Breadcrumb
Alumni Updates
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.
Dennis A. Hansell
Biological Sciences, 1978
Oceanography professor at the University of Miami, FL. Research focuses on the ocean carbon cycle, with particular interest in the role of organic matter. Presently serve as Chairman of the United States Carbon Cycle Scientific Steering Group. Research cruise in Feb/March 2013 in the Ross Sea of the Southern Ocean (53 days at sea) followed by June cruise in Gulf of Alaska.
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.
Duncan McClusky
Fisheries Biology, 1978
It is not really a recent update. I was in the Ecology Outdoor Group at HSU and I have continued volunteering time in the community. I generally volunteer between 300-400 hours each year. I have been chair of Keep Tift Beautiful for six years, Secretary of the Tree Board for five years, maintain four adopt a miles on my own and help on four others with different organizations. I have been Secretary for a Kiwanis Club for many years, I was on the Georgia Circle K District board as an assistant administrator for about nine years, and participated in five Circle K International Large Scale Service Projects. I have volunteered at the local, state and international level with Special Olympics. I have volunteered with paralympic sports for 17 years.
Lester B Garrison
ChemistryChemical Oceanography high interest, 1978
After a most successful career in Clinical Chemistry and developing tests for inborn errors of metabolism in newborn infants, Lester Garrison (Chemistry, '78), has retired. His training in Chemical Oceanography was a good basis for his subsequent work in clinical chemistry. Driven by a passion for applying enzymology to solving clinical chemistry diagnostic issues, he was most pleased to develop a method to diagnose Galactosemia by measuring the lack of activity of the enzyme Galactose 1 Phosphate Uridyltransferase. This changed the accuracy of the previous galactosemia test from 60-70% reliable to 99%+ reliable, a great step forward in screening.
Craig Chase
Fisheries BiologyMasters in Computer Information Systems - University of Denver, 1977
Craig Chase, Fisheries Biology, 1977, retired from Lockheed Martin Space Systems in 2015.
Rick Williams
Wildlife, 1977
Ricky retired in 2022 after a 45-year career as a wildlife biologist that began with waterfowl research for CDFG and USFWS, including a memorable stint chasing then-endangered Aleutian Canada Geese across their California wintering grounds. From 1980-2022, he worked as a terrestrial biologist and program manager in the private sector, primarily focused on water and energy projects in California and other western states. He credits the late Humboldt professors, Drs. Stan (Doc) Harris and Charles F. (Chuck) Yocum for guiding him into career-long service with The Wildlife Society-Western Section, including terms as President and Representative to the TWS National Council.
Rick Williams
Wildlife, 1977
Rick Williams ('77, Wildlife) retired in July 2022 after a 45-year career that began with the USFWS and CDFW. He transitioned through PG&E and various consulting firms and then culminated with a return to PG&E in 2015. He has had career-long involvement with The Wildlife Society (TWS), including service as President of the TWS-Western Section (TWS-WS) representing wildlife professionals in California, Nevada, and Hawaii, and the TWS Executive Council. He attributes his long involvement with TWS to the mentorship of former (now deceased) Humboldt professors, Dr. Chuck Yocum and Dr. Stan (Doc) Harris, true giants of the Wildlife Profession.
Gary Newman
Environmental Resources Engineering, 1977
After graduation, Gary Newman, Environmental Resources Engineering, 1977, went to Utah State University and earned a Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Upon graduation from USU, he was hired by Brown and Caldwell Consulting Engineers (BC), in their Pasadena, California office. Newman has continued working with BC for the past 41 years saying "they have treated me well and provided some wonderful professional opportunities." His specialty has been wastewater treatment. Besides, Pasadena, he has lived and worked in Salt Lake City, Dallas, Seattle, and now Phoenix. He has also worked on projects in Vancouver, B.C., Washington D.C, New York, Nashville and San Francisco. Newman says he will be mostly retiring in the next year or so but will continue working part-time.
Raymond J. Bogiatto
Wildlife, 1977
Raymond J. Bogiatto, 1977 Wildlife, received his Master of Science in Biology from California State University, Chico in 1986. Bogiatto then worked at Eagle Lake Station as a station manager from 1989-2009. Bogiatto has been serving as a faculty member teaching biology at CSU Chico since 1987 to present day.