CSU, Chico News

Brian Miner, a biological sciences major and a senior at California State University, Chico, has been selected to receive a 2003 Howell/CSUPERB Young Investigator Award for his original research proposal. A prize of $2,500 for research accompanies the award. CSUPERB, the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology, co-funds the awards with the Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research.

Miner’s research will shed light on whether low glycemic index diets can be of therapeutic benefit in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. He will study the effect of carbohydrate type on post-meal lipid response and levels of glucose and insulin in two groups of women.

Both groups, one of women with abdominal obesity and the other a normal weight control group, will eat two breakfast meals on two separate days. One meal will have a low glycemic index (the glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect blood sugar levels), and the other a high glycemic index.

Blood samples will be collected from each participant prior to each meal and then at one-, three- and five-hour intervals after the meal. The samples will be analyzed for total triglycerides, glucose and insulin. The results of this project will further the understanding of the interaction between the type and quality of dietary carbohydrate, the after-meal response and risk for cardiovascular disease.

The Howell Foundation makes awards for faculty-mentored student research proposals for research that has not yet begun. The proposal must explain the connection between the research and women’s health care, and how the funding would enable the student to do research that otherwise would not be possible.

Miner is from Chico and intends to go to medical school after CSU, Chico. He is interested in many fields of medicine and still exploring his interests.

“Professors Kathryn Silliman and John Mahoney have been of invaluable help to me in my college career, through both their aptitude for teaching and their consistent dedication to my progress. My receipt of this award is due, in no small part, to their efforts. My colleagues Cindy Allen, Loni McIntosh and Jalien Higgins also contributed to a successful proposal through their generous sharing of their talents,” said Miner.

Miner is the first student from CSU, Chico to receive this statewide award.

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Pumpkin pieces will fly when the Society of Physics Students (SPS) at California State University, Chico holds its 15th annual Pumpkin Drop on Thursday, Oct. 31, at noon on the south side of Butte Hall.

More than 500 students from local grade schools are expected to attend the experiment, which is a recreation of Galileo Galilei’s legendary Tower of Pisa Experiment. The experiment proves what is known as Galileo’s Law of Falling Bodies, that “all objects, regardless of their mass, fall toward Earth at the same rate.”

Legend has it that Galileo climbed to the top of the Tower of Pisa and simultaneously dropped a small ball and a large ball to see if they would hit the ground at the same time. He proved his theory when both landed at the same time.

SPS will not be using balls, but pumpkins, and other fruits and vegetables, to do the reenactment on Halloween. Each will be dropped in synchronization to the cannon blasts of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Additionally, SPS members will dress as Galileo and Aristotle, who, had he been alive when the experiment took place, would have been a skeptic.

For more information contact David Kagan, Department of Physics, 530-898-6259.

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California State University, Chico’s Center for Economic Development, College of Business, and Center for Regional and Continuing Education have initiated the Rural Commerce Learning Exchange. The Web portal provides free e-commerce education, online information resources, and a conduit for direct economic development services for small business owners and managers in rural northern California counties.

Funded in August 2002 through a rural e-commerce grant sponsored by the State of California’s Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency, the program is dedicated to help reverse “the digital divide,” a nationwide trend which indicates that rural areas lag behind metropolitan areas in their adaptation of Internet technologies and Web-based business applications. Through the provision of educational resources and direct access to business development services the Rural Commerce Learning Exchange is focused to bridging this divide.

Rural Commerce Learning Exchange participants can now receive direct business development assistance through CSU, Chico’s Center for Economic Development’s program called Economic Gardening. Economic Gardening services include general business support in the form of market analysis, feasibility studies, competitor analysis and customer acquisition strategies.

Established in 1999, the Center for Economic Development’s Economic Gardening program has successfully assisted hundreds of individuals in their quest to grow their businesses.

During the first quarter of the project, the team has initiated a systematic program to survey and determine what skills small businesses need to successfully sell and market their goods and services on the Internet. The next phase of the program will develop appropriate educational resources and developmental support strategies that address these regional needs.

Small business owners and managers interested in learning more about how the Rural Commerce Learning Exchange can help their businesses are encouraged to visit the Web site at http://rclx.csuchico.edu and take the survey or call the exchange at 530-898-4598. Individuals who take the survey will be eligible to win a year’s membership to one of the area’s chambers of commerce.

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An exchange program between California State University, Chico and Germany’s Pforzheim University is officially in place. Chico students could go to Germany as early as Pforzheim’s summer semester, from March through July, 2003.

