Faculty Steve Martin and Kristen Pope Environmental Science & Management

Steven Martin and recent graduate student Kristen Pope published a peer-reviewed article based on Kristen's thesis research in the current issue of _International Journal of Wilderness_. Visitor Perceptions of Technology, Risk and Rescue in Wilderness. _International Journal of Wilderness_ 17(2):19-26,48.

Faculty C.D. Hoyle Physics & Astronomy

C.D. Hoyle, Associate Professor of Physics, has received a 2-year award from the National Science Foundation to support student research in the HSU Gravitational Research Laboratory. Experiments in the laboratory are designed to test Einstein's theory of General Relativity at unprecedented levels as well as search for possible evidence of quantum gravity and dark energy.

Alumni Ken Pimlott Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Ken Pimlott, 45, of Cameron Park, has been appointed director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). He has served in multiple resource management and fire protection positions with the department since 1993 and has served as acting director since 2010. Pimlott began his career as a seasonal fire fighter in 1987 and is a Registered Professional Forester. Pimlott received an Associate of Arts degree in Fire Technology from American River College, and a Bachelor’s degree in Forest Resource Management from Humboldt State University.

Student Soil Scientists Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Five of six Humboldt State University students (83%) passed the rigorous “Fundamentals of Soil Science” exam offered on April 15, 2011, becoming Associate Professional Soil Scientists, according to tests results from the Council of Soil Science Examiners.

Ten Wildland Soils and four Forest Soils students graduated from Humboldt State University in 2011. Five Rangeland Resource Science students also graduated, one of whom had sufficient soil science courses to be qualified for the federal Soil Scientist position. This means that Humboldt State University graduated 15 fully qualified Soil Scientists, more qualified students than most institutions have enrolled at any given time!

Student Du Cheng, Jianmin Zhong Biological Sciences

Du Cheng, a HSU Cellular/Molecular Biology major undergraduate student attended the 111th American Society for Microbiology General Meeting as an invited speaker. He gave an oral presentation titled:"The Rickettsia Species in Ixodes pacificus is Transmitted by Transovarial and Transstadial Transmissions" in session "The Best and Brightest in Diagnostic Microbiology and Epidemiology I" at 5:00pm, May 23,2011 in New Orleans. Du's mentor Dr. Jianmin Zhong of Department of Biological Sciences also attended this meeting.

http://gm.asm.org/index.php/scientific-program/daily-schedule/monday-ma…

Faculty William Wood Chemistry

William Wood published a report on the identification of 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine from the scent glands of male pronghorn antelope. Previously, this hazel nut odor compound has only been identified from plants and is likely used in territorial marking by these animals.

2-Ethyl-3-methylpyrazine in the subauricular and median glands of pronghorn, Antilocapra americana. William F. Wood. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 39, 159-169 (2011).

  Lauren Adabie, Ben Adams, Travis Clohessy, John Hunter, Blair Kinser, Izzy Konopa, Kendra Miers, Ryan Seng, and Zak Stanko Environmental Resources Engineering

After not participating in the competition for over 10 years, the HSU-Environmental Resources Engineering team returned to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Mid Pacific Regional Conference Water Treatment competition to claim the top prize. Student team members included Lauren Adabie, Ben Adams, Travis Clohessy, John Hunter, Blair Kinser, Izzy Konopa, Kendra Miers, Ryan Seng, and Zak Stanko.

Using engineering principles, students were tasked with treating “polluted” water for common water quality problems in a timed, competitive setting. Designs were scored on cost, speed, efficiency, final water quality as well as an accompanying presentation and report. The HSU-ERE team had an outstanding performance, beating the second place team by 30 points.

Student Nicolas Ramirez, Jason Barnes, Brian Huggett and Chantell Royer

Four HSU Geospatial Science graduate students, Nicolas Ramirez (Environmental Science and Management), Jason Barnes (Environmental Science and Management), Brian Huggett (Forestry and Wildland Resources) and Chantell Royer (Forestry and Wildland Resources), were awarded a top prize of $25,000 in the annual Economic Fuel competition on April 29 at the Warfinger Building. Their winning concept Humboldt Cartography, a geospatial planning solutions firm, will offer mapping and spatial analysis solutions to business, federal, state, and local agencies. Their planned operations include cartographic design, and geographic information services including database development and management, geospatia

Student Rosalinda Gonzalez, Daniel Hernandez, and Jeremy Rude Environmental Science & Management

Environmental Science students Rosalinda Gonzalez, Daniel Hernandez, and Jeremy Rude have all been awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for graduate study next year. The students receive $30,000 per year stipend and $10,500 cost of education allowance for three years at any institution in the US.

