Alumni Updates

Lowell Cottle

Geography, 1998

After 15 years working as an environmental consultant, Lowell Cottle moved on to work for the state at the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board as a Senior Environmental Scientist. He manages the compliance and enforcement unit for Construction and Industrial sites for 22 counties in the Central Valley. In addition to this, he also manages the Cannabis Unit. Lowell is excited to manage a team that inspects industrial and construction sites for compliance with State and Federal Water Codes, where he can really make a difference! Lowell's team investigates and tracks down potential sources of pollution from stormwater exposure and works with facility/site owners to comply with the Clean Water Act.

Mark Pignatelli

Geography, 2004

Mark's time at Humboldt State in the early 2000s had a profound impact on the man he is today. His graduation pledge was to use his life to actively work toward a more socially and environmentally responsible world. 

Shortly after graduating, his professional career began in the renewable energy and energy efficiency space. For the past 20 years, his profession has focused on energy efficiency consulting. He is currently a Director with ICF and leads a team of consultants who design, implement, and evaluate programs that help our clients achieve energy, environmental, and economic goals. His skills include project management, sustainable development, energy assessments, and building science. His passion is to create innovative solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy security, and improve the quality of life for communities. The energy efficiency programs he supports are designed to help builders, developers, and homeowners adopt high-performance building practices, technologies, and standards that increase energy savings, comfort, and durability.

Mark says Humboldt was and will always be a magical and inspiring place to live, learn, and love. His Humboldt professors, friends, and family opened doors of perception that allowed him to see and understand the world through a new lens. These influences and learnings resulted in his passion for the environment and the precious home he calls Earth. 

Tim Beals

Geography, 1973

Tim graduated in 1973 with a BA in Geography and was immediately hired by Sierra County, California. Tim and his wife Marcia live in Sierra City (Sierra County) and they have two sons and seven granddaughters, ages three to twelve, all living in Chico. Tim retired in June 2023 after fifty years of public service as a County Official/Administrator overseeing the County Planning and Land Use, Building Inspection, Public Works and Roads, Emergency Services, and Parks and Recreation departments within the County. Now his time is filled with hiking, fishing, travel, granddaughter sports games, wine tasting, concerts, and good friends!

Jerry Von Dohlen

Geography, 1998

Jerry helped design, map, and, build the first nationwide wireless internet with Metricom INC. in San Jose, California. Moved back to Humboldt County in 2003 and worked with Center Arts Entertainment (CalPolyHumboldtEvents), the Mateel Community Center on Reggae on the River, and, the Black Oak Ranch coordinating parking and traffic at Pignic, Earthdance, The Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival, and currently Ten Mile Creek Revival.  Currently serving as GIS Coordinator for the County of Humboldt, http://gis.co.humboldt.ca.us, providing data and internships to students with the Geospatial Certificate Program. Coordinator of the North Coast GIS Users Group. e-mail ncgisug@googlegroups.com to join. 

Ira Goldstein

Geography, 1991

Ira has been a watchmaker for 30 years in Idaho and loves his career although he says he will always be a Geographer at heart.  He resides in Boise, ID. with his wife Barbara (whom he met at Humboldt). He owns Timekeeper Watch Repair & Sales in Eagle, ID.

Dafna Golden

Geography, 1997

After a successful 23-year career as a Geography Professor at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, Dafna is fulfilling a long-time dream and moving to Israel with her husband and two boys. She credits her education in Geography at Humboldt with preparing her to become a teacher and advises many of her students to consider Cal Poly Humboldt themselves. She completed her master's degree at CSULA with an emphasis on Geographic Information Systems and has created a successful GIS program at Mt. Sac. She hopes to apply her GIS expertise in Israel to help manage the natural resources there.

Alyson Hunter

Geography, Social Science Teacher Preparation, 1993

Alyson Hunter ('93, Geography, Social Science Education) is currently working as a Senior Planner for the City of Marina in the beautiful Monterey Bay area, ancestral lands of the Esselen peoples. She can't wait to move back to Humboldt in a couple of years!

LOWELL COTTLE

Geography, Environmental studies, 1998

After 15 years working as an environmental consultant, Lowell Cottle moved on to work for the state at the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board as an environmental scientist. Cottle is excited to be part of a team that inspects industrial sites for compliance with state and federal water codes where Cottle can really make a difference! Cottle investigates and tracks down potential sources of pollution from stormwater exposure and works with facility owners to be in compliance with the Clean Water Act.

Sharon (Emerson) Waltrip

Geography, 1980

Sharon (Emerson) Waltrip, 1980 Geography, has retired after 30 years working for the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service in Arizona, Alaska, and Kentucky. She and her husband Randy Waltrip (‘80, Journalism) have moved to Tucson, Ariz., where their daughter Wendy will be attending University of Arizona and majoring in creative writing.

Douglas Harding

Geography, 1985

Douglas Harding, 1985 Geography, has completed 11 years at Hope Flight Foundation as Founder, President, and Chief Pilot. Hope Flight Foundation provides free flights for children with cancer from the small remote towns of California to the specialized cancer hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles area.