Cal Poly Alumni in the News - October, 2008
Top Headlines
Space Interview: Engineering Alumnus Greg Chamitoff in the News
Cal Poly engineering alum Greg Chamitoff (B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1984) has a great perspective on the world. He's currently in orbit aboard the International Space Station. Cal Poly Magazine caught up with Chamitoff aboard the space station, where he hung out in zero gravity with his crewmates - two Russian cosmonauts -- and took questions. What does a Cal Poly T-shirt look like in outer space? Find out in the interview -- which was picked up by Central Coast news broadcasts.
See the video interview with Chamitoff in space
Alumna's Rise from Poverty to Degree, Science Career
and World Class Surfer Subject of New Film
A new documentary tracks the ups and downs of former Pismo Beach surfer Sarah Gerhardt (B.S., Chemistry, 1998), the first woman to ride Maverick’s mammoth waves. Surfing Maverick's legendary 40-foot waves makes Gerhardt worthy of any media attention. But a pair of filmmakers quickly realized there was more to Gerhardt’s life than surfing. “One Winter Story” chronicles how a young Gerhardt cared for her disabled mother and overcame a slew of other obstacles to become both a world-class big-wave surfer and a scientist. The film will screen Oct. 9 and 10 at La Perla del Mar Chapel in Shell Beach.
Read the SLO Tribune story on Gerhardt and the documentary about her
Britain's 'Independent' Newspaper Rates Alum's Urban Dictionary Better than Wordia
The British newspaper The Independent gave a snub to a new web site called Wordia.com that aims to compile a video dictionary of users offering their own definitions of words. "More appealing than Wordia's misleading "orators" is www.urbandictionary.com, the web's home-grown dictionary of slang terms from urban cultures and subcultures," said The Independent. As Cal Poly alumni already know, Urban Dictionary was started 1999 by Aaron Peckham (B.S., Computer Engineering, 2005, M.S., Computer Science, 2005) while he was a student. Now 300 million words strong, "The site never takes itself too seriously, so the browser is able to enjoy the ride without taking the definitions as gospel," wrote The Independent.
Read the Independent's review of Urban Dictionary
Architecture Alumna Shattering More Glass Ceilings
Wendy Ornelas (B.S., Architecture, 1980) is associate dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Design at Kansas State University. She was recently elected a director of the National Architectural Accrediting Board. When Ornelas graduated from Cal Poly, her class of 125 students included only five women.
Read the Kansas State Collegian profile of Ornelas
L.A. Times Says There's No Quit in Chuck Liddell
UFC light-heavyweight Chuck Liddell (B.S., Business Administration, 1995) made headlines again in September facing Rashad Evans for another shot at the light-heavyweight championship. The L.A. Times profiled Liddell before the match in Atlanta. Though Evans won the match, the Atlanta Constitution-Journal profiled Liddell afterward, focusing on his staying power and stature in the Ultimate Fighting world. Liddell Fact: Proficient in math, Liddell earned a partial wrestling scholarship to Cal Poly and went on to graduate with a degree in accounting.
Read the LA Times Story - Read the Constitution-Journal story
Alumna Battles Poverty as a VISTA Volunteer in Montana
Dana Black (B.S., Biological Sciences, 2008) is on a mission to eradicate poverty. Black, 23, is working with the Gallatin Valley Food Bank on a program to help ensure that children who qualify for school-lunch programs still have enough to eat on days when they aren’t in school. After graduating, Black says she wasn’t quite sure what to do next. But she knew she wanted to affect change -- and joined VISTA.
Read the story in the Bozeman News
English Alum Making Surfboards, Music on the Central Coast
Shane Stoneman (B.A., English, 2000) can trace his musical roots trace back to his granddad, who inspired the Los Osos artist and surfboard shaper to make his own. Stoneman's grandfather John Manis left an Indian reservation in Oklahoma for the promise of a new life in California, then decided to take a shot at songwriting. It was the 1930s, and his dream didn't come true. But Manis left a treasure trove of '78 records Stoneman treasures. Stoneman is looking to carry on his grandfather's music.
Read the story on Stoneman in the SLO Tribune
Brush with Mortality Moves Alum from Engineering to Art
It took a major accident to put Ray Seitz (B.S., Computer Engineering, 2002) on his true career path. Seitz, a Solana Beach oil painter, was working as an engineer five years ago when he and his brother took a surfing holiday in Costa Rica. While driving through the deep jungle, they had a car accident that changed Ray's life forever, and put him back on the path to a career in art, his true desire.
Read more in the Del Mar Times
Biology Alumna is California Department of Fish and Game's Answer Woman
Can you catch a fish, tie a balloon to it and release it back into the water, then follow its school around and catch even more fish? Is it OK to use a remote- controlled model boat to take your fishing line out farther than you can cast from shore? Is it fair – or even legal – for two groups of hunters to use walkie-talkies at opposite ends of a hunting ground to herd wild deer in one another's direction? Those are the kind of questions Carrie Wilson (B.S., Environmental and Systematic Biology, 1984) gets every day on the job. At the California Department of Fish and Game, she's the equivalent of Miss Manners, with a little bit of Heloise thrown in.
Read the Sacramento Bee story
Career Moves
Alum is CEO and Chief Technologist at GD Corp
Ethan Plotkin (B.S., Industrial Engineering, 1994) has built a global career wrangling computers into the service of business. Now the 38-year-old technologist is CEO of Livermore’s GD California Inc., a company for which he first worked as a stock-boy. GD California, founded in 1987 by Plotkin’s father, Martin Plotkin, gives old electronics new life, manufacturing old circuit boards and other components long beyond the date manufacturers retire support for them. Plotkin's senior project was setting up the company’s production tracking system.
