Chico Statements Spring 2012

www.csuchico.edu/chicostatements CHICO STATEments 1

A mAgAzine from CAliforniA StAte UniverSity, ChiCo Spring 2012

2 CHICO STATEments

In 1965, budding photographer Douglas Keister had no idea that he was buying a Nebraska state treasure. As far as he

knew, the 280 glass-plate negatives bought at a garage sale, mainly of African American subjects, were just interesting im-ages from Lincoln, Nebraska, between 1910 and 1925.

The images were unusual, he says, because the popula-tion of African Americans in Lincoln was “quite small” and because the subjects suggested a black photographer, uncom-mon for the time. And these were environmental portraits, not the typical studio shots. “These were pictures of people where they lived, giving us an incredible amount of informa-tion,” says Keister, now based in Chico.

In 1999, 36 similar glass negatives were discovered in Lincoln. Keister contacted the Nebraska State Historical

Society about his own collection—soon identified as the work of African American photographer John Johnson and declared a state treasure.

CSU, Chico hosted the first public exhibition of Keister’s col-lection, called Black and White in Black and White, as part of the campus’s Black History Month celebration. The Smithsonian Institution has requested 30 to 50 of the images for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, under con-struction in Washington, D.C.}

For more information and a slideshow of the photos, visit www.csuchico.edu/chicostatements.

Mother and Son: This portrait of a mother’s reassuring touch is one of the most captivating and artfully posed photographs in the Douglas Keister Collection. The woman and boy are, so far, unidentified. Backyard Picnic: This scene appears to be a casual snapshot, but careful composition and arrangement—including angling the picnic benches from the table—allows each person to be seen and leads the eye to the host and hostess.


A m a g a z i n e f r o m C a l i f o r n i a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , C h i c o

S p r i n g 2 0 1 2 I s s u e 1V o l u m e 1 8

ChicoS T A T E M E N T S

D E PA R T M E N T S

2 From the President’s Desk Watching futures unfold

3 Letters Favorite memories of Chico State, another favorite teacher

3 Editor’s Note Celebrating our past and future

4 Campus Collage What’s happening at the University

23 Alumni News Chapter News, Alum Highlights, Wildcats on the Move, and Wildcats in Our Thoughts

32 In Memoriam Faculty and staff remembered

On the COverGlimpses of the different eras of Chico State since 1887.Historic photos from CSU, Chico’s Meriam Library Special Collections

F E AT U R E S

ChiCo State turnS 125

A few highlights from

the University’s long and

rich history

page 7

the PromiSe of ChiCo State

A preview of the 2012

President’s Report,

which provides deeper

context for our commit-

ment to excellence

foldout insert

21St-Century GradS

Recent alums are working,

innovating, and redefin-

ing what it means to be a

successful college grad

page 17

4 CHICO STATEments

As the spring 2012 semester got under way, I focused my spring convocation remarks on our

125th anniversary. This issue of Chico Statements draws from that address with an emphasis on the impressive continu-ities between the different eras of our history. Among the most important are the extraordinary sense of place that defines Chico State and the great accom-plishments of our students and alumni in the service of our region and our world.

This issue turns to the voices of our future to accent the richness of our his-tory. For set within the context of our anniversary celebration are the testimoni-als of nine alumni who have graduated in the new millennium. They underscore three keys to building a great institu-tional story.

First, they reflect our strengths. And no strength is more important at Chico State than our focus on student suc-cess. Yes, distinction, even uniqueness, characterizes many of our academic pro-grams. But more important than national reputation is the commitment to student success that marks all of our programs and all of our efforts. This commitment exists in the classroom and extends well beyond it. So listen carefully to these alumni voices. They testify to the spirit that guides our entire university.

Second, they demonstrate why we must seek ways to tell our story, indeed, to brag a bit. I’ve often heard it said that Chico State is a “hidden gem” or a “best-kept secret.” Well, there’s nothing wrong with publicizing success if it is genuine and stands the test of time. That’s the

attraction of these young alumni. They don’t have to be famous in order to be effective spokespersons for our univer-sity. Yes, they may become famous. But, right now, all they have to be is authen-tic in their affection for their alma mater and honest in its praise. So, listen care-fully to these alumni voices. There is elo-quence and affirmation in their stories.

Third, they provide the strongest kind of evidence that our aim is not just to enable our graduates to make a good living, but also to equip them to lead a good life. For more than filling the critical workforce ranks of our region and state, our alumni are improving the quality of life where they live and work. And they are doing so because their Chico Experience included a bal-ance between the academic and the social, between the University and the community, between solving local problems and understanding global issues. So, again, listen to these alumni voices. There is passion and agreement between the values they profess and the values they enact.

Let us praise the people and the spirit of our past. But ever mindful that past is prologue, let us build on our laurels, not rest on them. The next chapters of our grand narrative are being writ-ten right now by alumni such as those featured in this issue. I can’t wait to see how their futures unfold and how they will strengthen the story of Chico State, 125 years young in 2012.}

—Paul J. Zingg, President

From the President’s Desk Credits

Editor | Marion Harmon

Senior Editor | Casey Huff

Art Director | Francie Divine

Associate Editor | Anna Harris

Wildcats on the Move Anna Harris, Kate Post, Devin Caspers

Editorial InternsChelsea Beights, Sheri Gitelson

ContributorsKathleen McPartland, Luke Reid, Elizabeth Renfro, Gina Sims, Joe Wills

PhotographyBeiron Andersson, Chelsea Beights, Kyle Emery, Amel Emric, Skip Reager, Genevieve Shiffrar, Caroline White

PrintingRR Donnelley.......

PresidentPaul J. Zingg

Vice President for University AdvancementRichard E. Ellison

Director of Public Affairs and PublicationsJoe Wills

Chico Statements is published for alumni, par-ents, faculty, staff, and friends of California State University, Chico. The magazine is available in alternate formats on request. Please call 530-898-4143 for assistance.

Chico Statements welcomes contributions of arti-cles, photographs, and artwork but does not guar-antee publication of submissions. Please send to

Public Affairs, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0040

e-mail [email protected]

telephone 530-898-4143; fax 530-898-4264

The deadline for submissions for the fall issue is Aug. 1 and for the spring issue is Feb. 1. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and space. All submis-sions—textual, graphic, or photographic—may appear in the online version of Chico Statements.

Please note that your name, address, phone num-ber, e-mail address, school or college, and year of graduation may be used by CSU, Chico for the development of university-affiliated marketing programs. If you do not wish to have this informa-tion used, please notify the Office of Advancement Services, at 530-898-5297.

© 2012, California State University, Chico, an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

See the new, improved online Chico Statements. Our site makes it easy to send an alum update or a letter to the editor; just fill out the automated form. We’d love to hear from you!www.csuchico.edu/chicostatements

Chico Statements is printed on 30 percent postconsum-er recycled fiber paper that comes from responsibly man-aged sources and is Forest Stewardship Council certified.

Bei

ron

And

erss

on

Watching Futures Unfold


development and brokerage. I am cur-rently doing a green project in Hawaii and selling in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

Thanks to Chico, I have had a terrific life.—Thomas “Tish” “Komaka” Tischer

(BA, Social Science,’68)

When I attended Chico State in the early 1970s, I remember listening to the band Panamiga, which often played in the Quad [Free Speech] area during lunch. This 1972 picture shows the band members. I believe all of them attended Chico State.

I remember attending the awesome gymnastic meets, the football games, and track and field events as a young child. We also attended many wonderful per-formances at Laxson Auditorium and the outdoor concerts on the fields. Of course, Pioneer Days was full of fun activities for adults, students, and kids. The quads built by the sororities, fraternities, and other campus organizations were fan-

tastic and very creative. The parade was a must-attend event for our family each year. Studying in Bidwell Park. CAVE and volunteering as a Big Sister. So many fond memories, and they keep on coming since I work here on campus.

—Becky DeVault (attended ’73 –’75)Administrative Support Coordinator, Intercollegiate Athletics

Another favorite teacherI would have to say that Robert A. Dais was my favorite teacher.

Mr. Dais (BA, Education, ’48) graduated from Chico State after serving in World War II. In 1948, he came to McCloud Grammar School, where he became my seventh- and eighth-grade teacher. He was a worldly, athletic, knowledgeable veteran and my class’s first male teacher. The timing of his arrival for pre-adolescent boys could not have been better. In addition to exceed-ing the challenge of teaching the standard academic curriculum, Mr. Dais became a community leader. He became involved in the skiing program and the Boy Scouts. In the summer, he became the recreation dis-trict’s swimming and aquacade director. He was our grammar school basketball coach, where he taught us fundamentals and skills that helped us to win several county high school championships.

Bob Dais’s talent, energy, and insight would later help him become elected as Siskiyou County superintendent of schools. The lessons taught by Mr. Dais were initi-ated in the classroom but went beyond the classroom. Thanks to Mr. Dais and to all the teachers like him, most of us are col-lege graduates and all of us are successful and enjoying a complete life.}

—Joe Anderson (Master of Business Administration, ’70)

LettersFavorite memories of Chico StateWhile a graduate student, I had a work-study job in the Admissions Office, with one of my duties giving campus tours. These tours were especially nice during a sunny Chico morning, walking from the library to the dorms, through campus to Bidwell Mansion and around to the admin-istration building.

I remember when parents asked what students needed most—I would grin and say, “Get a bike and bring a large inner tire tube for tubing down the Sacramento River.” It was also interesting how many times parents asked, “How close is the prison?” mistaking Chico for Chino.

I also remember how surprised I was to find that many parents and seniors did not know that the old classic film, Robin Hood, with Errol Flynn was filmed in Bidwell Park. Those “Sherwood Forest” trees and creeks remain some of the reasons Bidwell Park is so enjoyable even today.

—Frank X. Terrazas Jr. (MA, History, Credential, ’78)

As a Vietnam War veteran, I returned to college after a five-year absence, and CSU, Chico made the re-entry process in 1975 a painless and welcoming experience. The school met all of my expectations and more. I came away with an American Studies degree, a marriage partner [with John in photo above: Janet Samsel, BA, Speech and Drama, ’77], and a job offer from the Smithsonian Institution. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

—John Brennan (BA, American Studies, ’77)

My three years at Chico were as good as they can get! I pledged TKE, worked in the dean’s office, and lived at “Payton Place” on Dayton Road. Bob Payton was one of my roommates, but when he moved out the name reverted to Dayton Place! Driving the pizza truck for Pizon’s was a great way to meet the ladies.

After 30 years in orthopedic, neuro-, and plastic surgery development and distribu-tion, I have spent eight years in real estate

From left: Pat Hilton, Melissa Brown, Clay Reid, Roger Dolochycki, Walter Sager, Tom Webb, Mark Smith, Ramona Owens, Michael Agliolo.

This edition of Chico Statements is a commemorative issue that marks the quasquicentennial, or 125th year, of Chico

State. In these pages you’ll find celebrations of our past, present, and future, starting with a photographic walk down memory lane, through all four eras of the campus. I hope that these images bring back fond memories of your time here.

The issue includes a preview of the 2012 President’s Report—snapshots of the themes highlighted in the full report, online at www.csuchico.edu/presreport. The report will provide you with a deeper understanding of how the University fulfills its promise to its students, the North State, and beyond.

We are pleased to present a redesigned online version of Chico Statements, found at www.csuchico.edu/chicostatements. The new layout offers more con-tent, an easy way to navigate among the features and departments, and links to Chico State’s social media sites.

We also include a link to the Chico State blog, named a “must-read” by OnlineColleges.com. You’ll find examples of the Chico Experience in each entry, and we encourage you to share your own Chico State memories through our social media platforms and the Alum Notes submit button on our new site.}

—Marion Harmon (Master of Public Administration, ’07)

From the Editor

6 CHICO STATEments

Campus Collage

Get Moving Project Offers a New Kind of PEThey parade onto school campuses armed with fruits,

vegetables, and parachutes. Affectionately called the “pedometer people,” these CSU, Chico students are active in the fight to combat childhood obesity as part of a $623,633 grant project awarded to the Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion (CNAP).

“During this financially difficult time in education, this grant provides an opportunity for physical education train-ing for our teachers and to enhance the curriculum,” says Carol Brown, principal of Golden Hills Elementary School. “Teachers will learn fun games and activities to do with their students, which will, in turn, promote fitness, health, and performance.”

The new project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is called Get Moving South County and allows CNAP to enhance its efforts to improve physical education (PE) programs and reduce rates of overweight students in Oroville and Palermo school districts. As part of the program, each of the seven participating schools will receive $10,000 in PE equipment, classroom curriculum, and PE training for teachers.

Get Moving South County will contract with Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) to provide profes-sional development for teachers. SPARK is a research-based public health organization that provides training in inclusive, active, and fun PE classes.

CSU, Chico students from the Adapted Physical Activity Program will be recruited and trained as SPARK play coaches by kinesiology professor Marci Pope. They will work and play with elementary students during recess and lunch breaks while promoting schoolwide physical activity programs. Students will also act as research assistants throughout the project.

Get Moving builds on existing success-ful CNAP programs like Harvest of the Month. Under the guidance of Amy Gonzales and Jenni Dye, both CSU, Chico graduates and registered dietitians, nutrition students teach children and families about the importance of eating healthy via “guest chef” classroom visits and Eat Right When Money Is Tight par-ent classes.

Community members are invited to support school efforts by participating in a Get Moving South County coalition. The coalition will adopt the national Let’s Move! Initiative, aimed at reducing childhood obesity by teaching kids to eat healthy and be physically active.

Project director Michele Buran is excited to create a move-ment on these campuses. “With new PE equipment, districtwide training, community collaboration, and support from CSU, Chico students, elementary school students will have many more opportunities for physical activity throughout the day,” says Buran.}

Gina Sims (BA, Anthropology, ’95), Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion

When Jay Flores came to Chico State, he couldn’t imagine feeling more strongly about anything than he did about

basketball. That’s changed.“People who know me would probably tell you that I

love basketball more than anything in the entire world,” said senior Flores following the Chico State men’s basketball team’s season-ending 74–65 loss at Western Washington in the second round of the NCAA Championship Tournament. “But looking back on my time here, basketball is going to be second as far as what I miss the most. I’m sure that, looking back, we’ll be able to take a lot of pride in what we accomplished. But right now,

all I know is that I’m really going to miss these guys.”

