Alumni in the News - December 2008
Headliners
Beijing Gold Medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton Receives 2008 Jesse Owens Award
Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton (B.S., Industrial Engineering '04), a former Arroyo Grande High and Cal Poly track star, was named as the female winner of the 2008 Jesse Owens Award by USA Track & Field. Along with gold-medal decathlete Bryan Clay, Trafton, who beat the odds to win gold in the women’s discus, was set to receive the award given to the country’s top male and female performers on Dec. 6 in Reno.
More on the Jesse Owens Award for Brown Trafton
Olympic Fever Hits Cal Poly Homecoming
It was Olympic fever all over again at Cal Poly's homecoming game in early November, when five alumni who competed in this year's Olympic Games were honored. Stephanie Brown Trafton (B.S., Industrial Engineering 2004) and Sharon Day (B.S., Kinesiology 2008) were two of the athletes honored. Brown Trafton took home the gold in the discus throw at this summer’s games in Beijing. "This college has supported me totally all the way,” she said. “I'm so glad to be a Cal Poly graduate…” said Brown Trafton. Twenty-three-year-old Day competed in the high jump. "It's cool … to be an alumna here at Homecoming,” Day said.
See the KCOY story
Business Alumna, Delta Exec, Named to Wall Street Journal's
2008 List of 'Women to Watch'
Delta Airlines Executive and Cal Poly Alumna Joanne Smith (B.S., Bus Admin, 1982) will be coming back to campus to speak as part of the Orfalea College of Business Distinguished Speaker Series on Thursday, April 23, 2009. The San Luis Obispo native and Cal Poly Business Administration grad was named one of "50 Women to Watch" by the Wall Street Journal in November. Smith currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business. The senior vice president of in-flight service and global product development for Delta Air Lines, Smith helped Delta survive bankruptcy reorganization by restyling Delta’s global brand and spearheading an effort to energize the customer experience across the airline.
Read the Cal Poly News Release about Smith coming to campus to speak
Read the WSJ's "50 Women to Watch" 2008 List
Chuck Harrington Named Chairman of Parsons Corp. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the Parsons Corp. unanimously elected Charles L. (Chuck) Harrington (B.S., Ag Engineering, 1981) as chairman. Harrington, 49, joined Parsons in 1982 as an engineer and has risen through the ranks to serve as executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Parsons Corp. In May 2008 he was named chief executive officer. Parsons Corp. employs nearly 12,000 people worldwide.
Read all about it in MarketWatch
CENG Astronaut Alum Comes Back Down to Earth
Returning safely home from a six-month mission Nov. 30 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour was Gregory Chamitoff (B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1984). Chamitoff, the College of Engineering's 2008 Honored Alumnus, had rocketed away from the planet at the end of May for a tour of duty on the International Space Station. Endeavour and its seven astronauts safely returned to Earth Nov. 30 after taking a detour to sunny California after storms hit the main shuttle landing strip in Florida.
Read the story in the Charlotte Observer
See the Cal Poly Magazine video interview with Chamitoff aboard the space station
Funny Man Danny Gans Ends Long-Standing Show
at The Mirage, Moves to Vegas' Encore Hotel
Vocal impressionist and Cal Poly alumnus Danny Gans (Physical Education, 1978) closed his 1,639th and final show at The Mirage in Las Vegas, moving a block up the Strip to the Encore hotel. Opening night at the new venue is set for Feb. 10. Gans remembers a special show at the Mirage that happened about six years ago. “’Rocky’ star Sylvester Stallone came to the show,” Gans said. “He was such a big hero of mine when I was playing college baseball (at Cal Poly). I was in a real slump and then the movie came out and inspired me so much I ended up having an All-American year.”
