Breadcrumb
CAHSS Newsletter - September 2025
Welcome, new faculty and staff!
Faculty
Anthropology: Katie Menor, Lecturer | Spencer Mitchell, Lecturer | Jason Valdez, Lecturer
Dance, Music & Theatre: Avery Alexander, Lecturer | Eliza Klinger, Theatre Program Leader | Ginny Ryder, Lecturer | Fred Tempas, Lecturer | Kearney Vander Sal, Lecturer
Sociology: Nathan Whittington, Lecturer
English: Jocelyn Heaney, Lecturer | Katie Masters, Lecturer | Necahual Gamboa, Lecturer
Environmental Studies: Sarah Rios, Assistant Professor
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis: Christina Wile Sundman, Lecturer | Annie Allen, Lecturer
Journalism & Mass Communication: Sukey Lewis, Lecturer
Native American Studies: Cara Cuhn, Lecturer | Karley Rojas, Lecturer
Politics: Rusty Hicks, Lecturer
Staff
Abigail Smithson, Podcast Coordinator | Kerry Gonzales, Study Abroad Coordinator | Alyssa Hughlett, Grad Programs Coord & Admin Analyst | Michelle Stone, ASA Art + Film
Staff Recognition
Congratulations to our most recent staff recognition recipient Chris Dubois, Art + Film's Ceramics Lab Technician!
Chris has been hard at work with the opening of the new ceramics lab in Jenkins Hall.
Interested in nominating someone for a staff recognition award? Fill this form
Upcoming CAHSS Events
Featured Events
Talk: Eddie Ahn - Environmental Justice Attorney/Graphic Novelist
Presented by the Department of Environmental Studies with the Department of Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies and the Department of Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Wednesday Sept 10, 3-4pm | Goodwin Forum NHE 102
Environmental justice lawyer, author, and graphic artist Eddie Ahn will be visiting and giving a talk about his book, Advocate: A Graphic Memoir of Family, Community and the Fight for Environmental Justice. Book signing to follow!
Media Arts BFA Info Night & Pizza
Tuesday, Sept 16, 5pm, ART B Room 102
Students registered for the new BFA in Media Arts major, and those interested in learning more about the program, are invited to an info night to meet some of the faculty and learn more about program options. The new major curriculum includes classes concerning the moving image, still images, audio, and storytelling. Faculty will share details about their classes in photography, film, theater, comics, animation, and design. Contact Nicole Jean Hill nicole@humboldt.edu if you have any questions.
Extintos: Revealing the Beauty of Extinct Frogs from Brazil
Opening Reception: Thursday Sept 18, 4:30pm-6pm at Reese Bullen Gallery, ArtB 101
As part of a joint project, Documenting Threatened Species (DoTS) task is to study, document and protect threatened species of amphibians in Brazil through the creation of a database and images of endangered amphibian species. This exhibition showcases the start of that work by illustration interns hosted by Faculty in the Biological Sciences and Art + Film Department.
Save the Date: Campus Dialogue on Race Oct 20-24
The Campus & Community Dialogue on Race (CDOR) is a week-long series of events that brings together students, faculty, staff, and community members to explore pressing issues of racial justice and systemic inequity. Now in its 27th year, CDOR continues to be a space of reflection, learning, healing, and collective action. This year's theme is dis/connecting to reconnect – everyday rest, refusal, resistances.
Submit a proposal
Students, staff, faculty, and community members are invited to present a workshop or facilitate a discussion at CDOR. Proposal submissions are due by 12pm on September 10.
Study Abroad Information Sessions
Join our Study Abroad Coordinator Kerry Gonzales for a series of info sessions for students who are looking for more info about the programs, funding and credit transfer, and how to get started.
Please forward this information on to your students!
Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab Volunteer Days
Join community members and students to support the Wiyot Plaza & Indigenous Garden's activities at BSS 168 (Food Sovereignty Lab). Contact nasfsl@humboldt.edu for more information, and make sure to fill a volunteer form in advance.
