Latest Achievements

Laurie A. Pinkert, Assistant Professor of English and Coordinator of Composition, was recently selected as one of three rhetoric and composition scholars invited to lead written communication sessions at the WASC-Senior College and University Commission Retreat on Core Competencies, which was held November 13-14, 2014 in Pomona, CA. Professor Pinkert presented on "Innovative Writing Pedagogies Sensitive to Local Context" and mentored faculty teams from the U.S., Mexico, and Peru on best practices in pedagogy, program design, and assessment.

Communication professor Armeda Reitzel is the Chair of the Undergraduate College and University Section of the National Communication Association. She is on the legislative assembly and the nominating committee for the organization. This is the 100th year of the National Communication Association.

Lori Jones, a senior undergraduate in the Environmental Resources Engineering department, recently received funding through the CSU’s Water Resources and Policy Initiatives (WRPI) and US Department of Agriculture to investigate osmotic membrane processes as a Watershed Management Intern. Under the guidance of her advisor Andrea Achilli, she will develop three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and investigate membrane fouling for two different osmotic hybrid systems – RO-PRO and FO-RO. These systems, which employ reuse of wastewater effluent, are designed to reduce the energy requirement of desalination through renewable power generation (RO-PRO) or osmotic dilution (FO-RO).

Sociology Professor Sing C. Chew and former graduate student, Associate Professor Daniel Sarabia, now the Department Chair of Sociology at Roanoke College, in Roanoke, Virginia presented a paper, Early Globalization in World History: Global Climate Change and the End Bronze Age World System 1200-700BC, at the Annual Conference of the Social Science History Association in Toronto, Canada, November 8, 2014. The paper reported on their collaborative research efforts to understand macro-historical dynamics in world history.

Connie Stewart has received the 2014 Nonprofit Leader Achievement Award from the Northern California Association of Nonprofits.

Stewart was cited for her long history of serving on nonprofit boards and committees, and serving as a mentor for people throughout the region. Stewart started her local nonprofit career with the North Coast Environmental Center in the late ‘80s before being recruited by Assemblywoman Patty Berg to work for the state legislature covering one of the largest rural districts in the lower 48. She is currently director of the California Center for Rural Policy.

Stewart was also presented with a Congressional Record Statement on behalf of Congressman Jared Huffman, and a joint resolution on behalf of Senator Noreen Evans and Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro.

The Northern California Association of Nonprofits is assists nonprofit organizations achieve their goals through collective action. The group is supported by the Humboldt Area Foundation, the Mel & Grace McLean Foundation, and its members.

Last week a CSU team made public comments in support of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Bridges program. Former HSU Biology Major/CIRM Bridges Scholar, Sara Downey’s presence at last week’s meeting was electric because most everyone in the room knew she’s on a team developing an embryonic stem cell-derived product as a treatment for type 1 diabetes. After four years on the job, Sara has transformed from a fresh biological sciences graduate with academic research experience into a biotech professional comfortable talking about Six Sigma, cGMPs, regulatory affairs, biotech business cycles, & process engineering. The CIRM board has extended the program for one year.

Two members of HSU's Sexual Assault Prevention Committee have been recognized by the Humboldt County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. They are: Mary Sue Savage, Prevention Coordinator, and co-founder of the CHECK IT! program, a unique effort working on transforming the university culture with particular attention to promoting bystander intervention, and Maxwell Schnurer, Professor and Chair of the Communications Department and co-chair of the committee. The Humboldt County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council is a partnership of public and private agencies and individuals who are committed to a constant and coordinated county-wide response to domestic violence.

Cathy Sandeen (Speech, ‘76) has been selected chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and UW-Extension.

The move is another in Sandeen’s already esteemed service to education. She most recently was vice president for education, attainment and innovation at the American Council on Education, and has also served as an administrator on three public campuses in California.

The HSU alumna was dean of continuing education at UCLA Extension from 2006-2012, and worked as vice provost and dean of university extension and summer session at UC Santa Cruz for six years. Sandeen also held leadership positions at UC San Francisco.

Professor Maxwell Schnurer, Chair of the Dept. of Communication, and Mary Sue Savage, prevention coordinator and co-founder of the Check It! program, are among those honored by the Humboldt County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The awards recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the prevention of domestic violence.

Schnurer and Savage will be honored at the Humboldt Area Foundation at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be served.

