Classmate Profiles
To upload your "Classmate Profile," please click on the "Register" button below.
Note: "Registering" on this site does not commit you to attending the reunion.
Once registered, your profile will be appear in the classmates list on the website. We will upload a "Then" photo of you from the yearbook (if it exists).
Classmates can message you through your profile on the site, and your general location will be shown on the "Where Are They Now" map.
We'll also be able to send you updates to keep you updated on all reunion happenings.
Genie (Eugenia) Ogden
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | I got a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies at the UW Madison. I worked at many part time jobs. At the DNR, for the Madison Parks Dept., at University Square 4 Theaters, for the US Census, and more. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | My husband, Mitch Nussbaum and I have 2 beautiful daughters, Anna and Alice. They both went to West, and to the UW. Both live and work in Madison. When my older daughter was at West, she had the same Spanish teacher that I did, Señor Zintel. At a parent-teacher conference he looked at me and said he'd been teaching too long. |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | Mostly bird watching. I was protesting at the Capitol while Scott Walker was governor and was arrested several times - for holding signs, etc. |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | Traveling would be nice. |
Carol Olson (Smith)
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | I originally wanted to be a teacher or social worker, but it was the early 70's so thought I had to reach for a less-traditional profession. I eventually settled on economics, as that was the language needed to save the Kickapoo River from the dam proposed by the Corps of Engineers. So - BA-Economics and MA-Agricultural & Natural Resource Economics from UW-Madison. I worked in that field for 5 years. Then I stayed home with kids when they were young and worked part-time as an editor/technical writer and volunteered a lot. In 1991 I started and incorporated the Baraboo Community Food Pantry. Later worked as a hospice volunteer coordinator and bereavement specialist. Started Interfaith Volunteer Network (neighbors-helping-neighbors program and volunteer center) and served as its director. Then spent the bulk of my work life in various capacities for the Alzheimer's Association of SC Wisconsin that broke off to become the Alzheimer's & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin. I loved giving educational programs, facilitating support groups, working with caregivers and persons with dementia, and especially starting up the first Memory Cafes in Wisconsin. I still volunteer for this organization and also participate in Alzheimer's research studies through the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. So - ended up teaching/'social-working' after all. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | Married my best friend, Kevin Olson, in 1981 (and I don't hold it against him that he graduated from East). We have lived in Madison, Tucson, Milwaukee, Brown Deer and then just outside of Baraboo, WI where our two sons spent most of their growing-up years. They have also lived all over, but now both live in the Chicago area with their partners and our grand-dogs. |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | We're living the good life on a couple of acres near Baraboo. Hobbies include hiking, white-water canoeing, canoe-camping, vegetable-herb-native plant gardening, healthy cooking, reading, photography, birding, traveling the USA while camping out of the back of our truck, various creative endeavors and too much Netflix/Amazon watching. We also spend considerable time assisting older relatives with dementia and volunteering for numerous organizations (chief election inspector for our township, chair of Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter River-Touring-Section, food pantry and climate change organization volunteer ...) |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | Hmmm. I've always admired people who aged gracefully and without complaint; who could let go of small things and accept needed changes; who kept their priorities straight; laughed easily and often; cared for others as well as the planet, and who maintained their sense of curiosity and wonder. So maybe it's about time I....... lined up some of those people to care for Kevin and me when we're stubborn, feisty old curmudgeons who can no longer care for ourselves. :) |
John Osteraas
