College of Science alumnus Michael S. Waterman (Mathematics '64, '66) will be presented with an honorary doctorate at this year's university-wide commencement ceremony in Corvallis.

Waterman is an internationally celebrated mathematician and biologist known for his extraordinary contributions to science, dedication to education and impact on multiple disciplines. He is an eminent figure in bioinformatics and globally recognized as a trailblazer in computational biology.

He is considered the architect of the groundbreaking Human Genome Project which advanced genomics and deepened the world's understanding of life's genetic foundations. He is also known for his collaborative innovation in developing the Smith-Waterman algorithm, a monumental breakthrough. This algorithm revolutionized sequence alignment and is described as the "gold standard for gene and protein sequence analysis." It has become an indispensable tool in bioinformatics, molecular biology, and genetics, and has profoundly impacted molecular biology, medicine, cancer treatment and biofuel development.

"Dr. Waterman's dedication to pushing the frontier of knowledge and his commitment to education are extraordinary," wrote Oregon State University President Jayathi Murthy and Provost and Executive Vice President Edward Feser.

Waterman received the college's Lifetime Achievement in Science Award in 2021. Serving on the College of Science Board of Advisors, he also created a scholarship that supports College of Science students who are historically underserved, Oregon residents.

His list of awards and honors includes the Guggenheim Fellowship and professorships at the University of Southern California and the University of Virginia. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering, and a fellow of several scientific organizations including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics.

He has received the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Dan David Prize, the Walter Benter Prize in Applied Mathematics, and the Friendship Award from the Chinese government. Additionally, he is a founding editor of the Journal of Computational Biology and serves on the editorial boards of various journals.

In science, ‘new’ is a constant. Novel research techniques propel studies forward. Updated software creates ripples across technology. But as fields evolve at a breakneck pace, leaving the rest of the world to play catch-up, there is a subset of communicators helping us along — technical writers.

Technical writing breaks down complex scientific jargon into easily understood information. Those who pursue the niche are much like Swiss Army knives, able to learn and explain a variety of specializations. Alumna Megan Tucker, ‘20, is one such knife.

After completing a double major in Mathematics and Liberal Studies with a focus on writing, Tucker worked as a technical writer for Amazon Web Services for three years. She is currently completing her master’s degree abroad. Using the breadth of knowledge and professional skills she naturally gained as a College of Science undergraduate, she has found the sweet spot between her two passions in a truly rewarding career.

“It felt great to graduate knowing I could continue to learn and write about science and become an expert in fields I wouldn’t have known existed until someone said, ‘We need a tech writer.’”

Doing the math

The perfect set of degrees for Tucker wasn’t immediately obvious. While she always had an additional writing-focused major, her first major in STEM was nuclear engineering. It was short-lived as she felt drawn to the deeper discussions about quantum mechanics available to physics undergraduates. But physics still wasn’t quite right, and she finally turned to the major that had run through each of the others: mathematics.

Having academic advisors dedicated to each major ready to help made for a smooth transition into mathematics. It turned out to be an excellent fit, even as the content became increasingly difficult. Triumphing over challenges with the help of her mentors was one of the best learning experiences the major had to offer.

“I was really struggling with some proofs in an abstract algebra course and Professor Schmidt told me, ‘You can do this proof. You’re doubting yourself. Stop doubting yourself and you’ll be able to solve anything you put your mind to.’ That was such a game changer for me, to realize that yeah, I can do this,” she said.

“That’s really what I went to college for, to talk to experts in their field ... Having the opportunity to work with those people and learn from them is probably the best thing that I got out of OSU and the College of Science.”

The switch was especially validated at the end of her junior year when she was accepted into an internship for the Department of Energy, which she found through attending a College of Science research seminar. She flew to Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. to study data sets that could prove useful for carbon sequestration.

Surrounded by Ph.D. candidates of many specializations, Tucker appreciated the experience for its challenging environment.