The Humboldt County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council is a partnership of public and private agencies and individuals who are committed to a constant and coordinated county-wide response to domestic violence.

To learn more about HSU’s Check It! program, visit http://now.humboldt.edu/news/hsu-students-launch-check-it-to-reduce-power-based-personal-violence/.

Professor Richard A. Paselk's Display of Twentieth-Century Scientific Instruments at Humboldt State University is featured in Silke Ackerman, Richard Kremer & Mara Miniati (Eds.) Scientific Instruments on Display [History of Science and Medicine Library, Volume 46 / Scientific Instruments and Collections, Volume 4] (pp 148–158). Brill Academic Pub, Leiden (2014).

Six Geography students, alumni, and faculty represented HSU at the 77th Annual Meeting of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers at the University of Arizona, in Tuscon.

Senior Lucas Reyes took home the top undergraduate research prize for his paper and presentation on “The Dawn of the Greenhouse on Rural Tibetan Landscapes.”

Hailey Lang (’14, Geography), a graduate student at San Jose State University, won the top Masters of Arts award for “Analyzing the Foreclosure and Crime Burden of Stockton, California.”

HSU Senior Rangeland Resource Science student Conor Handley won the Indigenous Peoples Travel Grant. He presented his paper on The Role of Indigenous Fire Ecology and Culturally Based Prescribed Fire in the Reintroduction of the California Condor.

Jared Whear (’13, Geography), a graduate student at the University of Missouri, presented “Rural Protest, Environmental Activism, and ‘Sacred Water’: A Case Study of the Las Vegas/Snake Valley Rural-Urban Water War.”

HSU Interim Provost and former CSU San Bernardino Geography professor Jenny Zorn presented her research on Internationalization Programs in U.S. Higher Education.

Finally, Professor Stephen Cunha was elected APCG’s Vice-President. Cunha will be the organization's 79th President.

Faculty Librarian Sarah Fay Philips co-authored the chapter "Collaborating with local high schools: your senior will be my first year student" in the book "The slow book revolution: creating a new culture of reading on college campuses and beyond". The book is an "inspiring guide shows how to implement the principles of the Slow Book movement in high schools, public libraries, and college campuses, with the ultimate goals of encouraging pensive reading habits and creating a lifelong enjoyment of books"

Director of Housing and Residence Life Stephen St. Onge has been appointed to the Association of College and University Housing Officers (ACUHO) I Commission on Assessment, and the ACUHO I Commission on Research. Onge, Ph.D, has also been asked to write an article for the ACUHO I Talking Stick on "The American Adolescent."

Geography faculty member Matthew Derrick was awarded a Kennan Institute grant, a division of the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC, that will support archival research in the Library of Congress on "Territory, Islam, and the Muslim Spiritual Boards of Russia: A Comparative Study of Four Muslim-Majority Regions.” He also served as editor for and published research in the Humboldt Journal of Social Relations edition on Perspectives on the State of Jefferson, in addition to publishing “Islam as a Source of Unity and Division in Eurasia” in the edited book Corridor of Interconnections: Eurasia from South China to the Caspian Sea.

Two Humboldt State University faculty members recently spoke at the Humboldt Bay Eelgrass Management Workshop Oct. 6 and 7 at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center in Eureka.

The free, public event was intended to improve understanding of marine eelgrass ecology, management, restoration, and regulations in Humboldt Bay and elsewhere. Eelgrass plays an important role in coastal ecosystems, where it helps build and provide habitat for a variety of species.

HSU Wildlife Professor Jeffrey Black discussed the role of Humboldt Bay and eelgrass as part of the Pacific Flyway, the north-south route for migratory birds. Botany Professor Frank Shaughnessy discussed eelgrass, water quality and its upland uses. Shaughnessy and his students are currently conducting numerous research projects related to eelgrass in Humboldt Bay.

Other workshop speakers included representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, and H.T. Harvey & Associates, an ecological consulting firm hosting the event.

Communication Professors Michael Bruner and Laura Hahn and alumna Nicole Sheldon have published their essay, "Unhappy with your Food? Communicate!" in Vol. 9 Issue 5 of Communication Currents.

The essay is translated from the scholarly article: Bruner, M., Hahn, L., & Sheldon, N. (2014). _The petition clause and food advocacy. First Amendment Studies, 48, 61-76._

The essay is available "online at the National Communication Association website":http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=5382.

