Latest Achievements

Updates about the latest accomplishments—including latest research, publications, and awards—by students, faculty, and staff

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Rachael M Heller, Anthropology

On April 18th Rachael Heller will be presenting her paper "Leeroy Jenkins; Identity Formation, Investment, and Social Structure of a Guild in World of Warcraft" at the Pop Culture Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Based on research over the course of a year, this work contributes to existing scholarship on online sociality by providing insight into the role online gaming plays in connecting people across time and space in new forms of community.

Len Mazur, Environmental Science & Management

ESM student Len Mazur has been awarded a North Coast Native Plant Society Research Grant for his project entitled "Biological Assessment for Two Darlingtonia Fens in the Mill Creek Watershed in Del Norte Redwoods State Park"

Stacy Becker, Center for Community Based Learning

The Center for Community Based Learning hosted a Community Partner Luncheon on March 27 at the Humboldt Area Foundation. It was a huge success! There were approximately 40 community partners in attendance sharing their perspectives and best practices on Service Learning and Academic Internships with participating faculty, students, and each other. Stacy Becker did a tremendous job preparing and facilitating the event. The event proved to be a positive experience for all those in attendance.

Vincent Biondo, Religious Studies

Associate Professor Vincent Biondo's paper presentation at the November, 2018 Parliament for the World's Religions was published as the article "Faith and History: Wilfred Cantwell Smith's Theory of Religion for the Twenty-First Century" in the Toronto Journal of Theology: .

Phoebe Cellitti, Social Work

Social Work Instructor Phoebe Cellitti presented at the March 30 TEDxHumboldtBay event. Her presentation, titled Embracing the Grey is described as:

"Drawing from my experience as a social worker I am going to be talking about embracing the in-between parts of life, the places between joy and heartbreak, beautiful and brutal... how people like to categorize things as good or bad, how that leaves very little room for the nuances of life and ultimately leaves us disconnected from ourselves and each other. I will also be relating it to our current political climate and the ways we disconnect from each other."

Melanie McCavour, David Greene, Forestry and Wildland Resources & Environmental Science and Management

David F Greene and Melanie J McCavour of the departments of Forestry and Wildland Resources & Environmental Science and Management were invited to speak March 7-9th, 2019 at the International Monarch Conservation Symposium in Toluca, Mexico, and at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Presentations were on: fire ecology of California; the CEQA, landuse planning, and pollinator habitat; and the ecology of Abies religosa.

Cindy Moyer, Karen Davy, Sherry Hanson, Garrick Woods, Music

On Monday, March 18, the Arcata Bay String Quartet traveled to Ukiah to perform for the Ukiah High School Orchestra.

Michael Le, Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Michael Le, Research Associate in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness won the California Association for Institutional Research (CAIR) 2018 Best Presentation winner for: “Data‐Informed Conversations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Michael received the highest overall scores for the best overall presentation. Michael’s presentation will be featured at AIR 2019 in Denver, CO as CAIR Best Presentation and he will receive a $2,000 travel grant. This is Michael’s third time winning the award. Past wins were in 2015 and 2017. https://cair.org

Cindy Moyer, Music

On March 7, Cindy Moyer presented an Express Talk at the American String Teachers Association National Conference in Albuquerque, NM, on Introducing Scales and Arpeggios with Shifting Practice.

Joseph C. Diémé, World Languages & Cultures

Published new book titled: "La répudiation du tribalisme sous l'ère Barack Hussein Obama", Harmattan Editions, Paris, March 1st, 2019.

Natalie Arroyo, Environmental Science & Management

Environmental Science & Management Instructor and Eureka City Councilmember Natalie Arroyo was recently named Assembly District 2 2019 Woman of the Year. Arroyo was selected by Assemblyman Jim Wood.

From Wood's office:

Today Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) honors Assembly District 2’s 2019 Woman of the Year, Natalie Arroyo. Every year each Assemblymember has the privilege of selecting someone to be honored who serves their community with dedication and distinction. The day includes personal recognition during the legislative session in the Assembly Chambers and a luncheon. “Today we have the opportunity to recognize Natalie for her achievements and commitment to making a difference in the Eureka community,” said Wood.

Natalie lives and works on the North Coast in Eureka and was recently re-elected to her second term on the Eureka City Council. As a Councilperson, Natalie helped complete Eureka’s nearly 7-mile waterfront trail which is part of the California Coastal Trail, supported a Strategic Arts Plan that has demonstrated the value of the arts community in Humboldt County and initiated the return of 200 acres of culturally important land to the Wiyot Tribe. Representing Eureka, Natalie also serves on the board of the Humboldt Transit Authority.