The season ended with a loss, but what the Wildcats accomplished during their h i s t o r y -mak -ing season could never be undone by one loss. They tied

the school record with 25 wins, claimed the program’s first NCAA Championship Tournament win since 1958, and won the University’s first-ever CCAA men’s basketball title—all despite being picked to finish seventh in the CCAA in the preseason coaches’ poll.

They also formed a bond that will stand perhaps longer than any of their season’s accomplishments. “The losses and wins were important, but the brotherhood we built, words can’t describe,” said Josh Jackson, the only other senior on the team. “Winning the CCAA Championship, going to the NCAAs—that was an amazing feeling. But just getting to play with these guys every day was the best thing of all. We’ve got a bond that can’t be broken by any loss, no matter how disappointing it is.”

As Coach Greg Clink breathed the air outside the small lock-er room, his focus shifted from the game to his two seniors. “You could not ask for better leaders. It’s an emotional locker room right now,” said Clink. “There’s not a dry eye in there.”

Not long from now, he’ll think back to that fact and smile. He set out to build a championship team. In the end, he helped to build a brotherhood that will last even longer than the memories of a game. The tears told that story. Flores and Jackson confirmed it.}

Luke Reid, Chico State Sports Information

For more about this spring’s Athletics achievements, go to www.chicowildcats.com.

Men’s Basketball Wins First CCAA Title

Working together to start the “Get Moving” program at Golden Hills Elementary School in Palermo are, from left to right, Michele Buran and Amy Gonzales of CNAP, CSU, Chico students Kayla Holt and Kimberly Moore, Jenni Dye of CNAP, and CSU, Chico student Kellie Ashton.

Left to right: Jay Flores, Coach Greg Clink, and Josh Jackson on Senior Night Feb. 24 in Acker Gym.


Briefl

y Noted

Sustainable Manufacturing Wins Again Sustainable Manufacturing Program stu-dents won the Grand Prize for the 13th time at the prestigious 2012 WESTEC (Western Tool Exposition and Conference) Manufacturing Challenge in March. A team from CSU, Chico’s student chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers won the competition by creating a manu-facturing system for producing a sustain-able composite skateboard deck, with trucks and axles. Chico’s winning entry distinguished itself in the degree of detail in all phases of the project, says program coordinator Darren Otten.

Model UN Snags Top Awards at National Conference Twenty-one CSU, Chico students partici-pating in the Model United Nations course won multiple top awards at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York, April 1–5. For the fifth time in six years, the Chico delegation was named one of 34 Outstanding Delegations out of more than 400. The delegation, con-sisting of 21 students and representing the State of Qatar, also won outstanding position papers on four of 10 committees in which they competed and were named by their peers in two other committees as an outstanding delegation. Twelve Chico students won individual awards.

Faculty Members Receive Prestigious ACE FellowshipsTwo CSU, Chico professors have been named 2012–2013 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows. Brian Oppy, Psychology, and Lori Beth Way, Political Science, are among the 57 faculty members and administrators in the United States and abroad chosen for the program, which identi-fies and prepares future leaders in higher edu-cation. ACE Fellows focus on issues impor-tant to their home insti-tutions while spending a semester or academic year working with a college or university president and other senior officers at a host institution.

CSU Board of Trustees Led by Chico AlumnusAlumnus Bob Linscheid (BA, Public Administration, ’76; MPA, ’78) is the chair of the 25-member California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees. The board is in charge of establishing the rules, regulations, and policies for the CSU system. He is the second chair with CSU, Chico ties: Ted Meriam was chair in 1968 and 1969. Linscheid is a for-mer Associated Students president and CSU, Chico Alumni Council president. He is president of The Linscheid Company, president and CEO of Chico Economic Planning Corporation, and a 2008 CSU, Chico Distinguished Alumnus.

Student Set to Cast Votes as CSU Board TrusteeIn 2012–2013, senior Jillian Ruddell will be a voting member of the CSU Board of Trustees. Two student trustees serve staggered two-year terms: the first year as a non-voting member learning the ropes, the sec-ond as a full voting member. Ruddell, a Multicultural and Gender Studies major, was appoint-ed to the board in July 2011, a rare opportunity for a CSU student. She attends board meetings every other month in Long Beach.

University on Community Service Honor RollFor the fifth time in six years, CSU, Chico has been designated a member of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This is the highest fed-eral recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to and achieve-ment in community service.

The Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education administer the Honor Roll and identified 642 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitaliza-tion to supporting at-risk youth.

Each year, about 3,000 CSU, Chico students contribute more than 75,000 vol-unteer hours; their volunteer service has an impact on the community equivalent to more than $1.5 million.

Student Documentary in Barcelona Film Festival

The documentary film El Clásico: More Than a Game, produced by CSU, Chico students, has been accepted into the May 2012 Barcelona Sports Film Festival. The film was shot on location in Barcelona and Madrid in 2010 and explores Spanish his-tory, culture, and regional identity through the intense soccer rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

CSU, Chico alums Cathy Growdon and Kelly Candaele, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, put the project together. Several of the students spent more than a year editing and producing the film, which premiered in October 2011 in Chico.

University Scores High on Survey for Online InstructionCSU, Chico ranked 14th among 55 col-leges and universities in faculty credentials and training in U.S. News & World Report’s assessment of online programs. “While earning a bachelor’s degree online, stu-dents respond best to faculty with both traditional academic credentials and expe-rience and training in teaching online courses,” U.S. News wrote in introducing the rankings.

Students on Spring Break Build Homes in JoplinAfter assisting in New Orleans for three years after Hurricane Katrina, CSU, Chico students once again headed across the country to help victims of a natural disas-ter. In March, 87 students and four faculty members from the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management flew to Joplin, Missouri, for an eight-day project to rebuild four houses destroyed by a May 2011 tornado that left 161 people dead and $3 billion in damage.

The students, representing the student chapter of American General Contractors, worked 12-hour days on the project, the seventh “Blitz Build” project completed during winter or spring breaks.}

Campus Collage

8 CHICO STATEments

Research and Recovery in Vernal Pool LandscapesDouglas G. Alexander and Robert A. Schlising, pro-fessors emeritus, Biological Sciences, editors (Studies from the Herbarium, CSU, Chico, 2011, 175 pages)No. 16 in Studies from the Herbarium, this book contains chapters by nationally known experts on research, con-servation, and management of California vernal pools.

Disconnect/DesencuentroSara Cooper, Foreign Languages and Literatures, edi-tor; written by Nancy Alonso, translated by Anne Fountain(Cubanabooks, 2012, 169 pages)This bilingual short story collection presents 11 stories from a relatively unknown (in the U.S.) Cuban author. Alonso’s fiction depicts everyday scenes deeply rooted in Cuban reality yet universally understood.

The Farther ShoreRob Davidson, English(Bear Star Press, 2012, 160 pages)The Farther Shore is Davidson’s second collection of short fiction, comprising eight stories and one novella. These stories explore the complexities of negotiating the relationships that matter most.

The Collected Letters of Robinson Jeffers, with Selected Letters of Una Jeffers: Volume 2, 1931–1939 James Karman, professor emeritus, English and Religious Studies, editor (Stanford University Press, 2011, 1,128 pages)This second volume documents Jeffers’ rising fame, his controversial response to the turmoil of his time, his struggles as a writer, the maturation of his twin sons, the network of his friends and acquaintances, and an inti-mate portrait of Jeffers’ relationship with his wife.

Leisure in Later Life, fourth editionMichael Leitner, Recreation, Hospitality, and Parks Management (Sagamore Publishing, 2011, 500 pages)This textbook for university students and leisure services providers for older adults incorporates the latest research on leisure and aging as well as practical guidelines for providing effective recreational programs for elders.

Leadership and Management Tools for the New Nurse: A Case Study Approach Bessie Marquis and Carol Huston, Nursing(Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012, 464 pages)This text equips new nurses with the leadership and management tools they need. The case studies are aimed no higher than the charge nurse management level. The ancillary package for students and instructors includes review questions, a test generator, an ebook, and a Pow-erPoint presentation.

The Ashgate Research Companion to Monsters and the MonstrousAsa Mittman, Art and Art History, co-editor with Peter Dendle(Ashgate, 2012, 598 pages)This companion provides a comprehensive guide to the study of monsters and the monstrous. The collection re-

flects the multidisciplinary nature of monster studies, in-cluding scholars from literature, art history, religious stud-ies, history, classics, and cultural and media studies.

Domestic Wastewater Treatment in Central America: A Manual of Experiences, Design, Operation, and SustainabilityStewart Oakley, Civil Engineering, senior editor, with Louis Salguero, USEPA, junior editor(Agency for International Development, Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo, Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 369 pages)Written in Spanish for practicing engineers, this book ad-dresses domestic wastewater contamination problems by presenting appropriate and sustainable treatment op-tions. It includes chapters by six authors with extensive experience in Latin America.

Whiteness and Racialized Ethnic Groups in the United States: The Politics of RememberingSherrow O. Pinder, Political Science(Lexington Books/Rowman & Littlefield, 2011, 162 pages)Pinder argues that though “whiteness studies,” with the intention of exposing white privilege, has entered aca-demic research, it is not equipped to relinquish the privi-lege that comes with normalized whiteness. To construct a post-white identity, whiteness would have to be denor-malized and freed of its presumptive hegemony.

The Forgotten Holocaust: Spanish Civil War, Massacre, Pact, Obliviousness, and Recovery of Historical Memory in Spain Char Prieto, Foreign Languages and Literatures(Editorial Pliegos de Ensayo, 2011, 327 pages)Exploring national identity as related to historical amne-sia, this book examines new literary works, historical re-search, and oral documentation, providing firsthand tes-timony from survivors of the war, revealing how personal memory and official suppression of memory clash.

California in the American SystemCraig Scarpelli, Political Science(McGraw-Hill, 2011, 92 pages)This study of California government and the federal gov-ernment in our system of federalism includes a review of pressing California issues, California political history, elections, the three branches of government, and the budget and California local government.

Dungeons, Dragons, and Digital Denizens: The Digital Role Playing Game Katie Whitlock, Theatre, co-editor with Gerald Voorhees and Joshua Call(Continuum, Approaches to Digital Game Studies Series, 2012, 392 pages)This premier volume in the series presents scholarly es-says about the implications of digital role-playing games as both cultural and academic artifacts. Working from disciplines such as ecocriticism, rhetoric, performance, gender, and communication, it describes game types and their social and cultural implications.}

Buy these books atwww.chicostatewildcatstore.com

or call 866-282-8422.

Boo

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culty

Campus Collage


1887f o u n d e d

The seeds of Chico State were planted in the late

1800s, in an area whose original residents were the Mechoopda Indians. John Bidwell, one of the first emigrants on the California Trail, purchased Rancho Arroyo Chico on Chico Creek in 1849 to establish a ranch and farm. In 1887, he donated his eight-acre cherry orchard to secure the northern branch of the State Normal School for Chico.In the following pages, the University celebrates its unique past with stories,

images, and traditions. These are just a few of the highlights of Chico State’s long and rich history.Written by Marion Harmon, Anna Harris, and Casey Huff.Design by Francie Divine.

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10 CHICO STATEments

ChiCo state Normal sChool

1887–1921

The construction of the Chico State Normal School building: Due to anti-Chinese agitation, it was against California state law to use materials in public works manufactured by “Mon-golians.” In 1888 a brick plant was set up west of town where bricks were made without the help of the skilled Chinese. When the first students arrived in September 1889, the build-ing was still under construction.

1 89 7

Clara (Hicks) Lucas graduated from Chico State Normal School.

When Chico was selected as the site of the new state normal school, the local Butte Record exclaimed: “The Boom Begins! Chico the Queen City of Northern California.” 18

87

Chico State Normal School athlete Herbert Gillespie: The Normal Athletic Association formed in 1895.

On July 4, 1888, the cornerstone of Chico State Normal School was laid, with John Bidwell as keynote speaker. Students entering the

teacher-training school came from widely differing educational backgrounds, for public schools varied in quality and there were few high schools in California before 1891. Of the first 90 students admitted in 1889, only 15 were placed directly into practice teaching after graduating in 1891; 17 were assigned to the Preparatory Department, needing as much as two years’ work to qualify for professional training.

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Normal School football team at practice on the field west of campus. The Normal Record reported, “Rough and ready humanity collects above the ground.”

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1916

Faculty ESTHER M. WILSON, of Boston, Massachusetts, taught music and drawing from the opening of Chico State Normal School until 1901.

1 8 9 2


1893 High water in Chico Creek canyon: John Bidwell came to cherish the area around Chico, a

vast tract of nearly flat valley land lying east of the Sacramento River, rising to the Sierra-Cascade mountains. Annie Bidwell donated 2,238 acres of their Rancho Chico to the city of Chico in 1905, creating the bulk of Bidwell Park.

19 0 2

Chico State Normal School women softball players.

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00

Bicycles have been popular with students since Chico State’s founding. Above, classmates with bicycles dur-ing a zoology picnic at Big Chico Creek, one mile from town.

AIMEE M. JONES, dean of women and English teacher

The 1897–1898 Catalogue had some helpful tips for students, including

“It is the duty of everyone to be cheerful; to avoid worrying; to be just; to be healthy. Hence, each student should be regular in all matters of exercise, diet, sleep, and study.”

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1 8 9 3

Beatrice Scott as “Signor Spaghetti,” for Girls’ High Jinks: By 1905 an orchestra had been formed that later became the Chico Symphony. On the lighter side, “High Jinks” became an annual review for women.

1905

First Groundhog Day ob-served in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Gottlieb Daimler uses the internal combustion en-gine in the first modern, four-wheel automobile.

Anne Sullivan teaches Helen Keller the sign for “water.”

Sherlock Holmes first ap-pears in print in “A Study in Scarlet.”

1887“We are glad you have come to a normal school, if you desire to fit yourself as a teacher. If you do not so desire, the school would be better off without you,” noted student magazine Normal Record.1

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7

Three Normal School stu-dents in a dorm room getting dressed for a party or performance. Notice the Chico State pennant dis-played at right.

1 9 0 0

MINOR L. SEyMOUR, botany teacher.