Read about Gans in the
Las Vegas Review Journal
Alumna’s High I.Q. Earns her Genius Status
Angelica Boggs (B.S., Computer Science, 2000) has recently joined the Greater Los Angeles Area Mensa, a chapter of American Mensa. Mensa, an international organization, is the best known high-IQ society in the world. To become a member, Boggs, 32, had to score in the top 2 percent of the general population. The test can only be taken once in a lifetime. It lasted 45 minutes and included brain puzzles, math problems and memory tests. "The test was pretty difficult," she said. "I didn't think that I passed parts of it." Mensa requires IQ scores of around 130.
Read the Santa Clarita Valley Signal article on Boggs
Features & Profiles
Wine and Vit Alums 'SanTasti" is a Tasteless Beverage for Devoted Tasters
June wine & viticulture graduates Andrew Macaluso (B.S., WVit, 2008) and Nicole Chamberlain (B.S., WVit, 2008) are traveling California test-marketing and selling their senior project invention: a bottled beverage designed to help wine tasters cleanse palates. The duo named their drink " SanTásti," and developed it to help winemakers evaluate their wines more accurately, as well as help tasting rooms better represent their wines to often overwhelmed consumers. Macaluso and Chamberlain, both 23, got venture financial and legal backing as first-place winners of Cal Poly's Innovation Quest contest with their product. Their SanTasi is already being stocked in Napa's toney Oakville Grocery and tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma counties.
Read the SLO Tribune story on the alumni
Read the Santa Rosa Press Democrat item on the alumni
Managing Migraines – Alum’s Job is Heavy on the Headaches
Del Mar neurologist and Cal Poly alum David Kaminskas (B.S., Biochemistry, 1987) uses traditional and holistic methods to treat migraine pain. Kaminskas became interested in the field of neurology about 10 years ago when his brother was hit by a car while crossing the street. Although he recovered from serious head injuries, he continues to suffer occasional seizures. That was the wake-up call Kaminskas needed. “I became very interested in his case in particular, but (also) neurology in general."
Read more about migraines and Kaminskas’ interesting career in the Del Mar Times
Husband and Wife Help Build Sustainable Future for Tsunami-torn Regions
Nearly four years have passed since a devastating earthquake off the coast of Sumatra caused a tsunami that completely devastated the lives, land and infrastructure of the people of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Since then, many people, including alumnus Dan Garbely, (B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering 2003, M.S., Environmental Engineering, 2003) and his wife, alumna Jennifer Garbely (Engineering, 2003), have worked to bring a healthy sustainable future to those people. The Garbelys were part of a team from CH2M HILL, a global engineering, construction and operations firm. Dan served as the construction manager for the water treatment plant and Jennifer supported the project as well.
Read about the Garbelys
Farming Has Got Alum's Goat in Marin
Mark Pomi (AgScience, 1995), third-generation farmer and Cal Poly graduate, is part of a new goat craze in Northern California. On his Big Goat Farm in Marin, Pomi joins many other farmers in Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties who are raising goats to satisfy the needs of cutting-edge chefs in high-end restaurants. Mark and his wife, Cindy, raise goats on a 503-acre ranch that was home to cows for nearly 100 years. Now their herd includes 200 does, eight billies and about 100 kids - the goat kind.
Read the entire story on Bohemian.com
Riverboard Riding is All Fun and Games to Rochelle Parry
Rochelle Parry (B.S., Graphic Communication, 1985) has a day job that's typical enough. She’s a graphic designer and Web developer at Western Washington University. But once outside, watch out. She gets her kicks – and knocks and scrapes – riding her riverboard through the rapids -- and over the falls -- of some of the country’s mightiest rivers. A bodyboader for 30 years, Parry recently took up riverboarding, competing at the Gorge Games in the White Salmon River in southern Washington. One of only two women in the games, she competed in four events, taking second and fifth in two of them. “When they told me I’d be going over a 10-foot waterfall, I had some fears about doing this,” says Parry.
