Achievements

Sharon N. Kahara

Wildlife

Adjunct Wildlife Faculty Member Sharon Kahara co-authored an article in _Great Plains Research_ titled "Wetland Hydrodynamics and Long-term Use of Spring Migration Areas by Lesser Scaup in Eastern South Dakota." The research modeled spring wetland use based on surveys carried out over two decades. Results dispelled scaup preference for semipermanent wetlands and established the importance of permanent, hydrologically dynamic wetlands for long-term use and therefore conservation concern.

William Wood

Chemistry

Professor William Wood and student co-authors Jay A. Brandes, Brian D. Foy, Christopher G. Morgan, Thierry D. Mann and Darvin A. DeShazer published a report on the maple syrup odor of the candy cap mushroom. The project culminated 25 years of research, since identification of the chemical responsible for the unique odor has been elusive. The odor causing chemical, quabalactone III, is not present in living candy cap mushrooms. It is only found in dried mushrooms and likely results from the reaction of a rare amino acid on desiccation.

This research was published in Biosystematics and Ecology [Volume 43, 51-53 (2012)].

Kathryn Wiles

Biological Sciences

Kathryn Wiles, Ecology junior, has been selected to receive a 2012 CSUPERB Presidents’ Commission Scholar Award to fund her summer research project titled, ”Investigation of Horizontal Gene Transfer and Biogeography among Thermoacidophilic Isolates from Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA.” Wiles' faculty mentor, Dr. Patricia Siering, was instrumental in writing the proposal. Her adviser is Dr. Erik Jules. A committee of CSUPERB faculty and deans selected 25 proposals out of 67 submitted. The CSUPERB Presidents’ Commission will meet award winners and mentors in August 2012 at the CSU Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach.

Students

Environmental Resources Engineering

A team of HSU Environmental Resources Engineering students gained a meritorious score in the recent Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP) Mathematical Modeling Contest. HSU ranked in the top 11%, competing against more than 3,350 teams from the U.S. and overseas universities.

Only 27 schools received a higher ranking than Humboldt State. Each team prepared a report detailing its solution to one of three candidate modeling problems. HSU teammates Andy Harris, Craig Lorenc and Solomon Homicz addressed the problem of determining the best schedule for whitewater rafting visitors to a remote and scenic river.

Lonny Grafman

Environmental Resources Engineering

Lonny Grafman presented "Platforms Tackling Social Innovation and Global Development Challenges: Proliferation, Collaboration, and Coordination" at Scientists Without Borders with support from the Rockefeller Foundation Conference in New York on April 9, 2012.

Jessie Hagadorn

Biological Sciences

Biological Sciences student Jessie Hagadorn (Advisor Dr. Jacob Varkey) has been awarded a 2012 Global Youth Advocacy Fellowship.

The fellowship, which begins in April 2012, will provide specialized training from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the opportunity to participate in youth-led global advocacy at the Commission on Population & Development (CPD) meeting at the UN in New York City. Fellows will also participate in a youth coalition at the International AIDS Conference, which will take place in Washington, DC in July 2012.

William Wood

Chemistry

William Wood published a report on the volatile organic compounds from first year canes of the invasive Himalayan blackberry. Succulent young leaves had chemicals that were not present in mature leaves. These chemicals showed significant activity against the feeding of banana slugs and are known to repel aphids.

Banana slug antifeedant in the growing cane tips of Himalayan Berry, Rubus armeniacus. William F. Wood. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 41, 126-129 (2012).

Lonny Grafman

Environmental Resources Engineering

Lonny Grafman co-facilitated an un-conference experience on "infusing innovation and entrepreneurship into engineering education" at the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Open 2012 Conference in San Francisco, Calif., on March 22, 2012.

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/.

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.