Updates about the latest accomplishments—including latest research, publications, and awards—by students, faculty, and staff
Dr. Ammar Jafaripournimchahi has published a new research article in Applied Thermal Engineering, an Elsevier journal, titled “Passenger-centered thermal comfort control in electric vehicles using attention-enhanced ResNet50 for ACHP systems.” The study applies an attention-enhanced ResNet50 deep-learning model to infrared facial images to identify passenger thermal sensation and support more personalized control of electric-vehicle air-conditioning and heat-pump systems. The article was published online on September 22, 2026.
Dr. Armeda C. Reitzel, Professor Emeritus, has been selected for her second engagement as a Virtual Service Pilot Program Participant with the Peace Corps. Over the course of 27 weeks, Dr. Reitzel will support the English language and communication skill development of Ukrainian teachers and youth across 15 schools located in different areas of Ukraine.
Dr. Enoch Hale, Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning, gave a keynote address at the University of Hawaii West O'ahu campus as part of their fall convocation. The title of his talk was: “The Age of Judgment: Navigating the Future of Higher Education Beyond Artificial Intelligence.”
Botany Professor Mihai Tomescu published recently an invited review paper on the evolution of tall plants in the journal Current Biology. The paper, titled Evolution of arborescence at hydraulic, structural, and developmental limits, is co-authored with Martin Bouda (University of Hohenheim, Germany) and Craig Brodersen (Yale University).
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00505-1
https://www.earth.com/news/why-do-trees-exist-it-may-come-down-to-one-surprising-challenge/
https://kymkemp.com/2026/06/30/what-made-trees-possible-new-research-points-to-drought-survival/
Dr. Jianmin Zhong has received funding (2026–2030) to investigate tick-borne pathogens in Northern California wildlife. The project unites Cal Poly Humboldt’s Biology Vertebrate Museum, the California Department of Public Health, IERC, and the Karuk Tribe. Researchers will study 11 pathogens and microbes, including the Lyme disease bacterium, in small mammals, gray foxes, deer, elk, and ticks. This first molecular surveillance of tick-borne pathogens on Karuk Tribal lands supports health priorities, advances One Health surveillance, assesses risks to people and animals, and provides graduate students with thesis research and training. Funding comes from NIH’s Support for Research Excellence award.
Dr. Troy Lescher and Hayden Hilscher (Class of 2026) recently published “Doctoral Projects in Progress in Theatre Arts, 2026” for the Association of Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). This report, based on collaborations of numerous national and international institutions, introduces PhD candidates and shares their emerging research with the field.
Sarah Lasley was included in Filmmaker magazine's 28th edition the 25 New Faces of Independent Film list, an annual curated cross-section of outstanding independent film creatives from around the world.
A new open-access book is available through the WAC Clearinghouse (https://wacclearinghouse.org). The book is edited by Lisa Tremain and Libbi R. Miller.
Across diverse institutional, disciplinary, and educational contexts, the contributors to this edited collection challenge conventional understandings of transfer and explore alternative frameworks grounded in antiracist, queer, feminist, relational, and other marginalized epistemologies. Radical Frameworks for Writing Transfer offers new directions for those interested in writing development, writing across the curriculum, composition, rhetoric, education, and teaching and learning. It serves as both a critique of existing frameworks and an invitation to rethink how writing knowledge is recognized, valued, and carried across contexts.
The book can be found at https://wacclearinghouse.org/books/perspectives/radical/
Botany Professor Mihai Tomescu was recognized by the Botanical Society of America with the 2026 Donald R. Kaplan Memorial Lecture Award that recognizes each year a leading scholar in the fields of comparative plant morphology, anatomy, and development. As this year's awardee, professor Tomescu gave a lecture titled Dead plants do tell tales at the annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America in Tucson AZ, August 4, 2026.
Botany Professor Mihai Tomescu gave an invited lecture titled,What can we learn from 400-million-years old fossils about plant evolution?, at the 90th meeting of the Botanical Society of Japan in Noda, Japan, September 4, 2026.
