Cal Poly Alumni in the News: April 2009
Headliners
Astronaut 'Hoot' Gibson Profiled in Air & Space Magazine
Robert "Hoot" Gibson's career includes flying a Space Shuttle -- and being the Cal Poly College of Engineering's Alumni of the Year. Smithsonian's Air & Space Magazine caught up with Gibson (B.S., Aero Engineering, 1969) recently at the the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. From light piston aircraft to thundering World War II fighters to supersonic jets one of to the space shuttles, Gibson has flown them all -- 111 different types of aircraft, and counting. Read the full article to find out more about them -- and how he wound up with "Hoot" as a nickname.
Read the profile of Gibson on The Smithsonian's Air & Space Magazine:
http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/The-Man-Whos-Flown-Everything.html
Gold Medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton Speaks on 'Honest' Sports in Merced, Throws on Campus
Stephanie Brown Trafton (B.S., Industrial Engineering, 2004) hopes her gold-medal winning toss of 64.74 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the start of a new era in discus throwing. In a sport that's been plagued by the scandal of performance enhancing drugs, the U.S. Olympian is the poster child for doing it the right way. After talking to students in Merced, Brown Trafton came back to Cal Poly to participate in the university's invitational track meet.
Read the rest of the article about Brown Trafton in the Merced Sun-Star.
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/194/story/759124.html
Read about Brown Trafton coming to the Cal Poly Invitational track meet
Beijing Olympian Sharon Day at Cal Poly Invitational Track Meet Testing Out Heptathlon
Beijing Olympian high jumper Sharon Day (B.S., Kinesiology, 2008) also competed in the Cal Poly Invitational Track Meet April 4. Day wrapped up her Cal Poly athletics career in June 2008 and represented the United States in Beijing. Back on campus at the invitational meet, Day won three events, including her signature high jump, and placed second in the shot put. Day won the high jump by clearing more than 6 feet, and took the 200-meter dash in 24.9 seconds. Day told sports reporters she's considering training for the heptathlon, a seven-event collection that includes the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, javelin throw and the 200-meter and 800-meter races.
Read more about Day's performance at the invitational meet in the SLO Tribune
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/story/674264.html
Passings:
Prominent Orange County Developer, Cal Poly Benefactor Richard J. O'Neill
Richard J. O'Neill, a prominent landowner and Democratic Party activist who helped transform the landscape of Orange County by developing his family's vast Rancho Mission Viejo, died April 4. He was 85. O'Neill was a longtime supporter of Cal Poly and Cal Poly Athletics. O'Neill also contributed to many other philanthropic causes, including South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa. After graduating from high school, O'Neill enrolled at Cal Poly where he studied animal husbandry in preparation for taking over the business at the family ranch.
Read his obituary in the Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-richard-oneill5-2009apr05,0,2602055.story
And in the Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/neill-mission-viejo-2354673-ranch-rancho
And the Capistrano Dispatch
http://thecapistranodispatch.com/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=932&cntnt01dateformat=%25B%20%25d%2C%20%25Y&cntnt01returnid=15
Architecture Alum Turned Photographer is 'Ansel Adams of the Florida Keys'
Clyde Butcher (B.S., Architecture, 1964) shoots black-and-white views of the Everglades, Florida Bay and Upper Keys using vintage, jumbo cameras. His works have made him familiar to Floridans as "the Ansel Adams of South Florida." His works have been on display at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center since late February and will continue to be exhibited there through April 19. Read more about him in the Florida Keys News online.
http://keysnews.com/node/11745
Food & Wine
Alumna's Job is a Gourmet Grind
Erin Sweet (B.S., Ag Engineering) wanted to help sustain the market for local corn. Now she's a solo entrepreneur grinding corn and buckwheat at her own company: Ridgecut Gristmills. She offers four varieties of her cornbread mix, two cornmeals and a buckwheat pancake mix. Sweet didn't grow up in agriculture, but her life had been surrounded by the corn and tomatoes that dominated the fields of Yolo County. Read more about her in the Capital Press.
