Seven new Pamplin Scholars named

Fellows blend traits including intellectual talent and personal integrity

Posted January 30, 2005

(Portland, Ore.)—Seven sophomores at Lewis & Clark College have been selected to join the Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Society of Fellows.

“Pamplin Society members reflect and inspire the college community as a whole,” said Tom Hochstettler, president of Lewis & Clark. “Each brings to the society and to Lewis & Clark high ideals and proven abilities as well as an exceptional blend of intellectual talent, personal integrity, adherence to physical fitness and the willingness to assume leadership roles now and in the future.”

Founded in 1993, the society includes 21 current students and more than 70 alumni. Membership is extended to seven students each year as they begin their second year at Lewis & Clark. Upon graduation, fellows maintain their membership for life. Four endowed professors are also members of the society: Stephen Dow Beckham, Pamplin Professor of History; Janis Lochner Pamplin Professor of Science; Curtis Johnson, Pamplin Professor of Government; and Arthur O’Sullivan, Pamplin Professor of Economics. As teaching scholars distinguished by sustained achievements in their disciplines and committed service to both academic and broader communities, they exercise leadership and use their talents to the fullest.

Erin Currie, from Seattle, Wash., is a biology major. She serves as a peer tutor and is a member of a research team led by Greg Hermann, associate professor of biology. Currie is active in theatre as an actor and a costume designer. During summer 2004, she interned at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in Seattle and also designed costumes for two productions at Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Tigard, Ore. Currie is an active participant in many campus events and enjoys dancing, bicycling, snowboarding and hiking.

Jillian (Jill) DeCoursey, from Oak Park, Ill., is an art history major, with a minor in mathematics. She enjoys diverse classes, ranging from religious studies to physics. Brought up in a pacifist tradition, DeCoursey strives for justice and sustainability in her own life as well as in the greater community. She is an active member of Students Engaged in Eco Defense, or SEED, and was one of three students who represented Lewis & Clark at a climate change convention at Harvard University last year. She is an artist, musician, runner and former varsity badminton player.

Chelsea Heveran, from Talent, Ore., is a biology major, with a minor in chemistry. Heveran's goal is to research the brain, behavior, and degenerative diseases. She works as an assistant to Yueping Zhang, assistant professor of psychology, in the college's neurological laboratory. Heveran has been a member of the Lewis & Clark Wind Ensemble and served as a tour guide for the Office of Admissions. She plays guitar and trains Poekoelan, an Indonesian martial art. She is active in the community as a volunteer for Start Making a Reader Today, as a counselor at a summer camp for talented and gifted middle school students, and as a math tutor for middle and high school students.

Jessica Jobanek, from Eugene, Ore., is a double major in Hispanic studies and religious studies. She is concerned about social justice issues and is active in several Spanish-speaking immigrant community organizations in the Willamette Valley. Her ongoing involvement with migrant farm workers and with the local chapter of Amnesty International has solidified her plan to focus on Latin American liberation theology. Jobanek directs the bell choir at her church and is a member of Lewis & Clark’s bell choir. She serves on her church Board of Christian Education and cofounded the Lewis & Clark chapter of College Democrats. She commutes to campus on her bicycle during the summer and lifts weights year-round.

Emily McCartan, from Olympia, Wash., is a political science major. She combines her major with an interest in religious studies as a way to learn about her ties and responsibilities to the world. McCartan volunteers for Start Making A Reader Today in one of Portland’s elementary schools. She balances academic studies and public service with ballet, Irish, and folk dancing.

Andrew Merrell, from Anchorage, Alaska, is a double major in biology and environmental studies. He hopes to focus his life’s work on issues of sustainability and conservation. He is a member of the swim team and understands that he must balance his academic and athletic pursuits. Merrell tutors in biology and chemistry. He is active in the community as a volunteer for a number of projects including trail improvement, Habitat for Humanity, and helping to provide food to the hungry through such groups as Potluck in the Park in Portland and Bean’s Café in Anchorage.

Melia Tichenor, from Albany, Calif., is a double major in French language and psychology. She is interested in social, community and developmental psychology, which would prove invaluable when working for a nonprofit or for-profit organization dedicated to advancing equality and human rights. Her commitment to service has focused on such groups as the International Students of Lewis & Clark, United Sexualities, the Alternative Spring Break program working with the homeless and low-income AIDS and HIV-positive population living on the streets of San Francisco, and the Rural Immersion Program in La Grande, Ore. She enjoys running, swimming and dancing.

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For more information, please contact:
Tania Thompson
Senior Communications Officer
503-768-7961
taniat@lclark.edu