Class of: 1986

Rick Mendes

Rick Mendes (ENG’86) of Hacienda Heights, Calif., spent 35 years in the technology sector. Near the end of his career, he wrote his first novel, Growing Future Operators (BookBaby, 2023). He writes that he enjoyed writing fiction so much, he retired before age 60 to become a full-time novelist. His second book, The Chameleon Killer (Atmosphere Press, 2026), is a love letter to his favorite crime stories. The first in a series, it follows his protagonist, Detective Alma Rossi, as she pursues the titular serial killer through the fictional city of Hillsford, Calif., in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.

From the Summer 2026 issue.