“In college especially, people should really push themselves. That’s their opportunity to learn and try things and fail. I don’t even think you should stop doing that after college, but college is a really nice place where you can do it a lot,” she said.

This style of learning led by knowledgeable guides was a highlight of her time as an undergraduate, and she cherishes the lessons it taught her.

“That’s really what I went to college for, to talk to experts in their field,” she said. “Learning not just about the class, but about what it means to get your Ph.D., what it means to get your master’s and what it means to be a mathematician. Having the opportunity to work with those people and learn from them is probably the best thing that I got out of OSU and the College of Science.”

The unspoken questions

When technical writing was first introduced to her through her coursework, Tucker had no intention of pursuing it further. A career in the niche hardly crossed her mind.

“I was like, ‘It’s a course I took in school, no one actually does that for work, right?’” she recalled ironically.

But when she later accepted a grant writing internship on campus while searching for more work opportunities, her perspective shifted. She began to see the world of possibilities that lived at the intersection of writing and science. Her two passions that once seemed completely disparate merged into her dream job. By the time senior year rolled around, she was applying for as many technical writing positions as she could.

A job offer from Amazon Web Services came back in March and she began working for them in Seattle soon after graduation. AWS is the most widely adopted global cloud provider, boasting millions of users who rely on its services. Much of Tucker’s work involved creating user and application programming interface guides for each software release. Her writing boiled down imposing cloud architecture setup into step-by-step instructions, guiding customers out of a computer deep end and into smooth sailing.

“There's an endless amount of things I could write about. You’re answering the unspoken questions that need to be answered.”

The skills she learned from both of her degrees played prominent roles in her daily work. Being able to absorb the ins and outs of feature releases and discuss science-heavy content with software developers both stemmed from her mathematics major. These then pooled into planning, writing and editing technical documentation for the company, allowing her to thrive in her position.

Along with the skills she purposefully developed, Tucker found that the ones she gained naturally as a science student were critical to her success.

“It’s very much like university with different clothing,” she explained. “Ultimately, I really had to keep up with my courses and be organized and punctual. That’s pretty invaluable to me working, staying on top of my tasks and being able to communicate these topics with people who have a varying level of knowledge about them.”

After three years at AWS, Tucker resigned to work toward her master’s in writing at Queen’s University in the U.K., which she plans to earn later this year. The degree will be another step higher for her into the world of technical writing, one full of possibilities.

“I love the field because of that conversation between STEM and writing,” she said. “I could write for chip manufacturing, I could write for a university, I could write for medical tech. There's an endless amount of things I could write about. You’re answering the unspoken questions that need to be answered.”

In the intricate languages of mathematics and biology, alumna Rachel Sousa, ‘20, is multilingual.

Instead of translating words, she transforms data. Instead of immersion in a foreign country, she interns at eminent research facilities. Calling her field the Rosetta Stone of mathematics and biology isn’t much of a stretch.

“Collaboration is key in progressing research forward,” she says. “It’s hard for mathematicians to just think about the math and not have any access to data, whereas the experimentalists can do all of these experiments, but some of them are very time-consuming or impossible. If you can bring the two worlds together, they synergize very well.”

The path Sousa took from Oregon State to being a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Irvine was paved with risk. With many of the opportunities that came her way, the chance of rejection seemed too large to overcome. But by putting herself out there, she has gone on to attend prestigious international events and earn highly competitive internships before setting foot outside academia.

Bolstered by her undergraduate experiences in the College of Science, she has reached higher and higher ever since.

Suzanne “Sue” ’70 and Bernard “Bernie” ’70 McGrath are savvy with numbers: Bernie as a high school math teacher, Sue as a trailblazing accountant and investment manager and the couple as supporters of Oregon State University.

The McGraths put their knowledge of numbers to use and leveraged a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to make a major gift to their alma mater while realizing a significant tax benefit.

“The QCD is the Holy Grail of donating,” Sue said. “Many of our friends didn’t know about it until we described it to them. It’s an effective way to inspire people to donate because it saves them in current tax bills.”