By day, Natalie is a senior planner with the Natural Resources division of Redwood Community Action Agency, and is an enlisted member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, stationed at Humboldt Bay – and that’s when she isn’t lecturing at Humboldt State University.

Because of her passion for trails and fisheries health, Natalie serves on the board of the Humboldt Trails Council, and served on the board of the Salmonid Restoration Federation, a statewide organization dedicated to restoring native California salmon and trout.

“Natalie is more than an inspiration in Humboldt County,” said Wood. “Her career, her elected office, her service in the Coast Guard and her volunteer work demonstrates her amazing 24-7 commitment to public service.”

Louis Marak, Art + Film

Emeritus Faculty member Louis Marak has been recognized by
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA): Excellence in Teaching Award 2019

Description of the award:
Recipients should be near or at the end of a career dedicated to the practice of teaching (may be awarded posthumously); shall have demonstrated excellence in their own creative work; shall have had previous recognition for and a history of awards in teaching; and should have highly visible former students in the field.

Leena Dallasheh, History

Dr. Leena Dallasheh was interviewed for a podcast series on the Palestinian refugees and the Great March of Return in Gaza. The interview was published at Unsettled, a new podcast on Israel-Palestine and the Jewish diaspora:

https://www.unsettledpod.com/episodes/2019/2/4/refugees-gaza-ep-2

Sing C. Chew, Sociology

Following official retirement, Professor Emeritus Sing C. Chew, Sociology, published his 8th book: The Southeast Asia Connection: Trade and Polities in the Eurasian World Economy 200BC-AD500 New York/Oxford: Berghahn Press 2018. He is also finishing another monograph entitled: Choices: Living Through the Next Dark Age to be published by Berghahn Press in 2019.

Leslie L. Rossman, Communication

Dr. Leslie L. Rossman and Dr. Joshua S. Hanan (HSU '04) published an article in Communication Currents titled "Trump’s Promise to Make America Manufacture Again: USMCA and the Rhetoric of Neoliberal Exception". It can be viewed at: https://www.natcom.org/communication-currents/trump%E2%80%99s-promise-make-america-manufacture-again-usmca-and-rhetoric-neoliberal?fbclid=IwAR0TjwIGB_ETJ4Uv3hczuqmAw_AkGu7NPWTzzKOEsfAh_8sSYhq1o8fcxAc

Alexandra Hootnick, Art + Film

Alexandra Hootnick, lecturer in the Art Department, was named by Photo District News as one of the "30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch" for 2019. This prestigious award is given to an international group of image-makers for their outstanding contributions to the field. https://www.pdnonline.com/pdns-30/alexandra-hootnick/

Alexandra Hootnick, Art + Film

Named one of Photo District News' 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch.

https://www.pdnonline.com/pdns-30/

all staff, ACAC and CCBL

The Academic and Career Advising Center and the Center for Community Based Learning hosted the Career and Volunteer Expo on Thursday, February 14. The event was a huge success with over 90 participating agencies looking to hire students for a variety of experiences. Over 650 students attended the event, many with resume in-hand and dressed for success. Students also had the opportunity to get free gently-used professional clothing from the pop-up Career Clothing Closet, and free professional portraits. In a follow-up survey one participating agency said, “I have followed up with candidates and we have hired several already!” https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsuevents/sets/72157705404884171/

Katia G. Karadjova and WLC Students, Library

The World "The way we saw it" book by Katia G. Karadjova, Library faculty, and World Languages & Cultures students has been published and is available on Amazon. The book contains the inspiring, creative work of the Languages students at HSU, captured through the instructionally related activities program The World “The way we saw it” in Fall 2018. Their photographs from around the globe and their writings in different languages have committed precious moments to memory. This is our world! This is the way we saw it!

Maral N. Attallah, Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies

Maral N. Attallah has been invited to give two university lectures in British Columbia discussing her research on Armenian Genocide denial and the role we can all play in becoming active anti-deniers. Invited by the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies at University of British Columbia (2/27) and the University of Victoria Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, as well as the University of Victoria Centre for Global Studies (3/1), both lectures are made possible by the Campus Outreach Lecture Program of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, supported by Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller.

Joseph C. Diémé, World Languages & Cultures

Published a chapter in a book entitled "Black French Women and the Struggle for Equality:1848-2016". Published by University of Nebraska Press, October 2018.