AnthroPod, the official podcast of the Society for Cultural Anthropologists, interviewed Dr. Paul Michael Leonardo Atienza, associate professor in the Department of Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies, for its newest episode, "What Disappointment Does." Atienza shares how disappointment is an important human feeling that merits analysis. He discusses how disappointment animates the lives of his interlocutors, as well as what it means for him to feel failure doing research in the field. The new episode goes live on Thursday, September 10, 2026 on most streaming platforms.
Elam Bender has received an Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) NextGen Fellowship for his work using UAVs to apply precision agriculture techniques to small-scale sustainable farms. Through this research, Elam is exploring how high resolution aerial imaging and data collection techniques can help small farms improve efficiency, sustainability, and resource management. The USDA-funded ARI NextGen Fellowship Program provides 421 paid fellowships for California State University students pursuing careers in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences.
History Professor Robert Cliver contributed a chapter on "Socialist Industrialization" for The Routledge History of Communism, edited by Melissa Feinberg and Lisa A. Kirschenbaum. The book "examines how politics played out inside the factory, the village, the family, or the school. It highlights the different ways Communism shaped the lives of ordinary people all over the world and the ways in which ordinary people shaped Communist movements and states. The authors’ focus on everyday communism allows them to highlight the centrality of race, gender, sexuality, and other identities to understandings of Communism’s appeal, its successes, and its failures." Available from Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-History-of-Communism/Feinberg-Kirschenbaum/p/book/9781032513751
Gregg J. Gold and Gianna Giacomotto, who is currently in the MA program at Long Beach State, along with DGSOM faculty Dr. Jennifer Lucero, Dr. Gerardo Moreno, and Dr. Eraka Bath, with DGSOM staff Ricardo Antillon and Esmeralda Trejo, recently published Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Pre-Medical Pathway Program Containing Strengths-Based Innovations. Perspectives on Medical Education. 2026; 15(1): 697–704. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/pme.2330
Frazier D. Farrell and Robert W. Zoellner have recently published a peer-reviewed article entitled "[8]Radialene: A density functional theory computational investigation of the theoretical conformational structure of the molecule" in the Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research 2026, 25, 68-70.
Forest restoration that benefits wildlife can be challenging, but Cal Poly Humboldt researchers are helping bridge the gap. New research by Drs. Nicholas and Lucy Kerhoulas found that the Klamath River separates Sonoma and red tree voles into distinct species, with no evidence of interbreeding. The team also discovered that while Sonoma tree voles are most abundant in old-growth forests, simple nest platforms can encourage them to use second-growth forests. Together, these findings provide practical tools for restoring forests while supporting the long-term conservation of these unique canopy specialists. Watch a short video of photos collected here. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W4j0tRp0Zs>
Funding for this project was provided by the Save the Redwoods League.
Nanette Durbin M.Ed. was selected to present at the International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums, September 2026.
Nanette’s talk, Documentary as Community Engagement, centers around her film "Rick Bartow The Man Who Made Marks," and explores how film can provide a powerful entry point for exploring the intersection of Indigenous art, culture, and land in educational settings. Nanette will share how film, curriculum materials, and guided discussion can deepen student engagement before, during, and after museum and library visits. Attendees will gain ideas for using multimedia storytelling to connect schools, museums, and communities to Indigenous lands and place.
Professor Kyleigh Brine was selected to perform in the Selah Dance Concert in Santa Barbara, California, where she presented an excerpt from her new choreographic work, Holding Things. The work is inspired by Maira Kalman’s book Women Holding Things and explores the physical and emotional ways we carry, hold, and move through the things that shape our lives. The performance provided an opportunity to share emerging creative research and new choreography with a broader dance community beyond Cal Poly Humboldt.
Published a peer-reviewed research article in Energy (Elsevier) titled “Thermodynamic Modeling and Experimental Validation of a CO₂ Scroll Compressor for Automotive Heat Pump Systems.” The study developed and experimentally validated a thermodynamic model for CO₂ scroll compressors, achieving prediction errors below 7.8% and providing insights into compressor performance under different operating conditions.
