1950s

Garvan, ’55, and Mariana Kuskey, ’58, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 23, 2008. Both were among the first students to attend the Goleta campus of UCSB in 1954. Mariana worked as a schoolteacher while Garvan worked as a dentist. The couple has four children and 24 grandchildren.

1960s

On Aug. 16, 2008, Herbert Simpkins, ’60, and Diane Marie Albrecht, ’75, celebrated their 50th anniversary with friends and family, including their two sons and daughter. They were married Aug. 16, 1958, at the First Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Roger Wells, ’61, has been elected for a twoyear term to the board of trustees of the Institute for American Research, the Goleta, Calif., nonprofit organization that operates the South Coast Railroad Museum. Wells worked for Raytheon as a materials manager for 22 years, until his retirement in 2007.

Charles Escoffery, ’65, has retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District after teaching for 42½ years. Most of his work was at Orville Wright Middle Magnet School, his alma mater, where he was science department chairman and graduation coordinator, among other duties. Escoffery also served as a science teacher in Malacca, Malaysia, in the Peace Corps from 1965-68.

Ellen Gay Conroy, ’66, has been appointed judge in the Ventura Superior Court in Ventura, Calif. She served as a commissioner with the Ventura Superior Court since March 2006. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles W. Campbell.

Don Galine, ’68, finished first place in the U.S. Masters National Swimming Championships in Oregon in August 2008 in the 50-meter backstroke and the 100-meter backstroke.

Bob Kovitz, ’68, has been appointed as the Community Engagement Programs manager for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Kovitz also made his acting debut in the independent feature film “Jackrabbit Sky,” which was shot in Tucson and New York.

1970s

Henry Brown, ’71, is completing his first leading role in a dramatic feature film, “The Everyday Blackman” in Oakland, Calif. He will be playing the role of Moses, an Oakland neighborhood grocer trying to maintain a successful business.

Karen A. Talentino, ’72, former dean of faculty and professor of biology at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass., joined St. Michael’s College as vice president for academic affairs.

Steve Jacobsen, ’74, has joined Hospice of Santa Barbara as the executive director. Jacobsen will be replacing Gail Rink, who has retired after eight years at the helm of Hospice of Santa Barbara. Jacobsen was formerly senior pastor at the Goleta Presbyterian Church for 16 years, and has served as a visiting scholar in the UCSB Religious Studies department.

1980s

Yvonne Bodle-Farris, Ph.D. ’85, was recently named A Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast.

Lisa Mayeda-Nichols, ’86, has been promoted to senior director of corporate and foundation advancement for KOCE-TV, a PBS station in Huntington Beach, Calif. In her new position, she will continue her successful efforts toward securing corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and major gifts.

Dr. Lois Phillips, Ph.D. ’86, is a founding board member of the Association for Women in Communications Santa Barbara Chapter, which received the Outstanding Chapter of the Year award from the national organization in September. She was elected president of the founding board for 2007-09. Dr. Phillips coordinated the Pre- School Parent & Caregiver Conference at Santa Barbara City College in June for the Orfalea Fund and the First Five Commission on Children and Families involving a consortium of institutional and agency partners in partnership with KEYT Programming. She moderated a panel discussion on “Shattering the Glass Ceiling” for the American Association of University Women in October. Dr. Phillips will be facilitating a Negotiation Skills Learning Group Session at the Linkage conference in November.

Christopher Thompson, ’89, has been appointed the legislative director of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) congressional staff. Prior to that, he served as the senator’s principal appropriations staffer for four years.

1990s

Elizabeth Estrella, ’90, has taken a post as the interim dean of developmental education at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif., where she has worked as a counselor since 2000.

Louise Jennings, Ph.D. ’96, has accepted a new position as associate professor at Colorado State University, beginning January 2009. She is currently at the University of South Carolina.

Dr. J. Dwight Hines, Ph.D. ’99, was named to the faculty of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Penn. He is an assistant professor of Global Cultural Studies in the Department of Humanities and Human Sciences. Previously, he was a lecturer in anthropology at UCSB. He has been a visiting professor of Anthropology at Georgia State University and Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas.

IMI Intelligent Medical Implants AG (“IMI”) (www.intmedimplants. com) announced that it has appointed Dr. Stephen J. McCormack, M.A. ’90, Ph.D. ’94, as CEO. He was previously chairman of the board of directors and will remain as a board member.

2000s

Ryan Francis Davies, ’00, and Jennifer Day Billinger, ’01, were married in an outdoor wedding on Sept. 27, 2008, at Lake Oak Meadows in Temecula, Calif. Jennifer is currently the first assistant manager at Nordstrom in La Jolla, Calif. Ryan owns Titan Commodities in San Diego.

