Staff Frederick Zechman

Steve Smith, dean of the College of Natural Resources and Sciences, has announced the appointment of Dr. Frederick (Rick) Zechman to be the college’s associate dean, effective July 1. Currently the interim associate dean at the College of Science and Mathematics at CSU Fresno, Zechman is a professor of biology. He earned his Ph.D. in botany at Louisiana State University and his M.S. at the University of New Hampshire. His primary areas of research are molecular phylogenetics, biogeography ecology and biodiversity of marine and freshwater organisms. Zechman will succeed professor of mathematics Dale Oliver, who will continue as interim associate dean until July 1.

Faculty William F. Wood Chemistry

On Jan. 26, 2012, Professor Wood presented a worldwide American Chemical Society WebinarTM to 500 participants titled: Chemistry Stinks! And How Nature Uses These Noxious Chemicals. The webinar consisted of a 20 minute presentation of his research on skunks, giraffes, garter snakes, wolverines and weasels followed by 30 minutes of questions and answers from the audience. The program was moderated by Professor Darren Griffin, University of Kent, UK. In the future, this ACS Webinar will be available for viewing at http://acswebinars.org/.

Student Ginger Fletcher-Santillan, Ana Kolpin Environmental Resources Engineering

Students Ginger Fletcher-Santillan and Ana Kolpin recently received a mention on MAKE Magazine’s blog (http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2012/01/solar-heater-from-can-lids-and…) for their "parabolic solar cooker":http://www.appropedia.org/Parabolic_basket_and_tin_can_solar_cooker. The frame for the solar cooker was made by weaving together invasive blackberry canes. Recycled tin can lids provided the reflective surface. “I like to see the clever thinking that can result from radical design constraints,” says Sean Michael Ragan, the MAKE contributor in his "review of the project":http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2012/01/solar-heater-from-can-lids-and…. A clearinghouse for do-it-yourself projects and tips, MAKE is a quarterly publication, that is part magazine, part book, which celebrates the independent mindset.

Student Kyle French Geology

Geology professor Sue Cashman and Kyle French (’11, Geology) have received a mention in the third edition of Structural Geology of Rocks and Regions, a collegiate, structural geology textbook. The text explores the on-the-ground research conducted by undergraduates in Cashman’s structural geology class, as they assess damage to Ferndale Cemetery caused by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that struck off the North Coast in January, 2010. In his senior thesis, French took that research further by comparing the directions of the toppled grave-site monuments to the likely direction of the seismic waves that caused the damage.

Alumni Jon Forrest Dohlin Biological Sciences

Jon Forrest Dohlin ('92, Biology), is currently working on a new shark exhibit at the New York Aquariam. Dohlin was named director of the aquarium in 2008. He pursued a master's degree in architecture at Parson School for Design. There, he focused on sustainable and green building. Dohlin was able to combine his love for both fields working as a designer for the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Read an "article":http://thelumberjack.org/news/alumnus-big-new-york-hsu-graduate-becomes… on Dohlin in HSU's student newspaper, "The Lumberjack":http://thelumberjack.org/home.

Student Leah Sloan Biological Sciences

Leah Sloan, graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences, recently tied for first place for the Best Student Poster Award at the recent Western Society of Naturalists meeting held in Vancouver, Washington. The title of her poster was: "The Bane of Bullfrogs: Population Structure of Western Pond Turtles (Emys marmorata) in Lentic Habitats Along the Trinity River."

Faculty Morgan Varner, Kenneth Fulgham Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

The Northern California Prescribed Fire Council met in Humboldt County on Nov. 16 and 17. The first day was spent as a field tour looking at prescribed fire use in Redwood National Park for maintaining vegetation structure of grassland and oak woodland ecosystems. The second day was held at River Lodge in Fortuna where Drs. Morgan Varner and Kenneth Fulgham attended. Varner is the Council Chairman and provided the Opening Remarks to about 70 attendees. The mission of the NorCal Prescribed Fire Council is to provide a venue for practitioners, state and federal agencies, academic institutions, tribes, coalitions and interested individuals to work collaboratively to promote, protect, conserve and expand the responsible use of prescribed fire in Northern California’s fire-adapted landscapes. More information can be found at: "norcalrxfirecouncil.org":http://www.norcalrxfirecouncil.org and at "prescribedfire.net":http://www.prescribedfire.net.

Student Phil Choan, Aaron Spidal, Sam Aguilar, Amy Trost and Brian Fagundas Wildlife

HSU Wildlife students Phil Chaon, Aaron Spidal, Sam Aguilar, Amy Trost and Brian Fagundas have won the 2011 National Wildlife Quizbowl at the Annual Meeting of The Wildlife Society. Teams from across the nation competed, and the competition was fierce with several "down to the wire" matches. Second place went to Virginia Tech, Purdue captured third, and the University of Montana came in fourth.

HSU is unique at this meeting of 1300 wildlife professionals because it has such a large number of undergraduates attending the meeting.

Faculty Walter G. Duffy, Sharon N. Kahara and Rosemary Records

Dr. Walter Duffy, Dr. Sharon Kahara and Research Associate Rosemary Records co-edited a U.S. Geological Survey technical report titled "Conservation Effects Assessment Project—Wetlands Assessment in California’s Central Valley and Upper Klamath River Basin."

