| www.fresnostatealumni.com | January 2009 |
| www.fresnostatealumni.com | January 2009 |

Leader
of the Pack
Student Profile - Jennifer Vang
Jennifer Vang is a senior Mass Communication and Journalism student with
an option in advertising. She is a member of Alpha Delta Sigma, a college
chapter of the AAF (American Advertising Federation). In 2008, Jennifer
acted as CEO of Fresno State’s AIM campaign for the AAF’s National Student
Advertising Competition.
As a Hmong student, Jennifer believes in supporting the diversity at Fresno
State. She is a founding mother of Beta Iota Phi, a multicultural sorority
promoting cultural awareness through the unity of sisterhood, community
service and education.
Her most memorable moment at Fresno State was getting her first client as a
sales representative for the Collegian, Fresno State’s student newspaper.
Jennifer looks forward to a career in advertising as a copy writer after
graduating in December 2008. In addition, she hopes to someday teach English
abroad.
As a student member of the FSAA, Jennifer enjoys the networking
opportunities and advantages that members receive. She hopes to continue
contributing to Fresno State as an alumna.
Tony Novotny (1976)
"Some of my favorite Fresno State memories involve my studies as a
student in the unique engineering program
called Surveying & Photogrammetry, which is now called the Geomatics
Engineering program.
I was told by coworkers at the USGS that this degree at Fresno State would
not help me much in my USGS career because they wanted professional-level
people to get a common civil engineering degree. I took on the unique
program at Fresno State with a wife and three little kids and graduated with
lifetime membership in Tau Beta Pi (a national engineering honor society).
After graduation I was competitively selected for a position in Washington,
D.C. as a management trainee in the Interior's Departmental Manager
Development Program. After this I was elected and served as national
president, American Cartographic Association, member organization of the
American Congress on Surveying & Mapping. I ascended quickly from a working
level "Cartographer" to a 3rd-level Assistant Branch Chief over 60 to 120
professional and technical level "map makers." I am
glad that I followed my instincts and achieved a degree that
fit my preference and was cutting edge for my
career field! Thanks, Fresno State!"
"Bird Whisperers" - Tony Novotny and his family and
friends have "endeared" themselves to mountain chickadees. Tony says they
have probably fed an estimated 10,000 of them out of their collective hands.
The
Book of Anne
Alumna Anne (Cook) Thurston (1945) penned her memoir titled The
Book of Anne. “A small town eighty-four year old grandmother
tackles America's most unacknowledged social tragedy. One of every twelve
children in the US is living with someone other than their birth parents;
six million exclusive of foster care. With hilarity and pathos Anne Thurston
recounts the sixteen years she and her husband, Ed parented their three
orphaned grandchildren and her discovery of the government's tragic
inability to perceive the cycle of human waste it spins.”
Read more about The
Book of Anne online today!
The
Fresno State Give a Gobbler Drive – a new campaign to help the
Poverello
House and the Community Food Bank feed the area’s hungry – exceeded its
goal of 100 donations from the campus community and
market
customers. One-hundred and twelve turkeys were donated during the
holiday season [more].
Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies Conference - Jan 31st
Paige Shaughnssy & Lisa O’Connor will present on "Making Supervision
Count: Quality Indicators for Effective Supervision" for speech
pathologists. Workshop participants will gain an understanding
of the basic functions of effective supervision, and how the demands of
supervision vary across situations and time, as well as the knowledge and
skills of the supervisee. They will have an opportunity to examine
supervision strategies and supervisory tools that can be adapted to suit
their needs. Such tools are useful in facilitating the self-evaluation
process as well as making observation and evaluation more objective and
meaningful to the supervisee. The recently adopted ASHA Knowledge and Skills
document on supervision will also be introduced.
Register Today!
Save
the Date - Feb 27
Lyles College of Engineering Alumni Golf Tournament - Join the
Engineering Alumni Chapter on Friday, Feb 27th at Riverside Golf Course.
All proceeds from the tournament
will benefit the The Col. Rick Husband Memorial Alumni Scholarship Fun.
Download this form and return to the Lyles College of Engineering. OR
register online! Questions? Contact
Syreeta at (559) 278-8242.
New
Mexico Bowl - The
FSAA hosted a tailgate in Albuquerque, NM for over 100 alumni, friends and family.
