The Duck Stops Here: University of Oregon

Today we are joined by Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando, who has spent nearly 30 years studying elephant conservation and is a worldwide expert on the topic. He earned both his Master's and PhD degrees at the UO where he was also a postdoctoral researcher. We are also joined by current UO PhD candidate Herve Memiaghe. His dissertation focuses on farming and elephant conservation in Gabon. Katie Jo Walter...

Everybody knows that owning a small business isn’t easy. But try owning a brand new small business in downtown Portland during a pandemic, in the middle of looting and lawlessness, when most other business on the block have shut down for good. Today's guest is Jordan Carter (BS, Business Administration, 2014), one of the co-owners of Produce Portland. It’s a Collective of Portland natives, running...

Today we welcome two alumni who both work at Pixar Animation Studios. Greg Snyder graduated from the Telecommunications program back in 1992, right when the entertainment industry was about to have an animation boom. Today he’s a film editor and has worked on films like Coco, Monsters Inc., and Toy Story 3 and 4 (to name just a few). We will also be talking to Maura Turner, who graduated from...

Today on World Teachers’ Day we are joined by Sri Lanka’s Head of Parliament and Minister of Education, Dinesh Gunawardena. The Honorable Minister earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration at the UO in 1972. We are extremely lucky to have him here to talk to us about his nearly five-decade career in politics and public service and how his time in the U.S. contributed to his journey. Joining i...

Deborah Larkin, former CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation, has dedicated her life to promoting gender equity within sports. As part of her work, she has strongly advocated for Title IX compliance and for the increase of female participation in the Olympic movement. She’s served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and she’s even testified before Congress about gender equity...

Today’s guest is the Jana Schmieding, the breakout star and a writer on NBC Peacocks’ sitcom, Rutherford Falls. Jana is a member of the Lakota tribe and is a comedian, actress, podcaster, and writer. She graduated from the university with a degree in theatre arts in 2005. In this episode, Jana speaks will fellow alumna Tahira Hayes, BA '05 (journalism), who is the host of the Tall Hungry Girl Talk...

Dr. Phyllis Yes never imagined that there would be a movie based on her life story. She’s a Portland based artist who wrote a play about what it was like caring for her elderly parents from afar, and the uncomfortable family dynamics around end-of-life issues. The play, Good Morning Miss America, resonated with audiences across the country and is about to be made into a movie starring Ed Asner. Dr...

Today’s guests are both former student athletes who went on to make names for themselves as entrepreneurs. George Wrighster ‘02 is a former Oregon tight end who later played in the NFL. If his voice sounds familiar, it’s because he hosts Night Cap on Mad Dog Sports Radio and he’s a co-host on Fox Sports Radio. He’s also the creator and host of a sports podcast called the Unafraid Show. As a profes...

It took a high school history class for Rob Aigner (BS Journalism ’86) to learn an important lesson about his own family — his father had survived World War II’s most notorious concentration camps, and his mother narrowly escaped a Nazi firing squad. Hear how his parents went from never talking about their experiences, to outspoken advocates who helped build a Holocaust memorial and Jewish museum...

We’ve all watched those Hollywood red carpet awards ceremonies on TV, but today’s guest knows what it’s like behind the scenes. Deva Kehoe ('00, BA, Electronic Media Production) is the Senior Vice President of Talent Relations, Events and Promotions at Showtime, and she’s overseen publicity and events critical to the success of numerous Oscar® winning movies and award-winning shows. She grew up in...

Jenelle Riley, Deputy Awards and Features Editor at Variety, will be  giving us a taste of her Emmy-winning interview skills when she joins the podcast to speak with actor and comedian Ty Burrell. Ty is best  known for his role as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family and is currently  playing the role of Jack on the animated sitcom Duncanville, which  returns to Fox for its second seas...

Today’s guest, Darren Spicer BS ’08 (Business Administration and Management), is poised to give coffee giants like Starbucks a run for their money. He’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Clutch Coffee Bar – a franchise that started in North Carolina and is rapidly expanding throughout the South. He’s here to talk to us about his journey growing up in Roseburg, studying business and the UO and then pursuin...

Theater studies alum Mocean Melvin reveals the secrets to a successful voice acting career and talks about how technology has transformed the industry. We'll also hear how he took advantage of voice classes at UO, faked his way into an internship, and broke into the Hollywood scene. You might recognize Mocean's voice from the many national commercials, documentaries, and promos for TV and film. An...

Today’s guest is the legendary filmmaker, James Ivory. He’s been nominated for four Academy awards, three times for best director, and in 2017 he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for the movie Call Me By Your Name. Ismael Merchant was his partner in filmmaking and in life, and together they founded Merchant Ivory Productions which created 44 films. Merchant Ivory isn’t just the name of th...

Today’s guest had a front-row seat to the rise of UO Athletics. He’s dedicated his career to helping former student athletes with the often difficult transition from the playing field to the workforce. During his 18 years working with the Athletics Department, Jeff Eberhart (BA Public Relations ’91) rose up through the ranks to the role of Asst. Dir. of Football Recruiting under Head Coach Mike Be...

We are joined by Daniel Wu, BArch '97, whose work as an actor, director, and producer spans over 20 years and two continents. With over a quarter of a million Twitter followers and 9 million followers on the Chinese social media app Weibo, Daniel Wu is one of Asia's most recognizable actors. He has acted in over 40 films as well as in the AMC television series, "Into the Badlands". In mainland Chi...

Sally Bergesen ‘92, set out to build a different kind of company – one that believes in activism and encourages audacity. And that’s exactly what she’s done with Oiselle. She makes premium women's athletic apparel, sponsors pro runners, and cheers on athletes of all paces. Sally believes in the transformative power of running and has a passion for finding ways to make the sport more inclusive and...

RoseMarie Beatty, BA ’92 (public relations), is the lead donor for the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center Scholarship Fund, and her gift will create 16 scholarships ranging from $750 to $5,000. The University of Oregon is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to match RoseMarie’s gift here https://duckfunder.uoregon.edu/project/24548 RoseMarie graduated in ’92 with a Bachelor’s in Jo...

Steven E. Belhumeur, BS political science '96, is a longtime labor and political strategist and the Executive Director of a large labor union in Los Angeles. Belhumeur has been working and organizing in labor for over twenty years, including as an Elected Union Officer, Organizer, Business Agent, and as a Delegate to the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Before joining EAA, Belhumeur worked...

Super Bowl champ, Spencer Paysinger ‘10 has a hit show that’s based on his life story. “All American” held the #1 spot on Netflix earlier this year, beating out every other movie and TV show on the streaming service. It’s been renewed for a third season, which will debut on January 18, 2021, on CW Streaming. Former Oregon Ducks defensive back Isaac Walker ’00 is the guest host for today’s podcast....

Jeff Whitty ‘93 won a Tony Award for writing the controversial, hit musical Avenue Q. Most recently, he wrote the screenplay for the movie Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which earned him an Academy Award nomination in 2019. Jeff is here to speak with us about his journey from Eugene to Broadway, and from Broadway to Hollywood. He’ll also reveal a few rules of storytelling and give us a glimpse at what...

There’s a whole generation that doesn’t know a world without “The Bachelor,” according to our guest Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch (BS Journalism ’79). She should know. It’s a world she helped create, as a top development executive at Warner Bros. and Disney. She’s her own boss now, at the Los Angeles-based production company “44 Blue” that she started with her husband. Together, they’ve produced s...