 New
Natural History Museum in the Works
In Holt Hall's Natural History Museum, biology students
introduce visitors to mounted specimens of birds, mammals,
and reptiles. Opportunities for students will greatly increase
when the new Northern California Natural History Museum at
CSU, Chico opens. The museum was awarded a $3 million allocation
of Proposition 40 funds last fall by Governor Gray
Davis. The proposed $9 million museum will be located
adjacent to Bidwell Mansion and will focus on the natural
wonders of Northern California. It will feature interactive
exhibits, including “The Worlds of California”
and “The Ages of North America” with dinosaurs
and giant mammals. Also planned are a hands-on science area,
traveling exhibits from major museums, and tours for schoolchildren.
Ray Barnett, museum executive director and
biological sciences professor, hopes to see the museum open
in fall 2004 or spring 2005. In photo to the right, graduate
student Mariah Carr gives Renee Harrison
a closer look at the skull of a mountain lion.
Young Investigator
Biological sciences major Brian Miner won
a statewide Howell/CSU Program for Education and Research
in Biotech Young Investigator Award, including $2,500 to fund
his research on whether low glycemic diets can decrease the
risk of cardiovascular disease in women.
Advances in Nursing
Nursing professor Janelle Gardner was awarded
a $22,000 grant to develop a program to increase minority
retention in the CSU, Chico nursing program. The School
of Nursing is also pilot testing an online Master of Science
in Nursing program, to increase the number of nurse educators.
During the last four years, the school has developed and launched
a successful online Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Hydrology Research
Professor Dave Brown, geosciences,
is leading a team of students in a watershed hydrology research
project. On the right, Brown sets up a flow collector in an
almond orchard. Preliminary results show that filter strips
reduce the pesticide concentrations and flow volumes of surface
runoff reaching local creeks. Three-year funding of $200,000
from the Proposition 13 water bond and Agricultural Research
Initiative is pending. Future work will add experimental applications
of rice-straw compost and atmospheric deposition monitoring.
Success in Physics
Physics professors Cheuk-Kin Chau, Eric
Dietz, Chris Gaffney, and
Xueli Zou were awarded a $28,000 grant to create
“An Integrated, Research-Based, 21st-Century Physics
Learning Lab.” Three physics graduates were accepted
to graduate schools, including Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Physics majors Erin Jordan and
Justin Stimatze were awarded internships at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory and the National Institute of
Standards and Technology in Maryland, respectively.
Studying Older Adults
Michelle Neyman, biological sciences professor,
and Dan Ripke, director, Center
for Economic Development, are researching the increasing
populations of older adults in Northern California and their
impact on social services. The study is supported by a $239,000
grant from the California Endowment "Graying of the North
State.
Dietitian in the Making
Nutrition and food science graduate student Vanessa
Gyovai received a $1,000 scholarship from the American
Dietetic Association. Gyovai is a dietitian intern at North
Valley Indian Health and plans to pursue a career as a registered
dietitian.
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