Carolyn Knackstedt has been accepted to the University of Washington WWAMI School of Medicine, a collaborative medical school among universities in five Western states.

Savannah Schneider is currently serving in Cambodia with the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program.
Morgan Woods is currently on the World Race, an 11-month mission trip to 11 countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and India.

Andrew Miller is the new director of business retention and expansion for the Economic Development Association of Skagit County.

Elizabeth Tapler joined University at Albany women’s basketball as the director of basketball operations in 2015.

Rachel Lee was promoted to assistant director of financial aid at Olympic College on Dec. 2, 2015.

Khadijah Tividad accepted a position at The North Face.

Nicolas Crosby was awarded a Smithsonian Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology fellowship to do work in Washington, D.C., this summer. He will be continuing the research from his religion capstone on the Balinese kreis, or ritual dagger. Crosby has been pursuing a graduate degree at Central Washington University in resource management, which is an IT and library- science intensive degree.

Alyssa Henry is the new volunteer resources manager at the Arboretum Foundation in Seattle.

Angela Tennant was part of the cast of the world premiere comedy, “For Worse,” at New Jersey Repertory Company.

Mark Lindsey and Luxi Salmon were married on Oct. 10, 2015.

Lita Kurth is a writer, teacher and co- creator of the Flash Fiction Forum.

Michael Schmeltzer has received several honors and awards for his writing, including numerous Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominations, the Gulf Stream Award for Poetry and the Blue Earth Review’s Flash Fiction Prize.

Caroline (West) Lubeck is a new director on the board of American Animal Hospital Association.

Michael Doyle became the new vice president of medical affairs at Vassar Brothers in 2015.

Donna (Pickett) Gates- Smeall will be releasing her first teen’s book with a fellow author this fall, called “Forever Friend” via Christian Faith Publishing. The book is in preparation mode at this time. Further information may be found at www.facebook.com/D.G.Smeall.

Kate Monthy became the new development coordinator at Spaceworks.

Kaitlin (Glines) Barnhart currently works with troubled youth at Integrative Interventions, LLC, as well as writing for Idaho Life Magazines. She also has a blog called “Mammaflybox: Fly Fishing Addicted Mom,” www.mammaflybox.wordpress.com.

Stacey Kreitz was hired by the Department of Homeland Security to be a child forensic interviewer, one of six nationally. She is based out of Houston, Texas, but will travel nationally and internationally.

Brian Norman was recently promoted to full professor of English on Jan. 1 at Loyola University Maryland, where he also serves as associate vice president for faculty affairs and diversity.

Susan Mach was hired as the new principal of South Whidbey School District’s Langley Middle School in 2015.

Teresa D. Miller was confirmed insurance commissioner by the Pennsylvania state senate on June 3, 2015.

Patrick Reid ’96 was promoted to lieutenant commander in the United States Coast Guard Oct. 1, 2015. He is an instructor pilot in the MH-65D helicopter and currently stationed in North Bend, Oregon. Patrick is married to Prece Fountain-Reid ’97 and they have two children, Patton and Promise.

Robin Koch is the new Clatsop County human resource director in Oregon.

Jen Cohen was appointed athletic director for the University of Washington.

Diane Zimmerman published a new book, “Parenting,” which is published by Xlibris.

Robert “Scott” Rapp is the founder of Adventure Maps Inc.

Robert Carney published “88 Maps,” a collection of poems, in 2015.

Maria Stevens has been selected as the new director of teaching and learning for the Shoreline School District.

Debbie (Bilski) McLeod was named to lead the new municipal banking division of Opus Bank in 2015.

Gary Schminkey recently became the new chief financial officer of America’s Credit Union.

Melissa Ibañez, director of financial aid and associate vice president of enrollment management at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, was recently honored with the President’s Award for her service to the Pennsylvania Association of State Financial Aid Administrators.

John Bachofner was recently elected to the Oregon State Bar’s Board of Governors, as well as chair of the Litigation Section of the Bar.

Scott Ransom became the managing director at Navigant Healthcare. Dr. Ransom will provide strategic counsel on how hospitals and health systems can prepare for and address emerging challenges related to changing payment and delivery models, within the context of value-based care regulatory mandates.

