Alumni Updates
Jess Whatcott, Environment & Community (Social Sciences), 2011
Submitted: January 28, 2024
After completing a Ph.D. at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Jess Whatcott (they/them) became a tenure-track professor in women's, gender, and sexuality studies at San Diego State University. Dr. Whatcott's first academic book about California's history of eugenics and confining disabled people in state institutions will be published by Duke University Press in August 2024.
Abbey Ramirez, Environmental Studies, 2022
Submitted: January 24, 2024
Since graduation, Abbey moved to Sonoma County on Pomo and Coast Miwok land, where she is the Head Gardener for Traditional Medicinals Tea Company (the company that makes Throat Coat!) She tends the educational garden, which serves as an herbal library, displaying many medicinal herbs the company uses in its teas. She is also the zero-waste coordinator working with the environmental department on getting the tea company recertified as a zero-waste facility. Abbey is still working with CCAT as a member of the Steering Committee, and she is always proud to say where her education came from!
Henry Mulak, Journalism, 1984
Submitted: January 4, 2024
Henry Mulak is developing a branded media company following 40 years of reporting, including for the "Big Three" broadcasting networks in the United States. The Ah! Channel (https://ahchannel.com) focuses on artificial intelligence. This comes on the heels of some six years studying computer science and business in Stanford University's Continuing Studies program. Henry was ahead of the curve when OpenAI released ChatGPT in November of 2022, quickly joining a startup in the development of digital personas. "The potential for growth here is tremendous," Henry says, noting that business models in everything from media to healthcare are changing rapidly.
Shiloh (Green) Soto, Environmental Studies, 2016
Submitted: December 13, 2023
After graduating from Humboldt, Shiloh earned her M.A. in interdisciplinary humanities at UC Merced, where she will also graduate with her Ph.D. in the spring of 2024. Her graduate work is housed in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and analyzes a public history project she directed with the San Joaquin Valley's city of Livingston. Shiloh moved back to Humboldt in 2022 and eventually found exciting work on campus in Cal Poly Humboldt's College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences as the College Graduate Programs & Recruitment Coordinator!
Claire Roth, Environmental Studies, 2017
Submitted: November 30, 2023
Claire lives in Eugene, Oregon, and works as a Program Manager with the educational nonprofit Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation (BEST). BEST advocates for better, more convenient, and safer transportation for everyone, no matter their mode of choice or ability, and believes that community partnership and collaboration are the keys to finding sustainable and equitable solutions to transportation challenges and that the voices of the most vulnerable users of the transportation system should be continuously elevated. Claire also serves on two local nonprofit boards: Shift Community Cycles and the Whiteaker Community Council. She believes that nonprofits fill the gap that governments cannot cover.
Shiloh (Green) Soto, Environmental Studies, 2016
Submitted: September 18, 2023
After graduating from Humboldt, Shiloh earned her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Humanities at UC Merced, where she will also graduate with her Ph.D. in Spring 2024. Shiloh's graduate work is housed in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and analyzes a public history project she directed about the San Joaquin Valley's City of Livingston. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shiloh and her spouse decided to move back to Humboldt with their child, and she found exciting work on campus in Cal Poly Humboldt's College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences as the College Graduate Programs & Recruitment Coordinator!
Javier Rojas, Journalism, 2016
Submitted: May 5, 2023
After taking on various reporter roles in Southern California, in April Javier accepted a dream job as a media relations specialist at Cal State Northridge. The transition from daily reporting to a communication position in higher education is something that Javier has been working towards since graduating from Humboldt State. While his love for writing never wavered, he's excited to return to a role in the CSU system where he can highlight the work of students.
Anna Petersen, History, 2018
Submitted: March 27, 2023
Anna Petersen has returned to her native country of Hungary in 2019, along with husband Jared and son Tibby. After working for a bilingual education nonprofit in Budapest, where students learn English in a fully immersive environment with lessons co-taught by native Hungarian and English-speaking instructors, she joined the fintech company Wise in 2022 in an anti-money laundering role.
