The Oregon State University Alumni Association has named Adam Bean, ’00, as the Honors College’s 2026 OSU Alumni Association Alumni Fellow. Adam was a member of the first class admitted to the Honors College in 1995, and he graduated with his H.B.S.
For Dana,’90, and Keith, ’94, Hammer, Oregon State University is more than an alma mater — it is a family tradition and a community they continue to invest in. As multigenerational Beavers and parents of one Honors College alumnus and one current Honors College student, the Hammers see their involvement with the HC as a meaningful way to support students while giving back to programs that shaped both their own experiences and those of their children.
Individualized learning pathways are at the center of the Honors College experience, giving students room to explore interests and build toward their futures through guided mentorship and experiential learning opportunities. Options that connect academic work to real-world experiences help students develop skills and perspectives that prepare them for graduate education, professional careers and global engagement, fostering curiosi
This fall, Honors College alumna Giulia Wood became the first Oregon State University student to receive a Marshall Scholarship. Giulia is one of just 43 students from across the U.S. selected for this award, one of the world’s most prestigious scholarships. As a Marshall scholar, she will pursue a Ph.D. in marine sciences at the University of Liverpool, where she will investigate Antarctic krill physiology and their role in biogeochemical cycling in the southern ocean.
James McCarthy, ’03, graduated from Oregon State with an H.B.S. in biology, a passion for inquiry, admission to the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and a self-described “heart-pull” toward alleviating suffering. Now a practicing surgeon, published author and developer of a promising new biotechnology, James places “the value of human life” at the center of his research, advocacy and patient care.
During his time as an undergraduate in the Honors College, Tyler McFadden, ’15, began exploring questions about ecology and biodiversity — questions that would shape his academic and professional path for years to come. Now an instructor and interim director of the environmental sciences undergraduate program in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University, McFadden continues to pursue interdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges.
Earlier this year, global marketing professional and content creator Marisa Chen, ’20, was recognized as one of three 2025 OSU Changemakers. Hosted by the OSU Alumni Association, the Changemakers program celebrates Beavers who meaningfully shape their communities or fields of interest.
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.
Dam Proud Day 2025 was a historic one for the Honors College, as our community came together to set new records for number of donors and total dollars raised, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the Honors College and 65 years of honors education at Oregon State. Thanks to 189 individual donors, the college raised over $80,000 in support of student scholarships, far surpassing the college’s goal of 120 gifts for the day.
Twenty-eight years ago, Katherine Hubler arrived at Oregon State University as a first-generation student from a small rural town, planning to major in chemistry in the still-new Honors College. By 2001, she had earned both an H.B.A in history and an H.B.S. in philosophy. Since 2013, Hubler has brought her insight and expertise back to OSU as a senior instructor of history and as the Ecampus coordinator in the School of History, Philosophy and Religion.
