Alumni Making an Impact

Alumni from the College of Arts and Sciences have gone onto successful careers across the world. From advice for current and prospective students to classes and mentors that made an impact in their lives and a variety of journeys from the UO to where they are now, hear from our alumni and learn about their paths to success.

alumni-spotlight-Sarah-Koski

A champion of marginalized communities

Inspired by women mentors and professors, Koski took advantage of opportunities that came her way related to politics, fundraising, and nonprofit leadership. Today, she works to serve the unhoused community in Eugene and Lane County.

Fedi Aniefua

Fedi Aniefua

Right after graduation, Aniefua landed a job as a software developer at Amazon in Seattle. And his career trajectory all began with a meeting with an advisor who encouraged him to apply for an internship for students of color.   

Kaitlyn Olson

UO alumna and Hollywood star shares stories of her days in rainy Eugene

Maybe you know her as Sweet Dee on the FX sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, HBO’s Hacks, but did you know the actress studied theatre arts at the University of Oregon?  

Kathryn Desvignes Holder

From a global studies master's program to the forest

As a global studies master’s student, Desvignes Holder specialized in cross-cultural communication and Africa as a region. Today, she’s used those skills to land a position with Umatilla National Forest, where she works with local and state officials and the public.

Jerilyn Armstrong

UO alum’s journey from theatre student to multidisciplinary artist

As a theatre arts minor, Armstrong fueled her passion for the stage and screen. Working with theatre arts faculty equipped her to pursue a theatre and film career.

Nagore Sedano Naveira

One Duck's journey of culture, learning and global connections

Sedano Naveira is an assistant professor in the Department of Hispanic Studies at the University of Puget Sound, but she graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2019 with a doctorate in Romance languages and a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies.

Cory Mainor

Creating a culture of inclusion in education

Mainor graduated with an English bachelor’s degree from CAS and went on to work as an instructional assistant, then as a teacher after earning his master’s in education. He’s now an assistant principal at Arlington Public Schools in the Washington, D.C. area.

Manju Bangalore

From ball gowns to space suits, and everything in-between

Bangalore wears many hats—and a tiara. She’s had internships at NASA, the White House, a job on the set of a Beyoncé music video, and competed for the title of Miss USA. But she says she owes so much of her success to the CAS faculty she studied under.   

Rachel Bitecofer

Political science alumna in the political arena

Bitecofer started her academic career as a 24-year-old single mother. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political sciences and went on to earn a PhD at the University of Georgia. She’s gone on to become a political strategist and author.

Lauren Goss

In a league of her own

Goss is the University of Oregon’s new sports archivist, the only position of its kind on the West Coast. Goss’s interest in sports archivism has a start during her undergraduate studies when she studied the history of Title IX on campus.

Kāneali‘i Ng-Osorio

Leadership through service

Ng-Osorio graduated from the University of Oregon in 1998 with a BS in psychology, which he says helped him develop soft skills and emotional intelligence to thrive in work environments.  

Jeremy Markiz

Making an impact in Jewish organizations

When first starting at the University of Oregon, little did Markiz know that a Biblical Hebrew class would inspire him to major in Judaic studies, eventually becoming a rabbi.  

Additional CAS Alumni Making a Difference


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Gifts to the College of Arts and Sciences can help our students make the most of their college careers. Support from our alumni and friends can provide students access to hands-on learning, internships, research opportunities and more. Our faculty, the new professional advisors in Tykeson Hall and our staff prepare students from the moment they arrive on campus to when they launch into their career. Your contributions help assure that teaching, research, advising, mentoring, and support services are robust and fully available to every student.

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