Washington, who is from Portland, received a B.S. in physics (1958) and an M.S. degrees in meteorology (1960) from Oregon State. He has spent his entire career at NCAR; through his work there, Washington has become an internationally renowned climate scientist focusing on climate modeling. He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2010, has served as chair of the National Science Board, and received an honorary doctorate from OSU in 2006. He was also that year’s commencement speaker.
Paul G. Risser meets past OSU President John Byrne at the announcement of Risser's appointment as the next president of the university. Paul G. Risser was president of Oregon State University from 1996-2002. During Risser's years as president, the university experienced a record high in student enrollment.