WWU alumni have accomplished incredible things this year. Our overview of alumni new features updates from former students who have graduated across six decades, from the 70s to the 20s. If you have anything to add to this list, please email Jenny Forsythe at forsytj3@wwu.edu.
From the 70s…
Wayne Lee (BA, 1972; MA, 1974)
Wayne launched his new poetry chapbook, Buddha’s Cat (Whistle Lake Press), in Santa Fe, NM on May 25. His memoir, Service Husband: A Caregiver’s Journey Through Disability, Suicide and Recovery, is forthcoming from Mercury Heartlink this summer.
Paul Lindholdt (BA, MA 1978)
Paul is a professor of English at Eastern Washington University. His book of creative nonfiction was published recently by Louisiana State University Press. Interrogating Travel: Guidance from a Reluctant Tourist, was reviewed in Publisher’s Weekly and on Amazon Books.
Paul Lidholdt’s Interrogating travel (2023)
From the 80s…
Erika Cailao (BA, 1989)
I’m now retired after working as a Claims Adjudicater for Medicare B in Kent and for various nonprofit agencies here in Bellingham. My son, who was in the WWU daycare, is now a lawyer. I have two beautiful grandkids ages 8 and 11. They live in Fargo and I visit when I can. I’m enjoying life and it’s a pleasure now to have the time to read all the books I want and enjoy the human connections that make life worth living.
From the 90s…
David Eldred (BA, 1990)
David was a featured presenter at the CU Lytics national conference on data and analytics on the topic of segmentation using machine learning. A video of his presentation may be found online at: https://culytics.com/articles/beyond-numbers. David is also launching a Kickstarter to publish his latest cards, dice and fantasy roleplaying game called “Archwynd” in the Fall of 2024. More information and advance details may be found at https://archwynd.com/
An image from David Eldred’s forthcoming game Archwynd
Cami Ostman (BA 1993), B.Ed, LMFT
Cami is the founder and director of The Narrative Project, and author of Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, is enrolling for her year-long Get-Your-Book-Done writing programs as well as her newest program, Phoenix Lessons, which focuses on supporting participants in changing personal narratives so they can live their most inspired lives. To find out more go to www.thenarrativeproject.net
Gord Wilson (MA, 1994)
I retired from the military, and now write about 60s and 70s pop culture on several sites including a livingdog.com, Zeroidz.com, and emotional tourist.com. I still play records, especially Jesus Music as featured in the film Jesus Revolution and write songs.
Mindy Burker (BA, 1995)
Not degree related, but I did have the honor of representing Team #1 (the only one) at the annual WWU softball game in October. This old gal even caught a fly ball in the outfield. It was a great time catching up with everyone and meeting Team #32.
Mindy Burke represents as a member of WWU Team #1 in the annual softball game
Joanna Nesbit (MA, 1995)
I live in Bellingham and work as a freelance writer, both content marketing and journalism. My writing has appeared in pubs like Money Magazine, Washington Post, US News, Real Simple, and AARP, but I also write for clients like college alumni magazines, college planning websites, Bellingham School District, and others. I use the writing skills I learned at Western every day! Thank you!
Laura Purkey McCracken (BA, 1995)
This is my 26th year teaching in the English department at North Seattle College.
Steve May (BA, 1996)
“Engraving Dickinson” is the title of Steve May’s latest article soon to be published in the May/June issue of “The Emily Dickinson International Society Bulletin.” In his article, Steve reveals the identities of the student artists who were responsible for the engravings of Emily Dickinson that were featured in the book “Emily Dickinson: Eighteen Poems.” The book was published in 1957 under the supervision of Leonard Baskin at The Apiary Press, Smith College, in an edition of 100 copies.
A page from Steve May’s “Engraving Dickinson” project
Gabe S. Galanda (BA, 1997)
Gabe has published the chapter “In the Spirit of Vine Deloria, Jr: Indigenous Kinship Renewal and Relational Sovereignty” in the collection Of Living Stone: Perspectives on Continuous Knowledge and the Work of Vine Deloria, Jr. Gabe belongs to the Round Valley Indian Tribes and descends from the Nomlaki and Concow Peoples. As Managing Lawyer at Galanda Broadman, PLLC, an Indigenous rights law firm in Seattle, he focuses on complex, multiparty litigation and crisis management, representing Indigenous nations, businesses, and citizens. He has been named to Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Native American Law and Gaming Law from 2007 to 2004 and was dubbed a Super Lawyer by his peers from 2013 to 2024. He was a 2022 recipient of the American Bar Association’s Spirit of Excellence Award, presented to lawyers who personify excellence on the national, state, or local level and have demonstrated a commitment to racial and ethnic diversity in law. The Washington State Bar Association honored him with the 2014 Excellence in Diversity Award for his “significant contribution to diversity in the legal profession.” For his staunch Indigenous human rights advocacy, the University of Arizona College of Law awarded him the Professional Achievement Award, and WWU named him a Distinguished Alumnus.
