Alumni in the News -- January 2008
Features
The Iceman is Back After Ultimate Fighting Victory
The Iceman is back, thanks to his unanimous victory in a Dec. 28 match against Wanderlei Silva in Las Vegas. Sportswriters were quick to note that Cal Poly alumnus Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell looked like his old self Dec. 28 -- one of Ultimate Fighting's most feared strikers. Liddell (B.S., Business Administration, 1995) was a member of Cal Poly's wrestling team during his years here. Find out which other Cal Poly Alumni were in the news recently -- and if you know them
Read the story in the SLO Tribune sports section
Read the story in the Washington Post
Read the story on Yahoo! Sports
Cal Poly Grad Named Counsel for State Dept of Food and Ag
John Hewitt (B.S., Ag Business, 1999) has been appointed counsel for the state Department of Food and Agriculture, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced. Hewitt, 32, will earn $105,420 annually. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Hewitt earned a law degree from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. He has worked for the California Farm Bureau Federation since 2001, where he served as associate counsel before being appointed to the state Food and Agriculture position.
Read the SLO Tribune story on Hewitt's appointment
SF Chronicle names Alumna 'Winemaker to Watch'
Jennifer Williams (B.S., Crop Science, 1999) is now the head winemaker at Spottswoode in the Napa Valley. Williams, 31, was promoted to winemaker starting with last year's vintage. She originally came to Cal Poly wanting to be a large-animal veterinarian. But she discovered she really loved botany and grape growing. At the time, Cal Poly didn't have a wine and viticulture program. So Williams chose fruit science.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle Story on Williams | Go to Cal Poly's Wine Program Web
Working Hard or Hardly Working? Career is All Fun for Madden
John Madden (B.S., Physical Education, 1959, M.A., Education, 1961, M.A. Physical Education, 1961) told reporters in Los Angeles as he was gearing up for his 2008 gig at NBC. "I went from a player to a coach to a broadcaster. Never worked a day in my life! Just had fun! I mean, I've been in recess all my life!"
Read the story in the Halifax News
Oakland Architect Profiled for Sustainable Designs
Sustainable architect Gerard Lee (B.Ar., 1995) was profiled recently by Asian Week magazine. Lee transferred to California Poly from Diablo Valley College. For more than 12 years, Lee, principal of Oakland-based Gerard Lee Architects, has been "green," designing sustainable architecture that incorporates recycled materials, solar panels and other sustainable elements.
Read the profile of Lee
Pumping Gas Got Alum through College -- and into Business
Hard work put San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Katcho Achadjian (B.S., Business Administration, 1976) through Cuesta College and Cal Poly. He worked at gasoline stations, pumping gas and cleaning bathrooms during the graveyard shift. After he graduated from Cal Poly, Achadjian was looking for a job and had offers in San Jose and other cities. But he wanted to stay on the Central Coast -- and found a way to do it.
Read the profile of Achadjian in the SLO Tribune
Two Friends Open Wine Shop with International Flavor
Two Cal Poly grads are looking to supply wine lovers' international palates.
Allison Dominguez (B.S., Biological Science, 2002) and Ali Rush Carscaden (B.S., Rec Administration, 2002, M.S., Agriculture, 2004) are friends and Cal Poly alumni who think there is a need for a different type of wine shop in the Paso Robles wine country. They're focusing on nonlocal wines, education and tastings. The name of their new business? 15degreesC Wine Shop & Bar. The temperature translates to the ideal setting for storing wine in a cellar: 15 degrees Celsius, or 58 degrees Fahrenheit.
Read the SLO Tribune story on the duo
Mustang Wrestling Alum is Now a Physician and Coach in Tennessee
David Redd (B.S., Biochemistry, 1974) is now a physician in Chattanoga, Tennessee -- and a teacher and wrestling coach at a private school. When he's not in surgery at Parkridge Hospital or seeing patients, he's teaching AP courses or coaching students. Redd wrestled for Cal Poly from 1971-1974. After completing his residency in Birmingham he operated a successful practice in Atlanta.
Read the story in the Chattanogan
Nation's Top Boyscout (A Cal Poly Alum) Comes to Town
Chief Scouting Executive Bob Mazzuca (History, 1970) recently came back to the Central Coast to honor volunteer Kathryn McClure. The dinner, which included a keynote speech by Steve Ford, son of former U.S. President Gerald Ford, was a homecoming for Mazzuca, the top Boy Scouts executive in the nation. After graduating with a history degree from Cal Poly in 1970, he taught at Mission Prep High School.
See the Scouting story in The SLO Tribune | See the KSBY story
Alumna's Book Tells the Story of the Man Who Put Hollywood on the Map
In her new book, "The Father of Hollywood," author Gaelyn Whitley Keith introduces the man who created one of the world's most recognizable places: Hollywood.
Keith (B.S., Business Administration, 1974) is a California native. She has written for South Bay Magazine and was awarded top honors in a national writing competition, and she is currently working on her second book.
Read the story on Keith's book
Alum Couple Join Career Forces to Open Wine Shop
Sheri (B.S. Nutrition Science, 1983) and Craig Wood (Physical Education, 1981) pair art and wine in their new Wood Winery tasting room and gallery in Arroyo Grande. The move for the couple, both Cal Poly alumni, indicates just how well their San Luis Obispo County-based wine business has aged through the years for the husband-and-wife winemakers.
