Outstanding Graduates 2026
Every year, graduate faculty across WWU's campuses select a student from each graduate program who best demonstrates excellence in scholarship, professionalism, citizenship, and teaching. We'd like to congratulate and recognize these graduate students for their outstanding performance during their time at Western.
Kami Alexander
Master of Science in Nursing, Nursing Leadership & Administration
Kami brings humility, curiosity, and passion to her work. These qualities are evident not just in her academic performance but also in how she engages with the harder questions in healthcare. In her application essay, she wrote with specificity and grounded frustration about how marginalized communities experience healthcare, drawing directly from her clinical work in labor and delivery. That was not a performance of awareness; it was lived professional experience informing her thinking before she arrived at the program. Over the past two years, she has navigated various challenges and competing priorities, and we are aware of only a portion of what she carried before entering this program. We choose not to say "despite that, she has persisted" because we believe it is precisely those experiences that have shaped the person, nurse, and leader she is today. Resilience is often described as bouncing back, but what we have observed is something more progressive and directional. In the right individual, hardship cultivates the kind of empathy, authenticity, and awareness that cannot be taught.
Brianna Benner
Master of Science, Environmental Science
Brianna has been far and away one of the best students I've ever had the joys of mentoring. Her academic record is stellar, having earned high marks in all her graduate courses. She has developed a very mature and refined scientific approach that leverages her scientific curiosity and incredible work ethic. She is humble almost to a fault, and that humility has helped drive her to become better in her craft at every turn, using whatever opportunities available to learn more. Whether that has been helping initiate a reading club on geochemical principles (sadly abandoned too soon due to timing constraints) or convincing me to teach her fate and transport as an independent study, she has always given her all to learn what she can to the best of her abilities.
On the research front, she is always seeking new tools and techniques to add to her growing scientific toolkit. To date, she has nearly mastered the use of ICP-MS and developed a proficiency in XRD, SEM, HPLC-IC, and a number of field methods. She is currently co-author on two papers, with a third co-authorship nearing submission by the end of this month. Her first paper (Goodman, A.J., Benner, B.F. and Montaño, M.D., 2025. Out of the lab and into the environment: the evolution of single particle ICP-MS over the past decade. Environmental Science: Nano, 12(3), pp.1789-1800.) was an equal effort from all authors to provide a perspective on past, present, and future nanoanalysis techniques using single particle ICP-MS.
Brianna wrote about a third of the paper as part of a literature review and singularly produced Figure 1 found in the paper.
Her second paper (Rud, W., Montaño, M.D., Miller, D.N., Sanderson, W., Agouridis, C., Benner, B.F. and Messer, T.L., 2025. Implications of Nutrient Fate and Transport Following Nanopesticide Applications in Agricultural Field Plots in Central Kentucky. Toxics, 13(9), p.758.) takes some of the analysis she provided during her undergraduate project. In addition, she contributed to this paper by redesigning all the figures (in R, as I am next to worthless at that still) and helping us get the publication across the finish line with timely edits and analysis. The third paper to be submitted soon has required almost seven months of painstaking data analysis examining single particle data from the Clark Fork River. This has been a collaborative effort between Brianna and I as we explored complex, multi-dimensional datasets. Her anticipated first author paper to come of her thesis work is well on track, and we expect to have that published shortly after her defense.
Beyond publications, she has also represented Western well at both regional and national conferences, having presented a poster at Pacific Northwest Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (Benner, B. & Montaño, M.D. (2025, April 15). Harnessing the power of spICP-MS in the study of nanogeochemical processes [Poster session]. PNW SETAC Annual Conference. Boise, ID.) as well as the North American SETAC Conference (Benner, B.F. & Montaño, M.D. (2025, November 19). Evaluating Iron Nanogeochemistry Within the Nooksack River Using Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry [Poster session]. North America SETAC Annual Conference. Portland, OR). She is also gearing up to give her first oral presentation at the PNW-SETAC conference in Leavenworth this coming April.