Many spirited fans dressed up but our personal favorite were these three
regulars dressed in kilts and crazy hats!
Patrick
Millett (1981), Laura Millett, Douglas Millett, Jane Millett
(1981) gathered at a sports pub in Arlington, VA with other Bulldog fans
to watch the New Mexico Bowl. Their Millett children attended colleges
in Florida, but both still support the Bulldogs!

Katie and Jordyn are both Freshman at Fresno State and are majoring in English. They drove all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico to cheer on the Bulldogs at the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 20th.
Jon Reelhorn (1985) writes "We went to the College World Series
after the Dogs won their first two games not knowing how long we would
stay. Ray O’Canto, who did the color commentary on the radio, encouraged
Tim Ellis and I to come out an experience the event. He said ‘who knows
what could happen?’ I’m sure glad we did!"
Are you a super fan? Send in pictures of how you, your family,
friends, or coworkers show your Bulldog Pride! Whether at the office on Red Fridays, at tailgates, or on vacation, send in your pictures of you displaying your Bulldog Pride.
Submit Your Bulldog Pride Photo Today!
Need some Fresno State gear for your Bulldog Pride photos? Shop online at either the Kennel Bookstore or at the Bulldog Shop!
Caroling
for Cans - Fresno State Students Give Back
Fresno State students sang to campus departments in exchange for
non-perishable food items. The program, ‘Caroling for Cans,’ was organized
through joint efforts of
Associated
Students, Inc., Student Activities and Leadership Development, and the
Jan and
Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning. In
all, the students collected 800 items, $52, and 175 hygienic products.
The items were donated to the Bulldog Pantry, which is a student run food
pantry that serves the community surrounding Fresno State. The Bulldog
Pantry opened its doors in November 2007 first serving approximately 20
families. To date, the Bulldog Pantry helps feed over 100 families.
More
information about the Bulldog Pantry is available online.
Dream
It. Win It. – Student Business Plan Competition Needs Your Help
The goal of the “Dream It. Win It.” Business Plan Competition is to
challenge students with innovative business ideas to translate them into
feasible business plans. The competition gives the winning students the
chance to compete for resources that will enable them to launch a business.
The competition is open to all students from Fresno State and partnering
community colleges in the Central Valley. Each competitor will receive a
free download of Palo Alto Software’s Business Plan Pro and the opportunity
to attend various workshops. The goal is to equip every participant involved
with the entrepreneurial skills to start a business in the Central
Valley. The competition will lead to opportunities of greater economic
growth, entrepreneurial skill development, and the retention of regional
talent. You can help these students by sponsoring this event!
Check out the sponsorship levels here. Just
download this form and submit your donation today!
That’s
right! Visit the new
Celebration of Wine
website to order Early Bird discounted tickets @
$5 off the normally priced $70 ticket. You’ll only pay $65 to enjoy
Central California’s most prestigious wine tasting. Hosted by Viticulture & Enology
alumni, all proceeds go to the
Viticulture & Enology Department. Tickets to this event are great
for gifts and with the Holidays just around the corner, we’ll be happy
to provide gift certificates. Visit us at
www.acelebrationofwine.com
to order tickets. After January 15, 2009 the tickets will return to the
original price of $70, so don’t delay – ORDER NOW!
The annual Viticulture and Enology alumni and friends reunion will be held on Jan. 28 at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento. For more info contact Cynthia Wood.
Save the Date for Beatrix Potter
The Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, in
association with the Beatrix Potter Society, will host a conference on
Beatrix Potter, April 17-19, 2009, on the Fresno State campus. Featured
speakers are Newbery medalist Katherine Paterson and Potter biographer
Judy Taylor. The conference includes a performance of a musical play,
“The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,” as adapted by Paterson, and a garden
party.
For more information, or to register for the conference, please call the
Arne Nixon Center at (559) 278-8116 or visit
www.arnenixoncenter.org.
OLLI
Lecture - Jan 15
Dr. David Schecter will lecture of the topic of politics. This
lecture is titled "A Post-Mortem on the Presidential Election and
Pressing Issues for the New Administration and Congress." The
event will be held at the Satellite Student Union at 3:30 pm. The
lecture is open only to OLLI members, and membership for the semester is
$15 per person for an Associate Membership or $55 per person/$90 per
couple for a General Membership. Details can be found on the OLLI
website (www.csufresno.edu/olli) or by calling (559) 278-0008 or
emailing osher@csufresno.edu.