Professor Stan Gardiner, Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems, collaborated with Karl-Heinz Rau, a colleague at Pforzheim, in establishing the exchange training in classroom use of SAP’s enterprise software.

The German company SAP is the largest enterprise software company in the world and a recognized leader in e-business solutions. CSU, Chico was recognized as SAP’s first University Competency Center in the fall of 2000.

Gardiner, who joined the faculty of CSU, Chico in August, developed a similar exchange program at Auburn University in Alabama. Chico’s program is modeled after that one.

The exchange will allow some of Pforzheim’s best business students to take classes in Chico for a semester. In return, Chico students can take courses at Pforzheim (located in the northwest corner of Germany’s Black Forest) for the same tuition they would pay at CSU, Chico.

Students proficient in German can take any courses at Pforzheim for which they meet the requirements. An option for those not proficient in German is to take an intensive course in German, gaining credit for the first two years of German in one semester. Following the German course, students could take selected business courses in German. In addition, graduate students have the option to take classes in the English MBA program.

Gardiner, whose expertise is in the areas of operations management and management information systems, met Chico professors Ray Boykin and Gayle Corbitt at SAP training meetings several years ago. He, Boykin and Corbitt are SAP distinguished scholars. SAP’s distinguished scholar program recognizes individuals for their expertise in a particular area and provides them with stipends for education and travel, enabling the scholars to train others.

Gardiner attended training meetings in Chico taught by Boykin and Corbitt, on how to integrate SAP software into MIS courses, so he was familiar with CSU, Chico when Boykin and Corbitt encouraged him to join the faculty.

Pforzhiem’s Rau plans to visit California during Germany’s Pentecost holidays, May 29 to June 14. In addition to traveling with his family, he will come to Chico to meet faculty members to understand what they are doing in detail, to learn about the university and town, and perhaps to teach an SAP case-study session.

Gardiner worked with Bob Jackson, dean of graduate, international and sponsored programs, in putting the agreement in place. “I appreciated Bob’s enthusiasm for the program and his help with moving the agreement along so rapidly,” said Gardiner.

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Ed Masterson, associate vice president for university advancement at California State University, Chico, was honored yesterday with the top award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VII.

The award ceremony took place in Anaheim Monday, Dec. 9, at a luncheon during the CASE District VII annual conference.

The Tribute Award was established by District VII in 1985 to recognize members who have maintained the highest standards of professionalism in their advancement careers and shared their expertise with members of the profession.

CASE provides information and training to more than 38,000 education professionals in alumni relations, communications and development. It is the largest international association of educational institutions, with more than 3,400 colleges, universities, and independent elementary and secondary schools in CASE worldwide. One of eight districts nationwide, District VII includes institutions from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

“Stated simply, this is one of the highest awards one can receive from one’s peers,” said Paul Moore, CSU, Chico vice president for student affairs and university advancement. “I can think of no one who deserves it more.”

Masterson has been in his current post at the university since 1994. Prior to that, he was director of university relations and development for 23 years. Among Masterson’s many accomplishments at CSU, Chico are launching the annual giving and planned giving programs, planning and implementing various fund-raising campaigns and selecting and implementing an on-line, interactive database management system.

Masterson earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CSU, Chico. He was a Fellow at Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management and the Glacier Institute for Management in Ruislip, England. He also holds elementary, secondary and administrative teaching credentials, and was a teacher and administrator at Bidwell Junior High School and Chico High School before becoming Chico State’s first full-time alumni relations director in 1967. In 1968, he was named assistant to the president and director of university relations.

Along with serving as chair of CASE’s District VII, Masterson has been a member of the National Society for Fund-Raising Executives as well as a past president of the North Valley Estate Planning Council. Locally, he is a past president of the Chico Chamber of Commerce and the Chico Rotary Club and board member of the Chico Heat Community Foundation, Chico Community Scholarship Association, Butte-Glenn American Cancer Society and Salvation Army.

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California State University, Chico students who have been leaders in the residence halls will receive scholarship awards at a celebration dinner Tuesday, Dec. 10, in the Bell Memorial Union, room 210.

Faculty and staff who have made a positive impact on resident students will also be honored at the event, which starts at 6 p.m. Approximately 50 students, faculty and staff are expected to attend.

The event is sponsored by University Housing and Food Service in conjunction with the Residence Hall Association (RHA).

