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A Night of Celebration and Awards

Faculty Receive 2002 Professional Achievement Honors

The following faculty members were honored on Jan. 23, at the annual Sponsored Programs Dinner, for their many contributions to the university through their research and professional activities.

Mathematics and statistics professor Bill Fisher has distinguished himself by providing high-quality student-centered learning environments for undergraduates interested in teaching mathematics. Since joining the faculty in 1974, he has received numerous grants in mathematics education, which aided him in designing the Teacher-in-Residence program with K–6 teachers to help university students be better prepared to teach elementary school mathematics. As director of the CSU, Chico Mathematics Project, he has contributed to the enhancement of K–12 mathematics education. He also coordinates the California Academic Program Improvement Grant, which ensures better understanding and communication between the university and high school mathematics communities.

Art and art history assistant professor Matthew Looper, an internationally recognized scholar in Mayan art and hieroglyphics, joined the faculty in 1998. His strong commitment to the profession is reflected by the number of articles and books he has published, the prestigious grants he has garnered, the important exhibitions he has curated, and the workshops he has conducted for colleagues. He is also committed to excellent teaching inside and outside the classroom, involving his students in every aspect of his profession. He continues as a research associate of the San Diego Museum of Man, where he developed an exhibit on Mayan sculpture. He co-edits the Glyph Dwellers series published on the Web at http://cougar.ucdavis.edu/NAS/Maya/R14.pdf.

Psychology assistant professor Andrea Pantoja, whose expertise and research is in early emotional development, joined the faculty in 1999. She has co-authored a number of publications in English and Spanish, presented two symposia at the annual meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, one of the most prestigious forums on early cognitive development, and organized and presented two symposia at the International Conference on Infant Studies. For these and other conferences, she has mentored her student researchers to present their research results, giving them the opportunity to prepare for graduate work and beyond. She also includes her students in development of the Infant Lab Web page at http://www.csuchico.edu/psy/Pantoja/InfantLab.html, which connects them to an international network of scholars.

Sociology professor Laurie Wermuth became a member of the faculty in 1990 and has been heavily involved in publishing books and articles, developing new courses, and including her students in her research endeavors. Her research focuses on the global inequity of basic health needs, gender stratification in less-developed countries, and international perspectives on AIDS prevention. She is the coordinator of the sociology department’s honors in the major program and has mentored both Lt. Robert Merton Rawlins Merit Award winners and distance education students. She also involves her students as research assistants in significant writing projects. She regularly presents papers at annual sociological professional meetings.

Biological sciences professor Cindy Wolff (see photo on right) joined the faculty in 1987 as coordinator of the nutrition and food sciences program. She often includes students in her research and encourages them to present papers at state and national conferences. In the last two years, she has presented nine research papers at state and national conferences, all of which have included student co-researchers. She is director of OPT for Fit Kids, the countywide overweight prevention and treatment program. As director of the Sierra Cascade Nutrition and Activity Consortium, she coordinates nutrition and physical activity programs in five Northern California counties.

Project Directors Honored

Professors Lal Singh and Cindy Wolff (also honored for her professional achievements) and Dan Ripke, director of the Center for Economic Development, were recognized at the Sponsored Programs dinner for heading research and service projects that have brought resources and prestige to the university. In each case, the projects have also made significant impacts in the community, the region, and to their fields of study.

Dan Ripke has been the director of the Center for Economic Development since 1992, having joined the staff as regional coordinator in 1989.

Founded in 1986, the center is a university outreach program dedicated to improving the economic, environmental, health, and social conditions in 20 Northern California counties. In addition to providing advanced technical assistance to small businesses and entrepreneurs, the center hosts educational conferences and workshops and provides economic forecasts to business, nonprofit, and local government leaders.

During the center’s 17 years, the staff has grown from two to more than 20, and each year it provides internships for CSU, Chico students. In 2002, the center received funding from The California Endowment to conduct a two-year needs assessment of the university’s 12-county service region and the impact that the current and projected high concentration of seniors will have upon local communities.

Ripke is also on the Board of Directors for the California Association for Local Economic Development and is a technical adviser to the California Economic Strategy Panel and the California Workforce Investment Board. He is a regular speaker locally and statewide about issues related to economics, regional demographics, and public policy.

Lal Singh, agriculture professor, is the director of five research projects, involving 11 faculty members and 200 students.

A business-to-business e-commerce portal, CalAg Market.org, was developed to market agriculture products and provide California agribusiness leaders with hands-on e-commerce experience. The program was developed in cooperation with the College of Business faculty, e-Fruit International, and Del Monte Foods.

A research project of pesticide drift to rural homes involved testing indoor air for contaminants and determining the extent of forced air duct deterioration. The research was supported by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Pacific Gas and Electric.

A food processing waste management project involved research on the effects of pH and sodium on soils and plants. The project was supported by the Pacific Coast Producers Corporation.

Research on the application of emerging technology to harvest olives resulted in the development of a touchless prototype olive harvester in cooperation with the College of Engineering faculty. The research was supported by Bell-Carter Foods, Inc.

Additional research on the economic and mechanical performance evaluation of olive harvesters was conducted in cooperation with Korvan Industries, the California Olive Council, Bell-Carter Foods, Inc., and the University of California.

Cindy Wolff, biological sciences professor, is director of OPT for Fit Kids, the countywide overweight prevention and treatment program that completed its first year in December.

With an office in Chico and another in Oroville, the program encompasses a multimedia awareness campaign, pre-K–12 nutrition education, a weight management program for overweight children and their families, and provision of medical nutrition therapy for children with weight-related health problems. Staff include CSU, Chico student interns, graduate students, and alumni. The program has a three-year $589,000 grant from the Butte County Families and Children Commission and a three-year match grant from the California Nutrition Network with the Department of Health Services.

Wolff is also the director of the Sierra Cascade Nutrition and Activity Consortium, funded by the California Nutrition Network. In 2001, she was selected as the Outstanding Dietetic Educator by the American Dietetic Association.