a fictionalized thought experiment, it employs a maneuver that bypasses AI guardrails against disclosing sensitive information. It is enormously revealing.”
2000s
Dan Abrams ’00, the co-founder and CEO of the outdoor outerwear brand Flylow, was interviewed on The SnowBrains Podcast in November. Flylow started as a garage project among ski buddies and evolved into a respected independent outerwear brand, “built by skiers, for skiers.”
Congratulations go out to Linnea Barrett Erickson ’00, who recently earned a Master of Science degree in genomic medicine (with merit) from the University of Exeter. She spent three years completing the course while working full time as a genomic scientist in Bristol, England, where she and her husband, Neil, live with their two daughters.
L’Ecole No 41, one of the founding wineries of Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, appointed David Rosenthal ’01 director of winemaking in November. “David is one of the most talented winemakers in Washington. End of story,” said Marty Clubb, owner and managing winemaker for L’Ecole No 41. “Not only has he made some of the state’s best, highest-scoring, most sought-after wines, but he brings a breadth and depth of experience that’s virtually unmatched.”
In her role as associate professor and head of the Center for Accessibility and Inclusion Research Lab at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Kristen Shinohara ‘02 was interviewed for a short December Morning Edition segment on NPR regarding the U.S. State Department’s official font change from Calibri back to Times New Roman and the accessibility of sans-serif versus serif fonts.
Sister Confianza del Señor ’04, known as Prairie Naoma Cutting during her time at Puget Sound, sent Arches this update: “The last year and a half have been big for me. I finally got my name legally changed, 15 years after taking Confianza del Señor as my religious name. In August 2024 I came down with long COVID, leaving me quite sick for five months, and still symptomatic for another five months. Getting better allowed me to take a six-month online course in permaculture through Oregon State University, which allows me to better live out my call to care for God’s beautiful creation. I am now leading a project to plant fruit trees and start a garden for Comunion H, a non-profit serving poor children where we live here in Limon, Colon, Honduras. Sister Alegria and I — founders of the Amigas del Señor Monastery — have lived our simple monastic life for 20 years now.”
Leah Archer DPT’05 co-founded Aphasia Relearned, a nonprofit inspired by her partner Kent’s stroke recovery journey. The organization empowers people with aphasia through accessible communication tools and strategic advocacy. Blending her background in physical therapy with creative outreach and fundraising, Archer leads efforts to expand awareness and access to intensive aphasia therapy. She says she is actively building partnerships and welcomes collaboration with those passionate about stroke recovery, inclusive communication, and creating hopeful paths forward for survivors and families.
Britta Chou ’05 sent the Arches team this update: “I am happy to report that I am busy and certainly not suffering from boredom. During the week, I serve as the director of planning for Dominion Water and Sanitation District, an overlay special district in northwestern Douglas County, Colo. While my favorite part of every day is spending time with my family — spouse Solomon Chou ’04 and our twins Elise and Emerson — I’m also the proud member of three local boards that each have distinctive impacts on the community in which I live, work, and recreate. They are the Colorado Parks Foundation, the Englewood Arts Foundation, and the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation. I am so thankful I can give back to the community in which I live both in my daily work as well as in opportunities allotted to me through volunteerism in these impactful boards.”
Michael Elliott ’05 started a new position in February as associate general counsel at OpenAI.
Andrew Strobel ’05 began a five-year term on the Tacoma Community College Board of Trustees in January. “We value the long-term planning perspective Strobel brings to the board, and we welcome his insights into how we can better serve and partner with the Puyallup Tribe and other tribal partners,” TCC President Ivan L. Harrell, II, Ph.D. said. Strobel currently serves as strategic advisor of tribal and regional affairs for the Office of Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello ’01.
In January, South Sound Business profiled Mark Sayre ’06. Sayre’s company, The Forge, acquired Kristen Stewart’s acclaimed directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, for domestic distribution. The Forge is a boutique film distributor based on Vashon Island, founded by Sayre after spending 15 years as a producer of microbudget projects.
2010s
Amelia Thornton Sears ’10 is a realtor with Glacier Sotheby’s International Realty in Missoula, Mont. She is also serving in her second year as president of the Missoula chapter of Music Teachers National Association, and her private music studio — Artwork Music Studio — is in its 11th year of encouraging and supporting young musicians.
Lev Nachman ’14 gave a talk on campus in October on his book, Contested Taiwan, as part of the Department of Asian Studies’ Taiwan Week.
Hudson Hausmann ’19 tells Arches: “I’m currently working as a qualitative research manager for Curion, working remotely and traveling the U.S. and world. I am based in Chicago with a number of other Logger friends who see each other multiple times a week every week, and as always — skiing, biking, jumping in the water, and following the Mariners, Hawks and Dawgs!”
2020s
Andrea Hodge ’22 began serving in the Peace Corps in Ecuador in January 2026.
Natalie Yates ’22 completed two years teaching English through the Japan Exchange and Teaching program (JET) in Nobeoka, Japan, following her graduation. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate and researcher at the University of Georgia studying plant pathology.
When Emily Mitchell ’23 arrived in Kyoto, Japan, for 12 months of intensive language study, she carried more than a suitcase. As the university’s Miki Memorial Scholar, she represented Puget Sound in a program designed to strengthen cultural understanding and friendship between Japan and the United States. Mitchell, who graduated with a double major in Japanese and Politics and Government, spent the last academic year at the Kyoto Institute of Culture and Language, improving her fluency and experiencing daily life in Japan while living with a host family. Funded by the Miki Memorial Endowment, the award covers a full year of tuition and fees at KICL, round-trip airfare, monthly living expenses, and homestay accommodations. Mitchell returned to campus last fall to speak to students interested in learning more about the opportunity. She says the experience has transformed how she communicates and understands Japanese culture.
Maddy Whitney ’23 tells Arches: “I have been working as an analytical chemist in a medical laboratory since 2023. My fiancé and I got engaged shortly after my graduation in 2023. During our free time we like to go hiking, wall climbing, skiing, camping, and exploring the many trails in the Pacific Northwest.”