Breadcrumb
Alumni Updates
John R. Hawkins
Forestry & Wildland ResourcesAA Fire Science, Butte Community College, 1969
John Hawkins, Upland, 1969, retired from CAL FIRE in December 2018 after serving 55 fire seasons and finishing his career for the last 12 years as the CAL FIRE Riverside Unit/Riverside County Fire Department Fire Chief. Hawkins commanded many of California's major fires over his career, served as a Type 1 Incident Commander on 3 teams and an Operations Section Chief on a federal Type 1 team. Hawkins was recognized as a Certified Fire Chief and graduated from the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. He is living in SoCal and working part-time as a Wildland Fire Consultant for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
George FitzGerald
Geology, 1968
As the first geology graduate of Humboldt State in 1968, George FitzGerald went to work as an underground mine geologist in Grants, New Mexico. Using investigative skills taught by my Humboldt professors, he directed the quality-based safe extraction of uranium ore for over 15 years. Great education and experience in field geology provided him with the skills to successfully hold positions in industry, teaching, consulting and government regulation for environmentally protective mineral production. FitzGerald thanks Humboldt's first geology professors Dr. Young, Dr. Kilmer, and Dr. Longshore for creating one of the great programs at Cal Poly Humboldt.
TIM PROVAN
Wildlife, 1968
upon graduation, moved to Utah. Completed M.S. Degree in Wildlife Sciences at Utah State. Worked 30 years for Utah Div. Wildlife Resources. Became Director in 1989 Retired and moved to Redding, CA and worked for Duck's Unlimited for 7 years as Regional Director. Retired in 2004. Continue to hunt & fish enjoying the beauty of Northern California.
Michael T. Rains
Forestry & Wildland ResourcesWatershed Management, 1968
Michael T. Rains, 1968 Forestry, recently retired from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service after 48 years of public service. Rains began his career as a wildland firefighter and rose through the ranks to become deputy chief for the agency. His last assignment with the Forest Service was director of the Northern Research Station and the Forest Products Laboratory. Rains is known for his authorship role in the National Fire Plan for the Department of Agriculture and advancing biomass uses—cellulose nanomaterials, green building construction, advanced wood for energy —as a way to help America's forests become more resilient to disturbances. Along the way, Rains earned a master’s degree in Secondary Education and now enjoys substitute teaching math and science at the middle school level in Pennsylvania.
Rick Hoffmann
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1968
After two careers - Entomology Research (UC Berkeley) and Science teacher, I have retired from full time employment. I now work as a Science Education consultant, substitute teach, and tutor students in science.
Robert T. Lackey
Fisheries Biology, 1967
Bob Lackey (Fisheries, '67) now teaches at Oregon State University. He has been engaged in developing online classes in natural resources as part of OSU ECampus.
Ron Fritzsche
Biological Sciences, 1967
Ron Fritzsche, 1967 Zoology, recently contributed a section to the Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Fritzsche is an Emeritus Professor of Fisheries Biology. He was the HSU Outstanding Professor in 1991 and served as an administrator including Dean for Research, Graduate Studies and International Programs. Fritzsche also served as assistant to the Provost for faculty affairs and space and facilities. He is currently an elected board member for the North Humboldt Recreation and Park District and the local Timber Heritage Association. Fritzsche met his wife, also an HSU graduate, in John VanDuzer’s Speech 1 class.
Robert T. Lackey
Fisheries Biology, 1967
Robert Lackey, after graduation, married fellow Humboldt student, Lana Apparius, then both moved to the University of Maine for Bob’s Master of Science (Zoology/Fisheries), then relocated in 1968 to Colorado State University, where they both graduated (Ph.D., Fisheries and B.S., Speech Therapy). Bob’s jobs at Virginia Tech, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Oregon State University followed. They have lived in Corvallis, Oregon, for the past 43 years. As a student at Humboldt, Bob lived on campus in the “Game Pens.”
Bruce Edwin Deuel
Wildlife, 1967
Bruce Edwin Deuel, 1967, Wildlife, retired from the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife in October 2007 after more than 34 years. Since then Deuel and his wife, Kathy, have traveled to every continent chasing new birds, and spent a lot of time enjoying their nine grandchildren.
Bob Lackey
Fisheries Biology, 1967
Bob Lackey, 1967, Fisheries Biology, continues to teach part-time at Oregon State University in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. These days, he spends a good portion of his spare time training his young shetland sheepdog, Chandler. Lackey reports that “training progress has been painfully slow, but I think I see glimmers of progress. This little 23-pound dog definitely has a mind of his own and is rarely convinced that my training priorities are fully compatible with his priorities.”