Station master—Ellen Talbo ‘03 is helping to figure out how pedestrians and bicyclists will access light rail stations on the Eastside, similar to this Sound Transit bus station in downtown Bellevue.

Ellen Talbo (Urban Studies ’03)

Urban Studies grad helps
ease Eastside commutes

Stuck on the road? Ellen Talbo is helping find solutions to Puget Sound’s traffic problems.

Ellen Talbo has a dirty little secret: She drives to work.

A minor transgression? Perhaps. But Talbo works on part of Sound Transit’s light rail project, a system being designed and built to one day ease traffic around Puget Sound.

“I’m part of my own congestion problem, really,” she laughs. “I should probably take the bus.”

Traffic congestion gets worse every year in Western Washington, and Talbo is at the heart of the effort to ease it. As a transportation planner for Bellevue engineering firm ch2m hill, she is currently helping to research and plan pedestrian and bicycle access to light rail stations on the Eastside.

“I like feeling as if I’m part of the solution to traffic congestion,” she said.

The Lakes High School graduate became interested in transportation while in the Urban Studies program at UW Tacoma. An article she read in class about Puget Sound traffic congestion sparked her curiosity.

“I started to wonder about the people in the room who make decisions about where traffic goes,” she said. “I wanted to get into that room. I believe that if you can solve transportation problems and shape the way people move around, you can really solve a lot of the problems associated with sprawl and land use.”

After earning her master’s degree in urban planning from SUNY Buffalo, Talbo returned to the Northwest and went to work as a planner for the City of Bonney Lake. After a short time, she took a new opportunity to work on transportation issues in the private sector.

Before a recent move to Seattle, she commuted from Tacoma to her job in Bellevue every day.

“It was a horrible commute,” she said. “I’d be stuck in traffic for two hours. I’d be sitting there thinking, ‘This is what’s keeping me employed, but why do we deal with long commutes?’”

Solutions to Puget Sound traffic congestion aren’t easy to find—but if public support and funding come through, it will be possible to ease traffic in the future, she said. The region’s geography limits the way transportation can function.

“It’s not like you have wide, flat corridors to build bypasses and highways all over the place,” she said. “The mountains and water limit what we can build. We need more options.”

When she’s not grappling with the region’s traffic problems, Talbo enjoys a unique hobby: taking photos of graffiti on freight trains. She used to work at the Museum of Glass and would watch trains pass from a secluded spot near the parking garage on Dock Street.

“I started to notice the drawings and words on the train cars,” she said. “Sometimes, the words or art were in French and I guessed they were coming from Canada. I’m fascinated by graffiti as a communication medium because I see it as a symbol of expression that’s born only out of an urban setting."

—Jill Carnell Danseco

Heather Morelli (IAS ’00)

Dreamweaver

College counselor helps students plot life course

Heather Morelli took the long, scenic route to her college and career goals. Now she sees to it that students at Curtis Senior High School, where she’s a college and career counselor, get the maps they need to reach their dreams without getting lost.

What next?—Heather Morelli helps students discern their future direction during a time of major growth and change.

“It’s a time in their lives when lots of change is happening, and it’s exciting to play a part in their future direction,” she says.

When she was their age, she followed her dream of working in the fashion industry. At 17, she left University Place for New York City, where she worked her way up to assistant buyer for The Limited, a national clothing chain for women.

“You’ve heard of ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ right? Well, it was difficult. I was working 14-hour days for low pay. Before I was 20, I was at a crossroads,” Morelli says.

So she quit, moving into a convent to save money, and took a job at a residential facility for adolescents. She liked the work and decided to study psychology at West Connecticut State University, eventually transferring to Northwestern Community College in New York.

College was a huge step for Morelli.

“I didn’t come from a family that was educated or that supported the idea of college for me,” she says.

When her grandfather became ill in 1997, she returned to Washington and enrolled at Pierce Community College.

In 1999, she entered UW Tacoma at age 26 while working as a para-educator in the Highline School District and in flower shops. At UW Tacoma, she won a Gary Locke Educators in Action Scholarship, which boosted her confidence in her academic strengths.

“I was shocked that I was able to complete my B.A. in two years. That was really the turning point for me. It got me excited. I saw that I could get a better job. More opportunities opened up for me,” she says.

Morelli went on to earn a vocational teaching certificate at Bates Technical College and worked for seven years as a counselor at Puget Sound Skills Center in Burien. Next came an M.A. in counseling and a guidance counselor certificate from City College.

In a sunny classroom filled with computers on long tables, she heads her own classroom and teaches high school students how to develop personal essays for college scholarships.

“They feel so much pressure. I try to make it simple,” she says.

Of the hundreds of students Morelli has advised, some have gone into the military, some to Ivy League schools, community colleges, beauty academy, and others to her alma mater in downtown Tacoma.

“I tell them, ‘If you can get a few successes, the rest comes to you,’” says Morelli. Worked for her.

