“PSU’s Book Publishing program gives the next generation of publishers the essential skills they need to succeed in this ever-evolving, complex industry. The students are some of the hardest working people I have ever met and are incredibly passionate about what they do.”
–Donor Melanie Heath on why she gives to the Ooligan Press General Fund
The graduate program in Book Publishing and its student-staffed publishing house Ooligan Press are populated by a diverse and passionate group of graduate students who want to undertake immersive study of the publishing industry.
As a donor, you can support these students in the pursuit of their goals through your contributions to any one of our three funds. The Ooligan Press General Fund supports our student-staffed publishing house, Ooligan Press. The Ooligan Press Sustainability Initiative helps the press maintain high standards in sustainable publishing. Our newest fund, the Dennis Stovall First Edition Award, recognizes the work of outstanding students in the graduate program in Book Publishing at the Nina Mae Kellogg Awards ceremony.
Please follow the links below to make a donation today.
- Ooligan Press General Fund
- Dennis Stovall First Edition Award
- Ooligan Press Sustainability Initiative
You can also support student publishing and Ooligan Press while shopping at Bookshop.org using our affiliate link.
“Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores.” Bookshop is dedicated to anyone who advocates for books through their affiliate program, which pays a 10% commission on every sale, and gives a matching 10% to independent bookstores.
More about Bookshop here.
Previous Dennis Stovall First Edition Award Winners
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
Keep in Touch
Even if you aren’t in a position to donate to the graduate program in Book Publishing today, we still want to keep in touch with you. Please sign up for our free newsletter to get the latest news from the graduate program in Book Publishing and read about upcoming events.