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Alumni Stories
| Kurt Barthel '02, Criminal Justice |
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Kurt Barthel is a police officer, a husband, a father, and a professor. His gentle demeanor belies the fact that he has been on more drug busts than any fictional detective you might name. His on-the-job brushes with danger would make the writers of Law & Order turn pale. Kurt has dealt with everything from motorcycle gangs to drug kingpins, working to eliminate the narcotics trade both locally and internationally... (more)
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| Ty Burrell '93, Theatre Arts |
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Last year, Ty Burrell returned to his alma mater to deliver a funny, self-deprecating, and thoughtful commencement speech to our graduating class. Talking about his choice of “the least rational career possible,” Ty offered relevant advice and thanked his alma mater for demanding that he give his best— always. Ty has appeared in blockbuster hits such as The Incredible Hulk, National Treasure II: Book of Secrets, and Black Hawk Down. He has also starred on Broadway and in several TV series... (more)
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| Michael Geisen '01, Education |
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“A great teacher is a unifier of ideas, a unifier of people, and a unifier of ideas with people. In my teaching, I strive to bring together creativity and science, unite my students into a community, and help each person in this community connect with the big ideas of science.”
Michael Geisen was recently named the 58th National Teacher of the Year. He teaches science at Crook County Middle School in Prineville, Oregon. Michael earned his master of arts in teaching (MAT) with a science endorsement from SOU in 2001... (more)
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| Virginia Linder '75, Political Science |
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Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Virginia Linder is her modesty. A woman who has achieved so many firsts must have a bit of ego driving her, but that isn’t Virginia’s style. She is thoughtful, engaged, and focused on bettering the lives of others.
Virginia Linder has served on the Oregon Supreme Court since January 2007 as our ninety-ninth Justice. She was born in Colorado, the daughter of two teachers. Virginia earned her first degree in political science from Southern Oregon State College in Ashland in 1975... (more)
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| Brenda Ober Johnson '95, Nursing and Spanish |
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For many graduates, serving the community is not something they do once a year or on weekends—it is simply how they live their lives. In finding the resources for others to achieve their dreams, our graduates seem to be living theirs. Brenda Johnson is certainly an example of this work ethic. Through her dedication to her profession and her desire that everyone be treated as equals, she has transformed the way Jackson Country residents receive health care. Described as saintly, smart, funny, principled, passionate, and proud, Brenda Ober Johnson graduated from Southern Oregon University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish... (more)
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| Anne Root '90, SOU Foundation Board President |
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As an incoming freshman in 1986, Anne Root said she was “scared to death to be on campus.” She continues, “I didn’t know how I would get to my classes, I didn’t know how anything worked!”
How did she go from frightened underclassman to president of the SOU Foundation Board? Anne says she owes it to her faculty and the many others here who invested in her. “It wasn’t any one particular person, because all the faculty invested in me. I was a single mom at the time, trying to put myself through school... (more)
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