54 OregonStater.org POUDRE SCHOOL DISTRICT/PSDTV OUR COMMUNITY U P D A T E S YAJAIRA FUENTES-TAUBER, M.S. ’11 Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber, M.S. ’11, was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and ScienceTeaching.The award,announced by the White House and National Science Foundation in January, recognizes educators for their teaching skills, deep knowledge of their subjects, and commitment to continual improvement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. It is the nation’s highest honor for K-12 science and math educators. Fuentes-Tauber, known as “Dr. T” to her students, has been teaching for 18 years, and teaching at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the past four. Hailey Coll, ’24, goalkeeper for the women’s professional soccer team Spokane Zephyr FC, was nominated for the USL Super League, Players Association, Player’s Choice Humanitarian of the Year Award. Coll volunteers approximately 20 hours a week with River City Youth, a Spokane-based nonprofit organization. Fabricio Costa, M.S. ’22, recently joined Amazon Web Services as a program manager for Data Center Design Engineering, where he leads global initiatives in high performance infrastructure to support next-generation AI and cloud computing. He also began his doctorate in business administration at the University of the Potomac, focusing on innovation in engineering management and technology-driven project delivery. Morgan Eckroth, ’20, was honored at the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards, presented by Pacific Barista Series, for Best Coffee Writing. Read the winning essay at bit.ly/ eckroth-essay. Eckroth, “your friendly internet barista,” creates popular coffee-related online content with 1.2 million followers on Instagram and 6.1 million followers on TikTok (@morgan drinkscoffee). Jaydon Grant, ’20, MSB ’22, former Beaver Football defensive back, signed with the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders this April. technical assistance to K-12 special educators across Washington, Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. Ed Woods, Ed.M. ’10, director of the Mid- Willamette Education Consortium, was honored by the Northwest Council for Computer Education as the NCCE 2025 Outstanding Technology Leader of the Year, in recognition of his work securing student access to industry-leading tools and for his integration of new technology into Oregon’s classrooms. Maj. Mason Zhang, ’19, director of pharmacy operations at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii, and adjunct professor of pharmacy practice for the University of the Pacific, was honored by the College of Pharmacy as an Outstanding Young Alumni Inductee. In his four years of service with the military, Maj. Zhang has been recognized as the Society of Air Force Pharmacy’s Clinical Pharmacist of the Year, 60th Medical Group’s Officer of the Year, 60th Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Squadron’s Officer of the Year, 60th Air Mobility Wing’s Officer of the Quarter, and 15th Healthcare Operations Squadron Innovator of the Quarter. 2020s Sara Anne Brandt, ’23, began service with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica this July as a youth in development volunteer. Faisal Osman, ’24, took a new position as the constituent services lead for the Office of Mayor Keith Wilson, ’86, in Portland. Ben Riddell-Young, Ph.D. ’23, published a paper in the journal Nature that found that global increases in wildfire activity likely occurred during periods of abrupt climate change throughout the last Ice Age. Dean Skillicorn, ’20, manager for imaging services at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho, was recognized with a fellowship with the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). This lifetime appointment honors individuals who have dedicated their careers to improving healthcare technology, standards development and the AAMI’s mission. To share your good news, email stater@osualum. com or fill out the form at OregonStater.org/ connect.
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