Alumni Events Recap

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Professional Development Night: 

On March 2, former Bearcat student-athletes returned to campus for the Willamette University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Professional Development Night.

Humanities Career Night: 

On March 11, the Willamette University Career Center hosted a Humanities Career Night featuring multiple alumni panelists.

MBA and MSDS Networking Event:

On March 12, the Willamette University Career Center hosted a networking event for MBA and MSDS alumni on data-driven leadership in the public sector.

Laurie Hall BA’66 Celebration:

On March 17, Laurie Hall BA’66, an accomplished jewelry artist and distinguished alum, was honored amid some of her recent works being featured in an exhibition in Munich at Galerie Handwerk.

WU in the Desert: 

On March 19, a group of alumni came together for the annual gathering of the Willamette community in the Colorado Desert.

Salem Cherry Blossom Festival: 

On March 21, Willamette alums and family came together for the Salem Cherry Blossom Festival and received a tour from Professor David Craig.

Bay Area Presidential Update: 

On March 24, President Thorsett gave a university update to members of the Willamette community in the Bay Area.

Salary Negotiation Tips: 

On February 4, Willamette's Executive Director of Career Initiatives, Anne Lapour, Contributing Assistant Professor for the MBA program, Jasmine Ames, and Global Talent Acquisition Executive Heather Flynn held a talk on salary negotiation tips.

MBA Alumni Career Conversation: 

On February 10, MBA alumni got together virtually and participated in the latest career conversations series.

Heritage Club Museum Outing: 

On February 18, Heritage Club alumni were led on a private tour of French Impressionists Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot exhibitions at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.

Portland Happy Hour:

On February 21, more than twenty alumni came together for a happy hour at Hi-Top Tavern in Portland, OR.

Portland Alumni Holiday Party: 

On December 9, 100 alumni & guests gathered for the Portland Alumni Holiday Party to celebrate the season with the Willamette family and hear an update from President Thorsett.

Star Trees Lighting:

On December 6, hundreds of students, alumni, faculty, staff and neighbors took in the official Star Tree Lighting ceremony.

Willamette at the Oregon Symphony Featuring The Decemberists: 

On November 6, 30+ alumni & friends gathered with Levi Query BA'67 and her son, Nate, the bassist for The Decemberists, at a reception before heading over to watch the band perform with the Oregon Symphony.

Willamette Law Portland Alumni Happy Hour:

On November 13, 20 Willamette Law alums joined Mick Harris JD'19, Dean Dobbins and more at Tonkon Torp HQ in Portland to hear the latest from the school and network.

Career Center Grand Opening:

On October 24, alumni, faculty and staff celebrated the official opening of Willamette's brand new Career Center.

Sustainability Network Panel & Networking Event:

On November 13, alumni and students met at the new Career Center on the Salem campus for a panel on developing careers in sustainability.

Pumpkin Patch Outing:

On September 27, 23 alumni and their families enjoyed a trip to the pumpkin patch at Frog Pond Farm.

Wilamette Swimming Alumni Meet:

On September 27, the annual Alumni Swim Meet saw a stellar turnout and lots of friendly competition.

Seattle Happy Hour:

On September 30, 24 alumni gathered at Dani Cone BA'98's market, Cone & Steiner, for the 2025 Seattle Happy Hour!

WU Stream Maximizing LinkedIn:

On October 8, 28 alums joined our webinar with Executive Director of Career Initiatives Anne Lapour to level up their LinkedIn and more.

Willamette SCIS Envision:

On October 10, there was a great turnout for the School of Computing and Information Sciences' annual speaker/networking event!

Heritage Club at WU Football:

On October 11, six alumni 50+ years out from graduation cheered on Willamette Football vs. Lewis & Clark.

Heritage Club at The Oregon Garden:

On October 14, 15 alumni 50+ years out from graduation spent the day at The Oregon Garden, which coincidentally included a tour by a fellow alum!

PNCA Warp Speed Event:

On October 15, 13 PNCA alums and friends gathered for an exhibition tour and panel talk on campus before heading to a happy hour in Portland's Pearl District.

Bay Area Happy Hour:

On October 22, 10 alumni met at Mars Bar in San Francisco for the 2025 Bay Area Happy Hour.

Portland Happy Hour: 

On September 17, 60+ alumni with graduation years spanning 60 years enjoyed the Ecotrust rooftop during our 2025 Portland Alumni Happy Hour   

Salem Happy Hour:

On September 18, 35+ alumni came together for the 2025 Salem Alumni Happy Hour.

Alumni Board of directors meeting:

On September 13, the Alumni Board of Directors gathered on campus and online for its fall meeting.

In addition to traditional business, the group took in part of the WU Football game and toured the law school.

WU Stream book talk with professor Ellis:

On September 3, 40+ alumni joined our virtual talk with Professor Richard Ellis, hosted by Joe Mello BA'05.

