Alumni Updates

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.

Karen J. Haner

Natural Resources, 1986

April 1, 2018 Karen Haner, Natural Resources Planning & Interpretation, 1986, retired from a 36 1/2 year career with the National Park Service. Karen spent the last 20 years serving as the Chief of Interpretation, Education and Cultural Resources at Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northeastern California. She also worked in other national parks in California, Texas, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Karen feels she has had a wonderful career made possible with her HSU degree and participation in the Cooperative Education Program through the National Park Service and Humboldt State University. Now she plans to go to national parks as a visitor and sometimes to volunteer.

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.

Jason Storlie

Wildlife, 2007

Jason Storlie, Wildlife, 2007, transitioned from wildlife biologist to manager of Bitter Creek and Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuges.

Alissa Sobo

Chemistry, 2010

After graduating from Humboldt State University, Alissa Sobo, Chemistry, 2010, stayed in the community and opened a restaurant called Naan of the Above. Alissa sold this business and moved to the bay area to teach science in after school programs. Alissa then had two children, and while staying at home with them, taught herself to code. She built a web application called Ample that was recently mentioned in the New York Times. She now works as a software engineer for Mozilla.

Michael Fritschi

Environmental Resources Engineering, 2005

Michael Fritschi, Environmental Resources Engineering, 2005, is currently enjoying working as the District Manager for the South Suburban Sanitary District in Southern Oregon. Life is exceptionally good, and in complete balance with his wife and jack Russell.

Christopher Swarth

Biological Sciences, 1978

After graduating, Christopher Swarth Biological Sciences, 1978, moved back home to Oakland where in 1983 he received his MS in Zoology from Cal State East Bay. After working for Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Lawrence Hall of Science (UC Berkeley) and Diablo Valley College, he married in 1987 and moved to Maryland. There he spent 23 years as director of the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, one of the components of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. In 2013, he moved back to northern California to work and teach at UC Merced, where he was the director of the 6,500 acre Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve adjacent to campus until he retired in 2016. He lives in Mariposa.

Heidi Gehlhaar Oriol

Environmental Resources Engineering, 2001

Heidi Gehlhaar Oriol, Environmental Resources Engineering, 2001, is a licensed Civil Engineer and has worked for water and wastewater utilities in the Bay Area and Sacramento since her graduation from HSU in 2001. She currently works as a Senior Civil Engineer in the Legislative and Regulatory Affairs office for the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) and the Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD). She enjoys her role as a regulatory advocate and is also very excited to be supporting a project to bring recycled water to agriculture in southern Sacramento County. Heidi believes use of recycled water will reduce groundwater pumping, raise groundwater levels, increase flows in nearby streams, and improve wetland and vernal pool habitats.

Thomas Eley

Wildlife, 1969 and 1975

Thomas Eley, Wildlife, 1969, worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Refuge Manager and Refuge Officer. He is now retired and lives in Alaska.

Jolene Saldivar

Biological Sciences, 2017

Jolene Saldivar, Biological Sciences, 2017, has committed to the University of California, Riverside's Plant Biology PhD program and will begin this summer. She is also the recipient of the Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship, which is the most prestigious diversity fellowship offered at UC Riverside.