12 CHICO STATEments

ChiCo state teaChers College

1921–1935Chico State Normal School became Chico State Teachers College in

1921. The college soon added a junior college curriculum and awarded a certificate after two years. In 1924, Chico State began granting bac-calaureate degrees. Two years after a fire destroyed the Normal Building in 1927, a new administration building was constructed, later to be renamed Kendall Hall. During this era, the wildcat was adopted as team mascot and the alumni association was formed. As the student population increased, new bachelor’s degree programs were added.

Families picnicking and swimming at the Five-Mile Dam recreation area on Big Chico Creek, which is still used for those purposes today. The pools at One-Mile and Five-Mile were so named because of their distance from the Bidwell Mansion. Sycamore Pool, the concrete swimming pool at One-Mile, was built in the 1920s.

Chico street scene: Main Street looking north from 5th Street. On the left is Park Plaza, and on the right is City Hall.

192

7 Varsity basketball team: Basketball was first played on campus in 1896. Early sports on campus included baseball, football, lawn tennis, and croquet. From left: Steve Vugrenecz, Denzil Huffman, James Elfedahl, team captain William Metteer, Daniel Farmer, Kenneth Palmer, James Elliot, Rockwell Blondin, and Chauncy Wilson.

Eleanor Goudie (left, ’32) and her roommate lived in Bidwell Mansion, which was purchased by the state in 1924 and opened as Bidwell Hall, a dormitory for 46 women. Local historians say the students studied in the rooms but actually slept outside on the surrounding verandas.

In 1915, PG&E’s Pacific Ser-vice magazine reported “The near future will see the com-mencement of the $3,500 natatorium at the Chico State Normal School, which is to be a part of the education of every male student of the institution.” Apparently, by 1925 females were also availing themselves of the pool, constructed behind the Normal School building.

1 9 2 5

The Record, Chapel Review: March 30. Mr. Meriam gave us a very interesting and amusing lecture on the subject of “True Moonshine.” He cited many common superstitions connected with the moon and also many other superstitions that people are prone to believe. This lecture, given in Mr. Meriam’s own inimitable style, was indeed a treat. 19

23

1930

1930


Chico State administration building under construction: After fire rav-aged the Normal School building in 1927, President Charles Osen-baugh went directly to Sacramento to seek funding. Four days after the fire, Annie Lund Meriam wrote in her diary: “Mr. Osenbaugh re-turned today from Sacramento very optimistic.” His optimism was jus-tified: within two years, the new building, today’s Kendall Hall, was open and in use.

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The Block C Club for student-athletes, organized in 1923, provided social and political campus leadership for many years.

1923

Performing arts play: There are several women in 1920s dress, one in a maid uniform. On the stage set are paintings, a folded screen, and a bearskin rug. Dramatics were a popular form of entertainment at Chico State.

1925

The Record, 1930:

“The biology department has a

yen to institute a widespread reform. The pedagogues hold that there should be more carving of protoplasm and less carving of desks.”

Lucille Butts, wearing the popu-lar bob hairstyle. By the mid-1920s, this was the most common female hairdo in the Western world, and in the Chi-co State yearbook pages.

19 2 7

Chico State faculty and staff in front of the administration building.

1 9 3 5In 1934 music department head Ruth Rowland Taylor asked students Darlys Partridge and Frances Shier to write the University Hymn. Their one-verse song was set to the music of Finlandia by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Sibelius gave permission to use the music in ex-change for a box of cigars. The song be-came official one year later, but the cigars took another 13 years to reach Finland.

1 9 3 4

CHICO STATEments 13

14 CHICO STATEments

Under a generation that was weaned on Disney animals, Chico State’s mas-cot Willie the Wild-cat took on a mis-chievous grin and became a prank-playing gremlin.

ChiCo state College

1935–1972The California legislature converted its teachers colleges to state colleges

in 1935, and Chico State Teachers College became Chico State Col-lege. During this period, chimes were installed in the Trinity tower, the first biological laboratory was established at Eagle Lake, and the University Farm was dedicated to the memory of State Senator Paul L. Byrne (’32). Chico State also granted its first bachelor of science and master’s degrees, and the first telecourse was offered on campus—Psychology 51, taught on television by Professor John Narcisco.

Go Wildcats!

1969Classmates Bill Shonk and J. Lee take a spin in Shonk’s Austin sports car early in the fall semester. Sports cars grew in popu-larity after World War II.

19 47

Seated at the administration building entrance are Bill Woodworth, Gerry Staton, Johnny Merlo, and Fayne Porter. To the far left is Dr. Benedict, a chemistry professor.

Block C officers Gary Sitton (left) and Gerald Circo. Sitton (’67, ’68) taught engineering at Chico State and founded BI-TECH Software; Circo (’68, ’71) was in the NFL and taught at Bidwell Junior and Chico High. Circo was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995; Sitton was named Distinguished Alum in 1997.

1 9 6 6

Riding bicycles has been a cherished pastime in Chico, as well as a prac-tical way to com-mute to campus and get to Bidwell Park and downtown. In a survey of Chico State alums done a few years ago, they chose “bike friendly” as one of the cam-pus’s defining attri-butes.

1 95 9

1950s

1942

Football coach George Maderis, Chico State College President Glenn Kendall (1950–1966), and Division of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Chairman Don Adee. In 1959 the college offered 10 varsity sports and was a member of the Far Western Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Associa-tion (NCAA).

1960


One of Chico State’s three oldest buildings is Trinity Hall. Built in 1931, its square bell tower resembles campaniles found in Italy. The chimes from the tower are still heard throughout central Chico on the hour and half hour. Ini-tially the campus library, Trinity Hall later became the Campus Activity Center and today is a department and faculty office building. No longer covered with ivy, it is also home to the Humanities Center, dedicated to intellectual exchange and discussion between faculty and students.

Quad projects became the most spectacular part of Pioneer Days in the late 1960s. Phi Kappa Tau’s Wayne “Rocky Raccoon” Biancalana and Alpha Gamma Delta’s Debbie Hefner whoop it up in the quad during the annual event.

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1960

“Give ’em the claw!”—rallying cry at sports events

“Those who don’t like the system can damn well get their education somewhere else!"—then-Governor Ronald Reagan to student protesters on campus

in 1969

Brenda Johnson, Chi-co State’s first black homecoming queen, at the Coronation Ball. Her photo ran in the 1970 yearbook along with pages on peace protests and a student “grovel-in” request-ing active participation in faculty retention and promotion.

1 9 7 01968

In 1961, Chico joined 12 other state colleges in the formation of the California State College system, eventually to become the California State University system, the largest system of higher education in the world. By 1967, Chico experienced unprecedented growth, with enroll-ment soaring above 6,000 students.

1961

1945

16 CHICO STATEments

CaliforNia state uNiversity, ChiCo

1972–2012In 1972, the college became California State University, Chico. Academic programs, previously grouped by schools, were reorganized into colleges. In 1982, the 119-acre main campus was dedicated as an arboretum. Now, in 2012, the University also manages 800 acres of farmland, 240 acres of rangeland, and 2,330 acres of ecological reserves.

CSU, Chico has come a long way since its founding, expanding beyond the imagination of the Normal School’s first students. yet, as the 125th anniversary re-minds us, CSU, Chico is a place of enduring traditions, growth, and transformation.

Students walking across one of the campus’s seven footbridges. Chico State is one of the few campuses that has a creek running through its grounds year-round.

Visiting alum Thomas Fleming, founding editor of the San Francisco Sun-Reporter, the longest-running African American weekly newspaper.

Wildcat spirit ran high at a rally during Homecom-ing week.

Alum John Pugh’s Academe mural on the side of Taylor Hall, one of the entrances to campus. Pugh’s career as a muralist began with this mural, painted in 1980–1981, when he was still a student. Pugh has gone on to create more than 200 large-scale trompe l’oeil murals, and he is considered one of the best in his field.

In 2003, Pugh was named Humanities and Fine Arts’ Distinguished Alumnus. He returned to Chico that summer to refurbish the mural, much to the delight of Chicoans who visited him long into the nights as he repainted the wall. After the new Arts and Humanities Building is completed on the site, Pugh will repaint the mural.

19 8 81991

Astronomer and 1996 Humanities and Fine Arts distinguished alum Carolyn Spellman Shoemaker (’49, ’50) is the leading comet discoverer of the 20th century. She has achieved worldwide recognition with the discovery of 32 comets.

1975

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The cylindrical room located at the corner of the Meriam Library, near Warner Street, has been the planetarium since 1975. A majority of the financial backing came from James and Betty Jane Roth.

Students celebrating at their commence-ment ceremony after receiving their diplo-mas. Nowadays, more than 3,000 students graduate each year from Chico State’s seven colleges and five schools.

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1 98 4

2OO9

19

83

In 1971, student-run radio station KCSC became 95.5 FM, the “Livewire.” In 1987, it was Spin magazine’s Best College Station.

From left: Students Ji Her, Bao Vue, and Mova Lor at the Asian American Excellence Conference that Vue co-organized.

197

5 Geography professor David Lantis, who taught at Chi-co State from 1957 un-til 1991. In 2004, Lantis and wife Helen funded a $2.1 million faculty chair, the largest gift for an en-dowed professorship in the University’s history.

The 1970s witnessed the advent of some unique and often elaborate hairdos. The feathered look was a style made popular by Farrah Fawcett of Charlie’s Angels fame. young men often wore their hair just past the ears and jawbone, with equally dra-matic mustaches and beards. Flirty bobs, natural afros, tapered sideburns, and accessories like headbands and cool shades (and that tux) were also commonly seen in the yearbook pages of the 1970s and beyond.H

AIR

STYL

ES

Students Tony Cuellar and Laura Pratt “test the aerodynamic ca-pacity of the common household bubble,” according to the Re-cord. Leisure activi-ties on campus in the 1990s included play-ing Hacky Sack and tossing Frisbees.

1990

The 1990s saw several Chico facul-ty achieve international reputations in areas of Third World economics, the entomology of central African ants, and mathematical error theo-ry, a field so esoteric that perhaps no more than 25 mathematicians worldwide could comprehend it.

18 CHICO STATEments

Tau Gamma Theta fraternity members marching in the Pioneer Day Parade in front of the La Grande Hotel between 4th and 5th Streets on Broadway.

SPECIAL THANKS to George Thompson and staff of the Special Collections Department of Meriam Library, which provided more than 100 images from CSU, Chico’s Historic Photograph Collection and the University Archives, including the Record. Much of the col-lection is online at www.csuchico.edu/library through the link “Chico Digital Collections.” At www.csuchico.edu/lspr is the recently created online Chico State yearbook Collection.

Materials were also taken from the book A Precious Sense of Place (Friends of the Meriam Library, 1991) by W.H. Hutchinson and Clarence F. McIntosh and developed by CSU, Chico librarian Pam Herman Bush.

Thanks also to the Goudie family and Lorraine Goudie (’07), who sent us several photos of her grandmother. Four generations of the Goudies have attended Chico State, including Lorraine’s great-grandmother Beryl (Harris) Goudie (’07) and Eleanor Goudie (’32), pictured on page 10 with her roommate at Bidwell Mansion.

Note: Some years are approximate; they were referenced as “circa” in the collection.}

The student-run This Way to Sustainability Confer-ence has grown over the years to host more than 1,400 participants from throughout California and Oregon. Workshops focus on ways to build a sus-tainable society.

20051979

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A student captured on the newly remodeled First Street Promenade, which was converted from an ac-tive roadway to a pedestrian walkway. A sign of the times, she holds her coffee and sunglasses in one hand while texting on her smartphone with the other.

Harlen Adams in the theatre named for him. Educator, thespian, world travel-er, Adams taught at Chico State for 35 years before retiring in 1974. He produced some of Chico State’s most memorable productions and served as executive dean from 1950–1965, di-recting a period of major growth in the campus.

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One of the campus’s newest buildings, the Student Services Center was built following en-vironmentally conscious standards established by Leadership in En-ergy and Environmental Design (LEED).

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21st

Under the lights of New York City, along the cyber-highway, beside mass graves in

Kosovo, and yes, even on the streets of Indianapolis—recent CSU, Chico alums are

working, innovating, and defining what it means to be a successful college grad in the

21st century.

The nine alums profiled here are thriving on the challenges of the new millennium,

from growing award-winning organic wines to speaking with Today Show audiences

about living simply; from launching new technology companies to helping humanitar-

ian organizations grow. They represent a wide variety of fields, but each was inspired

by teachers and mentors inside and outside the classroom. The support they received

inspired their passion to give back, to share the joy they have found in their work by

becoming mentors themselves to aspiring humanitarians, scientists, entrepreneurs, writ-

ers, growers, students, and athletes.

These grads are forging new paths. They share certain characteristics typical of many

21st-century Chico State grads: They are confident, connected, passionate, creative, and

open to change. How will their moment in history shape them? And how will they, in

turn, shape the world around them? It will be interesting to watch their futures unfold.

s t r i d i n g i n t o t h e f u t u r e :

-Century Gradsby Elizabeth Renfro

20 CHICO STATEments

Pursuing Justice

RenéeKosalka

The work is emotionally demanding, politically charged, often dangerous—and exactly what Renée Kosalka (MA, Anthropology, ’06) has wanted to do since she was

an undergraduate in Toronto. As a forensic anthropologist, Kosalka has taken her recovery and identification expertise all over the world to put names to victims of natural disasters, war, and terrorism.

In 1999, Kosalka was a senior at the University of Toronto, taking Professor Jerry Melbye’s forensic anthropology course, then the only one of its kind in Canada. One day her eye caught a flyer posted outside his office: a call from the International Criminal Tribunal for field workers to aid in genocide victim location and identification in the Balkans. Kosalka immediately asked Melbye how she could get on that team. After he told her she needed to get a master’s degree in physical anthropology, she “thought about it on a 15-min-ute stroll” across campus to meet friends, sat down, and announced she knew what she would be doing with her life.

Less than a year later, she was enrolled in Chico State’s program, working with internationally recognized foren-sic anthropology professors and fellow graduate students who would become both mentors and friends, among them Professors Turhon Murad, P. Willey, and Eric Bartelink (MA, Anthropology, ’01). By 2001, in only her second year in the program, Kosalka was volunteering at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in New York City, helping identify and ana-lyze victims’ remains from Ground Zero.

Since then, Kosalka’s fieldwork has taken her all over the world, from various locations in Canada with the Missing Women’s Task Force to Thailand after the 2004 tsunami disas-ter. She is a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice, Interpol, and international agencies in the Caribbean and South America and has taught classes in cutting-edge forensic practices such as computerized skeletal and DNA analysis, site mapping, and surveying.