Read more in the East Bay Business Journal
TravelMuse Appoints Alum as CFO
TravelMuse Inc., creators of TravelMuse.com, the online destination for finding inspiration, planning trips and booking travel, has announced Russ Lemelin (B.S., Political Science, 1993) has joined the company in the position of chief financial officer. In his role as CFO, Lemelin will lead finance, revenue expansion and corporate development for the company. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Lemelin earned a joint J.D./M.B.A. from the University of San Diego.
Read more on Lemelin
Cypress Appoints Industry Veteran Ben Lee as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales
Cypress Semiconductor Corp. has named Ben A. Lee (B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1989) as senior vice president of worldwide sales, reporting to Christopher Seams, executive vice president of sales and marketing. Lee started his career as a system integration engineer at IBM's Federal Systems Division in New York. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, he earned an MBA in marketing from Golden Gate University, San Francisco.
Read the Business Wire story
SinoHub Names Business Alum Chief Financial Officer
SinoHub, Inc., a Los Angeles-based holding company whose primary asset is SinoHub Electronics Shenzhen Limited in the People's Republic of China, recently announced it has named Tracy A. Edwards as chief financial officer and corporate secretary. Edwards (B.S., Business Administration, 1979) will be based in Los Angeles. He is a member of AICPA, Financial Executives Institute, California Society of CPAs, and the Cal Poly's Orfalea College of Business Industrial Technology Advisory Board.
Read the story on MarketWatch.com
Youbet.com Names Hollywood Park Horse Racing Executive Senior Vice President
Youbet.com has appointed horse racing veteran Michael Ziegler (B.S., Economics, 1994) to the position of senior vice president. Ziegler comes to Youbet.com from Hollywood Park, where he was most recently Vice President and Assistant General Manager.
Read the story on BusinessWire.com
San Diego Law Firm Adds Alum as Associate
Eric A. Baggett (B.S., Business Administration, 2004) has joined The Simmons Firm as an associate. A Dean's Scholarship recipient, Baggett earned his law degree from the University of San Diego. He comes to The Simmons Firm after serving as an associate at The Law Offices of Baggett, Mitchell & Strategos.
More on the San Diego Transcript
Alumna Makes Partner at Truckee Architecture and Engineering Firm
Architect Kristi Thompson (B.AR. Architecture, 1992) and her talents have been recognized by MWA Inc. Architecture and Engineering in Truckee. The firm recently named Thompson partner. She joins architects Mike Mason and Kurt Reinkens. “She has been with us since November of 2000 and deserves serious recognition for her outstanding work,” says Reinkens.
Read more in the Sierra Sun
Agilent Technologies Alum Elected to Video Electronics Standards Board
Agilent Technologies Inc. recently announced that Brian Fetz, DisplayPort program manager for Agilent's Digital Test Division, has been elected to the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) board of directors. Fetz (B.S., Electronic Engineering, 1986) is an Agilent application engineer focused on digital display interfaces. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, he earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Idaho in 1991.
More on Fetz on WebWired
Ag Alum Helped Coffee Crop Take Root in West Maui
Kimo Falconer (B.S., Crop Science, 1979) joined the ranks at Pioneer Mill in Maui 1979 as a crops control superintendent. He helped research several different crops' viability in the West Maui foothills. “Coffee came to the top,” Falconer explained. He's been part of the Hawaiian coffee boom ever since.
Read the story in the Lahaina News
Alum Has Fresh Approach at Booming Frozen Foods Company
Salinas resident and alum Alex Korsgaard (B.S., Food Science, 1998) is plant manager of Blue Ribbon Frozen Foods LLC, a start-up that began operations this summer. Korsgaard acquired the necessary know-how for the job working for Mike Cleugh in Salinas. Cleugh had encouraged Korsgaard to pursue a food science degree at Cal Poly, telling him food businesses do well during recessions. He also offered Korsgaard summer employment during his college years. "I worked in Salinas during the summers, running night shifts in the packing shed," Korsgaard said.
Read the full article on FreshPlaza News - Read the story in the Salinas Californian
Alumna Recognized During National Women in Business Week
Kari Wheeler (B.S., Child and Family Development, 1984) is most known for her family business, Wheeler Ranch and Feed. Wheeler minored in animal science while attending Cal Poly. After graduating from college, she married animal science alum Doug Wheeler.
Read more in the Gridley Herald
Passings
Alumna, Actress, Casting Leader Melissa Martin
Melissa Martin (B.S., Biological Sciences, 1980), founder and president of Martin Casting, died Aug. 29 in a motorcycle accident in Maui. She was 53. After graduating from Cal Poly, she moved to San Francisco to begin an acting career and studied at American Theater Company. She also interned at Industrial Light and Magic. For more information regarding a scholarship fund for her daughter, contact Toby Vargas at toby@vargasbiz.com.
Read the obituary in Variety
Alumnus Ronald Dean Atteberry
Ronald Dean Atteberry (Ag Business, 1965), 66, passed away Friday, Sept. 26, 2008. After he graduated from Lindsey High School he attended Cal Poly, where he met and married Claudia Pollard. Together they raised two children in Atascadero and Paso Robles. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Cancer Society.
Read the Obituary in The SLO Tribune