Out of 12 nominees, five students will be awarded scholarships of $250 each, funded by the housing office in memory of past staff members who served the office in various capacities. The student leaders were nominated by resident directors and hall council advisors in the university’s seven residence halls, which are populated mostly by first-year students.

“Because these are student volunteers, it’s wonderful to recognize them in their first year, their first semester, in college,” said Jen Roy, coordinator of programming and leadership development. “Usually we just thank them, but it’s great that we can give some of them a scholarship.”

The student staff from the Residence Life Recreation Center serve as the scholarship committee to select the final award recipients based on written nominations. The scholarship recipients are chosen based upon their hall participation, commitment to their leadership position, teamwork, dedication, role modeling, exceeding expectations and for their significant contributions both to the residence halls and towards the greater campus community.

John Lauer, associate director for university housing and residential life, will speak to the attendees, attesting to the value of resident student leaders. Professor Dirk Vanderloop, the faculty-in-residence for University Village, will speak about the role faculty play in residence life and his experiences with being a faculty member working with student leaders.

RHA President Anthony Toste will speak about what it means to be a student leader in the residence halls and will thank all of the scholarship nominees for their hard work during the fall 2002 semester.

Roy will award the five $250 leadership scholarships. Thomas Whitcher, assistant leadership coordinator, organized the dinner and will serve as the evening’s MC.

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Marian Baldy, College of Agriculture, California State University, Chico, received an Award of Merit from the American Wine Society on Nov. 9 at the society’s annual conference in Buffalo, New York.

This award is given to wine professionals who have contributed to the advancement of wine appreciation for both professionals and amateurs. Baldy was recognized for her years of university teaching, lectures for professional and consumer organizations and her publications, especially The University Wine Course: A Wine Appreciation Text and Self Tutorial, 1993, published by the Wine Appreciation Guild and used nationwide.

Others who have received AWS awards in the past include author and co-founder of the Wine Institute Leon Adams; California winemakers Andre Tchelistcheff, Robert Mondavi, Louis Martini, and Warren Winiarski; and academics Vincent Petrucci, professor of viticulture at California State University, Fresno, and Ann Noble, professor of enology at the University of California, Davis.

Much of her knowledge about wine was developed and tested by her experience as a winemaker and co-owner (with her husband Dick Baldy, also of the College of Agriculture) of Butte Creek Vineyards between 1972 and 1978.

Since 1972, Baldy has taught the Introduction to Wines course at CSU, Chico. The class has introduced more than 5,800 novices to the finer points of wine since that time. She wrote The University Wine Course in 1993 to accompany the course and produced a companion teacher’s manual in 1994.

Baldy has received numerous awards, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching in 1994. She received an Honorary Life Membership in the American Wine Society in 1997. The University Wine Course was selected by the Society of Medical Friends of Wine as one of 25 books for inclusion in its list of Basic Shelf of Wine Books, 1996.

A popular speaker, Baldy has presented lectures to numerous professional groups on such topics as “The Perception of Bitterness and Astringency,” presented to the American Wine Society National Conference in Greenwich, Connecticut, Nov. 1998, and “How Your Nose Knows and Your Tongue Tells,” a one-day seminar in sensory evaluation fundamentals for the Restaurant Management Wine Training Program at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, in June 1998.

Baldy earned an A.B. in microbiology and a Ph.D. in genetics from UC, Davis and studied enology there. She retired from CSU, Chico in 2000, but continues to teach the Introduction to Wine Class.

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California State University, Chico student leaders will be honored at the annual President’s Student Leadership Reception tomorrow, Dec. 4, 4-5:30 p.m., in the BMU Auditorium.

The leaders represent more than 230 student organizations on campus, including the Associated Students, Greek organizations and service groups. In addition to recognizing the student leaders, the reception thanks them for their dedication in serving these organizations.

CSU, Chico emphasizes the development of student leaders. In the last few years, a new leadership minor has been developed and the Student Affairs’ leadership program expanded.

Another group that honors student and alumni leaders who continue to contribute to the university is Chico State University Leaders. This honorary organization inducts new members annually.

“The development of leadership qualities in students is something that CSU, Chico values and commits time and resources to. Our student leaders devote tremendous time, energy and talent to their organizations. I hope they receive benefits in the future in proportion to all they have given,” said President Manuel A. Esteban. “This reception is one small way I can thank them for all they do for the university.”