—Associate Professor Manuel Montaño
Max Cannata
Master of Science, Biology
Max has excelled in research and teaching as a graduate student. For his thesis project, Max took on the ambitious project of developing a method for measuring mRNA structures for all genes simultaneously. Recognizing the level of challenge and limitations to his own experience, Max recruited an undergraduate biochemistry major to work with him. In his first year, they worked on a crosslinking approach and through careful work revealed limitations for that method. In his second year, they worked on a method that induces mutations in unstructured sections of mRNA and have optimized the approach for downstream applications. Inspired by Max’s love for his research and enthusiasm for being a graduate student, the undergraduate working with Max applied to the graduate program and will continue with the project for their thesis. Max has similarly gotten students excited about science as a graduate teaching assistant. I observed Max teaching for a quarter when I was the instructor for Introductory Molecular & Cell Biology (BIOL 205). Max worked well with the student instructional assistants, supporting their growth as teachers and giving them appropriate levels of guidance and independence. As a team, they calmly and clearly facilitated lab exercises, asking students probing questions and keeping everyone on task and engaged.
Luke Chavez
Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing
Luke Chavez has been a critical leader for his writing, scholarship, and teaching. Luke is such a wonderful presence. Whether it is putting together events to support their art and academics or advocating for his peers over issues noticed through his keen awareness and empathy for others, Luke stands out in my mind because of his thoughtfulness and care for his peers in this program. As a member of our English Graduate Association Board, Luke also assisted in the MA / MFA recruitment effort, taking candidates on campus tours and answering their questions.
Harrison Collett
Master of Arts, Environmental Studies
Harrison came to our program to pursue a course of study and thesis concerned with historical geographies/environmental histories, particularly those of human-wildlife relationships in central Washington. He very quickly digested and displayed strong facility with relevant literatures, both theoretical and historiographic.
Harrison has developed an impressive thesis, both in scope and substance. Through a rich discourse analysis of a wide range of archival materials (newspapers and federal and state agencies being the main sources), he traced changing human-wildlife relationships and resultant landscape impacts in the Columbia Basin Project of the mid-twentieth century. In a very clear writing style that seamlessly blends primary source evidence with insights from the secondary literature, he shows how recreational values, infrastructure, and ecosystem production have been intertwined in this high modernist story of reclamation and conservation.
Harrison has produced this work quietly and diligently. He is proactive in seeking out relevant sources, both primary and secondary, and then takes ownership of his interpretation of what he has encountered. Harrison is an impressive emerging scholar.
Ben Conklin
Master in Business Administration
Ben brought a level of maturity to our daytime MBA cohort that elevated the entire learning experience. He consistently raised the bar — not through competition, but through the quality of his engagement and the example he set for others.
Ben often stepped naturally into the role of discussion leader, helping move conversations beyond the obvious and toward the lessons that mattered most. His insight, curiosity, and thoughtful participation challenged both his classmates and faculty to think more deeply. One faculty member noted that Ben's contributions made such an impact that a colleague simply described him as “precious.” While that may not be a word we often hear in graduate education, it captures something special about Ben: a student whose presence genuinely enriched the experience of everyone around him.
Anika Dahl
Master of Professional Accounting
This year’s outstanding MPAC graduate distinguished herself through exceptional academic performance, professionalism, and dedication to excellence. Throughout the program, Anika consistently demonstrated strong analytical skills, intellectual curiosity, and a remarkable commitment to producing high-quality work. Faculty members frequently noted not only her academic achievements, but also her preparation, work ethic, and positive presence in the classroom. As one professor wrote, “Having her in multiple classrooms has been a real pleasure, and I am confident she will continue to thrive in her future endeavors.” Beyond her accomplishments in the program, Anika represented the values of the MPAC program with maturity, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to excellence.
Caden Davis
Master of Music
Caden has elevated the standard for participation and service to the music department in his role as a graduate assistant and innovative musician. He has contributed to WWU’s orchestra and bands, as well as formed a marimba club that performs regularly in the community and on campus. He is respected for his superb musicianship and outgoing disposition and is well-loved by professors and peers alike.
