Breadcrumb
Alumni Updates
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.
Clark Alexander
OceanographyGeology, 1983
Clark Alexander, 1983 Oceanography, was recently appointed Director of the University of Georgia (UGA) Skidaway Institute of Oceanography located in Savannah, GA. He also holds the rank of full professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at UGA.
Leona Evans
Natural Resources, 1983
Leona Evans, Natural Resources, 1983, retired from the Lake Valley Fire Protection District (Lake Tahoe) in 2015. She is now transitioning into retirement from her second job as Coordinator for the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy through Lake Tahoe Community College where she served for 14 years. She continues to work on-call for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (Forest Service).
David J Fisher
Biological Sciences, 1983
After graduating with a biology degree from Humboldt State in 1983, Dr. Dave Fisher received his DVM from Washington State University and practiced at a small-animal clinic prior to his residency in clinical pathology at the University of California, Davis. Following board certification, he was a clinical pathology instructor at the University of Wisconsin. In 1995, he started working for IDEXX at the company’s reference laboratory in West Sacramento. Dave was recently awarded the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology’s (ASVCP) Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the profession.
David Honeywell
Forestry & Wildland ResourcesBS in Forestry and BS in CIS, 1982 (BS Forestry) 1986 (BS Computer Info Systems)
DAVID HONEYWELL, 1982 Forestry, 1986 Computer Information Systems, and his wife have finally retired from the federal government; 28 and a half years for Honeywell and over 20 for his wife. During a business trip, he happened to buy a winning Powerball ticket. Honeywell and his wife accepted the winning check for $217 million on Valentine’s Day this year. Soon after, they retired and are now building their dream retirement home and enjoying life. The couple has donated $4 million to charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Food Bank and many others, as well as the goal of also establishing an HSU scholarship in the very near future.
Jo Anne Smith (Flueck)
Wildlife, 1982
Recently appointed Chair of Huemul Task Force in the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Has served as Chair for the Scientific Steering Committee for the 6th and 7th International Deer Biology Congress (Republic of Czech and Chile, respectively) and now serving at same capacity for the upcoming 8th IDBC, which is to be held in Harbin China.
Rich Torquemada
Fisheries Biology’92 MS, Natural Resources, 1982
Torquemada recently stepped down after four years as a Board Director of the Montana Grape and Winery Association, serving as President for three years. Rich continues to own and operate Luna Llena Vineyards, producing cold-climate hybrid wine grapes to several local wineries and cideries in western Montana. Prior to establishing Luna Llena, he enjoyed a 34-year career as a fisheries biologist and Field Supervisor with the Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, working throughout the western US.
Jo Anne
Wildlife, 1982
I was president of the Scientific Steering Committee for the 6th and 7th International Deer Biology Congress (2006 and 2010, respectively, and am serving again for the upcoming 8th congress. Currently I am affiliated with Institute Analysis of Natural Resources (IARN), Universidad Atlántida Argentina in Mar del Plata, Argentina as a Research Scientist. I often work with Werner Flueck, a Swiss who graduated in 1982 from Humboldt with degrees in Wildlife Management and Zoology. We clandestinely eloped 3 months before our graduation so that Werner could receive his green card and then attend graduate school at University of California, Davis. Soon, our marriage will span 29 years. Over the last 20 years, we have worked together on studies related to conservation of the endangered native deer and impacts of exotic deer in Argentina and Chile. Last year we were the main organizers for the 7th International Deer Biology Congress, held in the Huilo Huilo Reserve, Chile, which was the first time the congress was held in Latin America.
Jo Anne M. Smith (professional name Smith-Flueck)
Wildlife, 1982
I was president of Scientific Steering Committee for the 6th and 7th International Deer Biology Congresses (2006 and 2010, respectively) and am continuing to serve at this capacity for the 8th congress. I'm currently affiliated as Research Scientist with Institute Analysis of Natural Resources (IARN)
Universidad Atlántida Argentina
Mar del Plata, Argentina
and am conducting research on highly endangered native and exotic deer in S. America with husband, Werner Flueck, a Swiss citizen, who graduated in 1982 from Humboldt with two bachelor degrees in Wildlife Management and Zoology. He went on to get his PhD at UC Davis in Pathology while I got my Masters there in Ecology. I later went on to obtain my doctorate in Biology at the Univ. Nacional del Comahue in Argentina. We were the main organizers for the recent 7th International Deer Biology Congress held in Huilo Huilo Reserve, Chile.
Wade Eakle
Wildlife, 1982
Wade Eakle, 1982 Wildlife, spent 1982 and ‘83 working at the Institute for Wildlife Studies in Arcata, before serving at the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Station at Arizona State University, in Tempe, Ariz. He then completed a Master’s of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Science at the University of Arizona at Tuscon. In 1987 he worked for the engineering firm Dames & Moore in Phoenix, and then the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Since 1990, Eakle has been with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the San Francisco District of the South Pacific Division.