Cindy Moyer and Garrick Woods, Music

On Friday, February 15, Music Professors Cindy Moyer and Garrick Woods presented a session at the California All-State Music Education Conference in Fresno, CA. Entitled “Above the First Position,” the session addressed pedagogical strategies for teaching technique and music reading skills for intermediate violin, viola, cello, and bass students.

Sondra P Schwetman, Art + Film

New article in Sculpture Digest entitled "Easy Hardware Store Sculpture Molds"

https://sculpturedigest.com

Sondra Schwetman, Art + Film

Sondra Schwetman has been accepted into an international exhibition entitled "100% Woman" at the Stichting White Cube Gallery in Alkmaar, the Netherlands in October of 2019.

Kristina Hunt, Academic & Career Advising Center

The Academic and Career Advising Center's Career Clothing Closet was featured on KIEM-TV. "Walking into an interview, first impressions are important. At Humboldt State University, local community members cleared their closets to help students look the professional part...."

https://hsu.link/ACACCareerClothingClosetNews

Lucy Kerhoulas, Allyson Carroll, Jim Campbell-Spickler, Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Professor Lucy Kerhoulas and Research Associates Allyson Carroll and Jim Campbell-Spickler are featured in a five-year exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences called "Giants of Land and Sea." The exhibit features their research on redwood trees. Read more about it here: https://www.kqed.org/science/1926434/the-giants-of-california-how-redwoods-and-whales-got-so-big

Julie Alderson, Kim Vincent-Layton, Center for Teaching and Learning

Julie Alderson and Kim Vincent-Layton co-published an article in POD Speaks, titled "Starting a center for teaching and learning". It can be viewed at: https://podnetwork.org/content/uploads/PODSpeaksIssue3_StartingCTL.pdf

Laura Johnson, Geography

Dr. Laura Johnson published a research article in Gender, Place and Culture, titled "Becoming ‘enchanted’ in agro-food spaces: Engaging relational frameworks and photo elicitation with farm tour experiences." It can be viewed here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/mTAjiir83NYpVqkkaTvq/full?target=10.1080/0966369X.2018.1541867

Alison Holmes, International Studies

International Studies Program Leader Alison Holmes, together with Professor Paul Amar of UC Santa Barbara, was asked to conduct an external review of the CSU-Long Beach International Studies Program - a flagship in the CSU system and model in the country.

Ellery Ames (co-authors: Håkan Andréasson, Anders Logg), Mathematics

Published paper in Physical Review D: Cosmic string and black hole limits of toroidal Vlasov bodies in general relativity.

https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.99.024012

Lonny Grafman, Environmental Resources Engineering

Spanish edition of new book, Atrapando la lluvia, hit number 1 new release in Environmental Studies on Amazon.

http://bit.ly/amazonlluvia

Kevin Landaw (co-authors: Shaughnessy, F. J., Jones, A. , Glazebrook, M. , Tyburczy, J. , Ray, J. , Nelson, T., Abell, J.), Biological Sciences

Poster. ADJUSTMENTS TO EELGRASS LEAF AREA INDEX IN HUMBOLDT BAY BASED ON DESICCATION AND WASTING DISEASE LESIONS. Western Society of Naturalists, Tacoma, WA.

http://www.wsn-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WSN_2018_Short_Pro…

Saskia Raether (co-author: Shaughnessy, F.J.), Biological Sciences

Poster. SEAWEED COMMUNITY STRUCTURE ALONG ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS IN AN OCEAN-DOMINATED ESTUARY. Western Society of Naturalists, Tacoma, WA.

http://www.wsn-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WSN_2018_Short_Pro…

Frank Shaughnessy (co-authors:Abell, J. , Tyburczy, J. , LeBlanc, E. , Jones, A. , Ray, J. , Lopiccolo, J. , Nelson, T., Raether, S. , Landaw, K., Biological Sciences

Poster: SPATIAL DIFFERENCES IN EELGRASS BED CONDITIONS IN HUMBOLDT BAY, CA THAT COULD AFFECT THE CO2 DRAW-DOWN FUNCTION OF THE PLANT. Western Society of Naturalists, Tacoma, WA.

http://www.wsn-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WSN_2018_Short_Pro…

Gerardo Ureno (co-authors: Nelson, T., Abell, J., Bespalova, D. V., Encinas, K. M., Shaughnessy F. J., Jones, A., LeBlanc, E., Landaw, K., Ray, J., Tyburczy J., Biological Sciences

Presented poster: VARIABILITY OF INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES AMONG EELGRASS BEDS IN HUMBOLDT BAY: IMPLICATIONS FOR CO2 DRAWDOWN. Western Society of Naturalists, Tacoma, WA.