Jill Richardson, MESM ’00, is now the campus sustainability coordinator and TGIF (The Green Initiative Fund) Grants manager for UCSB. TGIF is funded by a quarterly lock-in fee that UCSB students overwhelmingly passed back in 2006, thanks in part to several Bren students who were integral in its development and promotion during the 2005-06 academic year. TGIF grants are awarded to a variety of projects across campus that enhance and further UCSB’s sustainability plan.

Doug Ganey, MESM ’01, was promoted to Principal Environmental Scientist at the Louis Berger Group, Inc. He continues to teach part time and was recently asked to develop and teach the Earth and Space Science training course in a program for grade school and junior high school teachers under the Massachusetts Math and Science Partnership. He taught the initial Earth science course at Bridgewater State College last year.

Christopher J. Gibson, MESM ’01, was promoted from environmental specialist to environmental specialist II at Norcal Waste Systems, Inc., in San Francisco. In that capacity, he serves as the main technical resource and provides corporate oversight for the company’s ha z a rdous materials and waste programs, environment a l training programs, household hazardous waste collection, and internal multimedia environmental audits.

Daoud Naouri of Tangiers, Morocco, and Tanya Zilinskas, ’01, of Santa Barbara were married Aug. 29, 2008, at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. She owns and runs Maneater Threads, an online women’s clothing boutique based in San Francisco. Daoud is the senior sales director at the VoIP start-up company Talk Free, also based in San Francisco. Zilinskas wore a custom-made one-shoulder ivory dress by Rami Kashou, former Project Runway contestant and current Maneater Threads’ designer.

Mark Kram, Ph.D. ’02, president of Santa Barbara-based Groundswell Technologies, Inc., recently licensed two key inventions to industry partners for site characterization related to hazardous waste remediation design and monitoring strategies. The High-Resolution Piezocone will enable practitioners to develop the most detailed groundwater and contaminant transport models to date. The Direct-Push Monitoring Well Specification System will allow for rapid monitoring well design and installation. Both products are licensed to AMS, an Idaho-based company that manufactures groundwater and soil sampling equipment.

Joe Shohtoku, MESM ’02, and his wife, Claudia Anticona, MESM ’01, relocated to Singapore in conjunction with Joe’s new role managing the environmental insurance operations for the Far East, South East Asia, and China for Bren Corporate Partner American International Group’s international arm, AIU. Shohtoku’s new title is vice president – Environmental Impairment Liability.

Following three years in the UK as a postdoctoral researcher, Rajendra (Raj) Bose, Ph.D. ’04, has recently accepted the position of Digital Initiatives Manager in the new Center for Digital Research and Scholarship at Columbia University in New York. He will serve as a liaison between university researchers, including environmental science and geoscience groups at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and within the Earth Institute at Columbia—and the Digital Programs and Technology Services division of the Columbia University Libraries.

Adina Abeles, MESM ’04, and Carissa Klein, MESM ’06, presented at the European Symposium on Marine Protected Areas, held in Murcia, Spain, in October 2007. Abelas presented a talk titled “The Politicization of Scientific Information in MPA Processes: Lessons learned from a controversial public policy process in California.”

Mark Emerson, Ph.D. ’04, was named an assistant professor of History. He previously taught at the University of New Mexico, Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., University of Arizona, UCSB, Georgia College, American Intercontinental University (online), Cuyamaca College, Mesa College, Southwestern College, Rio Grande College, and Chadron (Neb.) State College.

Kevin Patrick Herlihy, ’04, married Lauren Elizabeth Koch on April 27, 2008, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The bride is a graduate of Villanova University and of the University of North Carolina School of Nursing. The groom is pursuing his doctorate in chemistry at the University of North Carolina. The couple resides in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Katie Wohletz, ’04, and Robbie Bianchi were wed Aug. 31, 2008. The bride is a Relations Manager at Tri-Counties Bank and the groom is recreation programmer at Beale Air Force Base. The couple lives in Chico, Calif. Emily Debolt, ’05, joined the staff at Nordhoff High School in Ojai (Calif.) Unified School District as a psychologist, working with special education students.

Jeff Dunbar, MESM ’05, has returned from extended travels in New Zealand and accepted a job as a green building consultant with CTG Energetics in Irvine, Calif. CTG provides green building advice and energy efficiency analysis to developers and contractors, while bridging the gap between cutting- edge concepts and real-world problems.

Heather Evans, Ph.D. ’05, ha s be e n named to a fellowship wi th the Ame r i c a n Association for the Advancement of Science ( A A A S ) . Evans has just begun her fellowship at the National Science Foundation in the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office. Her policy interests are biomedicine, basic research, science education, funding, energy policy, energy technology, and disease prevention and treatment.

