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.

Bulldog Pride

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! 

Fresno State News & On Campus Events

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].

Athletics  

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

Bulldog Benefits 

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!

 

Bulldog Entrepreneur Spotlight

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].
 

Alumni Spotlight

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.

 

 

Welcome New FSAA Members

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
 

Join Today

Links & Helpful Information

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Thank you to the Office of University Communications:  Interim Assistant Vice President Shirley Melikian Armbruster, BA ‘73; & Tom Uribes. Special thanks to Fresno State News & the Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band E-Newsletter Archive Dec 2008 Nov 2008 Oct 2008

FSAA Staff Executive Director: Jacquelyn K. Glasener, MA '02 Publisher and Editor: Katie Johnson BA '03 Alumni Research Assistance: Sarah Mohr, Angel Langridge

Fresno State Alumni Association • California State University, Fresno
Smittcamp Alumni House • 2625 East Matoian Way SH124 Fresno, CA 93740-800
[559] 278-ALUM • bulldogs@fresnostatealumni.com