Fresno
State’s WET Center gets international attention. The Claude
Laval Water and Energy Technology Center
(WET
Center) is a well-known generator of regional water- and
energy-related businesses. The Center is also a partner with an incubator
in Israel doing much the same thing and recently was presented as a
model program at an international symposium in France [more].
Fresno State is one of 13 nursing programs in the state and one of two in the San Joaquin Valley to receive state funding to enhance nurse practitioner and physician assistant training programs. Fresno State received a $155,194 award from the $1.5 million announced by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development’s Song-Brown Program. Fresno State will use the award to enhance psychiatric mental health training in its nurse practitioner program [more].
Agriculture
students competed in the Discussion Meet and won the state championship;
their second team title in three years. Student Jackie Mundt won
first place at this statewide speaking competition sponsored by the
California Farm Bureau Federation. Mundt, an agriculture
communications student, won the individual title after discussing how
the nation’s aging infrastructure should be improved to accommodate
transportation of farm goods. Joel Saldana, Jr., a senior agriculture
education major from Firebaugh, was the first runner up [more].
Baseball Book on Sale - One of the most improbable and
incredible college sports championships ever is captured in the new
book, UNDERDOGS TO WONDERDOGS: Fresno State's Road to Omaha and the
College World Series Championship. The book is still available
online at
wonderdogsbook.com. With 200 full-color photos packed into 168
letter-sized pages, this hardcover edition chronicles Fresno State's
2008 season from start to furious finish. Penned by Loeffler, the team's
longtime radio announcer.
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Promotions
-- Monday Madness Ticket Promotion – Tickets are buy one get one free
(equal or lower price) at every Monday home game
-- Working Wednesday Promotion – Fans can enter to win via their
business card for prizes, free tickets to future games, etc. at every
Wednesday home game, excluding the exhibition game on November 5.
-- Thursday Games Ticket Promotion – “Thursday Nights at the Save Mart
Center” - Fresno State Faculty & Staff receive $5 off adult upper bowl
tickets at every Thursday men’s basketball home game and a special $2
general admission ticket price at every Thursday women’s basketball home
game. To receive these discounts, you must present your valid Fresno
State faculty/staff ID at the Save Mart Center Box Office on game day.
There is a limit of 4 discounted tickets per ID.
Go to
www.gobulldogs.com to view all
athletic schedules
Alma
Mater Pro Shop - Clubs, Gifts, Accessories
Order Bulldogs' imprinted clubs, gifts and accessories from Alma Mater
Pro Shop. [Online]
MEMBER DISCOUNTS
Liberty Mutual Auto & Home Policies
Take advantage of
Fresno State’s Group Savings Plus. Save on auto and home insurance policies. Call toll-free: (877) 283-4205 or visit the web site.
[Online]
MARSH AFFINITY GROUPS
Dental, health and vision insurance polices at specially reduced
Fresno State rates. Call toll-free: (888) 560-ALUM or visit the web site.
[Online]
Fresno State Alumni…Give yourself some credit!
Now available to Fresno State Alumni is the exclusive FSAA <Visa® / MasterCard®> credit card. Apply online today and grab a piece of the action – also, qualify to receive a $25 statement credit after your first qualifying use(s) of the account. Learn more or
apply securely online!

August
Briggs (1984) is owner of
August Briggs Winery as one of two
wineries in Calistoga. Selling 70 percent of his wines through the
tasting room, it sells many of his small wines, and has 2,000 wine club
members. His winery makes a variety of wine in small quantities. Even in
hard economic times, he has kept his sales up 40 percent!
Fresno State Alumnus Wins City Award for Recycling Water
Diko Chekian (2004) was one of seven recipients of a
2008 Mayor’s Zero Waste and Recycling Award, presented by the city
of Fresno. Chekian is chief executive officer and chief financial
officer of Fresno-based
Prestige
SurfaceWorks, which designs, fabricates and installs countertops
and other surfaces. He received his degree in business administration,
with an entrepreneurship emphasis, from the Craig School of Business.
