ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
Chuck Lidell (Photo by Chris Leschinsky)
The Iceman Calls It Quits After 12 Years in UFC
Chuck Liddell (B.S., Business Administration, 1995) has retired after a long and successful Ultimate Fighting Championship career that included a nearly two-year reign as light heavyweight champion. The 41-year-old Liddell, nicknamed "The Iceman," will remain involved with UFC as the company's executive vice president for business development.
Read about Liddell on ESPN
Read more about Liddell in The Tribune (San Luis Obispo)
Read more about Liddell on KSBY
Ag Business Grad Successfully Growing Exotic Crop in California: Coffee
Coffee has proven all but impossible to grow commercially in California. But don’t tell Jay Ruskey (B.S., Agricultural Business, 1997), who’s pulling it off at his ranch in Goleta. While coffee growers and experts from around the world visit his operation to see how he’s doing it, Ruskey is selling his locally grown coffee at the farmers market in Santa Barbara.
Read more about Ruskey's coffee in the Los Angeles Times
Former Footballer Scores on "Glee"
Jon Hall (B.A., Music, 2010) appeared on Fox's hit TV show "Glee," playing a member of a team singing in a show choir competition. Hall, who ran for 1,300 yards and scored 11 touchdowns during his college football career, also sang back-up during "The Star Spangled Banner" on national television during Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.
See the sports news video story on KSBY
Alum Appointed San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge
Brett Morgan (B.S., Social Sciences, 1985) was appointed to the San Joaquin County Superior Court bench by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Morgan has worked as chief of staff for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as well as chief deputy for the Office of the Inspector General, a government agency charged with watchdogging California prisons for waste, fraud and abuse.
Read more about Morgan's appointment in the Stockton Record
Grad's Community Service to be Celebrated
Anthony De Rose (B.S., Agricultural Business, 1970) is Tulare “2010 Man of the Year.” The Greater Tulare Chamber of Commerce will showcase De Rose's contributions to Tulare and Kings counties and honor his community service contributions.
Read more about De Rose in the Tulare Voice
Spaceship1 Designer Rutan to Retire in 2011
Burt Rutan (B.S., Aerospace Engineering, 1965) founder and chief technical officer of Scaled Composites in Mojave, Calif., plans to retire in April. The Experimental Aircraft Association plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Rutan’s Voyager aircraft around-the-world flight while hosting a “Salute to Burt Rutan” at its AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 event.
Read about Rutan in EAA.org
Alum Helps Boy Scouts Prepare for Technology
Robert Mazzuca (History, 1970) is changing the Boy Scouts of America model. Soon, scouts' new shirts will carry a sleeve pocket that will hold an iPhone or similar device among other technological changes. Mazzuca says the change is necessary to attract boys to scouting, much to the dismay of Boy Scout traditonalists. Mazzuca has been a staff member of the scouting organization for nearly 40 years and is making changes to keep Boy Scouts a popular way to get kids outdoors.
Read more about Mazzuca in the Santa Cruz Sentinel
Danielle Walker, top left, and Courtney Muro, center,
with children they taught English to in a rural village in Laos.
Alumna Backpacks Through Southeast Asia
Courtney Muro (B.A., History, 2008) and three other women are spending two years backpacking in Southeast Asia. The women started their backpacking adventure in July 2010 and are now teaching English for three months in Hanoi, Vietnam. Their adventures are featured each month in South East Asia Backpacker Magazine.
Read more about Muro's Southeast Asia adventures in the SEA Backpacker
Read about the women's backpacking trip in their blog
Read about Muro in the Sacramento Bee
Grad Uses Passion for Volunteering to Lead Santa Barbara Chapter of National Charity League
Erin Van Valkenburgh (B.S., Nutritional Science, 1986) has a passion for volunteering. She recently took over the presidential role for the Santa Barbara Chapter of National Charity League. The NCL is a philanthropic organization with a mission to foster the mother-daughter relationship through a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Read more about Valkenburgh in the Noozhawk (Santa Barbara)
Twins Take the Cal Poly Approach
Nick Davis (B.S., Wine & Viticulture, 2008) and Brian Davis (Agribusiness and Wine & Viticulture, 2008) built their business, Twin Pomegranates, on Cal Poly's Learn by Doing motto. The company’s wine is now in 70 locations across California, and the brothers serve as their own distributors and operate without a traditional tasting room.
Read more about the Davis' in the Fresno Famous
Ag Grad Named Acting Director of Nevada Agriculture
Jim Barbee (M.S., Agriculture, 2000) was named acting director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. Barbee currently serves as an agriculture consultant to the Nevada Department of Education.
Grad Named Chief Financial Officer for AMN Healthcare Services
Brian M. Scott (B.S., Business Administration, 1993) has been named chief financial officer for AMN Healthcare Services. Scott joined AMN in 2003 and has been senior vice president of operations, finance and business development.
Read more about Scott at PRNewswire
Engineering Grad Hired as Engineer for Angels Camp
Vanessa Apodaca (B.S., Civil Engineering, 2006) has replaced Gary Ghio as the engineer for Angels Camp, Calif. Apodaca was unanimously hired by the City Council and plans to dive right into Angels Camp projects.
Read more about Apodaca's hiring in the Calaveras Enterprise
Alumna Awarded for HIV Research
Katherine McReynolds (B.S., Biochemistry, 1994) didn’t intend to become a chemist. She began as a pre-veterinary major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Learn how she went on to win an award for her HIV research.
Read about McReynolds in The State Hornet
