WINTER 2011 FARMERS TAKE ON HUNGER CALL OF THE WILD HIGH-FLYING ACTRESS OSU’S PROVEN PROVOST THE MAGAZINE OF THE OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Senior moment Senior day ceremonies prior to the final home contest of the season were a singular experience for Courtney Wetzel, the only senior on OSU’s record-breaking women’s soccer team, which went to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row after several years of frustration. Wetzel was given a shirt emblazoned with “SOLO SENIOR” to wear before the Oct. 31 game. Then, when her teammates removed their warm-up jerseys, she saw that they were all wearing shirts bearing a photo of her in action. A touched and inspired Wetzel went on to tie her career best for points in a contest, with a goal and two assists as the Beavers defeated Arizona, 3-0. For more on the team’s strong season performance, see page 50. PHOTO BY DENNIS WOLVERTON FROM WHERE I SIT Al Reser left behind a story well worth reading they warned me about people like Al and Pat finally opened the door and stepped outside ... located Reser before I took this job. the manager, offered him a taste of our salads, and OREGON STATER Beware the big donors, I heard from friends almost hugged him when he said that he would buy Winter 2011 Vol. 96, No. 1 who wondered why I wanted to edit an alumni twelve containers of potato salad and six containers Publisher: magazine. Watch out for the ones whose names of macaroni salad at thirty cents a container. I have OSU Alumni Association are on the buildings. made countless sales calls since then — some worth Christi Bass Kasten, ’86, interim Then, as I met many of OSU’s major phi- millions of dollars — but no sale stands out in my executive director lanthropists — including the couple with the memory more than that $5.40 sale in Oregon City! Penny Atkins, ’79, board president biggest name on the biggest building on campus There are stories of how Pat and Al met (and Editor: — I realized those warnings were silly. how many dates it took for him to decide he’d Kevin Miller, ’78 In five years at theStater , I’ve never heard a made an important discovery); of how OSU Associate editor: hint of Al or Pat Reser asking for anything in scientists helped the company; of Al’s battle Ann Cassinelli Kinkley, ’77 return for their incredibly generous donations of against a persistent and well-funded hostile take- Associate editor for photography: money, time and spirit. over attempt; of how and why Parker Stadium Dennis Wolverton, ’66, ’93 Certainly Pat, a co-chair of The Campaign became Reser Stadium; and of course, the entire Design editor: for OSU, didn’t pressure me to plug her late hus- “AL-phabet,” including “C is for customers. If Darrin Crescenzi, ’07 band’s memoir, No Small Potatoes: How a Family you don’t take care of them, somebody else will.” History and traditions editor: Potato Salad Recipe is Fast Becoming a Billion Pat said she still misses her partner of 53 years George P. Edmonston Jr., ’07(H) Dollar Business. but she knows he wouldn’t want any- Sports editor: It was at my request, not hers, one moping around in his absence. Kip Carlson that we talked about the book on She’s continuing her work for OSU the afternoon of Halloween. She and also taking care to make sure ADVERTISING was preparing to spend the evening Al’s legacy of integrity and generosity Ryan Amos with her grandchildren, one of gets passed down to younger Resers, Varsity Communications many first-time-without-Al mo- who will play a key role in the newly 12510 33rd Ave. NE, Suite 300 ments the Reser family has faced established Reser Family Foundation. Seattle, WA 98125 since he died on April 12. She said one of the most surpris- 206-367-2420 ext. 1222 No Small Potatoes is essentially a ing aspects of being a well-known [email protected] Reser family and business history, widow of a much-loved man is that CONTACT OSUAA authored by Al and writer Kerry she spends a fair amount of time toll-free: 877-OSTATER Tymchuk. A modest little book, it’s comforting others who miss him. (877-678-2837) a great read. That’s why she got herself up to the family [email protected] “I’m really pleased that the story is out there,” skybox in Reser Stadium an hour earlier than www.osualum.com Pat said. She noted that her husband succeeded usual before the first home football game this CONTACT THE STATER in life