FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2008

Joe Wills
530-898-4143

University Printing Services Receives Forest Stewardship Council National Certification

California State University, Chico’s University Printing Services has been awarded Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification by Scientific Certification Systems (certificate number SCS-COC-001517), supporting CSU, Chico’s campuswide commitment to sustainability.

CSU, Chico is one of the first universities in the country to receive this certification.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests. The chain-of-custody certification means that products by CSU, Chico’s Printing Services bearing the FSC trademark meet strict tracking requirements ensuring that they come from responsibly-managed forests.

Scientific Certification Systems is an independent third-party certifier of environmental, sustainability, food quality and food purity claims.

“I’m pleased that University Printing Services recognized the importance of offering FSC-trademarked products on behalf of the entire University,” said Sean Farrell, associate vice president for business and finance. “Now that printed pieces can bear the FSC logo, the University will gain immediate recognition for its role in understanding the importance of forest conservation worldwide.”

Dale Wymore, manager of University Printing Services, said the idea to seek the FSC certification came out of a staff meeting in September 2007 about exploring ways to be more environmentally sustainable. “We felt that becoming FSC Certified was an important contribution we could make towards the University’s sustainability goals. I’d like to thank the University Printing Services staff for their interest in following the processes and procedures needed for this certification. This was really a team effort.”

She said the University’s paper purchases for FSC-trademarked products will be audited annually to make sure that they come from a well-managed forest.

Wymore said University Printing Services is making other contributions to sustainability. She said the shop uses vegetable-based inks for four-color process work, recycled or FSC-certified paper and envelopes made from 100 percent post-consumer waste.

CSU, Chico has received a number of honors for its leadership role in sustainability and environmental awareness and education. Last month, CSU, Chico’s Green Campus Program won the Best Practices award for Student Energy Efficiency in the CSU. In 2007, the University was awarded the Grand Prize by the National Wildlife Federation for efforts to reduce global warming, and was ranked eighth on a list of top green colleges and universities by Grist, a Web environmental news and comment site.

CSU, Chico’s Institute for Sustainable Development contributed funding to help cover costs related to the FSC certification process.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2008

Joe Wills
530-898-4143

Honorary Doctorates To Be Awarded to Ken Grossman and Marilyn Warrens at CSU, Chico Commencement

Ken Grossman and Marilyn Warrens, two of Chico’s best known and most respected citizens, will be awarded honorary doctorates at California State University, Chico’s 118th commencement later this month.

Warrens will receive the Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, and Grossman will receive the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, conferred by the California State University Board of Trustees and CSU, Chico. The ceremony will be Sunday, May 25, as part of the University’s commencement exercises.

Grossman is the founder, owner and president of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The company has grown from essentially a home brewing operation in 1980 to the second largest craft brewery and seventh largest brewing company in the United States. Sierra Nevada is one of the largest locally owned employers in Butte County and has won more than 150 awards in regional, national and international competitions.

In addition to his commercial success, Grossman is a significant contributor to the community. He devotes a good deal of his time and resources supporting local organizations, public television and radio, music and the arts, and many civic and community-enhancement organizations. His support of higher education is demonstrated by guest-teaching and speaking several times a year to student groups and business fraternities on entrepreneurship and the value of good corporate citizenship at CSU, Chico, UC Davis and Butte Community College. In 2004, Grossman received the Outstanding Entrepreneur award from CSU, Chico’s College of Business.

Agricultural sustainability and environmental stewardship are extremely important to Grossman, and are mainstays of his business. He also serves on several river conservation boards and is involved in local environmental organizations. Grossman was honored last year at the CSU, Chico Sustainability Conference for his sustainable practices, and he and his wife, Katie Gonser, sponsor the SAGE Award for Environmental Stewardship. He is also a member of the University’s Jack Rawlins Advisory Committee, to advance sustainability in the community. The company has won numerous environmental and sustainability awards as well, including the prestigious Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award for Sustainable Practices in 2005.

Warrens has been one of the most active members of the Chico community for many years. She has been president of the California Medical Association Auxiliary, president of the Butte-Glenn Medical Society Alliance, founder of the Chico Area Pan-Hellenic, founder of Fiesta /Rancho Chico, founder of Las Senoras of Chico and Los Caballeros, founder and chair of Operation Poppy on Oroville Dam, chair of the Chico Area Bicentennial Commission and a board member of the Chico City Light Opera.

Warrens has also been a major contributor at CSU, Chico, where she received a fine arts, diversified bachelor’s degree in 1975. She has served as chair and board member for the University Foundation, chair and member of the University Advisory Board, chair of the Laxson Auditorium Refurbishing Project, founding board member of the Chico Museum Association, and a member of the Friends of Court Theatre. She has established a scholarship in the Department of Theatre and annually supports the University’s Bach Festival and the North State Symphony. The Albert E. Warrens Reception Center, formerly the President’s Mansion, was refurbished with the generous assistance of Warrens, and is named for her late husband, Albert E. Warrens, a long-time Chico physician and supporter of CSU, Chico.

A recipient of numerous awards, Warrens has been honored with the Excellence in Community Service Award by the Chico Economic Planning Corporation, in 2007; the Chico State Distinguished Alumna Award for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, in 1999; the Pat Lappin Award for Community Service by the Chico Chamber of Commerce, in 1981; and the Community Service Award by the Rotary Club of Chico, in 1978.

The May 25 commencement will include bachelor’s degrees awarded to undergraduates from the colleges of Communication and Education (including Liberal Studies), Humanities and Fine Arts, International and Interdisciplinary Studies and Natural Sciences. During Commencement exercises Saturday, May 24, undergraduates from the colleges of Agriculture, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Business, and Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Management will receive degrees. On Friday, May 23, CSU, Chico will host commencement for master’s graduates.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2008

Joe Wills
530-898-4143

Students Take First Place in CSU Student Research Competition; Microbial Biochemistry Project Uses Industrial Waste to Make Biodegradable Plastic

Two California State University, Chico biology students won first place in the 22nd annual California State University Student Research Competition, held at CSU, East Bay May 2 and 3.

CSU, Chico seniors Christopher Paul Morris and Kevin Roy Parsons topped 18 other entrants from other CSU campuses with research in microbial biochemistry that has great potential for creating new uses and sustainable practices for waste products.

Their research project, “Use of Brewery Waste for the Microbial Conversion of Carbohydrates to Lactic Acid,” showed promising results in using industrial or agricultural waste, such as yeast or rice hulls, as a medium for bacteria to produce lactic acid, which can be made into biodegradable plastic.

Morris and Parsons came in first place in the undergraduate competition for biological and agricultural sciences. Other CSU, Chico students that competed were Kristin Bradley (Nutritional Science), Melissa D. Green (Animal Science), Ryan Hake (Mathematics), Nicole Huber (Biology) and Galila Whitmarsh (Teaching International Languages).

Morris and Parsons were supervised by biology professor Larry Hanne and chemistry professor Larry Kirk for over a year while they conducted their research. Mechanical engineering professor Joe Greene, who oversees the University’s Polymers Manufacturing Lab, collaborated on the project and obtained funding from Sierra Nevada Brewery Co. and the California Rice Research Board to support the work.

Hanne said the project likely impressed the competition judges because it was a solid piece of scientific work: carefully controlled, with a good design. He said Morris and Parsons were aided by practicing their presentation before a group of faculty and students in the College of Natural Sciences – the microbial biochemistry research group – which meets on Fridays. “We emphasize to students that they need to be able to talk about their work, and explain and defend what they’re doing,” said Hanne. “I’m sure the practice helped them in their presentation before the judges.”

Kirk said the research was very relevant and timely, given its emphasis on reducing waste products and helping the environment. “It fits in very well with the University’s other efforts in sustainability,” he said. Biodegradable plastics currently available are made from corn, a food product, as opposed to spent yeast or rice hulls, which are waste products.

Hanne said the research project, which used yeast from Sierra Nevada that had already been used in the beer-making process, has spurred the brewery to re-think how it disposes of waste materials. “We are slowly seeing that the world is moving toward valuing waste and seeing it as the beginning of a process, instead of the end,” said Hanne.

Hanne and Kirk will accompany Parsons and Morris to Boston in June to present the research results at the national conference of the American Society for Microbiology.

Three other CSU, Chico students are continuing the research project, Hanne said. Parsons will be graduating in December, and Morris, who graduates this month, is entering a combined MD/PhD program at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Services, in Bethesda, M.D.

The CSU Student Research Competition is held each year following competitions on individual campuses. Student participants make oral presentations before juries of professional experts from major corporations, foundations, public agencies, colleges and universities in California.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2008

Joe Wills
530-898-4143
Joe Picard
Continuing Education
530-898-6105

The Bernard Osher Foundation Supports CSU, Chico Reentry Student Scholarships

The Bernard Osher Foundation recently approved a CSU, Chico Continuing Education grant proposal to provide scholarships for reentry students. The goal of the program is to support students who want to return to the University to finish a degree program.

This award provides $50,000 for reentry scholarships for students whose studies were interrupted for at least five years by circumstances beyond their control and who now want to resume their university studies at CSU, Chico.

This is the second year in a row that CSU, Chico has received funding for reentry students through the Bernard Osher Foundation. To increase access, the Osher scholarship program will give priority to applicants who are direct transfers from community colleges and other newly returning students.

This funding augments the ongoing fundraising efforts of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU, Chico, which currently supports three scholarships for reentry students at the University.

The deadline for Osher Reentry Scholarship applications is May 19, 2008.

Scholarship application details and online application are available at
http://rce.csuchico.edu/osherscholarships.

For more information please call the CSU, Chico Continuing Education office, 530-898-6105.

The Bernard Osher Foundation was founded in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a respected businessman and community leader. The foundation seeks to improve quality of life through the support of post-secondary scholarships, lifelong learning institutes and integrative medicine programs. The Bernard Osher Foundation generously supports the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU, Chico.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2008

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Denise Dion, Special Education Program
530-898-5575

Scholarship Program for Special Education Credential Candidates

The Special Education Program within the Department of Professional Studies in Education, California State University, Chico, announces the opening of its 2008 scholarship award period. Students seeking credentials as education specialists for mild/moderate disabilities can receive federal stipends to support costs of fees, books and supplies. These scholarships, made possible by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, will be available through 2009.

In addition to its on-campus Education Specialist program, CSU, Chico offers on-the-job training and support for special education teachers in 57 school districts throughout northern California. Nearly one half of course requirements are available in a distance education, online format. Specialized assistance is available to teachers of pupils with emotional and behavioral disorders. CSU, Chico’s Special Education Program has been noted for its innovative programs and nationally recognized as a leader in addressing the shortage of credentialed special education teachers.

“The federal scholarships contribute greatly to the recruitment and retention of highly qualified candidates,” said director of the special education internship, Michelle Cepello, PhD. “In addition, the internship program aligns with a priority of the University’s Strategic Plan, which is to establish partnerships that answer critical regional and state workforce needs in the area of K-12 education.”

Further information can be found at

http://www.csuchico.edu/psed/credential/internships.shtml and

http://www.csuchico.edu/psed/credential/educationSpecialist.shtml

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2008

Joe Wills
530-898-4143

Statewide Geography Conference Held at CSU, Chico

Approximately 300 teachers, professors and students of geography from across the state are expected at the 62nd annual conference of the California Geographical Society to be held at California State University, Chico May 2-4.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Conservation and Planning for Sustainability.” Professor Jacquelyn Chase, chair of CSU, Chico’s Department of Geography and Planning, said CSU, Chico has hosted the conference three previous times, in 1954, 1975 and 1985. Approximately 115 papers, posters or maps are expected to be presented at the conference.

Jessica Lundberg, chair of the board of Lundberg Family Farms and manager of the farm’s seed production and nursery, is keynote speaker for the conference. She will tell the story of the Richvale-based farm and the role of its “eco-positive farming methods” in the development of sustainable land use in North State and beyond.

Some of the excursions planned for the conference attendees include trips to the Sacramento River and Butte and Big Chico Creeks and tours of Butte County vineyards and historic Chico sites.

Founded in 1946, the California Geographical Society is the oldest statewide organization devoted to enhancing the understanding of geography as well as promoting interaction among academic and applied geographers, and members of the general public who share an interest in geography.

The California Geographical Society gives out nearly $3,000 in awards and scholarships each year for students and teachers of geography. The organization annually awards a David W. Lantis scholarship to one undergraduate and one graduate student. David Lantis was a long-time professor of geography at CSU, Chico until his death in 2000.

For more information about the conference, contact Chase at 898-5285 or at jchase@csuchico.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2008

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Amelia Gulling, director
Green Campus Program
530-520 5074

CSU, Chico Wins Best Practices Award in Student Energy Efficiency

The Green Campus Program at California State University, Chico has won the Best Practices award for Student Energy Efficiency in the California State University, Office of the Chancellor, Energy Efficiency Partnership Program.

Green Campus is a student-run organization with the objective of improving energy efficiency on campus as well as educating students, faculty and staff about energy conservation. Members of Green Campus will accept the award at the UC/CSU/CCC Sustainability Conference at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo at the end of July.

The students involved are excited about winning the award after being edged out by Humboldt State the previous two years, said student Bret Bosma, who has been with Green Campus since it started. “Some of the Chico team plan to roll in to the conference in July in style, on bicycles, in the name of sustainability and energy conservation,” said Bosma.

Among the many projects Green Campus has sponsored, four were showcased in the application: Power Management Software, Residence Hall Energy Competitions, Sustainability House Metering, and a Thermostat Measure. Short descriptions of these four projects follow:

Power Management Software Green Campus installed power management software in computers in several computer labs. The software shuts down the monitor and hibernates the computer when it is not in use. This program resulted in a $48,000 rebate from PG&E.

Thermostat Resolution Students passed an “energy conservation advisory measure” that asks the University to change thermostat settings by three degrees for both heating and cooling. To implement this, Green Campus Worked with Environmental Affairs Council to create a resolution to conduct a feasibility study.

Residence Hall Energy Reduction Competition Green Campus set up monitors in two residence halls that show current energy usage and accumulated energy consumption. Residents (mainly first-year students) can track their consumption and learn about energy conservation.

Sustainability House Konkow Hall was retrofitted as an energy efficient student residence for 14 students with projects to promote sustainability among residents. The residents were introduced to cooking with organic products, had a worm bin for composting and, highlighted in the winning proposal, Green Campus installed meters so that the residents can monitor their energy usage.

“Chico Green Campus would like to thank Facilities Management Services, the CSU, Chico administration and the Chancellor’s Office for all of their support on all of our projects,” said Bosma. “Without their help and support, this award would not be in Chico’s hands.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2008

Joe Wills
530-898-4143
John Roussell, Communication Design
530-898-6892

CSU, Chico Students Use Technology To Assist Harlem School

Students in the Instructional Design and Technology Program at California State University, Chico have been involved in a semester-long online mentoring project with 8th grade students from Storefront School in Harlem, N.Y.

The project, titled “Seeds of Support,” involves Web-based synchronous and asynchronous meetings to provide students from lower socioeconomic areas an opportunity for meaningful learning interactions with college students.

There will be a live online demonstration involving the CSU, Chico student mentors and the Storefront School students in Harlem at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, May 1, in Tehama Hall room 224. Communication design professor John Roussell and graduate researcher Jennifer Nowotny will be available to answer questions following the 30-minute demonstration.

“The project is exciting because our students can provide guidance for others who need them,” said Roussell. “It makes them feel that what they are learning in the class has value beyond the corporate boardrooms. And although the mentoring obviously benefits the Harlem students, our Chico State students are enriched by knowing that they are truly connected with other members of society. Thus the program attempts to combine both nurturing the mind as well as the heart.”

Roussell said the project is also focused on the Harlem students’ ability to master Web design. Work is posted online, and the mentors engage the students by assessing their work and nurturing their abilities through encouragement as well as practical technical feedback and suggestions.
The ultimate goal of the project, Roussell said, is to eventually develop a series of Seeds of Support Projects throughout the university community and “at-risk” elementary school populations.

A broad problem being addressed by the project, Roussell said, is that technological divisions in society continue to be at the forefront of communication and education issues. National data continue to show a disturbing trend of drop-out rates among lower socio-economic communities. He said schoolchildren who need the most help to succeed in schools often get the least, according to a national study that tracked local and state per-student spending from 1999 to 2005.

“The Seeds of Support experiences have the potential to enrich these children’s lives as well as help brand the Chico State community as being fundamentally concerned with helping to shape hearts as well as minds,” Roussell said.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2008

Joe Wills
530-898-4143

Presidential Election Is Focus of Spring 2008 Town Hall Meeting

California State University, Chico students will focus on issues relevant to the upcoming Presidential election at a town hall meeting Wednesday, May 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the BMU Auditorium.

The Town Hall Meeting program, launched at CSU, Chico in 2006, helps increase students’ civic engagement and connection with the community.

Approximately 450 California State University, Chico students and an additional 200 community and campus members are expected to take part in roundtable discussions and other activities. Students lead and participate in the roundtable talks as part of semester-long research and writing projects.

The event is free and the public is invited to attend. The town hall is followed by a reception at 8 p.m. Call 898-6579 for more information.
The town hall meeting is the culminating experience for students in English 130 (Academic Writing) classes. English professor Jill Swiencicki, coordinator of the Academic Writing Program, said the students research issues, write about them, prepare to make presentations on the topics and participate in purpose-driven discussions and activities.

This spring’s town hall theme, “What Matters in the 2008 Presidential Election,” will prompt discussions on topics such as race, sex, and gender in the elections, Iraq and the candidates’ positions, climate change, health care and education. Other town hall roundtable topics include the role of humor in a democracy, presidential history and rethinking U.S. consumption habits. These roundtables are facilitated by students who spent the semester researching these issues.

In addition to the evening town hall meeting, about 130 students will be in the Free Speech Area from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 7 displaying and discussing their research and engaging community members in activities related to the roundtable topics.

The town hall meeting is an important feature of CSU, Chico’s First Year Experience Program, which is designed to help first-year students succeed academically and socially, and make a smooth transition to university life.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2008

Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260

Film Nominated for Award at International Film Festival

Jason Tannen, Department of Art and Art History, California State University, Chico, has just had his film “The Pressman Negatives” nominated for a “Tinny Award” in the Film Noir category at the 2008 Swansea Film Festival. This international film festival takes place May 31–June 7 in Swansea Bay, United Kingdom. The festival will screen 175 films. “Pressman” was nominated along with five other films in the noir category.

“The Pressman Negatives” (2006, 09:25 min.) is a photographic narrative that explores issues of time, memory, fact and fabrication. It is the story of jewelry thief Sidney Pressman, his cohorts in crime and the dark world they inhabited in a Midwestern city during the 1970s. Through snapshots allegedly taken by him, it documents the final days of Pressman and his criminal colleagues, brought together for one last heist.

Tannen is an artist, gallery curator and instructor. Since 1998, he has been curator at the CSU, Chico University Art Gallery and teaches Film as Visual Art and the History of Photography. His personal art, which incorporates photography, film and installation, has been exhibited widely. Recent exhibitions have included shows in Luton, England; Berkeley and San Francisco, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Basel, Switzerland.

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