Alumni in the News - February 2010
Headliners
Engineering Alum Moves U.S. Closer to Private Space Flights
British millionaire Richard Branson and alumnus and aviation Pioneer Burt Rutan (B.S., Aero Engineering, 1965) are taking deposits for space flight tickets on their Virgin Galactic spaceline. In January, they unveiled their new rocket, dubbed SpaceShipTwo, and its carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, at an airport in the Mojave Desert.
The VMS Eve resembles a flying catamaran, according to a Los Angeles Times story. Instead of trying to launch a rocket directly into space, plans call for the carrier craft to lift SpaceShipTwo to an altitude of 50,000 feet. At that point, SpaceShipTwo -- carrying six paying passengers and two pilots -- would separate and blast off to about 325,000 feet, or 60 miles, above the Earth's surface. At that altitude, passengers experience weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth. Ticket price: $200,000.
Read the LA Times story on Rutan and Branson
Alumna Writes Critically Acclaimed Biography of Raymond Carver
Cal Poly alumna Carol Sklenicka (English, 1971) has written a critically acclaimed biography, "Raymond Carver." Scribner published the book in November. The book is Sklenicka's portrait of the iconic short-story writer. It was hailed as one of the top 10 books of 2009 in the New York Times Book Review. In another New York Times Book Review, author Stephen King called the book "meticulous and heartbreaking."
Read the New York Times review by Stephen King
Read the Washington Post review
Alum Trades Major League Baseball Possibilities for the Priesthood
Alum and former Mustang Baseball standout Grant Desme (Business Administration, 2008) made headlines this month by making a major career change: opting out of pro baseball to enter the priesthood. On the brink of making it to the majors, Desme decided to walk away from the Oakland Athletics minor league team to study to become a full-time priest in the Catholic Church. The A's drafted Desme in 2007 after catching him in action at Cal Poly.
Read the story in BusinessWorld Online
SF Bay Area Parent, Alum Join Forces to Aid Haiti Relief
Cal Poly alum Glen Perry (B.S., Business Administration, 1985) and Cal Poly Parent Jeff Behring are recently back from helping to deliver medical aid to Haiti. Behring, of the non-profit Wheelchair Foundation, put together a team of doctors, nurses, medicine and equipment and flew them to Haiti to aid adults and children injured in the recent earthquake there. Perry and Behring volunteered to go with the team as support help. Behring shared video from the trip and spoke about it with KGO ABC News in San Francisco.The Wheelchair Foundation has an active chapter at Cal Poly's Orfalea College of Business. Students raise thousands of dollars annually to purchase wheelchairs and deliver them to people in third-world countries.
See the KGO ABC-News interview
Requires flash player. Download Flash player free
Liddell Braves NY Game in San Diego Chargers Jersey to Support Another Cal Poly Alum
Former UFC Champion and world's toughest accounting grad Chuck Liddell (B.S., Business Administration, 1995) took on another tough task. He wore his his San Diego Charger jersey to the ESPNZone at a New York Jets game in January. It was a show of support for a good friend -- Chargers wide receiver Kassim Osgood (Kinesiology, 2003). The two have been friends since Osgood's days at Cal Poly.
Read the item on the Charger Jersey
Food & Wine
Alums' Palate-Cleansing Beverage Mentioned in Wall Street Journal
What's the best way to cleanse the palate between wine tastings? It was a senior project question, and now it's a drink called SanTásti. And it was just mentioned in a Wall Street Journal story on consumer wine tasting events and studies. Grads Andrew Macaluso (B.S., Wine & Viticulture, 2008) and business partner Nicole Chamberlain (B.S., Wine & Viticulture, 2008) are currently producing and marketing the drink in wine stores and tasting rooms.
Read the WSJ article
Yolo County Farm Bureau has Ag Alum as New President
Chuck Dudley (B.S., Ag Business, 1996) has been selected as the 51st Yolo County Farm Bureau president. He began his career at Hunt Foods and Industries/Hunt Wesson Foods, and then spent almost 30 years with Heidrick Farms and Joe Heidrick Enterprises, serving as pest control adviser/agronomist and farm manager. He has been involved in the agricultural production of more than two dozen crop varieties throughout his career and is familiar with many of Yolo County's annual crops.