Dr. Monica Sheffer and master’s student Benjamin Hanlin received funding to investigate how spider communities reflect the health of California's redwood forests. The project will compare spider diversity in old-growth, unthinned second-growth, and restoration-thinned forests in Redwood National and State Parks. Because spiders play important roles as predators and prey, changes in their communities could provide valuable clues about how redwood forests recover after restoration. Led by Hanlin with Sheffer serving as faculty mentor, the research will establish baseline biodiversity data to help evaluate restoration efforts and support monitoring of redwood forest ecosystems.
Funding comes from Save the Redwoods League.
Springer Nature recently published the edited volume Mentoring Relationships in Academia: Narratives from the Margins, featuring 23 chapters in which scholars share personal experiences and explore how mentoring has shaped their academic journeys and their own mentoring practices.
Of the book’s 32 authors, 11 are affiliated with Cal Poly Humboldt: one undergraduate student, one graduate student, three emeritus faculty members, five current faculty members, and one administrator. Dr. Meenal Rana (Professor, Child Development) and Dr. Susan Bennett (Faculty Emerita, English) are the book’s co-editors.
With support from an OEDI grant and the CTL, a book circle will meet four times during Fall 2026. Each participant will receive a free copy of the book. Look for a flyer with additional details in the coming weeks.
Levi Humphrey (GESA '25), Zachary Knight (GESA '26), Liam Blackburn (GESA '26), Sterling Russell (GESA/Religious Studies '26), and Corra Houtermans (ENST '26) with Professor Gabi Kirk (GESA) published "People's Guides to California" in you are here: the journal of creative geography based at University of Arizona. The 2026 issue is themed "Weaving Alter-Worlds" and "explores the act of weaving as a metaphor for crafting interconnected futures that resist colonial domination and hegemonic space." This student-faculty piece explores lesser-known histories and presents of California through Indigenous geography, Black history, and other cultural geographies through creative methods including maps, zines, and even a board game. The publication is on display in front of Founders Hall 109 or can be purchased at the journal's website.
Domestic cannabis cultivation has become widespread internationally yet little is known about the methods, motives, and experiences of small-scale growers. In collaboration with the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium, Dr. Josh Meisel surveyed predominately small-scale cannabis growers in 18 countries about their use of cannabis and other drugs; cannabis growing experience; methods and scale of growing operations; reasons for growing cannabis; participation in cannabis and other drug markets; contacts with the criminal justice system in relation to cannabis growing; involvement in other (non-drug-related) criminal activity; and demographic characteristics. One paper resulting from this research, "Small-Scale Cannabis Cultivation, Use, and Supply in Eighteen Countries: Methods, Motives, and Experiences" was published in the July 2026 issue of Contemporary Drug Problems.
Dr. Andre Buchheister, Dr. Nick Som, and new graduate student Marisa McGrew have received funding to study Pacific lamprey in the Eel River ahead of planned dam removals. Although often overlooked, Pacific lamprey are an ecologically and culturally important species that play a vital role in river ecosystems and Tribal foodways. The project will examine lamprey migration, habitat use, and seasonal movement to better understand the species before dam removal begins. Findings will help inform restoration planning, improve conservation efforts, and support future management of the Eel River ecosystem.
Funding comes from CalTrout.
To mark the nation's 250th, the interdisciplinary Transatlantic Studies Association (TSA) held their annual conference at the College of William & Mary. Professor Alison Holmes (Politics) was an invited keynote speaker on the question "Can Subnational Diplomacy Save the Special Relationship", making the case that actors such as California and Scotland are now both more important on the global stage and to each other. She also presented a paper "The US Constitution(S) and the many Nations of America" offering three case studies beginning with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the evolution and resilience of such documents through the Cherokee and Yurok constitutions.
Oscar Vargas, Associate Professor of Botany in the Biological Sciences Department, along with M.Sc. graduate Eli Allen (currently a PhD student at UC-Santa Cruz), published an article documenting a case of budding speciation in the California Floristic Province. This mode of speciation, thought to be rare in nature, is being found in plants, especially regions with high biodiversity. The article "A case of budding speciation in the California Floristic Province and infraspecific divergence in Abronia villosa" is available at the following link https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70234
The Klamath Mountains host a famous amount of botanical diversity, yet many plant communities remain poorly documented. Working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Native Plant Society, Cal Poly Humboldt researchers completed more than 2,100 vegetation surveys across three field seasons. The project documented rare plants, identified potential range extensions, added over 1,000 specimens to regional plant collections, and will ultimately produce seven Master’s theses. These findings will strengthen conservation planning, support land management decisions, and provide a lasting public resource for understanding the Klamath Mountains’ remarkable botanical diversity. Read theses here.