and business — and became one of OSU’s season. Al loved game days so much, she said. 541-737-0780 most generous and honored graduates — despite She knew the first game without him would be Submit letters and class notes to meager beginnings. He didn’t learn to read until tough on everybody. So she arrived early and got [email protected] the fifth grade and spent part of his youth in a her own emotions in check before it was time to Viewable at www.osualum.com/stater county labor camp. comfort friends and family. and at staterblog.com “I used to be a special ed teacher,” she said. “I Profits from Al’s book go to two of his Copyright 2010, 2011 by the OSUAA, worked with mildly handicapped students, and I favorite local charities: the Washington County Oregon State University, think some of them wrote themselves off far too Museum and the Virginia Garcia Memorial 204 CH2M HILL Alumni Center, early. Al’s story is one of those that shows that Foundation, which runs health clinics and is Corvallis, OR 97331-6303. we should never write ourselves off.” named for a little girl who lived, like Al once did, Oregon Stater (ISSN 0885-3258) The book is full of great anecdotes, including in a Hillsboro-area labor camp. She died for lack is a publication of the OSUAA. one about painfully shy, 16-year-old Al making of appropriate medical care. It appears in fall, winter and spring. his first face-to-face sales pitch: After I finished talking to Pat that day, I Postage paid at Corvallis, OR 97333 My mother and I pulled up outside a small thought of her standing alone up in that skybox, and at additional mailing offices. grocery store in the community of Oregon City. She getting herself together so she could help host turned the engine off, but instead of getting out, she her guests. And I thought of how great it would Printed at Journal Graphics, Portland, just sat in the driver’s seat. be for her to hear one day soon that the first Ore., with soy ink on paper certified “Are you going in?” I asked her. “No,” she replied. printing of No Small Potatoes had sold out. to contain at least 10 percent recycled “You are.” ... Any thought I had that she might be It’s available for $19.95 at www.resers.com, material and to have been produced bluffing was set aside when she pulled out a book elsewhere online and in stores. using responsible forest practices. from her purse and began to read. “The store doesn’t — Kevin Miller, ’78 close for a few more hours,” she said with a smile. ... I Editor, Oregon Stater 2 O R E G O N S T A T E R IN THIS ISSUE CALL OF THE WILD OSU wildlife student and researcher Katie 10 Moriarty gained fame by happenstance, but her success in the field is no accident. 16 20 Researcher Katie Moriarty 24 wields a twig as a pointer while FARMERS ENDING PROVOST HAS SOARING ACTRESS describing the paw prints in HUNGER OSU’S BACK TOOK OFF FROM OSU one of the “traps” she uses to From a co-founder to many of the Provost Sabah Randhawa oversees Julyana Soelistyo got her start on collect marten tracks. volunteers who make it go, OSU the university’s day-to-day opera- the campus stage and now treads PHOTO BY MARK FLOYD alumni help power a small organiza- tions and its academic affairs with the boards with elite players in tion that uses farm crops and com- a light touch and a penchant for top-notch productions. mon sense to feed the hungry. efficiency. ON THE COVER: The campus was in its fall finery on Oct. 29, the eve of Homecoming, as a rugby DEPARTMENTS squad gathered on the intramural field Letters 4 north of Peavy Hall. More photos from Campus News 5 Homecoming weekend, page 28. Pop Quiz 7 PHOTO BY DENNIS WOLVERTON Ed Said 8 Giving Back 33 Membership Matters 42 Sports 46 Class Notes, Profiles 52 WINTER 2011 3 LETTERS Nifty in orange Moved to give ... and she was prepared On Sunday I was told what a great color my Somehow the most recent Stater publication Editor’s note: We recently received an unusual orange jacket is for me. prompted me to send a donation. Not sure death notice. It was precisely typed with blanks for On Monday I smiled when I opened the what areas your funds go to, but I think it the dates, and it announced the death of alumna Stater and read how difficult orange is to would be nice to give my money to one of the Chieko Otsuki Urakami, ’37, a retired professor wear. My orange and black silk suit has been scholarship funds.