Latest Achievements

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

Submit an Achievement

Dan Aldag, Chris Cox, Ronite Gluck, Fred Tempas, Music

The North Coast Brass Ensemble (HSU faculty members Dan Aldag, Chris Cox, Ronite Gluck, and Fred Tempas, along with Tom Hyde) recently presented a live stream performance on Facebook, which has been viewed over 450 times. The performance can be seen at https://www.facebook.com/arcatapresbyterian/videos/537167707385791

Kushal Adhikari, Clifford B Fedler, Alireza Asadi, Environmental Resources Engineering

Adhikari (ERE Faculty) and researchers from Texas Tech University recently published an article on design configuration and flow dynamics of Pond-In-Pond (PIP) wastewater treatment system for reuse. The findings showed that the PIP offers more advantage over traditional ponds and thus may be a potential alternative to existing treatment systems. For more information, please refer to:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2021.07.012
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2019.103523
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2020.101281

James M Floss, Communication

After 21 months of delays, James Floss, Lecturer Emeritus of the Communication Department and ERFSA member opened a successful production of Lucas Hnath’s A DOLL’S HOUSE PART 2, a Tony award winning play, at the Western Stage in Salinas, CA. The Western Stage is a program of Hartnell College: https://www.westernstage.com/studioplaybill

Paul Cummings, Karen Davy, Daniela Mineva, Cindy Moyer, Garrick Woods, Music

As COVID rules have allowed, Music faculty have returned to performing. Paul Cummings, Karen Davy, Daniela Mineva, and Garrick Woods participated in the Trinidad Bay Arts and Music Festival (as did alumna, Richard Rios, and current student, Makani Bright). The Arcata Bay String Quartet (Cindy Moyer, Karen Davy, Sherry Hanson, Garrick Woods) performed on the Opus Chamber Music Series in Mendocino.

Tani Sebro, Jordan Hallbauer, Politics

Tani Sebro published the chapter “Tourism Otherwise? The Touristic Mobilities of South-South Travel” in Tourism Geopolitics: Assemblages of Infrastructure, Affect, and Imagination (University of Arizona Press, 2021); which was co-authored with her former student, Jordan Hallbauer, and based on ethnographic fieldwork with migrant travelers along the Nicaragua-Costa Rica and Thai-Myanmar borders.

Frank Fogarty, Wildlife

Frank Fogarty (Wildlife) published a new paper on utilizing point count data to estimate the abundance of mobile animals in Ecological Indicators. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21008359

Sophia Lemmo, Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Sophia Lemmo (MS student in Forestry) was awarded a $1500 scholarship from the North Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society for her study of regional forest mortality and regeneration.

Sophia Lemmo, Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Sophia Lemmo (MS student in Forestry) was awarded a $1000 Northern California Botanists Research Scholarship for her study of regional forest mortality and regeneration.

Joshua Frye & Samantha Stone, Communication

Joshua Frye (Communication) and alumna Samantha Stone (Environmental Studies) recently published a co-authored chapter in the Palgrave Handbook of International Communication and Sustainable Development. Frye & Stone contributed a case study examining the ideological framing of the global food sovereignty movement and juxtapose with global food policy convergence around food security. The book is a major resource for stakeholders interested in understanding the role of communication in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The handbook seeks to enrich understanding of communication for development and proposes crucial policy interventions.

Robert Cliver, History

Prof. Robert Cliver (History) published an article this week in the French journal Entrerprises et Histoire titled "Factory management in Chinese capitalist enterprises in the 1950s. The case of the Shanghai silk weaving industry labor-capital consultative conference." https://www.cairn.info/revue-entreprises-et-histoire-2021-2-page-36.htm?contenu=article

Gregg Gold, Erick Eschker, Joshua Zender, Psychology, Economics, Business

Gregg Gold, Psychology, and Co-PI Erick Eschker, Economics, along with Joshua Zender from Business have been awarded $465,000 from the State of California to evaluate, enhance, and promote legal, safe, and equitable innovation in the cannabis industry. This two-year project, which begins this fall, will open the door to those currently underrepresented in the cannabis industry who can then serve as role models and mentors for others in their community.