Through a QCD, a person can transfer funds from their IRA directly to a charity, thereby fulfilling their annual required minimum distribution without additional taxation, which starts at age 72 under current law. The law also allows those moneys to be exempt from taxable income up to $100,000 or the amount of the required minimum distribution (RMD). An added perk is that QCDs don’t require a person to itemize, which means they can take a higher standard deduction and still use a QCD for their charitable giving. (Learn more about giving through a QCD.)

The McGraths, who are members of OSU’s Milton Harris Society and Terry Baker Society, directed their giving to support completing Reser Stadium — a project they see as representing their passion for OSU Athletics and the entire OSU student experience because of the facility’s multi-purpose, year-round intended use including a welcome center and wellness clinic.

“We want the whole university to be the best it can be,” Bernie said.

Finding chemistry in chemistry class

Bernie and Sue said they are inspired to give to OSU because of the “fabulous experience” they had as students. Bernie was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Sue was active as a writer for the campus newspaper, The Daily Barometer.

The two, who were both math majors, met in chemistry class during their sophomore year and became study partners since they had several classes together. Eventually they grew to be friends and started dating about a year later.

“My date for a house dance became ill, and Suzie said she’d love to go. So we went, and that was it,” said Bernie with a chuckle.

“Friends first, then romance,” Sue added matter-of-factly.

A trailblazer

After graduation, both Sue and Bernie became high school math teachers. Sue, while teaching at Newberg High School, felt a calling to do something new. So she pursued a career as a certified public accountant, making her one of only a few women CPAs in Oregon in the 1970s. Sue viewed her position as a woman in a male-dominated field not as a hindrance, but as an asset.

“It was a huge advantage. By just being there, I was simply noticed as different than the normal CPA. They thought, ‘What, a woman CPA?!’” said Sue, recalling the early days of her career. “When I look back, I think there were only about five women CPAs in Portland. Now there are more women CPAs than men.”

Sue worked for a national firm for several years before starting her own accounting firm. Then, in the 1980s she sold her accounting practice and pivoted her career to become an investment manager, again making her one of the few women in that industry at the time in Oregon. In 1999, Sue and her daughter, Marina, co-founded an investment advisory firm, Vision Capital Management, Inc. Sue is currently chairwoman of Vision Capital, which has almost $1 billion under management and a team of 14 professionals.

Giving time and treasure

In addition to supporting OSU with their retirement accounts, the McGraths have made several current-use gifts to support numerous initiatives at the university over the years. The couple, with the entire McGrath family, were instrumental in funding Goss Stadium and renovations. They also funded several Valley Football Center and stadium projects and have given significant support to overall OSU Athletics, OSU Baseball and the College of Science, including establishing an endowed award through Achievement Rewards for College Scientists for science graduate students.

Sue also has shared her financial proficiencies through her volunteerism with the OSU Foundation. She served as OSU Foundation Trustee from 1997 to 2013, lending her expertise to help the Foundation’s executive, audit and investment committees. Sue was a former co-president of ARCS Foundation of Oregon’s Board, which issues grants to support young scientists, and is a former member of the Beaver Political Action Committee.

Likewise, Bernie has held numerous volunteer roles for Oregon State including serving as president of the Our Beaver Nation Advisory Board, president of the Athletics Development Advisory Board, a member of the OSU scholarship review committee and a Board member of the former the OSU Council of Regents.

To commemorate their family’s generosity, OSU Athletics named a press box at Coleman Field in the McGraths’ honor. The couple also received the Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award from OSU Athletics in 2015. Additionally, Sue was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017 from the College of Science and OSU’s Lifetime Trustee Award in 2019.

The McGraths, who attend numerous cultural and athletic events in Portland in addition to frequenting OSU Athletics events whenever they can, say they want to help others give to Oregon State and other nonprofits whether it is through their time or in a tax-advantaged way as they did.

