Research

Humboldt State University's Eugene Novotney, founder of the ever-popular HSU Calypso Band, has been announced as one of five 2006 recipients of the prestigious California State University Wang Family Excellence Award. The other recipients include a versatile innovator in education, a brilliant volcanologist, a classic historian educator, and a renowned scientist.

Faculty, alumni, and students from Humboldt State University's environmental resources engineering department traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico for spring break, implementing a workshop on water reclamation and wetland treatment at Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca (UAJBO).

At the recent World Conference of Natural Resource Modeling, Humboldt State University emeritus mathematics professor Roland Lamberson was honored by the international Resource Modeling Association and named one the first two RMA Fellows -- the highest award offered in this discipline. Robert McKelvey of University of Montana was the other honoree.

Pianist and freshman HSU student Rebekah Downey was the regional winner at this year's California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) state competition. She then competed at the state level, performing the music of Scarlatti, Schumann and Copland, and won second place.

On the subject of Charles Darwin and the Galapagos, most people inevitably picture the archipelago's famed giant tortoises or speciose finches. However, it is a little known fact, even among most biologists, that Darwin's initial evolutionary insights were inspired by neither of these. Rather, it was a much lesser known group of birds -- the Galapagos mockingbirds -- that first captured Darwin's attention and catalyzed his thoughts on the roles of geography and adaptive radiation in producing new species.

A hooked rug made by Susan Higgins, Dean of the College of Professional Studies, won first place in the American Folk Art Museum's international hooked rug contest in New York earlier this month. The theme was "Icons of America."

Mark Larson, professor and chairman of the journalism and mass communication department at Humboldt State University, recently received a Lifetime Achievement award from the California Journalism Education Coalition.

Four Humboldt State faculty members presented their research theories, designs, and results to more than 200 attendees at the first CSU Community-Based Teaching and Research Conference: Creating Knowledge and Building Community on March 3 and 4 at California Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Two Humboldt State University students have received the distinction of winning excellence scholarships from the California Parks and Recreation Society, District I. Both hail from the College of Professional Studies and are majoring in Recreation Administration. Evan Priestly and Kelsey Glass each received $500 scholarships at the CPRS District I officers meeting held on the Humboldt State University campus February 10.

Brent Duncan, Ph.D., professor and director of the school psychology program at Humboldt State University, was the recipient of the California Association of School Psychologists' (CASP) Sandra Goff Memorial Award -- the association's school psychologist of the year award -- for his outstanding contributions and distinguished service to the profession of school psychology.

Suspended by ropes and harnesses, a Humboldt State University botanist explores the canopies of the world's tallest trees. Now, thanks to a new chair -- specifically the Kenneth L. Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology -- he will be able to take this research to new proverbial heights.

Following a recent ceremony, the facility that welcomes new and prospective students to Humboldt State University now honors Franklin B. Rohner.

A story of life high in tall trees is reaching the Big Apple as The New Yorker magazine, in its current edition, profiles Humboldt State University Professor Steve Sillett's research in the canopy of old-growth redwood forests.