54 OregonStater.org BRADEN HARRIS: TOM COOK PHOTO; BRIDES: COURTESY OF KARA MCELVAINE AND SHELBIE TURNER OUR COMMUNITY executive of Scouting America’s Narragansett Council. He will oversee the development and implementation of programs that support the growth and success of scouting in southeastern Massachusetts. Macklin Draves, ’20, has served as a health volunteer with the Peace Corps in The Gambia since October 2023. He teaches computer literacy and is working with health staff to develop a computer program to track patient data and visit history. Rickie Ewton, ’20, M.S. ’22, was recognized with JOYCE BRADEN HARRIS, ’73 DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION ALUMNI LEGACY AWARD Joyce Braden Harris, a longtime educator and Black activist, was only 19 when she co-founded the Black Education Center in Portland. Originally a summer school program focused on teaching elementary-age children reading, math and African American cultural history, it later evolved into a private school. Harris built a career as a champion for culturally responsive education and Black students’ success. “I’ve dedicated my personal and professional life to working to improve the lives of children, youth and the communities who have historically been denied access to equitable and high-quality educational experiences and outcomes,” she said. In the mid-1980s, Harris was recruited by Portland Public Schools to contribute to the Baseline Essays project, which aimed to give teachers a “baseline” of knowledge about different cultural groups. Her work on African American traditions in language arts received national attention. Harris has served as co-chair of the African American/Black Student Success statewide advisory committee and was on the Early Learning Council’s Equity Subcommittee. She was also appointed to serve on Oregon’s Every Student Succeeds Act Statewide Advisory Committee. In addition, she is a member of the Oregon State President’s Board of Visitors and is a founding member of the OSU Black Alumni and Friends Network. KARA McELVAINE, M.S. ’21, AND SHELBIE TURNER, PH.D. ’22 “The brides wore running gear — sneakers, comfy shirts and, for one of them, a black ball cap that said ‘I Do,’” quipped The Philadelphia Inquirer in a feature about the unconventional wedding of Kara McElvaine, M.S. ’21, and Shelbie Turner, Ph.D. ’22. The two exchanged vows during the Philadelphia Half Marathon while family members waved “Here Come the Brides” signs from the sidelines. McElvaine and Turner met while pursuing graduate studies in Oregon State’s College of Health.Turner is now a postdoctoral fellow in geriatrics and palliative medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. McElvaine expects to complete her Ph.D. this spring. She works as a project manager for the education nonprofit Facing History & Ourselves. an Emerging Coastal Leader Award by the University of Rhode Island, where she is pursuing a doctorate in biological oceanography. Her research investigates the interactions between marine microbes, such as plankton and coral symbionts, and their environments. Steven Kwan, left fielder for the Cleveland Guardians, became the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to win the Rawlings Gold Glove award three times in the first three seasons of his big-league career. Sam Lytle, ’20, was made an associate in Goodell DeVries’ Medical Malpractice Defense Litigation Practice Group. He represents healthcare professionals throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C., in litigation involving allegations of medical negligence. Makayla Wallace, ’23, Caleb Conner, ’24, and Cody Boucher, ’25, joined the Corvallis office of the accounting and business consulting firm, Kernutt Stokes. To share your good news, email stater@osualum. com or fill out the form at OregonStater.org/ connect.
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