Alumni in the News - August 2009
Headliners
Former UFC Champ Chuck Liddell Among 2009 UFC, Cal Poly Hall of Fame Honorees
Former UFC champ Chuck Liddell (B.S., Business Administration, 1995) and alums John Wood and Alex Spanos were among Cal Poly Hall of Fame honorees announced this summer by Cal Poly Athletics. Liddell was also inducted into the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame on July 10. Liddell, Alex G. Spanos (Aeronautical Engineering, 1942, Honorary Doctorate, 2004), former Mustang wrestler John Wood (B.S., Political Science, 1970) are among this year’s Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame class.
Read the story in the SLO Tribune | Read the Cal Poly Athletics News Release
Urban Dictionary and Cal Poly Grad Who Started it Going Strong, Standing Up for First Amendment,
Aaron Peckham (B.S., M.S., Computer Science, 2005), who founded theUrban Dictionary Web site as a Cal Poly undergrad, has been all over the news this summer -- on two coasts. The New York Times did a feature story on Urban Dictionary and the mega-hit it's become. The Web site now lists some 4 million words and gets about 2,000 new submissions per day. An army of volunteer editors sorts through it all. "Urban Dictionary is a stunningly useful document that unlike most media is made and used by actual young people — in droves," notes the Times story. Peckham was interviewed by the Boston Globe for a feature on how his site and its users are defining towns and their images. Many of the most-read entries on Urban Dictionary are about cities and towns around the world, written with emotions that run deep, Peckham told the Globe. Out West, the Pasadena Weekly wrote about how Peckham filed a friend of the court brief in a lawsuit that won a recent victory for online freedom of speech.
Read the whole story in the Pasadena Weekly - if you don't mind some spicy words
Read the Boston Globe story - if you want some insight into Meffa and Swellesley and how cross-town rivalries and community reputations are showing up on Urban Dictionary
Read the New York Times story - for its interview with Peckham and observation on how the site is both a reflection and an influencer of pop culture
Business Alum Named One of NorCal's 'Superlawyers'
L. Stuart List (B.S., Business Administration, 1984) made the Law & Politics 2009 list of Northern California's "Superlawyers." List is with the firm of McDonough Holland & Allen in Sacramento. The Super Lawyers list is compiled through peer nomination and research. Only five percent of the Northern California Bar received the distinction. List practices estate planning and probate law, focusing on complex estate issues, preparing revocable and irrevocable trusts, assisting in formation and succession planning of family owned business entities, post-death administration of complex trusts and estates, and preparing estate and gift tax returns.
Read the story on Sacramento DBusiness news
Post-Italy, Communications Alumna Tackling New York Fashion Scene with New Lineup
Jessica Ciarla is making waves in the world of fashion. Ciarla (B.S., Speech Communication, 1999) started her career in New York as a stylist at the former YM magazine. She went on to earn a fashion design certificate from Parson’s School of Design and then moved to Italy, where she received her master’s in advanced fashion design from the Polimoda International Institute of Design and Marketing. Now she's launched Ciarla Bride Atelier line of bridesmaid and bridal dresses this summer in her brand-new East Austin studio as part of the Texas capitol's first-ever fashion week. Ciarla says Austin is a natural place for fashion design because it's style is a mix of East Coast hip and West Coast casual.
Read the story in UT's Daily Texan
Food & Wine
Alum Launches Golden Hills Microbrew in Spokane
Alum J. Graydon Brown (B.S., Electronic Engineering, 1986) has partnered with Bernie Duenwald to launch Golden Hills Brewing Company in Airway Heights near Spokane, Wash. The two were students in the master brewers program at Chicago’s Siebel Institute in 1993.
More on Brown's brew in the Spokesman Review
Alum is Central Coast Winemaker of the Year
Alum Austin Hope (B.S., Fruit Science, 1996) was named the Central Coast's Winemaker of the Year at the California Mid-State Fair. After earning his degree from Cal Poly, Hope joined the family business as assistant winemaker. Earlier this year he launched his own new label called Candor. He also announced the new name and identity of the parent company — Hope Family Wines —that includes his labels Treana, Liberty School, Westside and Austin Hope. In March he opened his first tasting room to the public. His Candor merlot also won Best Red Wine in the California Mid-State Fair wine competition.
Read The SLO Tribune story on Hope
Alumna is Cattlewoman of the Year on the Central Coast
Chris Jennings (B.S., Animal Science, 1992) of Paso Robles was presented the Cattlewoman of the Year award at the Mid-State Fair. Jennings is an active volunteer in many areas. She chairs the Beef Ambassador contest and the Environment and Animal Care committee. She is now chairwoman of the Cattlewomen’s grants and scholarships committee.
More on Jennings in the SLO Tribune
Alum Named Winegrape Grower of the Year by Paso Robles Wine Alliance
Anthony “Tony” Domingos has been named the winegrape grower of the year by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in partnership with the Independent Grape Growers of Paso Robles and the San Luis Obispo Vintners & Growers Association. Domingos (B.S., Ag Management, 1992) also completed a concentration in farm management and a minor in plant protection while at Cal Poly.
