People
Dr. Gavin Keulks
Honors Director and Professor of Literature
Email: keulksg@wou.edu & Phone: 503-838-8519
Address: Honors Office, APS 210, Western Oregon University, 345 N. Monmouth Ave., Monmouth, OR, 97361
Website: https://wou.edu/wp/keulksg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinkeulks
Alumni
2020-Present Graduates
2025: Jasmine Wetter Hiebert | Lindie M. Larson | Shane Pelinski | Viviana M. Romero | Katie J. Synder | Aidan VanDyke
2024: Cameron Ansley | Jasper Beck | Melissa “Melly” Burger | Nicholas C. G. Cooley | Sophie Davenport | Kaitlyn Duncanson | Erica R. Guddat | Stephen Hartley | Mystie Johnson | Ian Kincaid | Kaitlyn A. Kruse | Cora E. McClain | Alex Michaels | Kellianna Mikawa | Claire A. Rickis | Abby Schrunk | Emily Schneider | Wyatt A. Smith | Quinlan Elise Wedge
2023: Kayley Arpaia | Emily Biamont | Lindsay Brady | Aisia Carrillo | Mariana I. Contreras Guerra | Kaitlyn Duncanson | Priscila España | Skyler Hanson | Cheyenne Hamilton | Savannah Jossi | Dane Kiger | Amanda Larios | Madeline R. Lehrer | Sharon Mann | Dustyn McKenney | Micah McLeish | Antonia Morales | Emilio S. Ricci | Sabrina M. Sam | Britain K. Schneider | Julianna Tinker | Mardee Willman | Neil Zimmerly
2022: Jessica M. Bailey | Ray Barton | Delaney N. Bishop | Lucia F. Breeden | Cheyanne J. Bumgardner | Nick Denning | Raynie A. Ehret | Chloe P. Furlong | Claire A. Graves | Noelle A. Haury | Maya Herb | Daniel E. Holmberg | Rylie L. Horrall | Kian B. Horton | Margaret L. Kassebaum | Maddie Little | Amanda M. Mooney | Brandilan Moring | Melina L. Mullin | Joshua Pautler | Alex Stemm | Taryn Anne Wilson
2021: Malia Allen | Channing T. Bushman | Juliana Marlaine Cameron | Allyson Maria Drury | Olivia M. Geisler-Wagner | Stephanie Magee | Sean Martinez | Hannah Moshinsky | Joshua W. Nelson | Camille E. Rickis | Jenny N. Rooper | Madelyn Russell | Josh Salsbury | Antonia L. Scholerman | Cheyan Swan | McKenzie Wolfe-Webb | Erin Worley | Rachel Worley | Michaela Yonkman
2020: Eva Zhou Ying Batenhorst | Rachel Bayly | Magen Boegli | Kaiana E. Bradley | McKenzie Brendle | Jessica N. Brenner | Susannah M Doepken | Elizabeth Dunn | Sierra J. Fresh | Whitley Harrel | Caitlin Healy | Francesca Holborn | Schaefer Jones | Grace V. Knapp | Natalie R. Legras | Avery M. Lucas |Darynn S. Lung | Ellen M. Moore | Jade M. Mong | Morgan Montoya | Selena Lee Ausmann Moreno | Brennan Noonan | JulieAnne Ohashi-Sides | Jennifer Romadka | Amber Rynearson | Lindsey R. Spear | Sean R. Tellvik | Rebecca J. Tew | Morgan Williams | Mikaela Wong | Daniel Woolf | D-Dré Déani Wright
2010-Present Graduates
2016: Alyssa Adams | Kaylee Church | Vanna Dejeu | Leah Fechter | Anna Olivia Funk | Sarah Celia Funk | Molly Geranio | John Goldsmith | Shantell Guyton | Max Hebing | Jennifer Hight | Isaac Keister | Joshua Leisner | Rozina Lethe | Tyler McAfee | Emily Parker | Jared Petersen | Sarah Pettigrew | Mary Katie Rice | Courtney Richardson | Robin Roemer | Anny Sheie | Braden Shribbs | Katarina Smith | Nathan Tew | Ruby Tidwell | Stephanie Torrez | Natalie Wallace | Emily Walley
2015: David Avery | Mackenzie Brendle | Camarie Campfield | Melissa Cooley | Keelie Daquilanto | Kathryn Elliot | Aubrey Fear | J.J. Garcia | Mckenzie Johnston | Tristan Knope-Jenkins | Laura Killip | Meghan Link | Olevia McKay | Amanda McMasters | Reina Morgan | Carlee Nelson | Eli Zachary
2014: Zander Albertson | Sheridan Bailey | Mary Barlean | Carolee Buck | Haley Dickinson | Stephanie Eaton | Kayli Fisher | Jose Garcia | Kelsey Gray | Bethany Haight | Chloe Hansen | Jillian Johnson | Zachary Jones | Annelise Marshall | Alyssa Palmer | Olivia Read | Trevor Ross | Daniel Tew | Marissa Thompson | Bonnie Wells
2013: Macy Bothman | Rosie Brown | Carolee Buck | Allason Fewx | Merry Fuller | Tayleranne Gillespie | Kelsey Grey | Krista Harrington | Angela Haslam | Bailey Hough | Amy Keithley | Kristin Mahoney | Jenae Nelson | Emmy Olson | Jerielle Raibley | Heidi Ramp | Lisa Rogers | Trevor Roush | Alyssa Schmidt | Ariel Setniker | Mike Stevenson | Christopher Tasner | Steven Thompson | Sophia Wellons | Brian Walton | Heidi Wilson | Joceline Wynn
2012: Wendy Bryant | Diedra Cates | Bryan Danaher | Kady Hossner | Tabitha McAfee | Raymond (Christopher) McFetridge | David O’Rourke | Paige O’Rourke | Alysse Parker | Marina Sikora | Nancy Sorensen | Ermine Todd IV | Karin Traweek | Melissa Weiner
