Biological Sciences Department Annual Fund

The department’s annual fund supports student research, field and lab equipment, travel to conferences, and other department priorities. It enhances educational opportunities for biology majors in all areas of the life sciences.

Thomas E. Landerholm Legacy Scholarship

Dr. Thomas E. Landerholm loved Sacramento State. He joined the Department of Biological Sciences as faculty in 2002 and leaves the campus and surrounding community a legacy of leadership in building modern facilities, curricula and programs including those that promote success in the STEM classroom, workforce, and beyond. His brilliance in cell, molecular and developmental biology coupled with his visionary approaches as a teacher and researcher helped students implement a growth mindset in pursuit of their dreams.

Importantly, Dr. Landerholm was motivated by mentoring others and bringing people together, all done selflessly with love and humor. He fearlessly rolled up his sleeves and jumped in at every opportunity to do the tough work in support of the team. All this, and so much more.

Dr. Thomas E. Landerholm dedicated a lifetime to learning, doing and teaching science. With love and admiration, we are eternally grateful. The spirit of this award is to empower students by reducing financial barriers in pursuit of educational excellence and fulfilling careers thereafter.

Note: Curious about the difference between a Fund and an Endowment? Learn more about endowments

Dr. Rose Leigh Vines Scholarship for Academic Excellence

Rose Leigh Vines was born in Cookeville, Tennessee, in 1945. After graduating from Tennessee Tech in 1966 with a degree in Biology and completing her training in 1968 at St. Thomas Hospital’s School of Medical Technology, she worked for eleven years before earning her Ph.D. in Anatomy at the University of Kentucky. From there, Rose Leigh relocated to Sacramento, California, where she embarked on an illustrious thirty-eight-year career in higher education—first at California State University, Sacramento, and later, in retirement, at California Northstate University.
Rose Leigh joined the faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences at California State University, Sacramento in 1976, where she taught anatomy, body fluid analysis, clinical hematology, and histology. In addition to teaching at CSU Sacramento, she served as Director of Distance and Distributed Education, the University Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA, and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences.

She was the first faculty member to receive the Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, and also received the Medical Technologist of the Year award from the California Association for Medical Laboratory Technology in recognition of her many contributions to the clinical laboratory sciences profession. Rose Leigh was a leader in her field and published over forty multimedia anatomy teaching tools for Pearson Publishing, A.D.A.M., and Micron Biosystems.

After retiring from CSU Sacramento in 2011, Rose Leigh joined the faculty at California Northstate University College of Medicine as a Professor of Anatomy and became the Founding Dean of the College of Health Sciences.

Rose Leigh was an exceptional faculty member. Her courses were rigorous, incorporated technology, and provided students with the knowledge and skills to be competitive for admission into professional schools and clinical laboratory training programs. She was a devoted mentor to her students, who absolutely adored her. Numerous doctors, physical therapists, nurses, and clinical laboratory technologists throughout California owe their early training to Rose Leigh.

In 2017, Rose Leigh returned to Cookeville, Tennessee, to be close to her family—her sister and brother-in-law, Melinda and Ron Swann; her nephews Jeff, Ben, and Robert Swann; and numerous great-nieces and nephews—as well as the many friends she made in her hometown. In retirement, she was an avid traveler and a self-described “sports nut” who enjoyed attending, watching, and recording all kinds of sports. She was especially fond of college women’s volleyball and all college football and basketball.
Rose Leigh passed away suddenly in August 2023.

Mary Decious Living World Scholarship

The Mary Decious Living World Scholarship was created in 2018 by Mary Decious, an alumna of the Biological Sciences and Chemistry departments.

Middle school trout dissection and lengthy microscope sessions generated her lifelong appreciation for the organisms, structures, and integrated processes of the natural world.

Mary values the advancement of equal education opportunity, especially for students who may face obstacles. Whatever your inspiration and academic goals, she hopes this scholarship will help encourage you through successful years at CSUS and beyond.

The Mary Decious Living World Scholarship is intended to advance education opportunities for CSUS biology majors by providing a meaningful source of financial support and encouragement.

CSUS Herbarium Fund

This fund supports the campus herbarium, home to a 20,000-specimen plant collection used for teaching and research. Gifts help maintain the collection, support student research in botany and ecology, and preserve plant diversity for educational use.

CSUS Vivarium Fund

The Vivarium at Sacramento State has creatures that walk, crawl and slither for students to discover in Sequoia Hall, Room 110. This fund supports educational programming for the campus vivarium, which houses 25+ species of live reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Used in teaching and outreach, the Vivarium provides immersive experiences in organismal biology.

CSUS Arboretum – Friends of the Arboretum

This fund supports the Sacramento State Arboretum, a 3-acre botanical garden used by students, local K-12 classes, and the local community. Donations support plant collections, educational signage, general upkeep, and infrastructure projects like a planned outdoor classroom.

Linda Dixon Arboretum Endowed Fund

This fund supports the student employees working in the Arboretum, capital improvements, and various other expenses related to increasing the number and diversity of plants in the Arboretum.