Alumni

Here's what we've heard last about some of our alumni. If you would like to add your name and information, or update the information we have currently, please email Dr. Lindsey at elindsey@nmsu.edu. We love hearing from our graduates!

 

A-D

Nicki Adamson, BA 2001, has a management position with Walgreen's, in El Paso TX.

Susan Arnsdorff, MA 1997, teaches and coaches forensics at Creighton University in Omaha, NB.

Guy Bachman, MA 1996, completed his Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Arizona in 2002, and has a tenure-track position at UC Long Beach, CA.

Krissy Beoka, MA 1999, still lives in the vicinity of Sacramento, CA and is the head buyer and Marketing/Creative/Art Director for the Montessori Services catalogue, "For Small Hands." She travels often, for both business and pleasure (06/2007).

Krista (Black) Wilde, BA 2006, lives with her husband Carl and their beloved pup, Bella, in Los Alamos. While writing internal publication for the Communications Office of the Los Alamos labs, Krista is also working on her master's degree in Library Science through the University of North Texas.

Kristi Vollmer Blackburn, MA 1993, has recently completed her PhD in Educational Psychology and is currently the Dean of Academic Affairs at Los Angeles Harbor College. She and her husband and their two Weimaraners, Bo and Buddy, live in California (01/2008).

Bobbi Bowen, BA 1998, moved with her family to Chicago in September 2003 and is now  Director, Communications and Public Affairs for Argonne National Laboratory at the University of Chicago.

Barbie Breeden, BA 2000, is currently channeling her considerable creativity, communication skills and business sense through Mad Hatter Cupcakes, which she opened early 2007 in Las Vegas, NV. Barbie's bakery ships, and if you need fantastic cupcakes for any occasion, you can contact her at queenofcupcakes@yahoo.com

Stephen Carr, BA 2004, currently has a career in marketing, web development and geographic information systems (06/2008).

Teran (Mendelsberg) Chartier, BA 1998, now lives in Hoboken NJ with her husband and is a nationally certified Agency counselor. She graduated with an MA in Agency counseling in May 2007; while she is currently doing mobile crisis counseling, Teran will be continuing her valuable work in a methadone clinic beginning September 2007 (06/2007).

Michelle Dixon, BA 1997, MA 1999, is a Health Communication specialist with the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta.

 

Michael and Monica Espinosa stopped by the department to catch up in 2006

 

E-H

Michael Espinosa, BA 1996, is living the life in beautiful South Lake Tahoe.  He teaches snowboarding, plays guitar in several local bands, and practices his interpersonal communication skills every chance he gets. You should check out his website at: http://snowbomb.com/bombSquad/showPage.asp?uid=BS3NDADS5

Monica Espinosa, BA 1997, is an Environmental Justice Specialist for the U.S. EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, KS. After living in Los Angeles CA for a year, she resumed working at the EPA, and on the side produces documentary films. She is also an avid Depeche Mode devotee (06/2007)

Jon Evans, BA 2001, is a trader for the El Paso Merchant Energy Group.

Monica Flores Pactol, BA 1998, MA 1990, received her doctoral degree in Education at Colorado State University in 2008 and is currently the Dean of Instruction at Folsom Lake College in Folsom, CA (06/2008).

Marisa Frietze, BA 2002, went on to pursue a Master's Degree at Pepperdine University in CA after graduation.

Maury Giles, BA 1995, is currently living in Austin, TX, with his wife and four children. He is on an executive leadership team at GSD&M Idea City, an ad agency with clients such as BMW, Kohler, AT & T, AARP, Lenox, World Market, MasterCard and Southwest Airlines (04/2008). .

Amanda Gonulsen, MA 2000, is living large in Denver CO and is currently an project manager for Nice Systems, Inc.

Stephanie Griffith, BA 2003, MA 2005, resides currently in Farmington NM with her husband, Ben. From May 2006-May 2007, she worked for the State of NM: Income Support Division as a Financial Assistance Analyst. As of May 2007, she is the Computer and Technology Coordinator for the City of Aztec Library (07/2007).

Aja Guerrero, BA 2002, is a Special Investigator for the Department of Defense in Washington DC. 

Annaliese Harper,  MA 1994, received a doctoral degree from ASU and was a faculty member teaching Intercultural Communication at Scottsdale Community College.

Carrie Hamblin, MA 1995, is an announcer and producer for Public Radio in Las Cruces. 

Cheryl Harkness, MA 2006, is leading a very busy life in Albuquerque, working and raising her children with husband Terrell.

Terrell Harkness, MA 2006, is ditto leading a very busy life in Albuquerque, etc....

Jerry Hands, BA 1998, is living in Washington State, and is the Public Relations Director and Fund Raisinlerg Coordinator for the Spokane Aids Network, http://members.aol.com/snetwk.

John Howard, MA 1994, is on faculty at Eastern New Mexico State in Roswell, NM. Faculty members run into him regularly at Communication conferences.

 

 

No doubt our undergraduate alumni remember THIS room: Speech Bldg. 247

 

 

I-M

Michael Kershaw, BA 1998, returned to NMSU in Fall 2003 to pursue an MA in Counseling/Ed. Psych. Prior to his graduate student career, Michael worked for several years as an HR executive for Victoria's Secret. 

