Previous Dennis Stovall Award Winners
2023—Karina Agbisit
Karina Agbisit embodies the collaborative, intentional, and inclusive spirit of the Book Publishing program, exemplified through her leadership as the Ooligan Project Manager of Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley (THWV). Karina is a clear communicator, a thorough and thoughtful editor, and an advocate for social justice and inclusivity in book publishing. She sought grant support for THWV and applied her research skills to Latinx-owned children's publishers. Karina represents the mission of the program and is an all-around exemplary book publishing professional.
2022—Alexandra Magel, Luis Ramos, and Megan Jessop
Alexandra Magel exemplifies breadth and depth in book publishing through her deep skills in metadata, marketing, and design but also a profound understanding of how all of the different pieces and parts of publishing work together to create a larger whole. She thrived as the Ooligan Publisher’s Assistant, where no task was too big or too mundane. From aiding reader discovery to designing book interiors to researching book cover durability, Alexandra represents the mission of the book publishing program.
Luis Soto Ramos embodies the collaborative spirit of the Book Publishing program as a leader who guides his team through mentorship. He is the Ooligan Project Manager of Love, Dance & Egg Rolls and has strategically and clearly shaped the vision for the book’s brand. Luis demonstrated stellar skills in design, marketing, and leadership.
Megan Jessop is a tenacious, persistent, and consistent publishing professional who had exceptional growth in the book publishing program, particularly excelling in developmental editing and marketing. In advocating for social justice in the industry, Megan led by example, through research on book deserts and acquisitions practices. She is an all-around exemplar in book publishing.
2021—Grace Hansen and Cole Bowman
Grace Hansen excels as an Ooligan manager, marketer, and editor. In the Fall of 2020, she led the Ooligan book, Laurel, Everywhere through the first planned virtual launch event during COVID. Grace is also a Graduate Assistant in Book Publishing, where she has been instrumental in planning the program's 20th-anniversary events, communicating with alumni, and managing the website redesign. From innovating in the Ooligan project manager or Graduate Assistant roles to developing research about the gender gap in book publishing, Grace is an all-around exemplar of the Book Publishing program's mission.
Cole Bowman, a dual-degree graduate student in English as well as Book Publishing, is a prolific leader, editor, designer, and marketer at Ooligan Press. Cole Bowman embodies the collaborative spirit of the Book Publishing program; their mentorship and guidance has benefited the members of their Ooligan project team. In advocating for social justice in the industry, Cole leads by example, such as through their groundbreaking research about diversity in the Portland comics industry.
2020—Julie Collins
Julie Collins represents the breadth and depth of the Book Publishing program. From innovating in the Ooligan project manager role overseeing the book Elephant Speak to developing research about sustainable book practices, Julie is an excellent representative of Dennis Stovall’s legacy and name. Always at the top of coursework, Julie is also a Graduate Assistant in Book Publishing, where she has expanded and enhanced the reach and communication of the program’s events, alumni connections, and goals. Her capacity to mentor and guide has benefitted the members of her Ooligan project team. Through the course of the program, Julie has honed and strengthened her management, design, and marketing skills that make her an all-around exemplar of the Book publishing’s program’s mission.
2019—Jenny Kimura
Jenny Kimura represents the breadth and depth of the Book Publishing program. Whether she’s managing the design process for all Ooligan assets, or creating groundbreaking research about depictions of race in young adult book covers, Jenny leads by example. Diligent in affect, precise in execution, Jenny designed the covers for two frontlist titles (The Widmer Way and Sleeping In My Jeans). With Hannah Ziegler, she co-designed the cover for Odsburg, for which she also did the visually innovative interior. Her research project, in which she hand-coded more than 720 titles, seeks to find patterns of racial representation and obscurity in book covers. Always on top of coursework, Jenny also taught a technical writing class to undergraduates as part of her GAship. Her capacity to teach benefitted Oolies who attended her design skills weekly workshops. Jenny arrived at Ooligan with a strong design background. These she honed, as she also grew strong management, editorial and marketing skills that make her an all-around exemplar of the Book Publishing program’s mission.
2018—Stephanie Argy
Stephanie is the current Digital Manager for Ooligan Press and has a background in film and journalism. Her craving for inventive narratives led her to the Book Publishing program at PSU, a program where she says, “I could have a digital playpen in which to learn, but I could also gain a grounding in traditional publishing and a powerful respect for literature and storytelling that a pure tech education wasn’t going to give me.”
As the manager of the Digital Department, Stephanie educates press members on the latest in digital publishing, maintains three websites, and oversees the ebook production process for Ooligan titles. But Stephanie is also a fearless innovator for emerging storytelling forms. Her latest initiative establishes an audiobook production program within Ooligan Press. She says that producing audiobooks will “broaden the scope of Ooligan” by introducing our titles to a new audience while collaborating with the Theater and the Sonic Arts and Music Production students and faculty for talent and production expertise.
2017—Leigh Thomas, Nicholas Shea, and Margaret Henry
Leigh Thomas is the Design Manager for Ooligan Press and recently took a position with Image Comics as a Print Manager. Leigh is among many alumni of the graduate program in Book Publishing to be hired by Image Comics since they moved to Portland last fall.
Nicholas Shea is the current Copy Chief for Ooligan Press and a freelance copyeditor with ECONorthwest. Though Nick will be graduating from the Book Publishing program this spring, he will be staying on at PSU to complete the Gender, Race, and Nations certificate program. Nick is dedicated to research and plans to publish an article he coauthored in the Researching Book Publishing class about which Big 5 publishing house is doing the best job of publishing diverse authors.
Margaret Henry is the Project Manager for Ooligan Press’s forthcoming young adult novel The Ocean in My Ears. Margaret is pursuing a dual degree with PSU’s MFA in creative writing, with a focus on personal nonfiction. In the midst of writing and rewriting for all of her MFA classes, Margaret finds time be a stellar Ooligan Press manager, which requires her to direct a wide variety of different types of activities, from writing and editing to marketing and sales.
2016—Dory Athey
Dory Athey is passionate about pursuing social equity and environmental vitality through storytelling and creative, emergent media. After she graduates in June with her Master of Arts degree in Book Publishing, Athey plans to work in the non-profit sector, thereby living her belief that storytelling can effect real change.
2015—Stephanie Podmore
Stephanie designed the covers for two recent Ooligan Press books: Untangling the Knot, an essay collection exploring the meaning of marriage equality for queer communities, and A Series of Small Maneuvers, Eliot Treichel’s forthcoming young adult novel, for which Stephanie is also the project manager.
2014—Sarah Currin-Moles
"My time in the book publishing program has given me a complete set of skills that will serve me well in any area of the publishing industry. I’m so grateful for my experiences in Ooligan Press and the lessons I’ve learned from the program’s experienced teachers, and it’s a real feather in my cap to be given this distinguished award, which will help communicate my abilities and my level of commitment to the professional world. I’m flattered to have my work recognized by the English Department and the university; being a part of the legacy of the book publishing program and of the Kellogg Awards themselves is a great honor." –Sarah
2013—Olivia Croom
"To have my graduate work singled out and recognized for the inaugural Dennis Stovall First Edition Award is a tremendous honor that has allowed me to stay involved in the area of publishing that I love the most: book design for small presses. Recognition of outstanding graduate work has significant practical potential; it tells people outside the academic world about the recipient’s work ethic and dedication. It is a huge step forward for the Publishing program to have such an accolade to give, and I hope to see it continue." –Olivia