“Find something at Oregon State that you really love, and the benefits you’ll get back from having given will be there for the rest of your life,” Bernie said. “If you donate to something, it’s going to be there to see and you’ll have that feeling that, even after you’re gone, you’ll still have an impact at Oregon State."

To learn more about how you might realize tax benefits and unite your legacy with OSU, contact Jeff Comfort, vice president of principal gifts and gift planning at Oregon State University Foundation, at Jeff.Comfort@osufoundation.org or 541-248‐0781, or visit OSU’s Gift Planning website.

The three years Peggy Cherng, ’71, spent in Corvallis powering through a four-year program in applied mathematics are a bit of a blur. A rainy, green blur.

“Mostly I remember rain, green and studying. It was raining a lot in Oregon. And Oregon was very green. And I believe one time I got poison oak,” said Cherng, the co-CEO of Panda Express. The company operates more than 2,300 restaurants and brings in $3 billion in annual sales. “But it is important to me that you know that I am grateful for the education I got at Oregon State.

“I did have fun sometimes. But I was working on my studies.”

Cherng has been twice honored as an alumna — in 2000 as an Alumni Fellow of the College of Science and in 2012 by being invited to give the College of Business Dean’s Distinguished Lecture.

Born Peggy Tsiang in Burma (now Myanmar), she moved with her family to China as a child. They eventually settled in Hong Kong. She did well in school, especially in math, and was eager to go to college.

“Most of the people in Hong Kong get their higher education overseas,” she said.

She ended up enrolling at tiny Baker University in Kansas in 1967. It didn’t take long for her and fellow Chinese student Andrew Cherng to notice one another.

The two became friends and fell in love. They planned to finish their undergraduate work as quickly as possible so they could go to graduate school together and get married. In the meantime, she decided to transfer to Oregon State for her bachelor’s degree in math.

Why?

“I didn’t have any friends there, so that wasn’t why,” she said. “It was a scholarship. I just went.”

At Oregon State, she loaded up on challenging classes. And for the next three years, the couple maintained their Kansas-to-Oregon relationship in an era with no Facetime, no email and no free calling plans.

“I don’t think we could afford to talk much,” she said. “At that time a long- distance call was quite expensive.”

Once she got her OSU degree, Peggy and Andrew reunited at the University of Missouri, where he earned a master’s degree in applied mathematics in 1972 before moving to the Los Angeles area to help his cousin run a Chinese restaurant. In 1973 Andrew and his father, a chef, opened a full-service Chinese restaurant of their own, Panda Inn, in Pasadena.

Peggy, meanwhile, quickly finished a master’s degree in computer science at University of Missouri and stayed on to earn a doctorate in electrical engineering in late 1974. She was a rising star, specializing in complex pattern recognition and predictive analytics programming. Her projects included making CAT scans more useful and developing complex battle simulators for the Navy.

The Cherngs married in 1975 and soon started a family, which grew to include three daughters — Andrea, Nicole and Michelle. While Peggy did cutting-edge programming and engineering for McDonnell Douglas and other companies, Andrew and his father worked against fierce competition to make Panda Inn the best Chinese restaurant in the area. Though weekdays saw her doing demanding work in the defense industry, Peggy worked at the restaurant on weekends.

“I was there in a limited capacity at first,” she said, laughing at the memory. “I could only do hosting, and I was not a good hostess. Not very efficient. I couldn’t make cocktail drinks.”

The following interview is part of a series the College of Science conducted with some of our alumni. While their experiences and career paths vary widely, their passion for science and love for the College and OSU tie them together.

Justin Ihara

Major: Mathematics and Computer Science (’09)
Occupation: MES Architect, Axonics Inc.

Why did you choose to study at OSU?

I enjoy solving technically complex problems which seem to present themselves more often in science.

What led you to choose your major and career path?

My original intention was to become a math teacher. Later, after looking for a career change, I was reading a news article on the top 50 jobs in the U.S. There was a noticeably large number related to computer science, which led me to my computer science degree and current career that I am happy with.

