Matt Edwards, 1986 Theatre, returns to Humboldt precisely 30 years later to pursue a single subject teaching credential.  After graduation he received an MFA from The Old Globe Theatre / University of San Diego and lived in NYC for 25 years as a classical actor; working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, daytime TV and regional theaters around the nation.  “I’m excited to return to HSU.  I parked at my old house off sunset and made the same walk up to Founders Hall after a 30 year hiatus!  Since I’m a New Yorker now, I cut 3-4 minutes off my commute!  All my teachers are great and I really trust them.”

Craig Chase, Fisheries Biology, 1977, retired from Lockheed Martin Space Systems in 2015.

Elizabeth J. Hilker, Journalism, 1991, has a daughter who started as a freshman majoring in Geology in August 2017 at HSU!

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.

Matthew K Pearson, 1994 Environmental Resources Engineering, is cofounder of DeeditForward, a smartphone app to inspire good deed exchanges between community members and revolutionize fundraising.  An app “helping people help others.”

Thomas Fritzsche, 1990 English, is celebrating fifteen years of dedication in Respiratory Therapy at UCLA Medical Center.

Justine Quijano, 2014 Art, moved back to Southern California, had a child, and finally applied to grad school. Now, she is finally on her way to start her master’s program. All happened a little out of order but like her sorority sisters said, she is a “Luchadora” for a reason. She is making her way back to her career goals at Marylhurst University, where she’ll work toward my masters in art therapy.

Clark Alexander, 1983 Oceanography, was recently appointed Director of the University of Georgia (UGA) Skidaway Institute of Oceanography located in Savannah, GA.  He also holds the rank of full professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at UGA.

Kate McPike, 1971 Business, has lived all over California, Long Island, New Orleans, Chicago, and Houston. Now, she has finally retired to Ahwatukee (Phoenix), Arizona.  She started a pet sitting business in 2016 called K8’s Pet Care. She loves what she does and loves being her own boss.  Prior to retirement she was a district operations manager for Weight Watchers International and ended her career in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. as a strategic planning and training manager for the CA Credit Union League, a trade association for credit unions in California. Happily divorced and happy to be retired with her own business!

Philip Harris, 2012 English, after graduating and being rejected from the five grad schools, took two years off. I was admitted to San Francisco State University’s MFA Fiction program in 2014. In the three years of Harris’ MFA, he wrote two novels, a collection of short fiction, a collection of short nonfiction, and a chapbook of prose poetry, which has been accepted for publication through Nomadic Press. The chapbook is a collection of prose poems dealing with identity and culture. Harris cites his time at HSU in the Writing Practices program as establishing the foundation of his writing. “The Flowers in my Mothers’ Name” debuts this fall.