Sol Dehnert
Master of Science, Kinesiology - Exercise Science
Sol has been an outstanding student in the classroom, maintaining a graduate GPA of 3.88/4. I have had the privilege of serving as his instructor for one course in graduate-level biomechanics, and he was one of the top performers in the class, going above and beyond in lab activities, always choosing to tackle the additional challenges I offered in those assignments. In his TA duties, Sol worked extremely hard to get up to speed quickly in administering the lab activities for the undergraduate biomechanics course. He was very coachable and wanted to improve in his delivery of the content and demonstration of the techniques involved. He has been one of the best TAs that I have had.
For his thesis project, he took on a unique project, in conjunction with the data collection program that is in place for the varsity athletics strength and conditioning program. This project presented many unforeseen challenges for Sol, and he met each one with poise, ready adaptability, and determination. On top of all these accomplishments, he has also been working as a strength and conditioning intern for several terms, serving in the early morning and evening hours, around the many other demands on his time. Sol has been outstanding in the classroom, as a TA, and in his thesis research project. In all aspects of his work at WWU, he has maintained the highest standards of excellence.
—Professor Dave Suprak
Adrian Heffelman
Master of Science, Computer Science
Adrian Heffelman is an outstanding Computer Science (CS) MS student at Western who demonstrated academic excellence, outstanding research potential, and provided service in areas that go beyond computer science academics and her research area. Adrian is a recipient of 2025 Citizenship Award from the CS department, which recognizes one student for their outstanding service. This is the highest recognition any student can receive from our department, as this is voted by faculty and staff, recognizing students’ service towards improving the department. Adrian always focused on learning and being involved in several challenging research projects to improve their knowledge and skill. This is highlighted by the fact that as an undergraduate student, Adrian co-authored four research articles in top computer science venues including The Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT) and is now working on two additional research articles based on her graduate research.
Adrian is an avid advocate for social justice and disability rights and worked as a workshop co-facilitator for the 2023 DSAC UnConference (Disability Studies and Action Collaborative) that focused on investigating inaccessibility in higher education. Adrian is an energetic and passionate young student who wants to make a difference in the lives of ALL students, especially neurodivergent students.
Margaret Lobo
Master of Arts, English Studies
As English Graduate Association President, Margaret Lobo has embodied excellence and commitment to student success and has contributed to teaching and learning, innovation and creativity, and professionalism and reliability. Over this past year, Margaret has worked closely with our faculty and staff to organize events for graduate students and to act as a representative, articulating and advocating for student needs and hopes in the MA / MFA programs. Margaret also assisted in the MA / MFA recruitment effort, taking candidates on campus tours and answering their questions. Margaret is also this year’s winner of the Dean Kitto Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.
Cooper Lutton
Master of Arts, History
Cooper Lutton is an excellent graduate student and an excellent TA. Faculty are impressed with his work ethic and intellectual curiosity. Cooper’s research project reflected the highest degree of difficulty. His approach was not safe, easy, or comfortable, but rather one that required that he push himself to connect theories about the public and private spheres to the subject of food in early Spanish colonial projects in the Americas, while relying on limited but carefully considered primary sources to deliver on his arguments. In this way, he was able to produce a sophisticated thesis that allowed the reader to engage with more complex ideas than the typical MA thesis.
His incisive comments in seminars facilitated discussion of difficult texts. As a TA, Cooper is an excellent communicator, a timely grader, and he cultivated strong relationships with the students that sought his assistance. He has built relationships of mutual reciprocity within his cohort and fruitful relationships with his mentors. We expect that he will be an excellent future scholar.