Read the article in Western’s faculty-staff newsletter
Caution: Construction Zone -- Alums Create Social Networking Site for the Building Trades
Two alumni have launched ConstructionExchange.com, a social networking site geared to people in the construction industry. Josh McGarva (B.S., Construction Management, 1998), 33, and Frank Wise (B.S., Computer Science), 29, both of Santa Rosa-based Western Water Constructors, envisioned the site two years ago. They wanted to create a construction industry site that would incorporate some of the options of PolyLink (Cal Poly's free, private online community for alumni) LinkedIn, Craigslist and MySpace, where people could share photos, network with people in similar professions, and advertise job openings and equipment. "We wanted something that catered to our industry," said, McGarva, vice president of Western Water. "Our industry is known for being overly competitive. We wanted a place where people could share ideas and be more collaborative."
Find McGarva in PolyLink (login required)
Find Wise in PolyLink (login required)
Read more about it in the Ocala Business Journal
Alum Keeps Father’s Plastics Company Thriving
When Gerry Krippner (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1998) graduated from Cal Poly 25 years ago, he didn’t plan on taking over the family business. But in 1990 that all changed. He spent his first few years at the company designing and engineering products. One day his father handed him a piece of paper and told him to sign it. Without question, Gerry did. When Gerry asked his father what he had just signed, his father replied, “Well, you’re the president now.” As CEO of HK Plastics Inc., Gerry and his two brothers run the company that was founded in 1974 by their father, Horst Krippner.
Read the article in the San Diego Daily Transcript
Alum Promotes Higher Education in Science and Technology Career
When he was in high school, Miguel Cabrera (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2006) would help his dad pick grapes in the summertime.“If you aren’t going to college, these fields will always be here for you,” the elder Cabrera told his son. Miguel was the first in his family to go to college. “Graduating from Cal Poly was a huge accomplishment for my family,” he said. Today Cabrera works as a petroleum engineer for Chevron in Elk Hills. He also serves as a role model for young Latinos through his involvement with the South Central Valley Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SPHE). “I always tell students I was just like them — I wasn’t a perfect student, but I wanted to do something meaningful with my life,” Cabrera said.
Read all about Cabrera in the article in MÁS
Glass Maker, Glass Maker: Make Me...a Seismograph?
Andy Paiko (B.S., 2002, Applied Art and Design) doesn’t let a little thing like fragility get in the way of his extraordinary works of glass art. His unique creations include traditional tableware, a fountain, a chair, a fully functional spinning wheel, and a working seismograph – all made of glass. After graduating and apprenticing with glass makers, he opened a glass studio in the Pacific Northwest. His creations
are in numerous collections in museums and art galleries.
Read the article that appeared in Apartment Therapy
All in the Family: Alum Keeps 50-Year-Old Nursery Business Thriving
Bob Boster (B.S., 1962, Animal Science, M.A., Agriculture, 1968) and his wife, Adele (Journalism, 1961), are keeping their family’s history alive and thriving at their little nursery located in the town of Cassel, population approximately 350, outside Redding. Launched by Bob’s dad, Montie, on a six-acre parcel of land, Boster's Nursery & Landscaping is still going strong after 50 years. By all accounts, Cassel is an unlikely place for a nursery to survive. “The location is remote, the community small and the growing season short.”
Read about them in the Redding Record Searchlight
Alums Create Agency to Promote Careers as Pest Control Advisers
California pest control advisers and Cal Poly alumni Sean Morelos (B.S., Crop Science, 1997) and Jeremy Briscoe (B.S., Crop Science, 1998) founded Pathway to PCA to educate young people about a profession that will soon be "in dire need of talent." The idea came to Morelos and Briscoe after they found no student takers for $1,000 scholarships offered by the California Association of Pest Control Advisers. That, coupled with the lack of connection to the PCA profession, propelled them to take action. The pair contacted universities, industry leaders and others to initiate the Pathway to PCA effort that has led to commitments of at least $250,000 to educate young people about the PCA profession.
