Congratulations to the staff and faculty earning degrees this year.

Name: Michele Falk
Department: Recreation Administration
Current job title: Administrative Support Coordinator
New degree earned this year: Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

I discovered the title "food anthropologist" by watching Alton Brown on "Good Eats." I love learning about food and ingredients, talking with others about it, and cooking/baking. The cultural anthropology side of the major encompasses so many things — art, food, music, etc. that it was an easy decision. Food is culture.

Name: Maria Jacinto
Department: Financial Aid and Scholarships
Current job title: Administrative Support Assistant
New degree earned this year: Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in marketing

It’s been a long road, I started taking classes in 2021 part-time online, so that I could continue to work full time. It wasn’t easy, but I’m happy to be completing this milestone.

Name: Laura Ramos
Department: California Water Institute
Current job title: Director
New degree earned this year: Executive Masters in business administration

My journey to this degree has been anything but traditional. After years of working in water resources, I chose to return to school to expand my perspective and strengthen the connection between research and real-world impact. Balancing graduate studies with a full-time career made the experience especially meaningful and reinforced my commitment to continuous learning.