Dr. Jose Marin Jarrin and Michelle Schuiteman have received funding to study the status and vulnerability of four culturally important coastal fish species in Northern California. Working in partnership with Trinidad Rancheria, Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People, Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and Blue Lake Rancheria, the project will help address critical data gaps for fisheries that lack formal assessment. The research will support tribal stewardship of marine resources while providing professional development opportunities for tribal staff, students, and researchers. Findings will help inform long-term fisheries management and climate resilience.
Funding comes from California Sea Grant.
Cal Poly Humboldt Biological Sciences Professor Allison Bronson was awarded the American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists “Best Paper by a Young Scholar in Ichthyology” award for her work titled “Novel Nasal Anatomy Suggests Enhanced Olfactory Acuity in Auchenoglanidid Catfishes (Siluriformes: Auchenoglanididae)." The annual prize honors the best publications from the society’s peer-reviewed journal Ichthyology & Herpetology. Bronson received the award at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) held in New Orleans this July. Ten students from the Bronson lab on campus also presented their research at the meeting.
Jennifer Marlow (J.D.) has received funding to develop a standardized sampling framework for tire-derived pollution that poses a risk to coho salmon in Humboldt Bay and surrounding watersheds. Working with regional partners, the project will establish consistent methods for collecting and analyzing data on 6PPD-q, a toxic chemical from tires that has been linked to mass mortality in coho salmon. The framework will strengthen regional monitoring efforts while supporting the protection of cultural resources and Tribal foodways.
Funding comes from the Rose Foundation.
Gregg J. Gold and Gianna Giacomotto who is currently in the MA program at Long Beach State, along with DGSOM faculty Dr. Jennifer Lucero, Dr. Gerardo Moreno, and DGSOM staff Ricardo Antillon, and Esmeralda Trejo recently had the paper "Lessons Learned from the David Geffen School of Medicine-UCLA Clinical Clerkship Psychology of Bias Seminar" accepted for publication in the Journal of the National Medical Association.
Protecting California’s threatened western snowy plover starts with understanding one of its primary predators: the common raven. Cal Poly Humboldt researchers tracked ravens along the Humboldt coast using GPS technology and behavioral surveys to identify where they forage and how human resources influence their movements. Ravens were attracted to developed areas and locations with accessible food resources, including agricultural lands and roads. The project also produced public outreach materials to raise awareness of how human actions affect wildlife and how to support future conservation. Learn more about graduate student Janelle Chojnacki’s thesis here and Alon Averbuj’s thesis here.
John Meyer delivered a keynote speech on "The Problem with Sustainability 'Solutions'" at the 6th annual International Sustainable Development Dialogue, sponsored by the Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute at Osun State University in Osogbo, Nigeria, June 9-11.
Participants included scholars, policymakers, traditional leaders, journalists, and students from throughout Nigeria, as well as India, the U.K, Liberia, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Ireland.
Extensive news coverage of the event can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmV_xy-1uFA; https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/06/17/isdd-2026-rethinking-sustainable-development-for-the-global-south/%0A; https://www.instagram.com/gasdi.uniosun/
Maria I. Iturbide, Amy E. Sprowles, Kimberly Vincent-Layton, Seth Bradley, and Steven T. Margell recently co-authored the peer-reviewed article A Culturally Responsive Campus Learning Community: Stories About Professional and Personal Growth. The article examines the impact of a campus learning community designed to support culturally responsive teaching and foster meaningful professional learning among faculty and staff. Through participants’ stories, the authors highlight personal and professional growth, increased cultural awareness, and strengthened connections across the university community. This publication contributes to ongoing conversations about equity-minded professional development and Cal Poly Humboldt’s commitment to creating inclusive learning environments.
