Alumni Updates
Dan Severson, Wildlife, 1985, 1987
Submitted: February 12, 2021
Severson spent 39 years working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on eight national wildlife refuges in California, Oregon, South Dakota, Kansas, and North Dakota as Wildlife Biologist, Asst. Refuge Manager and the last 12 years as a project leader over a complex of refuges and wetland management districts in North Dakota. He retired January 1, 2021 and will spend retirement golfing, hunting, fishing, and woodworking. He lives in Jamestown, North Dakota and has three daughters and three grandchildren.
Dennis Halligan, Fisheries Biology, 1980
Submitted: February 8, 2021
Prior to and following graduation, Halligan fished in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea for 12 years. During that time he also owned and operated an oyster mariculture company in Humboldt Bay. Halligan has been a fish and wildlife biologist for the past 30 years and has worked on hundreds of projects including the decommissioning of the Humboldt Bay nuclear power plant, permitting the Klamath Dam removal, and a wide variety of construction, watershed restoration, fish and wildlife survey. Halligan hopes to retire in a couple of years, but loves his job and will probably work part-time until he drops. Cheers!
Carrie Leonard, Oceanography, 1992
Submitted: February 6, 2021
After 20 plus years of research and managing research operations, Leonard has moved to implementing policy to address Climate Change and Racial Justice at the Oregon State Legislature. She's excited to move to implementing ideas instead of answering questions.
Gary Coyne, Oceanography, 1973
Submitted: December 11, 2020
Gary Coyne worked for 40 years as a scientific glassblower, with over 30 years at Cal State University, Los Angeles. While working at CSULA He wrote the book "The Laboratory Companion" and had a wonderful career helping to make both glass apparatus used in general labs and many one-of-a-kind apparatus used by chemists, geologist, biologist, and physicist. He retired in 2015 and since then has gone deeper in his hobby of woodworking and has spent more time on his bike. He also helps Adobe in their forums answering questions on things like Lightroom, Photoshop, Acrobat and other related programs. In addition he still provides support to the national organization ASGS (American Scientific Glassblowers Society).
Don Treasure, Wildlife, 1974
Submitted: December 11, 2020
Don Treasure spent 37 years working for and with the federal government as a Biological Technician, Environmental Protection Specialist, and Environmental Specialist. He is now fully retired.
Charles Lamb, Biological Sciences, 1983
Submitted: December 11, 2020
After graduation from HSU, Charles Lamb completed a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology at Louisiana State University in 1991. During his doctoral studies he spent one year conducting research at Kagoshima University School of Dentistry in Kagoshima, Japan. He then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center from 1991-1995. Since 1995, he has been a faculty member at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. His positions there have included Professor of Biology, Chair of the School of Natural Sciences, and Chief Research Officer for the university.
Robert Miller, Oceanography, 1984
Submitted: December 11, 2020
Robert Miller is the Co-owner and CFO of Sea Dwelling Creatures, Inc. (www.seadwelling.com) and founder of The Coral Ark (www.thecoralark.org).
Kent K Willis, Biological Sciences, 1969
Submitted: September 9, 2020
Kent Willis, Biological Sciences, 1969, earned his teaching credential the next year at Humboldt State. He taught middle school in Fortuna, California for 42 years, as an 8th grade teacher, basketball and track coach, and vice principal. He earned two master's degrees and a doctorate over these years. His wife Marsha (Gallon), who is also a teacher, graduated from Humboldt State as well. They have two children, one who also graduated from Humboldt State. He retired from teaching in 2013, but has continued to coach 8th grade boys' basketball. A memoir, Teaching 42+, of his years of teaching has been published by Amazon, as has his most recent book, An Auto Biography, that has stories of him driving the bus for biology class field trips at Humboldt State.
Tyler Smurr, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1995
Submitted: August 7, 2020
Tyler Smurr, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1995, was recently promoted to Vice Principal for an elementary school in San Antonio, Texas.
Jon Mann, Biological Sciences, 2014
Submitted: July 9, 2020
Since leaving HSU Jon Mann, Biological Sciences, 2014, has created and launched his own business, a laboratory calibration company.
Bob Freeman, Biological Sciences, 1976
Submitted: July 7, 2020
Bob Freeman, Biological Sciences, 1976, retired from his job as a public health microbiologist and lab director but is still writing software for the laboratory information management system. Freeman is now writing SciFi and his work can be found at www.smashwords.com/books/view/1023599 and www.smashwords.com/books/view/1029727.
Nancy Ross-Flanigan Pokerwinski, Biological Sciences, 1976
Submitted: June 23, 2020
After a rewarding career as a science writer for the Detroit Free Press and the University of Michigan, Nancy Ross-Flanigan Pokerwinski, Biological Sciences, 1976, is now focused on writing memoir and fiction. Her memoir, MANGO RASH: COMING OF AGE IN THE LAND OF FRANGIPANI AND FANTA, was published by Behler Publications in 2019, after winning first place in the memoir/nonfiction category of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Awards. Like most authors, she had to cancel or reschedule all the in-person events she had scheduled for spring and summer of 2020, and is exploring options for virtual events. Meanwhile, she is working on a novel about creativity, outsider art, and madness.