http://www.wsn-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WSN_2018_Short_Pro…

Gynell Higby, Nicole Perry, Joshua Maldonado, Johnny Rasnic, Mihn Nguyen, Joseph Wertzberger, Jade Williams, Briana Ramirez, Austin Schenk, Skye Gibney, Eric Malekos, Charlin Duff, Madeline Vasilevich, Kelly Randazzo, Kyle Smith, Ezra Moreno, Daisy Montalvo and Kamila Larripa, Mathematics

Seventeen students competed in teams in the International Mathematical Contest in Modeling over a four day period in January. Students were challenged to analyze, clarify and write solutions to an open and timely problem. Students come from departments across the CNRS and were hosted in the Mathematics Department.

Jeffrey Kane, Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Jeff Kane was invited to give a seminar entitled "Litter flammability of North American trees: Ecological insights and management implications" as part of the forestry seminar series at Purdue University on January 29th, 2019.

Jared Larson, Politics

In the last month, Jared Larson has had two articles published. The first, "La identidad ibérica frente a la identidad europea: Huellas iberistas en Señas de identidad, A jangada de pedra y Sostiene Pereira," published by Romance Notes (a comparative literature journal based at UNC-Chapel Hill), examines Iberian political culture through three 20th-century novels. The second, published online in SAGE's Research Methods Cases series, considers “Using Contextual Variables in the Comparative Historical Analysis of the Politics of Migration in Spain and Portugal.”

Dan Aldag, Music

Dan Aldag with jazz great Matt Wilson and the HSU Jazz Orchestra, presented a clinic at the Jazz Educators Network national conference entitled "Getting Off The Page: Moving Your Big Band Beyond Written Arrangements"

Michele Miyamoto, Jessica Citti, Arianna Thobaben, Jasmine Nunley, Lorraine Casazza, Maxine Mota, & Su Karl, Learning Center

The Learning Center was recently granted International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) through the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). The certification qualifies the Learning Center's training program to grant participants an internationally-recognized tutor credential.

Shelbie Ann Christensen (student) and Robert W. Zoellner (faculty), Chemistry

Publication: Shelbie A. Christensen and Robert W. Zoellner; "Chemistry with a Capital Z: The superheavy elements. Oganesson: Superheavy element 118: A review"; The Hexagon of Alpha Chi Sigma 2018, 109(4), 51-53,61.

Mihai Tomescu (with co-author Andrew Groover - USDA-FS & University of California Davis), Biological Sciences

Invited paper in the Tansley Review series published by the journal New Phytologist: "Mosaic modularity: an updated perspective and research agenda for the evolution of vascular cambial growth"

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.15640

Daniel Barton, Wildlife

Invited Presentation at the Shamir Research Institute, University of Haifa, Qatsrin, Israel entitled "Apparent Competition, Hyperpredation, and Spillover in Ecological Restoration: The tales of two lupines and a fish"

Sherrene Bogle, Computer Science

Certificate of Merit for the paper entitled "Classfiers for Predicting Undergraduate Computer Science Performance" presented at the 2018 International Conference of Data Mining and Knowledge Engineering in London, U.K.

http://www.iaeng.org/publication/WCE2018/

Kerry Byrne, Environmental Science & Management

Invited Presentation at the Northern California Botanist Symposium: "Restoring a population of Applegate's milkvetch (Astragalus applegatei): lessons learned for conservation"

http://www.norcalbotanists.org/symposia/symposium2019.htm

Claire Till (Chemistry faculty); Jessica Solomon (Environmental Sciences graduate), Chemistry

Publication in the journal Limnology and Oceanography.

https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lno.11022

Kamila Larripa, Mathematics

Published paper in Journal of Theoretical Biology: Methods for determining key components in a mathematical model for tumor–immune dynamics in multiple myeloma.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022519318304259

Lonny Grafman, Environmental Resources Engineering

Published "An Analysis of Recycling High Density Polyethylene with Limited Resources" in the International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering, Vol 13 No. 2.

https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/ijsle/article/view/11621

Mihai Tomescu, Biological Sciences

Paper presented at the national meeting of the Botanical Society of America in Rochester, Minnesota: "Fossil plants at the intersection of evo-devo and phylogeny: celebrating the contributions of Gar W. Rothwell to biodiversity and evolution"

Amy Sprowles,

"A Bridge to the future for stem cell students" highlights HSU STEM alumni.

https://blog.cirm.ca.gov/2019/01/22/a-bridge-to-the-future-for-stem-cel…