Much of Kosalka’s fieldwork, however, has been in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina with the International Commission on Missing Persons, doing what that 1999 flyer described. She works on teams applying “a multitude of scientific disciplines” to finding answers in the aftermath of horrific violence. Since 2004, Kosalka, now a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, has taken part in more than 100 forensic investigations in the Balkans, including 13 mass graves, in sites ranging from burned-out buildings to “backyards and open fields, forests and ravines, caves and swamps.” She works with local commissions and courts assembling evidence not only to identify victims but also to aid in prosecuting those responsible for the atrocities.

“There is great reward in knowing that I’m contributing in a small but meaningful way to the lives of individuals, fami-lies, and public safety within societies,” says Kosalka, adding that the work gives her the privilege of laboring alongside “some of the brightest and most dedicated scientists in the world, who are willing to risk their own lives in the pursuit of justice.”


Having already accumulated press clippings naming her a “tap dancing sen-sation” and “sultry chanteuse,” this past fall Ashley Morgan Monroe (BA,

Theatre Arts, ’06) captured a New York Innovative Theatre award nomination for outstanding choreography in the musical satire Circus of Circus.

From childhood, Monroe says, “I wanted to be this famous actress in television or Broadway, and believe me, I still do, but now I kind of like doing things on my own terms.” Monroe’s own terms have her thriving in New York City as a per-formance “jack of all trades.” Her performances range from modeling to musical theater and choreography, to Pilates and fitness instruction, to a role as an under-cover writer in television’s Disappeared.

But Monroe’s real love is performance, which began at age 3 when she started tap lessons. She went on to add to her repertoire, studying salsa, hip-hop, jazz, and ballroom dance, and singing in her church choir, “where “I learned to belt,” she says. Homegrown theatre productions began early, too. She remembers “put-ting shows on in my living room, pretending to be Wonder Woman with my little-kid hooded blanket, putting on ice skating competitions at recess, singing ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in my backyard.”

Three years ago, Monroe founded The Silky Sirens Burlesque Company. While retaining the glitter, feathers, and outrageous fun of traditional burlesque, her shows often blend humor and serious commentary. “We do classic burlesque with a modern twist,” explains Monroe. “My choreography always tells a story. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

An excellent glass of organic wine is the product of not only a good grape harvest,

but also a dedicated winegrower, like Eric Pooler (BS, Agricultural Business, ’02), who devotes countless hours to making it truly great. Growing up as the son of the Yuba County agriculture commissioner, Pooler has “always liked growing things,” but he was not always sure how he would turn that passion into a career.

Though Pooler spent his teens working in local orchards, as an undergraduate he was planning a career in the sales side of agricul-ture. But experiences like heading out of the classroom to conduct water analysis on Big Chico Creek with Professor Henricus Jansen’s agricultural ecology class piqued his interest in the microbiological aspects of “growing things.” Then, as a junior, Pooler took a wine tasting class from Professor Marian Baldy, a nationally recognized wine expert. (“I still have the draft of the textbook she wrote,” he says.) After a summer 2001 internship with United Agricultural Products sent him to wine country, it all came together.

Within a year of graduation, Pooler was working for Kendall-Jackson, first as a pest control advisor in Sonoma and then as assistant vineyard manager in Monterey. In 2005, Pooler returned to Napa-Sonoma to work for a start-up winery, Hall Wines, beginning what has become his passion: sustain-able, organic viticulture. After recognizing the subtle improve-ments to wine quality fostered via organic and biodynamic farming practices, he never looked back.

Since 2008, Pooler has been vineyard and grower relations manager for Boisset Family Estates throughout California. A major part of Pooler’s work has been shepherding the demanding processes of organic and biodynamic certifica-tion in the company’s St. Helena and Rutherford vineyards. Biodynamic growing is a holistic approach, not simply ruling out use of synthetic pesticides, but also striving to build biodi-versity and feed the farm from within.

“Organic and biodynamic growing demands more thought and planning,” says Pooler. “It’s harder because it requires you to think proactively, not reactively.” It’s a challenge Pooler enjoys—not just “growing things,” but growing them in a way that produces what Boisset Family Estates president Jean-Charles Boisset calls “true wines, authentic wines.”

Playing New York City

Ashley Morgan Monroe

Growing Eco Wines

Eric Pooler

22 CHICO STATEments

Building Community

Erica Flores

Searching for Smalltopia

Tammy Strobel

We all want a sense of belonging,” says Erica Flores (BS, Agricultural Business, ’07). “We all want a place where

we are respected, connected, and affirmed.” Creating such places is what Flores’s life and career are all about. No mat-ter where she is, no matter what she’s doing, she’s “always engaged in building community.”

Flores began her professional community building as leadership program coordinator at Chico State’s Cross-Cultural Leadership Center, which she and mentor C.C. Carter established in 2007. “C.C. and I were dream builders together, dreaming big and believing in ‘possible.’ ” Now in Indianapolis, Flores has taken that same drive to the national stage at Future Farmers of America’s (FFA) headquarters, as coordinator for diversity and inclusion—a position she and CEO Dwight Armstrong collaboratively created shortly after her initial hiring as an education specialist in 2009.

The reach of FFA extends beyond rural America and includes active chapters in 18 of the 20 largest U.S. cities, says Flores, yet FFA’s own research shows some potential member-ship populations do not feel included. This is what Flores aims to change through an approach she calls “diversity intentional-ity.” In contrast to an organizational model in which, Flores says, “you’re sitting at home waiting and hoping for someone

to knock on your door, instead imagine standing on your front porch and eagerly welcoming all in through your doors. We want to stand on the front porch of our organization and make certain everyone knows FFA and agricultural education is a place to call home.”

Whether she is advocating in her FFA office, volunteering with half a dozen nonprofit organizations in her new home-town, or indulging her love of portrait painting—life, for Flores, is about “engaging my heart in all that I do and dreaming big.”

Google Smalltopia, the title of Tammy Strobel’s second e-book, and you’ll find more than 18,000 hits. First up is

her own blog site, Rowdy Kittens, celebrating social change through simple living. Then come fans—thousands—of this “mini-living mama,” as one blogger writes. Interspersed are links to the 2010 New York Times article that led to appear-ances on The Today Show and in USA Today, which in turn led to over a dozen literary agents asking to represent her next book, though Strobel (BA, Economics, ’01; Master of Public Administration, ’03) hadn’t even started it yet.

“Smalltopia”—the concept—is actually a philosophy, a way of life, and a place to be, explains Strobel. Smalltopia—the book—describes using that philosophy to start a small business and live simply. She writes from and of her own experiences, offering “options to ponder.” A decade of social work with sexual assault survivors taught her “how important it is to talk about options rather than telling people what to do, what to think.”

The examples of “living small and thinking big,” says Strobel, all focus on “prioritizing human connections over stuff.” One challenge she and husband Logan Smith (BS, Animal Science, ’02) took on several years ago was weeding their belongings down to a total of 100 items each—clothes, books, cooking utensils, everything. Living small culminated in their move this past winter into a 150-square-foot house in Portland. With fewer possessions to care for (and finance), Strobel has rev-eled in the time freed for volunteering, yoga, and engaging with the online community her writing has opened up.

And that third book the agents were clamoring about? You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap) is due out in paperback later this year from New World Library.

“


Used your iPhone to check out a restaurant’s dinner spe-cials? Snagged a coupon through your Blackberry? Reserved

a session with your gym’s personal trainer via iPad? If so, Bizness Apps, the brainchild of Andrew Gazdecki (BS, Business Administration, ’11), may have made your life a bit easier.

CEO of his own global, high-tech business before he even graduated, Gazdecki says he has just been following his dream. “I love innovating—not just solving problems, but elegantly solving problems.”

In a field where complexity and innovation are the norms, Gazdecki’s approach has been to take something both complex and generally costly for business owners—mobile develop-ment—and make it easy, affordable, and still high quality. Bizness Apps provides businesses with economical, do-it-your-self software platforms to design and update mobile interfaces with customers. Elegant solutions sell: Bizness Apps serves cli-ents in countries across the globe and was featured in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

In any business venture, finding the right partners is pivotal, and college is the perfect place for making those connec-tions, according to Gazdecki. Early in Bizness Apps’ genesis, he brought in close friend Zach Cusimano (BS, Business Administration, ’11), now the company’s chief operations offi-cer. Equally important has been the mentoring (and start-up support) from Chico State alums Chris Friedland (BA, Political Science, ’99), founder and CEO of Build.com, and Robert Strazzarino.

Yet even as the hardworking CEO of a company that The Washington Post says “is growing like gangbusters,” 23-year-old Gazdecki says his folks still ask, “When are you going to get a job?” Notes Gazdecki, “I work 90 hours a week because I love what I do.” Maybe that just doesn’t sound like a “job.”

Now CEO of a company he launched as an undergradu-ate, Robert Strazzarino says that as a Redding High School

student, he “nerded out writing code,” already driven by his dream to create his own business. And when, as a Chico State sophomore, he spent hours struggling to arrange his schedule, he saw an opportunity.

Strazzarino (BS, Computer Science, ’06) proceeded to design software that did it better. Fast forward a year—past scenes of his roommate hanging flyers all over campus that offered free use of the software—to 2005, when half the Chico State stu-dent body used the tool, to Strazzarino’s senior year, when he had his first paying client, Chico State.

College Scheduler clients now comprise more than three dozen colleges and universities across the country, includ-ing Penn State; University of Wisconsin, Madison; and several CSUs. Benefits are not limited to saving students time during registration; administrators and advisors are also using the soft-ware to track and respond to course demand, thereby speed-ing students’ graduation paths. The company has garnered national recognition, including a spot among Empact100’s 2011 list of “top 100 companies run by young entrepreneurs … who impact our economy and inspire others.”

“Inspiring others” is another of Strazzarino’s passions. “I’d never have made it through the early roller-coaster years with-out the mentors I’ve had, and that’s what I want to give back,” he says. He is often on the Chico State campus, speaking at Collegiate Entrepreneurial Association meetings, guest lecturing in classes, and just having coffee with “anyone who asks.”

He’s also setting up scholarships for students attending College Scheduler client universities. “Some of these students will probably be starting companies, building the U.S. econo-my,” says Strazzarino. “I want to help.”

Dreaming in High-Tech

Andrew GazdeckiScheduling Inspiration

Robert Strazzarino

24 CHICO STATEments

Seeding Global Change

Alexa Valavanis

The glory days of Wildcat women’s basketball are fond memories for former star guard and assistant coach Alisha

Valavanis (BA, Journalism, ’00; MA, Physical Education, ’04), now director of annual giving for Athletic Development at UC Berkeley. But what she cherishes most are the lessons she learned from Coach Mary Ann Lazzarini.

During four years as a Wildcat (racking up a then-record 139 three-pointers) and six as an assistant coach, Valavanis watched Lazzarini help athletes grow by instilling values of teamwork and caring on and off the court. As assistant coach, Valavanis says she spent “almost as much time helping athletes develop life skills and engage in community outreach projects as I did on coaching the Wildcat defense.”

In 2006, Valavanis moved up to Division I basketball at the University of the Pacific as assistant and later associate head coach under former Chico State Coach Lynne Roberts. At UOP, Valavanis again threw her energies equally into athletic and philanthropic work with her players, initiating projects like Pacific Plays Pink. This fundraising partnership between UOP players and the local hospital raised $10,000 for breast cancer treatment in its first year and is still going strong.

After enjoying stints as a scout for the WNBA and as point-person for the Golden State Warriors’ nonprofit fundraising campaigns, Valavanis realized that her heart lies with student-athletes and nonprofit work. “As a former student-athlete who benefited on so many levels from the generosity, connected-ness, and support of a university community, I really believe in this work,” she says. Today at Cal, Valavanis is back at it, leading a team that “runs fundraising campaigns across all 29 Cal Bears sports—all anchored in philanthropy.”

Some folks are globetrotters. Others might be called “globe changers,” and Alexa Benson-Valavanis (BA, Journalism, ’00) is definitely one of

the latter. Humanitarian work has taken her around the world. Now back in Chico, Valavanis is CEO of the North Valley Community Foundation (NVCF), helping North State nonprofits.

Even as an undergraduate and point guard for the Chico State women’s basketball team, Valavanis was active in community service, efforts that won her (with her twin sister, Alisha) an Outstanding Contributions to the University Award. As she pursued her Multicultural and Gender Studies minor, her awareness of human need grew, and, she explains, “I just knew I wanted to help make changes happen.”

Shortly after graduation, Valavanis jumped right in, taking a year-long position in Shanghai with International Kindergartens. She then worked in Vietnam and Thailand, and co-founded Seeds of Life in Guatemala, an international group supporting indigenous Guatemalans’ nonprofit organi-zations. And always, wherever she was, Valavanis listened to the people she met, taking in their stories and supporting their goals.

Since 2005, Valavanis has brought that same skill to the NVCF. Through meetings, workshops, and leadership institutes, she helps individuals and groups forge connections, organize, and fundraise. Under Valavanis’s lead-ership, NVCF has raised $25 million for 450 regional nonprofits.

“Every day I see evidence of the vast generosity of human beings,” she wrote in 2007. Being able to support Koala Koudougou’s work bringing education to Burkina Faso villages, helping grieving parents launch a cri-sis support project in honor of their son—this, says Valavanis, “just makes you want to get up in the morning.”}

Playing It Forward

Alisha Valavanis


Dear Alums

Chico State’s 125th anniversary is a great occasion to celebrate the

University’s legacy and achievements. It has reminded me of how proud I am to be a second-generation Chico alum and how honored I am to serve as president of the Alumni Association. I’d like to share a few of our association goals as well as some of the exciting projects planned to com-memorate the 125th anniversary.

The board wants to foster an active Alumni Association through strong chap-ters, advocate for Chico State and the CSU system, and be the point of contact for all alumni. Our goal is to create a lifelong connection to Chico State. We will make this happen through alumni and student engagement as well as growing membership in the Alumni Association. We look to each of you to assist us in making a difference for our campus. To stay current on ways you can get involved, please visit our Alumni Association website at www.csuchico.edu/alumni.