David Justice, Fisheries Biology, 1995
Submitted: June 5, 2020
David Justice, Fisheries Biology, 1995, moved back to southern California after graduating from Humboldt State and worked in retail as a regional ranager for aquatic systems at a large pet retailer. He then went back to school to earn a MBA in Finance. After graduating, he began a career in banking, starting as a teller and working his way up to the executive level. Last November, he was promoted to President/CEO of Alta Vista Credit Union. "Go Jacks!'
Daniel Zevin, Wildlife, 1988
Submitted: May 17, 2020
After graduating, Daniel Zevin's, Wildlife, 1988, career took many twists & turns. He is currently getting back to his wildlife roots assisting UC Berkeley's Fung Fellowship launch a new, biodiversity-focused Conservation + Tech undergraduate training program. Zevin also serves as an Advisory Group member for the Climate Readiness Institute, and previously spent three years as Program Director at NatureBridge, five years as Project Manager/Associate Zoologist with The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, and two years as a Research Assistant supporting captive breeding programs at the LA Zoo. There's also an 11 year career at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, plus two more gigs that just won't fit :). What a long strange trip it's been!
Ed Gullekson, Oceanography, 1973
Submitted: May 13, 2020
After graduation Ed Gullekson, Oceanography, 1973, joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a commissioned officer where over six years he served on three different ships and at a NOAA fisheries lab at Tiburon, California. He then earned a master's degree in management science. From there he spent the next 30 years as a management consultant and executive coach. During that time he continued to scuba dive, enjoying the underwater world as a hobby. On retiring in 2014 he started volunteer scientific diving in Puget Sound for the University of Washington, helping on a variety of projects. One in particular, Sea Star Wasting Disease, he has contributed many hours of underwater observation. You can see his observations on his youtube channel.
Paul Valentich-Scott, Oceanography, 1970
Submitted: May 11, 2020
Paul Valentich-Scott, Oceanography, 1970, began working at the School of Oceanography at Oregon State University designing and participating in benthic surveys in the eastern Pacific Ocean. In 1982, Valentich-Scott changed career paths and became a curator at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History where he retired at the end of 2019. While at the museum Paul published dozens of papers on marine bivalves, including three books on the bivalves of the eastern Pacific. Valentich-Scott and his wife Lynne fund an annual HSU Oceanography scholarship.
Jim Craig, Fisheries Biology, 1985
Submitted: May 11, 2020
After graduation Jim Craig, Fisheries Biology, 1985, worked as a Foreign Fishery Observer in the Bearing Sea. Next he took a job with the Washington Dept of Fish & Wildlife. Craig then joined the US Fish & Wildlife Service where he worked at fishery offices in Red Bluff, Stockton, and from 1987 to 2000 at the Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office. Craig then took a job as Deputy Project Leader at the USFWS's Mid-Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (MCFWCO) in Leavenworth, Washington. In 2008 he became Project Leader, and in 2020 he became Manager of the Leavenworth Fisheries Complex which consists of the MCFWCO and Leavenworth, Entiat, and Winthrop National Fish Hatcheries. Craig lives with his wife Lisa in Cashmere, Washington.
Christie L. Fairchild, Natural Resources, 1976
Submitted: May 10, 2020
Christie Fairchild, Natural Resources, 1976, feels that HSU and, in particular, Dr. Rudy Becking, launched her career as a passionate, environ-mental activist. Job-wise, she enjoyed many years as a seasonal National Park Service ranger, working from Pt. Reyes to Redwood to Olympic to Denali to North Cascades. She settled and homesteaded in North Cascades National Park, in upper Skagit, in 1982. In addition, she worked for six years for the US Forest Service in fire, visitor services, and interp planning. She also spent 20+ years as an environmental educator for two different non-profits. Fairchild met and married her husband Art Olson here and they homestead and grow food as well as have 30 acres of hay for sale. They also raise and use their mules in the fields as well as on back country trails. Fairchild is now living with ALS.
David E. Howell, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974
Submitted: May 8, 2020
David Howell, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974, served in the U.S. Air Force active duty for four years and flew in Phantom F-4C, D, and E primarily out of George Air Force Base. He retired from career civil service after 37 years of active duty with the Bureau of Land Management. Howell's duty stations included, Susanville, California, Roseburg, Oregon, Ukiah, California, Hollister, California, Washington D.C. Headquarters, Vernal, Utah, and Anchorage, Alaska. Positions included entry level Forester, Natural Resource Specialist, Area Manager, District Manager, Branch Chief and Deputy State Director for Resources.
Chris Brey, Fisheries Biology, 1987
Submitted: May 8, 2020
After earning his degree, Chris Brey, Fisheries Biology, 1987, served as an aquaculture extensionist in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. After that he worked for several years as a field biologist and a fish culturist, and then went on to earn an MS in Environmental Management at the University of San Francisco. He currently heads the Facilities and EH&S department at a Bay Area biopharma company, is married and has two children in college.