Breadcrumb
Alumni Updates
Garrett John Costello
Environmental Science & Management, 2014
Over the last two years Garrett Costello, Environmental Science & Management, 2014, and his wife (fellow alumni) got married and started an environmental consulting business. As the business has grown they have turned their attention to constructing low-tech beaver dam analogs to help restore critical stream and meadow ecosystems. This year Symbiotic Restoration installed over 100 beaver dams across north-eastern California. As the business expands they hope to be able to employ and incorporate Humboldt State students in to these programs. Their current plans include looking for land so that they can move back to Humboldt County and build their home back where their journey began.
William
Wildlife, 2013
William Goldenberg, 2013 Wildlife, completed a master of arts degree in wildlife filmmaking with the BBC Natural History Unit / University of the West of England. Since then, Goldenberg has worked as a freelance cinematographer for television shows including "David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities" and now operates a media production and consulting firm based in Arcata.
Jessica Ann Sellers
Wildlife, 2013
Jessica Ann Sellers, 2013 Wildlife, spent two summers working on the Wyoming toad recovery project doing captive breeding, research, surveys, and releases. Sellers also spent some time in Key Largo, Fla., interning for REEF doing fish surveys and lionfish research and removals.
Dani Burkhart
Environmental Science & Management, 2013
Dani Burkhart, 2013 Environmental Science & Management, led Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Congressman Jared Huffman, Board of Equalization Members Fiona Ma and George Runner, Asm. Jim Wood and the Blue Ribbon Commission on a fact-finding tour of Humboldt County's Medical Cannabis farms and industry. Following that work, Emerald Heritage Farms was launched as a consulting firm to help the area's heritage cannabis farmers come into compliance with changing laws and regulations. Recently, Burkhart helped launch of the first Humboldt County Cannabis Chamber of Commerce building bridges between cannabis and non-cannabis based businesses in Humboldt County.
J
Chemistry, 2013
Jeffrey Herr, 2013 Chemistry, found a job working as a laboratory technician in the quality control lab for Traditional Medicinals, which produces tea. Herr’s work is in testing and sampling herbs with names he can barely pronounce. Herr writes, “I already miss HSU.”
Christine Messer
Wildlife, 2013
Christine Messer (Orlowski), Wildlife, 2013, worked for the California Department of Food and Agriculture before deciding to continue her education. She obtained a Master's degree in Environmental Studies from California State University Fullerton in 2017. While completing her graduate degree she simultaneously worked for the County of Santa Barbara in the Sustainability Division. She currently works for the City of Lompoc as the city's recycling coordinator. She married Kirk Messer ('11, Biology, Zoology) in October 2017. They live in Santa Maria, California and recently returned to HSU for a visit after five years away.
Alef DuRant-Wise
Biological Sciences, 2013
Alef DuRant-Wise has recently been hired as the Laboratory Manager at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology. She is working on atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn's disease in the Ley Lab. She is taking her last two classes for her two bachelor degrees in marine biology and zoology as an intrasystem exchange student at San Diego State University. Special thanks to Professor Sean Craig for being a great mentor!
Vanessa Crandell
GeologyGeology and Oceanography, 2013
Vanessa Crandell ('13, Geology, Oceanography) earned an M.S. in Geology from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in 2016. She is currently working as an Environmental Geologist in Anchorage, Alaska. Vanessa primarily works on contaminated sites and geological and geotechnical projects. Amazing education and experiences in the field for both geology and oceanography provided her with the skill necessary to pursue a career as an Environmental Geologist. Vanessa would like to thank her professors and advisors - without their support and compassion, completing dual degrees in Geology and Oceanography would have been impossible.
Ana Veronica Parra
Biological Sciences, 2013
Ana Veronica Parra, Biology, 2013, fell in love with Astronomy after watching “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” narrated by Neil deGrass Tyson. She is currently taking math and physics courses at San Diego Mesa College and plans to apply to the University of Colorado’s Astrophysics and Planetary Science Ph.D. program in December 2019. Here’s is more info as to what she's been up to: http://www.sdmesa.edu/_resources/newsroom/posts/stem-scholars-ncas.php.
Braden Pitcher
Forestry & Wildland ResourcesRangeland Resource Science, 2013
Braden Pitcher, 2013 Forestry & Wildland Resources, finally landed a full-time, permanent career position with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service as a Soil Scientist after three years of bouncing across the West between seasonal technician jobs for the Bureau of Land Management. Mapping different soil types and their management potential across Western lands gives Pitcher the opportunity to spend every day outside, often experiencing landscapes few in modern history have seen. Pitcher adds, “OH YEAH! I just recently married a fellow HSU Alumni and Natural Resources graduate!”