More on Domingos in the Santa Maria Times
Career Moves
Alum Elected to State Bar Board of Governors
Cal Poly alum Clark Gehlbach (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1989) of Roseville was among five attorneys chosen to serve three-year terms on the State Bar’s Board of Governors. Gehlbach, 43, won the District 1 seat. He is a Placer County deputy district attorney and a board member of both the Auburn Union Elementary School District and the Placer Public Employees Organization. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, he earned his law degree at the UC Hastings College of the Law.
Read more on the State Bar Web site
Business Alum Joining BMO Capital Markets
Philip Jungwirth (B.S., Business Administration, 2002) is joining BMO Capital Markets from Merrill Lynch. Jungwirth has over three years experience in equity research including expertise in oil services. Jungwirth is a CPA and CFA Charter holder. Prior to his years at Merrill Lynch, he worked as a senior auditor and senior associate in transaction services with major public accounting firms.
Read more on Jungwirth on PRNewswire
Engineering Alum Working on NASA Orion Project - The Next Spacecraft
Cal Poly alum Brandon Shaw (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2005) is working on NASA's Orion, which will replace the space shuttle. Shaw now works for NASA contractor Jacobs Engineering in Houston. Shaw is working on the Orion's heat shield.
Read the story on Shaw in the Visalia Times Delta
Bio Alum is Assistant Director at Santa Barbara Zoo
Alan Varsik (B.S., Environmental and Systematic Biology, 1984) became the Santa Barbara Zoo’s assistant director at the beginning of the year. While a student at Cal Poly, Varsik took a class in ornithology and has been inspired by condors ever since.
More on Varsik in the Santa Maria Times
Western Region Ag Teacher of the Year is Cal Poly Alum
In her five years of teaching, Shay Williams-Hopper (M.S., Ag Education, 2007) earned her master's degree in agricultural education, supervised six student teachers, presented at conferences, and more. In July, the Tulare teacher was named the Western Region winner of the Outstanding Young Member Award presented by the National Association of Agriculture Educators.
Read the story in the Visalia Times Delta | See the story on KSEE News
Business Alum Running for Sheriff in San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department Cmdr. Benjamin Hall (MBA, 1996) announced his intentions to run for the office of Sheriff. He earned an associate’s degree in police administration from Cuesta College.
Read more in the Atascadero News | Read the story in the Paso Robles Press | See Story on KCOY | Read the SLO Tribune story
CBS Affiliate KCOY TV Has a Flock of Journalism Grads in the Newsroom
KCOY TV, the CBS affiliate on the Central Coast, has a newsroom stocked full of Cal Poly journalism grads. They include evening co-anchor Katie Marzullo (B.S., Journalism, 1999) and reporters Alison Reeder (B.S., Journalism, 2005), and Liza Sullivan (B.S., Journalism, 2006). Check out the KCOY Channel 12 News Web site for their bios.
More on Mustang J-Grads at KCOY
Education alum Retires After 17 Years as Hancock Community College VP
Roger Welt (M.A., Education, 1974), longtime vice president for student affairs at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, retired this summer. During his time on campus, Welt was nicknamed “Dr. Bulldog” (after the school's mascot) for his devotion to Hancock.
Read the Santa Maria Times story on Welt
Engineering Alum Retires from Navy Commandership
Navy Commander Cameron Weaver (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1986) was honored in June at a formal retirement ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Weaver and his wife Mary Beth (B.S., Business Administration, 1986), both Taft natives, earned bachelor’s degrees at Cal Poly. But after graduating, Weaver said he couldn't find a job in the oil industry. So he enlisted in the Navy.
Read more in the Taft Driller
NRM Alum Retires from SLO Police
Longtime San Luis Obispo police leader Dan Blanke (B.S., Natural Resource Management, 1971) retired this summer after 29 years with the department. Blanke began as a patrolman in 1980 and moved up the ranks to serve as captain, working frequently with Cal Poly student leaders and administrators. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Blanke earned a master's in education from San Diego State University in 2002.
Read the SLO Tribune feature on Blanke
Just for Fun
Chem Alum Runs Ultra Marathon
Alum Dan Fish (B.S., Chemistry, 1978) ran the Headlands 100, a 100-mile ultra-marathon in the hills above San Francisco. Marathoning is new for the longtime soccer player. While at Cal Poly, Fish played Division I soccer for the Mustangs. He moved to Ventura County 14 years ago to take a job with Amgen, where he still works.
Read more in the Ventura Star
Hail to the Queen: Cal Poly Alumna Among 'Fair' Maidens of the Past
Cal Poly alumna were part of a SLO Tribune feature story on Mid-State Fair Queens and Maids of the past. Queen Jacky Coon (B.S., Ag Management, 1989) went on to get a master’s degree in ag economics at Oklahoma State. The onetime marketing director for the fair now teaches in the fair management program at Cal Poly. And queen Tracy Nix (Journalism, 1997) went into social work. Today, she’s a child forensic interview specialist for the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.
Read the full story on Mid-State Fair Queens in the SLO Tribune
Passings
Louise Hunter McDonald
Louise Hunter McDonald (B.S., Ornamental Horticulture, 1972, M.A., Education, 1980) was born in 1929 in Douglas, Ariz. She passed away July 19 at French Hospital. After earning her degrees at Cal Poly, "Nora" McDonald then moved to Alaska and worked on the Alaskan Pipeline as a Teamster truck driver.
Read the obituary in the SLO Tribune