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A newly published study in Current Biology is reframing a fundamental question in plant evolution: What made trees possible?

As communities around the globe celebrate World Otter Day on May 27, Cal Poly Humboldt graduate students, now alumni, helped expand scientific understanding of North American river otters and the coastal wetland ecosystems they call home through four research projects.

With the exhilarating cheers of thousands of family members and friends ringing throughout the Redwood Bowl, Cal Poly Humboldt joyfully celebrated the incredible achievements of its Spring Class of 2026 during Commencement ceremonies held Saturday.

For nearly three decades, Cal Poly Humboldt Wildlife Professor Jeff Black and citizen scientists have been quietly documenting the lives of one of the North Coast’s most charismatic residents: river otters.

Continued funding from California Trout (CalTrout) is advancing research to identify climate-resilient habitats in one of Northern California’s most important watersheds, the Eel River.

Cal Poly Humboldt will come alive with innovation, creativity, and discovery during the 13th annual ideaFest on Friday, May 1, as hundreds of students, faculty, and staff showcase the projects they’re most proud of.

The United States is facing a shortage of healthcare workers, a problem especially prevalent in rural regions like the North Coast. 

In a powerful show of community support for students, Cal Poly Humboldt’s fourth annual Giving Day raised $349,167 in just 24 hours.

Cal Poly Humboldt Giving Day returns in its fourth year on Wednesday, April 8, bringing together faculty, staff, alumni, donors, friends, and family for a 24-hour fundraising effort in support of students.

This fall, Cal Poly Humboldt is launching five new academic programs designed to prepare students for high-impact careers. From healthcare to sustainable food systems, the programs address workforce needs across California and the North Coast.

An international team of scientists has discovered a previously unknown species of semi-aquatic rodent living in the cloud forests of Peru.

In response to accelerating climate change and increasing human impacts on California’s landscapes, Cal Poly Humboldt and the U.S. Geological Survey California Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit are leading a major expansion of a statewide biodiversity monitoring effort.

Students in Cal Poly Humboldt’s newly accredited Rangeland Resource Science program placed fifth overall in the 2026 Society for Range Management (SRM) student competition and ranked second among U.S. universities.

Wildfires and power outages caused by vegetation near powerlines have contributed to some of the state’s most destructive fires.

Most shark fossils are just teeth—their cartilage skeletons usually decay long before they can fossilize.

With cheers echoing through Lumberjack Arena and the support of family, friends, and the Humboldt community, nearly 300 Cal Poly Humboldt graduates crossed the stage on Friday, Dec. 19, during Fall Commencement.

This year has been an extraordinary one for Cal Poly Humboldt. It has been a year defined by remarkable discoveries, standout achievements, and meaningful growth across our campus community. From groundbreaking research to national recognition, our students, faculty, staff, and alumni have continued to raise the bar and showcase what Humboldt can accomplish.

The old swath of lawn where the Jensen House once stood is transforming into something extraordinary: a vibrant, living coastal prairie. Soon, this hillside will be home to dozens of native grasses and wildflowers—a space designed to teach, inspire, and restore.

Cal Poly Humboldt will honor its newest graduates at Fall Commencement on Friday, Dec. 19, marking a day of celebration, reflection, and promise.

On a warm August afternoon, on a quiet side street in Arcata, a group of Cal Poly Humboldt students are taking turns swinging a sledgehammer against a small steel plate on the ground. They pause for five seconds and strike again. Five seconds. Another.

Cal Poly Humboldt study in partnership with Save the Redwoods League reveals how second-growth forests respond to modern wildfires and what managers can do to protect them.

Since 2011, Cal Poly Humboldt secured more than $1 billion in external funding, advancing breakthroughs in gene therapy, clean energy, climate science, community health, the arts, and student success programs while providing students hands-on opportunities to shape the future. 

Cal Poly Humboldt is hosting the 2025 Indigenous Peoples Week (IPW) from Saturday, Oct. 11, to Friday, Oct. 17. Events are free and open to the public.

At 4:30 a.m., before the first rays of sun reach the waters surrounding the Galápagos Islands, trillions of phytoplankton drift in the dark, waiting for the light of dawn to trigger photosynthesis—the process that releases oxygen and energy into the ocean and the marine food web.

During an expedition to the Peruvian Andes in 2018, a team of researchers exploring Abiseo River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, made an extraordinary discovery: a previously undocumented species of marsupial.