Read about their efforts in the Western Farm Press
Two Alums, One Professor Showcase Fine Furniture in SLO exhibit
Furniture designed by Roger Combs (B.S., Industrial Technology, 1982), Marilyn Miller Farmer (B.Ar., Architecture, 1987), and architecture Professor Laura Joines-Novotny are featured in “Functional Finesse: Fine Furniture 2008,” an exhibit of handmade fine-art furniture by seven Central Coast artisans. Farmer, who works at the Habitat Studio, said her designs incorporate unusual, recycled and experimental materials. Joines-Novotny, co-founder of M:ome, a design firm that specializes in earth-friendly principles, has designed large furniture in the modern style.
Read the Times Press Recorder article
Glass Artist, Metal Sculptor Evan Chambers Uses Creates Classic, Cutting Edge Art
Artist Evan Chambers (B.A., English, 2005) didn’t find his calling until he took a glass blowing class and a metalsmithing class at Cal Poly. Known for art that is classic and cutting edge, Chamber is co-owner of Pavonine Glass studio in Atascadero. Much of his work is vases and lighting of art nouveau glass, also called lustre glass, which can be seen in several Southern California galleries as well as more than 40 other galleries and museums nationwide. Chambers also uses bronze, copper and glass to create sculptural lighting.
Read all about Chambers in the Pasadena Star News
Planning Alum Publishes Poems About Love, Power, Drama
Clarence Chavis (B.S., City and Regional Planning, 1994) has published a new book of poems, “Verbal Abstractions.” He wrote the 99 verses over the years, beginning with his days at Cal Poly. “During my tenure at Cal Poly, several of us black students would meet on Fridays in informal meetings in a classroom and discuss black history and write poetry,” Chavis said.
Read the story on Nubian Sage
Alum's Natty Napkins Nab the Spotlight
Ann Christian’s hobby of making cloth napkins out of eclectic and colorful textiles has turned into a full-time business venture. Christian (B.S., Home Ec, 1987) and her sisters, Kay Porczak (B.S., Bus Admin, 1981) and Dede Bruington B.S., Home Ec, 1987) – all three Cal Poly alumni, opened Picking Daisies in downtown San Luis Obispo. They began by selling their napkins at craft fairs. The sisters design their napkins with fabrics provided by a local quilter. All sewing is done in-house, and the sisters have been able to streamline the production process because the business only offers one product.
Read the story in the San Luis Obispo New Times
Careers on the Move
Alumnus John Grounds Named AIA California Council President
The American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC), elected Cal Poly alumnus John P. Grounds (B.Ar., Architecture, 1991) as its 2009 president. The AIACC is the nation's largest state architectural organization with more than 11,000 members. Ground's architecture career has focused on large-scale healthcare projects. He has served as a project leader for the past four years at RBB Architects Inc. in Los Angeles.
Read more in the PR Insider
Rabobank Promotes Alumnus To Vice President for Central Coast Operations
Stephanie Frost (B.S., Economics, 2003) was recently promoted to vice president and commercial banking officer at Rabobank. In her new role, the Frost will be responsible for fostering new business relationships and helping with the business banking needs of customers in San Luis Obispo, Los Osos and the North Coast. She joined Rabobank in 2005 and lives in San Luis Obispo.
Read about Frost in the Tribune article
A Tale of Two Jobs: Alum Tends Scotts Valley as Finance Director and City Manager
Scotts Valley’s new city manager, Steve Ando (B.S., Bus Admin 1980), can multitask. He first served the city as finance director. Now, since his promotion to city manager, he retains both titles. As city manager, Ando will face many challenges, not the least of which is bringing a sustainable economic balance to Scotts Valley. Ando is well suited to the task at hand and has plans to shore up the city’s nagging budget shortfall while retaining the city’s small-town charm.
Read about Ando’s past, present and future in The Valley Post
Cal Lutheran Chemistry Professor, Cal Poly Alumnus to Lead CLU Faculty
Chemistry professor and Cal Poly alumnus Kristine D. Butcher (B.S., Science & Math 1984) has been elected to a two-year term as chair of the California Lutheran University faculty. After graduating from Cal Poly, Butcher earned a doctorate in physical chemistry from Stanford University. She started at CLU in 1989 and has been the chair of the Chemistry Department since 2000.