Read the whole story in the Woodland Daily Democrat
Alum Shares 'Agriculturalist of the Year' Award
Dennis Mariani (B.S., Agriculture, 1965) has been named 2010 Yolo County Agriculturalist of the Year - an award shared with family Jack and Martin Mariani. The trio received the award in January at the annual meeting of the Yolo County Farm Bureau. They are third-generation owners of Mariani Nut Company, which has grown, processed and marketed California premium walnuts and almonds for more than three decades.
Read the story in the Woodland Daily Demorcat
Alum Named Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Person of the Year
Castoro Cellars proprietor Niels Udsen (B.S., Ag Business, 1980) was recently named the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance 2009 Wine Industry Person of the Year. He was recognized as an innovator who helped lead the Paso Robles Wine Country growth, a pioneer of Paso Robles viticulture and a key player in helping establish the area as a world-class destination. Udsen began working in the wine cellar of Estrella River Winery in 1981 under the direction of Estrella's then winemaker, Tom Myers.
More on Udsen in the Paso Robles Press
Walnut Farmer Takes a Scientific Approach to Business
Hal Crain (B.S., Industrial Technology, 1991) is president of farming operations for one of Northern California's premier in-shell and shelled walnut operations and still gets plenty of help from the academic world. He has been working with University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisers on various research projects, most recently the planting of cloned rootstock that will grow pest- and rot-resistant trees. Crain Ranch has also been using UC-developed pheromone puff devices that hinder mating of the codling moth, a destructive orchard pest.
Read more about Crain in the Capital Press
California Olive Ranch Names Adam Englehardt Vice President of Orchard Operations
California Olive Ranch (COR), the country’s largest producer of extra virgin olive oil, announced that Adam Englehardt has been promoted to vice president of Orchard Operations. Englehardt (B.S., Ag Business, 2004) began his work in large-scale agriculture with the Hearst Corporation.
Read more in Earth Times
Alumni Keeping Fifth-Generation Hildreth Ranch Vineyards & Orchards in the Family
In the 1850s, the Hildreth and Standley families came to Mendocino County. Today Mike Hildreth and his wife, Susan, (along with their son Joe and his wife Lindsay) carry on the family's farming legacy there. Both mother and son are Cal Poly alumni. Susan Hildreth (B.S., Child Development, 1975) grew up with four brothers on a cotton and cattle ranch in Fresno before coming to Cal Poly. Joe Hildreth (B.S., Fruit Science, 2002), 30, always knew he would come back to the family ranch.
Read more in the Ukiah Daily Journal
Alum and Family Launching Pomegranate Wine After Setback
Brian Davis and his twin brother, Nick (B.S., Wine & Viticulture, 2008), have launched launch Twin Poms, a specialty wine made from pomegranates. The brothers had to put their plans on hold in March 2009 after a plane crash that nearly killed Brian Davis and his father. They went on to partner with a San Luis Obispo winery to make wine that’s sourced from the family’s pomegranate orchards. The Davises also helped fine tune the flavor to offer a lighter drink than the sweeter pomegranate wines already on the market. Their goal is to tap the popularity of wine and pomegranates.
Read the story in the Fresno Bee
Multitasking
Judge, SciFi Author, Mayor - Renaissance Man Doing it all
David Rosenberg (B.S., Journalism, 1969) is the presiding Judge in Yolo County Superior Court. Rosenberg earned his law degree from the UC Davis School of Law. While practicing law for 20 years, he also served as a city councilman and mayor of Davis and as a Yolo County supervisor, where he participated in the planning and construction of the Esparto Regional Library. He is also the author of the science fiction novel "Endgame." He was a featured speaker at the library's anniversary celebration in January.
Read the Daily Democrat story
Career Moves
Bull-riding CEO Moves to Racecars to Run Indy Racing League
The Indy Racing League has a new CEO: Randy Bernard (Ag Business, 1992). Bernard will leave his position as CEO of the Professional Bull Riders Association to take the reins of the Indianapolis racing series. Bernard spent six years in the marketing and entertainment department of the California Mid State Fair prior to joining the PBR.
