Alumni

PSYCHOLOGY - When she's in the WWE ring, she goes by Sol Ruca, a high flying superstar. But at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, she went by the name Calyx Hampton, BS ’21 (psychology) and competed on the acrobatics & tumbling team.

FRENCH, GEOGRAPHY - Avery Daubert, a College of Arts and Sciences alumni, is a mountain biker blazing their own trail. As part of the University of Oregon's 150th anniversary, we look at the future generation — and Daubert is working to make sports sustainable and accessible for all. Daubert is pursuing a geography master’s program at Université Paris Cité in France.

JAPANESE — Originally from Oregon, Meg Tsukamoto B.A. ’00 (Japanese) has spent the last 25 years living and working in Japan. She is a professional emcee, serving as both interpreter and facilitator for large events such as wedding receptions, a niche she found after struggling to find a bilingual emcee for her own wedding in Japan.

BIOCHEMISTRY AND CHEMISTRY - For the McLeroy family, the University of Oregon is a thread that digs deep in their ancestral roots. From two undergrads now on campus to Samuel “Edgar” McClure, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the UO in 1883 and a master’s in 1886, and was the first chair of the UO chemistry department.

SPANISH - College of Arts and Sciences alum Brandon Rigby enjoyed studying Spanish, but it wasn’t until a professor suggested he major in it that he dove in. With multiple overseas assignments under his belt, he is now a global diplomat for the U.S. Department of State.

HUMANITIES, WOMEN, GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES - These Duck alums are among those working to alleviate hunger. See how CAS and Clark Honor's College alumni like Ian Dixon-McDonald, BA ’06, Rebecca Sprinson, BA ’09, are making a difference in Oregon by tackling hunger.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE - PhD comparative literature alumna Jamie Richards won the 2024 National Translation in Prose award for her work on Mariosa Castaldi’s “The Hunger of Women.” During her PhD studies at the UO, Richards studied translation, leading to a career in Italian literature.

THEATRE ARTS - Alum Jana Schmieding, Lakota comedian-actor-writer, has made the journey from struggling artist to success story and vocal champion of Natives in film, TV and comedy. She’ll share what she has learned along the way as keynote speaker for the university’s 148th commencement ceremony, June 16 at Autzen Stadium.