Alumni News - items received in 2009

This page is continually being updated as news items are received. LAST UPDATE: August 19, 2009.

Alumni with news items are listed by decade of graduation. If you would like to submit a news item or update your directory listing, please send us your info to alumni at ees.nmt.edu. We love pictures, too. Email them directly to the Webmaster.
 

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Ward Herst (MS Hydrology, 1986)
April 24, 2009
   Mr. Ward Herst (pictured at right) recently won the prestigious Master’s Championship in the 2008-2009 Skip Barber Race Series. The ’08-’09 Race Series pitted drivers in equally-prepared Mazda Miata MX-5 racecars at road racing tracks across the southern and western United States. The ’08-’09 Series venues included such famous racetracks as Road Atlanta in Georgia, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway in Florida, and Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in California, among others. By providing the cars and mechanics, the Skip Barber Race Series places a focus on driver skill and talent. In addition to the Master’s Championship for drivers 40+ years old, Mr. Herst finished 3rd overall out of 40 series competitors and finished 2nd for Rookie of the Year honors. As an example of the extremely high level of competition, the overall Series Champion received a $70,000 factory racing sponsorship.
   Said Mr. Herst, “It sounds kind of funny for a guy in his mid- to late-40s to be considered for Rookie of the Year in anything. I didn’t start racing until I was already in my 40s, but I appreciate the opportunity to live the dream of racing no matter what my age. I very much enjoyed the opportunity to compete against the young, aggressive, and talented drivers in the ’08-’09 Series, and based on my finishes I guess you could say I showed that age and experience can overcome youth and exuberance.”
   Mr. Herst is a previous Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Mid-American Regional Champion, SCCA Midwest Division National Champion, and two-time SCCA Runoffs (National Championship race) qualifier.
   Mr. Herst is the Managing Partner of Herst & Associates, Inc., a hydrogeologic and environmental consulting firm located in St. Charles (St. Louis), Missouri. Herst & Associates, Inc. was previously recognized as the #1 Service Provider in the US by the National Business Incubator Association. The company web site is www.herstassociates.com. Mr. Herst is a Life Member of the NMT Alumni Association.

Diane Y. Hattler (BS Geology; BS Technical Communication 1985) dhattler at comcast.net
April 14, 2009
   I was going through the list of fellow classmates and seem to be one of the few that have gotten out of the geology field. I worked as a geologist in Nevada for SAIC 9 years at the Nevada Test Site and loved it. But I am now a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and the Assistant Director of The House of Mercy helping the poor and homeless with clothes, food, and financial assistance.

Mathew A Tilman (BS Computer Science 1988, BS Geology 1989) mattilman at gmail.com
January 16, 2009
   I now work for the State of Oregon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), based out of their Portland state building. My position is as a GIS Analyst/Cartographer. My current project is the creation of a new topologic base map of the Portland Metro area based on LiDAR imagery at 1m resolution. The area encompasses 40 quadrangles and will involve creating new contours, stream channels, water bodies, roads and all other infrastructure. Concurrently I am helping in a project to redelineate FEMA DFIRM maps for the Coos County, Oregon area. I started my new job with DOGAMI on December 12, 2008.

2000s

Todd A. White (MS Geophysics-Solid Earth, December 2005) toddwhi at hotmail.com
   I just recently quit my job working as a scientist for Schnabel Engineering near Philadelphia, PA to return to school. I had worked for this company upon graduation, and I was employed there for about 4 years. I will be attending the Medical University of Ohio in Toledo starting this month for Radiation Oncology Physics, in their two year graduate program. Upon completion, I hope to pass the licensing exam, and work as a radiation physicist in the northwest Ohio/southeast Michigan area.