Read the story in the Indianapolis Business Journal
OCOB Alum is New Trader at DoubleLine Capital LP
Ken Austin (Business Administration, 1986) has joined DoubleLine Capital LP, along with his former boss and four other colleagues from Corporate Credit Research at TCW. Austin brings 25 years of industry expertise as a trader to the Global Developed Credit Group at DoubleLine.
Read more on PR Newswire
Architecture Alumn Joins Portland Firm
Yost Grube Hall Architecture in Portland, Ore., recently hired Cal Poly alumnus Julio Rocha (B.S., Architecture, 1995), AIA, AP. Rocha joins YGH as a project architect with 13 years experience. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional.
Read more in Portland dBusiness.com
Alum is New Board Member of Santa Paula Water District
Daniel C. Naumann (B.S., Ag Business, 1980) of Oxnard was elected as vice president of the United Water Conservation District’s Board of Directors at its regular meeting in January. Naumann represents the Pleasant Valley area of the district, south and east of Oxnard.
Read the Santa Paula Times story
Alum Named Bank Vice President in Visalia
Valley Business Bank announced that Scott Iverson (B.S., Ag Business, 2000) has been promoted to vice president/business banking officer. Iverson remains active with Cal Poly and is president of the Tulare/Kings County Cal Poly Alumni Association Chapter. He has been with the bank since July 2006.
Read the story in the Visalia Times-Delta
Politics
Alumna Will Seek Re-Election as Ventura County Supervisor
Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks (B.S., Political Science, 1980) announced she’s running for reelection. In addition to her Cal Poly degree, Parks received her master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Washington. Parks represents Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Oak Park and Santa Rosa Valley, among other areas.
Read more in the Thousand Oaks Acorn
Passings
Anne McMahon: Environmentalist, Longtime Staff for Central Coast Congressional Representatives
Anne McMahon (B.S., Journalism, 1992) died Saturday, Dec. 19, at her home in Santa Margarita at age 57 after a seven-month struggle with cancer. She was well-known in California political circles after being hired by late Central Coast Congressman Walter Capps as his San Luis Obispo office staff representative. She continued that job after the election of current Congresswoman Lois Capps. She served as the staff representative for two San Luis Obispo County supervisors and was working for the California Coastal Commission until the week before her passing
Read the obituary in the Atascadero News
Colorado Art Center Named for Late Alumnus
A new gallery space in the planned in Carbondale, Colorado, will honor longtime resident and architect Ron Robertson (B.Ar., Architecture, 1972), who helped design the space. Robertson passed away in January. He moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 1973. He worked for Glenwood Springs architect Dean Moffatt before starting his own firm, R.C. Robertson Architects, in downtown Carbondale in 1990.
Read the full story in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Read the story in the Aspen Times | Read obituary in the Aspen Times
Biologist Clu Cotter Remembered
Clu Cotter (B.S., Ecology and Systematic Biology, 1991) was remembered at a memorial service in January. He was one of two scientists killed in a helicopter crash in December. He was profiled in the Clovis Independent for his long work with California's Department of Fish and Game.
Read the full story in the Clovis Independent
Berkeley MacRae Johnston
Berkeley Johnston (B.S., Ag Engineering, 1986) died of an apparent heart attack at his San Luis Obispo home in January. He is survived by his wife, Jacquie Vance Johnston, and three children: Emily Louise, Berkeley Michael, and Julia MacRae.
Johnston was the co-owner of Norcast, a Central Coast telephone and Internet provider.
Read the obituary in the San Marino Tribune | Read the obituary in the SLO Tribune
Thomas Rosebraugh
Thomas “Tom” Rosebraugh (B.S., Aero Engineering, 1962) passed away suddenly Wednesday, Jan. 13. A San Luis Obispo High School grad, he entered the United States Air Force after high school. He came to Cal Poly after his service. While at the university, he met and married Julie Smith, then a teacher at Shell Beach Elementary.
Read more in the Atascadero News | Read obit in the SLO Tribune | Read the obit in the Kitsap Sun