The 125th anniversary committee has established some exciting projects for alumni and the community to participate in. One that I am especially passionate about is the My Service Counts campaign (see item at right). A scoreboard on the website shows the total hours logged by the campus community as well as by parents and alumni. Check out the website www.myservicecounts.com to log on and track your service hours online. To see other key dates, visit www.csuchico.edu/125.

There are many incredible events, such as Family Weekend and the 1880s Party, the Veterans Day Recognition event, and the third annual Chico Experience Week, that you can attend to get involved with the 125th anniversary.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to update you on Alumni Association Board priorities and to encourage you to stay con-nected to the Chico Experience.

Celebrating Chico,Michelle Power (’92), President, CSU, Chico Alumni Association

A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

Upcoming Reunions and EventsSunday | July 29Alumni Day at AT&T Park Giants vs. Dodgers

Sunday | Aug. 19Giants vs. Padres at PETCO Park

Friday | Aug. 24Wildcat Welcome

Oct. 5–143rd Annual Chico Experience Week

Friday | Oct. 5Unveiling of the Jake Early Chico Experience Print

Saturday | Oct. 61880s Party and Family Weekend BBQ

Friday | Oct. 12Chico Chapter Fall Mixer at the Stansbury House

Oct. 12–131955–1965 All-Alumni Reunion www.chicostate1955-1965.com

Oct. 12–13 50th Anniversary of the Recreation, Hospitality, and Parks Management Department

For more information on these events, visit the Alumni website at www.csuchico.edu/alumnior call 530-898-6472.

Get Connected! ResultsIn the spring 2012 issue, we introduced the new Chico State Online Community, at www.csuchico.edu/alumni. Thanks to all of you who got connected! For those who haven’t yet joined, you can still do so by going to the alumni page.

Congratulations to the winners of the drawing:n iPad 2: Kellen Livingston (’10)n $100 gift card to Wildcat Store: Sherwin Munar (’09)n Chico State sweatshirt: Yannick De Alwis (’08)n One-year Alumni Association membership and

125th Anniversary portfolio: Krista Urteaga (’91)

Wayne Tarr (’62), Roberta Mendonca (’63), and Melinda Kenyon (’73) at the annual Chico Chapter Basketball Reception.

The 2012–2013 Chico State Alumni Association Board of Directors at their annual retreat.

A significant part of The Chico Experience is a proud and long-standing tradition of community service. Through organizations such as CAVE and CLIC, the Greek system, and ath-letics, our students, faculty, and staff have positively impacted the lives of countless people through-out our community and region. As part of Chico State’s 125th anniversary celebration, My Service Counts chal-lenges the campus community (students, faculty, and staff) to perform 125,000 hours of service in 2012.

In addition, the University is asking parents of current students and Chico State alumni to match those efforts with an additional 125,000 hours of service this year. To learn more about the My Service Counts program and to log your hours, visit www.myservicecounts.com.

Making Your Service Count

26 CHICO STATEments

Wildcats ON THE MOVEWe want to hear from you—what you do for a liv-ing, for a hobby, for fun. Please send your update to

Wildcats on the Move CoordinatorPublic Affairs and PublicationsCalifornia State University, ChicoChico, CA 95929-0040E-mail [email protected] 530-898-4143

Note: Only cities outside California will include the state name.

1950sWILLARD TURNER (BA, Philosophy, ’53) has been married to wife Jo Ann since 1955. They have two grown boys. Turner retired in 1986 in Portland, Oregon. He and Jo Ann then spent their winters in a motor home in Phoenix and Palm Springs and traveled with friends (some from Chico State) and made a lot of new ones, says Turner. At Chico State College, he was active in track and field, Block C, Lambda Pi, and Pioneer Day activities.

Turner’s mother was EVELYN CALLOWAY TURNER, who graduated from Chico Normal School in 1918. Her parents, Frank and Agnes Calloway, were well acquainted with John and Annie Bidwell and bought their property on Kennedy Avenue in Chico from Mrs. Bidwell in 1901.

1960sMICHAEL OLIVER (BA, Psychology, ’61) just published the novel Through the Headlights: An Auto-Biography, the story of a man named Leroy told from the perspec-tive of the cars he owns. Chico is featured throughout the book, says Oliver, as well as Chico State’s role as a “learning and living institution.” Oliver lives on

a Napa Valley vineyard with wife Barbara, but his Chico State con-nections run deep: his daughters are alums, he is a member of the Alumni Association and on the Board of Governors of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, and he participated in Golden Grad activities during Chico Experience Week 2011.

ARTHUR BROWN (BA, Physical Education, ’66) is a retired high school teacher who coached football and wrestling for 36 years. He was a heavyweight wrestler for Chico State and went 21–0 in 1966. Brown also played football at Chico State. He now lives on a lake south of Chico. “My wife, three children, and three grandchildren all graduated from Chico State, the col-lege that I love,” he says.

GEORGE THATCHER (BA, Social Science, ’66) taught English and social studies at the Wild Rose School Division No. 66 in Alberta, Canada, from 1974 to 2000, after teaching and coaching at high schools in Washington and California. While at Chico State, he participated in soccer and track and field and was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.

REED APPLEGATE (BA, Art, ’67) has donated his collection of 375 artworks by nearly 100 Northern California artists to the Museum of Northern California Art (monCA). Applegate, a graphic artist, began col-lecting in 1964. The museum does not yet have a per-manent home and can be found at www.monca.org.

TED HOWARD (BS, Business Administration, ’68; Master of Business Administration, ’71) is acting

general secretary of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), soccer’s governing body for the region. Howard, a 1998 Chico State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, was a member of the University’s original varsity soccer team in 1965. He was Chico State assis-tant soccer coach from 1968 to 1970 and assistant sports information director from 1968 to 1971, before becoming executive director of the North American Soccer League and director and group manager of NBA marketing.

JOHN RIVERS (BA, Sociology, ’68) is spearheading the creation of the South Oroville African American Historical Museum. He served in the military before college, and after getting a PhD in psychology at Union Institute and University, embarked on a career as an administrator and teacher. Rivers served as founding director of the CSU, Chico Educational Opportunity Program and vice president of Student Affairs at CSU, Hayward. He currently teaches psy-chology and sociology at Yuba and Butte colleges.

KENNETH WILEY (BS, Business, ’68) retired in December 2009 after 29 years as the internal auditor for Butte County. He continues to work for the Auditor-Controller’s Office on special projects and audits. Wiley devoted 20 years to the Single Adult Fellowship ministry. Wiley and wife Cheryl live in Oroville, in the house where he was raised, and own a small property management business. They often travel to visit their four children (Greg, Krysta, Scott, and Deyana) and 13 grandchildren. “Retirement has provided the opportu-nity to renew and enhance the many friendships that we have established over the years,” he says.

JOHN MAAS (BA, Biology, ’69) received the Gordon K. Van Vleck Award, the California Cattlemen’s Association’s highest honor, in 2011. Maas is on the faculty of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and works in the Veterinary Medicine Extension in beef cattle health and food safety.

DARWIN MURRELL (BA, Biology, ’62) has retired as professor and director of the Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology at the University of Copenhagen and has moved with wife Joyce to Rockville, Maryland. He earned a PhD in zool-ogy and parasitology from the University of North Carolina, and after time in the U.S. Navy, he worked more than 30 years as a federal scientist at the Naval Medical Research Institute and the USDA/Agricultural Research Service’s Agricultural Research Center, both in Maryland.

Murrell received many national awards, including the Presidential Distinguished Federal Executive Rank Award in 1997, was inducted into the USDA-ARS Science Hall of Fame in 2002, and was elected as a Distinguished Member Emeritus by the American Society of Parasitologists. He is currently a frequent advisor to the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and International Atomic Energy Agency and chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on foodborne parasitic zoonoses (which cause serious disease and death in animals and humans) for the World Organization for Animal Health. He is also actively involved in food safety research in Vietnam and China.

Murrell and wife Joyce have a son and daughter, both now university professors, and four grand-children. “I have had a wonderful and rewarding career that is the result of both the vital support and encouragement afforded me by my wonderful wife, Joyce, and my basic preparation by CSU, Chico and its excellent faculty,” he says.

Spring 2012preSident

michelle power 1992, Chico

viCe preSident

Jimmy reed 2003, 2008, Rio Linda

treASUrer

paul maunder 1993, El Dorado Hills

SeCretAry

amber Johnsen 2004, San Francisco

pASt preSident don carlsen 1969, Chico

exeCUtive direCtor

susan anderson Chico

At-lArge memberS

chris clements 1997, Carmichael

frank marinello 1991, Chico

boArd AdviSorS

paul J. Zingg President, CSU, Chico

tim colbie 1992, Alumni Council Representative

bob linscheid 1976, CSU Trustee

london long 2011–2012 AS President

boArd memberS

rick callender 1994, San Jose

bob combs 1980, Danville

roxanne gilpatric 1977, Nevada City

kathy hardin 1972, Chico

christina nichols 1969, Chico

aaron skaggs 2010, Sacramento

cassandra sotelo 2000, Stockton

kelly staley 1985, Chico

ALUMNI CHAPTERS AND CLUBS

bAy AreA ChApter

monica turner 1995, President

[email protected]

ChiCo ChApter

dino corbin 1975, President

[email protected]

SACrAmento ChApter

rob felicano 2008, President

[email protected]

SAn diego ClUb

suZanne baker 2008, President

[email protected]

Alumni Board


Aquanaut, author, scientist, and explorer Ian Koblick is widely considered one of the world’s foremost authorities

on undersea habitation. Koblick (BS, Life Science and General Science, ’64) has also educated more than 200,000 schoolchil-dren about ocean conservation as founder and president of the Marine Resources Development Foundation (MRDF) in Key Largo, Florida, and has co-developed the world’s only under-water hotel.

Perhaps best known for discovering lost shipwrecks, Koblick and his team of ocean scientists and marine archeologists have uncovered lost treasures dating back thousands of years. In January 2012, the Aurora Trust, a nonprofit cofounded by Koblick, discovered a lost World War II British submarine in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Malta.

In 2009, Koblick’s divers found hundreds of virtually undis-turbed amphorae (ceramic containers) from four ships sunk off the coast of Ventotene, Italy, in the first century BCE. The discovery provided historical links to Caesar Augustus, who had banished his daughter to the small island. “The relevance today of possessions lost thousands of years ago is astounding,” says Koblick. “We can’t build strong, viable cultures without knowl-edge of what got us here in the first place.”

The ocean itself was largely a mystery until underwater technol-ogy enabled people to go deep. Koblick’s La Chalupa research laboratory was among the first underwater habitats. Built in the early 1970s off the Puerto Rican coast, it was considered the larg-est and most technologically advanced underwater habitat of its time. It also served as Koblick’s home.

“We would dart outside to spear fish in our masks and fins at 106 feet below the surface,” says Koblick, recounting dinnertime exploits along the continental shelf. In the 1980s, the lab was relocated to Key Largo and transformed into Jules’ Undersea Lodge, an underwater hotel and the first underwater research lab

accessible to the aver-age person. It is the keystone of the MRDF program and an inte-gral part of Koblick’s conservation work.

“Marine life is actu-ally enhanced by the presence of an under-water structure,” says Koblick, author of Living and Working in the Sea (1995). “[The lodge] serves as an artificial reef, providing shelter and substrate for marine animals.”

Jules’ Undersea Lodge is not Koblick’s first venture into hospi-tality services. As an undergrad, he opened the Brazen Onegar at First and Main streets, later renamed Canal Street.

His future wife was a customer—and the Koblicks celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Tonya (Smithousen) Koblick was featured in a fall 2010 Chico Statements story about a group of students who studied in Europe 52 years ago.

Koblick received a scholarship to the Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University, where a professor told him that diving was for daredevils, not scientists. Undeterred, Koblick has since been driven to legitimize undersea adventure. “It was the turning point for me,” he says. “I really believed to understand the ocean you had to live in it. I still do.”}

Ann Nikolai is a freelance writer who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Life at the Bottom of the Sea

Wildcats ON THE MOVE

1970sDAVID WYMAN (BA, Social Science, ’70) conducts photography tours throughout California through Image Quest Photography. He is the author of three pictorial guidebooks, including Backroads of Northern California, which features a section on Chico and Chico State. “Chico for me is Paradise Lost,” says Wyman. “I still love visiting Chico, the town and the college, and each year I try to ride the Chico Wildflower Century 100-mile ride. I often wonder why I ever left Chico.” Wyman and wife Kathy Burke live in Los Angeles.

NANCY USTASZEWSKI (BA, Social Science, ’72) has taught elementary school in North State schools since graduation. She retired in January from the No. 1 seniority seat in Rocklin Unified School District after 35 years with the district. During retirement she would like to work as a tutor helping children learn to read.

LESLEY DI MARE (BA, Speech, ’73) is president of Colorado State University, Pueblo, the first woman to serve permanently in that position. She was previously interim president and provost at Nevada State College in Henderson, Nevada.

CHARLES McKNIGHT (BA, Mass Communications, ’74) is an actor who recently completed a national commercial for Hyundai in which he plays a rabid

Alabama fan (view on YouTube: 2012 Hyundai Genesis, “Wedding”). He encourages anyone who is interested in the acting profession to contact him or friend him on Facebook.

DAN MUSICK (BA, Spanish, ’75) is retiring after three decades of working at Nordhoff High School in Ojai. He most recently spent 11 years as the school’s princi-pal. He looks forward to surfing during his retirement.

EDLA FREEMAN REYNA (BA, History, ’77) is the new-est member services representative of the California Association of School Psychologists. Her son is a psy-chology major at CSU, Chico and a local high school head football coach. Her daughter is a licensed aes-thetician living in New Jersey with her two children.

LIZETT BARLOW (BA, Psychology, ’79) is a special education teacher at Washington Elementary in Norco. The school is working to promote college to its stu-dents, and she is focusing on introducing them to CSU, Chico. “My most wonderful memories are being a part of a wonderful university in a beautiful, unique, and exciting community,” says Barlow, who did her student teaching in Ireland through an exchange program.

1980sKURT ADKINS (BA, Liberal Arts, ’80) is a teacher at El Monte Elementary in Concord. He became a teacher

after 24 years in the business world. Adkins recently published a Western novel, Waterhole (Abbot Press).

BRIAN MAHER (BA, Geology, ’80) is special advi-sor to the board of directors of Midlands Minerals Corporation in Toronto, Canada. He is an economic geologist with more than 31 years of experience in international mining and exploration—currently as the president and CEO of Prodigy Gold.

