Alumni Updates

Submit an Update

Daniel Gardner, Anthropology, 2013

Submitted: August 16, 2021

Dan completed his masters in Medicine, Science, and Technology Studies in 2015 and his PhD in Informatics at UCI in 2021. He is currently a Post-doctoral fellow in the Grand Challenges Initiative at Chapman University. His research focuses on how different cultural values and systems of authority get baked into the designs of our digital interfaces, media, and games.

Allan Ekberg, Business, 1984

Submitted: August 13, 2021

Allan Ekberg, 1984, Business, is the City of Tukwila’s mayor. Upon graduating from HSU, he became active in community, fighting a county rezone and annexing his neighborhood into Tukwila. From his education at HSU, Allan became an Internet technology project/program manager and consulted at a wide variety of organizations. While working in technology, he served on the Tukwila City Council where he used his HSU Speech Communication minor often. Allan originated the charter and commenced the Computer Information System Club at Humboldt State; he also served a term as the School of Business student council representative. He thanks HSU for empowering him to become who he is.

Rick M. Gardner, Psychology, 1965

Submitted: August 12, 2021

Rick met the woman of his dreams in graduate school. They were married in 1967. Their happy marriage lasted 50 years until her death in 2017. Rick has 2 children, a boy and a girl.

Emily Kratzer, Journalism, 1976

Submitted: August 7, 2021

Since 2018,Emily has been a featured freelancer for Autumn Years magazine, a Bergen County, N.J., publication celebrating the lives of people ages 60 and older. She volunteers with public-access WCTV.us and C.E.R.T. Active Unitarian-Universalist.

Eugene Charles Justus (Charlie), Wildlife, 1989

Submitted: August 7, 2021

Justus has Retired, after a 30 year career as a Conservation Officer with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He retired at the rank of Regional Conservation Officer (Enforcement Manager/Lieutenant).

Justus received his BS in wildlife management in 1989. The broad educational experiences gained at HSU was a perfect fit for a career as a Conservation officer/game warden.

I'm filling my retirement time by working part time as a marine deputy for the Canyon County Sheriff, a small group leader at the local Celebrate Recovery, and documenting Herps on iNaturalist and my YouTube channel.

Ashley Michelle Armas, Zoology, 2020

Submitted: August 1, 2021

Since graduating HSU in December of 2020, Ashley has received a job at the local wildlife rehabilitation center in her hometown of San Diego! She has been there for about 6 months and gets to use all the information and skills she learned while getting her degree. While Ashley didn't have any hands-on experience with wildlife before getting hired, her organization saw that she was an HSU alumni and picked her for the role! She later learned that two of her coworkers are also HSU alumni, so the organization must view HSU favorably. She is so thankful to HSU for helping her become the person she is today, and for giving her the skills needed to get a career in her field. Arcata will always be her home away from home! <3

Brian Woodland, Liberal Studies Elementary Education, 1986

Submitted: July 29, 2021

Brian has retired from public school teaching 8th grade history after 34 years. He taught for three years in Sacramento County, then taught at the same junior high in Placer County for 31 years. Brian also taught various subjects from English, journalism, video classes, and psychology. Although teaching 8th graders can be quite challenging, that age can also be the most rewarding to teach. His years at Humboldt State were very influential to his career and life, and he can't imagine attending any other college because of the small, family-like atmosphere. More cycling, travel, and genealogy research are planned for his retirement.

RICHARD MOORE, Environmental Resources Engineering, 1992

Submitted: July 21, 2021

Richard has been working steadily as a civil engineer since he left HSU in 1991. He worked a variety of positions in consulting and local and Federal government. He has also ran a small consulting business full- and part-time since 1998; worked a few years for the Indian Health Service; worked 3 years doing fish habitat improvement projects for WA Conservation Districts; and, for the last year, has been a staff Civil Engineer with the Economic Development Administration in Seattle. It's a great job: everyone loves you when you have loads of money to give away. Well, almost everone.