Breadcrumb
Meet our Alumni
Forestry & Wildland Resources degrees have given alumni opportunities to work in their field around the world.
Some Forestry & Wildland Resources alumni have gone on to graduate schools. Others are making a difference as a forester in Oregon, a CalFire captain in California, and a Rangeland Management Specialist in Nevada.
Forestry
Range & Soils
Alumni Updates
Suzan Homsombath
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 2017
Suzan is living in the Sierra Nevada foothills, practicing forestry and growing her career as a forester.
Bill (William) G. Ramos
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1980
Bill lives in Issaquah, Washington. He has worked for the U.S Forest Service for 30 years and 8 more years with the U.S. Department of Transportation. He was elected to Issaquah City Council in 2015. Then elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 2018, 2020, and 2022. This year, 2024, He was elected to the Washington State Senate.
Stephen Lenzo
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1980
Steve started his career with the U.S. Forest Service while still a student at Humboldt and retired in 2018 after 40 years. Along the way he worked in five regions, served two years in the Peace Corps, and taught high school in NYC while completing a master's degree in bilingual science secondary education. Steve worked in both National Forests and at Job Corps centers finishing his career in the National Office of Job Corps. Since retirement, Steve has worked as a consultant helping to start Youth Conservation Corps programs in Honduras, Colombia, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Morocco, Guinea, Egypt, and Congo.
Daniel DeArmond
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 2004
After graduating, Daniel worked in the California timber industry as a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) preparing timber harvest plans (THPs). In 2015, he moved to Manaus, Brazil, and studied Brazilian Portuguese to prepare for the entrance exam at the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA). Once successfully passing the exam, he entered the postgraduate program for tropical forest science (CFT) and completed all requirements to receive an MSc (2018) and Ph.D. (2023). His Ph.D. thesis is titled "Impacts and Recovery after soil compaction from logging machinery in Central Amazonia."
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.
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.
Rick Meilan
Forestry & Wildland ResourcesForest Science, 1983
Bill Bigg died on 13 April 2023. He was hired as a professor by the Forestry Department at HSU in 1979 (retired in 2007). He taught several courses in Forestry, including Tree Physiology, Tree Improvement, and Regional Silviculture. Bill also taught courses in a variety of other departments. He was respected and admired by his students for his knowledge, lecturing style, fairness, sense of humor, and approachability. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Donna, who faithfully assisted Bill in all aspects of his life. Donna can be contacted at DJBCOM1-Humboldt@yahoo.com.
Rita Carman
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1978
Carman graduated from HSU in 1978 with a degree in Forestry Science and a minor in Geology and worked for the USGS Water Resources in Carson City, Nevada, from 1979 to 1998 as a Hydrologist. She then went on to Nevada State from 1998 to 2016. She has been happily retired since 2016, is involved in the community, and a member of the Carson City Kiwanis since 1991. Living the good life!
Diane Haase
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1989
Haase ('89, Forestry) earned her M.S. in tree physiology at OSU in 1991. She then worked as the Associate Director of OSU's Nursery Technology Cooperative, researching seedling production, quality and outplanting. She now works for the USDA Forest Service as the Western Nursery Specialist on the national Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetics Resources team (RNGR.net). Diane provides technical support to forest and conservation nurseries in the western states and the American-affiliated Pacific islands through visits, publications, conferences and more. She also serves as the editor of Tree Planters' Notes, an applied journal for those who work in nurseries, reforestation and restoration.
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.