Alumni Updates

Find classmates by name, major, or year of graduation

Mark Hudgens, Fisheries Biology, 1999

Submitted: November 9, 2016

Mark Hudgens, 1999 Fisheries Biology, was recently appointed the superintendent of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Hudgens spent the last 14 years in the Perris district, which measures roughly 8,800 acres compared to the 14,000 acres of the Mt. San Jacinto park.

Kevin Farley, Journalism, 2006

Submitted: November 7, 2016

Kevin Farley, 2006 Journalism, moved on to working within the Olympic Movement after a decade in TV news. Farley manages the website, social media and other communications for USA Weightlifting, the national governing body for the sport of Olympic Weightlifting in the United States.

Holly Leopardi, Physics & Astronomy, 2014

Submitted: November 4, 2016

Holly Leopardi, 2014 Physics & Astronomy, recently won first place for her paper "Er:fiber frequency comb for synthesis of optical frequencies at the 10^-18 level," at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Photonics National Conference. Leopardi is currently a graduate student at the University of Colorado, Boulder, conducting research in optical frequency comb development at the Time and Frequency Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology with Scott Diddams. She is a student member of the IEEE, anda recipient of the 2016 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.

Neil Tarpey, M.A. English (1983) and M.A. Psychology (1995), 1983 and 1995

Submitted: October 31, 2016

Neil Tarpey, 1983 M.A. English and 1995 M.A. Psychology, recently had his first book, “Flashes of Lightning,” published by Fithian Press. The book is a collection of 52 flash/micro fiction stories, 20 of which have been published previously in print or online.The book hit Humboldt County bookstores in October and is also available from online bookstores.

Kira Yeomans, Environmental Studies, 2015

Submitted: October 27, 2016

Kira Yeomans, 2015 Environmental Studies, is currently in a Environmental Studies Master's program at Antioch University in New England. She is a part of the Master's International program as well, and is under consideration for working in Malawi as a forestry volunteer for the Peace Corps where she will complete her internships. She currently works for the University on the Sustainability and Social Justice committee as well as as the development director for CTEC(The Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation).

April Alexander, Social Work, 2015 and 2016

Submitted: October 26, 2016

April Alexander, 2015 Social Work and 2016 Master’s of Social Work, is a Clinical Social Worker at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka. She recently presented at the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) 33rd National Oncology Conference. Alexander’s presentation, “Rural Chemotherapy Clinic Student Volunteer Support Program,” was a program she designed and implemented in collaboration with the HSU Social Work Department in the infusion clinic at St. Joseph Hospital’s Cancer Program to better serve the patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment and to support the medical staff in the clinic. The conference was attended by more than 600 cancer care professionals from across the country.

Jim Parsons, Fisheries Biology, 1979

Submitted: October 17, 2016

Jim Parsons, 1979 Fisheries Biology, is an owner/partner in Troutlodge, Inc., the world's largest supplier of rainbow trout eggs to the commercial and agency sectors. He was also elected president of the National Aquaculture Association in 2016.

Beth Downing Chee, Journalism, 2001

Submitted: October 14, 2016

Beth Downing Chee, 2001 Journalism, was recently hired as the director of marketing for Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif.

Daniel Mandell, History, 1979

Submitted: October 13, 2016

Daniel Mandell, 1979 History, has been given the 2016 award for Distinguished Literary Achievement by the Missouri Humanities Council, in recognition of his six books and two dozen articles on Native Americans in New England between 1600 and 1900. For more details, see http://dmandell.sites.truman.edu/files/2012/02/MHC_AwardsProgram2016-extract.pdf

Michael T. Rains, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1968

Submitted: October 13, 2016

Michael T. Rains, 1968 Forestry, recently retired from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service after 48 years of public service. Rains began his career as a wildland firefighter and rose through the ranks to become deputy chief for the agency. His last assignment with the Forest Service was director of the Northern Research Station and the Forest Products Laboratory. Rains is known for his authorship role in the National Fire Plan for the Department of Agriculture and advancing biomass uses—cellulose nanomaterials, green building construction, advanced wood for energy —as a way to help America's forests become more resilient to disturbances. Along the way, Rains earned a master’s degree in Secondary Education and now enjoys substitute teaching math and science at the middle school level in Pennsylvania.

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