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | After dropping out of West twice, I ended up with a degree in Civil Engineering from UW, then Masters and eventually PhD from Stanford in earthquake engineering. Worked in Madison for a while then moved to CA to join a forensic engineering firm as a structural engineer studying damaged and collapsed buildings. Served as a volunteer structural engineer / guardian angel for 20 years with FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue program keeping rescue teams safe while they work in collapsed buildings. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | Married Erika Dykman in 1976 (separated). Two kids - Nicholas 41, an MD in Chicago and Sarah 38 working with social skills firm, both of whom are doing very well. No grandkids as yet )-: |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | Coming up on 40 years living in Palo Alto CA and still working at same company: Failure Analysis Associates. Built a few houses along the way including Jon Harlow's in Barneveld, one purchased by Janice Wexler in Madison, and another where I currently reside in California. If you are curious about my current photo, that's my head photoshopped onto photo from Episode VII, the meta theme of which is passing the torch to the next generation. The photo is of a scene where Han passes his blaster to Rey with a bit of advice. The photo hangs outside my office and reflects my 5 year plan which is to pass along my hard won wisdom to the next generation of engineers. Hobbies include whitewater kayaking, photography, remodeling, and woodworking. |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | Bucket list? To find the answer the last question posed to me by my dissertation advisor as he was dying of brain cancer: John, are you living the life you want to live? If not, you better start - there is not much time... |
Erika Osteraas (Dykman)
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | As far as education, I got my undergraduate degree in Organizational Behavior and then my Master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco and worked mostly in trauma settings. I then stopped, took a breather, and started doing art- painting and then photography- which I've continued to this day. In-between all that I remodeled houses with my husband, John, and raised two great kids. I am definitely retired. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | I have two great kids; my son Nick is a doc in Chicago, and my daughter, Sarah, works for Social Thinking, in San Jose. Nick is married to a Brazilian woman, Sarah has a partner as well. I don't see them often enough, especially in the last few years. If I do go to the reunion I'll stop in Chicago and see my son and crash in my sister's extra bedroom in Madison. All my siblings still live in Madison. |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | My husband and I moved to CA in 1976, then back to Madison, then back to CA (I can't stay away!)for the foreseeable future. John and I have been separated for many years but are friends- meeting at West at 15 years old made it impossible not to be. I recently moved to Redwood City, 8 miles from Palo Alto where I lived and raised my kids for many years. I love my little 1928 Spanish Revival house and my hilly neighborhood. The Bay Area has much to offer besides earthquakes, fires, and traffic...weather, for instance. Can't beat it! As far as hobbies: I'm a social dancer...ballroom, salsa Rueda, anything, I love it all. I'm also a traveler; I am leaving for a month to Australia, NZ, and Tasmania next February. I got back, on February 14, 2020, from Easter Island, Chile, and Antarctica just in time for Covid lockdown- Covid has put a big crimp in my dancing and travel. |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | Plans for the future...hoping to find someone to connect with, dance with, travel with, have fun and adventures with. But in case I don't, I do have my cat, who is a great companion, and I have some great women friends who I share my lefty politics and actions with. I've been a lot of places in the world; I've saved Paris for my old age (we're not there yet, right?) but I've climbed in pyramids, been everywhere in S.E. Asia, I loved Kenya and Bali, was pretty blown away by China. Greenland was one of my favorites and the polar bears in Alaska and penguins in Antarctica were another experience altogether. Looking forward to the Galapagos, the Amazon, Machu Picchu environs, and my daughter-in-law's Brazil as well as calmer visits to Europe. |
Dave Otterson
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | Verona Area School District music educator for 35 years. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | Married, no children |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | Retired! Living in Whitewater. Camping, fishing, curling, golf, cruising the lake, the pets and traveling whenever possible. |
Sally Pace (Gehl)
Nito Panganiban
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | B.S. Bacteriology UW - Madison PhD. Microbiology and Immunology U. Washington - Seattle Prof - McArdle Lab, UW, then U of New Mexico, and now Tulane University founder - vAIrus, LLC - company uses AI to develop therapeutics against emerging viruses |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | Married to April Panganiban Still raising teenagers. friends in all four of my homes - Madison, Seattle, NM, and LA (and other places of course) |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | On the faculty at Tulane U. Working on emerging RNA viruses and working on my start up company. hobbies: - hiking and mountaneering (yes, even though I live in LA) - group ex - body combat, etc. - racquetball and squash - music and art scene in NOLA travels - a lot but mostly work-related |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | keep on keeping on |
