Alumni in the News - June 2008
Features
Alum Elected Chairman of Intelligent Transportation Society Board
Cal Poly Civil alum Randell Iwasaki (Civil Engineering, 1982) has been named The Intelligent Transportation Society of America is the leading advocate for technologies that improve the safety, security and efficiency of the nation's surface transportation system. Currently, Iwasaki is the chief deputy director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Courtesy Photo, Randell Iwasaki
More on Iwasaki
Alumna, Husband are Partners in Crimefighting
Michelle Halsing (B.S., Biological Sciences, 2001) and husband Eric Halsing are partners in crimefighting by day and parents at night. Both are criminalists at the state Department of Justice's vaunted DNA lab in the San Francisco Bay Area, helping to close unsolved cases throughout California, CSI-style. That's their day job. At home, they've got even tougher jobs: they're parents of a toddler.
More on the Halsings in the Marin Independent-Journal
Nationally Known Planning Alumnus Paul Crawford Dies
Paul C. Crawford, former San Luis Obispo County planning director and a nationally recognized expert on progressive urban zoning standards, died at his San Luis Obispo home May 21 from a cancerous brain tumor. He was 60 years old. Crawford (B.S., City and Regional Planning, 1971) joined the county Planning and Building Department in 1975 and took the reins in 1980. At 33, he was the youngest county planning chief in California. in 1990 and went on to co-found the prominent planning firm, Crawford, Multari & Clark Associates. He also taught planning at Cal Poly while pioneering the planning ethic called form-based codes.
Photo courtesy Crawford, Multari & Clark
Read the SLO Tribune news story on Crawford | Read Crawford's Obituary
CENG Alumni Duo's Unmanned Aircraft Business is Soaring
Engineering alumni Thomas Akers (B.S., Aerospace Engineering, 2001) and Norm Timbs (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1988, B.S., Engineering Technology, 1992) both wanted to stay in San Luis Obispo after graduation. The two, both model sailplane enthusiast, teamed up to start company that produces unmanned aerial vehicles. Aeromech Engineering was launched in 1999 in Timbs' garage, using the friends' personal savings and credit cards. They now have 85 employees and a growing number of contracts.
Read the story in the SLO Tribune
San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors Filled with Cal Poly Alumni
Voters in San Luis Obispo County are filling county supervisors' seats with Cal Poly alumni. Voters re-elected Fifth District Supervisor Jim Patterson (B.S., Natural Resources Management, 1974). Voters also elected Cal Poly English Professor Adam Hill to the board. Business alumnus K.H. "Katcho" Achadjian Katcho Achadjian (B.S., Business Administration, 1976) was overwhelmingly to his third term in 2006. He's next up for election in 2010.
Read the SLO Tribune story on Patterson | Tribune story on Hill
Profiles
Ag Alum Profiled in Salinas Californian
Bart Walker (B.S., Ag Business, 1994) was profiled recently in the Salinas Californian. After graduating from Cal Poly, Walker started out working at Tanimura & Antle after college rather than immediately enter the family business because he wanted to "bring something to the table" before joining his father, Charlie Walker, at Salinas Equipment Distributors. Charlie Walker sold the business and then founded Pacific Ag Rentals in 2001 with two John Deere tractors, a far cry from the 550 machines PAR now owns. Bart Walker is the company vice president.
Read the Californian's profile on Bart Walker
Alumna Designs Oxnard Auto Museum
Architect Laura Jespersen (B.Ar., Architecture, 1991) is the designer for the Murphpy Auto Museum in Oxnard - a family affair. As an architect she poured over ideas on how to transform the former factory space into a classic showroom modeled after a typical dealership in the ’40s. Her father started the museum after retiring from his practice as a neurosugeon.
Read more on the museum
Alum Making Cabernet Headlines in St. Helena
Cal Poyl alum Doug Wight (B.S., Fruit Science, 1973) has a wonderful workday view: rows of well-tended cabernet sauvignon vines in his family's historic Lewelling Vineyard on the west side of St. Helena in the Napa Valley. Wight is now making wines with two of his friends and neighbors, and the trio's 2005 "Trillium" is making headlines. After graduating from Cal Poly, Wight managed vineyards for the Louis M. Martini Winery before starting his own vineyard management company in 1977.
Read the story in the St. Helena Star
Alum Honored for 31 Years of Teaching in Mendocino County
The Willits FFA is honoring Willits High School Agriculture teacher Greg Randrup (B.S., Animal Science, 1976, M.S., Agriculture, 1978). Randrup will be hanging up his face shield after 31 years of teaching, guiding and befriending students. Randrup graduated from Cal Poly and began teaching at Willits High School in 1977.
More on Randrup
Promotions
Engineering Alum Named Transmeridian Corporate Director
Daniel A. Franchi, 52, (B.S., Engineering, 1978), was among four new directors to take a seat on the board of Transmeridian Exploration, Inc. recently. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Franchi earned Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Southern California. Franchi is currently the acting President of Proteus California and Vice President of Operations of Proteus Energy Corporation, a private independent petroleum producer acquiring and operating oil and gas fields in California. Prior to joining Proteus, Mr. Franchi served as a director of Watt Mineral Holdings, a Santa Monica, California based private petroleum producer.
Read more about Franchi
Passings
David Jones
David Stanley Jones (B.S., Agriculture, 1984) died May 15 after a five year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, he held a teaching credential from Chico State University. He spent most of his 24 year teaching career he taught Agricultural Science, which reflected his love of horticulture and plant sciences. He was a Science Specialist for the Milpitas Unified School District for four years before his retirement.
Read the obituary in The Union