Alumnus
Class Notes and In Memoriam
1970s
Dorothy Jones, '77, was honored as a distinguished alumna by the Longview (Texas) Independent School District in May 2009.
1980s
Julie Collins, '81, and Miki Collins, '81 -- "As 1981 graduates of UAF, we wanted to let you know that a major revision of our book Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher, has just been published by Alpine Publications of Colorado. This in-depth guide has been long overdue for updating, and it includes all the latest on breeds, training, racing, diet and other aspects of running sled dogs … we also are continuing to write stories on bush life for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner as we have done for the last 27 years."
1990s
Phil "Aarnaquq" Charette, '90, had his artwork featured in Harvard Magazine. Read the article at http://harvardmagazine.com/2009/05/mnemonic-masks/ and see more of his work at www.yupikmask.com.
Warner Lew, '91, has been making his own biodiesel from pollock oil since 2004.
Wesley C. Klemm, '93 -- "I graduated from the UAF class of 1993 with an A.A.S. degree in aviation technology. Pete Pinney was my English professor. I was a bush pilot in Alaska for 26 years and had accumulated 25,000 flying hours. I worked for Air North in 1973, for 10 years; Audi Air as chief pilot; Northern Air Cargo as flight engineer and co-pilot; Frontier Flying Service as a seven-year senior line captain; and finished my career at Warbelow's Air as a medical evacuation pilot. I am now writing an autobiography entitled Diary of a Bush Pilot. Upon my graduation, Pete Pinney had told me to seriously consider to continue writing in some capacity. This inspiration gave me the confidence to write a book that I had spent a 26-year flying career researching."
Matthew McHarg, '93, co-authored a piece with UAF professor of geophysics Hans Nielsen entitled "High time-resolution sprite imaging: observations and implications." The article appeared in the December 2008 The Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics and was highlighted in the January/February 2009 edition of Europhysics News, which goes to 20,000 physicists in Europe.
Bharath Sriraman, '95, was promoted to full professor of mathematics at the University of Montana and featured as an outstanding facultymember in the UM President’s Report "Standing Out." Check it out at http://www.umt.edu/urelations/report/2008/BharathSriraman.html.
Mark Lindberg, '96, was the top Fairbanks finisher and third Alaska finisher in the 113th Boston Marathon on April 21. He completed the 26.2-mile course in 2:46:1, which put him in eighth place out of nearly 4,000 runners in his age division, and 288th of the more than 13,500 male finishers. Less than two weeks later, Lindberg ran another sub-3 hour race and placed fifth in his age division in the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon. Lindberg's wife, Maggie MacCluskie, '97, ran the half-marathon in Pittsburgh (2:19:48).
T. Scott Rupp, '98, is researching the environmental effects of wildfire. He supervised a controlled burn of 250 acres in the Tanana Valley State Forest southwest of Fairbanks in summer 2009.
Christopher Lubken, '99, '03, was featured in http://gillettenewsrecord.com for his efforts to start a steel drum band at Campbell County High School, Wyo., where he is a band teacher.
2000s
Dallas Ferguson, '02, received the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year award in his first year as head coach for the Alaska Nanooks. For news about the upcoming hockey season, see Around Campus.
Glenda Smith, '02, is participating in the AmazonClicks project, where writers from around the world are attempting to write a novel in one year. The team includes 18 writers from across the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Spain, Turkey, and the U.K. Follow their progress at www.AmazonClicks.com/portal/.
Laren Zager, '05, '06, became the police chief of the City of Fairbanks in June.
Terin (Walton-Rantz) Porter, '06 -- "Benjamin Howard Porter and Terin Aurora Rae Walton-Rantz met in August of 1998, just before my sophomore year and his senior year of high school at West Valley, and then began dating in November of 1998. We are very lucky because, although we are high school sweethearts, we had about a year and a half where we were on and off and learned many valuable but painful life lessons. Although this time was really hard for both of us, I guess it was necessary, because it made us realize that we truly are meant to be and can withstand any challenge life brings us. We got back together for good in October 2002 and have had a wonderful ride of learning ourselves, building our relationship, and realizing our dreams. In August 2008, we bought our amazing Fairbanks home and 10 acres, which we plan to live in for many, many years. We thought for years that we'd go to Vegas to get married by Elvis, but then eloped on March 3, 2009, in the living room of our home in a beautiful, slightly spontaneous and tiny ceremony. Ben is a proud journeyman power lineman through IBEW Local 1547, and currently works for Norcon in Fairbanks. I love my job as the new student orientation/Wood Center special programs coordinator at UAF. We love to boat and camp, watch movies at home, and spend time with our friends and family. We hope to add children to our immediate family of two Blue Heeler pups in the next couple of years, and will have our home base in Fairbanks, Alaska, forever. We love this town and our state, and are excited to raise kids in such a trustworthy community and natural playground. Eventually, we will 'retire' and either work for ourselves with a small company or just enjoy life and travel beyond our careers."
John Wagner, '07, won the Alaska Press Club's first-place awards in the best news photo category for his photo "Dumped Truck" and the best online coverage of a single topic for coverage with Stefan Milkowski of "Alaska's Changing Climate" in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
Chad Johnson, '09, was selected as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Top Goalie and Player of the Year in his senior year as the Alaska Nanooks' goaltender. The Pittsburgh Penguins' draft pick, eventually traded to the New York Rangers, also participated in the Frozen Four Skills Challenge, a first for an Alaska Nanook player, and was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Matriculates
Amanda Byrd -- "I don't want to toot my own horn, but maybe in the next issue you can mention that one of my polar bear pics was chosen to be made into a Canada stamp. The image on the stamp was taken in July 2004 from the Louis S. St. Laurent in Bellot Strait, Nunavut, just outside of Resolute Bay. The bear was in the water, in a channel that the ship made to get to Resolute to pick up scientists. On our way back out, the bear was hanging out in our channel. We watched for a few minutes before we had to make a new channel, under Canadian and international laws for protection of marine mammals. Bellot Strait is well known for its abundant sea mammals. Lots of narwhals, polar bears and seals live in this area. Further out on our research trip we encountered many areas of low sea ice. Canada Post, and the Canadian Government, saw this image as a good representation of global warming affecting polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. They are using the image on the stamp as part of a 30-country global warming awareness program."
Louis L. Renner, professor emeritus -- "You may have seen my autobiography, A Kindly Providence, published last year by Ignatius Press."
In memoriam
Robert G. Berrington, '67, June 19, Reno, Nev.
Donald J. Cook, '47, '54, professor emeritus, June 3, Fairbanks
Frank Davis Jr., '79, culinary arts program coordinator, June 14, Fairbanks
Susan J. Herman, professor and director of the UAF Northern Leadership Center, June 24, Fairbanks
Linda C. Hewitt, '84, May 20, Anchorage
Elizabeth "Pat" Hjellen, Matric., May 20, Wasilla
La Shina Jones, '96, Facilities Services staff, May 15, Fairbanks
David F. Modrow, '04, June 1, Fairbanks
Robert C. Nauheim, '83, July 10, Anchorage
Patricia (Fenwick) Nolan, Matric., May 7, Anchorage
David Rasley, '66, May 8, Fairbanks
Shauna Schullo, former Center for Distance Education staff, May 7, Cross Plains, Wisc.
Kirstin D. Stoltz, Matric., July 13, Fairbanks
Emma Warwick, '38, May 31, Fairbanks
Robert A. Wheeler, Cooperative Extension Service professor, June 29, Fairbanks