Joe Kastner, MESM ’05, and David Felix, MESM ’06, put the energy-related studies they pursued at the Bren School to work in developing the Nellis Solar Photovoltaic facility at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nev. With a rated capacity of more than 14 megawatts, the facility is the largest photovoltaic plant in the Western Hemisphere. Kastner is vice president and Felix is senior channel manager at MMA Renewable Ventures, a Bren School Corporate Partner.

Jeff Phillips, MESM ’05, recently completed his two-year post-graduation Presidential Management Fellowship and received his graduation certificate from Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne in Washington, D.C., at the end of January. In March 2007, Phillips was offered a position as the Environmental Contaminants and Spill Response Coordinator in the Honolulu office of Fish and Wildlife. He left his previous position at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ventura Field Office and moved to Oahu with his best friend and fiancée, Mandy McCoy, “to continue the adventure.”

Elizabeth Truesdell, Ph.D. ’05, has started in a new position as assistant professor at Dominican University (of California) in Marin County. She’ll be working with student teachers and advising students in the Curriculum and Instruction master’s program and starting a doctoral degree in Education Leadership.

Nadia Gardner, MESM ’06, left her job at the Lower Nehalem Community Trust to work at the Columbia Land Trust (CLT) in Oregon and Washington. As the Land Trust’s Coast & Estuary Conservation Lead, Gardner is developing a conservation strategy for the region, acquiring new conservation properties, and completing stewardship plans for the trust’s coastal lands.

Daniel Hall, MESM ’06, is working as a research assistant at Resources for the Future (RFF). He spent most of 2007 participating in RFF’s U.S. Climate Policy Forum, which brought together RFF researchers and business leaders from companies representing a broad spectrum of the U.S. economy, with the objective of providing legislators with detailed options for federal policy. Hall authored several of the issue briefs contained in the final report, “Assessing U.S. Climate Policy Options” (available online at www.rff. org/cpfreport). In his spare time, he blogs on environmental economics at commontragedies.wordpress.com.

Stacey Kilarski, MESM ’06, recently attended the Asia Pacific Conservation Learning Exchange conference, hosted by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Indonesia. Kilarski is currently working as an applied marine scientist for the Global Marine Initiative of TNC. Her responsibilities include coordinating field projects, maintaining learning partnership networks and links, and providing technical support and input to the design of Marine Protected Areas workshops and education initiatives. She lives in Honolulu.

Betty Seto, MESM ’06, presented a paper at the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) conference, held in Clearwater, Fla., in January. Her talk, “Addressing climate change concerns at the municipal level: a case study on the city of Sunnyvale, Calif.” addressed how techniques for evaluating mitigation projects can leverage common energy efficiency and conservation strategies already familiar to energy professionals.

Kacy Kyleen Tolar, ’06, married David Daniel Winger, ’06, in Redlands, Calif., on July 5, 2008. Tolar is employed as a kindergarten teacher at Kingsbury Elementary School in Redlands. Winger is employed as a process engineer with Hunter Industries in San Marcos, Calif. They reside in Temecula, Calif. Richard Nardi, Mike North is co-hosting the new Discovery Channel show “Prototype This!” In the show, North and his three co-hosts conceive, design, test and build a variety of robots, gadgets and other machines. North has a Ph.D. in material sciences from UCSB. The show is filmed on Treasure Island near San Francisco. The “Prototype This!” brainiacs Zoz Brooks, Terry Sandin, Joe Grand and North, stand in a giant water slide they built based on the concept of a perpetual water slide.

M.A. ’07, accepted a position as associate director of Rhetoric for the Freshman Rhetoric and Academic Writing Program at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Randy Pogorzelski, Ph.D. ’07, is a visiting lecturer in Classics at Scripps College in Claremont, Calif., where he teaches “Virgil” and “Female and Male in Ancient Greece.”

Vanessa Slater, ’07, and Juvenal Garcia wed on Sept. 13, 2008, at First United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, Calif. Juvenal proposed to Vanessa on her graduation night from UCSB on June 16, 2007.

Kat Trajano, ’07, and Stephanie Mansolf, ’07, two former UCSB art students, were contracted to install vinyl cut-out wall murals in each of the 16 rooms of the Presidio Motel in Santa Barbara, Calif. The design is a whimsical update of mid-century kitsch and established the two as emerging local artists.

Jatila van der Veen, Ph.D. ’07, accepted a position as assistant professor of Science Education at Purdue University, Calumet Campus. She has a joint appointment, 50 percent in the School of Engineering, Math, and Science, and 50 percent in the School of Education.

Devon Claire Flannery, ’08, landed an internship at the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper. She is a former editor of the UCSB Daily Nexus.

