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The Office of Graduate Studies
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Monday–Friday
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Office of Graduate Studies
California State University, Chico
400 W. First St.
Chico, CA 95929–0875
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Grad Studies YouTube Channel2025 Pre-Doc and CDIP Students
Congratulations to our 2025–2026 California Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program (PreDoc) and Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) students!
California Pre-Doctoral Scholars:
Kathryn Anderson
Major/Area of Study: IDST—Wildland Management
Faculty Mentor: Gerald Cobián
Kat is a second-year graduate student in the Wildland Management Master’s Program at Chico State, where she works in Gerald Cobián’s mycology lab exploring the hidden world of soil fungi. Her research examines how prescribed fire (RxF) shapes the diversity of fungal communities in the wake of the Park Fire—work that bridges ecology, restoration, and land stewardship. Alongside her thesis, Kat is earning a certificate in Geospatial Technology (GIS) to strengthen her analytical and mapping skills.
Passionate about the intersection of science and advocacy, Kat hopes to continue advancing the use of prescribed fire as a vital ecological tool across California and beyond. With a background in the hard sciences and a growing interest in people-centered research, she plans to pursue a doctoral program that weaves social science into fire ecology, connecting data-driven insights with community-driven impact.
Maredith Berdeja
Major/Area of Study: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Gerald Cobián
Maredith Berdeja is a master’s student in the Biological Sciences program at California State University, Chico, mentored by Dr. Gerald Cobián. Originally from Paramount, California, and a proud first-generation student and daughter of immigrant parents, Maredith is studying how wildfire intensity affects soil fungal communities and ectomycorrhizal symbiosis in blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodlands at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve following the 2024 Park Fire. Her research combines soil chemistry analysis, DNA sequencing, and greenhouse experiments to understand how fire shapes fungal diversity, resilience, and ecosystem recovery.
Maredith is passionate about science communication, mentorship, and creating more inclusive spaces in STEM. She has presented her research at national conferences and held leadership roles as a Teaching Associate, STEM Peer Mentor, and President of the Council of Graduate Students, through which she consistently advocated for student needs. She credits her success to the support of her family, friends, peers, advisor, and campus resources like the Office of Graduate Studies. Maredith plans to pursue a PhD in microbial ecology, focusing on plant-fungal interactions and post-fire recovery. Her long-term goal is to support underrepresented and first-generation students in discovering their passion for science, and to ensure they feel supported as they grow into the next generation of researchers and scientists.
Gaomong Lo
Major/Area of Study: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Bo Teong Won
Gaomong grew up in North Carolina and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University in 2022. In 2024, she moved to California to pursue a master’s degree in the Psychological Science Program at California State University, Chico. She is currently working with her faculty mentor, Dr. Bo Yeong Won, to study cognitive psychology. Her research focuses on the influence of socio-cultural variables on visual cognition, and she hopes to continue her work at the doctoral level in the future.
Jennifer Trujillo
Major/Area of Study: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Bo Yeong Won
Jennifer is a graduate student in the Psychological Science Master’s Program. Her current research investigates how different types of working memory affect attention, a question that has broader implications for understanding human core cognitive functions. Her interest in working memory and attention is closely related to numerous clinical research studies. For example, many people conceptualize memory as a vast, unlimited storage system, yet working memory is quite the opposite—its capacity is limited and varies between individuals. This limitation is particularly relevant in clinical and developmental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. After completing her master’s degree, she plans to pursue a PhD in Psychology with the goal of becoming a professor and continuing her research.
Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program:
Madeline Olwert
Major/Area of Study: Child Development
Faculty Mentor: Shelley Hart
Madeline Olwert, a proud Chico State alumna, was recently accepted to the CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP). Olwert is a fifth-year PhD student in the Human Development Graduate Group at UC Davis. Her research focuses on parent-child interactions and the co- and self-regulation of parent/child emotions, physiology, and behavior. She is particularly interested in what shapes parenting behavior, including parents’ physiology and life experiences; children’s characteristics [cs; and aspects of the broader sociocultural contexts in which parenting occurs.
As a CDIP fellow, Olwert will work with her faculty mentor, Chico State Professor Shelley Hart, to develop the research, teaching, and mentoring skills necessary to effectively serve students of the CSU. Her long-term goal is to become a professor within the CSU system, where she can teach, mentor, and conduct research in partnership with students and the local community to promote the well-being of children and families.