How did the College of Science prepare you for your future career?

I learned more about how to approach problems, how to research them and how to collaborate with others to find solutions.

Describe your career? How are you making a difference?

I currently work with software systems that are responsible for the guidance, automation, quality and data capture for manufacturing equipment and components for genome sequencing. Genome sequencing has very widespread applications, from vaccine development to prescriptive cancer treatment to newborn genomic screening.

What might people be surprised to learn about your profession?

Software engineers still need to have people skills.

How were you involved in the OSU community?

I was president of my dorm, a member of the Honors College Council, a member of the Faculty Senate, in bowling club, judo club, and cycling club, volunteered for the bug zoo, tutored and much more.

What is one favorite College of Science memory?

I was part of a cohort of math students who were all taking upper-division math classes. We ended up spending a lot of time together, hanging out and studying, even on weekends. To this day we are still friends and have attended each other's weddings amongst other things.

Was there a particular professor or advisor who made an impact in your undergraduate career?

Dr. Lea Murphy and Dr. Harold Parks, both professors of emeriti, were very personable people that made very difficult subject matters a little bit more enjoyable and understandable. Shout out to Dr. Bryan Tilt, professor in the College of Liberal Arts, for interesting conversations.

What did you do for fun to de-stress from schoolwork?

I de-stressed by playing sports, watching OSU sporting events, spending time with friends and making the occasional trip to the Peacock or McMenamins.

If you could give a future College of Science student advice, what would it be?

It's never too early to start looking at jobs and job requirements for after college. Classes will give you plenty of knowledge, but you can certainly boost your marketability by additional independent learning that is applicable to your desired position.

Only 1.7% of attorneys in Oregon identified as Hispanic or Latino/a in 2020.

College of Science alumni Román Hernández (‘92) is not only part of that 1.7%, but he has dedicated his time to making sure that number grows.

“When I joined a large corporate law firm right out of law school, I found the experience very isolating. There were few racial or ethnic minorities at that firm,” Hernández said. “In fact, when I joined the firm, I was only the second Hispanic attorney at the firm. The first was my law school classmate and friend who graduated one year ahead of me.”

As a second-year lawyer Hernández created the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association with two friends, an organization dedicated to advancing the interests and rights of Hispanic legal professionals. With more than 200 members and growing, the association celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

Hernández is now a nationally recognized attorney specializing in employment law and commercial litigation. He works as the office managing partner for Troutman Pepper’s Portland office, a national firm ranked among the 50 largest law firms in the United States.

“I fall back on that methodical way of thinking and critical reasoning skills. Those are applicable in what I do day-to-day."

On Oct. 21, Hernández will receive the College of Science’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award for his exceptional achievements that have brought honor, distinction and visibility to the College and Oregon State University. “I was very surprised because I don’t practice science. I’m not in the field anymore. But I am deeply honored,” he said.

Although at first glance the law and science are quite different, Hernández said they require many of the same skills. “I fall back on that methodical way of thinking and critical reasoning skills. Those are applicable in what I do day-to-day,” he said. “I think it prepared me well.”

The son of migrant farm workers from Mexico, Hernández was the youngest of eight children. Raised in rural eastern Oregon, coming to Oregon State was a culture shock — the university was four times the size of his hometown. He relished the opportunity to meet other students from different cultural backgrounds and attend events on campus.

Hernández started his academic career at Treasure Valley Community College through the support of financial aid. An Air Force ROTC scholarship allowed him to transfer to Oregon State and major in general science, emphasizing biological sciences, and aerospace studies.

After graduation, he served for nearly five years in the Air Force, where he met a Hispanic judge advocate lawyer who encouraged him to attend law school. Hernández graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School (Portland) in 2000.

His record of service has grown exponentially since then. Hernández served as the National President of the Hispanic National Bar Association and co-founded the association's Legal Education Fund. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, The Oregon Community Foundation and on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Portland Branch Board. In 2021, Governor Kate Brown appointed Hernández to serve for four years on the Board of Trustees of Oregon State University.

