Faculty C.D. Hoyle Physics & Astronomy Professor C.D. Hoyle of the Department of Physics and Astronomy was awarded a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Grant to continue the development of an experiment in conjunction with Professor Ricardo Decca of Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI) that seeks to perform the world's most precise measurement of Newton's gravitational constant, G. In addition to technical R&D, this 3-year grant in the amount of $127,923 will support Cal Poly Humboldt student involvement through summer research opportunities and funded conference travel. 

https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2207801

Faculty Alison O'Dowd Environmental Science & Management Dr. Alison O’Dowd received a grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board to support research into salmonid food webs in the Klamath River. The project seeks to understand the food webs dynamics associated with Klamath Dam removal by examining the water quality, salmonid food resources and diet in the mainstem Klamath River and associated tributaries before, during, and after Klamath dam removal. Findings will inform management of fisheries and fish food resources associated with future dam removal projects. It will also advance the field of disturbance ecology by documenting the effects of a large-scale ‘planned’ disturbance.

Faculty Robert Gearhart Environmental Resources Engineering Dr. Robert Gearheart received a grant from the City of Arcata to continue the implementation of a wastewater engineering project. The project focuses on the ongoing effort to ensure that the upgrade of the City of Arcata’s Wastewater Treatment maintains the use of constructed wetland as the principle treatment process, supplies critical habitat for wildlife, and supports environmental education. Cal Poly Humboldt students from the Environmental Resources Engineering Department will get hands-on experience working with City staff at the Arcata Marsh Research Institute. Results from the studies will be shared with City staff and their consultants.

Faculty Jeffrey Dunk Environmental Science & Management Jeffrey Dunk received a continuing grant from the Teton Raptor Center to support a collaborative project with scientists from Teton Raptor Center, University of Wyoming, and a consulting firm. The project is focused on developing an eagle conservation prioritization tool for the entire state of Wyoming that integrates eagle habitat, risks, protected areas, and other species values. The end-product will be a web-based decision support tool for managers, industry, conservationists, and others.

Student Robert Freiberger (HSU class '20) and Associate Professor Claire Till (Chemistry) Chemistry Robert Freiberger (HSU class '20) and Associate Professor Claire Till (Chemistry) are co-authors on a recent publication in the AGU journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles for their work measuring trace metal concentrations in the surface Pacific Ocean. Freiberger analyzed the samples as an undergraduate while doing summer research in the Till lab. The article is titled, "Does sea-spray aerosol contribute significantly to aerosol trace element loading? A case study from the U.S. GEOTRACES Pacific Meridional Transect (GP15)" and is available open access here: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2022GB007416.

Faculty Claire Till Chemistry Associate Professor of Chemistry Claire Till is a co-author on the recent article entitled "Diminished carbon and nitrate assimilation drive changes in diatom elemental stoichiometry independent of silicification in an iron-limited assemblage", which is published in the Springer Nature journal ISME communications. The open access article is available here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43705-022-00136-1

Faculty Timothy Mulligan / Andre Buchheister Fisheries Biology Dr. Timothy Mulligan and Dr. Andre Buchheister received a $122,000 grant from the San Jose State University Moss Landing Marine Lab to continue an ongoing, collaborative off-shore reef monitoring program.The study collects data on the diversity, abundance, size structure, and movement of rocky reef fishes in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and associated reference sites. The project is part of the state-wide California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP), which is funded by the Ocean Protection Council. This program is evaluating the effectiveness of California MPAs and providing valuable data for the sustainable management of rockfish and other fish species.

Faculty Frank Fogarty Wildlife Frank Fogarty (Wildlife) and colleagues developed a novel community model to examine how habitat area and its fragmentation affect breeding bird communities in the Great Basin desert. Their work was publish in Ecological Applications and can be accessed with the following citation:

Fogarty, Frank A., Yen, Jian D. L., Fleishman, Erica, Sollmann, Rahel, and Ke, Alison. 2022. “ Multiple-Region, N-Mixture Community Model to Assess Associations of Riparian Area, Fragmentation, and Species Richness.” Ecological Applications e2698. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2698

Faculty Frank Fogarty and Ho Yi Wan Wildlife Dr. Frank Fogarty and Dr. Ho Yi Wan received a $89,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to support research into the habitat requirements of Lewis’s Woodpecker, a woodpecker species that are the top priority Oregon Conservation Strategy species for the East Cascades. The project will examine the relationship of habitat variables, including wildfire and vegetation, on Lewis's Woodpecker populations in the Oregon East Cascades. Findings will help managers better understand the declining species, and inform efforts to maintain or restore suitable habitat. Collaborators will include ODFW biologist Kalysta Adkins and the East Cascades Audubon Society.

Student Melody Tew, Nicole Rahman-Garnier, Jordyn Neal Biological Sciences Several Cal Poly Humboldt students were recognized at the annual conference for the American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists.

Biology Graduate Student Melody Tew received the Raney and Hubbs awards and presented her research on the developmental origins of White Sturgeon scales.

Biology Graduate Student Nicole Rahman-Garnier received the Cashner and Raney awards and presented her research on the olfactory (scent-sensing) anatomy of local Rainbow Trout.

