Breadcrumb
Alumni Updates
J
Chemistry, 2013
Jeffrey Herr, 2013 Chemistry, found a job working as a laboratory technician in the quality control lab for Traditional Medicinals, which produces tea. Herr’s work is in testing and sampling herbs with names he can barely pronounce. Herr writes, “I already miss HSU.”
Andrew Jensen
Fisheries Biology, 1996 (BS) and 2000 (MS)
Andrew Jensen, 1996 and 2000 Fisheries Biology, and Melanie Jensen, (’96 Wildlife Biology), met in an Icthyology class in 1992. Then 10 years passed and they bumped into each other in a grocery store in Santa Rosa, Calif., and exchanged phone numbers. After a year or so they got together for dinner, spent several months becoming friends, and got married in 2004. Andrew now works as a senior environmental scientist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife working on anadromous fish restoration, and Melanie works for PG&E in the Gas Service Engineering Department. They settled in Redding, Calif., and have two daughters, and several pets. In September 2013, they visited HSU and showed their girls where they had met, and let them run around on the soccer field near the Fisheries and Wildlife Building. Andrew writes that HSU was a wonderful place to go to college, and hopes their girls will pick HSU for their college education. Interestingly, Melanie's mother, Dolores Mattax, and aunt and uncle, Patricia Mattax and Jim Ingram, also attended HSU in the early 1950s. Patricia and Jim ended up getting married, and Jim is in the Hall of Fame as a football player and coach for HSU.
Kristi Boring Shelton
Environmental Resources EngineeringMinor Speech Communication, 1996
Kristi Boring Shelton, 1996, Environmental Resources Engineering, worked for Montgomery Watson (now MWH) from 1996 to 2006 in the Federal Unit in Sacramento. Her work included groundwater and soil investigations at various Army and Air Force bases. Then Shelton worked at Secor (now Stantec) from 2006 to 2007 doing underground storage tank cleanups in the Sacramento area. Currently she is working as a water resources control engineer for the Central Valley Regional Water Board.
David
Biological Sciences, 1996
David E. McLean, 1996, Biological Sciences, is the current president of the Vermont State Dental Society and a delegate to the American Dental Association. McLean earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2000 and now lives in South Burlington, Vt.
Katie Lyn Sherry
Physics & Astronomy, 1996
Katie Lyn Sherry, 1996 Physics & Astronomy, will be attending medical school at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biomedical Science. Sherry completed both post-baccalaureate and graduate programs to complete the prerequisites in biology and chemistry before entering medical school. Having gained admission at age 42, Sherry writes, "It's never too late to do what you should have done."
Doug Downie
Biological Sciences, 1994
DOUG DOWNIE, 1994 Biological Sciences, earned his doctorate in Entomology (Population genetics in grape phylloxera) at UC Davis. Downie spent four years doing postdoctoral research on grape phylloxera, mealybugs, and ants. He took an academic position at Rhodes University in South Africa in 2003, where I stayed to 2011. Downie now works at the Dept. of Pesticide Regulation in Sacramento. Along the way he has published poetry and prose and self-published five books of fiction.
Eugene "Charles" Justus
Wildlife, 1989
EUGENE "CHARLES" JUSTUS, 1989 Wildlife, was recently promoted to regional conservation officer with Idaho Fish and Game where he has been employed since 1990, soon after graduating from HSU. As RCO he manages the 22 conservation officers in the Southwest Region of IDFG. HSU's wildlife program prepared Justus very well for a career in Idaho, where he excels in bird and 'herp' conservation. Justus is married to Sue Epstein ('89, Wildlife) and has two boys. The family loves fishing, hunting and camping in the wilds of Idaho.
David Honeywell
Forestry & Wildland ResourcesBS in Forestry and BS in CIS, 1982 (BS Forestry) 1986 (BS Computer Info Systems)
DAVID HONEYWELL, 1982 Forestry, 1986 Computer Information Systems, and his wife have finally retired from the federal government; 28 and a half years for Honeywell and over 20 for his wife. During a business trip, he happened to buy a winning Powerball ticket. Honeywell and his wife accepted the winning check for $217 million on Valentine’s Day this year. Soon after, they retired and are now building their dream retirement home and enjoying life. The couple has donated $4 million to charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Food Bank and many others, as well as the goal of also establishing an HSU scholarship in the very near future.
Adam Gabriel Peretz
Environmental Science & Management, 2008
Adam Gabriel Peretz, 2008, Environmental Science & Management, now goes by Fagbemijo Amosun Fakayode, following his initiation to the Ifa religion in Nigeria. Fagbemijo was married in June to Oyaseye Fakayode. Oyaseye gave birth to their first-born son, Famarada Ojo Fakayode, on October 3rd, 2012. In, Oyeku Ofun Temple, the home of worship Fagbemijo and Oyaseye founded together, moved to Arcata, CA. In April, Fagbemijo returned to Nigeria for the fourth time to be installed as a traditional chief of Ifa with the title Otun Amufawuni of Ibadan Land, meaning "the one who holds the love of Ifa". Ifa is the traditional religion of the Yoruba people.
Sanford Wilbur
Wildlife, 1963
SANFORD WILBUR, 1963 Wildlife, just published a new book, "Nine Feet from Tip to Tip: The California Condor Through History," the first in-depth look at the history of this species since the 1940s. It’s the culmination of some 45 years of field, lab and library research on the condors. In the mid-1970s, Wilbur and W. Dean Carrier (another '63 Humboldt Wildlife grad) were the impetus behind the current condor captive breeding program that is finally beginning to show real success.