Winter 2026 55 ALLEN: LACEY DESSERAULT; SCHNELL: COURTESY OF LINDSAY SCHNELL U P D A T E S won a CASE gold award in profile writing for “Kicking It Old School,” which tells the story of a group of PSU alumni who bonded over hacky sack nearly 50 years ago and remain connected. Read it at bit. ly/PSUOlson. 2020s Sharon Garcia, ’20, published two new books: Homeschool Unleashed: How to Start, Plan and Thrive in Your Homeschool Journey, a guide to homeschooling, and Poetry of Despair, Love, Spirituality and Prophecy, a book of original poetry. Both are available from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com. Lexi Reed, ’21, is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and works for a company called ACG Sports Mental Performance, providing mental performance coaching to individual athletes, teams and coaches from youth to professional level all over the country. Alexandra Szarabajko, MPH ’21, Ph.D. ’22, program chair of exercise science at Columbia College in South Carolina, was recognized with the 2025 Teaching Excellence Award from South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities last spring. To share your good news with the alumni community, fill out the form at OregonStater.org/ connect. American women’s business. 2000s Nikki Neuburger, ’04, chief brand officer at Lululemon and former marketing lead for Nike and Uber Eats, was named among the “World’s Most Influential CMOs” by Forbes. Darcy Sexon, ’06, relationship manager and vice president at AgWest Farm Credit in Pendleton, Oregon, was honored with the 2025 College of Agricultural Sciences Distinguished Luminary Award. Bob Topping, Ed.M. ’02, Ed.D. ’06, published The Shadows of the Ghost Platoon, available from Amazon. The book follows a platoon of green replacement Marines as they begin a 200-mile, 270-day trek through South Vietnam and, in October 1969, face one of the fiercest battles for Mutters Ridge during Operation Idaho Canyon and the aftermath of the withdrawal of the Third Marine Division. 2010s Katie Bennett, ’13, attorney with Miller Nash LLP, was elected executive board secretary of the Federal Bar Association, Oregon Chapter. She was also appointed to the Oregon State Bar Business Litigation Section Executive Committee. Rebecca Olson, MFA ’11, assistant vice president of engagement and communications at Portland State University, JILL ALLEN, ’02 Jill Allen, director of research and development product excellence at the Tillamook County Creamery Association, was honored with the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Alumni Leader Award. Allen oversees the development and sensory evaluation of Tillamook’s award-winning cheeses, yogurts, ice creams and other dairy products, and her work ensures that each product meets the highest standards of taste, texture and sustainability. Allen also serves as a judge for national and international cheese and dairy competitions. LINDSAY SCHNELL, ’09 Lindsay Schnell, senior writer for The Athletic, the sports publication of The New York Times, won the 2025 Billie Jean King Award, presented by the Associated Press Sports Editors for excellence in women’s sports coverage.The award, which includes a grant from the Billie Jean King Foundation, recognizes outstanding portfolios of four stories. Schnell’s submission featured her USA Today piece on Olympic athletes Ilona Maher and Chase Jackson and their fight to expand beauty standards — a story she wrote during her 2017to-2024 tenure there (Read the story at bit.ly/lindsay-schnell.) Schnell joined The New York Times in January 2025.
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