Achievements

Ryan Ziels

Environmental Resources Engineering

Ryan Ziels, Environmental Resources Engineering major, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for graduate study next year. Ryan will receive $30,000 per year stipend and $10,500 cost of education allowance for three years at any institution in the US. Ryan will be pursuing his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington.

Rick Bailey, Jason Crowley, Patrick Fox, Brenda Howell, Sam Speet, Zak Stanko

Environmental Resources Engineering

Again this year, two HSU Environmental Resources Engineering teams entered the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP) Mathematical Modeling Contest. The contest ran from February 10 to February 14, 2011, with over 3,500 teams competing from U.S. and foreign universities.

One team, consisting of Patrick Fox, Sam Speet and Jason Crowley, addressed the problem of determining the shape of a snowboard course (“halfpipe”) to maximize the production of “vertical air” by a skilled snowboarder. This team competed against 2,775 other teams and was awarded a "Successful Participant" ranking.

The other team, consisting of Zak Stanko, Brenda Howell and Rick Bailey, chose to address whether the widespread use of electric vehicles is feasible and practical. This team competed against 735 other teams, and received the highest award, "Outstanding Winner," one of just six teams to be honored with this designation.

More information on the Math Modeling Contest can be found at http://www.comap.com/undergraduate/contests/mcm/contests/2011/results/#c.

Zak Stanko, Brenda Howell, Rick Bailey

Environmental Resources Engineering

HSU ERE students Zak Stanko, Brenda Howell, and Rick Bailey received the highest award, "Outstanding Winner" in the 2011 Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP) Mathematical Modeling Contest. They were one of just six teams to be honored with this designation for their category. The contest ran from Feb. 10-14, 2011, with over 3,500 teams competing from US and Foreign universities. The team developed a model of the environmental, social, economic, and health impacts of the widespread use of electric vehicles and detailed key factors to consider to support the development and use of these vehicles.

Lori Dengler

Geology

The paper "Effects of Harbor Modification on Crescent City, California’s Tsunami Vulnerability" authored by Lori Dengler and Burak Uslu (NOAA) was published in the journal Pure and Applied Geophysics. http://www.springerlink.com/content/81jlg83h80qg0r50/

William Wood

Chemistry

William Wood, Terrence McGlynn (CSU Dominguez Hills) and the student, Thuy-Tien Hoang, reported their research on the alarm pheromones of Costa Rican turtle ants ants.

Volatile components from the mandibular glands of the turtle ants, Cephalotes alfaroi and C. cristatus. William F. Wood, Thuy-Tien Hoang, Terrence P. McGlynn. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 39, 135-138 (2011).

Micaela Szykman Gunther and colleagues

Wildlife

Micaela Szykman Gunther and colleagues had a paper published in Conservation Genetics:

Spiering, Penny A., Szykman Gunther, Micaela, Somers, Michael J., Wildt, David E., Walters, Michelle, Wilson, Amy S. and Maldonado, Jesus E. 2011. Inbreeding, heterozygosity and fitness in a reintroduced population of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Conservation Genetics, 2011(12): 410-412.

William Wood and Warren Wood

Chemistry

William Wood and Warren Wood (University of Portland) and three of their undergraduate students had their research on western thatching ants published.

Chemical analysis of the defensive secretion from the western thatching ant, Formica obscuripes. Gloriane W. Faith, Brian G. Solliers, Rachel M. Feeny, Warren J. L. Wood and William F. Wood. Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research 10, 15-17 (2011).

Lonny Grafman

Environmental Resources Engineering

Lonny Grafman presented about Appropedia, a site for collaborative solutions in sustainability, poverty reduction and international development through the use of sound principles and appropriate technology, at the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Open 2011 Conference in Washington, DC on March 24th, 2011. He also co-facilitated a panel session on Fantastic Failures from the Field: Lessons learned in abroad programs.

Leslie Scopes Anderson, Dr. William Miller

Geology

HSU student, Leslie Scopes Anderson recently completed a beginner's fossil guide for Humboldt County entitled "Unearthing Evidence of Creatures form Deep Time". The work details five sites in our area where ancient marine fossils can be found, complete with maps, photos, descriptions and directions. It will be used for fossil classes in the geology dept., and is also available for download by any student at the Geology website. The project took three semesters to complete, under the direction of Dr. William Miller.

William Wood

Chemistry

On February 9, William Wood, HSU Chemical Ecologist gave a lecture to the California Native Plant Society: titled “Chemicals – the Language of Plants.” This talk covered how plants use chemical to "talk to other plants.” It also covered many of the toxic compounds plants make to keep from being eaten. Humans now use many of these toxic plant compounds as modern medicinal drugs.