Fall 2026 55 APHASIA RELEARNED U P D A T E S 2000s Lauren Dillard, ’09, was promoted to head of user experience and design at MassMutual, a mutual life insurance company based in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dillard is a proud alumnus of the New Media Communications program at Oregon State and former editor of The Daily Barometer. Cindy Heilman, M.S. ’05, published her second book, Why You Can’t Dispense Food Like Medicine, a strategic guide for senior living and post-acute care leaders that argues dining is not just about nutrition but about human connection, dignity and community. Learn more at beav.es/HSL. 2010s Kaitlyn Coburn, ’14, was promoted to partner at Kernutt Stokes, the fourth largest CPA firm in Oregon. Steven Eriksen, ’10, is head winemaker for Northern California’s Wise Villa Winery. In 2019, while under his direction, Wise Villa Winery became the most awarded winery in North America for single-varietal wines as judged by the San Francisco Chronicle, bringing home 27 medals. Most recently, in the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the winery won 18 medals: three double gold, six gold, four silvers and five bronze. Ally McLain, ’14, employment law and labor relations attorney at Miller Nash LLP in Portland, has joined The Flip Museum Board of Directors. and after the 1991-1995 conflict and providing analysis for the Counter Terrorism Mission Center. Rhea was born and raised in Baker City, Oregon. Nancy Streets, ’80, retired as advertising director for the Elko Daily Free Press after a 42-year newspaper advertising career in Oregon and Nevada. In recognition of her innovations in print and digital advertising as well as her two terms as president of the Nevada Press Association, she was also inducted into the 2025 Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame. Todd Thompson, ’89, has written and published a seven-book science fiction series under the name T.B. Thompson. All of them — including the first book, SouthHaven — are available on Amazon. Learn more about him at realtorsthatcook.com. Yuqi Zhao, M.S. ’85, Ph.D. ’91, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was elected a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an honor that recognizes contributions to scientific research and innovation. 1990s Joyce Chang, MAIS ’93, Ph.D. ’96, a professor of human development and family science at the University of Central Missouri, was honored with the 2026 Byler Distinguished Faculty Award, the university’s highest recognition for its faculty members. KENT EMRY, ’02 Kent Emry, ’02, pictured here with co-founder Leah Archer, launched Aphasia Relearned, a nonprofit expanding access to intensive aphasia rehabilitation. After a 2022 stroke triggered by a race car accident, Emry developed aphasia — a language disorder that affects speaking, reading and writing — along with partial paralysis and vision challenges. Recognizing how costly effective treatment can be, he turned his recovery into a mission to help others regain communication and independence.Aphasia is more common than muscular dystrophy or Parkinson’s disease yet is widely misunderstood. Learn more at aphasiarelearned.org. Ian Redding, ’18, senior GIS and visual design specialist at Mark Thomas Engineering, won the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition in the Infrastructure Category for the Pacheco Pass Wildlife Overcrossing Project. Learn more at beav.es/ Redding. 2020s Brandon Enghauser, ’25; his spouse Jay Enghauser, ’24; and their friend Amber Hamilton are the new owners of independent bookstore Grass Roots in downtown Corvallis. Grass Roots was originally opened in 1971 by founders Jack Wolcott, ’70, and Sandy Smith, who are now retired. Paris Myers, ’23, a doctoral student in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is the lead author on a paper introducing a new optical system called “MorphoChrome,” which allows for the design and programming of iridescence onto everyday objects, augmenting them with a structurally colored multi-color glimmer. To share your good news with the alumni community, fill out the form at OregonStater.org/ connect.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==