Jonathan McLean
Master of Science, Environmental Science
Jon was an outstanding graduate student, balancing his USGS personnel and WWU faculty. He is self-directed, did well in classes, and completed a high-quality master’s thesis that’s very close to being submitted to Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, which is a top-tier journal, especially as it relates to salmon. In addition, Jon TA-ed throughout and did a solid job (even in Water Quality for a 3rd time!), and he was very active in the grad student work with the Union. He took coaching well — his humility and head-down effort got him a very nice MS project and defense.
Grace Olsen
Master of Science, Experimental Psychology
Grace Olsen is an exemplary graduate of the MS Experimental Psychology program, recognized for her scholarly rigor, intellectual leadership, and dedication to ethical research and open science. Her impactful work on social belonging, identity, self-efficacy, and academic performance has been shared at major conferences, including SPSP and WPA, and at the Center for Cross-Cultural Research. Equally outstanding as a teaching assistant, Grace consistently went above and beyond, particularly in statistics courses, where she provided extensive support, created helpful learning resources, and earned widespread appreciation for her approachability and effectiveness.
Faculty praised her professionalism, precision, and commitment to student success, highlighting the exceptional quality of her work and the consistently high standard she brought to every aspect of the role. Grace will continue her academic journey in a PhD program in applied cognition at Oregon State University in Fall 2026.
Annie Petersen
Master of Business Administration
Annie made outstanding contributions to the MBA experience. She consistently came to class prepared, and her enthusiasm and engagement made her a natural leader within her cohort.
Annie enriched classroom discussions with thoughtful insights and a clear understanding of what resonated with her peers. She had a remarkable ability to connect ideas, encourage participation, and help create a learning environment where everyone could engage more deeply. Through her preparation, professionalism, and commitment to her classmates, Annie helped strengthen the sense of community that is at the heart of a great MBA program. It turns out she can also bake an amazing dessert!
Brandon Rae
Master of Science, Mathematics
Brandon’s academic performance throughout his studies for his master’s degree in mathematics has been flawless, earning the highest possible grade in every class he has taken. His outstanding accomplishments led him to write a master’s thesis, something that’s extremely rare in mathematics. To achieve this, he needed to learn a lot of mathematics, which is well beyond what is taught in the MS program at Western. Brandon is an exceptional student and fully deserves to be recognized as our outstanding graduate.
Abe Ruiz Ramirez
Master of Arts, Rehabilitation Counseling
As noted in his application to the program two years ago, Abe’s desire to pursue the MA in Rehabilitation Counseling was shaped by his firsthand experience as a client of the VA Veteran Readiness and Employment program. He served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years as an Aviation Armament Specialist and brings a deep commitment to empowering individuals with disabilities to achieve their personal and professional goals.
As a first-generation college student and fourth-generation Mexican American, Abe earned his BA in Human Services at WWU before enrolling in the RC program. Throughout his time at WWU, he has been an engaged and thoughtful contributor in both online and in-person courses.
While in the program, Abe was hired by the Washington Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, which is an achievement that reflects his strong skills, knowledge, and professionalism. Faculty and staff alike have shared that it has been a pleasure to work with him over the past two years. We are confident that Abe will continue to excel in his career and make a meaningful impact through his support and advocacy for people with disabilities.
Mia Rodarte
Master of Arts, Anthropology
Amelia (Mia) Rodarte (Upper Skagit Indian Tribe) is motivated to complete her graduate training at Western Washington University and pursue a PhD in the future to continue her development as an educator, researcher, and role model for Indigenous girls and women — a commitment that grows from her love of her community and family. Her scholarly interests bring together anthropology and Indigenous studies and her MA thesis ethnographically examines community partners motivations, challenges, experiences, and wisdom for collaborations with scientists. Throughout her MA, Mia has been fully funded as a graduate research assistant as part of a National Science Foundation-funded multi-institutional project called Active Societal Participation in Research and Education, which aims to transform the geosciences into a field of study that prioritizes science relevance, reciprocity, and relationship with communities. Mia is a steadfast contributor to this work, bringing intellectual depth, methodological care, ethical principles, and joy to our collective efforts, strengthening the project in immeasurable ways. Mia has presented her research at multiple national conferences, including at the annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association and the American Geophysical Union. Additionally, she has given multiple talks and served on panels at WWU and beyond, including the Indigenous Speaker Series, the Vision of the Future panel at The Evolution of Vision symposium hosted by our unit, and at an elementary school in Hawaii, where she designed an interactive lesson on collaboration and relationships. Across these contexts, Mia demonstrates an impressive ability to communicate complex ideas in accessible and inviting ways. Through her MA training and her research assistantship, Mia has become a skilled ethnographer well-versed in the theory and practice of community-based research. She is deeply committed to ethical research grounded in Indigenous thought and values and to making universities places where future generations can thrive.