Dr. Matt Johnson has received funding to support long-term bird monitoring, undergraduate training opportunities, and the launch of the Humboldt Ornithology Collective (HOC), a partnership involving Cal Poly Humboldt, the Humboldt Area Foundation, the Integral Ecology Research Center, and the Klamath Bird Observatory. The project will sustain bird banding operations at the Wright Refuge in Eureka while expanding hands-on ornithology training for undergraduate students with little or no prior research experience. The effort also supports revival of the Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory near Lanphere Dunes.
Funding comes from the Humboldt Area Foundation.
A proud mother of six and a Social Work major at Cal Poly Humboldt, Veronica Zaragoza has faced the challenges of balancing parenthood, education, and community advocacy with resilience and determination.
This year, Zaragoza is among 23 students across the CSU system honored with the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement—the CSU’s highest recognition of student accomplishment.
Cal Poly Humboldt Social Work alum, Mark Taylor, says that his work at Pelican Bay in California is his way of “making amends”.
Read the full article about the first-of-its-kind bachelor program at one of the nation's most notorious prisons, being offered — to those inmates who qualify — through Cal Poly Humboldt.
Dr. Alison Holmes (Politics) and Loren Collins (Director, Advising) presented "Career Curriculum: From Destinations to Pathways" based on their years of working together on campus career curriculum and with the Karuk Education Department, as well as research Holmes has done on "Transformation 8" curriculum to support study abroad and a review of career programming for her graduate certificate in Native American Studies. This annual conference (hosted by a different city/tribe each year) brings career and employment/training professionals from across the country, so their presentation focused on practical ways to create a more "storytelling", holistic, and culturally aware career pedagogy.
Wildlife undergraduate students Cort Glosli and Andre Giraldi, together with Biological Sciences faculty Karen Kiemnec-Tyburczy, Silvia Pavan, and Pedro Peloso, recently published a research article in the journal Herpetology Notes documenting the rediscovery and species identification of a previously unassigned population of Black Salamanders (Aneides). The population they report, from Glenn County, California, had not been documented since the early 1970s and occurs in a region that has long represented a major gap in our understanding of the distribution of the Black Salamander complex. Using a combination of field surveys, morphology, and genetic analyses, the team identified the population as the Speckled Black Salamander (Aneides flavipunctatus), extending the known range of the species and helping clarify the biogeography of this complex group of California salamanders. The study highlights the important contributions of Humboldt students and faculty to biodiversity discovery, systematics, and conservation research in California.
The paper is available from the publisher’s website: https://herpetologynotes.org/index.php/hn/article/view/382/186
At the end of May, Professor Alison Holmes (Politics & International Studies) was invited to speak to the Redwood Empire Division Meeting of the California League of Cities in Fort Bragg on the topic of: "When Global Issues Reach City Hall: Emerging Trends and the Growing Need for a Small City Strategy." Based on her research on the international affairs of California and subnational diplomacy more broadly, Holmes outlined the increase in activity by cities at the global level and presented a practical guide for any city interested in creating a strategy that could both help protect them from global risks and take advantage of potential opportunities. As well as members from across the division, Cal Cities President Gabe Quinto (mayor of El Cerrito) and CA League of Cities CEO Carolyn Coleman were also present. After discussion, members agreed that future work in this area may be necessary given the growing impact of chaotic international affairs on local politics.
Drs. Darren Ward, Allison Bronson, and Matthew Hurst have received funding to study how copper from fungicides used in lily bulb farming near the Smith River may run off into waterways and affect salmon and other aquatic species. The project will examine whether dissolved copper affects salmon sensory function, behavior, and tissue health through water quality monitoring, laboratory toxicity testing, and fish behavior studies. Findings will help improve tools used to predict pollution impacts and support the protection of salmon habitat in one of California’s most ecologically important salmon habitats.
Funding comes from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
Dr. Pascal Biwole has received funding through the Research and Creative Projects for Equity and Justice (RCPEJ) program to study cooling needs in the Hoopa Valley. Through surveys and building energy audits, the project will identify the needs for building and HVAC upgrades to support cooling, and explore strategies to reduce energy costs during extreme summer heat. The work will also identify pathways for future funding to support infrastructure improvements.
The Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center has received continued funding to enhance aquatic programs and safety education. This annual award provides funding for scholarships, equipment, staff training, program support, and participation in National Safe Boating Week. The funding helps sustain boating safety education and recreational programming while supporting community engagement at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center.
