University of Portland: Notable Alumni and Their Contributions
The University of Portland, a private Roman Catholic university established in 1901, has a rich history of fostering individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields. Located in north Portland, Oregon, along the east bank of the Willamette River, the university has grown from humble beginnings to become a nationally recognized institution. With a strong emphasis on teaching, learning, service, leadership, and faith formation, the University of Portland has produced alumni who have excelled in arts, business, education, healthcare, law, politics, sciences, and sports. This article highlights some of the university's most notable alumni and their accomplishments.
A Foundation on The Bluff
Founded on September 5, 1901, the University of Portland began with a small group of professors and students on the steps of Waldschmidt Hall. In its early years, the university focused on providing Catholic education in an environment that was often unfriendly to Catholics. Over time, it expanded its academic offerings by absorbing institutions such as St. Vincent's School of Nursing and Multnomah College of Engineering, and by establishing the Pamplin School of Business and a school of education.
Today, the University of Portland stands as the only comprehensive Catholic university in Oregon, with a significant economic and cultural impact on the Portland metropolitan area. Its alumni, numbering over 37,000, have made their mark in diverse fields, embodying the university's mission to educate the whole person and contribute to the betterment of society.
Arts and Entertainment
The University of Portland has nurtured creative talent that has found success in the entertainment industry.
Kunal Nayyar: A British actor known for his role as Raj Koothrappali in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 2021 British Academy Television Awards for his role in Criminal: UK.
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Paul Winfield: An Emmy Award-winning actor known for his roles in Sounder (for which he received an Academy Award nomination), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and The Terminator.
Tori Dunlap: An internationally recognized money and career expert, podcast host, and author of the New York Times bestselling book “Financial Feminist”. She is also the co-creator of Treasury, an investing education platform.
Stefanie Sertich: Program director and associate professor of theatre at LaGuardia Community College in New York, where she has transformed a fledgling theater program into a thriving major focused on experiential learning and social justice theatre.
Several alumni have also made their mark in the theater world:
Emmy Duckart: A core company member of Original Practice Shakespeare Festival, involved in acting, administration, fundraising, education, and publicity.
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Elijah: An actor who has performed in plays, musicals, and dance shows with the School of Theater & Dance and Montana Repertory Theater.
Rebby Yuer Foster: The Associate Artistic Director of Shaking the Tree Theatre in Portland, Oregon, and a multidisciplinary artist.
Emily: A stage manager and dramaturg who has worked with various theater companies in Portland.
Kai Hynes: A theater and performance artist and educator who works with Shaking the Tree as their Box Office Manager, Accessibility Coordinator & Instructor.
Kalā Müller: An actor with Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY), performing throughout Hawai'i, the continental US, and internationally.
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Matthew: An actor, fight choreographer, and teacher in the Portland/Vancouver area, and a company member of Oregon Adventure Theatre.
Jessica Wallenfels: Artistic Director of Many Hats Collaboration, a company devoted to reimagining music and movement onstage.
Athletics
The University of Portland's athletic program, known as the Pilots, has produced several notable athletes who have achieved success at the professional and international levels.
Christine Sinclair: A retired Canadian professional soccer player and the world's all-time leader for international goals scored for men or women with 190 goals. She is an Olympic gold medallist and two-time Olympic bronze medallist.
Megan Rapinoe: An American former professional soccer player who played for OL Reign and the United States national team. She is a two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist.
Erik Spoelstra: The head coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and an assistant coach for the United States men's national basketball team. He has won two NBA championships as a head coach.
Greg Anthony: A former professional basketball player who is now a television analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sports.
Kasey Keller: A former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper for the United States national team. He is a four-time FIFA World Cup participant.
Steve Cherundolo: An American soccer coach and former player who serves as head coach of Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC.
Luis Robles: A former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Robles holds the MLS record for most consecutive regular-season starts with 183.
Tiffeny Milbrett: A former professional soccer forward who was a longtime member of the United States women's national team. She won an Olympic gold medal in 1996 and a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics.
Pat Casey: A former college baseball coach who was the head coach for the Oregon State Beavers baseball team from 1995 to 2018. He led the Beavers to win the College World Series in 2006, 2007, and 2018.
Shannon MacMillan: An American retired soccer player, coach, FIFA Women's World Cup champion, and Olympic gold and silver medalist.
Laura Österberg Kalmari: A Finnish former professional footballer and the Finland women's national football team's most capped player.
Rocky Gale: A former professional baseball player.
Sophie Schmidt: A Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for National Women's Soccer League club Houston Dash.
Josh Simpson: A Canadian former professional soccer player who is currently the president of Canadian Premier League team Pacific FC.
Conor Casey: An American former soccer player who played for 16 seasons as a forward.
Eugene "Pooh" Jeter III: An American-born naturalized Ukrainian professional basketball coach, executive and former player, currently serving as a player development coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and assistant GM for the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League.
Luke Sikma: An American professional basketball player who last played for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League (GBL) and the Euroleague.
Lee Seung-jun: An American-born South Korean professional basketball player.
Laura Hottenrott: A German long-distance runner.
Business and Entrepreneurship
The Pamplin School of Business at the University of Portland has produced numerous successful business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Jack O'Neill: The founder of the surfwear and surfboard company O'Neill.
Joe Hollman: Founder of a construction business that grew into the world's largest manufacturer of racquetball courts and wood lockers.
Mohammed Hasan Alwan: The Chief Executive Officer of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission affiliated with the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also obtained an MBA from the University of Portland.
Christina Palmer Fuller: Co-founder of an events management company that serves non-profit organizations.
Public Service and Politics
The University of Portland has a tradition of producing leaders who serve their communities and the nation in various public service roles.
Ed Murray: The former mayor of Seattle, Washington, and a former state legislator.
Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi: The Saudi Arabian Minister of Commerce.
Nadine Woodward: The former mayor of Spokane, Washington.
Casten Nemra: A Marshallese politician who served as President of the Marshall Islands.
Edward Leavy: An American jurist who served as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, and the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.
Mike Irwin: Retired as federal security director for the State of Oregon, leading 700 women and men of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) at PDX and other Oregon airports.
Bill Reed: Served as the University's alumni director and events director, overseeing numerous events and welcoming dignitaries to campus.
Arnaldo Rodriguez: Dedicated his career to assisting and guiding first-generation and economically disadvantaged students in higher education.
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