Read the story on the Cal Lutheran Web site
Messier Named V.P. of Shorey Public Relations
Nicole Messier (B.S., Journalism, 2002) has been appointed vice president of Shorey Public Relations and has been named one of the Top 15 PR People to Watch in 2009 in the November issue of PR News Magazine. An expert in technology and consumer public relations, Messier has worked with such brands as Adobe, Citrix Systems, Check Point Software, Extreme Networks, Palm and Pantone. Before joining Shorey PR, Messier worked for SHIFT Communications, Edelman and A&R Partners.
Read The Saratogian article on Messier’s career
Alumnus Named Tulare-Kings Hispanic Chamber Director
The Tulare-Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has named Cal Poly alumnus Raymond Macareno (B.S., Bus Admin, 2004) as its new executive director. Macareno is a nephew to local activist Martin Macareno, who died in July 2007. Raymond Macareno is owner of Signs of Quality in Visalia. Macareno was introduced at the chamber's 15th annual awards installation and dinner-dance on Nov. 22.
Read the article in the Visalia Times-Delta
Alumnus Elected Chairman of Board for Yuma Community Bank
David S. Sellers (B.S., Phys Ed, 1976) of Sellers Petroleum has been elected chairman of Yuma Community Bank’s board of directors. He has held the position of president of Sellers Petroleum for 32 years.
Read about it in the Yuma Sun
SLO Firm Hires Martin Tedone To Specialize in Business Insurance
San Luis Obispo insurance agency Morris & Garritano recently hired Martin Tedone (B.S., Bus Admin, 1981) as its new commercial lines salesman, specializing in business insurance. In his new role, Tedone will focus on developing accounts, including property and liability, auto liability and workers compensation. The San Luis Obispo native brings 17 years of insurance industry experience to the firm.
Read about it in the SLO Tribune
Mechanical Engineering Alum Joins RTC Board of Directors
Steve Stratton (Mechanical Engineering, 1981) is one of three new board members of The Redwood Technology Consortium.
Read the story in the Redwood Times
Sowing the Seeds of Community-Supported Agriculture in Merced
David Silveira (B.S., Soil Science, 1971) learned farming while working with his father in the Azores Islands. Now working his own 65-acre farm in Merced with his wife and their two sons, he’s embracing community-supported agriculture -- a partnership between a farm and a community of supporters. At Rancho Piccolo Organic, Silveira grows everything from anise to zucchini squash and offers it year-round to members who join his CSA.
Read how Silveira sows his seeds in the Merced Sun-Star
Blake Hanson Named Assistant Director of Human Resources at a Sonoma Spa
Blake Hanson (B.S. Social Sciences, 2000) has been named assistant director of human resources at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, in Sonoma. Prior to joining Fairmont, Hanson was a recruiter and employment specialist at Queen of the Valley Medical Center, a human resources shared services representative for Sun Microsystems in San Jose, and a human resources generalist and business partner for Regulus in Napa. He also has restaurant experience from Meadowood Resort, Calistoga Ranch and the famed French Laundry.
Read the article on Hanson in the Napa Valley Register
Little Engineering Firm Opens in Sonoma
Bryan Little (B.S., Civil Engineering 1990) opened a civil engineering and land-surveying business in Sonoma Valley, aptly called Little Engineering. “Little Engineering” provides general civil engineering applications such as private septic system designs, flood control and drainage analysis, grading and drainage improvement plans, utility design, city, county and Caltrans permits and surveying applications. With his 18 years of experience, he is sure to grow his “Little” firm into something big, according ot the Sonoma News.
Read his story in the Sonoma News
Michael Cleaver Joins St. Helena Chiropractic
Michael J. Cleaver (B.S., Bus Admin, 1985) has joined the staff at St. Helena Chiropractic, where he provides services for pain relief as well as long-term wellness care. After graduating from Cal Poly, he studied at Palmer College of Chiropractic, graduating magna cum laude. Cleaver also earned an MBA Saint Mary’s College of California.