IN MEMORIAM

Virgil Rawlins Bryan, ’50, died Feb. 21, 2008. He was 85. Bryan joined the Air Force in 1943, and traveled the Burma Trail working on airplane radios, becoming a sergeant in the 8th Airdrome Squadron. He was married to Jean Delores Schwindt of Santa Paula for 30 years. Before retiring, Bryan spent 10 years serving as the administrative assistant to two Ventura County supervisors. Bryan also served as the president of the Oxnard Dance Club for five years. Survivors include his children Marilyn, Beverly, Sheila and Clay, and significant other Leota Coker.

Elmer L. “Chally” Chalberg died May 2, 2008. Chalberg served as the first Alumni Counselor to the University of California — Santa Barbara College Alumni Association from 1954 to 1960. He was instrumental in recruiting the first board of directors, who set up the constitution and bylaws, and began some Association programs, which persist to this day.

Katharine Vaughan Chapple, ’74, and Gordon Douglas Chapple, ’71, of Walnut Creek, Calif., died in an accident on Sept. 10, 2008. They were married for 37 years and both graduated from UCSB with degrees in botany and biology. Gordon was an executive in the fine foods industry and Kathy became an educator. Survivors include daughter, Katie, and son-in-law Tom Schrupp, and son, Chris, and his fiancée Elizabeth Fries.

Leslie O. Fox Jr., ’95, died in a car accident in Show Low, Ariz., on July 25, 2008. He lived in Paso Robles, Calif., from 1996-2005 and then moved to Show Low. He was an U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He worked as a cement contractor, electrician, bartender, graphic artist and ceramic artist. Survivors include his son, Joshua Fox; daughter, Rachelle Fox, both of Paso Robles; and mother of his children, Terrell Fox of Paso Robles.

Wilbur “Bill” Thorpe Hardison, ’52, died Aug. 7, 2008. He was 80. He was one of the first employees at Bourns, Inc., in Riverside, Calif., and designed and patented a potentiometer still being manufactured in 16 countries. He had lived in Ventura County, Calif., since 1976. His musical interest was highlighted by playing the trumpet in the Bourns Dance Band “The Trim Tones.” Survivors include wife Mary Ann; son Bob and Paula Hardison of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughter Karen and Mike Mallory of Yreka, Calif.; daughter Linda Hardison of Wrightwood, Calif.; and five grandchildren.

Robert O. Hodge, ’50, died Aug. 19, 2008, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 83. Hodge served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, returning to his family farm in Ventura, Calif., after the war. He worked as a principal in Hueneme School District in Ventura County, Calif., for 30 years. As an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Hueneme for more than 50 years, Hodge served in many leadership roles. Survivors include his daughter, Cheryl Hodge of Oxnard.

Elizabeth “Betty” Allen Kindred, ’69, died Aug. 11, 2008. She was 90. She attended Santa Barbara State College where she received her teaching credential, and taught elementary school for 36 years before retiring in 1979. She and late husband Dr. Robert B. Kindred moved to Julian, Calif., where she was active in the Julian Women’s Club, volunteered at the Julian Library bookstore, and was an avid bridge player. Survivors include daughter, Dianne, with sonin- law Mark, and two grandsons.

Leslie Dewey Freirich La Voie, ’82, died Aug. 28, 2008, after battling uterine cancer. She was 47. She married Ian Freirich, M.D., in 1988, and gave birth to their son, Gordon Freirich. After Ian’s death in 1997, Leslie earned a master’s degree and teaching certificate. She taught elementary school in Santa Maria before illness curtailed her career. In December 2007, she married Dave La Voie. Survivors include husband, Dave; son, Gordon; and stepdaughter, Britney LaVoie.

Richard P. Longaker, ’73, died April 22, 2008, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 58. Since 1994, Longaker served as owner and attorney of Longaker & Associates in Los Angeles. Survivors include his son, Andrew, and daughter, Hannah.

Colleen E. Malcolm, ’64, died July 29, 2008. Malcolm lived in Manhattan and was personal assistant to news anchor Barbara Walters and the Heinz family before moving to Seattle to work as a commodities trader. She is preceded in death by her husband, Roy A. Woofter, and her brother.

Roger Dale Pankratz, ’76, died Aug. 30, 2008. He was 55. Pankratz chose the Central Coast as the ideal place to raise a family and was devoted to actively serving his community. He had a 20-year banking career with Mid-State Bank and managed offices throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Pankratz‘s most recent affiliation was with SLO Green Build as acting executive director. Survivors include his life partner, Albert Salinas of Shell Beach; daughter, Megan Pankratz of Nagahama, Japan; stepson, Brian (Michele) Banks; and a granddaughter.

Maria Concita Soto, ’86, died Sept. 2, 2008, of heart problems. She was 47. She was a Ventura County resident for 41 years. She worked for the UCSB and UCLA in their undergraduate departments. Concita is survived by her children, parents, brothers and sisters.