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California State University, Chico College of Business students are putting on a benefit concert Thursday, Dec. 5, to raise funds for the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The variety show concert, featuring the Jackie Greene Band, Carol Olmeda, The Bitty Bums and Emcee Bushwalla, is at 7 p.m. in the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium. Tickets are $5.

It’s the 4th year in a row that students from the college’s Business Resource Center have coordinated fund-raising to make a child’s dream come true that would otherwise be unattainable. More than $12,000 has been raised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation over that time span.

Gary McMahon, director of student services for the college, said this year’s child is a local 14-year-old boy with a life-threatening disease. The boy wishes to go to Disney World, which will cost $4,000, McMahon said.

“The BRC (Business Resource Center) students are a very diverse group, so this fund-raising project is a way for them to be united in one goal,” McMahon said. “Planning, marketing and leadership skills are needed to accomplish their goal, and they work very hard at it.”

The mission of the BRC is to aggressively recruit economically disadvantaged and first-generation students to the college, and to retain all students by providing innovative and student-centered academic support programs.

Blues singer and songwriter Jackie Greene is a well-known performer in the Sacramento area, and will be opening for guitarist Susan Tedeschi Dec. 17 at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Last year’s Make-A-Wish concert headliner, Jason Mraz, is opening for popular rocker Dave Matthews at concerts this fall.

Also performing at the Dec. 5 concert are CSU, Chico student acts Antares Monotero, D’Nez, Unity Dance Group and The Tapia Twins.

McMahon said a number of groups have generously contributed to the fund-raising effort, including Pepsi Bottling Group, Paradise Police Association, Paradise Exchange Club and the CSU, Chico Associated Students.

For more information about the concert or to make a donation to the Make-A-Wish fund-raising effort, call the BRC at 898-6783.

The Phoenix-based Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 and has assisted more than 97,000 children with life-threatening illnesses worldwide.

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California State University, Chico Center for Regional and Continuing Education, in partnership with Butte County Family Court Services, presents “Children in Trauma,” a two-day conference featuring nationally recognized scholars and authors who will address the social, psychological and physical impacts of trauma on children.

The “Children in Trauma” conference will be held at the Bell Memorial Union on the CSU, Chico campus Jan. 10-11, 2003, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“Children in Trauma” conference sessions will focus on the issues surrounding children who experience trauma in their lives. The conference will facilitate a shared understanding of the ways children are impacted by trauma, and provide strategies and resources for a collaborative approach to intervention.

The conference keynote sessions feature Dr. Stuart Ablon and Dr. Vivienne Roseby. Dr. Ablon is director of the Psychotherapy Research Program at the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and teaches psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is considered one of the leading national authorities in the field. Dr. Vivienne Roseby is co-author of a well respected book in the field, In the Name of the Child: A Developmental Approach to Understanding and Helping Children of Conflicted and Violent Divorce.

Conference speakers and exhibitors will share resources, relevant research, and innovative approaches for responding to children who are victims of violence, who live with chronic conflict, or who demonstrate explosive behavior.

In addition to the featured sessions and lunch-hour panels, exhibitors from nonprofit organizations, private companies and government agencies will share their resources.

“This conference is an outgrowth of Continuing Education’s ongoing professional development programs designed for those who serve families and children,” said Clare Roby, conference director. “Our vision is to look at how children are affected by trauma from a multi-disciplinary perspective to create a kaleidoscopic view of this critical topic.”

“Our partners at Butte County Family Court Services are the inspiration for this program, and we encourage anyone who deals with children in trauma to attend,” Roby said. “Kids deserve to feel safe enough to be kids, and that’s what this conference is all about.”

Area social workers, family therapists, psychologists, mediators, psychiatrists, community leaders, law enforcement, nurses, physicians, advocates, mental health professionals, child development professionals, school counselors, religious leaders and educators are among those who will be invited to the conference.

Marriage and family therapists, social workers, psychologists, nurses, attorneys and law enforcement personnel may earn 15 hours of continuing education credit for their participation.

The early registration fee (received by Dec. 20) for the two-day conference is $249 (includes support materials and lunch each day). Group discounts are available at $199 per person for organizations sending four or more participants. To enroll, or for exhibitor information, please call CSU, Chico Continuing Education at 530-898-6105 or visit the Web site at http://rce.csuchico.edu/inservice.

CSU, Chico Center for Regional and Continuing Education extends the outreach of the university with a variety of educational opportunities and services to meet the lifelong learning needs of citizens throughout California, the United States and the world.

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