Outstanding Students of the Year for Outstanding Co-Curricular Contributions:
Geography major Cristina Bauss is being recognized for her accomplishments and her commitment to the discipline of Geography. At the 69th annual meeting of the California Geographic Society, the research she presented earned first place in the Joe Beaton Poster Award Competition. In 2015, Bauss was one of only a handful of undergraduates across the country to participate in the National Geographic Geography Intern Program. She’s also the only HSU student to be inducted as a member of the prestigious Gamma Theta Upsilon, the International Honor Society in Geography.
The recipient of numerous HSU scholarships, Bauss is researching the environmental impacts of illegal cannabis cultivation in Humboldt County. Her work includes GIS-enabled quantitative spatial analysis of digitized aerial photography, cartography for effective geo-visualization, archival research for important historical-geographic context, and critical analysis of official documents.
Academics aside, she mentors other students, assisting them with their research, and is gracious in her feedback. Popular, respected among peers and colleagues, Bauss embodies the community spirit of the Geography Department.
Dylan McClure is a Social Work graduate student and an intern for the Health Education Department. Described as highly intelligent, open-minded, and a creative thinker, McClure is being recognized for his dedication to causes that are significant to the campus community’s health and well-being.
An advocate for transgender rights and inclusivity, he created a comprehensive resource guide for trans and gender non-conforming students and worked with Information Technology Services to make institutional changes, which allow students to use a preferred name in HSU’s student registration software. He created and led a weekly group for transgender students who have experienced discrimination as an HSU student. Plus, he has been working with faculty on the use of appropriate language about gender and gender identity for the campus-wide food and housing insecurity survey.
McClure now serves on the Sexual Assault Prevention Committee and leads conversations about community accountability and healthy masculinity. In addition, Dylan is a guiding force of a nascent educational campaign, Humboldt Haze, which works to expose misconceptions around alcohol and other drugs. He mentors other student leaders and activists, and through his passion for activism, inspires others to get involved.
Other Awards Presented at the April 14 ceremony:
- Excellence in an Academic Discipline: College of Arts Humanities & Social Sciences
Guadalupe Tinoco Oliveros—Sociology and Critical Race, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
- Excellence in an Academic Discipline: College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Lori Jones—Environmental Resources Engineering and Applied Mathematics
- Excellence in an Academic Discipline: College of Professional Studies
Irene Gonzalez-Herrera—Psychology
- Excellence in Sports Clubs
Meredith Conrad-Forrest—Botany
- Excellence in Intercollegiate Athletics
Mariah Smither—Biology
- Outstanding Contribution to an Associated Students Program
Marilyn Liu—International Studies
- Al Elpusan Award for Student Activism
Ivan Soto—Environmental Studies
- Outstanding Contribution to a Student Club, Organization, or Program
Javier Rojas—Journalism
- Excellence in Community Service
Hector Flores—Geology
- Outstanding Achievement in Visual & Performing Arts
Vance Umphrey—Music
- Brian Lorensen Residence Life Staff Award
Jay Ruiz—Critical Race, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
(Recipients of the 2015-16 McConkey Outstanding Graduate Student Awards)
- Nina M. Carson – Kinesiology
- Briana Freshner – Psychology – Academic Research Option
- Manal Mosa Hosawi – Biological Sciences
- Chisa Oros – Environment and Community M.A in Social Science
- May Patiño – Applied Anthropology
- Claudia Voigt – Natural Resources
(HSU’s Outstanding Student Researchers)
- Nina Carson
Graduate candidate in Kinesiology & Recreation Administration
“The Effect of Lean on Running Kinematics and Metabolics”
Faculty advisor: Justus Ortega, Associate Professor, Kinesiology & Recreation Administration
- Christopher De Alba
Undergraduate in Chemistry
“Demonstration of Lead Binding for Bioremediation in Engineered RsaA S-Layer Proteins on C. vibrioides”
Faculty advisor: Jenny Cappuccio, Assistant Professor, Chemistry
- Lee Hecker
Graduate candidate in Biological Sciences
“Habitat Suitability of Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus Oreganus) at Multiple Scales”
Faculty advisor: Sharyn Marks, Professor, Biological Sciences
- Manal Hosawi
Graduate candidate in Biological Sciences
“The JNK/c-Jun Pathway Regulates Potency and OCT4 Expression in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells”
Faculty advisor: Amy Sprowles, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
- Lori Jones
Undergraduate in Environmental Resources Engineering
“Hybrid Osmotically-Driven Desalination Systems to Achieve Water Sustainability: Evaluation with a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model”
Faculty advisor: Andrea Achilli, Assistant Professor, Environmental Resources Engineering
- Joshua Massey
Undergraduate in Chemistry
“Nanodiscs Stabilize Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin for Transcriptional Regulation Studies”
Faculty advisor: Jenny Cappuccio, Assistant Professor, Chemistry
- Gil Spitz
Graduate candidate in Kinesiology & Recreation Administration
“Physical Fitness Characteristics of Local Firefighters and Law Enforcement on the Northern Coast of California”
Faculty advisor: Young Sub Kwon, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology & Recreation Administration
- Anna Welch
Graduate candidate in Kinesiology & Recreation Administration
“Physical Fitness Characteristics of Local Firefighters and Law Enforcement on the Northern Coast of California”
Faculty advisor: Young Sub Kwon, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology & Recreation Administration