Funding comes from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways.
Film professor Sarah Lasley recently received the prestigious 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship. Lasley’s award will support "MUCKRAKERS,” a short hybrid documentary that explores waste, labor, class, and climate migration in Humboldt County, co-directed with Art + Film Lecturer Nicola Waugh.
Undergraduate student Garrett Leonard published research on a novel approach to forest restoration being tested at Cal Poly Humboldt's L.W. Schatz Demonstration Tree Farm. This is one of the few studies on redwood planted outside its native range, with the involvement of hundreds of students in forestry classes since 2014. Citation: Leonard GB, Dagley CM, and Berrill J-P (2026) Coast redwood planted outside its range outperforms the native Douglas-fir beneath an overstory of varying density. Front. For. Glob. Change 9:1805175. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2026.1805175
Dr. Pedro Peloso, along with collaborators, recently published a research article in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms examining infection dynamics of the deadly amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) based on field studies conducted at multiple sites in Alabama, USA. The study integrates ecological, environmental, and host-specific factors to better understand patterns of disease prevalence and intensity, contributing to broader efforts in amphibian conservation. The paper highlights how temperature and host ecological traits influence Bd infection dynamics, advancing our understanding of host–pathogen interactions in a region of high amphibian diversity. This research is part of the PhD work of Camila Moser, conducted under Dr. Peloso’s supervision through his Adjunct Faculty appointment at the Universidade Federal do Pará (Brazil), reflecting ongoing international collaboration and mentorship connected to his research program at Cal Poly Humboldt. The paper is available from the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03911
Dr. Gabi Kirk was awarded a American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship for 2026-27 to support the writing of her first scholarly monograph, Cultivating Sustainable Sovereignty: Palestinian Agrarian Lives in Transnational Focus.
AAUW’s largest funding program began in 1888, making it one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious fellowship programs exclusively for women. This fellowship supports women scholars who are completing doctoral dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research, or finishing research for publication. AAUW (American Association of University Women) is the nation’s leading organization for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment. Founded in 1881 by women who defied society’s conventions by earning college degrees, AAUW has since worked to increase women’s access, opportunity, and equity in higher education through advocacy and philanthropy of more than $146 million, supporting thousands of women scholars. Learn more at aauw.org.
Cal Poly Humboldt Ceramics students were invited to participate in the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA) in Davis. Hosted by John Natsoulas Gallery, the conference brings together more than 50 ceramics programs from across the state, creating a dynamic environment for exhibition, dialogue, and exchange.
Our ceramics students represented Cal Poly Humboldt with distinction, exhibiting their work alongside peers from throughout California. Their efforts were recognized with several major awards: Socks Lucas received First Place, Natalie Anthone was awarded Second Place, and Mia Harmon was awarded the honor of a solo exhibition at the John Natsoulas Gallery.
Congratulations, CCACA 2026 Ceramic Students!
Angela Soto, graduate student in the Byrne Applied Ecology Lab, has been awarded a $24,000 ARI NextGen fellowship by the CSU Agricultural Research Institute for the 2026 - 2027 Academic Year. For her master's research, she is assessing the impacts of different management strategies on the endangered Applegate's milkvetch (Astragalus applegatei) and its soil microbiome.
I’m pleased to share a recent research contribution representing Cal Poly Humboldt. My paper, “CEO Compensation and the Political Environment,” has been accepted for publication in the *Journal of Business Research (A)*. This work is co-authored with faculty at University of Texas at Arlington.
The study examines how U.S. political leadership shapes executive compensation. Using a large sample of 32,222 firm-year observations from 1992 through 2022, we find that CEO pay tends to be higher under Republican presidential administrations and Republican-controlled Congresses. We also find stronger pay-for-performance sensitivity during these periods.
These results point to a nuanced effect: higher compensation may reflect rent extraction, while stronger pay-for-performance alignment suggests more efficient contracting. Overall, the findings highlight how the political environment, a non-financial factor, plays a meaningful role in corporate decision-making.
This publication contributes to ongoing research on executive compensation and governance, and reflects the strong research engagement at Cal Poly Humboldt.