Jennifer Jahner (BA, 1998)
Jennifer has been named Dean of Undergraduate Students at Caltech, where she is currently Professor of English. For the 2023-2024 academic year, she will be in residence at The Huntington Library as the Fletcher Jones Distinguished Fellow in British History and Culture.
Chad Marsh (BA, 1999)
In March, Chad Marsh was selected as one of ten recipients of the New Literary Project’s 2024 Jack Hazard Fellowship, given annually to high school teachers across the U.S. who are also working writers, in order to fund summer writing projects. The fellowship was awarded on the strength of the first chapter of his novel-in-progress, The Lighter Graveyard, which he’ll be completing this summer with support from the fellowship. https://www.newliteraryproject.org/2024-jack-hazard-fellows
From the 00s…
Katherine Lineberger Thomas (BA, 2001)
It took a long time, but I’m finally able to call myself a writer – I have been published in many local and regional magazines, and am working on my first fiction piece for a publisher that recruited me! I will always be grateful to both the English and Linguistics departments at WWU for helping me find my voice!
WWU Alum Catherine Lindberger is a published writer
Julie Marie Wade (MA, 2003)
Julie had collaborations with Brenda Miller published by Fourth Genre and Superstition Review in 2024. Michael Martone selected her book The Mary Years as the winner of the 2023 Clay Reynolds Novella Prize, and her book Otherwise: Essays, which was published last fall, is a current finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ+ Nonfiction and the CLMP Firecracker Award for Creative Nonfiction.
Vanessa Williams (BA, 2004)
After graduating from Western, I moved to England where I received an MA in both Literature and in Film Studies from Queen Mary University and Kings College London. I followed these up by attending the Met Film School in Ealing where I gained a love for film editing under the tutelage of David Gamble, editor of the Academy Award winning film, Shakespeare in Love. Since 2006 I have been working as a full-time film editor and have worked on projects in film, television, commercials, corporate, and I now specialize in video game trailers. As of last year I crafted over 100 game trailers, and continue to enjoy working with artists to showcase their games. In my spare time I teach film editing and storytelling at Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill in Seattle.
Vanessa Williams works as a film editor across many media and teaches her craft in Seattle
David M. Laws (BA, 2005)
After becoming the lead alto saxophone player in a nine-piece combo, David M. Laws became the Musical Director of the Jansen Jazz Orchestra at the Jansen Arts Center in Lynden, Washington. Under his leadership, the group has grown from five members to a 24-piece Big Band, and performs new and old jazz, rock, blues, and Broadway hits regularly in Whatcom County.
Rena Priest (BA, 2005)
I am serving as a judge for the 2024 National Book Award in Poetry. https://www.nationalbook.org/people/rena-priest/
Jenni Baldwin (MA, 2007)
After nearly two decades in my classroom as a high school English teacher I will be starting a new role as the Director of Alumni Engagement at The Overlake School in Redmond, WA. Combining my experience in fundraising and community building, this role leverages what I love most about teaching – my relationships with my students and their families. An exciting new chapter without papers to grade!
Alumn Jenni Baldwin in her classroom
Danielle Campoamor (BA, 2009)
Danielle is based in Brooklyn, NY where she works as a freelance writer and editor, with bylines in The New York Times, Washington Post, Vogue, CNN, NBC, The Daily Beast, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Teen Vogue, and many other places.
From the 10s…
Ingrid Sagor (BA, 2010)
I received my MFA in Nonfiction from Columbia College Chicago in 2014. I now serve as the Assistant Dean of Students in The College at the University of Chicago. I am based at our Paris Center location. I still value my education at WWU so much, and I always found a safe and supportive home in the English Department. Working in particular with Professors Lysa Rivera, Brenda Miller, and Lee Gulyas was formative for me as a scholar, writer, and person.
Jeff Dodge (BA, 2011)
In 2023, I was promoted from editor to lead editor at the entertainment news website Screen Rant. Then in 2024, a short story I wrote called “You Gotta Give ‘Em Hope” was published in the 2024 Whatcom Writes anthology book ‘Legacies,’ which is available to buy at Village Books.
Parisa Akhbari (Psychology major, English minor, 2013)
Her debut novel, Just Another Love Song was published by Dial Press (Penguin Young Readers). It celebrates confident queer characters as high school girlfriends navigate their own “happily ever after.” Named one of Cosmo Magazine’s 15 Best Young Adult Books of 2024. Akhbari practices as a mental health therapist in Seattle. https://www.parisawrites.com/Alex Vigue (BA, 2014)
I just had a micro-chapbook come out as part of the Ghost City Press summer series. It’s free to download and I’m really proud of it. Here’s the link: https://ghostcitypress.com/2023-summer-series/lay-waste
Mallory Benson (BA, 2015)
I am now running my own small business as a freelance editor! I’ve earned a Certificate in Editing from UW, and I do proofreading, copy editing, line editing, and even a little developmental editing. I can be reached at MalloryBensonEditorial@gmail.com or on LinkedIn.
Tanner Abernathy (BA, 2017)
I recently had a short story published in Allegory and have two forthcoming poems in a Tacoma based journal. We have just launched The Swamp Review, a creative journal for staff and students at Decatur High School where I teach 12th grade English and Creative Writing.
