Gail J. Fullerton Ph.D. ‘54 (Sociology) has the honor of being the first person to receive a Ph.D. from the UO sociology department. After receiving her degree, Fullerton taught at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, before joining the university that would be her home for 28 years: San Jose State University in San Jose, California.

At SJSU, Fullerton was a member of the sociology faculty for nine years, serving briefly as department chair before being appointed Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in 1972. Later she served as the university’s executive vice president and in 1978 was appointed the twenty-first president of SJSU, a position she held until retiring in 1991.

During thirteen years as president of the 27,000 student campus, Dr. Fullerton served on many boards, including the President’s Commission of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Senior Accrediting Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. She was a member of community boards in San Jose, the San Jose Opera and the San Jose Symphony. Fullerton has published three books and numerous articles. She now lives in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Lyle Hohnke M.A. ’67 (Biology), Ph.D. ’70 (Biology) is a leader in the venture capital field as a partner with Javelin Capital Fund, based in Birmingham, Alabama. His firm invests in seed and start-up companies, as well as early-stage expansion in health care, agriculture, and animal health.

After receiving his Ph.D. from the UO, Dr. Hohnke became a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, and received an M.B.A. from the Hartford Graduate Center in Hartford, Connecticut. His career in the health care field began with his first professional appointment, at Pfizer Central Research, where he worked his way up to heading research on therapeutic agents for digestive disorders. In 1983, he left Pfizer for the University of Connecticut Health Center, becoming the vice president for research. At the UC, he managed nine core research facilities and supervised the patent and licensing process.

In 1994, Dr. Hohnke joined Tullis-Dickerson, a health care venture capital firm, establishing the firm’s southeast regional office in Birmingham. In addition to his two partnerships in venture capital firms, he also serves on the boards of several private and public companies.

William L. Sullivan M.A. ’79 (German) is a well-known travel writer who writes primarily about the wonders of his native state, Oregon. He has written nine books about travelling in Oregon, including the noted travel journal, Listening for Coyote (Oregon State University Press, 2000).

Sullivan published his first book, The Cart Book (TAB Books, 1983) only four years after graduating from the UO with his master’s degree. In addition to his travel books, he has also written on subjects ranging from the design and construction of carriages and carts to a historical saga of Joaquin Miller, the fabled "Poet of the Sierras."

As a fifth-generation Oregonian, Sullivan remains deeply in touch with his roots. In the summers, he and his family live in a cabin they built by hand alongside the Siletz River. His book, Listening for Coyote, was written about the 1,361-mile hike he began in 1985, from Cape Blanco to Hells Canyon.

Sullivan, who is deeply passionate about literature and literacy, also received a bachelor of arts in English from Cornell, and studied linguistics at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He continues this passion both through his writing and his community service, serving on the State Library Board and helping campaign to build Eugene’s new public library.