STEPHEN GUTIERREZ (BA, English, ’81) was Cal State East Bay’s 2010–2011 George and Miriam Phillips Outstanding Professor. He is the head of the univer-sity’s creative writing program and coordinates the annual Distinguished Writers Series.

BRIAN FOLEY (BS, Business Administration, ’83) is chief of the Union City Police Department. He has spent 26 years in law enforcement, serving in a wide range of positions including patrol officer, homicide detective, captain, and SWAT team com-mander. Foley has been married for 25 years and has a daughter and son.

JANE HIGHTOWER (BS, Biological Sciences, ’83) is a physician who researches mercury in seafood and the author of Diagnosis Mercury. She and CSU, Chico faculty member David Brown, chair of Geological and Environmental Sciences, published the results of an investigation into the mercury levels of fish jerky in Environmental Health in 2011.

28 CHICO STATEments

SUSAN DOW (BS, Business Administration, ’84) is senior vice president of Riverstone Residential Group. She works in the company’s Rocklin office, monitoring its California property operations and performance. Dow previously worked as senior vice president for FPI Management and as an executive for Gap Inc.

DAVID WIENER (BS, Business Administration, ’84) is regional vice president, sales and marketing, for Loews Hotels and Resorts in San Diego.

DAVID ZINK (BA, Music and Religious Studies, ’84) is a musician/songwriter on a seven-country tour as part of the band The edited Trio, promoting the launch of their CD Infinite Distance. For more about the band, go to www.reverbnation.com/edited.

JOHN CONCANNON (BS, Business Administration, ’85) is a fourth-generation vintner at Concannon Vineyard. He grew up in the house built by his great-grandfather in 1883 and worked in all aspects of the winery’s operation from an early age. After graduation from CSU, Chico, Concannon spent 22 years in sales management for medical device companies before returning to the family business. He oversaw the launch of Concannon Irish Whiskey in 2012.

KURT VINEYARD (BA, Physical Education, ’85; Credential, ’86) was inducted into the Solano Community College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. He competed in track and cross country at the college

and at CSU, Chico, where he made honor roll, com-peted in the NCAA’s 1,500 meters, and anchored the two-mile relay to a CSU, Chico record time.

Vineyard met wife Pam Sauer, a third-generation Chico resident, while at CSU, Chico. “My wife and I will be celebrating our 27th anniversary this May!” he says. They moved to Paradise in 1990 and have raised their children there. Vineyard is the commercial sales manager at Wittmeier Chevrolet in Chico.

GREGG JANN (BS, Business Administration, ’86) is a coach, consultant, and edu-cator at Jann Demystifying Affects, providing general education and training in mental health issues. He was a Piner-Olivet Unified School District governing board member in Santa Rosa from 1999 to 2005.

SEAN TRACY (BA, Public Administration, ’86) leads the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) new Enterprise Strategy and Performance Division. Tracy has spent 25 years in state government service, most recently as the California Department of Mental Health’s assistant deputy director of the Community Services Division.

KATHY CRUSCO (BS, Business Administration, ’87) is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Epicor Software Corporation. She is responsible for the legal, financial planning and analysis, IT, facilities, tax, treasury, accounting, collections, order management,

procurement, and logistic functions of the software company. Crusco joined Epicor in 2007 and has more than 20 years of financial experi-ence, including as vice president of worldwide finance for Polycom Inc.

KURT BURKE (BA, Social Science, ’89) has written and illustrated the children’s book Johnny Action (Dog Ear Publishing). The book is about how to work hard, never give up, and do your best, in spite of being different. In it, Johnny Action deals with the ups and downs of being born with a shiny red helmet on his head. Burke has been drawing for children for years. He lives in South Korea and has taught English to young children in East Asia for six years.

KIT MIYAMOTO (BS, Civil Engineering, ’89) was appointed seismic safely commissioner of California by Governor Brown in 2011. He also received the Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award by Zweig White. Miyamoto is CEO and president of Miyamoto International and creator of the nonprofit Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief, dedicated to saving lives through engineering. He was a CSU, Chico 2011 Distinguished Alumnus.

1990s DAN FALARDEAU (BA, International Relations, ’92) is the president of Entrust Hawaii Inc., a self-directed retirement account company based in Honolulu (www.entrusthawaii.com). He says, “Networking in




today’s business world is essential, and the years at CSU, Chico pre-pared me for my future. Hawaii has a casual environment, like that of Chico. Business relationships often take on a personal component, and being an outgoing, friendly person will take you far!”

TONY LINEGAR (BS, Biology, ’93) is the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner. He worked for Mendocino County for more than 10 years, the last three of those years as the county’s agricultural com-missioner. During his tenure with Mendocino County, he successfully eradicated the European grapevine moth, a pest that threatened the county’s organic vineyards.

FRANK NARCISO (BA, Geography and Economics, ’93; BS, Construction Management, ’98) joined the project management team of Hallmark Construction after more than a decade in the industry. Hallmark Construction, a San Jose-based commercial contractor, praised him as a highly sought-after project manager. They also referred to the value of his college educa-tion by writing, “the solid foundation he built in the classroom has carried over into his career, with Narciso winning in excess of $100 million in construc-tion projects.”

JENNIFER (PAIGE) KENNELLY (BA, Psychology, ’94) has a private practice, Lakeside Psychological Services, in Chico that serves children, families, and adults. After graduating from CSU, Chico, she moved to the Bay Area to work with emotionally disturbed children. She went on to obtain a PhD in 2002 from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology and moved back to Chico. She and husband Scott enjoy raising their two daughters, 8-year-old Lauren and 7-year-old Paige.

TANJA POLEY (BS, Business Administration, ’94) is the human resources manager for the News

& Review, headquartered in Sacramento. “The iconic Chico paper has grown (like me) and weathered the test of time (like me) and has Chico running through its veins (like me),” she says. She has a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix and worked in human resources

for an international technology company. She left the position to adopt two children and later reen-tered the job market through a nonprofit, where she helped older adults secure second careers.

Poley lives in the Sacramento area and says she and her children visit Chico “about once a year for fun (and Jon & Bon’s).” She has remained best friends with her freshman dorm roommate ANNA LUND JOHNSON (BS, Health Science, ’93).

JOHANNES VAN OVERBEEK (BS, Business Administration, ’95) and his co-driver earned third place in the 2011 American Le Mans Series sports car race at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey. He has been a sports car driver for the last 15 years and a top-10 finisher in more than 90 percent of his attempted races. In 2007, he was the world’s top independent Porsche driver, receiving the prestigious Porsche Cup. He lives in Oakland with wife Sarah and their two sons, 5-year-old Brody and 3-year-old Taylor.

JEFF SPENCE (BS, Electrical Engineering and Physics, ’95) is president and COO of Innovolt, a technology company that solves power problems. He previ-ously worked as an executive in the energy, finance, telecommunications, and technology sectors. He has counseled policy groups, including the United Nations and the European Union, on topics ranging from eco-nomic development to monetary policy.

JULIE (JESTER) ALONSO (BS, Business Administration, ’97) is the PeopleSoft lead human resource functional analyst for the California State University Chancellor’s Office. She lives in Costa Mesa.

MATT CAPRON (BS, Business Administration, ’97) is the CEO and broker of Vertical Horizon Real Estate & Property Management in San Diego. He lives with his wife, Tara, in Chula Vista.

JOE COMMENDATORE (BS, Business Administration, ’97) is the CEO of Hula Networks, a technology company based in Mountain View. The business has provided more than 10,000 clients with telecommu-nications support and has teamed with action-sport athletes to increase the company’s visibility. Visit the company at www.hulanetworks.com.

EBELIA HERNANDEZ (BA, English, ’97) is assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers. She teaches students pursuing master’s degrees in college student affairs. She fondly remem-bers her time at CSU, Chico and credits staff from Educational Opportunity Program, Upward Bound, and Associated Students for inspiring her career path. From a true Wildcat family, she has two broth-

ers—ABEL HERNANDEZ (attended ’07–’09) and JACINTO HERNANDEZ (BA, Latin American Studies, ’03)—and a sister, PATRICIA REESON (BS, Business Administration, ’94), who also call CSU, Chico their alma mater.

HEATHER KAVANAUGH (BS, Interior Design, ’98) is mother to “an incredible daughter, Madison”; owner of a small jewelry business, Silver~Blue Silver Co.; and a nine-year employee of the City of Chico. Kavanaugh previously lived in the Sacramento area, worked for a land development company and the Town of Loomis, and remodeled homes. She moved back to Chico to start a family.

“I still love design, especially the nuts and bolts of it, like space planning and building,” says Kavanaugh. “I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of Butte County. One of the greatest opportunities we have in this life is to give back. God blesses my life every day. It is my responsibility to make positive change in the world, and to teach my daughter to do the same.”

JEFFREY LUCAS (BA, Economics, ’99) is the busi-ness development manager for Avnet Inc. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

JENNIFER NELSON-BURGHER (BA, Social Science, ’99) has returned to the theatre to act in Dearly Beloved, a comedy being staged at the Stockton Civic Theatre. She has been a special education teacher for years but gave up theatre to dedicate her evenings to her three children, now 17, 15, and 8 years old. She was active in CSU, Chico theatre—and she says she is looking forward to sharing her love of the stage with her children.

Giving From the SoleManny Escalante completed the 2011

Long Beach Marathon nine minutes later than his 4.00:00 goal. Not a stranger to endurance, the 33-year-old La Verne resident had previously completed three Ironman Triathlons, a 33-mile running race, and several marathons.

But 2011 brought a new challenge for Escalante—running a marathon sans shoes.

Escalante (MA, Physical Education/Athletic Training, ’03) completed all 26.2 miles in Long Beach barefoot to raise awareness for the Soles4Souls charity, which each year donates thou-sands of pairs of shoes to disaster victims world-wide. He trained for one year by gradually increas-ing the length of his bare-foot runs until he was confident he could finish the race.

“Having shoes is really a luxury we take for grant-ed,” says Escalante, who

declined the offer from his wife Amanda (BS, Construction Management, ’05) to bring a pair of “just in case” shoes to the marathon. “I wanted to raise awareness for this charity that does great work to give shoes to people in need.”

Soles4Souls named Escalante, fitness manager at a 24 Hour Fitness, an activist of the week. His story got front-page newspaper coverage in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Inland

Valley Daily Bulletin, and about 100 pairs of shoes were donated as a result of his efforts.

Everything went as planned—and the plan included battling sore feet and aching legs.

“The race had just the right level of difficulty and only a few rocks I wished to have missed,” he laughs. “But I wouldn’t change a thing. Awareness is raised, and the race was run.

“Mission accomplished!”

Am

anda

Esc

alan

te

30 CHICO STATEments


2000sDANIEL FERRERE SR. (Master of Business Administration, ’00) is the director of finance for Muza Metal Products in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He is respon-sible for the company’s financial reporting, internal controls, and information technology systems. He and wife Jeanne moved to the Oshkosh area in 2003 with sons Daniel Jr. and Taylor.

KAREN (FINDLEY) FULLERTON (BA, Speech Pathology and Audiology, ’00; MA, Speech Pathology and Audiology, ’02) has worked for the Yuba City Unified School District as a speech lan-guage pathologist, primarily serving middle-school students, for six

years. She also worked for the Sutter County Office of Education. Her son is enrolled in CSU, Chico’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program.

ROSEANN (LANGLOIS) KEEGAN (BA, Journalism, ’00) received a first-place award from the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association for her feature article “Lost and Found: The Little Girl Who Didn’t Exist.” She also received first place from the

Nevada Press Association for best investigative or in-depth story or series for “Children in Crisis.” She is associate editor of the alumni magazine for University of Nevada, Reno and a health journalism fellow for the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

CALLA BILINSKI (BA, English, ’01) and JASON BILINSKI (BS, Construction Management, ’01) welcomed daughter Neva June Sept. 4, 2010. “We consider our-selves very lucky to be raising our children in Chico!” says Calla.

MICHAEL KRAL (BA, Psychology and History, ’01; MA, Psychology, ’01) is a history teacher and football coach at Fountain Valley High School. He lives in Fountain Valley.

KRISTEN PETERSEN (BA, Journalism, ’01; MA, Political Science, ’04) is an elections specialist with El Paso County in Colorado. Her husband JASON HOLPUCH (BS, Computer Engineering, ’01; MS, Electrical Engineering, ’06) is senior engineering systems specialist for LSI. The couple relocated from Chico to Colorado in 2011. She worked at CSU, Chico for the College of Engineering and taught political sci-ence. He worked for Aero Union.

DOMINIQUE (GUMMELT) WAKEFIELD (BA, Physical Education, ’01; MA, Teaching International Languages, ’06) was named one of the top 11 “Personal Trainers

to Watch” in the United States by Life Fitness and the American Council on Exercise in October 2011.

LYNN HARRINGTON JENSEN (BA, Communication Design, ’02) has been the department specialist of Lewis & Clark College’s Financial Aid office for the last five years. She lives with husband Ryan Jensen, who also works at the college, in Portland, Oregon.

JOHN PIZZO (BA, Sociology, ’02) is the assistant principal at Rodriguez High School in Fairfield. He was previously a special education teacher at Fairfield High School for nine years and soccer coach for seven years. He has a master’s degree in special education from Chapman University.

BENNY SURYADI (Master of Business Administration, ’03) owns iSacafood, an Indonesia-based business that develops baking powder (www.isacafood.com). He currently distributes the company’s product to 33 Indonesian provinces and is preparing for distribution to Africa. He lives in Jakarta, Indonesia.

SANDRA CALVERT (BA, Information and Communication Studies, ’04) is mayor of Loomis. She also sits on the Loomis Town Council’s Border and Downtown Business committees. Prior to becom-ing mayor, she served on the Loomis Town Council for one year and on the Park, Recreation, and Open Space Committee.

VALERIE LUM (BA, Journalism, ’04) co-authored the book Ice Cream Happy Hour: 50 Boozy Treats You Spike, Freeze and Serve (Ulysses Press). She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

MICHAEL MCBRYDE (BA, International Relations, ’04) started the nonprofit Earth Borne Artisans. The organization is currently seeking grant funding to build six environmentally sound workshops out of cob (dirt, straw, and water). The workshops will double as free studios and housing for artisans. More information about the organization and the project can be found at www.earthborneartisans.com. He lives in the Yosemite area.

