Alumni News
In the Groups and War lab many people have come and gone, but their research and contributions are well remembered at the University of Oregon. From time to time we like to follow up with our friends who have dedicated time and research in the lab and see how and what they are doing. Some have moved on to new research at universities around the world and others have taken on careers and involvement with a variety of organizations. Here are some updates from past team members of the Groups and War Lab:
Barb Carini has since moved on from the University of Oregon where she conducted research with the Small Groups Lab to enjoy a successful career as a Clinical Programmer (aka Statistical Programmer) in the Pharmaceutical/Biotech Industry. As a former statistics instructor at the U of O she was well prepared for her roles in providing her employer, PRA International, prepare data for submission to the FDA. Barb tells us that lately her work consists of “programming using SAS for creating datasets, tabulations, analyses, and figures for FDA submissions”. She also spends her time mentoring and overseeing the work of other Clinical Programmers. In reminiscing over her years at the U of O she says, “Holly’s great! I loved working with her, and I learned so much from her during my years at the U of O. She’s the one who encouraged me to continue with SAS Programming; so, in a way, I have Holly to thank for my 13 years of employment after the U of O… She’s the best.” We are so excited to hear the good news from Barb and wish her continues success, keep in touch Barb!
Curtis Suver and his wife Mattie currently reside in Colorado Springs where they spend much of their time running and enjoying the mountains and sunshine of Colorado while working with the American Distance Project. Curtis now works as a recruiter for the financial advising firm Waddell & Reed, in addition to working as a Sales Manager for Roll Recovery selling equipment that helps athletes recover faster from their workouts. Curtis and Mattie travel a ton, and have taken their running worldwide where most recently they took on the World XC Championships in Poland. The Groups and War Lab is so excited for Curtis and Mattie cheering them on and wishing them the very best wherever they may run.
Santiago García completed his BA with Honors at the University of Oregon under the supervision of Holly researching the perception of diversity within ethnically mixed groups. He went on to complete his M.S. in Decision Making at the U of O under the supervision of Dr. Ellen Peters and Dr. Paul Slovic. Since completing his graduate studies in 2006, Santiago moved back to Brussels where he headed up the External Relations Department at one of the international colleges there. He continued work in higher education in Berlin before deciding to embark on a PhD in Decision making at Leeds University Business School in the United Kingdom. Santiago says he “remembers very fondly his time at the UO, and the very good friends and colleagues he made during his time there”. We too remember Santiago fondly and wish him the very best in his educational pursuits, keep in touch friend.
James Brains has found his niche right here in Eugene where he is now the Executive Director of Public Relations for the Men’s Roller Derby Association, an international governing body for men’s roller derby. James also actively participates in roller derby for the Lane County Concussion.
Though Scott Crosson has moved on from the Groups and War Lab at the University of Oregon, he says that he still engages in small group research. After completing his PhD in Political Science at the University of Oregon, Scott has moved on from studying people to studying fish where in his job as an economist he researches the management of small scale and artisanal fisheries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Thanks for the update Scott, keep in touch.
Dan Jaster is currently a PhD student in the Sociology Department at the University of Texas Austin researching agrarian social movements, or as he puts it “angry, protesting farmers”. More specifically Dan is looking closer at how identity plays into these movements. While he is still feeling out the field of sociology, he credits his experiences with Holly and the Groups and War Lab as helping out with his transition to a new discipline and remembers how much fun he had in the lab. We are excited about Dan’s studies and look forward to more updates as he progresses in his research. Thanks Dan.
Jasmine Lam sends us updates from the wonderful city of Hong Kong where she is working as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology at the University of Hong Kong. She also works part time as a Data Analyst for the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University. Jasmine misses the Groups and War Lab here at the U of O, and we miss her too, but we are excited for Jasmine and love the update from her in Hong Kong and wish her the very best!
The Groups and War Lab is excited to hear about all of the wonderful accomplishments of our alumni and are grateful for the updates and continued communications. Just as we cheer on our friends and former team members out there, we are thankful for their support and encouragement given to current members of the lab. We look welcome updates from anyone who has collaborated with the lab in the past and wish each and everyone the very best!