the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, one level below the majors. There is no linear path to becoming an MLB manager, and any potential opportunity could be years away, if ever. Until then, Robertson will visualize himself in the role and prepare for everything — the good and the stressful. “Coaching professional sports, the demand to win is so high. It can be daunting, but I welcome it,” said Robertson, a native of southern California who played for OSU and learned on campus in 2008. “I want to be in the most high-pressure situations because I know it’s going to test my patience. And when you’re patient, you can really help a lot of people.” Helping is a coach’s job, after all. Robertson excels at it. After playing for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners and Guardians from 2014 to 2017 — all while working toward his liberal studies degree online — he has worked his way up Cleveland’s organizational ladder and identified his favorite type of player to work with. “I enjoy coaching those that other people have given up on,” he said. “Older people like to say the younger generation needs instant gratification. I don’t think that’s the case at all. All they needed to do was learn how to work.” It makes sense that Robertson would devote special attention to overlooked players.As a 33rd-round draft pick himself, the odds were stacked against him in his playing days. Despite this, he grinded out a memorable pro career through relentless hard work. That wasn’t the only thing working in his favor, though. Along the way, his managers rallied behind him. “I was a good player, but it took a person to stand on the ledge and say that I was the one that was going to help us win,” Robertson said. “I want to be that type of manager too.” Stay tuned. — — THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY EXPERT Spend a little time speaking with Heather Bell, M.S. ’20, and you’ll inevitably feel grateful that someone with her skills and intelligence is in the high-stakes position she’s in. As the director and energy attaché for the U.S. Department of Energy at the U.S. Embassy in London, she’s the expert government leaders turn to when they need answers. If, for example, radiation is detected over Europe, Bell can communicate the implications for U.S. citizens living abroad. She also leads diplomacy efforts to bridge the gap between domestic energy policy and international cooperation. And she’s perfect for the role: well-versed, eager to learn, highly capable and plugged in. Those traits have defined her career in nuclear energy and nonproliferation, with additional jobs held in Washington, D.C.; Kyiv; Beijing; and Moscow.At all four posts, she displayed an ability to collaborate and build trust with the host countries. The other common denominator? Oregon State was with her at every stop. “I can’t overstate how much OSU’s faculty expertise and dedication to students has helped me not only to complete my studies from four different countries, but to better do my job by having the answers to questions that accompany major events — especially ones that have radiation safety implications,” said Bell, who earned a radiation health physics master’s degree online. “It has helped me know what data is needed to assess the situation while also understanding the fear that underlies people’s reactions to radiation release incidents.” Raised in Pennsylvania, Bell had a well-established career when she enrolled online with OSU. She wasn’t contemporaries with her faculty members, per se, but they were in the same field. In fact, she met her faculty advisor — Distinguished Professor Kathryn Higley, an international expert on radiation detection and protection — for the first time in person at the DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., because they were both there on business. And it’s serious business. “As increased numbers of people and goods cross borders, the ability to detect smuggling and detect the movement of nuclear radioactive materials — and also to understand where that material should be housed and who has responsibility for it — is going to increasingly be an issue as we work towards global nuclear security,” Bell said. That’s where her expertise factors in, working with other countries each day to find common ground. “We all are doing our best to make a difference,” she said.“I’ve loved experiencing the underlying humanity behind all the headlines in every country I’ve been in.” ڿ Heather Bell, now Londonbased director and energy attaché for the U.S. Department of Energy, earned her master’s while stationed in four different countries. ““I enjoy coaching those that other people have given up on.” — DANIEL ROBERTSON 48 Heather Bell.jpg
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