Professor of Social Work Margi Waller is the Principle Investigator at HSU and two other Social Work Departments on CSU campuses for a “Writing Skills for Child Welfare Workers” online pilot course.

This pilot course was developed by the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC), together with Title IV-E staff at Universities and public child welfare agencies throughout California. Five CSU Schools of Social Work (Fresno, Humboldt, San Bernardino, San Jose, Stanislaus) are collaborating with CalSWEC to pilot the course. Participating students represent a mix of undergrad and graduate students, part-time and full-time students, current child welfare workers, Title IV-E and non-title IV-E students. Each student in this pilot course is assigned a Writing Coach who will facilitate his/her progress.

One of the goals of this pilot course is to gather student feedback to gain insight from their experience and therefore improve the educational material within the course as needed. In 2015, the online course will be provided to all Title IV-E Universities, Public Child Welfare Agencies and Regional Training Academies throughout the state.

Wildlife Faculty member Micaela Szykman Gunther has co-authored a paper with her former graduate student Shannon Murphie and colleages Rob McCoy and Brian Murphie from Makah Tribal Forestry and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The paper entitled "Influence of hair loss syndrome on black-tailed deer fawn survival' was part of Murhpie's Master's thesis and will be published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Wildlife Management.

Kinesiology & Recreation Professor Justus Ortega has published a research article in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. The article is titled "Effects of aging on mechanical efficiency and muscle activation during level and uphill walking" and can be read online at sciencedirect.com.

Geography Professor Rosemary Sherriff has co-authored a peer-reviewed research article in the online journal PLOS ONE examining the severity of wildfires along Colorado's Front Range. The paper is titled "Historical, Observed, and Modeled Wildfire Severity in Montane Forests of the Colorado Front Range" and can be read online at plosone.org.

The HSU River Institute has received research funding from Friends of the Eel River. The project will develop recommendations for blockwater releases from the Potter Valley Project to assist rearing and migration for anadromous salmonids in the Eel River.

Two Humboldt State University students spent the summer of 2014 working on research projects in Woods Hole as part of the multi-institutional Partnership Education Program (PEP). They were among 15 students from around the U.S. who participated in the 10-week program. Calvin Fok is a senior majoring in marine biology, and Dion Kucera graduated in May 2014 with a degree in environmental science and is now at Indiana University pursuing double master's degrees.

Students Tristan Merlaud and Rudy Directo placed fifth in the FLW College Fishing bass tournament Sept. 6 on New Melones Lake. They will now represent HSU in an FLW College Fishing Invitational. The top 10 teams from the Invitational advance to the 2015 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

FLW College Fishing is a national competitive bass-fishing program open to full-time students at four-year colleges and universities. For more information, visit collegefishing.com

Humboldt State University has received $443,614 through the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, which helps at-risk students prepare for college and receive the support they need to achieve success in postsecondary education.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, the six or seven-year competitive grants target entire grades of students, partner with local organizations and businesses, and include matching local contributions and in-kind services. Grantees serve an entire group of students, usually beginning no later than seventh-grade, and follow them throughout high school.

This year, applicants were encouraged to address how they plan to increase postsecondary success, implement college- and career-ready standards, and work in conjunction with Promise Zones – places where the federal government has partnered with local communities and businesses to create jobs, increase economic security, improve educational opportunities, and reduce violent crime.

The Oregon Zoo Foundation has awarded Humboldt State's Wildlife Department $3,984 to investigate the den-attendance of fishers and the potential impacts of timber harvest on fisher den ecology. The grant is part of the Future for Wildlife program, which protects threatened and endangered species and their ecosystems.

Social Work Professors Marissa O’Neill and Debbie Gonzalez presented their co-authored research project, "Tribal and Non-tribal Agencies: A Comparison of how Social Work with Families is Conceptualized in the United States," at the Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development (http://www.swsd2014.org) held in Melbourne, Australia this July. The conference attracted over 1500 social work and social development practitioners, researchers, and educators from all over the world.

Professor O’Neill and Gonzalez’ scholarship was presented alongside the work of members from the ‘University of the Arctic- Thematic Network on Social Work' (http://www.uarctic.org/organization/thematic-networks/social-work/), an international research collaborative consisting of 18 nations with a focus on social work with families.