—Sandra Sarr

Carly Absher (IAS ’07) is a disabilities services specialist at the University of Puget Sound. She and her husband, Kyle, have joyfully adopted Marcus, who just made the trip from Liberia to live with them and his new sister, Clair.

Carmela Amador-Brader (IAS ’04) is part of the construction division project management team at Washington State University. She is working toward a master’s degree in criminal justice and hopes to become a criminal investigator. She says: “No kids yet, just a giant dog named Otto.”

John Alexander (IAS ’06) recently completed his first semester of the MBA program at Colorado State University, and is still attempting to learn acoustic guitar, which has given him a better appreciation for music and a deeper understanding of patience. John represents the Master Builders Association of Pierce County for government and political affairs. His goal for 2008 is to help make housing more affordable for all income segments by positively influencing public policy. As a secondary goal, he hopes the Husky football team will win more games than they lose this year. He is excited to be a new member of the UW Tacoma Alumni Council and hopes to help strengthen alumni connections while promoting what he considers Washington’s best institute of higher learning. Based in downtown Tacoma, John is always available to alumni and students who are curious about opportunities in the local economy.

Kristin Bagby (IAS ’04) joined the U.S. Coast Guard after graduation and eventually graduated from Officer Candidate School. She is currently an ensign in Alexandria, Va., and serves in the Coast Guard’s Ceremonial Honor Guard, leading ceremonies at the White House, Pentagon, Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.

Donna Biederman (Nursing ’04, MN ’06) is program field manager for Family Partners for Health Study in the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Sarah Bostelle (MSW ’03) recently left Western State Hospital Center for Forensic Services and now works at Providence Hospital of Seattle. She’s living happily in Magnolia with her significant other.

Mary Bowlby (Liberal Studies ’99)
was recently named director of Tacoma Historical Society’s Exhibit Center.

Brittanya Bryant (Business ’05) is a certified public accountant for Ryan Jorgenson & Limoli, P.S., in Gig Harbor.

Mark Burns (Business ’05) is a financial advisor with Waddell & Reed. He says he enjoys the opportunity to help people while putting his degree to use. He is passionate about whitewater rafting, and says: “I spent 21 days rowing down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in Spring of 2007. I became engaged to be married on the second day of the trip.”

Leonardo de Oliveira (Business ’03) is a manager at Starbucks in Tacoma.

Seth Fisher (IAS ’07) is a commercial real estate broker specializing in leasing and sales in Gig Harbor.

Deanna (Miller) Frost (Business ’97) is assets protection group leader for Target Corporation in Lacey.

Missi Fry (Business ’07) just started a new job as a tax associate at RSM McGladrey.

Jane Gamble (IAS ’99) is in her second year as a Foreign Service Officer in Monterrey, Mexico. She works for the Department of State as a vice consul, adjudicating non-immigrant visas. She says: “The work is very interesting, and living abroad is always exciting, although Mexico is much less exotic than our first assignment in Chennai, India. Despite the glamour of the job and the cool diplomatic passport, I miss working on environmental issues. Our old UWT professor, David Secord, did a good job of inculcating the wonder of the natural world in my psyche!”

David Geoffrion (CSS ’07) is working for Expeditors International of Washington, a logistics company with headquarters in Seattle and branches worldwide.

Julie Harris (IAS ’07) is administrative specialist for Commander Navy Region Northwest, Fleet & Family Readiness.

David Hartley (IAS ’07) is currently in the Master of Arts in Teaching program at the University of Puget Sound. He is student teaching at Gig Harbor High School and expects to graduate in August.

Matthew Herrera (Urban Studies ’07) is an associate planner with the City of Federal Way’s Department of Community Development Services. Currently, he works on site planning and environmental review. This year, he will begin working on several of the city’s long-range planning tasks involving city code and comprehensive plan amendments.

Janet Hodson (Business ’01) became the assistant director of total compensation at Highline School District in October. Previously, she had worked in the human resources department at the Puyallup School District.

Terra Holmgren (MSW ’03) recently moved back to Tacoma from New York, where she worked for a community-based non-profit agency. She is now in her first year as an elementary school counselor with Tacoma Public Schools, and says: “It’s fun to be back in Washington!”

David Huang (Business ’04) expects to earn his Master of Business Administration degree in 2009 from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Donna Larsen (IAS ’07) is currently attending the Seattle University School of Law. She founded and is president of the school’s first Criminal Justice Society.

Dustin Lawrence (Urban Studies ’07) is a land use planner for the City of Tacoma. He is currently looking for a home to purchase in North Tacoma.

Tricia (Emery) Leigh (IAS ’06) is a client services manager at Sound
Financial Solutions.

William Loveless (MSW ’06) was recently named clinical director of Associated Behavioral Health, a multi-service agency in Bellevue dealing with mental health, chemical dependency and domestic violence issues. He lives in Bremerton.

Wade Maroney (IAS ’02) earned a degree in Secondary Social Studies from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2006. He is currently a substitute teacher in the Fargo and West Fargo public school districts.

Lawrence Mayfield (Business ’04) is manager for development services and online applications at Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) in Kent.