In honor of his commitment to diversity and inclusion, Hernández has received many awards and accolades from governments, institutions and organizations. He was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award and Distinguished Business Law Graduate Award from Lewis & Clark Law School; the Ohtli Award from the Government of Mexico (the highest award presented to a non-Mexican citizen); the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award from Oregon State University; the President’s Diversity and Inclusion Award from the Oregon State Bar; and numerous other honors.

Read more about Hernández and his inspiring efforts to help the next generation of Hispanic and Latinx legal professionals.

James Hansen (Mathematics ’20, Actuarial Science Minor) was in 8^th grade when his aunt foretold his future career. “She said, ‘you’re good at math, you should be an actuary,’” he recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh, what’s that?’”

Less than a decade later, Hansen has found a niche as a full-time Actuarial Analyst at GovInvest, aiding government agencies in their fiscal planning. He credits his success to determination and decisiveness: “I stuck to the schedule and hammered it out,” he said of getting an education.

When Hansen entered Oregon State, he was already well on his way to achieving that goal. He earned an associate’s degree at Clackamas Community College while still in high school, taking over 100 credits of general education and advanced math coursework.

Oregon State welcomes and encourages students to earn college credit prior to enrollment and accepts credit earned through a wide variety of options. Our Degree Partnership Program also allows students to enroll at both OSU and any Oregon community college concurrently, minimizing overall college costs and allowing for more flexibility in course scheduling.

For Hansen, this early investment of time and energy allowed him to jump into 300-400 level courses when he came to Oregon State, finishing his B.S. in just two years.

Plugging in to actuarial science

Hansen attended Canby High School outside Portland, where his soccer coach happened to be friends with Oregon State’s Actuary in Residence Manny Hur. Hansen was able to meet Hur for a job shadow and career counseling session. They chatted for a couple hours, “and that was basically the decision right there,” he said of choosing Oregon State.

Once at the College, Hansen found his instructors helpful, accommodating and inspiring — even when it came to graduating during the pandemic.

“Mina Ossiander was just very real with it,” Hansen said of the Professor of Mathematics’s probability courses. “I loved her. I think that there are some professors out there that act like their course was your whole life, but Mina was not that person.” When classes went remote due to COVID, Hansen said Ossiander was respectful of students’ changing needs and challenges in a time of unprecedented instability.

He was also impressed by how Assistant Professor of Statistics James Molyneux handled the transition to remote coursework. “I had him the only term I took online, he was amazing, again just super down to earth, really good speaker, great at teaching, and encouraged conversation between students," Hansen said. “I’d say that online class [Statistics 413] was the best-set-up of any class I took.”

Finishing his degree in two years kept Hansen busy, and biking to class allowed him to build exercise into his schedule. Corvallis and Oregon State are ranked nationally for bike-friendliness, and 30% of Oregon State students opt to bike to campus.

Finding a niche in a small startup

Through participation in the College’s Actuarial Science Club, Hansen found an internship with a large health insurance company right after graduation. While the predictability of working there was convenient, Hansen likes the flexibility and variety of his current position. At software startup GovInvest, “I get to have a lot more impact and say than I would at a larger company,” he said.

Based in Portland, GovInvest advises public institutions and private companies in their pension and benefits planning. “It’s very niche,” said Hansen of his work helping government agencies interface with their employees. “Say a firefighter wants a health benefit when they retire. The city’s not going to know right off the top of their head, ‘oh this is the amount of money we need to have saved up by the time they retire to meet that liability.’ Our work makes it so that there can be a conversation there without just guessing. It provides certainty in very uncertain circumstances.”

Hansen said he likes the non-traditional nature of his work, and the leadership opportunities afforded by running with a small team. “It’s a rewarding accomplishment to see how everything kind of lines up in the end,” he said.