Student Lauren Adabie, Ben Adams, Travis Clohessy, John Hunter, Blair Kinser, Izzy Konopa, Kendra Miers, Ryan Seng, and Zak Stanko Environmental Resources Engineering

The Environmental Resources Engineering team claimed the top prize at the American Society of Civil Engineers Mid Pacific Regional Conference Water Treatment competition. The HSU-ERE team had an outstanding performance and a first place win over eight other university teams including UC Berkeley and UC Davis. Students were tasked with treating “polluted” water for common water quality problems in a timed, competitive setting. Designs were scored on cost, speed, efficiency, final water quality as well as an accompanying presentation and report. Local sponsors include ASCE North Coast Chapter, LACO Associates, Pierson’s, Winzler & Kelly and the President’s office.

Faculty Lori Dengler Geology

Lori Dengler presented a paper "The Effects of the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami on the California Coastline" (with 22 co-authors including HSU Geology grad student Amanda Admire) at the Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee April 15.

Faculty Lori Dengler, Hans Abramson-Ward, Carrie Garrison-Laney, Gary Carver Geology

Lori Dengler, HSU Geology alums Hans Abramson-Ward and Carrie Garrison Laney, and Geology emeritus professor Gary Carver were co-authors with Curt Peterson and Ken Cruikshank on a paper "Evaluation of the use of paleotsunami deposits to reconstruct inundation distance and runup heights associated with prehistoric inundation events, Crescent City, southern Cascadia margin" in the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. (DOI:10.1002/esp.2126)

Student Ryan Ziels Environmental Resources Engineering

Ryan Ziels, Environmental Resources Engineering major, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for graduate study next year. Ryan will receive $30,000 per year stipend and $10,500 cost of education allowance for three years at any institution in the US. Ryan will be pursuing his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington.

Student Rick Bailey, Jason Crowley, Patrick Fox, Brenda Howell, Sam Speet, Zak Stanko Environmental Resources Engineering

Again this year, two HSU Environmental Resources Engineering teams entered the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP) Mathematical Modeling Contest. The contest ran from February 10 to February 14, 2011, with over 3,500 teams competing from U.S. and foreign universities.

One team, consisting of Patrick Fox, Sam Speet and Jason Crowley, addressed the problem of determining the shape of a snowboard course (“halfpipe”) to maximize the production of “vertical air” by a skilled snowboarder. This team competed against 2,775 other teams and was awarded a "Successful Participant" ranking.

The other team, consisting of Zak Stanko, Brenda Howell and Rick Bailey, chose to address whether the widespread use of electric vehicles is feasible and practical. This team competed against 735 other teams, and received the highest award, "Outstanding Winner," one of just six teams to be honored with this designation.

More information on the Math Modeling Contest can be found at http://www.comap.com/undergraduate/contests/mcm/contests/2011/results/#c.

Student Zak Stanko, Brenda Howell, Rick Bailey Environmental Resources Engineering

HSU ERE students Zak Stanko, Brenda Howell, and Rick Bailey received the highest award, "Outstanding Winner" in the 2011 Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP) Mathematical Modeling Contest. They were one of just six teams to be honored with this designation for their category. The contest ran from Feb. 10-14, 2011, with over 3,500 teams competing from US and Foreign universities. The team developed a model of the environmental, social, economic, and health impacts of the widespread use of electric vehicles and detailed key factors to consider to support the development and use of these vehicles.

Faculty Lori Dengler Geology

The paper "Effects of Harbor Modification on Crescent City, California’s Tsunami Vulnerability" authored by Lori Dengler and Burak Uslu (NOAA) was published in the journal Pure and Applied Geophysics. http://www.springerlink.com/content/81jlg83h80qg0r50/

Faculty William Wood Chemistry

William Wood, Terrence McGlynn (CSU Dominguez Hills) and the student, Thuy-Tien Hoang, reported their research on the alarm pheromones of Costa Rican turtle ants ants.

Volatile components from the mandibular glands of the turtle ants, Cephalotes alfaroi and C. cristatus. William F. Wood, Thuy-Tien Hoang, Terrence P. McGlynn. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 39, 135-138 (2011).

Faculty Micaela Szykman Gunther and colleagues Wildlife

Micaela Szykman Gunther and colleagues had a paper published in Conservation Genetics:

Spiering, Penny A., Szykman Gunther, Micaela, Somers, Michael J., Wildt, David E., Walters, Michelle, Wilson, Amy S. and Maldonado, Jesus E. 2011. Inbreeding, heterozygosity and fitness in a reintroduced population of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Conservation Genetics, 2011(12): 410-412.

Faculty William Wood and Warren Wood Chemistry

William Wood and Warren Wood (University of Portland) and three of their undergraduate students had their research on western thatching ants published.

Chemical analysis of the defensive secretion from the western thatching ant, Formica obscuripes. Gloriane W. Faith, Brian G. Solliers, Rachel M. Feeny, Warren J. L. Wood and William F. Wood. Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research 10, 15-17 (2011).

Faculty Lonny Grafman Environmental Resources Engineering

Lonny Grafman presented about Appropedia, a site for collaborative solutions in sustainability, poverty reduction and international development through the use of sound principles and appropriate technology, at the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Open 2011 Conference in Washington, DC on March 24th, 2011. He also co-facilitated a panel session on Fantastic Failures from the Field: Lessons learned in abroad programs.