Breadcrumb
Alumni Updates
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.
Brian Galvez
Fisheries Biology, 2014
Brian Galvez, Fisheries Biology, 2014, graduated from Delaware State University with a M.S. in Natural Resources with a focus on Fisheries Biology. His thesis was titled "Trophic ecology of juvenile Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) from the Delaware Bay using stomach content and stable isotope analyses". He is currently writing a manuscript for publication in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society with the work presented in his thesis. He represented Humboldt State Fisheries Biology Department by having the best thesis defense in the Delaware State University Natural Resources Graduate Program according to multiple people, including a Delaware State fish biologist and the department chair of his program.
Marshall Jett
Natural Resources, 1989
Marshall Jett, Natural Resources, 1989, has been living in Washington since leaving Humboldt's grad program in Biology in 1993. He worked as a park ranger for Olympic National Park and many other parks for years and was a science instructor at Catalina Island Marine Institute. In 2001, Marshall began teaching (K-8 elementary school) in Seattle after graduating with a teaching certificate from Western Washington University. His passion for cooking finally won over - and Marshall founded Veraci Pizza, Inc. in 2004. Marshall now has three busy Italian restaurants and a mobile catering department. He lives with his teenage daughter Olivia in Tacoma, Washington and is an avid sailor, gardener, and musician.
Dr. Jessica K. Rendon
Environmental Science & Management, 2008
Dr. Jessica Rendon Environmental Science, 2008, recently received her PhD. in Entomology from the University of Idaho. She currently works for the Oregon Department of Agriculture, working to protect Oregon’s agriculture and natural resources from invasive species. She was recently promoted to Japanese Beetle Eradication Specialist. She says: "Experiencing HSU education, student life, and its inspirations greatly shaped my desire for further education, and future career, which I so enjoy. It also made me fall in love with the Pacific Northwest." Starting volunteering experiences at HSU, she continues to volunteer on habitat and riparian restoration.
Richard Mattson
Fisheries Biology, 1971
Richard Mattson, Fisheries Biology, 1971, retired after 30+ years with Douglas Island Pink & Chum, Inc. (DIPAC) in Juneau Alaska. DIPAC is a major producer of hatchery chum, king, and coho salmon in southeast Alaska. He began in fish culture there and then spend most my career as an aquarist maintaining the visitor center marine aquariums and conducting our education programs. He still works part-time maintaining aquariums on contract to the NOAA Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute in Juneau. He also volunteers for various organizations and will be continuing to do more with his extra time. Travel with his wife Peggy is definitely on tap, and he also just enjoys reading, learning Finnish, and outdoor activities.