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=618&ArticleID=49938&TM=56989.24
Alum Growing Family Winery to Third Largest in Paso Robles Appellation
Austin Hope (B.S., Fruit Science, 1996) has been quietly growing his family’s winery business into the third largest producer in Paso Robles since earning his degree at Cal Poly in fruit science. He's been the head winemaker for the family's operations since 1998. The Hopes produce four distinct brands of wines under different labels: Liberty School, Treana, Austin Hope and most recently, Candor. Austin Hope is breaking plenty of conventional rules in the industry and focusing on consumers. “They simply want a great bottle of wine that looks good, tastes good and is priced right,” Hope said. Read the rest of the story in the SLO Tribune.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/food/wine/story/664540.html
Biz Grad Turned Winemaker Kept the Day Job, but Loves the Other One
Paul Hoover (B.S., Ag Business, 1981) fell in love with farming and agriculture when he was a young boy. So after attending Cal Poly and getting his degree in ag business, he hoped to find a job in the field that he was passionate about. That was easy: wine. Hoover is now the winemaker at Still Waters Vineyards outside Paso Robles.
Read the story in the SLO Tribune
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/food/wine/story/657213.html
Moving Up
Governor Schwarzenegger Names Alumna to Kern County Superior Court Judgeship
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Cal Poly alumna Lorna H. Brumfield (B.S., Professional Studies, 1980) to a Superior Court judgeship. Brumfield, 51, of Bakersfield earned her law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She has served as a partner and previously an associate in the Law Offices of LeBeau-Thelen since 1998. She was an attorney for the Law Offices of Jack B. Hislop from 1990 to 1998; for Wagy, Bunker, Hislop & Lewis from 1986 to 1990; and for Bills & Price from 1983 to 1985. Read more about her appointment on KGET.com.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/Governor-appoints-two-Bakersfield-judges/B6mnczrASEqHVTg8mPhTMQ.cspx
Mindjet Names Marketing Grad Vice President
Mindjet, the leading provider of mind mapping and visual collaboration solutions, has appointed Greg Brown (B.S., Marketing, 1993) as vice president, Americas. Prior to joining Mindjet, Brown was senior vice president of Sales & Alliances for PivotLink Corporation, the leader in on-demand business intelligence solutions. Before PivotLink, Brown spent almost eight years helping to build WebEx Communications into one of the largest Software as a Service (SaaS) companies in the world.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/mindjet-hires-new-vice-president,763211.shtml
Alum Named to Board of Apollo Group
Alum Stephen J. Giusto (B.S., Business Admin, 1985) was among three new board members named in March to the Apollo Group's Board of Directors. Giusto and two other new board members join 10 existing trustees on the expanded board. Giusto is currently executive vice president and chief financial officer of Korn Ferry International, a leading executive search firm. He plans to step down as chief financial officer to become senior advisor to the chief executive officer of Korn Ferry in late April. Read more about the Apollo Group board on EarthTimes.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/apollo-group-inc-expands-board-of-directors,753075.shtml
Alum Joins the Board at Locus Technologies
Locus Technologies has appointed Rick Bergquist (B.S., Computer Science, 1977) to its Board of Directors. Bergquist has served as Chief software evangelist for Locus Technologies since 2007. He gained renown as a visionary technologist in his position as Chief Technology Officer of the former PeopleSoft, Inc. and has more than 30 years of experience working in enterprise applications. Bergquist attended Program for Management Development, Harvard Business School in addition to earning his degree at Cal Poly.
Read the story on PRUSA.Net
http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=187386&Itemid=96
and iStockAnalyst.com
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3119415
Two Cal Poly Grads Get Ahead in the World of Advertising
Barnett Cox & Associates has announced sales and marketing staff changes. Benjamin Hein (B.A., Communication Studies, 2005), who has worked at BCA since 2007, was recently promoted to account manager for clients including Idler’s Appliance, Takken’s Shoes and ITech Solutions. Cal Poly graduate Jennifer Saxon (B.S., Speech Communication, 1993) has been hired as an account manager whose work will include SunPower and its California Valley Solar Ranch project.