Christina Hsu Accomando, English

Christina Hsu Accomando, professor of English and Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies, presented a June 17 Macmillan Learning webinar: "Teaching Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory during Pandemic, Protest and Backlash." In the wake of last year's global protests against systemic racism, we saw increased interest in structural inequities, as well as efforts to silence discussions of racism and ban Critical Race Theory. The webinar addressed how critical concepts from Ethnic Studies and CRT can inform classroom teaching and DEI work. https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/product/Race-Class-and-Gender-in-the-United-States-An-Integrated-Study/p/1319143652

Dr. Gil Cline, Music

Dr. Gil Cline (Emeritus, Music Department) presented a virtual paper on May 24 for the 2021 Symposium of the Historic Brass Society. In a 20-minute video, he shared findings relating to mysteries of eliciting tones considered spurious from historic trumpets used in the music of Bach and contemporaries. Current research involves the single slide trumpet, hand technique trumpet, and mute techniques. Included in the video are recordings of HSU's Trumpet Consort von Humboldt and the trio Fantini Consort von Humboldt. Access via Youtube with search keywords : " HBS 2021 Cline: Fantini's Tromba Sordina" or URL :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX9DRrLHLNM

Enoch Hale, Center for Teaching & Learning

Enoch Hale, Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning, co-hosted a webinar with Jean Bailey, VCU Medical School, to discuss hybrid and HyFlex learning. They consider how it will play an integral role in the future of higher education, particularly as it relates to student engagement, faculty support & development, and institutional leadership. The webinar, presented by Class and Inside Higher Education, can be viewed here: https://go.class.com/od-ihe-webinar-hyflex-register/?utm_source=marketo&utm_campaign=od-webinar-ihe-hyflex&utm_medium=house-email&utm_content=webinar&mkt_tok=NDcwLUNFRi0wNzEAAAF_RnzkUwcXNp5O8viBAyxt0ddhnezBPphpRhixLK4WYZSvkk7EvEEUO5U-fKPTZF4Dvlt9ydEPZmo1NZirkJb96t_iCPHD7SUaN1EkP8Rl

Jill Beckmann, Rosemary Sherriff, Lucy Kerhoulas, and Jeff Kane , Forestry and Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis

Jill Beckmann (MS student in Forestry), Rosemary Sherriff (Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis), Lucy Kerhoulas (Forestry), and Jeff Kane (Forestry) published a paper in Forest Ecology and Management: "Douglas-fir encroachment reduces drought resistance in Oregon white oak of northern California." (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112721006332)

Kevin Soland, Lucy Kerhoulas, Nick Kerhoulas, and Jason Teraoka, Foresty and Wildlife

Kevin Soland (MS student in Forestry), Lucy Kerhoulas (Forestry), Nick Kerhoulas (Wildlife), and Jason Teraoka (Redwood National Park) published a paper in Forest Ecology and Management: "Second-growth redwood forest responses to restoration treatments." (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112721004588)

Frank Shaughnessy, Susannah Ferson, Adam Frimodig, Daniel Barton, Mathew Hurst, Jeffrey Black, Biological Sciences

Students and faculty from several departments have been studying the effects that grazing by brant geese have on a widespread marine plant, eelgrass, which provides numerous ecosystem services within estuaries. Using an experimental approach, they found that brant enable greater productivity and sexual reproduction of eelgrass, therefore potentially contributing to ecosystem resilience.

https://esajournals-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.humboldt.edu/doi/10…

Sara K. Sterner, Education

Sara K. Sterner, Education, was recently selected as a Timothy & Cynthia Shanahan Outstanding Dissertation Award Finalist for her dissertation entitled: A Post-intentional Phenomenological Exploration of Reading Whitely. This award, from the International Literacy Association (ILA), is given annually for a dissertation completed in reading or literacy.

