Breadcrumb
Achievements
Publications and achievements submitted by our faculty, staff, and students.
Alison Holmes, Loren Collins
Politics
Dr. Alison Holmes (Politics) and Loren Collins (Director, Advising) presented "Career Curriculum: From Destinations to Pathways" based on their years of working together on campus career curriculum and with the Karuk Education Department, as well as research Holmes has done on "Transformation 8" curriculum to support study abroad and a review of career programming for her graduate certificate in Native American Studies. This annual conference (hosted by a different city/tribe each year) brings career and employment/training professionals from across the country, so their presentation focused on practical ways to create a more "storytelling", holistic, and culturally aware career pedagogy.
Alison Ruth Holmes
Politics
At the end of May, Professor Alison Holmes (Politics & International Studies) was invited to speak to the Redwood Empire Division Meeting of the California League of Cities in Fort Bragg on the topic of: "When Global Issues Reach City Hall: Emerging Trends and the Growing Need for a Small City Strategy." Based on her research on the international affairs of California and subnational diplomacy more broadly, Holmes outlined the increase in activity by cities at the global level and presented a practical guide for any city interested in creating a strategy that could both help protect them from global risks and take advantage of potential opportunities. As well as members from across the division, Cal Cities President Gabe Quinto (mayor of El Cerrito) and CA League of Cities CEO Carolyn Coleman were also present. After discussion, members agreed that future work in this area may be necessary given the growing impact of chaotic international affairs on local politics.
Sarah Lasley & Nicola Waugh
Art + Film
Film professor Sarah Lasley recently received the prestigious 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship. Lasley’s award will support "MUCKRAKERS,” a short hybrid documentary that explores waste, labor, class, and climate migration in Humboldt County, co-directed with Art + Film Lecturer Nicola Waugh.
Gabi Kirk
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Dr. Gabi Kirk was awarded a American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship for 2026-27 to support the writing of her first scholarly monograph, Cultivating Sustainable Sovereignty: Palestinian Agrarian Lives in Transnational Focus.
AAUW’s largest funding program began in 1888, making it one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious fellowship programs exclusively for women. This fellowship supports women scholars who are completing doctoral dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research, or finishing research for publication. AAUW (American Association of University Women) is the nation’s leading organization for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment. Founded in 1881 by women who defied society’s conventions by earning college degrees, AAUW has since worked to increase women’s access, opportunity, and equity in higher education through advocacy and philanthropy of more than $146 million, supporting thousands of women scholars. Learn more at aauw.org.
Socks Lucas, Natalie Anthone, Mia Harmon
Art + Film
Cal Poly Humboldt Ceramics students were invited to participate in the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA) in Davis. Hosted by John Natsoulas Gallery, the conference brings together more than 50 ceramics programs from across the state, creating a dynamic environment for exhibition, dialogue, and exchange.
Our ceramics students represented Cal Poly Humboldt with distinction, exhibiting their work alongside peers from throughout California. Their efforts were recognized with several major awards: Socks Lucas received First Place, Natalie Anthone was awarded Second Place, and Mia Harmon was awarded the honor of a solo exhibition at the John Natsoulas Gallery.
Congratulations, CCACA 2026 Ceramic Students!
Myles Chrispeels
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Geospatial Science and Technology major Myles Chrispeels won the Christopherson Geosystems Student Award for his paper "A Workflow for the Remote Sensing of Turbidity in Freshwater" at the California Geographical Society annual conference in Huntington Beach, CA. In this paper, Myles demonstrates a methodology for using high-resolution imagery and publicly available field data to develop an accessible, statistically sound workflow for monitoring turbidity and water quality patterns in freshwater drinking-water reservoirs.
Tony Nichols
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Geography major Tony Nichols won third place in the Tom McKnight Undergraduate Student Paper Award at the California Geographical Society annual conference in Huntington Beach, CA, for her paper Finding Belonging: Interviews with Queer People Across Humboldt County. In her paper, Tony highlights how queer residents in Humboldt County experience belonging, exclusion, and uncertainty across different community spaces, underscoring the importance of “third places” and supportive local environments in shaping LGBTQ+ well-being.
Ari Dixon
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Ari Dixon won third place in the undergraduate Student Cartography Award at the California Geographical Society Annual Meeting in Huntington Beach, CA. This map uses a creative visualization to highlight woman-owned breweries across the U.S. West Coast, using proportional symbols to show the number of breweries within 100-mile buffers and callout boxes to spotlight specific brewery stories in Washington, Oregon, and California.
Will Bellairs
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Geospatial Science and Technology major Will Bellairs won first place in the Tom McKnight Undergraduate Student Paper Award at the California Geographical Society Annual Conference in Huntington Beach, CA. Will's paper, titled Map Games: Learning Map Literacy through Engaging Play, demonstrated the design and classroom testing of an interactive educational map game he developed to increase elementary school students' geographic learning.
Ari Dixon, Margaret Dailey, Liam Blackburn, Myles Chrispeels, Sawyer Hofstetter, Tony Nichols, Will Bellairs, Astra Mattingly, Kyra Kranyak-Schwartz, Paul Blank
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Nine students from the Geography and Geospatial Science and Technology programs represented the department at the California Geographical Society Annual Conference in Huntington Beach, California, where they presented original research and cartographic work. In the paper presentation sessions, Will Bellairs, Myles Chrispeels, and Tony Nichols shared their research. Liam Blackburn, Margaret Dailey, and Sawyer Hofstetter presented their work during the undergraduate poster session. Ari Dixon, Astra Mattingly, and Kyra Kranyak-Schwartz presented in the cartography session. In addition to the student presentations, Geography faculty member Nicholas Perdue organized a special paper session honoring Joe Leeper. During that session, Emeritus Professor Paul Blank delivered a touching tribute.