Huskies in the headlines: Kelsey Plum rises above the rest
A roundup of news clippings featuring alumni in Seattle and around the world.
Rising above the rest
Basketball star Kelsey Plum, ’17, is being showered with end-of-season awards. Her accolades include the Naismith College Player of the Year, the Wade Trophy, the Nancy Lieberman Award (the nation’s best point guard), and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Year Award. Meanwhile, her coach, Mike Neighbors, has taken a job at the University of Arkansas. More about Plum in Columns.
An endearing 17-year term
Central Washington University remembers its former president, James E. Brooks, ’54, who ran the school from 1961 through 1978. Brooks earned his master’s and Ph.D. at the UW. He ra
Life at the track
Seattle Times: Junior Coffey, ’75, became a horse trainer after starring as a running back at the University of Washington, then playing from 1965-71 in the NFL. He currently works at Emerald Downs in Auburn.
Taking on the travel ban
The Daily: Noah Purcell, ’02, along with fellow UW graduate and Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, ’89, spearheaded the state’s effort to block President Trump’s executive order barring entry to the U.S. from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
Sonic boom
Craig Kinzer, ’82, founder and CEO of Kinzer Partners, stops by the Seattle Growth Podcast to talk about the SuperSonics and Seattle real estate—“how the arena location decision would affect your wallet through its effect on rents, home values, and further development.”
Tales of internment
Crosscut: Lawrence Matsuda, ’67, and Roger Shimomura, ’61, collaborated on “Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner,” a book of poetry and artwork about Japanese internment. Matsuda, the poet, was born in the Minidoka camp, while Shimomura, the artist, spent his third birthday there. Both men grew up in Seattle and studied at UW. They have a new exhibit at the Wing Luke Museum.
Sequim Gazette: In a series of talks at the North Olympic Library System, writer and curator Mayumi Tsutakawa, ’72, will reveal her family’s 100-year history against the backdrop of Japanese internment. She received her master’s degree in communications and her bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies.
Picture perfect love story
Spokesman Review: The story of how Dude met Donn. She sent him a picture of herself when he was a Marine in WWII. Seven decades later, he still carries that photo in his wallet, and Thursday they will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. Donn Thompson studied at the UW before and after the war.
Devotion to duty
Lake Oswego Review: While in college, Art Sorenson, ’48, joined the Army Specialized Training Program. Through the program, university students who joined the Army could remain in school and receive pay until they graduated. When they Army needed more troops, Sorenson and thousands of other young men were transferred to the infantry.
A new director at the DFI
Former agency deputy director Gloria Papiez, ’80, has been confirmed as the new Director of the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). Papiez served as acting director since November 2016. She has a B.A. in Business Administration.
No stranger to success
Spokesman Review: Spokane librarian Vanessa Strange, ’02, won the Gordon M. Conable Award from the Public Library Association.
Box boss
Spokesman Review: An interview with Michael Senske, ’94, president and CEO of Pearson Packaging Systems. Pearson builds machinery that assembles cardboard boxes, loads products into them and seals the boxes for shipment.
Husky 100, take two
The second class of Husky 100 has been announced, recognizing 100 UW undergraduate and graduate students from Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma in all areas of study who are making the most of their time at the UW.
Equity in education
A Seattle Times piece about the Seattle Teacher Residency, which is helping improve teacher retention and diversity rates in Seattle Public Schools, features Ariana Westbrook, ’12, a member of the program’s inaugural class.
Hagadone not done yet
Nick Hagadone, ’16, a pitcher who recovered from arm injuries and was signed by the Mariners, has been assigned to the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers. A graduate of Sumner High School, he was a closer for the Huskies in 2006-2007 and once teamed up with Tim Lincecum, ’06, to throw a no-hitter for the Huskies in 2006. The 6-5, 230-pound left-hander has a 4.72 ERA over 143 relief appearances in the majors.
Oliver launches campaign
As we noted last week, artist and lawyer Nikkita Oliver, ’15, is now a mayoral candidate challenging incumbent Ed Murray (University of Portland, ’80). Oliver has continued to stay in the news for her unconventional campaign. Read stories in The Fader and The Stranger.
Ramped up
Puget Sound Business Journal: Wayne Newton, ’90, began his Alaska Airlines career at the bottom of the ladder as a ramp agent in 1988. Alaska Airlines has promoted him to vice president of airport operations.
A startup success story
GeekWire: During her four years at the mobile marketing company TUNE, Jennifer Wong, ’10, has risen from a member of the startup’s three-person market team to the top marketing executive managing a team of 26. She now moonlights as an instructor at the UW.