Alumni Updates

Find classmates by name, major, or year of graduation

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.

Christopher Scott Neamtzu, Natural Resources, 1993

Submitted: January 9, 2021

Christopher Scott Neamtzu is currently serving as the Community Development Director at the City of Wilsonville in Oregon where he has been employed for 26 years starting as as Assistant Planner. He owes his initial start with the city to past HSU professor Stephen Lasbrook who originally hired Christopher on a temporary basis and to HSU for connecting him to such an amazing mentor. He lives with his wife of 23-years and fellow HSU alumni, Margot Fervia-Neamtzu, in Sherwood, Oregon, along with their son Jonathan Forest. Caring for and protecting the natural environment has consistently been the heart and soul of his professional career; a deep moral undertaking that is rooted in his time at HSU.

Bill Ramos, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1980

Submitted: January 9, 2021

Bill Ramos has been re-elected to his second term as Representative in the Washington State House.

Patrick Murphy, Environmental Science & Management, 2013

Submitted: December 15, 2020

Patrick Murphy has been working for the Orange County Water District for the past 6 years. His job consists of water quality monitoring through the sampling and water quality data analysis of many groundwater and surface water sites. Murphy has also recently obtained a MS in Environmental Studies from California State University, Fullerton.

Jason Atherton, Communication, 2009

Submitted: December 14, 2020

After graduating HSU in 2009, Jason went to graduate school at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. He lived with his HSU classmate while studying Educational Leadership and Policy. After completing his Masters degree, Jason held positions at universities in Florida, Michigan, and Utah. In 2019, Jason won Outstanding Academic Advisor for the local, state, and national advising conferences. He now lives in Salt Lake City and works with two other HSU Alumni who share his same birthday. Jason appreciates how ahead HSU was in diversity and social justice issues and is amazed how conversations that were happening in Arcata 10 years ago are now in public discourse. Go Jacks!

Tyler Smurr, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1995

Submitted: December 11, 2020

Tyler Smurr worked for Sierra Pacific Industries for two years after graduation and then moved to Texas to get married and start a family. He went back to school and got his masters in Education Leadership and Policy Studies. He is currently a Vice Principal at an Elementary school in San Antonio, Texas.

Michael Tuffly, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1988

Submitted: December 11, 2020

Tuffly got a BS in Forestry in 1988 and a MS in Natural Resources in 1995 both from HSU. He has worked for various State, Federal, and NGO’s over the years. He completed a Ph.D. in Forest Science from Colorado State University in 2012. He has his own consulting business ERIA Consultants, LLC and lives is Boulder, Colorado. He consults to private and public entities all over the world on forest carbon sequestration, wildfire mitigation and assessment, and various wildlife habitat enhancements. For the past ten years he has been climbing 14,000+ foot peaks in Colorado with two other HSU alumni.

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.

Pages