Alison O'Dowd, Environmental Science & Management

ESM Professor Alison O'Dowd and co-authors published a paper in River Research & Applications entitled 'Toward natural approaches in restoration: Experiments of co-evolving physical and biological structures in a self-organizing step-pool channel.' The article is available in open access at https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3851

Jasper Oshun, Geology

Jasper won a 3-year National Science Foundation GEOPATHS Award ($145,352). This education award links faculty and students at SDSU, CSUS, and HSU and is titled 'Collaborative Research: Developing a diverse hydrology workforce through an undergraduate hydrological research experience in a coastal California watershed'. The award provides opportunities for 10 rising sophomores per year to participate in course and summer immersion focused on interdisciplinary water science, hydrology field techniques, and the challenges of water management. A primary goal is to build community across 3 CSU campuses and train a diverse cohort of hydrologists to inform water management in California.

Jill Beckmann, Rosemary Sherriff, Lucy Kerhoulas, Jeff Kane, Geography

Jill Beckmann (MS 2019), Rosemary Sherriff, Lucy Kerhoulas and Jeff Kane published a new paper on conifer encroachment on oak woodland drought resistance in Forest Ecology and Management: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119543

Elton, Robb & Moore, A., Native American Studies

Humboldt State University and Northcentral University Doctoral Student, Robb Elton, and 20-year (retired) Marine Corps veteran, Amy Moore — both Chippewa Cree members from bands in Montana and North Dakota respectively — recently published their Preprint:
"Revelation of Typology in Historical Native American Leadership: Implications for Contemporary Praxes" at SSRN electronic journal for feedback and those interested in leadership, management and Indigenous Studies. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3906996

Jasper Oshun, Margaret Lang, Yojana Miraya Oscco (M.A. 2018, Env. & Comm.), Geology

Jasper, Margaret and Yojana (along with Kristina Keating of Rutgers University, Newark) published 'Interdisciplinary Water Development in the Peruvian Highlands: The Case for Including the Coproduction of Knowledge in Socio-Hydrology' in a special issue of Hydrology focused on Socio-Hydrology. The article highlights the interdisciplinary and collaborative research, novel educational model involving applied and place-based student learning, environmental leadership, and service to the community of Zurite of the Bonanza en los Andes project.

The article can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/8/3/112

Joshua Frye, Communication

Joshua Frye, Communication, and Rebekah Fox (Texas State University), recently published a co-authored article in Frontiers in Science and Environmental Communication. The article is a case-study of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and its satellite contemporary art space the Momentary, which partnered with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and over 30 additional partner organizations to pivot their existing outreach services. In this case study, we identify lessons learned that might be useful for other organizations who seek to foster meaningful engagement with the public, especially in times of crisis.

Vincent Biondo, Religious Studies

Vincent Biondo has co-authored two articles and co-edited two volumes for Bloomsbury, Islam in North America and Islam: The Basics, including articles by campus colleagues Heather Madar (Art) and Joseph Dieme (WLC).

May Patiño, Anthropology

Anthropology instructor May Patiño is among 25 faculty and staff from Hispanic-Serving Institutions who were named "USDA 2021 E. Kika De La Garza Fellows":https://www.morningagclips.com/usda-selects-2021-class-of-e-kika-de-la-…. This summer fellowship program offers experiences in policymaking and research through direct interaction with every USDA agency.

Armeda C. Reitzel, Communication

The CSU Chancellor's Office has invited Armeda Reitzel to serve as a facilitator for its Advanced Quality Learning and Teaching (QLT) course for CSU faculty during the summer of 2021.