2011: Rebekah Beyer | Aaron Dull | Sierra Durfee | Crystal Hanson | Rachel Hermanson | Maria Hommes | Justin Karr | Joel Kobzeff | Nicole Miller | Michael Petrovich | Angelica Strickland
2010: Jenny Barnes | Danielle Buffington-Tebon | Tasha Burlison-Trump | Allison Glasscock | David Hawes | Lisa Martini | Hillary K. Mills | Kimber Saville | Stephanie Shields | Evan Sorce | Nicole Teague | Jaclyn Thompson | Samuel Thompson
2000-2009 Graduates
2009: Dustin Byers | Rebecca Chadd | Ashley Kuehlwein | Betsy McDonald | Chelsey Miller | Annaka Wendt | Stephanie Woods | Lauren Zegers
2008: Tricia Brigham | Zachary Christopherson | Kynzie Dalton | Samantha Ann Hafner | Brian Halverson | Shane Hosea | Katherine Keetle | Melissa Ruth C. Scott | Joshua Nelsen Woods
2007: Mariko R. Chambers | Katy Bradley Conner | Nicole Juergensen | Danielle Kuehnel | Tyler Laughlin | Amanda Miles | Nicole Jesse Perry | Jennifer Rosales | Brian Smith | Laura Soules | Alaina Steiner
2006: Monica Fleener | Beth Marie Frohmader | Terry Manning | Daniel Ryan Van Winkle
2005: Holly Adelman | Ashley Neonta Bell | Amber R. Faw | Heidi L. Kimberling | Jessica K. Prante | Erin Shute
2004: Christina M. Healy | Stephanie R. Lewis De Ochoa | Kalah A. Paisley | Rebekah M. Regan
2003: Jill Bradley | Jana K. Brooks | Ardyth DeBruyn | Marika L. Schneider
2002: Roseanne Pascalette Caputi | Shelley Dietrick | Maren E. Greif | Laura M. Howard | Cheyenne Lemmon | Christina M. White
2001: Thomas W. Bahde | Celeste D. Barker | Brooke Gore | Shannon M. Harvey | Christopher J. Hodnefield | Michelle Kennedy | Kirk Lemmon
2000: Ruth Ashton | Jessica Beach | Tori Fornaciari | Jennifer K. Gjesvold | Theresa A. Mecham | Angela Siecinski
1990-1999 Graduates
Elizabeth Cole | Stephen Day | Elaine M. Hart | Molly J. Judson French | Nicole Y. Meeuwsen | Noelle L. Pratt | Angela M. Quinby | Erin E. Sullivan
Jaimie Suzan Bigelow | Michelle E. Bright | Erin K. Clinton | Carrie L. Davis | Chryste Lea | Crivella Frauendiener | Traci A. Hamer | Jane E. Hammill | Alicia J. Kleiman | Deborah F. Kropf | Danielle D. Myers | Jennifer L Paulsen | Stephanie D.B. Sherwood
Aimee Bruno | Holly M. Hatch | Erin McGladrey
Charles K. Bonville | Stacey Brennan | Nicole L. Hayes | Thomas R. Hoffman | Jana L. Mounts | Cynthia L. Ussing | Cindy Wrey
Elona M. Olson | Kelly C. Schloer
Heather Boylan | Rachel L. Fox | Shannon M. Gates | Travis Giboney | Stacy Holloway | Thomas W. Hrabal | Dawn Lingenfelter | Wendy Sue Randolph Pankey | Evangeline Faith Pearson | Danielle Spinella | Jessica J. Wilkinson
Michael C. Curry | Leah Johnson | Paul H. Potter | Tracie Toman
Daniel S. Kay | Rachel Starck
Nicole A. Diederich | Corey Johnson
Julie Ann Biddle
Outstanding Graduating Senior Awards
Until 2019, when the gendered designations were retired, the Julia McCulloch-Smith and Delmer Dewey awards were WOU’s highest honors for graduating women and men, respectively. Starting in 2019 these awards were reclassified as the top-two WOU grads, irrespective of gender. Both recipients deliver speeches at WOU’s annual commencement ceremony. Honors graduates have an impressive tradition of being selected for this distinction. In some years, both of the speakers have been honors graduates.
2020-Present Award Recipients
- 2025: Jaidah Garcia
- 2023: Priscila España
- 2022: Cheyanne Bumgardner
- 2021: N.J. Johnson
- 2021: Josh Salsbury
- 2020: D-Dre Wright
2011-2019 Award Recipients
- 2019: BillyAnn Stempel
- 2018: Sara A. Madden (JMS)
- 2018: Carter Craig (DD)
- 2017: Aleisha Douthitt (JMS)
- 2016: John Goldsmith (DD)
- 2015: Eli Zachary (DD)
- 2013: Trevor Roush (DD)
- 2012: Paige O’Rourke (JMS)
- 2011: Justin Karr (DD)
2001-2010 Award Recipients
- 2010: Kimber Saville (JMS)
- 2009: Rebecca Chadd (JMS)
- 2007: Amanda Miles (JMS)
- 2007: Nicole Perry (JMS)
- 2006: Mary Steers (JMS)
- 2006: Daniel Ryan Van Winkle (DD)
- 2005: Heidi L. Kimberling (JMS)
- 2003: Marika L. Schneider (JMS)
- 2002: Maren Greif (JMS)
1991-2000 Award Recipients
- 2000: Jennifer Gjesvold (JMS)
- 1991: Nicole Diederich (JMS)
Video Testimonials
Honors Program
Academic Programs and Support Center, Room 210
Phone: (503) 838-8519
Email: honors@wou.edu