Read the New Times profile on the couple
Promotions
State of Nevada Recognizes Alumna for Teaching Excellence
Susan Moore (B.S., Liberal Studies, 1976) has awarded the National Education Association Foundation's "I CAN Learn" award for teaching excellence for the state of Nevada. She was Teacher of the Year in 2006 for the Douglas County School District. Moore will be traveling to Washington, D.C., in February for an award ceremony that will honor all 50 nominees from around the country and name the final winner. In addition to her Cal Poly degree, Moore earned her special education certification at San Diego State University and 's working on her master's degree online through Grand Canyon University.
Read the Douglas Times story
Alum a Contender to Head Theology Department
Paul DeNeui (B.S., Ornamental Horticulture, 1982) has been named as the candidate for Director of the Center for World Christian Studies and Professor of Missiology and Intercultural Studies at North Park Theological Seminary. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, he earned a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1987, and recently completed his doctoral work through Fuller.
Read the story about DeNeui
Micrel Names Engineering Alum as Vice President
San Jose tech firm Micrel has announced the appointment of Scott Ward B.S., Engineering Technology, 1977) as Vice President, Analog Business Unit. In his new role. Ward will have profit and loss as well as product selection responsibility for Micrel's Analog Business Unit. Ward was formerly Vice President of Micrel's Test Division. The Company's analog business accounts for more than two-thirds of the Company's revenues worldwide.
Read the story on Micrel changes
Engineering Alum Named to Run Northern California District
Michael D. Holley (B.S., Agricultural Engineering, 1983) has been appointed as the new general manager for the Truckee Donner Public Utility District. The utility’s board of directors announced his selection in early January. Holley, formerly of Concord, holds professional registration in both mechanical and civil engineering.
Read the Sierra Sun article
Journalism Alumna Edits Blog on SF Music Scene
Emily Logan (B.S., Journalism, 2006, B.S., Music 2006) is now the editor of The Deli SF - a blog on the San Francisco music scene. Logan, 23, says there’s a distinct sense of camaraderie within the scene. “I think what’s unique about the San Francisco scene is everyone is really supportive of everyone else,” she told The SF Weekly.
Read the SF Weekly story | Visit The Deli SF blog
Alum Named to Head Naperville Chamber of Commerce Near Chicago
Richard Greene (B.S., Business Administration, 1978) has been named the new president of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce. Greene and his family are relocating from Sacramento to Naperville, outside Chicago.
Read the story in the Naperville Sun
Creative Productions Adds Alumna as L.A. Account Supervisor
Karen Hamilton (B.S., Business Administration, 1995) has been appointed as Account Supervisor for Creative Productions, an integrated marketing and promotions agency. She will manage the accounts of the firm's clients and projects in its Los Angeles office, including Toyota, Metrolink and the Goodwill Industries. In addition to her Cal Poly degree, she holds an MBA from UCLA with an emphasis in Consumer and Entertainment Marketing. She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, having worked on various independent feature and short films and industrial and commercial ads.
Read the story in England's Earth Times | Read the story on Automotive.com
Anthera Pharmaceuticals Names Alum as Chief Financial Officer
Christopher P. Lowe (B.S., Business Administration, 1989) has been named chief financial officer
of Anthera Pharmaceuticals. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Lowe holds an MBA from Saint Mary's University in Texas. Anthera is a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing anti-inflammatory drugs for chronic and acute diseases.
Read the Earth Times story on Lowe
Animal Science Alumni Joins East Coast Company
Kimberly Ray (B.S., Animal Science, 2000) has joined Eisai Inc. as Senior Manager, Pharmacoepidemiology and Risk Management in Medical Services. In addition to her Cal Poly Degree, she earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences with concentrations in Epidemiology and Infectious Disease from Cornell University.
Read more about Ray
Alum Named VP at Kauai Bank in Hawaii
Christopher Cole Young (B.S., Economics, 1994) has been promoted to vice president from assistant vice president of Private Client Services on Kaua‘i at Bank of Hawaii. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Young also holds an MBA from CSU Long Beach.
Read the story on Kauai World
Alum Completes Academy, Assigned to Central Coast CHP Region
Robert Grindy (B.S., English, 2003) graduated recently from the California Highway Patrol academy and has been assigned to the Santa Barbara. He served three years in the Army and was a youth pastor prior to joining the CHP.
Read the story in the Roseville Democrat
Passings
Celebrity Photographer Roger Marshutz
Roger Marshutz (1952, Engineering), a photographer whose images of a young Elvis Presley reaching out to his fans, Marilyn Monroe at the height of her fame and other celebrity shots appeared in fan magazines, on posters and in movie publicity kits during the 1950s and '60s, has died. He was 78. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and later studied photography at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
Read the Los Angeles Times obituary
Printing Alum Jack Pierce, Worked for the United Nations
Jack Ray Pierce, 72, (B.S., Graphic Communication, 1959) passed away Dec. 19 in St. George, Utah. He lived most of his life in California. He graduated from and taught at Cal Poly, and spent most of his life working in the paper and printing industry. He worked for the United Nations teaching printing in Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. He also served eight years in the US Army.
Read the obituary in the St. George Spectrum