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Professional Activities

Student Spotlight

Elaine Manzanilla and Andro Rios participated in the 20th annual CSU Student Research Competition May 5 and 6 at CSU Channel Islands. Rios won first place in the Undergraduate Biological and Agricultural Sciences Session with his talk "The Power of the Bergman Cyclization: Design and Synthesis of Light-Activated Pro-Drugs," the second time in three years that Sacramento State has won the Biological Sciences Undergraduate Session. The team was coached by Terry Manns, director of Research and Sponsored Projects, and Ron Coleman, Biological Sciences.

Geology major Christina Stout has been awarded one of three field camp scholarships by the Far Western Section of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

The Institute of Transportation Engineers Student Chapter was named runner-up Student Chapter of the Year among the 31 university student chapters in the 14 Western states that comprise ITE District 6. The competition was based on the student chapter annual report, which was submitted in early April and summarized all of the chapter events and activities for the year. The chapter will be recognized at the District 6 Annual Meeting in Honolulu in June. Four civil engineering students will attend the conference: Eric Dahl, president; Brit Fugitt; Brandon Lew; and Jason O’Toole, incoming president. Professor Kevan Shafizadeh, Civil Engineering, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.

The Sacramento State Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by Robert Halseth, Music, played a benefit concert for the American Cancer Society and ALS Foundation at Galt High School on April 27.

Sacramento State’s December 2005 physical therapy graduates have a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the national physical therapy licensure examination. The state average is 91.58 percent and the national average is 83.1 percent.

Scholarship

Robert Halseth, Music, served as clinician for the 2006 Colorado State Band Festival on April 24 in Colorado Springs.

Roger Sullivan, Anthropology, presented a poster entitled ‘Self-medicating for Psychiatric Illness in a ‘Traditional Culture’: Schizophrenia and Betel Chewing in Palau’ at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Human Biology Association in Anchorage, Alaska in March.

Janice Gagerman, Social Work, was invited to speak at "Raising the Bar: A Symposium Toward Improvement of Substance Abuse Treatment for Women in the Criminal Justice System" in Sacramento on March 28. Gagerman's presentation was entitled "The Culture and Continuum of Unresolved Traumatic Loss: Criminal Justice, Child Dependency Systems and Treatment." She will provide a one-day training workshop on "How to Work with Parents in the Parent-Child Dyad: Through the Lens of Intergenerational Trauma Within an Environment of Societal Violence and Neglect" for the Butte County Behavioral Health: First Five Council in Chico on June 6.

Lisa Hammersley, Geology, had her paper titled "Isotopic and Geophysical Constraints on the Structure and Evolution of the Clear Lake Volcanic System" published in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research.

Victoria Shinbrot and Erin Stiles, Humanities and Religious Studies, along with Wendy Matlock, English, and Cindi SturtzSreetharan, Anthropology, organized the interdisciplinary conference "Artful Strategies and Necessary Risks: Negotiating Gender and Identity Across Cultures and Disciplines" held May 7 on campus. Shinbrot presented the paper "The Allure of Chance: Art and Desire in Nineteenth Century Fiction." Stiles presented the paper "Framing a Marriage: Courtroom Strategies of Clerks, Kadhis, and Litigants in Zanzibar." Matlock presented the paper "The Representation of the Dead, Feminine Body in Late-Medieval Literature," And SturtzSreetharan presented the paper "'I'm sorry my speech is so illogical': Metalinguistic Negotiations of the Verbal Other in Japan."

Amy Heckathorn, Fiona Glade, and Dan Melzer, English, will present the panel "From the Ground Up: A Model for Building a Faculty-Centered WAC Program" at the eighth International Writing Across the Curriculum Conference at Clemson University on May 19.

Barbara Carle, Foreign Languages, had her book New Life published by Gradiva Publications at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. It is a fictional autobiography in poetry and prose, and plays with Dante's "Vita nuova." Carle's book is published in a bilingual edition in Italian and English.

In the News

David J. Leon, Ethnic Studies/Chicano Studies, was quoted in a May 7 Sacramento Bee article about the pro-immigrant rally held last week in Sacramento.

John Syer, Government, was quoted: on KQCA on Jan. 4 about Lobbyist Jack Ambramoff’s trial, on KXTV News 10 on Jan. 23 about the actions of House Republican Conference Secretary John T. Doolittle and on Feb. 10 about the governor’s re-election campaign.

