Breadcrumb
College of Professional Studies
The College of Professional Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt seamlessly integrates core competencies within practical contexts through a variety of immersive experiences. Our graduates emerge as exceptional leaders in their respective professions and communities, embodying a steadfast dedication to social, economic, and environmental justice.
Applied Learning
We provide every student with dynamic opportunities for experiential learning in real-world scenarios, where they engage in practicums, research, internships, clinical, and service-learning experiences. Each is designed to enhance students' career-ready skills, ensuring they are well-prepared for their future.
Social Justice and Sustainability
Through the application of active learning and critical thinking, we prepare students for meaningful community-oriented careers that foster a just, inclusive, and environmentally conscious society.
Personal Guidance
Through innovation and collaboration our faculty challenge and support our students, ensuring their success beyond the classroom. Our students receive academic and career guidance from their faculty advisors, professional advisors, and peer mentors.
Alumni Updates
Miranda Connelly
Psychology, 2026
Miranda graduated in 2024 with my bachelor's degree in Psychology and in 2026 with a master's degree from the Psychology: Academic Research graduate program. In grad school, she worked under Dr. Carrie Aigner and did a thesis on Placebo and Pain Relief.
Life after graduation has been great! She was hired the semester after graduation as a part-time lecturer in the Cal Poly Humboldt Psychology department, where she is currently teaching 2 undergraduate classes and 1 graduate level class (activity sections). Overall, it has been a pleasure to continue working alongside the faculty and students she has been working with since undergrad, and to have the opportunity to grow and expand her working/research experience in such a beautiful place.
Miranda looks forward to the opportunities continuing to work here will bring her! She is potentially planning on applying to a few PhD programs in the next coming years, which will be exciting. In the mean time, she is continuing to teach and work on researching projects with her mentors who are now her colleagues! And what a privilege it has been.
Thank you Cal Poly Humboldt!
Erin Guidarelli
Kinesiology, 2014
Erin was proud to be a part of the Sports Medicine staff for the Portland Cascade during their inaugural season in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). It was an exciting opportunity to support and maintain the health of the team and be part of the beginning of a new chapter in professional women’s softball. She was so happy to be able to contribute to growing the sport as she played softball at Central Catholic High School in the Portland, OR area and went on to play intercollegiate softball at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt); an NCAA Division II institution. When Erin was in college, the only step further for playing softball "professionally" was on the Olympic team so to be able to contribute to the growth of Professional Women's Softball was an absolute dream and such a rewarding experience.
After obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at Humboldt, she went on to obtain her Master of Science in Athletic Training at Pacific University in 2019. Erin has worked as an AT at Boeing, Genie Manufacturing, Dave's Killer Bread, Precision Cast Parts, Intel, Church & Dwight, Pierce College, Multnomah Orthopedic Clinic as well as various activities beyond traditional sports such as Rugby, Cheerleading, Dance, Fencing, Jiu Jitsu and MMA. She previously held the position of the Director of Sports Medicine for the Portland Pickles for the past 6 years. During the rest of the year, she works full time as the Head Athletic Trainer for Clark College in Vancouver, WA. She has been at Clark College in this capacity since 2022.
Steven York
Business Administration, 1986
Steven's research, “Escalation Without Intent: A Structural Reframing for Systems Research,” has been published in Systems Research and Behavioral Science. The paper explores how complex systems can move toward instability through the interaction of disturbance, interconnectedness, feedback, and time—even when no individual part of the system is driving that outcome intentionally.
That systems perspective has applications across many fields, including the environmental and natural systems that were such an important part of his education at Humboldt. From ecosystems and forests to organizations and other complex systems, the underlying question is similar: what allows a system to absorb disturbance, and what causes it to begin losing stability?
As a Cal Poly Humboldt alumnus, he's especially proud to share this milestone with the Humboldt community.
Rouhollah Aghasaleh
Education
Rouhollah Aghasaleh, Associate Professor in the School of Education, has co-edited Phronetic Science: Morally Guided and Praxis-oriented Science Education (2026), alongside Sara Tolbert, Kathryn Scantlebury, and Bhaskar Upadhyay. This volume challenges conventional approaches to science education by centering practical wisdom, ethical responsibility, and social justice. Addressing complex global challenges, including climate change and public health crises, the book brings together critical, feminist, Indigenous, decolonial, and posthumanist perspectives. It advocates for transformative approaches to science teaching and research that prioritize equity, inclusion, and collective well-being, contributing to ongoing conversations about education’s role in building a more just and sustainable world. https://www.peterlang.com/document/1291485
Joshua Zender, Erick Eschker, Alyson Hunter
Business
Cal Poly Humboldt faculty and students joined planning professionals and researchers from across California for the California Planning Roundtable on October 24 in Eureka. The event highlighted regional economic and community planning challenges, featuring presentations by Economics Professor Erick Eschker on Humboldt County's economy, Business Professor Joshua Zender on economic development, and Environmental Planning Lecturer Alyson Hunter on community engagement related to potential incorporation of McKinleyville. The gathering fostered interdisciplinary collaboration, connected students with planning professionals, and showcased Cal Poly Humboldt's commitment to applied research that informs regional economic development and public policy decisions.
Kishan Lara-Cooper, Kayla Begay, Cutcha Risling Baldy, Adrienne Colegrove Raymond,
Child Development
We are thrilled to announce that Ka’m-t’em: A Journey Toward Healing by Kishan Lara-Cooper & Walter J. Lara Sr. has been awarded a SILVER medal in the 2026 Living Now Book Awards!
Selected from hundreds of entries, Ka’m-t’em: A Journey Toward Healing was recognized for its quality, creativity, and powerful impact. The Living Now Book Awards celebrate books that inspire readers and make life better. This remarkable work is a testament to resistance, renewal, advocacy, resilience, beauty, and awakening.
Through the voices of Indigenous storytellers, scholars, language keepers, artists, advocates, and community members, Ka’m-t’em explores the journey toward healing and the reclamation of identity, culture, language, spirituality, and connection to the natural world.
The book features the experiences and knowledge of 27 contributing authors, offering readers a deeply meaningful opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect on the strength and beauty found within Indigenous communities and their stories.