Zosia Sherwood
Master of Arts, Speech-Language Pathology
Zosia showed a genuine curiosity for acquiring knowledge and skills in the classroom and the clinic. Not only has Zosia excelled academically, but she also exceeded our expectations of a graduate student in her clinical performance. She met challenging clinical experiences with flexibility, eagerness, and resilience while fostering great relationships with clients and families. Zosia effectively balanced the academic and clinical demands of our program while also serving as an exceptional teaching assistant. Amidst her busy schedule, Zosia independently initiated and implemented a project with faculty guidance to train caregivers about low-tech communication supports for children at a community-based foster care transition center. Zosia’s performance under pressure was impressive, and she was described by faculty and clinical instructors as a student who consistently went beyond expectations, demonstrated excellent initiative and poise, showed an exceptional commitment to community service, and was a positive member of her student cohort who fostered community among students. We congratulate Zosia on her outstanding performance at WWU and wish her our best as she transitions to her clinical fellowship in speech-language pathology at Anacortes Health and Rehabilitation.
Dahvae Turner
Clinical Doctorate in Audiology
Dahvae Turner was selected for this award by the clinical and research faculty for his balance of strong clinical skills, dedication to his clinical patients, and his impressive academic strength and clinical research experiences. During the four years of his Doctorate of Audiology program, Dahvae has worked in research labs in addition to his clinical studies. Impressively, he received a highly competitive NIH T35 summer research traineeship at Boys Town National Research Hospital, where he worked in the Audibility, Perception, and Cognition Laboratory. For his fourth-year externship, he worked with pediatric cochlear implant patients both clinically and conducting research sponsored by MedEl at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Dahvae has contributed to several presentations over the last four years and received funding to present his T35 research project and portions of his fourth-year externship research at the last two American Auditory Society meetings in Scottsdale, AZ. We are all so proud of Dahvae and excited to see where the future takes him.
Douglas Van Druff
Master of Science, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
During the program, Douglas was an exemplary scholar, gaining knowledge of theories and evidence-based approaches as well as mastering the craft of clinical practice and seeking out additional training in child therapy. Douglas was consistently dedicated to the learning of others as well — in the classroom, in collaborative spaces, and in professional forums. As one example, Douglas presented an hour-long workshop at the Washington School Counseling Association conference entitled, “Supporting Transgender & Nonbinary Students: Gender-Affirming Counseling in School Settings” with over 75 counseling professionals in attendance. At the end of the presentation, two attendees remarked that this was the best presentation they had attended in the whole meeting of over 800 counseling professionals. Douglas engages others in ways that invite reflection, growth, and a deeper sense of self-awareness. She intentionally creates supportive spaces where others feel seen and valued. She gave time and labor to promote change in the counseling program in an effort to benefit future graduate students. Following graduation, she will begin a PhD program in counselor education and supervision. She will undoubtedly bring this same intentionality to her doctoral work, fostering learning environments grounded in trust, respect, and inclusion.
Oliver Venablerose
Master of Science, Chemistry
Oliver has been a researcher in my lab for nearly four years, two of which were during his graduate study, and given the nature of the award, I will limit his accomplishments to just his time in the MS degree.
- He is the first author on a paper in the Journal of Polymer Science and first author on a second that is in preparation.
- He won a poster award at the ACS national conference in Atlanta, competing against PhD students.
