Alumni Updates

Cindy Purnell Frakes

Biological Sciences, 1981

After 33 years in the high-tech industry, Cindy Purnell Frakes retired from her most recent position of 13 years as Senior Director, Information Development at Oracle. Her career journey prior to that included stints at Borland, PeopleSoft, Computer Associates, and the Paradigm Group. She's now happily retired, living in Ferndale, WA, and has picked up her binoculars to pursue bird #485 and beyond to add to her life list.

Mary Christine Rohn Hartman (Cris)

Natural Resources, 1979

Cris Rohn Hartman (1979) lives in northern California.  She worked as a law enforcement ranger for 30 years after initially working for a private consultant in range/wilderness impact issues directly after graduation. She is still using her college degree while working as an Expedition Leader for a travel company who markets to alumni associations, leading tours and teaching guests about natural and cultural resources and the history of the areas she travels to. She says it is the perfect retirement job.

Lester B Garrison

ChemistryChemical Oceanography high interest, 1978

After a most successful career in Clinical Chemistry and developing tests for inborn errors of metabolism in newborn infants, Lester Garrison (Chemistry, '78), has retired. His training in Chemical Oceanography was a good basis for his subsequent work in clinical chemistry. Driven by a passion for applying enzymology to solving clinical chemistry diagnostic issues, he was most pleased to develop a method to diagnose Galactosemia by measuring the lack of activity of the enzyme Galactose 1 Phosphate Uridyltransferase. This changed the accuracy of the previous galactosemia test from 60-70% reliable to 99%+ reliable, a great step forward in screening.

Sanford "Sandy" Wilbur

Wildlife, 1963

Sanford "Sandy" Wilbur, columnist for "The Lumberjack" 1960-1962, is at work on a new novel, tentatively titled "Vic and Greg: a Wildlife Refuge Romance." Sample chapters are at:  http://www.writing-it-down.com/vic-and-greg/

Sandy's essay "Losing Lumberjack Football" includes some early history of race relations that Humboldters may not know about:
http://www.writing-it-down.com/Society/losing-lumberjack-football.html

Cindy Purnell Frakes

Biological Sciences, 1981

After 33 years in the high-tech industry, Cindy Purnell Frakes ('81, Biology) retired from her most recent position of 13 years as Senior Director, Information Development at Oracle. Her career journey prior to that included stints at Borland, PeopleSoft, Computer Associates, and the Paradigm Group. She's now happily retired, living in Ferndale, WA, and has picked up her binoculars to pursue bird #485 and beyond to add to her life list.

Mary Christine Rohn Hartman (Cris)

Natural Resources, 1979

Cris Rohn Hartman (Natural Resources, '79) lives in northern California. She worked as a law enforcement ranger for 30 years after initially working for a private consultant in range/wilderness impact issues directly after graduation. She is still using her college degree while working as an Expedition Leader for a travel company that markets to alumni associations, leading tours and teaching guests about natural and cultural resources and the history of the areas she travels to. She says it is the perfect retirement job.

Sanford "Sandy" Wilbur

Wildlife, 1963

Sanford "Sandy" Wilbur, columnist for "The Lumberjack" 1960-1962, is at work on a new novel, tentatively titled "Vic and Greg: a Wildlife Refuge Romance." Sample chapters are at: http://www.writing-it-down.com/vic-and-greg/

Sandy's essay "Losing Lumberjack Football" includes some early history of race relations that Humboldters may not know about:
http://www.writing-it-down.com/Society/losing-lumberjack-football.html

Barbara Scaroni

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1978

Barbara Scaroni has managed to stay a dirt forester over the many years. Scaroni is still out marking and cruising timber, administering timber sales, running property lines, and writing environmental assessments, timber sale contracts, and researching the land use history of my timber sale areas. During college, Scaroni worked summers for the BLM in Ukiah, CA; Missoula, MT; Rawlins, WY; and Susanville, CA. Scaroni worked USFS in Cave Junction, OR, and Willows CA. Scaroni had permanent jobs after graduation with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs 1980-1990; Malheur National Forest, Burns, OR, 1990-1993; Coeur d'Alene Tribe, 1993-present.

Jessie Perez

Biological SciencesHSU - CIRM Scholar Alumni, 2010

Jessie Perez recently founded a company to help provide clean air during the global pandemic and the company would like to spread the word about a new technology that can keep people safe in the spaces they work, learn, and live. https://www.geekwire.com/2022/former-dod-nuclear-engineer-leads-new-seattle-startup-developing-air-purification-technology/

Joni McAtee, MD

ChemistryBioChemistry, 2008

After HSU, Joni McAtee attended UC Davis school of medicine. McAtee did her residency in Family Medicine in Duluth, MN. McAtee returned to Humboldt County to work in a broad spectrum family medicine with obstetrics. McAtee opened a business in Fortuna, Ikigai Physician Group with a clinic. Working as hospitalist in Fortuna and Eureka. Working in Hospice with Hospice of Humboldt.