RYAN PISCOVICH (BA, Journalism, ’04) is co-owner of the San Antonio Talons of the Arena Football League. He is also vice president of Yogurt Park, a fro-

Ready, Set, Chico, 2012!The Chico State Parent Advisory Council is once again hosting events in nine

California locations that bring together new and returning Chico State students, parents, and alumni. We ask alumni to attend and share Chico State stories with the newest members of our Chico State family, incoming students and their parents.

“Our daughter, Mackenzie, is graduating this year,” says Carla Garbis, outgoing vice president of the Parent Advisory Council. “As an incoming first-year student in 2008, Mackenzie had to be persuaded to participate in the Ready, Set, Chico event;

she didn’t want to get out of the car. Now she looks forward to this event each summer, and it really helps new students with their tran-sition to college.”

Please let us know if you can attend any of this summer’s events. Dates and locations are at www.csuchico.edu/parents/readyset.shtml. E-mail [email protected] or call 530-898-6472 to let us know which event you plan to attend, and how many people you will bring with you. We look forward to seeing you this summer!}

Student Mackenzie Turner with her parents, Peter Turner and Carla Garbis (outgoing vice president of the Parent Advisory Council).

Study Year Abroad ReunionAfter 52 years, participants in Chico State’s memora-ble 1959–1960 Study Year Abroad convened in Davis for a reunion. Twenty-five alumni attended the event to get reacquainted and reminisce about the life-changing experience, the brainchild of history pro-fessor Lew Oliver. Chico State alums Dorothy Marshall Peterson and Sheila Crowley Newell organized the reunion, and people traveled from all over the western United States and as far away as Kansas and Florida.}

Back row, left to right: Jerry Hill, Charlotte Brux Bolinger, Ted LoPresti, Mike Oliver, Dan Poynter, Mary Peter Kamian, Sheila Crowley Newell, Loree Dahling Austin, Nancy Presley Nevis, Sam Cody, Lillian Taggart Thomas, Marlene Maselli Schuessler, Robert Nielsen. Middle row: Juanita Helwig Owiensy, Kathy Young Husar, Judy Micheli Boyd, Norma Ferri Reese, Tonya Smithhousen Koblick, Jane Phillips Cody, Joanne Wyatt Fletter. Front row: Cathy Dean Rasmussen, Robert Benson, Dorothy Marshall Peterson, Barbara Lamb Perry.


Wildcats ON THE MOVEzen yogurt and ice cream company with two locations in the Bay Area, and lives in San Ramon.

JERREMIAH SMITH (BA, Music, ’04; MA, Music, ’06) is a teacher at the Bermuda School of Music. In 2009, he received first prize for his original composition “Joy” in MakeAStar.com’s online international solo guitar competition. He currently resides on the island of Bermuda.

DAVID WENDLAND (BS, Business Administration, ’04) is the iTunes operations production manager for Apple Inc. He lives in San Francisco.

ERIN MURPHY (BS, Business Administration, ’05) is co-owner and broker of the Redding-based real estate agency The Address Realty. Prior to opening the busi-ness with her father, she worked as a Shasta County realtor for Coldwell Banker C&C Properties.

CASSON SCOWCROFT (BA, Music and French, ’05; MA, Music, ’08; Credential, ’09) teaches music and French at South Lake Tahoe High School.

DALE JANEÉ STELIGA (BA, Journalism, ’05) launched Savvy Spice, an image consulting and personal shop-ping business that helps individuals update their style and uplift their self-confidence. She also maintains a fashion blog, SavvySpice.net; writes and produces her own radio segment; and is a weekly fashion columnist for the Ukiah Daily Journal. She lives in San Francisco.

JAMES WHITE (BA, Criminal Justice, ’05) has returned to the Corning Police Department to serve as an offi-cer. During his hiatus, he worked as an officer in the

San Francisco Bay Area—while his wife attended den-tal school—and Red Bluff. He is joined on the force by his identical twin brother, Jeremy, and lives with his wife in Red Bluff.

KRISTIE (JACOBSEN) JERDE (BA, Anthropology, ’06) is assistant director of Residential Life at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. She has a master’s degree from the University of North Dakota.

JAMIE McCLENAHAN (BA, Recreation Administration, ’06) was appointed to Park Hyatt Beaver Creek proper-ty sales manager. For the last six years, she worked in sales management at Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort. She also participates in Hyatt Thrive, the company’s volunteer and community service efforts. Her promotion will take her to New York, where she will oversee property sales in the Northeast market.

STEVE ZUSCHIN (BS, Finance, ’06) works in industrial real estate in New York City as a broker for Hentze-Dor Realty. He was previously a financial representa-tive with Northwestern Mutual in Sacramento.

ROBERT HOFFMAN (BS, Biology, ’07; Credential, ’08) was awarded a national fellowship from the National Science Teacher Association. He and 38 other California science teachers were selected out of hun-dreds of applicants. He is a biology teacher at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville.

ROBIN BACIOR (BA, Journalism, ’09) is a singer/song-writer living in New York City. Her most recent CD, Rest Our Wings, received favorable reviews from such

outlets as CBS. Her music and biography can be found online at www.robinbacior.bandcamp.com.

NICOLE ZONGUS (BS, Recreation Management and Journalism, ’09) is the Junior Giants coor-dinator for the San Francisco Giants. (See photo of her during her first season with

the Giants—the season they won the World Series.) Zongus was the Government Affairs Committee’s alumni affairs coordinator while at CSU, Chico.

TIM TOLLEFSON (BS, Exercise Physiology, ’08) and LINDSAY NELSON (BA, Psychology, ’08) qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon. He ran a qualifying time of 2:18:26 and she of 2:42:59. The talented distance runners met at Chico State and are now engaged. He is working toward a master’s degree in physical therapy from Sacramento State and is completing an internship in Florida.

On a Roll: Becoming an L.A. Derby DollAthletics have always been a part of Stephanie Azores’s

life—volleyball, kickball, softball, golf—and so has a love of the glamorous and theatrical. But it wasn’t until she went to her first roller derby bout at age 29 that Azores found, as she says, “my thing.”

“Once the first whistle blew, I thought, ‘Oh, I want to do this!’ ” she says. “It was very electric—with the excitement of a race; checking like in hockey; blocking that’s a little bit like football; Nascar-like crashes, except with people; this great combination of sports. People just got into it.”

Azores (BS, Business Administration, ’02) was one of them. Soon she was off the stands and racing around the banked track as a jammer with the LA Derby Dolls Tough Cookies. And loving it—the camaraderie, the sport, and the chance to

integrate bright-red lipstick with a serious athletic pursuit.“Sports often downplay being feminine because you want to

be all about the game,” she says. “If you wear a little too much makeup on the volleyball court, players may look at you funny. But in roller derby, you are encouraged to be a bit theatrical. I wear fake eyelashes, but I have no problem hitting somebody. It’s a great mix of being a woman—being what you want to be and doing what you want to do.”

Since Azores started competing in 2007 under the alter ego STEFCON 1, the sport has gotten even more serious, she says. “Back then it was a little more about having fun and looking cute in fishnets,” but now conferences are organized around the sport, leagues hire professional coaches, and the Roller Derby World Cup debuted in 2011 (and was swept by Team USA).

Azores is committed to roller derby for the long term, saying “as long as I have the legs, I’ll keep playing.” She now skates for the LA Ri-Ettes, the Derby Dolls All-Star Team. She even switched her day job at Guidance Software from a corporate events planner to marketing automation manager, a position that requires less travel and leaves more time for practice.

One of the greatest things about roller derby, says Azores, is the inclusiveness—the “sisterhood”—of the sport. “We have people in our league who are upward of their 40s. A lot of women start families and come back to it—we have a lot of moms. It’s gotten a lot broader than the punk scene and artist types; people of all backgrounds come out and end up playing.

“You literally go through blood, sweat, and tears with these women, working toward one goal—you become really close.”}

Anna Harris, Public Affairs and Publications

Sir

Clic

ks A

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32 CHICO STATEments

LEIF DAHL (BS, Engineering, ’10) helped launch a new video game company, Techtonic Games, www.tech tonicgames.com. He is director of the Santa Barbara-based business, which released its first game in 2011. Many of Dahl’s coworkers are also Chico State alums.

SARAH ODGERS (BA, Communication Design, ’10) is a freelance graphic designer who previously worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is moving to Sydney, Australia, with her husband and is “looking forward to getting involved in their design world.” Her work can be found online at www.odgersdesign.com.

MEGAN McCOURT (BA, Journalism, ’11) is the edito-rial assistant and social media manager at The Hill, a congressional newspaper published in Washington, D.C. The Hill has the largest circulation of any Capitol Hill publication, a free website, and multiple blogs. McCourt, a former congressional intern of Rep. Mike Honda, has been charged with expanding the publica-tion through social media.

MEGAN MOORE (MA, Fine Arts, ’11) exhibited “Botanically Restructured,” a series of six collaged and hand-colored photolithographs that capture more

than 40 different plants from her father’s garden, at the University Art Gallery. She teaches printmaking at CSU, Humboldt. Visit Moore and view “Botanically Restructured” at www.onemooremegan.com.

Marriages/AnniversariesCONRAD BRIDGES (BS, Civil Engineering, ’62) and wife Donna celebrated 50 years of marriage Dec. 17, 2011. They have two children, Michelle and Dave, and three grandchildren.

MARY FLYNN (BS, Home Economics, ’84; Credential, ’87) and Michael Goloff were married Oct. 11, 2011. She is former director of Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) and a Chico city councilor. He is a retired physician. They live in Chico.

GRANT EDDY (BA, Physical Education, ’88; Credential, ’90) and Nicole Ferroggiaro were married Sept. 12, 2011. He is athletic director of Richfield Elementary School; she is retired from the California Department of Corrections. They live in Corning.

SCOTT SIMPSON (BA, Information and Communication Studies, ’95) and CRISTY (GIBSON) SIMPSON (BA, Communication Design, ’98) celebrat-ed their sixth wedding anniversary in October 2011. They live in Pleasanton, where they are raising their 3-year-old son, Colby, and 1-year-old daughter, Rylee. Scott is a technical writer at Ellie Mae Inc., and Cristy is in human resources at SalesForce.com. “We hope to make another visit to Chico soon!” says Cristy.

BEN (BA, Journalism, ’98) and LAURA VAN DER MEER (BA, Journalism, ’00) were married Oct. 17, 2009, in Nevada City in front of many Chico State friends and family. He is a reporter at the Marysville Appeal-Democrat; she is the Internet managing editor at the same paper.

JARED HAYES-MAZZOCCO (BA, History, ’06) and SHELBY PORTER (BS, Business Administration, ’08) were married Oct. 8, 2011. He is getting a master’s degree in resource law studies; she is completing a paralegal certificate. They live in Denver, Colorado.

JOHN LOGAN (BS, Recreation Administration, ’06) and CORRIE THACKER (BS, Business Administration, ’08) were married July 16, 2011. He works for California Water Service; she works for Butte Home Health and Hospice. They live in Chico.

GREG FORD (Credential, ’07) and KRISTIN WILSON (BS, Kinesiology, ’10) were married June 11, 2011. He teaches math and coaches tennis at Pleasant Valley High School; she teaches preschool in Chico.

AUTUMN NEVES (BA, Liberal Studies, ’08; Credential, ’09) and Rob Guerin were married Sept. 2, 2011. She works for Bellingham School District; he is in the U.S. Coast Guard. They live in Bellingham, Washington.

NATALIE MacTAVISH (BS, Nutrition and Food Science, ’08; MA, Nutrition Education, ’10) and DAVID MASON (BS, Exercise Physiology, ’09) were married Aug. 27, 2011. She works at Baylor University Medical Center; he is attending Parker University, Chiropractic College. They live in Dallas, Texas.

KATIE O’LYNN GORDON (BS, Business Administration, ’09) and Ryan Timothy were married Sept. 10, 2011. She works at Build.com as a sales representative; he owns a wealth planning firm, The O’Donnell Group. They live in Chico. }

Sarah Digness and Anna Harris, Public Affairs and Publications


A Chico-Carolina Connection

In 1992, Gary Broome and Stephanie Smith each thought they were the only

North Carolina-native at Chico State—that is, until they met at an off-campus party. Even then, neither of them imag-ined that, nearly 20 years later, they’d be partners in an East Coast advertising agency and celebrating a decade of success.

Broome (BA, Information and Communication Studies, ’94) was an Air Force brat who eventually landed in Chico, while Smith (BA, Journalism, ’95) found Chico during one of the Grateful Dead’s West Coast tours. “I was new to town and didn’t know a soul,” recalls Smith. “After three weeks of meeting really nice folks, I hadn’t really found ‘my people.’ [At a party] many seemed bewildered by my accent, until some-one grabbed my hand and said, ‘There’s another one of you out on the deck!’ and introduced me to Gary.”

Their Carolina connection made Broome and Smith instant friends, and their schoolwork cemented the friend-ship. After graduation, Broome moved to Asheville to start his graphic design career, and Smith, staying in Chico, gave him her father’s telephone number. Broome ended up working at Smith’s dad’s fly-fishing shop, after which he developed his skills at small ad agencies.

In 1997, Smith returned to Asheville to visit her father before starting a public relations career in Charlotte or Atlanta. She and Broome reconnected over Sierra Nevada beer, and Smith soon decided to lay down roots in her hometown.

Asheville is the perfect place for two creative CSU, Chico grads, say Smith and Broome, citing a rich visual and musical arts scene, opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and great food and micro-brews. And with Sierra Nevada locating a second brewery in nearby Mills River,

the local microbrews will take on a decidedly Chico flavor.

Smith and Broome worked together at Peppertree Resorts before starting their own company. The Brite Agency, a full-service marketing, advertising, branding, web, and public relations firm, was formed in 2001, with each partner bring-ing a laptop, a couple pads of paper, and $500 to the table.

“I can’t tell you how much our Chico State education has helped us in our field,” says Smith. “For me, I flash back to Tehama Group and how hard we worked there, and I appreciated [jour-nalism professor] Bob Vivian for his orange pen and years of encourage-ment. For Gary, it’s what he learned from Greg Berryman and Kevin Cahill in the graphic design department.”

