Campus News

Westminster College Honors Corvallis Resident

Patrick Iversen Receives 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award

SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster College announced that Dr. Patrick Iversen, a Corvallis resident for many years, was one of three recipients of the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award. The award is given annually to Westminster College alumni who make a difference in their communities, college, and professions.

Iversen received a bachelor of science degree in biology from Westminster in 1976. Following graduation, he was a research technician at the University of Utah until 1979. In 1984, he received his PhD from the Department of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine at the University of Utah. Pat was a postdoctoral fellow at The Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases in Omaha, Nebraska, and then professor of pharmacology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 1987 to 1997. He spent 21 years working in genetic studies, holds 70 patents, received 34 funded grants and contracts for biomedical research, consulted for 12 companies and agencies in the genetics field, edited two scientific journals, and was a member of three different National Institute of Health study sections.

He is currently senior vice president of strategic alliances for AVI BioPharma at their research facility in Corvallis. In his spare time, Iversen has been an organizer for the UN Candlelight Vigil for Children in 1990; was board member for the Leukemia Society of America’s - Nebraska Chapter from 1995-98; and national trustee for the Leukemia Society of America from 1997-98. He is a region-certified youth soccer referee and enjoys hiking, photography and scuba diving.

Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college distinguished by its unique environment for learning. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster prepares students for success with its emphasis on engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. These are further enriched by the opportunities presented by Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake.