FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 13, 2005

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Terry Battle, chair, Staff Council
530-898-4898

Advancement Offices Win CASE Awards

The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and the Office of Public Affairs and Publications, California State University, Chico, have both won awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

The CASE District VII 2005 Awards for Excellence competition invites universities and colleges from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah to submit publications and special projects devoted to advancement practices. All entry materials or programs must have been produced or executed between July 1, 2004 and June 30, 2005. The awards were announced Dec. 4 at the annual conference in San Francisco.

CSU, Chico’s Alumni and Parent Relations office won a bronze award for its alumni membership T-shirt program, under the category Best Practices in Alumni Relations. Entries were judged on effective use of resources, creative or innovative approach to a problem and results based on goals and objectives.

The Public Affairs and Publications entry in Magazine Writing won a bronze award in the Outstanding Communications category, which was judged on coherent and organized presentation of subject matter, appropriate writing style for subject matter, creativity, effective use of resources and overall effectiveness. The award is based on five articles from the fall 2004 and spring 2005 issues, which can be viewed online. They are

Fall 2004
A Degree of Opportunity, by Mary Abowd
American Bedouin, by Mary Abowd
Demystifying Cults, by Marion Harmon

Spring 2005
Lantis Legacy, by Joe Wills
Growing Up Healthy, by Marion Harmon

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 12, 2005

Joe Wills
530-898-4143
Dan Ripke, Center for Economic Development
530-898-4598

SBC Foundation’s Excelerator Grant Awarded to CSU, Chico Research Foundation’s Center for Economic Development

The SBC Foundation awarded the CSU, Chico Research Foundation’s Center for Economic Development (CED) $25,000 from their SBC Excelerator technology grants to support CED’s effort in creating an online community in California. SBC Excelerator, the SBC Foundation’s signature initiative, funds projects that use technology to build stronger communities. The project, developed by CED Director Dan Ripke, will be a Web site providing economic developers throughout California with access to a large, well-developed user-created online community of information, resources and expertise.

California is unique with its large and diverse population. Despite the state’s numerous economic development and other workforce professionals, many are geographically isolated, creating obstacles in gaining access to the resources they need to solve local problems. Many organizations within the state lack the funding and time to meet with colleagues and discuss solutions. California’s immense geography creates physical barriers that prevent collaboration and the development of solutions across the state. The online community will fill this need and will bridge these physical barriers by making communication easier and more efficient.

The online community site will allow the target population of economic and community development professionals to assist their colleagues by providing a venue for peer-to-peer development. The purpose of the online community will be to implement innovative strategies that will improve the economic vitality of the communities. Overall, the benefits of this project will be an increased number of clients served, increased outreach capabilities and a potential increase in economic vitality. The project will be coordinated by Dan Ripke and his staff at the CED.

The Center for Economic Development is a community outreach and technical assistance organization of the California State University, Chico Research Foundation. As an agent of the University, the CED supports, expands and re-emphasizes the University’s role in the regional economic development process. CED’s mission is to educate and build the knowledge and capacity of California economic development professionals and enhance the well being of the region’s citizens by facilitating sustained, long-term coordinated economic development strategies.

For more information contact Dan Ripke, director, CED, by calling 530-898-4598.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 12, 2005

Joe Wills
530-898-4143
Dan Ripke, Center for Economic Development
Courtney Danehy, Center for Economic Development
530-898-4598

Rolling Hills Casino Sponsors CSU, Chico Research Foundation’s Center for Economic Development

CSU, Chico Research Foundation’s Center for Economic Development (CED) has received $10,000 from Tehama County-based Rolling Hills Casino to support the center’s annual economic and demographic profile series. The contribution will help with production of the series, creating a partnership between the casino and the CED.

For 19 years, the CED has been publishing vital information necessary to promote positive growth in the North State. Accurate, reliable, timely local information is critical for business and community leaders in Northern California. Unfortunately, this information is often difficult to find and is too costly, both in capital and labor resources, for businesses to track down on their own. To solve this problem, the CED began producing a book series for Northern California titled The Annual County Economic and Demographic Profiles.

The series covers 23 counties and includes information such as population, employment, housing, income and projections. The series has served as a valuable resource for grant writers, policy makers, private and public businesses, and other key players working toward community and economic development. Support from Rolling Hills Casino provides necessary funding to assist in research and production of the series, as well as keeping the cost to the public minimal.

Rolling Hills Casino was established in 2000, on a 200-acre reservation near Corning that was acquired by the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians has resided in Tehama County for generations and in 1994 the federal government restored the tribe to full tribal status. Revenues from the casino will be used to fund a wide variety of health care, social services, educational and cultural programs. Revenues will also enable other economic development opportunities to be pursued in the future.

The Center for Economic Development is a community outreach and technical assistance organization of the California State University, Chico Research Foundation. As an agent of the University, the center supports, expands and re-emphasizes the University’s role in the regional economic development process. The CED’s mission is to educate and build the knowledge and capacity of California economic development professionals and enhance the well-being of the region’s citizens by facilitating sustained, long term and coordinated economic development strategies.

For more information please contact Courtney Danehy, assistant director, CED, by calling 530-898-4598 or e-mailing cdanehy@csuchico.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 12, 2005

Joe Wills
530-898-4143
Chad Butler, Scour & Devour
530-370-1807
Stacey Schooler, Scour & Devour
530-228-9146

A Thousand Volunteers Expected for Annual Campus-Community Clean-up

On Saturday, Oct. 1, more than 1,000 California State University, Chico students, faculty, staff and Chico community members will gather for the 8th annual Scour and Devour.

Co-sponsored by A.S. Recycling and The Edge Campus Christian Fellowship, Scour and Devour is an opportunity for the community of downtown Chico to come together to clean up and beautify their home.

“Scour and Devour provides the opportunity for students to practice citizenship in action while improving our overall community,” said Chico Mayor Scott Gruendl of the annual effort.

New clean-up and beautification jobs have been added to accommodate the large number of volunteers. Tasks will include picking up trash on campus and the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as painting over graffiti in the area. Volunteers will also be taken to areas of Bidwell Park in need of some maintenance.

“[Scour and Devour] allows participants to show their care for the city of Chico as the event has grown from just cleaning up student neighborhoods to cleaning up a variety of parts of the city,” A.S. President Thomas Whitcher said.

Registration for clean-up volunteers will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the cleaning set to begin at 9 a.m. At noon the volunteers will gather on the Free Speech Area for a complimentary tri tip lunch.

In 1998, Bob Sprague, lead pastor of The Edge, wanted to find a service project that members of the community could do together. What started as an effort by around 50 people in 1998 saw a total of more than 800 volunteers last year. This year that number is expected to exceed 1,000.

Sponsors of this year’s event include NorCal Waste Management, Chico State Resident Hall Association, and University Housing and Food Service.

More information on Scour and Devour can be found online. Those wishing to pre-register for the event can do so at the Web site.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 8, 2005

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Terry Battle, chair Staff Council
530-898-4898

Gifts Piled High for Needy Children

The Staff Council at California State University, Chico is in their 20th year of sponsoring the Needy Children’s Gift Program, and it’s been a good year, indeed. One hundred eighty-two children from 81 families will receive gifts this year through the generosity of departments and offices within the University.

Social workers from various agencies are picking up the gifts today at the University Farm for the families they recommended. Shauna Quinn, director of the Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center, was a social worker for Child Protective Services when the program began. “I think this is the best day of the year for many of the social workers. They get to deliver gifts and share in a family’s excitement,” said Quinn.

In addition to gifts for all of the children of the family, the families receive a certificate for food. Money for the food certificates is collected through a separate fundraiser early in the fall. Departments and offices are assigned their families, and then individuals in the offices buy gifts for each child, beginning with necessities such as clothing and warm coats.

The program started in 1985 with only 17 families and has grown through the years. It, along with campus blood drives, is one of the largest projects Staff Council sponsors. “The primary focus of Staff Council projects is that they benefit staff, then the University community and then the larger community,” said Terry Battle, chair of Staff Council. “It is wonderful that so many people in the University have helped it grow and that so many families can benefit.”

Staff Council begins working on plans for the program in October, contacting agencies and social workers, who select the families and then help families fill out wish lists, which are then handed out to participating divisions in the University. Social workers choose families on the basis of need. Families are recipients in the program only once.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 29, 2005

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Kristin Cooper-Carter, Environmental Projects Director
College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management
530-893-5751

Research Foundation Receives Grant to Eradicate Invasive Plants in Lindo Channel

The California State University, Chico Research Foundation has received approximately $150,000 in grant funding in support of a three-year Arundo donax eradication project in Lindo Channel, through a grant from the California Bay-Delta Authority and in partnership with Team Arundo del Norte. The director is Kristin Cooper-Carter, environmental projects director, College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management, and the project manager is Susan Mason.

Arundo donax, or Giant Reed, is an invasive plant species that threatens California’s riparian ecosystems by competing with native species for water. It grows rapidly to a height of 30′, creating monocultural stands that are flammable. The plant is spread by underground rhizomes and from clumps of arundo being transported downstream during high water events. The original source of the Arundo in Lindo Channel is from Big Chico Creek near the Bidwell Park Golf Course. The Chico Park Division is in the process of eradicating these upstream Arundo populations.

Arundo is originally from India. In acient times, it was transplanted to the Mediterranean region, and later to the Americas. Today, it is an invasive pest throughout the warmer coastal freshwaters of the United States, from Maryland to Northern California. Arundo came to Southern California with early Spanish settlers. It now occurs in most regions of California below approximately 1,000 feet.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service encouraged land managers to plant it as a bank stablilizer in the 1950s. Since that time, it has become uncontrollable in our watersheds. Team Arundo del Norte is a partnership that is dedicated to the reduction and eventual elimination of giant reed in central and northern California.

The City of Chico and the Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance are co-sponsors of this invasive plant removal effort. The Research Foundation is one of 10 partners in high-priority watersheds who are participating in the Northern California Arundo Eradication and Coordination Program.

Private landowners in the Lindo Channel area whose properties contain Arundo can have this invasive non-native treated at no cost. Informational meetings for Lindo Channel neighbors will be held in the next few months to explain the project, treatment methods and planned re-vegetation. Channel residents and property owners will be notified of these dates through mailings and public notices.

For questions about the program, please contact Kristin Cooper Carter at 530-893-5751 or kcooper-carter@csuchico.edu.

Photo: Steve Green surveys Arundo donax patch in Lindo Channel near Nord Ave., on Sunday, November 27.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 21, 2005

Joe Wills
530-898-4143

Professor Named President-elect of International Nursing Society

Carol Huston, nursing professor at California State University, Chico, has been named president-elect of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), the honor society for nursing and the second largest nursing organization in the world.

Huston will serve as president-elect for two years before assuming the role of president in 2007. During her four years of service with STTI, she will be directing global efforts of the organization to positively impact health worldwide.

Huston has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau since 1977 and was one of the founders of the local Chico chapter, Kappa Omicron, in 1988. She has been an active leader of the local chapter since its inception and has served in many elected positions with STTI, most recently on the Board of Directors.

STTI has more than 125,000 active members and 431 chapters in 90 countries throughout the world. The mission of the organization is to provide leadership and scholarship in practice, education and research to enhance worldwide health.

Huston has been a CSU, Chico nursing faculty member since 1982, teaching leadership and management. She is the co-author of four leadership, management and professional issues texts for nursing, and has made over 70 keynote presentations worldwide. In 2002, she was named Outstanding Teacher for the CSU, Chico campus.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 18, 2005

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Larry Bassow
Housing and Food Service
503-898-6325

Up ’til Dawn is ‘Star of the Week’ for Successful Event

The fifth annual student-sponsored Up ’til Dawn event at California State University, Chico, held on Nov. 7, was a resounding success. More than 850 participants produced over 18,000 letters to friends and family requesting donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

CSU, Chico was named “Star of the Week” by St. Jude’s for its remarkable efforts on behalf of the hospital and the children and families it serves.

More than 70 teams-half made up of students from residence halls, and the other half made up of students from Greek and other campus organizations-met for a night of letter writing and education on St. Jude’s research and treatment of childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

The students heard from CSU, Chico President Paul Zingg, who told them how proud he was of them and pledged $1,000. They met former St. Jude’s patient Ramon Hernandez and his family from Mexico. Ramon won his fight against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after years of treatment.

In the last four years, the Up ’til Dawn program in Chico has raised more than $200,000. Last year, CSU, Chico finished sixth in the nation with contributions totaling just over $80,000.

“We expect to top our last year’s total. I can’t say enough about how hard these students worked to pull off one of the most amazing fundraising events I’ve ever seen,” said Larry Bassow, University Housing and Food Service and an advisor to the event. “Chico students are special for their enthusiasm and willingness to get involved.”

Although St. Jude Hospital is located in Memphis, Tenn., doctors and hospitals use its work throughout the world. The hospital, founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas, is committed to treating all children, no matter what their economic situation.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 17, 2005

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260

Ann Schulte Elected to Leadership Position in Educational Research Association

Ann Schulte, Department of Education, California State University, Chico, has been elected to the position of chair-elect for the Self-study (S-STEP) special interest group of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). S-STEP is a forum for educators of teachers.

AERA, an international organization, is considered to be one of the most prestigious of research organizations for teacher education. With her election, Schulte is making a six-year commitment: two years as co-chair, two years as chair, then two years as past chair.

S-STEP membership consists of educators who want to make substantial contributions to the theory and practice of teacher education, self-study research design/practice and the professional development of teacher educators. Through S-STEP, members discuss issues of self-study design, publishing, ethics and best practice.

Schulte has been at CSU, Chico since 2000. She teaches courses and supervises in the Multiple Subject Credential Program. She has significant experience in middle school teaching, multicultural education and integrated curriculum. Other research and teaching interests include critical reflection, teacher study groups and action research, in which teachers study their own practice.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 17, 2005

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260

Colloquium Will Address Cultural Competency Needs in Social Work Education

Jean Schuldberg, EdD, LCSW, will present the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Colloquium on Dec. 1, in Ayres 106 at 7 p.m. Schuldberg, a professor in the School of Social Work, will present “You Are Lying to Me, There Was No Such War: Reflections of Iu-Mien Social Service Workers on Cultural Competency in Social Work.”

Schuldberg’s presentation is based on research into the experiences of members of the Iu-Mien communities in Northern California, refugees from Southeast Asia. The presentation will begin with an introduction to the history that led Iu-Mien people from China to Laos to Thailand, and then to the United States.

Schuldberg’s study focused on contacts of lu-Mein individuals with social service workers as refugees and, currently, lu-Mein social workers with colleagues in human service jobs.

The results of the study provide a unique outsider/insider perspective, said explained Schuldberg. “The voices of the eight participants will be the theme of the presentation, as several of the participants will share their experiences in their own voices,” said Schuldberg.

The impetus for this research came from discussions with an undergraduate social work student from the Iu-Mien community. She related experiences in her field practicum that revealed a lack of cultural competency of the social work staff. The student’s concerns generalized to apprehension regarding the appropriateness of services provided by workers who were not competent in working with diverse populations.

The goal of the research project was to gain information to develop recommendations for curricular changes in the teaching of cultural competency in social work education.

Schuldberg received her BA from the University of Oregon, her MA from Indiana University, and her EdD in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco in 2001. She has taught at CSU, Chico since 1989.

University of San Francisco in 2001. She has taught at CSU, Chico since 1989. Schuldberg is the author of “The Challenge of Cross-cultural Competency in Social Work: Experiences of Southeast Asian Refugees in the United States (New York: Edwin Mellon Press, 2005).

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