Mark Castro, Anthropology, 2010
Submitted: December 13, 2022
Castro ('10, Anthropology) is a Co-Director of the Cultural Resources Facility at Cal Poly Humboldt and has been with the organization for 5 years. Castro has a holistic work experience through his time with multiple agencies including the BLM working on museum collections and archaeological field surveys, the Eldorado National Forest as a field technician, and the Northwest Information Center (Sonoma State University). He received his Master's in Cultural Resources Management at Sonoma State, is a Board Member of the Humboldt County Historical Society, and is the Co-Lead for the Pride (LGBTQ+) Taskforce for Coalition for Diversity in California Archaeology.
Jay Earl Peterson, Psychology, 1972
Submitted: November 30, 2022
Jay Peterson has been retired for twenty years now and is loving it. He spends most of his time reading and hopes to get more active again once his hips heal and his spinal injuries get better. For the most part, he's been touring the USA on his Gold Wing motorcycle and enjoying his time with his grandchildren.
Barbara Klessig, Anthropology, 2007
Submitted: October 29, 2022
Barbara Klessig ('07, Anthropology, '13, M.A. Social Science) worked with Solano Archaeological Services and is currently a lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt and an Archaeology Research Assistant with the Cultural Resource Facility (CRF). During her undergrad, she specialized in Archaeology, and her thesis for her M.A. is titled "Textile Production Tools from Viking Age Graves in Gotland, Sweden."
Brandon Chapin, Politics, 2010
Submitted: August 31, 2022
Brandon Chapin ('10, Politics) was appointed as Legislative and Policy Advisor at the Delta Stewardship Council by Governor Newsom on July 1, 2022. He is responsible for maintaining the Council’s relationship with the State legislature and working on other special projects related to the implementation of the state's Delta Plan.
George FitzGerald, Geology, 1968
Submitted: August 23, 2022
As the first geology graduate of Humboldt State in 1968, George FitzGerald went to work as an underground mine geologist in Grants, New Mexico. Using investigative skills taught by my Humboldt professors, he directed the quality-based safe extraction of uranium ore for over 15 years. Great education and experience in field geology provided him with the skills to successfully hold positions in industry, teaching, consulting and government regulation for environmentally protective mineral production. FitzGerald thanks Humboldt's first geology professors Dr. Young, Dr. Kilmer, and Dr. Longshore for creating one of the great programs at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Evan Blair, Politics, 2013
Submitted: July 6, 2022
Evan Blair ('13, Political Science) earned an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in 2017. He is currently the Associate Director of Admissions at UC Davis Graduate School of Management.
Pamela Schwartz, Art, 1994
Submitted: March 16, 2022
Pamela Schwartz recently started a business working freelance as a presentation design specialist at www.butterflypam.com. A Powerpoint design pro, Schwartz specializes in helping business present a professional presentation. Schwartz also still paints and has a thriving art career.
May Johnson, History, 2018
Submitted: February 16, 2022
May Johnson has been accepted to several prestigious law schools including Harvard Law School and will likely be attending Harvard Law School starting in Fall 2022!
LOWELL COTTLE, Geography, 1998
Submitted: January 31, 2022
After 15 years working as an environmental consultant, Lowell Cottle moved on to work for the state at the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board as an environmental scientist. Cottle is excited to be part of a team that inspects industrial sites for compliance with state and federal water codes where Cottle can really make a difference! Cottle investigates and tracks down potential sources of pollution from stormwater exposure and works with facility owners to be in compliance with the Clean Water Act.
Trent Garrett, Politics, 2020
Submitted: December 14, 2021
Trent Garrett began working for California Assemblymember Cristina Garica (AD 58) as a Legislative Aide. For the previous 6 months Garrett worked for Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (AD 76).
David Clark, History, 1971
Submitted: December 4, 2021
David Clark migrated to Australia in 1972 and taught high school until retirement in 2007.
James Caton, History, 2011
Submitted: June 10, 2021
The flexibility of HSU’s B.A. in History afforded James the opportunity to chart a path for the future by exploring topics that interested him. Upon completing his degree, he began studying economic theory. He completed an M.A. in Economics from San Jose State University in 2013 where he studied monetary theory and history. He completed my Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University in 2017 where he focused on non-equilibrium, agent-based models of systems of exchange. As of Fall 2017, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University where he teaches macroeconomics, entrepreneurship, economic computation, and economic development.