Geneviève Marchand, School of Applied Health

Dr. Geneviève Marchand, Kinesiology and Recreation Administration, published a paper "Social Class Considerations in Outdoor Leadership Education" as part of the journal New Directions for Student Leadership special issue Leadership through the Lens of Social Class.
https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20425

Jasper Oshun & Margaret Lang, Geology

Dr.’s Oshun (Geology), Lang (ERE), and Keating (geophysics, Rutgers University -Newark) won a $266,034, 3-year award from NSF’s International Research Experiences for Students program to engage a diverse set of students from two HSI’s in water resources development in the Andes of Perú. Students from HSU, RUN and Peruvian universities will participate in an interdisciplinary curriculum, which includes a preparatory semester of virtual learning, 5-weeks of field work in Perú and faculty guided independent research. The project will blend western scientific, Indigenous, and nature-based approaches of water resources management to inform best practices of sustainable water development.

Sara J Hart, Religious Studies

Sara Jaye Hart (Religious Studies) has been accepted to the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Summer Institute for Faculty, on Teaching Peace in the 21st Century.

Viri Macias, Ana Sammel, Emma Villegas, Bori Mazzag, Kamila Larripa, Mathematics

Viri Macias, Ana Sammel and Emma Villegas presented their mathematical work at the CSU PUMP Symposium. Viri presented a model for calcium signaling and Ana and Emma presented a model for COVID-19 and immune cell interactions. The projects were mentored by Bori Mazzag and Kamila Larripa.

Kamila Larripa, Mathematics

Kamila Larripa was selected to conduct research at the American Institute of Mathematics in June. She and collaborators will build stochastic models for immune cell dynamics.

Arianna Thobaben and Jessica Citti, Learning Center

Arianna Thobaben (Supplemental Instruction / Learning Center) and Jessica Citti (Writing Studio / Learning Center) facilitated a workshop called "Breaking the Virtual Ice: Online Tools and Activities to Build Community Among Student Staff and Beyond" at the Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA) 46th Annual Conference (April 2021).

Dr. Gordon Ulmer, Anthropology

Anthropology Assistant Professor Dr. Gordon Ulmer was recently awarded a grant from the HSU-ERFSA for his proposal "Socioecologies of Human-Wildlife Interactions in Northern California". His project will utilize a range of methods from anthropology (ethnography), ecology (habitat analysis), and wildlife studies (camera trap surveys) to investigate how residents in Northern California perceive, describe, and take action on issues involving wildlife.

Katie Piper, Jessica Janecek, Jared Whear, Faith Rehagen, Michael Flynn, Geography

HSU GESA Students Sweep the Awards at CGS:
McKnight Professional Paper Award (undergraduate), 1st place: KATIE PIPER, “Nature’s spigot: Bofedal presence in the Peruvian Andes Mountain Range”
2nd place: JESSICA JANECEK, “Placing memory, preserving individual stories amid myth: The Humboldt Cannabis Oral History Project”
McKnight Professional Paper Award (graduate), 1st place: JARED WHEAR, “The Las Vegas water grab is dead: Prior appropriation water law at its best?” (HSU Geography, 2012; PhD candidate in Geography, Syracuse)
Professional Paper Cartographic Award (undergraduate), 1st place: FAITH REHAGEN, “The Baja California Peninsula”
2nd place: MICHAEL FLYNN, “California fire map”

FWR Students, Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Congratulations to our 2021 Forestry and Wildland Resources Department scholarship recipients! At the annual (Zoom) awards banquet, over $50,000 in scholarships were distributed thanks to the generosity of alumni and other donors.

A new scholarship for Soils and Botany students was created to honor Aidan Leaf Mullin, who planned to attend HSU in 2020 but passed away unexpectedly. The scholarship will support students who exemplify Aidan’s spirit and ideals.

Special congratulations to Department award winners: Cameron Miller (Professional Promise), Judson Fisher (Academic Excellence), Allyssa Glaser (Outstanding Range Student), and Dr. Aaron Hohl (Outstanding Faculty Member).

Sarah Green, Libbi Miller, Heather Ballinger, James Woglom, Education

Sarah Green, Libbi Miller, Heather Ballinger (School of Education), and James Woglom (Department of Art) presented "Expanding Equity Through Reducing Barriers: Applying Improvement Science to Justice in Teacher Preparation Application Processes"at the 2021 Carnegie Summit on Improvement in Education.