Embracing stability and commitment

What Hansen finds most fulfilling about his work is the freedom it gives him to live a life he loves. Hansen and his wife met in high school, got married in college and recently bought a house together in Molalla. Having their own space with a yard for their dog is a dream that was worth the time and hard work it took to make it happen.

One of the resources that was integral to their success as a young couple in college was the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offered through the Department of Human Services. Hansen said the decision to apply was a game-changer: “we were living off, like, ramen before,” he joked. “And then suddenly we could afford real food!” He encourages students who qualify to take advantage of this program. Assistance with eligibility questions can be found through the OSU Human Services Resource Center.

All along, finding the path to success for Hansen took trust, discipline and a series of decisions — from taking those advanced math classes back in high school, to getting married at 19 and beyond. Hansen said a love for certainty and stability have motivated him along the way.

Yet sometimes college students get stuck in trying to make decisions that will bring them the perfect future they picture — especially when choosing a major. Hansen said getting a degree is sometimes less about making the perfect choice and “more about showing you can just commit to finishing something.” For students wavering between two great options, “just pick something,” he said. “Make a decision, and if that decision turns out not to be the right one, then switch it up.”

The College of Science community gathered on Friday, November 12, 2021, for the 2021 Alumni Awards, recognizing alumni who stand out in their accomplishments across industry, philanthropy and research.

These four prestigious awards honor alumni and friends for their distinguished professional and personal accomplishments. Their exemplary contributions to science and society bring credit to the College and to Oregon State.

The work of these alumni resonates well beyond Oregon State and has earned global acclaim and the recognition of peers in the wider scientific community. We acknowledge these awardees both for their achievements and their generosity in supporting scholarships and programs that pave the way for the success of future students.

The College recognizes these distinguished alumni with our 2020 and 2021 Alumni Awards:

Andres Cardenas (’10) 2021 Young Alumni Award

Judy Faucett (’70) 2020 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award

Ron Schoenheit (’65) 2021 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award

Michael Waterman (’64, ’66) 2020 Lifetime Achievement in Science Award

Congratulations to these outstanding individuals.

Ron Schoenheit (B.S. Mathematics ’65) is the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award for his accomplishments that have brought honor, distinction and visibility to the College of Science.

As founder and president of Cascade Coil Drapery, Schoenheit brings more than 55 years of experience to his role as a member of the College’s Board of Advisors and is an active supporter of initiatives to enhance student learning. “I’m glad my interest in science has been recognized. It makes me feel that I’ve achieved something during my life,” he said.

Schoenheit started his career early, sweeping sidewalks at five years old and delivering newspapers. “I had four routes at one point. I learned spelling by going around taking orders for subscriptions,” he said. At 15 years old, he began working for the family company, Pacific Fence and Wire.

He credits his experiences working at every level of the company for his current success.“I think that one of the advantages I had in communicating with people was that I used to work in a blue-collar job so I had respect for the people in all the companies I worked for,” he said. “A lot of the best ideas would come from people down in the ranks – not my engineering boss.”

“You use math in everything, whether you call it engineering or you call it science.”

Schoenheit founded Cascade Coil Drapery in 1987, building on what his grandfather established in 1921. With endless creativity and a passion for learning, he broadened the company lineup from primarily fireplace curtains to the innovation powerhouse it is today. Today, Cascade Coil Drapery makes metal curtains that serve a variety of purposes throughout the world. From the backdrop for a Rolling Stones concert tour, to providing window coverings for embassies overseas, Schoenheit’s wire drapery provides beauty as well as blast protection.

Staying up to date on all the latest innovations, Shoenheit often finds ways to incorporate them into his own work. At the request of an interior designer, he even began making high-end wire mesh shower curtains.

The innovation and flexibility of the company model has consistently adapted to diverse uses for its environmentally friendly, sustainably designed metalworks. A timely new collaboration with Oregon State microbiologist Maude David works to design copper screens that they hope can be used in public areas to reduce virus and bacteria transmission.