Physics and Astronomy majors Crystal Cardenas, Andrew C. Harter ('14), and Michael P. Ross published a peer-reviewed paper titled "Experimental Progress on Tests of Gravity at 20 microns" in the Proceedings of the National Conference of Undergraduate Research 2014. The paper describes research done in the Gravitational Research Laboratory, led by Professor C.D. Hoyle.

Sociology Professor Emeritus Sing C. Chew recently published an article, "The Southeast Asian Connection in the First Eurasian World Economy 200BC-AD500," in the "Journal of Globalization Studies," Vol. 5 #1 2014:82-109. A book chapter will also appear in Michael Pearson (ed.), Trade, Circulation and Flows in the Indian Ocean World, New York: Palgrave -Macmillan (in press)

Former graduate student Luke Eberhart-Phillips, Brian Hudgens (adjunct faculty) and Mark Colwell co-authored a paper on the dynamics of the Snowy Plover population that breeds along the U.S. Pacific coast. The plover is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Colwell has been studying the local population with his students for 15 years.

John Hokman, a retired staff member who served as an engineer on HSU's research vessel, was awarded the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Larry Peabody award for his 46 years of volunteer services with local search and rescue efforts. Hokman has assisted on more than 1,500 missions.

English instructor Cyndy Phillips and her fiancé, Peter Jain ('89) have published a collection of photography and poetry titled "Let the Dance Begin: Greetings From Humboldt." The book will be released at Northtown Books during the Sept. 12 Arts! Arcata event.

Professor William Wood made a Science Café presentation “Why are Mushrooms Toxic?” at this month’s “Science on Tap” night at Blondie’s. Science Cafés are events that take place in casual settings such as pubs and coffeehouses, are open to everyone, and feature an engaging conversation with a scientist about a particular topic, according to organizers. Chris Harmon (Chemistry Department) is the organizer for this year's Science On Tap presentations.

Lori Dengler is the co-editor and contributor to the 2nd edition of UNESCO's International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) Post-Tsunami Survey Field Guide. For more, visit http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002294/229456E.pdf

Environmental Science & Management Professor Steve Martin and Emeritus Math Professor Rob Van Kirk, along with their graduate students Mark Douglas and Kai Ross, have published a paper in the ‘Journal of Park and Recreation Administration’ titled “Computer Simulation Modeling to Determine Trailhead Quotas for Overnight Wilderness Visitor Use.” The paper presents the results of a study done for the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park. Both Douglas and Ross have gone on to Ph.D. programs.

Biological sciences faculty member Jianmin Zhong and students recently published a paper in the scientific journal PLOS ONE examining Rickettsia, antibiotics and ticks. Andre H. Kurlovs, Jinze Li and Du Cheng were co-authors. The paper is titled "Ixodes pacificus Ticks Maintain Embryogenesis and Egg Hatching after Antibiotic Treatment of Rickettsia Endosymbiont."

Humboldt State was recently made "Sierra" magazine's list of most environmentally responsible schools in the country. The eighth annual ranking, compiled by the Sierra Club's magazine, includes schools that lead the way in green programs and initiatives.

Humboldt State recently made "Sierra" magazine's list of most environmentally responsible schools in the country. The eighth annual ranking, compiled by the Sierra Club's magazine, includes schools that lead the way in green programs and initiatives.

Wildlife faculty member Barbara Clucas has published a paper in the academic journal "Urban Ecosystems" titled "How much is that birdie in my backyard? A cross-continental economic valuation of native urban songbirds." The study presents the first attempt at estimating the economic value of enjoying common native urban songbirds in Seattle, Wash. and Berlin, Germany.

Former Humboldt State University President Rollin Richmond has received the title of President Emeritus by the California State University Board of Trustees. The designation, which commends Richmond’s years of distinguished service, came during the Trustee’s July 22 board meeting.

Text of the resolution is available at the California State University website: http://calstate.edu/bot/agendas/jul14/Plenary.pdf

Molly Shea ('16, Wildlife) recently represented HSU at the Collegiate Sports Sustainability Conference in Boulder, Colorado, where the Waste Reduction and Resource Awareness Program was presented with an award for its high diversion rate in the 2013 Game Day Challenge. The Game Day Challenge is a national competition to promote waste reduction at university and college football games. Shea is coordinator for R.O.S.E., the Reusable Office Supply Exchange on campus.

