Spring 2026 1 PHOTO BY KARL MAASDAM, ’93 In Every Issue On the Cover The magazine of the Oregon State University Alumni Association C ON T E N T S F E A T U R E S 2 PHOTO ESSAY 4 EDITOR'S LETTER 5 PUBLISHER'S LETTER 6 LETTERS 58 IN MEMORIAM 64 BACKSTORY THE QUAD VOICES P. 10 President Jayathi Murthy on the future of enrollment growth, the land-grant mission and the worldwide Beaver community. NEWS P. 12 The Beaver Caucus celebrates 10 years of advocacy; the OSU Folk Club comes to an end; OSU science guides a landmark international pact; and more. RESEARCH P. 19 How an OSU geographer helps us understand the world’s conflicts. CULTURE P. 23 Off trail with an Oregon State undergraduate mushroom foray. SPORTS P. 27 Meet Head Coach JaMarcus Shephard; the new Oregon Stater podcast Beyond the Field debuts. OUR COMMUNITY ALUMNI NEWS P. 52 Lamar Hurd’s journey from Beaver point guard to Blazers analyst. O N L I N E OREGON STATER SPOTLIGHT Lululemon Chief Brand Officer Nikki Neuburger, ’04, talks about persistence and chasing big goals in a Stater video at OregonStater.org/ nikki-neuburger. 30 Stories from the Suit Inside the sweat-soaked, unforgettable experience of bringing Oregon State’s mascots to life. By Kip Carlson 40 From White Sands to the Red Planet How OSU researchers are helping a four-legged robot named LASSIE find its footing on Mars. By Sean Nealon SPRING 2026 ← Cover photo of Bennys (and Bernice) from many Beaver eras by Karl Maasdam, ’93.
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