Alumni Achievers Content

Aggies at the Helm

Russell L Thebaud — June 25, 2025 - 3:58pm

What begins at ��о�� doesn’t stop at graduation. For these three alumni, it led all the way to the president’s office — shaping the future of higher education at universities across the country.

Meet Ellen Granberg ’84, president of George Washington University (GW); Doug Girod ’81, chancellor of the University of Kansas (KU); and Carol Folt Ph.D. ’82, president of the University of Southern California (USC).

A Supportive Network

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Shane Snyder ’89 can relate to the challenges his clients face at the Society for the Blind in Sacramento.

As the director of programs, Snyder helps connect people to resources they need to build independent living skills when they lose their sight. But personally, he also has confronted vision loss due to Usher syndrome, a congenital degenerative condition that affects both eyes and ears.

“I had to learn some new ways to do the things I already knew how to do,” said Snyder, who wears aids to help with hearing.

Alum Receives Early Career Fellowship

Jocelyn C Anderson — February 25, 2025 - 4:14pm

Victoria Watson-Zink, Ph.D. ’22, a postdoctoral evolutionary marine biologist, received the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Hanna H. Gray Fellowship last month. This year’s fellowship supports the transition of 25 early-career scientists to leading labs and becoming tenured faculty.

All About Flavor

Jocelyn C Anderson — February 18, 2025 - 12:55pm

Arielle Johnson, Ph.D. ’14, knew she wanted to study food science after a research project on Turkish ice cream, a dessert made stretchy with orchid root. Now, Johnson is an established food scientist, advising restaurants and food manufacturers internationally.

She graduated New York University in 2009 and applied to a variety of programs for food science, aiming to apply chemistry to gastronomy and cuisine. “Most of them said, ‘we don't really do that,’” she said. “There wasn’t really anyone doing exactly what I do 15 years ago.”

Early Days

Jocelyn C Anderson — August 19, 2024 - 9:55pm

Dawnté Early ’05, M.S. ’08, Ph.D. ’11, spent midmorning on a recent summer day painting rocks with several 4- and 5-year-old boys. At times it got pretty messy, with yellow, red and blue combining to make a dingy brown, but that was all part of the learning process.

This KinderCamp program introduces children who didn’t have access to preschool to the classroom for four weeks in the summer. United Way runs the program in partnership with several local groups.

The Grocery Game

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 21, 2024 - 2:44am

Larry Liu, M.B.A. ’08, has made ethnic cuisine more accessible for food lovers nationwide.

Winning Formula: Aggies Blend Baseball and Data Science

Russell L Thebaud — May 21, 2024 - 2:41am

This season, Major League Baseball fans can find three ��о�� alumni in key leadership positions.

Game On

Jocelyn C Anderson — February 20, 2024 - 2:23am

Henry Low ’22 wants to make learning easier through gameplay.

Maurice Gallagher’s Front Row Seat for the Super Bowl

Jocelyn C Anderson — February 05, 2024 - 7:10am

Maurice Gallagher ‘71 founded Allegiant Travel Company, namesake of Allegiant Stadium.

Alumni Sisters Ran Vet Clinic for 24 Years

Jocelyn C Anderson — January 16, 2024 - 7:40am

Identical twins Sharon Sharpnack ’65, D.V.M. ’67, and Susan Conner ’65, D.V.M. ’67, studied together and then started their own business.