Professor William Wood was recently interviewed in an _Outside_ magazine article on skunk spray. Wood specializes in chemical ecology, or the way plants and animals use chemicals to convey messages in nature. He is an Emeritus Professor in Chemistry. For the full "article":http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/nature/On-the-Very-Smell….

Psychology Professor William Reynolds has received a lifetime achievement award from the American Psychological Association. The award is granted to those who demonstrate a sustained program of scholarship of exceptional quality throughout their career. For the past 32 years, Reynolds' research has focused in part on developing methods and procedures to assist school psychologists in catching students before they fall in life-threatening ways.

Communication Professor Michael S. Bruner has been appointed to the Editorial Board of the journal, "Argumentation and Advocacy." Bruner joins a group of scholars from across the nation in support of one of the leading communication journals on advocacy, argumentation, debate, public discourse, and public deliberation.

Humberto Montano (Art) has been accepted to the summer 2014 Career Discovery Program at Harvard University, with a full tuition scholarship. His studies will focus on Urban Design. Students spend their time in a stimulating studio environment at the Harvard Graduate School of Design that mirrors a graduate level studio experience. They learn to analyze any challenge from multiple angles, pursuing new ways of thinking and seeking out creative solutions. Humberto will have a chance to work directly with faculty from Harvard's Graduate School of Design and the Rhode Island School of Design as well as notable professionals from the fields of urban design, architecture and planning.

Geology Professor Lori Dengler has been named Chair of the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN) Advisory Committee. CISN is the system that integrates the data inputs from the USGS, California Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, Caltech Seismo Lab, and the California Geological Survey into a seamless interface for rapid dissemination of earthquake information to a broad spectrum of users. CISN software packages are designed for first responders, emergency managers, and critical lifeline organizations. In the next decade, CISN will be taking the lead in implementation of California's Earthquake Early Warning System. More information about CISN is at http://www.cisn.org/

On May 8th, the team received the Honorable Mention (2nd place) award for innovative system design and excellent analysis in the Hydrogen Education Foundation’s 2014 Hydrogen Student Design Contest. The team designed a modular, drop-in hydrogen fueling station that can be installed in under a 7 days, and dispense 5 kg of high pressure hydrogen fuel in under 5 minutes. See http://hydrogencontest.org/ for more details.

Sixteen geography students, along with two faculty members (Chris Haynes and Matthew Derrick), attended the 68th annual meeting of the California Geographical Society, held May 2-4 at Los Angeles City College. Eight of the HSU student geographers, along with Professor Derrick, presented research papers; another five students presented cartography projects or research posters. Marlyn Montgomery was awarded first place in the digital cartography competition for her project titled “Community Cartography in California,” and Will Firch was awarded third place in the research poster competition for his project titled “Urban Geography of a Gold Rush Town: Weaverville, California in 1860.”

Dr. Armeda Reitzel, professor of Communication, will present her paper "Connections in the Co-creation of Identity in Internationally Adopted Youth" at the International Communication Association conference in Seattle, WA May 22-26, 2014. This paper combines Dr. Reitzel's research areas of intercultural communication and adolescent communication.

Bruce A. O'Gara, Professor of Zoology and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, was recently profiled in the Member Spotlight section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) website. Read the full text here: "http://membercentral.aaas.org/blogs/member-spotlight/bruce-o-gara-teach…":http://membercentral.aaas.org/blogs/member-spotlight/bruce-o-gara-teach….

The AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the prestigious scientific journal, Science. The profile entitled "Bruce O’Gara teaches his students how to find an answer" details how Prof. O'Gara works with students in his research laboratory to provide practical training to help them advance in their scientific careers. Featured in the profile is the research of senior Cellular and Molecular Biology major Araik Sinanyan on the endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and its effects on the regeneration of lost body parts of an annelid worm. Also featured in the profile are quotes from HSU graduate Michael Smeaton, who attributes his experiences in O'Gara's laboratory as being an important factor in giving him the confidence to earn a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins and perform postdoctoral work at Cal-Tech and Stanford.

Reggie Blackwell ('14) has landed an NSF Graduate Fellowship to pursue a PhD at Scripps Institute beginning in fall 2014. His project is titled "Invasions within Humboldt Bay California by cryptic species of bryozoans (watersipora spp.) spatial and temporal dominance by three clades."