Men's Soccer Alumni Game:

On August 23, Men's Soccer hosted a spirited alumni game, with a group of 19 alumni earning a 1-1 draw with the current squad.

Heritage Club at Lane Cellars: 

On August 13, 20 Heritage Club members, alumni 50+ years from graduation, gathered in Camas, Washington, at Lane Cellars, a beautiful winery. The group enjoyed plentiful charcuterie and a tasting of eclectic wines.  

Lane Cellars is a labor of love venture for husband and wife team, John & Kimberly Lane. Kim hosted the group, giving the experience a personal touch. She introduced and shared the backstory for each wine the group tasted. 

There was plenty of catching up among friends with new and regular Heritage Club member

Matriculation and Convocation:

On August 23, alumni across generations gathered on the Salem campus to welcome the incoming undergraduate students. Alums handed out over 400 candles that the first years float down the Mill Stream, a symbol of each new student adding their light to the Willamette community.

The ceremony was preceded by Convocation, during which students heard from speakers who welcomed and inspired them.

Atkinson 50th Anniversary Brownwater Celebration: 

On May 3, 54 alumni gathered on the Salem campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Atkinson School of Management. The festivities began with the annual Brownwater Regatta where alums floated down the Mill Stream. 

The Regatta was followed by a reception, BBQ, and casino night where there was plenty of food, history, and hanging out.  

PNCA Thesis Exhibition Tour:

On May 7, a small group of PNCA alumni and friends visited the campus for a private tour. After coffee, tea, and pastries from Elephants Delicatessen, the group joined the Chair of BFA Thesis, Ardis DeFreece, for an hour-long journey through the undergraduate students' thesis projects throughout the building.

New alumni welcomes:

On May 8, over 30 new Atkinson alums gathered at the Grand Hotel in Salem. The event offered the opportunity to mingle and talk directly with Dean Romana Autrey while they enjoyed small bites and drinks. To close the event, Romana gave encouraging remarks about growing as people and the future business for social good.  

On May 9, over 25 new Law alums gathered at the convention center in Salem. They enjoyed time together while they ate and talked before Dean Jeff Dobbins spoke about the extraordinary changemakers that have come before them. He knows the class of 2025 will continue that legacy. 

On May 14, over 35 new Willamette undergraduate alums gathered in the basement of Smullin, where they watched Disney Pixar's The Incredibles! A childhood throwback, they had a great time laughing and spending time together. 

On May 16, over 40 new PNCA undergraduate alums gathered after their commencement rehearsal in the Lemelson Innovation Studio. They got to spend time together, eat, and get some swag while discussing programming and professional supports as they launch creative careers. 

We are so excited to welcome these new alumni to the community!   

Alumni March:

On May 18, 15 alums returned to the Salem campus to lead the class of 2025 in and out of commencement. It’s lovely to have members of the Willamette alum community there to greet the new class as they take the first steps toward turning the knowledge they have gained into action.

Willamette at the Tacoma Rainiers:

On May 31, 35 alumni and friends gathered at Cheney Stadium to watch the Rainiers take on the Salt Lake Bees. The group had a great time hanging out and watching the Rainiers win the game 5-4! 

WU Stream: “An Artist Goes to Long Beach”:

On April 2, 13 alums and friends gathered online to hear from PNCA graduate cat ross, BFA’18. 

cat completed a six-week residency with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she helped to identify noncommercial fishing communities — a group systematically excluded from communications around ocean and seafood safety . She then turned that experience into a multi-media art project. 

A recording of cat’s talk is available on our YouTube channel .

Willamette at the Hatfield Lecture Series:

On April 8, before attending an Oregon Historical Society-hosted lecture with Steve Inskeep, 35 members of the Willamette community gathered for a reception at the Heathman Hotel and heard brief remarks from Hatfield Professor of Politics, Policy, Law, and Ethics Richard Ellis . 

Professor Ellis gave them a glimpse into President Lincoln as an expert orator and strategic communicator willing to talk with anyone, and had varying levels of success.

The group enjoyed drinks and appetizers before relocating to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall to hear from Steve. 

He referenced his book, Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America, and highlighted over ten conversations that helped shape Lincoln as a leader and a person. 

It was a great evening filled with insight, reflection, and meaningful conversation.

Willamette Alums in Europe:

From April 8 to April 16, 16 Willamette alumni and friends traveled to the Netherlands and Belgium to explore the Dutch waterways.

While on their adventure, they took a scenic boat tour of the canals in Amsterdam, marveled at masterworks by Vermeer in The Hague, participated in a Gouda tasting (in Gouda), learned about how the Dutch manage the levy's with a visit to the Delta works, and sampled beer and chocolates in Bruges.

Above all, they connected with each other, shared memories from their time at Willamette and PNCA, and strengthened the Willamette family.

Are you interested in exploring with the Willamette family? Visit our upcoming travel page to see where we're headed next!