Spring 2024 55 U P D A T E S COURTESY OF SIMON JOHNSON; KATHY ANEY/EAST OREGONIAN TIAH DEGROFFT, ’02 When the Pendleton Round-Up gets underway this fall, it will be with new guidance: Tiah DeGrofft has been named as the first-ever female president of the Pendleton Round-Up Board of Directors. DeGrofft previously served for eight years as a member of the board and has volunteered at the RoundUp for some 37 years. The rodeo, which takes place in northeast Oregon Sept. 11 to 14 this year, has been held annually since 1910 and brings out hundreds of athletes and tens of thousands of visitors for events ranging from bull riding to barrel racing. is now an angel investor, helping startups that have the potential to change healthcare. John Nyberg, ’70, stepped down after nearly three decades as the Oregon State Fair’s small animal superintendent. Nyberg, whose Tualatin- area Century farm has been in the family since 1895, founded the Bacon Bits N Friends 4-H Club in the 1970s. Gail Oberst, M.A. ’04, published her first novel, Valkyrie Dance, available on Amazon. Scott Parrish, ’81, stepped down after 16 years as the CEO of A-dec, one of the largest privately owned dental equipment manufacturers in the United States. He will remain chairman of the board of directors and will serve as a family advisor on behalf of the company’s family ownership. A-dec was co-founded by Ken Austin, ’53. Eric Pettigrew, ’83, was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to serve as the director of the Washington State Lottery Commission. Donald Phillips, ’16, is OSU’s first mental health and wellness coordinator for the military-connected community, including veterans, ROTC students and families of military members. He began work with OSU’s Counseling and Psychological Services in fall 2023. Elizabeth Ragan, ’13, started a new position as the senior advisor to the deputy undersecretary for health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Eli (Marchbanks) Rushbanks, ’11, is the general counsel and director of policy at Dollar For (dollarfor.org) a free customer advocacy site that helps people eliminate medical debt — $35 million to date — by helping them apply for charity care. Robert Schalla, M.S. ’78, a retired geologist, published Black Diamonds from the Treasure State with Indiana University Press. The book explores the role of railroads in Montana’s economic development. Clark W. Seely, ’77, a former Oregon associate state forester, has been elected chairman of the Forest History Society Board of Directors. The Forest History Society is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving histories of forests and conservation. Marcia Walker, Ph.D. ’03, became the new director of OSU’s Food Innovation Center. Chance White Eyes, ’07, was named the inaugural director of Tribal relations at Oregon State. To share your good news with the Oregon State community, email stater@osualum.com. SIMON JOHNSON, ’09 A pioneering researcher into possible cures for mitochondrial disease, Simon Johnson received the 2023 Young Alumni Award from the College of Science in the fall. His lab’s work focuses on identifying how and why components of mitochondria, the organelle responsible for generating energy within cells, might provoke an immune response that leads to disease. Johnson graduated from Oregon State with a degree in biochemistry and biophysics, and his research now marries immunology and neurobiology — combining scientific disciplines in a novel way.
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