Breadcrumb
Alumni Updates
Frances Boring
Botany, 2004
Frances is now 90 years old and retired. Frances loved college at HSU and sometimes wonders what has happened to classmates in Dr Walker's botany class and a lab mate in another class called Katz.
Albert Ochoa-Castillo
Chemistry, 2022
Albert is currently in the second year of his PhD studies at Colorado State University, focusing on the fundamentals of plant cryopreservation. He recently received the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, one of the country’s top STEM fellowship programs. Albert crafted a method to visualize sucrose in plant cells and proposed a technique for simultaneous imaging of two molecules in plant tissue. His research explores cryoprotectant-cell interactions using advanced microscopy methods. After graduating, Albert aims to teach chemistry at a primarily undergraduate institution, prioritizing research inclusion for first-generation and Hispanic students to enhance diversity in scientific fields.
Michelle Emily Nielsen
Biological Sciences, 2019
Michelle is currently residing in Texas and is attending the Blinn Veterinary Technology Program. She will be graduating in May 2026 with an Associate of Veterinary Technology and will then take a test to receive her Registered Veterinary Technology License.
Rick Tholen
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1976
After graduating, Rick continued to work seasonally for the Shasta Trinity NF until he was hired on permanently with the FS in Potlatch, ID. From there he went to work for the BLM in Medford, OR. Transferred to a BLM office in Missoula, MT, and then to Boise, ID, where he worked for the Washington Office and then at the National Interagency Fire Center. In Boise, he earned a Master's from Idaho. He retired with 34 years of federal service in 2010. He still lives in Eagle, Idaho (31 years now) and stays active by hiking, backpacking, biking, and golfing.
Dan Troxel
Fisheries Biology, 2007 (B.S.), 2010 (M.S.)
Dan Troxel is an Environmental Scientist for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife based in Arcata, CA, working in the Klamath and Trinity Rivers Program. In the face of Klamath basin dam removal efforts, adaptability is key, but generally speaking, he is responsible for recreational fishery surveys and quota management. He is the lead coordinator for mid-Klamath spawning grounds surveys and is the Salmon Report Card lead, amongst other things. Dan appreciates hiring Cal Poly Humboldt students to give them early career opportunities in fisheries and fieldwork.
Kaelie Peña
Rangeland Resource Science, 2017
Upon graduation in 2017, Kaelie worked as a Rangeland Management Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service, first in the Bridgeport Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and then in the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. In February of 2024, Kaelie accepted the position of Nevada State Coordinator with Pheasants Forever where she will coordinate partnerships amongst NGOs, State, and Federal Agencies across Nevada to accomplish habitat restoration and conservation work.
Sanford "Sandy" Wilbur
Wildlife, 1963
Sanford "Sandy" Wilbur ('63, Wildlife) just published his second novel, "Vic and Greg: A Wildlife Refuge Romance." Set in southern Idaho in 1965-1966, he describes it as one-quarter birds and wildlife refuges, one-quarter sex, and one-half social commentary. Print copies aren't available yet, but a free full-length PDF can be had by sending a request to symbios@condortales.com.
Tom Eley
Wildlife, 1969
Tom is retired from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Now, he is the biologist and cartographer for the Anchorage Waterways Council.
Samuel R Harper
Fisheries BiologyMinor in Art, 2014
Since graduating, Samuel has become a user experience designer at Infinity Ward, having worked on popular video game titles such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. He is earning a master's degree in Human Factors from Bentley University. Samuel has also taught UX courses at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Central Florida. Samuel currently resides in Austin, Texas.
Patricia (Patty) Brown
Natural Resources, 1977
Patty retired twice, but you might not know it from how busy she still is. Her first career was as a park ranger for California State Parks in the redwoods and the desert, the National Park Service in Alaska at Katmai and Lake Clark, then on the Kenai Wildlife Refuge, ending in 1995. She then decided to pursue a less itinerant life as a middle school science teacher in Alaska. Currently, she volunteers on the ambulance crew and does humanitarian work in winter at the U.S.-Mexico Border. She was recently elected to the local planning commission in Haines.