Read the story in the SLO Tribune
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/story/656013.html
Entrepreneurs
Ag Alum Heading to Nashville for New Crop: Country Music Stardom
Lucas Ohio Pattie's love for music began in his Pleasanton home and flourished through his school years. Now he's Nashville-bound. Having fronted a popular band in San Luis Obispo, Pattie (B.S., Fruit Science, 2006) plans to get his foot in the door of a thriving music industry. Now Pattie is back home in Pleasanton before heading to Tennessee.
http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/show_story.php?id=1510
Alumna Starts out Sweet with New Bakery in Paso Robles
Liberal Studies alumna Lauren Galena (B.A., Liberal Studies, 2006) made good on a pact with a friend to open a bakery "someday." Someday arrived when Galena opened Two Little Birds Bakery in Paso Robles recently. Galena gained much of her baking expertise from working at the Avila Valley Barn while she attended high school and Cal Poly. Whether you’re in the mood for sweet or savory, you’re bound to find something to fit the bill at Two Little Birds Bakery, according to SLO Tribune food writer Katie Budge.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/dining/story/662935.html
All in the Family: Alum Starts Mediterranean Restaurant in San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo native and Cal Poly graduate Samir Aburashed (B.A., Communication Studies, 2006, M.A., History, 2008) has started a Mediterranean restaurant in San Luis Obispo with his parents. Aburashed, 24, with parents Todd and Sana Aburashed, opened Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill on Higuera Street.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/story/663285.html
Saving the Planet
Alumna's 'Worldhealer' Web Already Global
There are big plans for WORLDHEALER, Inc. By promoting education, employment, health and community programs, founder Roxana Bonderson (B.AR., Architecture, 1999) ) hopes to give to the poor and support their financial and individual wellbeing in countries across the planet. The Santa Barbara-based humanitarian organization held a debut party and fund raiser in late March. Read about it in the Santa Barbara Independent.
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/mar/27/worldhealer-hold-debut-fundraiser/
Passings
Bud Papadakis
Bud Papadakis (Physical Education, 1975), a baseeball standout during his days at Cal Poly and a successful baseball coach, died March 10 after a long battle with cancer. Papadakis attended College of San Mateo, where he started in three sports for two years. His efforts at CSM earned him a scholarship to Cal Poly, where he was a pitcher and first baseman on a team that featured Ozzie Smith and Mike Krukow. Read the obituary in the San Jose Mercury News.
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_11912712
And the Contra Costa Times
www.contracostatimes.com/giants/ci_11901870
And the San Mateo Journal
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=106979
And InsideBayArea.com/San Mateo County Times
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/prepsports/ci_11901870
Jay Swanson
Jay Swanson, 45, of San Luis Obispo (B.S., Photography, 1991) died suddenly at his residence from a pulmonary embolism March 11. He graduated from Paso Robles High School in 1982 and went on to attend Cuesta College and Cal Poly.
http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=125158988
Michael Fitzpatrick
Michael Fitzpatrick (B.S., Physics, 1962) passed away comfortably Feb. 26 at his home in Atascadero. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, he earned a master's degree and doctorate. in Electrical Engineering at U.C. Santa Barbara. He then returned to Cal Poly and taught Electrical Engineering, became a full professor, and guided the formation of the Computer Engineering Department. During that time, he consulted for Lockheed, Floating Point Systems and many other state-of-the art companies. He acted as liaison between technological industries, students and faculty and generated over $500,000 in support for the university. Read the obituary in the SLO Tribune
http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=125081428
Michael Loren Newberry Shannon
Michael Loren Newberry Shannon, 66, of San Luis Obispo passed away following a long illness March 1 at Mission View Heath Center in San Luis Obispo. Shannon earned his B.S. in design in 1993 and M.S. in architecture in 1998 from Cal Poly. Read his obituary in the SLO Tribune
http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=124994586