our wondrous 12

Our Wondrous 12: Famous, fascinating, and influential alumni

The June 2008 issue of Columns Magazine featured a memorable story on 100 "famous, fascinating or influential living graduates." The Department of Communication was impressively represented by 12 alumni from the list of 100. In celebration of the UW College of Arts & Sciences' 150th anniversary, we will feature those Wondrous 12 throughout the year as a reminder of the impressive and often awe-inspiring work our alumni are doing. This month we feature Eric Nalder ('68) and Norman Rice ('72).

Eric Nalder (BA, 1968): Pulitzer-winning journalist

Eric NalderEric Nalder is a 1968 graduate of the Department and an award-winning investigative journalist. Among his professional recognitions are two Pulitzer Prizes. He writes for Seattlepi.com and he is a senior enterprise reporter for Hearst Newspapers.

Nalder has covered some of the top stories of the last few decades, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska and the 1995 Seattle fire that killed four firemen. His story blew open problems with safety precautions within the Seattle Fire Department. Nalder continues to bring his excellent investigative skills to regional, national, and international news.

In 2009, he turned his investigative spotlight on fellow Communication alum and investigative reporter Heather Brooke and talked in depth about her investigations into corrupt British parliamentary leadership. The professional courtesy from the award-winning Nalder was an honor for Brooke, a young reporter continuing Nalder's legacy of excellence.

Norman Rice (BA, 1972): Seattle civic leader

Norman RiceNorman Rice graduated from the School of Communications in 1972. He is President and CEO of The Seattle Foundation, leading the Foundation's efforts in creating and sustaining a healthy, vibrant community.

Rice became a member of the UW Department of Communicationʼs inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame cohort in 2004 and was the Department's first Distinguished Alumni named in 2003. A civic leader most of his life, Riceʼs professional and civic awards and his contributions to the city, the University and the Department are too numerous to list.

Always paying it forward, he recently showed his support to a newly inaugurated member of the Department of Communication Hall of Fame. He spoke on behalf of Jack Geraghty and their mayoral work together, leading Seattle and Spokane in the 1990s.