Sept 9, 2-4pm
Sept 11, 2-4pm
Sept 16, 2-4pm
Sept 18, 2-4pm
Sept 23, 2-4pm
Sept 25, 2-4pm
Graduate Programs News
Congratulations to Yaneyry Delfin, Public Sociology graduate student, on receiving the prestigious Alistair & Judith McCrone Fellowship!
As lead coordinator for Scholars without Borders and Dream Graduate Student Fellow, Yaneyry advocates for undocumented students and researches the barriers they face at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her dedication and scholarship make her a truly deserving recipient. “This fellowship is a beacon of hope for all undocumented students striving for a better future,” she shares. Read the Scholars Without Borders Dreamer's Digest.
Your CAHSS Career Advisor: Abby Grattidge
As the Career Advisor for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), Abby is available to provide career-related services to CAHSS students through presentations and in one-on-one advising meetings that include career and graduate school exploration, navigating LinkedIn, searching for employment, resume reviews and interview preparation. To schedule a career advising appointment, we request that students reach out to career@humboldt.edu, or https://abbygrattidge.youcanbook.me/
Abby is also available for classroom presentations, facilitations, and workshops, and to provide career-related materials. Contact Abby directly to discuss a tailored presentation or submit a request via Career Development Center Presentation Request Form.
Listen to CAHSS' Podcasts
Listen to podcasts featuring CAHSS faculty and staff, with the help of our amazing Podcast Producer Abigail Smithson.
Breaking Down the Gear Wall
During the academic year, the Dean's Office is accepting winter clothing donations, and is open to any students who want to pick up some warm clothes and shoes for the fall and winter season. Gist Hall 122, Monday to Friday 8am- 5pm
Please spread the word to your students!
Dr. Aaron Donaldson, Charlie Burrowes, Genevieve Caruso, Wes Christensen, Ethan German, Aly Greaver, Oz Kimbell, Evan Moreno, Mia Rivera, Sylvia Seay, Sadie Shields
Communication
Cal Poly Humboldt’s Debate Club marked a major milestone with its first full squad trip since before the pandemic, competing at Las Positas College against teams from 33 institutions. Five debate pairs participated, most at their first collegiate tournament. Sylvia Seay and Oz Kimbell advanced to quarterfinals, the program’s first elimination round appearance in six years, earning top‑eight finishes and speaker awards. Arcata High student Gamma Caruso also excelled, placing 2nd in Novice Debate. The successful weekend was supported by staff, student organizers, and Debate Coach Dr. Aaron Donaldson, signaling renewed momentum for Humboldt’s speech and debate program.
Go Jacks!
Dan Mar
Sociology
Dan Mar received a $65,000 grant from the Resources Legacy Fund to support initiatives within the Cannabis Studies Program, including the 2026 Cannabis and Environmental Stewardship Symposium on April 17, 2026, and student-led podcast production through the Cannabis Studies Lab. Funding will provide paid opportunities for undergraduate students in event planning, research, and media creation, and allow the purchase of podcast equipment. Through the podcast, students will explore cultural, economic, and environmental dimensions of cannabis. The all-day symposium will feature moderated panel discussions on sustainable cultivation, environmental restoration, and cannabis research. Together, these initiatives will expand hands-on learning opportunities and strengthen the Cannabis Studies Program.
Joshua J Frye
Communication
Dr. Frye has published the Citizenship+ Communication Action Guide with the upcoming nationally convened Civic Learning Week, March 19-23, 2026. The Citizenship+ Communication Action Guide is an open source educational resource developed by Dr. Joshua Frye and Dr. Steve Goldzwig (Marquette University) to accompany their 2024 book, Rhetoric and Democracy in a Post-Truth Era. The OER includes several applied learning activities to advance ethical and effective citizenship+ communication. It also includes a series of topically organized quotations to help inspire democratic attitudes and practices.
