Alumni Updates

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ("Jay") Joseph Bogiatto II

Wildlife, 1977

Jay died of brain cancer July 4th. He was so proud of his HSU experience and education. Here are links to the obituary and a write-up by CSU, Chico.

https://today.csuchico.edu/fond-farewell-jay-bogiatto/

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicoer/name/raymond-bogiatto-obit…

Timothy Hamaker

Fisheries Biology, 1977

Timothy Hamaker, 1977, Fisheries Biology, retired after 37 years as Fisheries/Aquatic Biologist in August. Hamaker began his career in 1977 and worked for four years as a Biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf Breeze, Fl., environmental research lab. Hamaker then moved to Environmental Research and Technology Inc., in Ft. Collins, Colo., working as a Fisheries Biologist. From 1986 to 1988 Hamaker acted as President and Principal Scientist at Aquatic BioSystems Inc., also in Ft. Collins. He then spent more than 25 years with CH2MHILL Inc. as a consulting Fishery Biologist, spending the last 23 years in Redding, Calif. Hamaker is married to Hoagy (Gilliam) Hamaker. The couple has six children including two HSU grads Nicholas ('02, '03) and Robin (Ray) Hamaker ('11) and five grandchildren. The couple resides in Redding, Calif.

Gene Blankenbaker

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1977

Gene Blankenbaker, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1977, is retiring in January 2019 after over 41 years of service with the federal government. He spent approximately 2 years with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resource Division as a groundwater hydrologist, and over 39 years with the U.S. Forest Service in a variety of locations in California, Washington D.C., Arizona, Wisconsin and New Mexico, in positions that included hydrologist, forester, district ranger, forest supervisor, deputy regional forester, and deputy director of human resources for the agency.

Marilyn Taylor

Mathematics, 1977

Marilyn Taylor, Women of the Year, 1976, HSU, passed away on March 15, 2023, in Spokane, Washington. Marilyn, and her 99 Humboldt State teammates, broke the old record of a 100-mile Relay Race, with the time of 12:26:13 (1976). Marilyn set the PA-AAU record for a One-Hour Run on the track (1977) and holds the Avenue of the Giants Women's Marathon record, 2:45:40 (1984), which stands today. Despite her many winning races, Marilyn Taylor felt the highlight of her track career running in the historic First Olympic Women's Marathon Trials, on May 12, 1984, in Olympia, Washington.