- He is an excellent leader in the lab, and his mentorship to undergraduates is unparalleled in my time here. He truly desires to establish a foundation for his project and is an effective advocate for undergraduate training and participation in all of his endeavors.
- He fearlessly embarks upon whatever new technique or characterization method is called for — for example, learning AFM from scratch and building (unprompted!) a heated stage for the polarized optical microscope in AMSEC. These endeavors have been fundamental to the success of his project and have laid the groundwork for years to come.
- I have not had him as a TA for my classes, but all reports are that he is a fantastic one.
—Associate Professor Mike Larsen
Kayleigh Wall
Master of Education, School Counseling
Kayleigh brought wisdom and resourcefulness to our graduate program that was grounded in her experience as an ELL-endorsed high school science teacher in diverse urban settings. As a dedicated scholar, Kayleigh led with integrity and high standards in the program. She always brought a spark to classroom conversations and was intentional about forging contact points between first- and second-year students to generate mentorship relationships and build community. Kayleigh took every opportunity to stretch her own skills and expand the learning of others. She developed and led psychoeducational groups on body image and family change at her internship site. She found time to volunteer at Skookum Kids, an emergency shelter for foster care youth. Additionally, she presented a research poster at the state school counseling conference entitled, “Building Empathy in Middle School Students” in which she reviewed the research on the dip in empathy in young adolescents and proposed the use of diverse stories in literature to stimulate caring across identities. Kayleigh will be a successful school counselor because, on a deep level, she understands group dynamics, problem-solving, and team building in the educational context. Through collaboration and innovation, she became a well-respected school counseling professional in her internship site and will bring that same level of dedication to the school that is lucky enough to hire her.
Justine Williams
Master of Education, Language and Literacy
Justine Williams is a teacher with over 15 years of experience in early childhood education primarily within the Head Start and ECEAP programs. After graduating from Western’s Early Childhood Education program, Justine became a transitional kindergarten teacher and was recently asked to move from this play-based classroom to a third-grade classroom serving highly capable students.
“Throughout my career, I have consistently observed the profound value of play-based, hands-on, inquiry-based learning, particularly in fostering social-emotional and cognitive development in young children,” Williams said.
Her exploration of what that looks like when students are developing literacy and technology skills is a demonstration of her creative and student-centered scholarship and has been an opportunity for us to learn from her. In addition to being a dedicated and accomplished classroom teacher, Justine is an academic. She presents regularly at national conferences, has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and recently won a teacher researcher grant from the National Council for Teachers of English. Justine’s enthusiasm for and commitment to continued learning is inspirational. We look forward to seeing what she teaches us next!
Megan Wilson
Master of Science, Geology
Megan has been exceptionally productive and successful as a scholar, winning the GSA QG&G Schumm Award for the best graduate proposal in fluvial geomorphology. Her research, which focuses on topographic change following post-fire debris flows, is both rigorous and ambitious in its scope (covering 10 fires and 20 different lidar datasets). As a scientist, she is particularly talented in making beautiful visuals that help tell her scientific story. Megan is a community leader in the department, serving as a co-lead for the student AEG club, and has served as a dedicated and thoughtful TA throughout her grad work.
Wil Zuber
Master of Science, Computer Science
Wil Zuber has been a standout student in academic work, research, and in helping the Computer Science Department community feel more welcoming. Wil maintains a 4.0 GPA and has published multiple research articles in top computer science conferences and journals. Full of curiosity, Wil frequently raises insightful questions in class, and they take each assignment seriously, completing them with thoughtful rigor. Wil is always interested in looking deeper and in thinking about how the class materials could be used to build a better, more inclusive world. Wil is a natural leader amongst his classmates, cheerfully offering to help and mentor others. In research, Wil is ambitious, hardworking, and dedicated, always wanting to learn more. Wil won the outstanding undergraduate student work from the Computer Science Department in 2025 and was awarded the Computer Science Citizenship Award for his outstanding service to the department.