 Minds
in Motion Activity Scores a Hit for Second Year
The Department of Civil Engineering and engineering students
from throughout the college hosted Minds in Motion as part
of national Engineers Week activities. The event introduced
more than 2,000 first through 12th grade students to the fields
of engineering, mathematics, and science through a series
of informational displays, hands-on activities, and competitions.
One parent noted: “The Chico State students worked
hard and were so positive and helpful with our kids. They
are tremendous role models. Thank you, ‘Minds In Motion’
volunteers. You changed some lives.”
Faculty Fellowship Connects CSU, Chico to Jet Propulsion
Laboratory
Professor Hede Ma, Electrical and Computer
Engineering, spent time at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) as part of a faculty summer fellowship program in the
summer of 2003. Ma’s fellowship planted the seed for
a fruitful connection between JPL and CSU, Chico’s Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Representatives from
JPL visited CSU, Chico in March 2004 to discuss Mars exploration
and how the two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, were sent
to Mars and what is being discovered by the rovers. As a result
of the connection, seven students from the Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering spent the summer of 2004 as interns
at JPL in Pasadena.
MESA Program Scholarships Exceed $800,000
The CSU, Chico
Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program
received $400,000 last year from the National Science Foundation
for scholarships to engineering/math and computer science
students with financial need. The latest MESA proposal submitted
by program director Paul Villegas for $400,000
and funded by NSF will provide 58 students with $6,250 each
over two years. This is the third NSF-funded MESA scholarship
program, and it brings total scholarship awards to near $840,000.
Mechanical Engineers Place at Regional Conference
Two mechanical engineering students of the CSU,
Chico chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering
(ASME) came in third and fourth place, presenting the
results of their senior design projects in the “Old
Guard Oral Presentation Competition” at this year’s
ASME western regional competition at the University of Southern
California. Jason Ramsey came in third place overall for his
presentation titled “Tibialis Fitness Machine.”
Craig Johnson came in fourth place for his presentation titled
“Chain Guide Derailleur.”
 National
Honor Society Scholarship
Dominique Ralph, a computer science major
and mathematics minor, received a $2,000 scholarship from
the national office of Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society
for 2004–2005.
Java Workshop for Teachers
Computer science professor Judith Challinger
hosted two JETT workshops at CSU, Chico this summer. JETT—Java
Engagement for Teacher Training—is a collaboration between
the college board and the Association for Computing Machinery.
These workshops teach the Java programming language to teachers
of Advanced Placement computer science classes because the
AP exam in computer science is now given in Java. The workshops
will be an annual summer event, and are funded by Microsoft
Corporation.
Improved Plastics Lab
With funds from a federal grant, the CSU, Chico plastics
program will upgrade the Plastics Lab in Langdon Hall. The
Chico plastics program is the only such program in the CSU
system. Of the $500,000 grant, $400,000 is designated for
purchasing new machinery, and the remaining funds will be
used for renovation. Joe Greene, director
of polymer manufacturing, said, “This will help students
get jobs because they will be using state-of-the-art equipment
similar to that at plastics companies.”
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