Susan McCook (IAS ’05) is working at the YWCA, which provides services to victims of domestic violence. She is getting married this summer.

Christopher Orgeles (Business ’04) is a management analyst for the City of Tacoma.

Whitney Rhodes (IAS ’07) has become a mainstay at Exit133.com, the Tacoma Web site and blog with current news on politics, business and issues of interest to Tacoma’s citizens. Whitney writes entries for the blog, takes photographs and handles advertising.

MerrieLynn Rice (BSN ’96) is supervisor of Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Nurse-Family Partnership program, an evidence-based home visit program for first-time, low-income moms. She is also coordinator of the Pierce County Breastfeeding Alliance, a networking group committed to increasing the incidence and duration of breastfeeding in Pierce County.

Liane Rowson (Business ’07) is an audit associate at McGladrey & Pullen in Tacoma.

Ziad Salloum (Business ’02) is business relationship manager at Wells Fargo Bank in downtown Tacoma. He purchased his first home in Puyallup this summer.

Dianne Schoenberg (Computer Science ’02) works for California’s top-ranked Internet service provider, where she leads a team that is revamping the company’s customer-facing software applications.

Linda Schoonmaker (MBA ’06) is serving a one-year appointment as interim vice chancellor for finance and budget at Clover Park Technical College.

Shaun Serena (Business ’06) is a financial adviser/stockbroker for Morgan Stanley in Bellevue.

Barbara Serry (Urbans Studies ’07) is an assistant planner for the City of Sumner.

Joe Smith Jr. (IAS ’03) is currently stationed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, on a six-month rotation with Third Army usarcent and getting ready to return home.

Almost famous—Lance Armstrong and Robin Williams (non-UW Tacoma alumni) and Joe Smith Jr. (IAS ’03)—standing to the right of the man in the blue shirt—mug for the camera with other soldiers and celebrities at a USO concert. Seated in front of Smith Jr., left to right, are Miss USA 2007, Rachel Smith; comedian Lewis Black; Tour de France champion Armstrong; comedian Williams and rap musician Kid Rock. Photograph courtesy of Joe Smith Jr.

“Six months does not sounds like much when you consider that many of my fellow soldiers have been deployed for 18 months on a single rotation,” he says. “However, when I deployed here to Kuwait I had only been back from a yearlong deployment to Iraq for seven months. By the end of my tour here I will have been deployed 18 out of the last 25 months…. I am ready to come home now and spend the next year with my wife and family. I wish all of the alumni, professors and currents students of UW a safe and prosperous year.”

Sonjia Smith (Business ’02) works at Ernst & Young LLP.

Carol Stephenson (Social Work ’06, MSW ’07) is a medical social worker at the Seattle Veterans Affairs Health Care System. She recently returned to Western Washington after a brief stay in Spokane. She says: “I consider myself fortunate to be working with our veterans and to be a part of such an excellent and professional social work department.”

Bumil Suh (CSS ’05) is associate director of IT and enterprise systems architect at Charles River Laboratories, a clinical resource organization that works with biotech companies and known pharmaceuticals.

Jason Thomsen (Business ’95) is director of corporate partnerships for the Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Club. He says: “In December of 2008 we are going to open the new Kent Events Center. This is a very exciting time for the organization as we are not only moving into our own facility, but we are also helping create a new venue for families to enjoy a wide variety of entertainment options in the South Puget Sound. I am very excited, because with my role in the organization and the Events Center, I am able to help companies of all sizes grow their business in a fun, unique and cost-effective way.”

Howard “Max” Tritt (IAS ’03) is currently studying temporal changes in coral reef fish communities at Biscayne National Park in Florida. He was recently accepted into the Master of Science in Environmental Studies program at Florida International University.

Kate van Gelder (MAIAS ’07) is a communications analyst for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which is known as “the investigative arm of Congress” and “the congressional watchdog” because it provides oversight of federal programs. She is based in the Seattle field office.

Lynna Wallace (Business ’07) is a promotions assistant at Entercom Radio in Seattle.

Adam Weng (MBA ’04) started the Juris Doctorate program at Seattle University in 2007. He says: “The excellent MBA education I received at UWT continues to serve me well at the Boeing Company.”

Shawnessy Westcott (IAS ’01) was recently promoted to assistant director of admissions at California Western School of Law in San Diego. Previously, she was an admissions adviser and recruiter for UW Tacoma.

Melina (Hurst) Young (Business ’07) is an assistant adviser at JayRay in Tacoma. She loves her job creating campaigns, logos, Web sites and other consulting work for her clients. She and her husband, Jason, were married in October on a gondola at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. She says: “Jason’s 3-year-old son, Braeden, was on the boat with us, and we had about 35 guests come from all over to see it. It was a beautiful wedding!”

marriages

Melina (Hurst) Young (Business ’07) and Jason Young, Oct. 8, 2007, in Las Vegas.  

births

To Sarah Kimsey (IAS ’04) and her husband, Tim, a girl, Evan Elizabeth, Nov. 16, 2006.