Michael Flynn, Geography

Senior Geography major Michael Flynn earned second place for undergraduate cartography for his map “California Fire Map” at the 2021 conference of the California Geographical Society (CGS), held April 23-25.

Faith Rehagen, Geography

Senior Geography major Faith Rehagen earned prize for undergraduate cartography for her map "The Baja California Peninsula" at the 2021 conference of the California Geographical Society (CGS), held April 23-25.

Jessica Janecek, Geography

Sophomore Geography major Jessica Janecek earned second place for undergraduate research presentation for her paper "Placing Memory, Preserving Individual Stories Amid Myth: The Humboldt Cannabis Oral History Project" at the 2021 conference of the California Geographical Society (CGS), held April 23-25.

Katie Piper, Geography

Senior Geography major Katie Piper took top prize for undergraduate research presentation for her paper "Nature’s Spigot: Bofedal Presence in the Peruvian Andes Mountain Range" at the 2021 conference of the California Geographical Society (CGS), held April 23-25.

Jasper Oshun, Geology

Jasper Oshun received a Fulbright Award to teach hydrogeology at a university in Lima and conduct water resources research in collaborations with communities in the region of Cusco. The teaching and research will occur between February and July of 2022.

Arianna Thobaben and Jessica Citti, Learning Center

Arianna Thobaben (Supplemental Instruction / Learning Center) and Jessica Citti (Writing Studio / Learning Center) facilitated a workshop titled, "Breaking the Virtual Ice: Online Tools and Activities to Build Community Among Student Staff and Beyond,"
at the Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA) virtual conference on April 23.

Joshua Frye, Communication

Joshua Frye, Communication, was recently invited to join the Advisory Board for Windlift, Inc. Windlift is a sustainable wind-energy research and development firm developing airborne power generation (APG) technology.

Kerry Byrne (ESM), Kellie Jo Brown (Marcomm), Environmental Science & Management

Kerry Byrne, Assistant Professor (ESM) published a paper in the journal Rangeland Ecology and Management entitled "Technical Note: A Rapid Method to Estimate Root Production in Grasslands, Shrublands, and Forests." Many thanks to Kellie Jo Brown (HSU Marketing and Communications) for taking excellent photographs for this paper.
See the abstract here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2021.02.004

Armeda Reitzel, Communication

Armeda Reitzel participated as a judge for group exhibits at the 2021 California State National History Day event held virtually throughout the state of California on April 18, 2021.

Samantha Kelly, Cessair McKinney, Environmental Science & Management

Sam Kelly (Environmental Science and Management Senior) and Cessair McKinney (December 2020 Environmental Science and Management graduate) presented their capstone research project at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Their talk was titled "Innovation in Restoration: Estimating Seed Counts Using a Photography App." Read their published abstract here: https://apps.cur.org/ncur2021/search/Display_NCUR.aspx?id=112796

Berit Potter, Art + Film

Berit Potter (Art) was interviewed for the short documentary "Mosaic is Light" produced on the occasion of the exhibition “Mosaic is Light: Work by Jeanne Reynal, 1940 - 1970,” at Eric Firestone Gallery, NYC. She also contributed an essay to the exhibition's catalogue. "Mosaic is Light" has been featured in "4 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now" in The New York Times, Artnet: Editor's Pick, and "Goings On About Town" in The New Yorker. The documentary is available here: https://vimeo.com/520124010/4713b27be6

Bridget Opperman, Kamila Larripa, Mathematics

Math student Bridget Opperman will present a research poster on "Mathematical Analysis of Virus-Immune Dynamics and Implications for Treatment" at the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research.

AmyK Conley, Education

Education lecturer presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Conference her research "Creating the future of California’s teacher preparation of literacy instruction together after RICA" in a paper session “Exploring Models of Literacy Instruction” on April 12.