The awards program recognizes businesses and organizations that support
the city’s growing recycling and waste-reduction efforts. The goal is to
reach zero waste by 2025. The award citation in the Zero Waste
category praised Prestige SurfaceWorks’ water recycling system, which is
the only one of its kind installed at a central San Joaquin Valley stone
countertop company, Chekian said.
“This is a closed-loop system, meaning no water is disposed of or lost
during the process," Chekian said. Fresno State has joined the city
of Fresno as a partner in reducing, reusing and recycling for community
benefit. The city’s Green Team says achieving the goal is possible only
by adding a new “R” to the traditional list for rethinking [more].
Have you done something great?
Tell us by submitting a class
note of your own!
Chris
Wagner (left) was awarded the California Silver Medal of Valor on
Dec. 9, 2008.
David Smith (1977) is the chief administrative officer at Lamar Community College in southeastern Colorado. Dr. Smith earned his Master and Bachelor degrees in English and writing at Fresno State, and then continued his education to earn his Doctoral degree from the University of Denver.
Anabela
Almeida (2005) and John Bettencourt are happy to announce their
engagement. The wedding ceremony will take place on September 5, in San
Jose, CA. We met at a benefit event for my cousin in San Jose. John
proposed on a Caribbean cruise on Sept. 22nd our 1 year anniversary.
Raymond Ibrahim (2002) has been appointed associate director of the Middle East Forum in Philadelphia. Mr. Ibrahim has worked for six years at the Library of Congress as a technician/reference assistant, working closely with Middle East language materials. He has done graduate work at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies of Georgetown University, and is currently working on his doctorate in medieval Islamic history at Catholic University.
Colleen
Aguiar (1998) and Jacob Cecil are happy to announce their marriage
on July 5, 2008 at The Palms, Chico, CA. They currently reside in Chico,
CA. Colleen is the Executive Director for the Butte County Farm Bureau
and Jacob is the Manager at Nicolaus Nut Company in Chico.
Amanda
(Holder) Leath (1999) was recently promoted to Corporate Marketing
Manager at REC Solar, Inc. located in Fresno, CA.
Curtis Vincent's Norton Barrel Select was a winner at the 2008 Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition. He says, “I am so grateful for the education, assistance and friendship that have made it possible for me to enjoy some measure of success.”
Laura McFarland (1985) has been promoted to Senior Counsel at the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), where she works on corporate governance, borrower rights and other issues affecting the Farm Credit System. The FCA regulates the Farm Credit System, a system of lending institutions devoted to providing affordable credit to farmers and ranchers. Laura joined the FCA in 2000 and has a law degree from Pepperdine University and an advanced law degree in Taxation from the University of San Diego. Laura is a member of the California State Bar, the District of Columbia Bar and, in 2006, Laura was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. Laura currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia.
Jeffrey
Grady (2003) and Breanne Grady are proud to announce the birth of a
baby girl, Kaylin Grady in March 2008. Kaylin just celebrated her first
Halloween. Her father, Jeff, is an assistant coach for the Fresno State
football team and played during his time as a student.
Jeff
Schmidt (2003) and Sarah Woodward (2002) are excited to announce
their engagement. The wedding is planned for winter 2009.
Randy Baloian, Kimberly Barnwell-Joe,
Dorothy Baxter, Elaine Bernard, Robert Bielicki, Refugio Borden, Bonney
Brandt, Baron Brandt, Dirk Brimhall, Richard Brogan, Carolyn Carter,
Doyle Daniel, Dorothy Errea, Miguel Errea, Dennis Finkey, Cynthia,
Frakes, Dennis Frye, Lynne Glaser, Robert Gunning, Murray Harris, Tina
Harris, Fausto Hinojosa, Troy Hoeger, Mary Houck, Dorothy Hughes, Janet
Judd, Alden Knapp, Marlene Kubota, Krystal Lomanto, Arthur Lopez, Linda
Lopez, Michael Martz, Bruce McAlister, Alan Mikuni, Paul Miller, Lauri
Moore, Diane Morris, F. Morris, Harald Mynster, Gary Nakashima, John
Nilmeier, Salvador Ortiz, Keith Parkey, Robert Paul, Christiana Peter,
Kevin Pranger, Lupe Ramirez, Shirley Ramirez, Michael Ross, Norma
Stuckey, Jere Swanson, Arvey Swanson, Elizabeth Swanson, Elsie Thatcher,
Margaret Thorburn
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