The report covers results of an empirical study of ecosystem services provided by restored wetlands under the Wetlands Reserve Program and was funded by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. Ecosystem services assessed included soil and vegetation nutrient content, soil loss reduction, floodwater storage as well as avian, amphibian, fish and pollinator use and habitat availability.

Faculty Kenneth Fulgham Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Humboldt State Professor of Rangeland Resources Kenneth Fulgham, chair of the Forestry & Wildland Resources Department, has been elected director of the board of directors of the Society for Range Management. Fulgham’s three-year term starts in February, 2012. The professional society supports conservation and sustainable management of rangelands, which comprise nearly half of all the lands on earth. Fulgham is also second vice-president of The Buckeye, a local advocacy organization for working landscape. Additional information about the Society for Range Management is posted at "rangelands.org":http://rangelands.org/.

Faculty Han-Sup Han Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Two research papers were recently published in Western Journal of Applied Forestry. One paper deals with utilization of small-diameter logs generated as a result of fuel reduction thinning treatments. This topic has been an issue for many rural towns in the US West. The title of this paper is “Financial Feasibility of a Log Sort Yard Handling Small-Diameter Logs: A Preliminary Study.” The other paper addresses a spreadsheet-based tool to estimate road construction costs. The software will be loaded onto the department web site. The title of this paper is “ACCEL: Spreadsheet-Based Cost Estimation for Forest Road Construction”.

Faculty William Wood Chemistry

An article titled “The Triangle in Photographic Composition,” and four of his photographs were published in the October issue of Redwood Snapshots, a publication of the Redwood Camera Club.

The article explores the field of Gestalt psychology for possible reasons why the triangular form enhances photographic composition. Gestalt psychology explains why people perceive visual components as organized patterns or wholes, instead of many different parts. The generation of triangular images where none exist is a major illustration of the Gestalt theory. This helps explain why photographs that contain triangular forms can have higher impact than those that don’t.

Faculty Dr. Morgan Varner Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Dr. Morgan Varner was nominated for and accepted an Associate Editor position with the journal, Forest Science. Forest Science is the premiere journal of The Society of American Foresters.

Student Alexis Ollar Environmental Science & Management

Alexis Ollar was awarded the 2011-2012 Student Schloarship for applied research in the environmental sector, from the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) Bay Area Chapter. The scholarship was awarded for thesis work in the Environment & Community Program and Geospatial Science Graduate Certificate. The thesis was GIS work in sustainable foodsheds, food security analysis and participatory mapping exercises in Humboldt County. You can find Ollar's bio and scholarship information at http://sfbayaep.org/students.htm.

Faculty Kenneth O. Fulgham, Gary Rynearson Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Dr. Kenneth O. Fulgham, chair of HSU’s Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources, and Forestry and Wildland lecturer Gary Rynearson have been elected to key posts of the Buckeye Conservancy, a northern California group of family farm, ranch, and forest landowners and resource managers that promotes the ecological health and economic sustainability of natural resources and open space in family ownership. Fulgham, also professor of rangeland resources, is second vice president, and Rynearson is first vice president. The conservancy can be reached at www.buckeyeconservancy.org.

Student Jasmine Westbrook Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Rangeland Resources Science major Jasmine Westbrook won the $1,000 Paul Zinke Memorial Scholarship Award at this summer’s 30th Anniversary California Forest Soils Council meeting near Mt. Shasta. Westbrook is a double major in molecular and cellular biology and is minoring in chemistry. She was raised on a Napa Valley sheep ranch and has been working the past few summer for Six Rivers National Forest. She joins four past HSU Zinke Award winners: Barbara Witmore (’05), M.S. New Mexico State University, currently employed by the Bureau of Land Management; Rosemary Records (’06) now in a Ph.D. program at Colorado State University; Sarah Schuette (‘09), starting a Ph.D. program at Washington State University Spring 2012; and Allison Rofe, who will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Rangeland Resources Science in 2012.

Faculty Lori Dengler, Bud Burke Geology

Professors Lori Dengler and Bud Burke are among the scientists featured in a new book about the Cascadia Subduction Zone published by HarperCollins in Canada and Counterpoint Press in the U.S. in April 2011. Cascadia’s Fault is a history and a cautionary tale of the West Coast’s most dangerous place—and the scientists who are solving its deadly mysteries.

Student Melissa Dougherty Biological Sciences

Melissa Dougherty participated as an intern with the Humboldt State Marine Mammal Education and Research Program (MMERP) this summer. One of the projects that she was involved with was observing the Gray Whales in the Klamath River.

"Being able to spend an extended amount of time observing these animals gave me a whole new appreciation for marine mammals. Specifically, watching the interactions between mother and offspring is something that I'll never forget," she says. "As an added bonus, I also had the chance to observe throngs of excited sightseers. Seeing how one animal can unite so many disparate people was pretty amazing."

Student Lisa Voelker Biological Sciences

Lisa Voelker received the Lee Hartwell Poster Award "in recognition of contributing to innovative research, delivering an outstanding presentation, and creating an exceptional visual arrangement for a scientific poster" at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program competitive poster session for her work on the molecular basis of electrical synapse formation.

Faculty Alison Purcell O'Dowd Environmental Science & Management

Alison Purcell O'Dowd co-authored a chapter in _Fluvial Geomorphology_, entitled "Urbanization in river systems," as part of a series put out by the Geological Society of America called "Treatise on Geomorphology."