For many alumni, the continued success of the Honors College is an important way of supporting the next generation of students. Membership in leadership groups, such as the Honors College Board of Regents, is one way of both staying connected and building resources for current and future honors undergraduates.
The Board of Regents is the Honors College’s leadership advisory and development. Members – who are alumni, parents of past graduates, friends and faculty, each of whom also contributes to the college financially - collaborate with Honors College Dean Toni Doolen, honors staff and the HC development officer to offer guidance on strategic planning, fundraising, university engagement and more.
Currently, five honors alumni serve on the board. Their paths are unique, but they are united in appreciating the continuing value of their honors experience in their lives and careers and in their commitment to offering their time, insights and experience to help ensure the continued growth and impact of the Honors College.
Adam Bean, ’00
Adam Bean, ’00 (H.B.S., industrial and manufacturing engineering) is the senior continuous improvement program manager for Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. in Santa Clara, California. Looking back on his time as an honors student, Bean says, “I used what I learned from a colloquium on systems to make significant improvements to business systems by leveraging changes to the business culture.”
For Bean, joining the Board of Regents was a chance to give back. “I was able to attend OSU thanks to the scholarships I received. Joining the board felt like a meaningful way to pay that generosity forward,” he says. “I'm constantly learning from the students’ work, the new challenges and opportunities they face, the HC’s innovations and the knowledge of my fellow board members.”
Reflecting on how the college has evolved, he says, “from the move from the StAg basement to the LInC’s top floor, to the expansion of colloquia, core classes and experimental learning opportunities, the HC has continued to improve and become an amazing educational experience.”
Eric MacKender, ’00
A general manager for Chevron in El Segundo, California, Eric MacKender, ’00 (H.B.S., chemical engineering), stays engaged with the Honors College through the Board of Regents because “the Honors College community exemplifies a passion for excellence and continuous growth.”
MacKender encourages students to approach their thesis as an opportunity. “I love that the thesis accommodates both personal and career interests,” he says. “Don’t think about it as a big hurdle or burden, but as an experience to grow, learn and expand one’s capabilities. The most satisfying things in life come from the accomplishments we work hardest at.”
In addition to his service on the board, MacKender has established an endowment for the Honors College in the hopes of leaving a legacy that will help future Oregon State generations. “I am grateful for the generosity of others that helped make attending OSU such an amazing experience,” he says. “It is important to me to pay that same generosity forward.”
Cort Brazelton, ’02
Cort Brazelton, ’02 (H.B.A., history), is the president and CEO of Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc. in Eugene, OR. During his time as an honors student, Brazelton earned a presidential scholarship and other awards that made it possible for him to graduate without debt and pursue a graduate degree. The Honors College, he says, “made this trajectory possible.” With HC support, he also studied abroad in Italy and Germany — an experience he believes is “unparalleled in its value for students.”
Now serving on the Board of Regents, Brazelton says, “I care about giving back to OSU. Being able to provide students with access to opportunities like I had is important.” He adds, “I’m passionate about OSU and the Honors College. We have a really special program that offers students access to a high-quality education at a lower price point than many other institutions. The Honors College also empowers students to think critically, no matter their field of study.”
Brazelton has been “been blown away by how the Honors College has developed. From larger cohorts to broader university engagement, the HC aids OSU in being a real service to the state.” Moving forward, he’d “love to see more international students in the Honors College and continued growth in interdisciplinary programs.”
Kyle Shaver, ’00
An emergency medicine physician at Willamette Valley Medical Center, Kyle Shaver, ’00 (H.B.A., H.B.S., biochemistry, biophysics) shares that “the Honors College thesis project, multidisciplinary focus and encouragement to explore diverse interests served me well through medical training and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue emergency medicine.”
His decision to serve on the Board of Regents stems from a desire to give back to a program that shaped his academic foundation. “I believe in the mission of the Honors College,” he says. “I feel that I can contribute to discussions, recruitment and the overall experience of the state’s top students.”
Over the years, Shaver has witnessed the Honors College grow. “The biggest challenge we face is scaling up to serve more students while maintaining the quality of education, colloquia, advising and social opportunities.”
Tari Tan, ’08
Tari Tan (H.B.S., biochemistry and biophysics) is the assistant dean for educational innovation and scholarship in the Office for Graduate Education and a lecturer on neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. For Tan, an HC colloquium course was a turning point: “It was in a colloquium course at the HC that I realized my future was in graduate school,” she says. The experience helped launch her academic career and prepared her for the rigors of graduate-level research.
"As a Ph.D. student I felt empowered and prepared to conduct graduate research and to write my Ph.D. dissertation, having already gone through the process of writing and defending my HC thesis,” she says.
Tan serves on the Board of Regents with a sense of purpose. “I find it to be intellectually enriching to discuss and to learn about how OSU and the HC are innovating to overcome challenges,” she says. She’s also motivated by a desire to give back: “I’m grateful for the opportunities I had as a student and want to support the HC as it continues to grow and evolve.”
She applauds the college’s steadfast commitment to quality. “I’m impressed by how the HC has retained its core identity and values — providing individualized mentorship, quality scholarship opportunities and interactive classroom experiences,” she says. “The HC has really emerged as a national leader in providing top-notch scholarly experiences that enrich undergraduate education.”
As these HC alumni contribute their time and expertise to the Board of Regents, they bring invaluable insights from their diverse experiences within the Honors College and in their careers. Their perspectives continue to shape the evolution of the college, ensuring its commitment to excellence for future generations.
By Flora Snowden, HC Student Writer