Nancy Kalish, Psychology, was quoted in the Jan. 1 Sacramento Bee about affairs triggered by internet communication.

Robert Mogull, Business, was quoted in a Jan. 15 article in the Sacramento Bee about the reasons for Placer County’s low poverty rate and in East Sacramento News on Feb. 16 about his study on the poverty rates in different Hispanic American communities.

Timothy Hodson, Center for California Studies, was quoted in: the Jan. 7 San Francisco Chronicle about the governor apologizing for the special election, the Feb. 5 San Jose Mercury News on about Steve Westly’s strategy for his campaign for governor, the March 3 Alameda Times Star and Hayward Daily Review about Don Perata pulling his endorsement from Rob Reiner’s ballot measure, the March 23 Fremont Argus and Oakland Tribune on the merits of debating a gas tax that would fund transportation and alternative fuel projects, on Capital Public Radio on March 30 about Rob Reiner resigning as chairman for the First 5 Commission and in the April 2 Santa Rosa Press Democrat about the challenges of commemorating the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco.

Suzanne O’Keefe, Economics, was quoted in the January issue of Prosper Magazine about the Sacramento Region’s economic outlook and the Sacramento Business Journal on Feb. 10 and the Sacramento Bee on Feb. 11 about a study on Sacramento’s prosperity ratings compared to 10 other competing Western cities.

Phil Hitchcock, School of the Arts, was quoted in the Jan. 1 Sacramento Bee about the exhibit “The Triumph of Helios: Photographic Treasures of the California State Library.”

Donald Kendrick, Music, was quoted in the Jan. 1 Sacramento Bee about Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra performances and in the Sacramento Bee on April 30 about the Sacramento Choral Society and its tour in China.

Lindy Valdez, Kinesiology and Health Science, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on Jan. 22 about the benefits of playing speedminton, known as extreme racketball.

William Vizzard, Criminal Justice, was quoted on Jan. 31 in the Sacramento Bee about the likelihood of solving a crime that occurred a long time ago with little evidence.

Robin Datel, Geography, wrote a commentary on Jan. 12 in the Sacramento News and Review about urban geography classes at Sacramento State and in the Sacramento Bee about obituaries.

Todd Migliaccio, Sociology, was quoted in the Sacramento News and Review on Jan. 12 about Viagra and pressures on men to prove their sexuality.

Timothy Fong, Asian American Studies, was quoted on KCRA on Jan. 11 about controversy regarding the Vietnamese flag.

Carole Hayashino, Advancement, was quoted on Jan. 12 in the Nichi Bei Times about the impact activist Tsuyako “Sox” Kitashima had on the Japanese American community in San Francisco.

Kevin Wehr, Sociology, was quoted on Jan. 26 in the Sacramento News and Review and on KCRA 3 on Feb. 1 about whether there is an oil shortage and on March 29 on Fox 40 about a new study on profanity and how it compares to Sacramento.

Julia Dollison, Music, was profiled in the Sacramento Bee on Feb. 14 for her rising success as a vocalist in Sacramento’s jazz community.

Joyce Mitchell, Journalism, was featured in an article on Feb. 3 in the Sacramento Bee about making her new documentary on the state of the children of Romania.

Robert Fountain, Economics, was quoted on Feb. 3 in the Sacramento Business Journal about his study on the effect of home construction on the economy.

George Parrott, Psychology, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on Feb. 7 about why people use blogs to publicly show affection.

Cici Mattiuzzi, Engineering, was quoted in the Feb. 10 Sacramento Business Journal and in in the March 12 Sacramento Bee about how firms and government agencies are recruiting people out of college.

Carolyn Gibbs, Interior Design, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on Feb. 26 about the opening of the IKEA store in West Sacramento.

Eric Bull, Science Education, was quoted in the Sacramento Business Journal on Feb. 17 about the positive effects of the discount warehouse for teachers known as Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT).

Ayad Al-Qazzaz, Sociology, wrote an essay which was published in the Sacramento News and Review on Jan. 19 about the balance in life between good and the evil and was quoted on News 10 on March 16 about the effects of a U.S. air assault in Iraq.

Michael Semler, Government, was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle on Feb. 21 about Gov. Schwarzenegger’s popularity and in the San Francisco Chronicle on Feb. 23 on how the governor’s political views conflict with other Republican legislators.