Marlene Pankow
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | Multiple jobs but the longest involved with either horse training stables or horse breed associations. (I haven't changed my gender nor identity but have gone by the nickname of "Marc" for most of my life.) No raised eyebrows please...it's a long story. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | Never married, no kids other than multiple 4 legged ones over the years. Went from Wisconsin to Arizona to Oklahoma to California to Texas and back to Oklahoma. Finally comfortable being called an Okie, but would prefer living in Arizona or New Mexico. |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | Still working, since 2004, for the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City OK. (The Fair happens every year (except 2020) in September. Currently planning on retiring in 2024 but maybe not...love my job though it gets beyond crazy July - October inclusive so may not be able to make 2022 reunion. |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | Hope to spend more time while I'm still physically capable (and blessed) to work with horses. I've been blessed to be able to travel extensively while showing horses years ago so 'don't need to do much more traveling. LOVE New Mexico and would love to visit there more often. |
Sherry Pender Auker (Guimond)
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | Attended UW-Madison for 2 yrs. (Physical Therapy major) while working part-time at University Hospitals. Myself and good friend and classmate Debbie Clarke decided to take a year off in California where we had visited the summer of 1971. We landed in Santa Monica. I walked down the street on Ocean Ave., entered the Bank of California in the Lawrence Welk building with my college transcripts in hand, and that was the beginning of my banking career. Enjoyed a 40+ yr. career in commercial banking, taking advantage of employer paid training over the years including graduating from California Intermediate Banking School at University of San Diego and Pacific Coast Banking School at University of Washington. I specialized in Credit Risk Management. My expertise was in commercial loan workout negotiations, analytical credit review and risk assessment, collateral liquidation, foreclosure, litigation and bankruptcy. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | I met Karl Auker who moved in across the street from me in 2009 who I knew of for over 20 yrs. through church. He would come to be the love of my life and we married in 2016. I have 3 kids, Brad - 37, Jacklyn - 35 and Deidra - 33, one grandson - 2 and a granddaughter - 1. My son and his wife are expecting their first child in July. Karl passed away at home in October 2020 from cancer and my Dad passed away at home in April 2021. The last few years have been challenging. |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | I have lived in San Ramon, CA (San Francisco Bay Area)since 1986. My goal was to retire at 62 which I did in April of 2016. It afforded me more time for international travel which I love. Enjoy being with my family and friends, walking, hiking, playing pickle ball, the Theatre and involvement in non-profit activities. I am a passionate reader. (Never want to stop learning). But, my most precious time is with my grandkids. |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | Travel. Have a trip planned this year with my daughter Deidra to the Swiss and Bavarian Alps that includes the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany. Also want to travel to reconnect in person with longtime friends I have not been able to for some time. |
Bob (Bear) Phillips
| Work life? (e.g., education, first job, occupation): | I spent the first part of my career out in San Jose California where I met Carla, I married and had a son and then move back to Madison in 1988. |
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| Family life? (e.g., spouse, kids/grandkids, friends, places lived): | Came back to Mad town, then adopted a daughter from Kerala India: Nimi is now 21 here in Madison, and Robby (now Rob) 27 about to launch his career as a veterinarian graduating from the UW Madison. |
| Doing today? (e.g., where do you live, working or retired, hobbies, travels): | Retired now: I worked an amazing job at Trader Joe’s managing from 2006-2011, then became a crew member from 2011-2020. Great company! Love their vibe. I remarried an amazing woman-Megan Caldwell Brown, she’s a practicing veterinarian at Whole Pet. We have three horses, two donkeys and a dog, five cats and five chickens: Farmer Bob now! People say I look like Howie Long or George Clooney. Ask Bob Lucas. Loving life~ |
| Bucket list? (e.g., plans for the future, travel): | I’d like to travel to Spain, Australia, and visit the North East part of the United States, as I’ve never been there. Looking back........Best job I ever had was”Bodega Bob” managing #64 unit Best Western hotel on the coast of CA. |