Recent Marine Biology graduate Jordyn Neal received the Clark Hubbs award and presented her research on the comparative anatomy of the skulls and inner ears of sharks, using high-resolution CT scanning.

Faculty Andre Buchheister, Rafael Cuevas Uribe Fisheries Biology Dr. Andre Buchheister and Dr. Rafael Cuevas Uribe have been awarded a $150,000 grant from CalTrout to support their research on Sacramento Pikeminnow, an invasive fish species in the Eel River. The project will assess how a novel method (the Trojan Y Chromosome Strategy) could be used to eradicate the species, because pikeminnow are hindering recovery of several threatened salmonid species. Insights from the study will provide fisheries managers and scientists with innovative, tactical advice on how to regulate invasive Pikeminnow to enhance recovery of threatened California salmonids. Project collaborators include Stillwater Sciences, the Wiyot Tribe, and agency scientists.

Faculty C.D. Hoyle Physics & Astronomy Dr. C.D. Hoyle received a continuing grant from the National Science Foundation to support an ongoing collaborative project with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The project, which is physically based at IUPUI, is dedicated to developing an apparatus to measure the gravitational constant, G, with unprecedented precision. This constant is the least-well-known fundamental constant in nature, and its precise determination is of broad interest to a wide variety of disciplines from precision measurement to cosmology. The project will provide the opportunity for Cal Poly Humboldt students to be involved through summer research and conference presentations.

Faculty Kimberly N. White, Kimberly Vincent-Layton, Brandilynn Villarreal, Frank Cappuccio, Chris Harmon Chemistry Kimberly N. White, Kimberly Vincent-Layton, Brandilynn Villarreal, Frank Cappuccio, and Chris Harmon received a Student Success Network Equity in Action grant ($14,984) for their project, "Does the Use of an Interactive General Chemistry Textbook Improve Student Perceptions of and Use of the Textbook and Increase Equitable Outcomes?" This project seeks to understand the impact of interactive web-based learning on equity outcomes.

Student Robert Muma, Dr. Kevin Boston, Dr. Christa Dagley, Dr. J-Pascal Berrill + collaborators Lynn Webb & Harold Zald Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management Muma, R.; Webb, L.W.; Zald, H.S.J.; Boston, K.; Dagley, C.M.; Berrill, J-P. 2022. Dynamics of stump sprout regeneration after transformation to multiaged management in coast redwood forests. Forest Ecology and Management 120236.

Faculty Jacky Baughman, Melanie Michalak Geology Jacky Baughman and Melanie Michalak, professors in the Geology Department, received a one year grant from the Geological Society of America AGeS-DiG (Awards for Geochronology Student Research- Diversity in Geochronology) program of $14,975 to support a cohort of six undergraduate students in the 22-23 academic year to undertake original research using geochronologic methods. The support includes a stipend, cost of analyses, and travel to a Spring conference to present their work. 

Faculty Jacky Baughman, Melanie Michalak Geology Jacky Baughman and Melanie Michalak, professors in the Geology Department, received a one year grant from the Geological Society of America AGeS-DiG (Awards for Geochronology Student Research- Diversity in Geochronology) program of $14,975 to support a cohort of six undergraduate students in the 22-23 academic year to undertake original research using geochronologic methods. The support includes a stipend, cost of analyses, and travel to a Spring conference to present their work. 

Faculty Andre Buchheister Fisheries Biology A subset of members from the Ecological Reference Points (ERP) Team were recognized for their ERP Stock Assessment for Atlantic Menhaden. This team of scientists helped to significantly advance the understanding of menhaden and its role as an important forage fish, providing the Commission with the tools needed to manage menhaden in an ecologically sustainable way. Of special note are Dr. David Chagaris and Dr. Andre Buchheister, experts in the field of fisheries resources, predator-prey interactions, and ecosystem-based fisheries management and models, for their work on the development of the ERP model which is currently being used in management.

Student Club Hannah Cornwell (the PreMed Society student President) Biological Sciences PreMed and PreVet Society students organized an event called Intro To Suturing Workshop on April 25. They invited Dr. Bret Gorham from Providence St. Joseph Hospital and Dr. Ellie Carrier from North Coast Veterinary Hospital. The workshop lasted 2 hours long (much longer than the scheduled one hour) and provided hands-on training to ~25 students on suturing skills. The workshop encourages interest in pursuing healthcare careers.

Student Claire Rogers, Jesse Mendez, Ana Sammel Physics & Astronomy Three Cal Poly Humboldt students presented research at the 2022 April Meeting of the American Physical Society that was held April 9-12 in New York City. Physics and Astronomy majors Claire Rogers ('23) and Jesse Mendez ('22) presented work related to research being done in the Gravitational Research Laboratory, while Ana Sammel ('22 Applied Mathematics major, Physics minor) presented work done in conjunction with Vanderbilt University. 

Faculty Brandon Browne Geology Brandon Browne and colleagues from the U.S. Geological Survey published a professional report with the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys detailing their comprehensive study on the ~400 yr BP eruption of Half Cone, a post-caldera composite cone in Aniakchak National Park and Preserve in Alaska. As one of the largest eruptions from a volcano on the Alaska peninsula over the past 3,000 years, it blanketed hundreds of miles with thick ash and produced an important stratigraphic marker used by geologists and archeologists working to understand the geological and human history of the region.