Marilyn Hopkins, Health and Human Services, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on March 9 about relocating the LIFE Center and in the Sacramento Bee on March 23 about the opening of a high school for health professionals.

Lynda Stone, Child Development, was quoted on March 9 in the Sacramento Bee about the benefits of educational summer programs for children.

Amy Liu, Sociology, was quoted on KCRA 3 on March 10 about a study on flood preparation and in the Sacramento Bee and KCRA 3 on March 17 about a poll she directed that shows the Sacramento region is becoming more opposed to the war in Iraq.

John LaRocco, Business Law, was quoted in Prosper Magazine in March about the rising tensions after several major unions left the AFL-CIO.

Rob Wassmer, Public Policy and Administration, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on March 3 about how the rise in housing prices has slowed the population increase in Sacramento.

Scott Modell, Kinesiology, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on March 19 about the program Project PLAY which offers opportunities for people with disabilities.

Sanjay Varshney, Business, was quoted on KCRA 3 on March 22 on whether it is acceptable to make personal phone calls and write personal e-mails at work.

Andrew Luchansky, Music, was quoted on March 19 in the Sacramento Bee about a piece of music based on the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima that was played by Camerata Deia in the New Millennium Concert Series.

Clare Lewis, Physical Therapy, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on April 16 about the importance of testing the effectiveness of fitness equipment before recommending it to patients.

Ken Futernick, Teacher Education, was quoted on KCRA 3 on March 28 about the results of the high school exit exam.

Maggie Beddow, Multicultural Education, was quoted on KCRA 3 on March 31 about the meaning behind Caesar Chavez Day.

Liam Murphy, Anthropology, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on April 16 about the origin of Easter eggs.

Ruth Ballard, Biological Sciences, was quoted in USA TODAY.com on April 11 about the lack of DNA evidence in the Duke’s lacrosse team case.

Duane Campbell, Bilingual and Multicultural Studies, was quoted on April 6 in the Sacramento Bee about the prospects for an immigration compromise.

Emanuel Gale, Social Work, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee on April 12 about how more should be done to curb drunk driving.

Jessica Heskin, Women’s Resource Center, was quoted on April 12 in the Sacramento Bee about how high heels symbolize women being put on display.

Maurice Poe, Teacher Education, was featured in the Sacramento Bee on April 25 about his popular Literature for Children course at Sacramento State that is aired live on public-access cable stations.

Tony Platt, Social Work, wrote a commentary in the Los Angeles Times on April 9 about museums in possession of looted art such as original copies of the Nuremberg Laws and had his review of Thomas Bender's A Nation Among Nations, entitled "History: It's Not Just About Us" published in The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review.

Barbara O’Connor, Communication Studies, was quoted: in the Jan. 1 San Francisco Chronicle about division between the governor and lawmakers, in the Jan. 2 Sacramento Bee about changes in the state’s workers’ compensation policy, in the San Francisco Chronicle on Jan. 3 about familiar names on this year’s June primary, on KXJZ on Jan. 3 about the governor’s state of the state address and in the Oakland Tribune about donor fatigue, on KFBK on Jan. 4 about miscommunication in the West Virginia miner incident, in the San Francisco Chronicle on Jan. 6 about the state of the state address, in the Jan. 8 San Francisco Chronicle article about abortion rights, on KCRA on Jan. 10 about the special election, in the Jan 22. Sacramento Bee about a dispute between PG&E and SMUD over Yolo County customers, on KOVR Channel 13 about anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman being hit by an explosive device in Iraq, in the Feb. 8 San Francisco Chronicle about lawmakers and the infrastructure bond issue, in February’s Sacramento Magazine about the challenges of being a press secretary to a Californian governor, on Fox 40 News on Feb. 15 and Feb. 21 and in the San Francisco Chronicle about this year’s race for governor, in the March 2 Sacramento Bee about former Sacramento City Manager Bob Thomas, in The San Francisco Chronicle on March 16 and Capital Public Radio on March 13 about competition for media buys during the primary election, in the March 20 Sacramento Bee on the 2006 race for Sacramento County sheriff, in the Contra Costa Times and San Jose Mercury News on March 25 and 26 about support for the preschool initiative, in the April 4 San Francisco Chronicle on State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s chances for election after heart surgery and in the April 21 San Francisco Chronicle on political action committees run by unions. She was also profiled in the Sacramento Bee on March 19 for being one of the most quoted women in the state for her political expertise.