Read the Napa Valley Register article
Recent Alum to Track Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The city of Paso Robles will get a full inventory of its greenhouse gas emissions, courtesy of a study being done by Cal Poly alum Karin Johnson (Architecture, 2008) through the efforts of the Sierra Club, Air Pollution Control District and Local Governments for Sustainability. The inventory will enable the city to develop a baseline for which to measure its greenhouse gas emissions reductions over time.
Read about the project in the Paso Robles Press
SLO Marketing Firm Promotes Alumna
San Luis Obispo marketing firm S. Lombardi Associates recently named Ashly Robbins (B.S., Bus Admin, 2004) as accounts manager.
Read the Tribune article on Robbins
Passings
Alumnus Kenneth Story
Kenny Story (Psychology, 2004), 26, passed away on went Oct. 27, 2008. A 2000 graduate of Hanford High School, he moved to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly on a football scholarship. He loved music and was a talented drummer, bass and guitar player.
Read the obituary in the San Luis Obispo Tribune
South Carolina Resident Victor Ray Claggett
Victor Ray Claggett, 52, (B.S., Journalism, 1984) passed away peacefully at his Springdale, S.C., home on Nov. 9, 2008. Before earning his bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly, he served in the U.S. Air Force.
Read the obituary in The State
Chuck Myer, Former City Planner
Urban planner Chuck Myer, 54, (B.S., City and Regional Planning, 1976) recently died after a three-year battle with cancer, a battle he chronicled in "Melanoma Melodrama," a memoir published last year, according to his wife, the Rev. Becky Goodwin. Chuck Myer was a senior planner for 15 years in the Gilroy Planning Department. After his wife was ordained a Methodist minister, he quit his job in 1994 to move and stay at home with their two young children. He remained active as a planning consultant for the cities of Colfax and Wheatland.
Read the obituary in the Gilroy Dispatch
Santa Barbara Native Lori Ellen Veal
Lori Ellen Veal, 46, (Social Science, 1981) passed away on Nov. 13, 2008. The Santa Barbara native was known as a devoted wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, confidant and businesswoman. She graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1980 and attended Cal Poly before she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.
Read the Tribune obituary
Hiker, Writer, Musician Jim Witty
Jim Witty, 50, (B.A., Journalism, 1982) died of an apparent heart attack at his home in Bend, Ore. Witty, who for the past eight years wrote The Bulletin’s outdoor recreation column, was a native of Southern California. His journalism career spanned more than 20 years and several Western states, including California, Hawaii and Washington. He joined The Bulletin as an environmental and natural resources reporter in 1999 before taking over the newspaper’s outdoor recreation beat in 2000.
Read the Bulletin’s obituary
Alma Chamblee, 84
Alma Williams Chamblee, 84, (M.A., Education, 1959) died Nov. 18, 2008, in Athens, Texas. She taught school in Denver, Colo., and Arlington, and for 20 years at Canton High School, where she taught English and Spanish. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Adrian Chamblee,
Read the obituary in the Van Zandt Newspapers
Alumnus Robert Earl ‘Bob’ Parkin
Robert Earl "Bob" Parkin, (B.A., English, 1973) an avid writer, reader, golfer and student of American history, passed away Nov. 22, 2008 at his home in Paso Robles. The Los Angeles native moved to the area with his parents and graduated from Cal Poly. He later studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Utah on a teaching fellowship. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cal Poly English Department through the Cal Poly Fund.
Read the obituary in the San Luis Obispo Tribune
Sheri Rudd Klittich, 53
Fillmore resident Sheri Rudd Klittich (Soil Science, 1977), an administrator of the University of California Hansen Trust, which promotes and sustains agriculture in Ventura County, passed away November 30. She was instrumental in the trust's purchase of Faulkner Farm, a National Register of Historic Places demonstration farm near Santa Paula. There she developed research and education projects in agriculture literacy and was active in the School Garden Network and the Agriculture in the Classroom program.
Read the obituary in the Ventura County Star