BELLINGHAM — Two North Olympic Peninsula high school alumni have been named outstanding graduates by Western Washington University for the 2014-15 academic year.
Alastair Duncan, 28, of Sequim was named outstanding graduate of the Department of Decision Sciences and Kodiak Murphy, of Quilcene was named outstanding graduate in physics and astronomy.
“It certainly is a great honor to be recognized for my efforts during my time at Western,” Duncan said.
“I feel as though the department has given so much back to me in return for those efforts.”
Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Western in June with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration with a concentration in management information systems.
Duncan graduated from Sequim High School in 2005.
He is the son of Bob and Mary Jane Duncan.
Murphy graduated magna cum laude from Western in June with a bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics.
Murphy is a graduate of Quilcene High School and Olympic College and the son of Debbi Gottschalk.
Faculty members from dozens of academic departments and programs selected one graduate to honor as the outstanding graduate of the year.
Selection is a high honor based on grades, research and writing, service to the campus and community, and promise for the future, school officials said.
There were 44 graduates chosen for the honor from the various departments this year.
A third Peninsula student attending Western also has earned honors at Western.
Jasmine Lightning McMullin of Sequim received a Hazel Lowrey Anderson Scholarship for the 2015-16 academic year.
McMullin is a junior at Western majoring in elementary education and English literature.
She graduated from Sequim High School in 2013.
Her parents are Jane Liu and the late Brian Lee McMullin.
The Hazel Lowrey Anderson Scholarship is for students who are third-year elementary education majors and who are in the upper one-third of the class.
During his time at Western, Duncan worked closely with his faculty mentor, senior instructor Kraig Pencil, to restructure management information systems classes, writing assignments and recording lectures to be posted online.
His involvement at Western included his membership of Beta Gamma Sigma and the Management Information Systems Association.
He also was also appointed to Management Information Systems’ IT Leadership team.
“I worked with this team to develop a relationship with the Seattle Society for Information Management in an effort to get IT executives to come speak at Western and network with students,” he said.
He interned for Moxi Works in Seattle and continued to work remotely with the company while completing his studies.
Post-graduation, Duncan will work in the Technical Development Program at Liberty Mutual Insurance.
“I will be working in downtown Seattle,” he said. “I am currently in New Hampshire for training and orientation.”
Duncan encourages “anyone graduating from high school on the peninsula to consider Business IT as a career path,” he said.
“There is an incredible amount of jobs and opportunities to be had right now.”
Murphy spent three years working in the lab of Janelle Leger, associate professor of physics and astronomy, making significant research contributions and presenting results at national conferences.
He also was active in outreach, diversity and community-building across STEM disciplines, notably through his work with the Physics Club, the Women in Physics club and the Society for the Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.
He also was a teaching assistant in physics and the recipient of the Oscar Edwin Olson and James and Joann Albers scholarships.
Next, he’ll attend the University of California, Berkeley, to begin a doctoral program in physics, where he will conduct research in atomic, molecular and optical physics.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