Dayna Patterson (MFA, 2017)
Dayna’s MFA thesis, O Lady, Speak Again, was published by Signature Books in February 2023. She read from her new book along with her MFA thesis chair and mentor, Bruce Beasley, at Village Books on Shakespeare’s birthday.
Rochelle Robinson (BA, 2017)
Looking for a home for your writing? Live in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or British Columbia? Check out HamLit, a local online literary journal featuring Pacific Northwest short fiction and poetry. Issue 08 theme to be announced June 1. www.hamlit.org; @hamlitjournal
Jessi Pitts (BA, 2019)
Hijinx & Sue: A Mini-Musical was recorded on Bite-Sized Broadway, a radio theatre podcast produced by Indieworks Theatre Company in New York. WWU Alumni Jessi Pitts wrote the book and co-wrote the lyrics with Daniel J.F. Wolfert, who composed the music. The show is available wherever podcasts are streamed.
Hijinx & Sue is a creation from WWU alum Jessi Pitts
From the 20s…
Emily Bunker (BA, 2020)
Emily has been accepted to the Master’s in Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) program at the University of North Texas. Emily works as a librarian at Vashon Island High School. In that position, she has worked with an affinity group for trans and nonbinary students; co-facilitated a Queer Student Alliance; and served as a member of the staff racial equity team. She has also conducted research concerning the library’s underrepresented materials in its collection, including titles in Spanish.
Moira Stockton (BA, 2020)
Moira works as the Digital Scholarship and Preservation Librarian at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Kathleen Byrd (MFA, 2022)
Kathleen serves as the Poet Laureate of Olympia.
Alexander Luthy (BA, 2022)
After graduating from Western in 2022, I immediately got to work on writing my first book that summer; a murder-mystery novel called Lake Forlorn. I self-published it the following Winter of 2023 on Amazon. Later in May, I released my first horror anthology titled Ordinary Delusions. This past February of 2024, I stepped out of my comfort zone and came out with a poetry collection called Quarks & Leptons. Then in March, I helped my grandmother release a children’s storybook/play script she wrote back in the ’70s called A Smile in Your Pocket: A Fantasy in Two Acts. I also helped her edit it/piece it together. So far my Amazon self-publishing ventures are more of a passion project, but I know one day I’ll get at least one book traditionally published, and it also helps in gathering experience. (Also, also, I get to say I wrote three books, and persevering to do so can be rewarding enough).
A selection of titles from alum Alexander Luthy
Sophie Hall (BA, 2023)
Sophie’s debut chapbook, Greenhouse, will be published by First Matter Press in August 2024. Her poems have also recently appeared in Yalobusha Review and Nat. Brut.
Garrett Rudolph (BA, 2023)
Garrett recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of launching Marijuana Venture, a business magazine for the legal cannabis industry. The successful magazine, co-founded by Rudolph (editor in chief) and Greg James (publisher), has now published 119 issues and reaches interested readers in all 50 states and Canada.
The cover of the Spring 2024 issue of Garret Rudolph’s Marijuana Venture
Missy Buckley (BA, 2024)
Missy co-authored the chapter, “Climate Changes: Onoto Watanna’s Cattle, Ella Higginson’s Mariella, of Out-West, and the North American West,” with Dr. Laura Laffrado. It will appear in the collection New Essays on Onoto Watanna(forthcoming U Nebraska P).
Mary Conaway (BA, 2024)
Mary has been accepted into graduate programs in English at Fordham University, Georgetown University, NYU, and WWU. In May, she presented her essay, “Higginson, Exiled at Twilight: The Literary Anthology and Postbellum Poetics,” at the English Department’s 2024 Scholars Week Undergraduate Symposium.
Avry Livingston (BA, 2024)
Avry has been accepted into the MA in Publishing Program at New York University.
Jacqueline Ojeda Mendez (class of 2027)
Jacqueline received the Rhina P. Espaillat Award from the West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Jacqueline is a first-year student at WWU, where they are majoring in Ethnic Studies with two minors in Public History and Latinx Studies. After earning a Bachelor’s degree, Jacqueline will pursue a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. A lover of the arts, history, and books, she hopes to increase accessibility to diverse stories and perspectives, and to promote learning in every space.
Mystery graduation dates…
Kris Johnson
Kris’s first book of poetry, Ghost River, was recently published in the UK by BloodAxe Books. She received her MA and Ph.D in Creative Writing from Newcastle University.
Emily Jung
Emily was accepted to the editing and publishing programs at NYU and Emerson and will be attending Emerson.
Rachel Macmorran
Rachel was accepted to the creative writing programs at Stonecoast, Cambridge, and NYU, and will be attending NYU.
Sara Stamey (M.A., English and Creative Writing, WWU; retired Senior Instructor of Creative Writing at WWU)
Sara announces her sixth published novel, Pause. Can a divorced, menopausal abuse survivor laugh at the absurdities of midlife dating while reclaiming her power and passion? A first-place Somerset Award winner, the novel is a selection of the International Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Stamey calls it a love letter to midlife women and to her native Pacific Northwest wilderness.