Broome agrees. “It was our hard work in Chico that put us way ahead of our competition,” says Broome. “We’re so proud of what we have accomplished, and we have Chico to thank for that. The only thing that would make it better would be having more Chico alums on our staff some day.”}

John

War

ner


In Memoriam–Alumni1930sARAKS VARTABEDIAN TOLEGIAN (BA, Education and Credential, ’38) died Oct. 4, 2011, at the age of 95. She was active in organizations all her life, and at Chico State College, she was a member of the a cap-pella choir and Alpha Psi Omega and Theta Sigma Upsilon sororities and held leadership roles in the Associated Women Students group. She taught school in Sherman Oaks before moving back to Chico in 1997. Tolegian loved teaching and art. She donated a large collection of unique European art books to CSU, Chico and set up a scholarship foundation that has helped more than 25 future schoolteachers since 1984. She was predeceased by husband Manuel.

EDWIN WAGER SR. (BA, Education and Credential, ’38) died Nov. 18, 2011, at the age of 97. He attended UCLA, graduated from Chico State, and worked as a teacher and administrator in Stockton for 33 years. During retirement, he was active in the Audubon Society, traveled, played golf, and enjoyed spending time with his family. He is predeceased by first wife Esther and second wife Ilene and survived by children Julie, Shirley, Walter, and Carrie; 12 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and 8 great-great-grandchildren.

1940sPATRICIA BIDSTRUP FORNI (Credential, ’48) died Dec. 14, 2011, at the age of 84. She sang opera in col-lege, and after graduating, taught school for two years. She also worked on her family’s cattle ranch. She was predeceased by husband John and is survived by son George and daughter Susan.

CARL DONICA (BS, Business Administration, ’49) died Jan. 19, 2012, at the age of 91. He grew up in Kansas and joined the Army Air Corps during World War II. His flight training was at Chico Air Force Base. After the war, he moved to Chico with wife Allene to attend col-lege. He worked in real estate and was active in local government. Donica was predeceased by wife Allene and survived by wife Sylvia, son Gregory, daughter Sharee, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

1950sJOHN WAINWRIGHT (BS, Business Administration, ’50) died Sept. 4, 2011, at the age of 84. He was in the U.S. Navy until the end of WWII, when he attended Chico State and owned two service stations with his brother Dick. In 1955, they moved to Merced, where he was active in real estate sales and development with brothers Dick and Bill. Wainwright was preceded in death by daughter Joan. He is survived by wife Barbara; children Carol, Janet, Diane, and David; 11 grandchildren; and 5 great-grandchildren.

CAROL VIKSE DAVIS (Credential,’ 51; BA, Physical Education, ’52; MA, Education, ’70) died Jan. 12, 2012, at the age of 83. She was active at Chico State in Alpha Chi sorority and the a cappella choir, and repre-sented the campus in the 1951 Miss California Pageant [see fall 2011 Chico Statements]. Davis was a line dancer at The Italian Village in San Francisco, which featured acts including the Marx Brothers. She went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and acted in and directed Off-Broadway plays. She taught high school and spent 20 years as a counselor at Sem Yeto Continuation High School in Fairfield. She is survived by stepchildren Scott, Melanie, and Stephanie.

GERALDINE JEFFERY MADDRILL (BA, Economics, ’53) died Sept. 21, 2011, at the age of 81. She was a lifelong Chico resident and a member of Omega Nu sorority, dedicated to serving the community. She worked at the family business, Jeffery Bros., and helped run Gorrill Ranch. She was predeceased by husband Demi. She is survived by sons John and Jay, daughter Jeffery, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

JACK BRIM (BS, Business Administration, ’54) died Jan. 12, 2012, at the age of 85. After serving in World War II, he graduated from Chico State and worked as a commercial landscape contractor for 29 years. He is survived by wife Mary; children Rodney, Andrea, Geoff, Celia, Mary, Gwen, Brad, and Catherine; 19 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren.

1960sKATHERINE HAINES (BA, Physical Education, ’62; Credential, ’63) died Jan. 6, 2012, at the age of 70. She taught PE at Chico High School for 38 years. She also coached basketball and softball. Haines is survived by sister Patricia and niece Angela.

JOHN SEARS (BS, Engineering, ’66) died Jan. 15, 2012. He was an officer in the U.S. Air Force and later owned Applied Testing Consultants, North Regions Construction, and Moores Awards. He also worked for CalTrans as a civil engineer. Sears was predeceased by wife Marci and is survived by son Dustin and stepson J.R.

HOWARD McCANDLESS (BA, Social Science, ’67) died Nov. 14, 2011, at the age of 66. He served in the U.S. Army and worked in the gaming industry. He is survived by his life-long friends.

1970sCYNTHIA GADDY CHALMERS (BA, Social Sciences, ’71; Credential, ’72) died Jan. 22, 2012, at the age of 62. She was active in the community, volunteering and mentoring students and serving as PTA president. She and husband Scott were named Humanitarians of the Year by the Boys and Girls Club in 2004 and received the Community Service Award in 2006 from the Chico Noon Rotary Club. Chalmers is survived by Scott, daughters Christa and Cara, and five grandchildren.

CHERYL GRIMSLEY FRYE (BA, Music, ’71) died Nov. 29, 2011, at the age of 63. She taught elemen-tary school for 29 years in Pahrump, Nevada, and was active in the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. Frye is remembered as a talented musician. She is survived by husband Lynn, sons Kevin and Matthew, and four grandchildren.

JOHN PEEPLES (BA, Political Science, ’72) died Dec. 14, 2011, at the age of 66. He served in the U.S. Air Force after high school. After gradua-tion from Chico State, he started Peeples Brothers Construction and Plumbing with his brother, then opened the Tackle Box with his brother and neph-

ews. He is survived by wife Brenda, sons Robert and Ronnie, and two grandsons.

1980sMARILYN WARD (MSN, Nursing, ’81) died Nov. 11, 2011, at the age of 85. She studied at Sacred Heart Hospital in Washington and earned her pilot’s license before returning to school at Sac State and CSU, Chico. She worked for Yolo County Public Health in the methadone and mental health pro-grams, set up services for older adults, taught sexu-ality courses, and was a flight nurse. She is survived by loving family and friends.

CURT GRIFFITHS (BS, Chemistry, ’86) died Sept. 3, 2011, at the age of 48. He worked as the project manager for environmental cleanup companies and volunteered for Butte Humane Society. Griffiths is survived by son Zack and parents Ray and Lani.

SHEILA JANSEN (BA, English, ’86) died Nov. 21, 2011, at the age of 76. She was born in Newcastle, England, and worked as a secretary for a top Bond Street Agency. Her freelance jobs included working for Orson Wells in Paris and for the Saudi Arabian Embassy. After completing her degree, she taught English at Butte College and wrote four historical family sagas. She is survived by husband Henricus.

1990sKATHLEEN COX (MA, Anthropology, ’92) died Nov. 17, 2011, at the age of 86. She was a Chico resident and Ashtanga yoga master. She was predeceased by husband Jack and sons John and Jeff, and is survived by daughters Lisa, Linda, and Lana; son Joe; 10 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren.

2000sTONY FOSS (BS, Psychology, ’08) died Dec. 28, 2011, at the age of 27 from complications from a transplant. As a student, he was involved in CAVE as a Special Pals group leader, and coached Special Olympics. Foss received the President’s Volunteer Award for 2008–2009. “Everyone who knew him knew he was a special person,” says friend Kristina DeMoulin. Foss is survived by his parents and younger sister Amanda.

VALEN “VAL” WYMORE (fall 2010) died Dec. 3, 2011, at the age of 25 after struggling with cancer. He was a mechanical engineering major. Wymore is survived by parents Mark and Sherry and brother Kyle.

TRACY KHAMORN (fall 2011) died Nov. 28, 2011, at the age of 19 as the result of a car accident. She was in her first semester at CSU, Chico, where she was majoring in art with an option in interior design. She is survived by parents Kham and Pane and siblings Puen, Tong Wan, Nancy, and Sam.}

Anna Harris and Sheri Gitelson, Public Affairs and Publications

Wildcats IN OUR THOUGHTS

AARON WEISS (BA, Communication Design, ’04) and RYAN MILES (fall 2011) died on Oct. 30, 2011, in an accident while driving in a PG&E utility truck. Weiss was 31; Miles was 29. Both were journeyman linemen with the company, specializing in dangling from helicopters to repair power lines.

While at Chico State, Weiss ran on the track team. After graduating, he married his college sweetheart, LISA WEISS (BA, Child Development, ’04; MS, Psychology, ’06), and he was expecting his first son at the time of the accident. He is survived by Lisa, son Aaron David, and parents Dwight and Debbie.

Miles majored in communication design and media arts at CSU, Chico, but he took a leave of absence in 2002. He was married to AUBRAE MILES (BA, Communication Science and Disorders, ’11). He is survived by Aubrae and parents Gary and Rosy.

34 CHICO STATEments

In Memoriam–Faculty and StaffBRENDON ARMSTRONG (BA, Geography, ’10), Research Foundation, died Sept. 24, 2011, at the age of 24. He worked at the Butte Creek and Big Chico Creek ecological reserves. He was dedicated to sustainability and conservation and loved to learn about other cultures, spending a lot of time in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. His co-workers remember him as a kind, warm person. Armstrong is survived by parents Gregg and Marion and triplet siblings, Laura and Jono.

DEANE “JIM” CONKLIN, Foreign Languages and Literatures, died Dec. 10, 2011, at the age of 82. He traveled extensively, first in the U.S. Army, then as he pursued his master’s degree in Spanish in Madrid, and later for research and pleasure. He got a PhD in Spanish Literature and Latin American Studies and then taught Spanish at Chico State. After retiring, he began sailing and tutored Spanish-speaking children. He is survived by wife Barbara, daughter Jessica, son Jim, and two granddaughters.

RICHARD “DICK” DEATSCH (BA, Business Administration, ’59; Credentials, ’62), Plant Operations, died Jan. 1, 2012, at the age of 74. He was a Chico local who attended Chico High. At Chico State, he joined Lambda Pi, Blue Key Honor Society, and the gymnastics team. He mar-ried his college sweetheart, Helen Crum. Deatsch worked at CSU, Chico from 1970 to 1987. He is survived by wife Helen; daughter Dana; and three granddaughters.

LEONARD KENT, English and Graduate School, died Nov. 8, 2011, at the age of 80. He received his doctorate in comparative literature from Yale University. Before coming to Chico State, he

taught at Quinnipiac College. During his time at Chico (1969–1971), he was the first dean of the Graduate School. He then returned to Quinnipiac, where was president. Kent was a literary critic, editor, and translator specializing in Russian literature. He is survived by wife Valerie, daughter Faye, sons Michael and Philip, stepson David, and five grandchildren.

NORMAN LOFGREN, Chemistry, died Dec. 10, 2011, at the age of 89. He worked on the Manhattan Project in Berkeley. After earning his doctorate, he taught at Chico State from 1949 to 1982. Lofgren did research at locations including the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C, and the Lawrence Radiation Laboratories in Livermore. On campus, he advised the Asian Student Association, Asian Christian Fellowship, and Young Life and was nominated for the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. He is survived by wife Rose, daughters Beverly and Donna, two granddaughters, and one great-granddaughter.

CONNIE MURGIA, Payroll Office, died Dec. 27, 2011, at the age of 74. She graduated from Chico High, got married, and began working at Chico State in 1969 as a payroll administrator. She and husband Stan raised their three daughters in Chico, enjoying the community and culture. She is survived by husband Stan; daughters Becky, Jody, and Cindy; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

STEPHEN NEWLIN, Behavioral and Social Sciences, died Dec. 29, 2011, at the age of 71. He got his PhD at Claremont Graduate School and served as professor, program coordinator, and

associate dean at Chico State. He established the International Relations program, created certifi-cate programs, and pioneered the Instructional Television Fixed Services, allowing people in rural areas to get a BA through interactive televi-sion. He received numerous awards for his con-tributions to the University. Newlin was preceded in death by wife Judith. He is survived by wife Merlyn; children Michael, Nancy, Jeffrey, Korin, Kristi, and Karol; 13 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild.

WILLIAM “BILL” PATTON, Facilities Management and Services, died Dec. 11, 2011, at the age of 70. He worked at CSU, Chico from 1983 to 2006. He was on Staff Council and a steward for the CSU Employees Union (CSUEU). He is remembered as a passionate, open-minded intellectual. After retirement, Patton was a labor relations representative for the CSUEU at CSU, Chico. He is survived by wife Elena and daugh-ters Sherrie and Kim.

BARBARA SANTOS, Print Shop, died Nov. 27, 2011, at the age of 79. She was born and raised in Chico, graduating from Chico High School and then working on campus as supervisor of the Print Shop from 1968 to 1988. She was a golfer, traveler, and Eucharistic minister at St. John’s Catholic Church. Her husband George and grandchildren Brandi, Matthew, Harrison, and Erick preceded her in death. She is survived by children George, Mari, Marci, and Jennifer; foster daughter Deborah; 16 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren.}

Anna Harris and Sheri Gitelson, Public Affairs and Publications

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Thor Maydole (BA, Social Science, ’67) and

Connie Barr, both retired schoolteachers,

have a long history of supporting diversity in

public education. To extend the vision at CSU, Chico, they created a donor-advised fund supporting the goals

expressed in the University’s Diversity Action Plan.

As a middle school teacher in the early 1980s, Thor mentored students in Oregon, drafting Racism Free

Zone documents. Those documents, inspired by the civil rights movement, still serve as the foundation for

more than 150 schools in the region.

Now retired in the Eugene area, Thor and Connie visit Chico frequently, staying near Bidwell Park and

attending Laxson performances and other campus events. Their connection with CSU, Chico has deepened

through their work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

“We strongly support public education,” notes Thor. “We realize any contributions can move the University

forward. Chico State helped transform me, and we want to play a small part in giving others that gift.”

The donor-advised fund allows Thor and Connie to direct their philanthropy to various areas of need, and helps them make contributions when and how it best fits their financial goals. You can create a donor-advised fund or discuss other planned contributions by contacting the Office of Planned Giving at 877-862-4426 or e-mailing Gary Salberg at [email protected].

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Happy 125th!

Chico Statements Spring 2012

Documents

Transcript of Chico Statements Spring 2012