Kari Logan, BA 1998, works for Elite Racing, a sports marketing/management company in San Diego, CA.

Genea Kreger (nee Long), BA 2003, MA 2006, is living and working as a professional wedding planner in Pheonix AZ. She planned her own beautiful Summer 2006 wedding, and she and her husband Ben are currently proudly pregnant with their first child! (04/2008)..

Serena Lyons, BA 2000, currently makes her home in Albuquerque, where she is a marketing/Public Relations Specialist for Cimarron Health. 

Steven Madden, MA 1990, received his doctoral degree and is now a faculty member in the Speech and Communication Studies Dept. at Clemson University, SC.

Cindy Marchant, MA 2006, remains in the sunny city of Las Cruces and is Communications/Leadership Director for the Great Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. (5/2007)

Melissa Martinez, BA 1999, traveled to Florence Italy after receiving an MA from Columbia University in 2002. 

Anne Mehochko, MA 2000, works for the Home Builders Association of St. Louis, Missouri, as an Assistant Staff Vice President for Government Affairs. 

Eric Morgan, BA 1995, MA 1997, received his Ph.D. from University of Massachusetts in 2002 and now is a tenured Associate Professor here in the Dept. of Communication Studies (08/2008). .

Robin Murphy, BA 1996, is living in Albuquerque since graduation. She enjoyed several successful years as the Marketing Manager for Winrock Mall, and is now the Director of Development for the New Mexico Advocates for Children and Family.

 

 

The sunsets in New Mexico are no doubt memorable!
(Photo courtesy of Henry Holguin)

 

 

N-R

Rick Nezzer, MA 1991, is the Marketing Director for the Sisbarro Dealership here in Las Cruces.

Sarah Norton, MA 2001, is an officer in the Army and is currently stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Alicia "Lynie" Provencio, BA 1984, is Executive Director of the  Amigo Airshow in El Paso, TX.

Kellene Rees, MA 2005, is pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Denver.

Charles Reyes, MA 2001, is currently teaching full time at Indiana University/Purdue University/Indiana State, IN.

Stacy Rohwer, BA 1994, lives in Albuquerque and is a pharmaceutical sales representative for AstraZeneca, http://www.astrazeneca-us.com.

Maria Roth, BA 1996, became the Assistant Athletic Director here at NMSU in 2002.

 

 

Kindra and Alaine, 2004

 

S-V

Cy Salazar, BA 1999, made his way over to the east coast, where he now works for  Human Resources at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (one of the National Institutes of Health). 

Alaine Sepulveda, BA 2003, MA 2005, is pursuing her doctoral degree in Communication Studies at the University of West Virginia University  

Julie Seton, MA 1986, is a Project Leader for the Tradoc Analysis Center, at the White Sands Missile Range.

Laura Shelton, MA 1997, currently resides in Minneapolis, MN, and is the Project Manager for Proposal Development for Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

Maya Smallwood, BA 1998, currently lives and works in El Paso, where she lives with her adorable two year old daughter, Ayla.

Jeremy Taulbee, BA 2004, is the senior pastor at First Church of God in El Paso, TX while still pursuing his Master of Divinity at Asbury Theological Seminary through online courses (7/2007).

Michael Todino, MA 1996, is now working at M.I.T’s Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA, as a Microsoft Architect. He and his wife now have a 2 year old son, Matthew, who is not surprisingly the apple of Mike's eye (7/2007).

Caroline Tosti, MA 1996, worked for the United Nations in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe from 1996 to 2005 and applied her communication skills in several different capacities, including working as a liason officer in Rwanda, an information officer in Kosovo and a consultant for UNICEF in Romania. She currently is an independent consultant and lives in Switzerland. Her areas of consulting expertise include communication, fund raising, project management and adult training. Way to go, Caroline! You rock! (08/2008)

Terra Van Dyke, BA 2001, works as a Community Relations Coordinator for Camino de Vida here in Las Cruces.

Allen Vaughn, BA 2001, is currently an Army intelligence officer stationed in Japan. He and Tina Buie (BA 2001) were married in 2001, and in May 2002 became the parents of a son, Seth.

Valerie Vigil, BA 1998, MA 2000, is now living in Santa Fe and is the Youth Outreach Liaison for the office of New Mexico's Secretary of State. 

 

 

Graduate Assistants, 2005

 

W-Z

Liz Walcher, MA 2001, is pursuing a doctoral degree in Organizational Training at the University of New Mexico, and is currently working on her dissertation. Go Liz!!

Jess Williams, MA 1997, is the Director of Public Information, Special Projects, for Dona Ana County.

John Wilson, BA 2006, is currently stationed in Japan. In a recent email, he describes Japan as "fantastic, it's like a giant toy store where everything is new and you want to go see and touch it all."

Rob Winson, MA 1994, is a Senior Analyst for Disability Reinsurance Management Services in Portland, Maine.

Michelle White, MA 2000, is a Public Affairs Specialist for the National Association of Secondary School Principals.