Alumni Updates

Drew Coe

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1996

Drew Coe, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1996, began working in the forest industry following graduation. After several years he returned to school, graduating with a MS in Watershed Science from Colorado State University. Coe currently works as the Forest Practice Monitoring Coordinator/Hydrologist in CALFIRE's Watershed Protection Program. He lives with his wife and two children in Redding, California.

Kaelie Pena

Forestry & Wildland ResourcesRangeland Resource Science, 2017

Kaelie Pena, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 2017, converted to a full-time permanent position with the Forest Service upon graduating and is coming up on her two year anniversary as a Rangeland Management Specialist with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in the Bridgeport Ranger District.

Anthony Erba

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1987

After nearly 33 years of federal government service, Anthony Erba, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1987, has retired from the USDA Forest Service to Northern Wisconsin. His last position was as Regional Director (Eastern Region) overseeing environmental planning, litigation, and landscape-scale conservation (lasting 8.5 years). Anthony's career spanned all four organizational levels of the Forest Service, located on six national forests, one national grassland, one region, and the Washington Office.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have been able to predict his career when he graduated in 1987. Anthony is grateful for his experience at HSU, providing him the awareness needed to recognize career opportunities whenever they popped up.

Ron Miller

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1983

Ron Miller, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1983, recently retired after 35 years of government service as a forester. Last year, in celebration of retirement, he walked the French route of the 500-mile Camino de Santiago across northern Spain starting in St. Jean Pied de Port, France and walking to Santiago, Spain. He completed the pilgrimage on June 3, 2018.

Gene Blankenbaker

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1977

Gene Blankenbaker, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1977, is retiring in January 2019 after over 41 years of service with the federal government. He spent approximately 2 years with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resource Division as a groundwater hydrologist, and over 39 years with the U.S. Forest Service in a variety of locations in California, Washington D.C., Arizona, Wisconsin and New Mexico, in positions that included hydrologist, forester, district ranger, forest supervisor, deputy regional forester, and deputy director of human resources for the agency.

Thomas F. Wuenschell

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974

Thomas F. Wuenschell, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974, studied Forestry 1972-1974 at Humboldt and got his BS in Idaho later. He retired in 2016 as a forester after more than 30 years with USFS. He has always been a supporter of Save The Redwoods League and is currently on board of directors of his Audubon chapter.

Aaron Pudlicki

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 2018

Aaron Pudlicki, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 2018, obtained a full-time job as a forester living in Portland, Oregon and managing timberland throughout western Oregon within three months of graduation.

Braden Pitcher

Forestry & Wildland ResourcesRangeland Resource Science, 2013

Braden Pitcher, 2013 Forestry & Wildland Resources, finally landed a full-time, permanent career position with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service as a Soil Scientist after three years of bouncing across the West between seasonal technician jobs for the Bureau of Land Management. Mapping different soil types and their management potential across Western lands gives Pitcher the opportunity to spend every day outside, often experiencing landscapes few in modern history have seen. Pitcher adds, “OH YEAH! I just recently married a fellow HSU Alumni and Natural Resources graduate!”

jeremy M. Milana

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 2015

Jeremy M. Milana, 2015 Forestry & Wildland Resources, is seeking opportunities within the environmental realm.

Michael T. Rains

Forestry & Wildland ResourcesWatershed Management, 1968

Michael T. Rains, 1968 Forestry, recently retired from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service after 48 years of public service. Rains began his career as a wildland firefighter and rose through the ranks to become deputy chief for the agency. His last assignment with the Forest Service was director of the Northern Research Station and the Forest Products Laboratory. Rains is known for his authorship role in the National Fire Plan for the Department of Agriculture and advancing biomass uses—cellulose nanomaterials, green building construction, advanced wood for energy —as a way to help America's forests become more resilient to disturbances. Along the way, Rains earned a master’s degree in Secondary Education and now enjoys substitute teaching math and science at the middle school level in Pennsylvania.