Alumni Fellows

Through her work at the Oregon Water Resources Department, Kim Fritz-Ogren has played important roles shaping water policy through years of challenging drought, supporting the director of OWRD and the Water Resources Commission in strategic planning, managing the contentious issue of water rights, working for interstate and intertribal negotiations, serving as lead on Columbia River issues and leading the formation of a new section of the agency focused on partnering with Oregonians on innovative solutions to water management challenges. As a testament to her bright future as a public servant, she was also selected to participate in Leadership Oregon, an executive leadership program.  

Bill Nicholson started his long career with Portland General Electric as an OSU student intern. Over the next 40 years, he worked in a variety of engineering and operations leadership roles, including as senior vice president. In the process, he played a major role in providing reliable electric power to people across the Portland metropolitan area. He serves on the Oregon State College of Engineering Dean’s Leadership Council, the OSU Nuclear Science and Engineering Industry Advisory Board and is a supporter of the College of Engineering’s Catalyst Scholars Program.  

Olivia Quiroz is the executive director for the Oregon Latino Health Coalition (OLHC), a statewide organization dedicated to eliminating health disparities affecting Oregon's Latinx communities through collaboration, leadership and advocacy. Under her leadership, OLHC passed historical legislation (Oregon House Bill 3352) to expand Medicaid coverage to adults regardless of their immigration status. While working at Multnomah County Health Department, she served as a contributor to the health equity framework to address racial health policy and systems change strategies. She has served on the OSU Alumni Multicultural Steering Committee.  

Joth Ricci, ’91 

Joth Ricci, CEO of Dutch Bros, has been an example of leadership and vision for the business community both through his role as chair of the Oregon Business Council and his work supporting Oregon’s diverse business owners. Ricci co-founded Taste for Equity, a nonprofit that supports, promotes and inspires action for equity advances in Oregon. He has also been a valuable contributor to statewide conversations about racial equity in policy and practice as part of Oregon’s Racial Justice Council. Ricci served on the College of Education’s Alumni and Friends Leadership Circle for several years.  

As a journalist and writer, Julia Rosen has applied her deep understanding of the planet — based in geology doctoral work studying polar ice cores — to create an all-important bridge between science and humanity. She writes about how the world works and how humans are changing it. Her award-winning work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Science, Hakai, High Country News and The Los Angeles Times, where she was a former climate reporter. She is currently working on her first book, for Ecco, about grass and humans and our relationship to nature. Rosen has also shined a spotlight on Portland and the Pacific Northwest itself, bringing national attention to environmental issues in our state.  

Watch the Conversations with OSU Influencers with Kim Fritz-Ogren, M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’15, Bob Grover, ’83, and Julia Rosen, Ph.D. ’14.

A national trailblazer for women in the courts, Judge Mary Deits Rousseau has consistently worked to create positive changes across Oregon. She was the third woman to work as an assistant attorney general at the Oregon Department of Justice, the second woman to serve on the Oregon Court of Appeals and the first woman chosen to serve as Chief Judge of the Court. In that role, she implemented a variety of nationally recognized reforms designed to create efficiencies in the courts and reduce caseload backlog. An early member of OSU’s honors program, Rousseau has been one of the college’s most committed advocates and supporters in the Portland area.  

David Vernier is a steadfast advocate for science education across Oregon and the world. The company he co-founded, Vernier Science Education, has products in 60% of high schools and 40% of K-8 schools and offers numerous workshops for science educators. Vernier’s work at Oregon State includes supporting the College of Science’s Learning Assistants program, which trains high-achieving undergraduate students to support large enrollment courses. The Vernier Promise Fund also supports a range of programs designed to create opportunities for students from underserved communities.

After earning a degree in clothing textiles and related arts, Anita Winn embarked on an extensive career in merchandising. She managed stores, gained experience as a regional merchandiser and clothing buyer, and, in 2016, retired as business planning director of North America Nike Factory Stores. She is a founding and executive member of the College of Business Merchandising Management Advisory Council and has been a member of the OSU Design Network since 2014, serving as its chair for two years. This group of Portland-area alumni and friends working in design and merchandising management offers networking connections and career advice to OSU students.

Watch the Conversations with OSU Influencers with Anita Winn, ’79, Matt Morton, Ed.M. ’98 and David Vernier, M.S. ’76.