Ted Walters ’83 died Dec. 7. Ted dedicated most of his career to Farmers Insurance Company as a claims adjuster in California and New York. He is survived by three daughters, his mothers and two sisters.

Bruce Berton is now the principal deputy high representative at the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Sarajevo, Bosnia- Herzegovina. This is Bruce’s 10th overseas assignment as a U.S. diplomat in his 28-year career with the State Department. OHR is the organization tasked with implementing the Dayton Peace Accords signed in 1995, which ended the Bosnian conflict (www.ohr.int).

Linda (Tingelstad Carlson) Davis received her master’s from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in human development on Dec. 5, 2014. The emphasis of her study was in spirituality, diversity and healing. She is in the process of writing a book and producing videos as a result of her journey.

Rae (Murdoch) Iams joined the Digestive Health Specialists in Tacoma. She is an advanced registered nurse practitioner.

Bruce Neswick has been chosen to serve as Trinity Cathedral’s canon for cathedral music.

Richard B. Troyer has spent more than 30 years providing dental care to children in underserved communities.

David Thorson retired in January after 11 years as a district court judge for the 11th Judicial District in Colorado. Prior to his appointment, he served 17 years as a deputy district attorney in Fairplay, Colorado, and 11 years in private practice in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Claudia (McDermid) Stevens and the rest of the group, Mik’s Red Hot Mamas, LLC, a community service oriented musical/ comedy performance group performed at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2014.

Roger Hansen was appointed the executive director of the Alaska Masonic Library and Museum.

Philip Formo released a memoir, “Writing My Life a Memoir,” in 2015.

Georgia (Stirn) Girvan was named a Tribute to Women and Industry Honoree and a recipient of the Idaho Conference on Alcohol and Drug Dependency Lifetime Achievement Award. She is presently retired. Georgia completed a six-year term representing the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod as a member of the Board of Directors for Lutheran Community Services Northwest. During those six years she renewed friendships with PLU classmates and met Lutes who attended more recently.

Dennis Knutson and his wife Mary Ann Knutson were presented the first Friends of Augustana Music award by the Augustana University department of music in recognition of the couple’s longtime philanthropic and artistic support of the musical arts, both at Augustana and throughout the region. The award was presented at an Augustana choirs and orchestra concert on Nov. 1, 2015 at the Washington Pavilion.

Barbara Rundquist died June 8, 2015.

Marlene Kay (Evans) Jordahl died Nov. 21, 2015.

Richard Foege died Dec. 7, 2015.

William Orme died Aug. 9, 2015.

Darrell G. Rasmussen died July 28, 2015. Marilyn (Hefty) Katz, Donna (Miller) Lewis, Helen (Jordanger) Nordquist, Lorraine (Schmick) Beardemphl, Carolyn (Hoogner) Hillis and Jan Bridges Wigen have had regular get-togethers since graduating from PLU. Their longtime friendships, which started at PLU, provide support for one another through life’s journeys.

Roland Opsahl died March 11.

William Leed died Feb. 17.

Marvin Soiland died Feb. 8.

Ruth (Ripoli) Prendergast died Feb. 2.

William “Bill” Howard Finkle died Dec. 1, 2015.

Frank Karwoski died Dec. 1, 2015.

Mary (Bloomquist) Girard died Nov. 15, 2015.

Ronald Douglass died Jan. 30.

Edna (McCall) Schultz died Feb. 6.

Wilbert P. Koch died Feb. 15.

Alfred Stolte died Jan. 6.

Kenneth Pate died Dec. 26, 2015.

LeRoy Spitzer died Nov. 5, 2015.

George Bottin died July 26, 2015.

Corrine (Aune) Spitzer died Nov. 12, 2015.

Jesse Thompson reached a happy 90 years old. He continues to work on his novels and enjoys playing guitar and singing. You can find videos of him on YouTube with his username Mr. JakeThomp.

Norma (Lemke) Norby died Jan. 20.

Carolyn (Hawley) Larson died Nov. 17, 2015.

June (Jerenes) Torkildsen died March 16.

Elene (Hagen) Emerson died Jan. 5.