Alumni
in the News -- May 2006
Alum
Named to National Academy of Sciences
UC Santa Cruz Professor David Haussler was elected
to both the National Academy of Sciences
and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences recently.
A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science and the American Association for Artificial
Intelligence, he earned his B.A. in mathematics from
Connecticut College, M.S. in applied mathematics from
Cal Poly (M.S., Mathematics, 1979), and Ph.D. in computer
science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
He joined the UCSC faculty in 1986.
Read
the UC Santa Cruz Release
Photo
courtesy of UC Santa Cruz
The
Real '$6 Million Man' -- a Cal Poly Grad -- Passes
Away
Bruce A. Peterson (B.S. Engineering
1960) joined NASA in 1960 as an engineer. After he
survived a spectacular crash while flight testing
a wingless research aircraft on a dry lakebed in 1967,
he was regularly introduced as the real "Six
Million Dollar Man." The former NASA research
pilot and engineer died earlier this month of natural
causes at his home in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Read
the Los Angeles Times obituary
Business
Grad is the Face of Ultimate Fighting
Chuck
Liddell, 36, has become his sport's "mohawked
poster boy," according to a recent profile in
the Orange County Register. Liddell (B.S. Bus. Admin,
1995) was a Mustang wrestler who studied Kenpo karate
and kickboxing during his time at Cal Poly. Now he's
known as "The Iceman" in the Ultimate Fighting
world. For those who don't frequent Pay-Per-View channels,
in Ultimate Fighting, "almost any martial-arts
attack goes, barring biting, eye-gouging, head-butting,
hair-pulling and shots to the groin and throat. That
high-speed, martial-arts action has attracted more
than three million fans, mostly men ages 18 to 34,"
according to the newspaper.
Read the Register feature on Liddell
Photo Courtesy Chuck Liddell
Alum
In Line for National Vocational Teaching Award
Cal Poly graduate John Stokes (B.S. Ag Business, 1986)
is a former mechanic who teaches auto shop classes
at Paso Robles High School. He's also a candidate
to receive a national award from the vocational education
program SkillsUSA. The auto shop teacher is one of
five people in the nation being considered for the
SkillsUSA National Adviser of the Year.
Read
the Tribune story about Stokes and the auto shop program
he runs at PRHS
J-Alum
Named City Editor at SLO Tribune
Journalism grad Matt Lazier, 31, has
been named City Editor at the San Luis Obispo Tribune,
recently acquired by McClatchy newspapers. Lazier
(B.S. Journalism, 1997) joined The Tribune nine years
ago as an intern while attending Cal Poly, then took
a part-time job as a weekend general assignment reporter
and became full time after graduating in December
1997. He has covered numerous beats as a reporter,
including the cities of Paso Robles and Atascadero
as well as higher education and public safety. Lazier
was promoted to assistant city editor in July 2002
and worked that post for two years before becoming
the North County editor, where he oversaw the newspaper’s
office in Paso Robles and its four reporters.
Read
the Tribune story on Lazier
Photo courtesy The Tribune
Cal
Poly Engineering Alums' Company is Top Solar Installer
REC Solar in San Luis Obispo was the state’s
top installer of residential solar systems in 2005,
according to the California Energy Commission. The
company was founded in 1997 by Cal Poly grads Judy
Ledford (B.S. Env. Engineering, 1997) and Fred Sisson
(Mech. Engineering, 1998). Today, many of the company’s
80 employees are also Cal Poly alums.
Read
the Pacific Coast Business Times story on the company
Alumna
Currently on Tour with
National Company in 'Oklahoma!'
Pat
Sibley (B.S. Child Development, 1973) is currently
playing 'Aunt Eller' in the national touring company
presentation of the beloved musical "Oklahoma!"
She was on stage on campus at the Performing Arts
Center's Christopher Cohan Center in May with the
troupe, and was profiled in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Sibley came to Cal Poly before the university had
a theater arts major, and chose Child Development
instead. But she was acting in Central Coast theatres
everywhere during the 1970s and 1980s -- at Cal Poly,
the SLO Little Theatre, and the Great American Melodrama
in Oceano. She also took classes at the Pacific Conservatory
of the Performing Arts at Hancock College in Santa
Maria with "Top Gun" star Kelly McGillis.
Read
more of the Tribune feature on Sibley
Alum
Heads Equity Research on Next Generation Energy Markets
Brion Tanous (B.S. Industrial Technology, 1986) is
now an equity research analyst with Merriman Curhan
Ford & Co.'s new 'Next Generation Index.' The
stock tracking service covers a comprehensive universe
of companies, including those focused on fuel cells,
solar power, alternative fuels, energy storage, hydrogen
and other supporting technologies.
Read
the Article in the San Francisco Business News
Network
TV Anchor Laura Diaz
Returns to her Roots for Cinco de Mayo
CBS News Anchor Laura Diaz (B.A. English, 1994), who
grew up in Santa Paula in a farm worker family, was
again the featured speaker at her hometown's Cinco
de Mayo Celebration.
Read
the Santa Paula Times Story on Laura Diaz
Photo Courtesy Laura Diaz
Watsonville
City Council
Appoints Alum as Planning Commissioner
Diane
E. Gutierrez (B.S. Architecture, 1997), has been appointed
to the Watsonville City Planning Commission. Gutierrez
has worked as an architectural project manager for
H.E. Bowen & Associates Inc. in San Jose and as
an architect assistant for Wald, Ruhnle and Oost Architects
in Monterey.
Mustang
Inducted into San Francisco Prep Football Hall of
Fame
Al Marinai (Physical Education, 1963) was inducted
into the San Francisco Prep Football Hall of Fame
in April. Marinai was labeled one of the most heralded
linemen on both sides of the ball by the San Francisco
Chronicle. After a string of standout high school
seasons, Marinai earned a scholarship to Cal Poly,
and was one of the survivors of the 1960 airplane
crash that took the lives of 16 teammates.
Read
the San Francisco Chronicle Story
Alum
Corrects Federal Cartographer's Mapping Mistake
Kim Busby (B.S. Forestry and Ag Resources, 1999) is
Cal Poly's water quality management specialist. She
also teaches ecology classes for the university. Thanks
to Busby's persistence, the U.S. Board of Geographic
Names agreed to fix a decades old mistake: spelling
Brizzolara Creek 'Brizzolari' on its maps. Historical
accuracy has been restored.
Read
the Tribune Feature on Busby
Alumna
Runs Boston Marathon for Autistic Nephew
Santa Barbara native Jennifer Gamberdella ran in the
Boston Marathon in April. She ran with her autistic
nephew in mind as her inspiration. Gamberdella (B.S.
Economics, 2000) moved to Boston four years ago, where
she’s working and going to graduate school.
Read
the Goleta Voice feature on Gamberdella
Back
to May Update Index
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