Chico State

Founded in 1887, California State University, Chico is the second-oldest CSU campus and one of the highest-ranked master’s-level public universities in the West.

Contact Chico State at publicaffairs@csuchico.edu

Kendall Hall is bathed in light on an early winter morning.

Class Notes: Fall 2018

1950s GEORGE FOSGATE (Speech Arts, ’59) is a professor emeritus of theatre arts after 32 years of teaching at the University of Minnesota, Morris, where he also endowed a theatre scholarship. After retirement, Fosgate and spouse Pat (Burton) Fosgate spent 20 years in Portland, where he was a freelance professional theatre actor and director, and […]

Cathrine Himberg poses while her students move in a blur in the background

How To: Go From Thinking About Exercise to Actually Doing It

Sometimes the gap between wanting to be physically active and actually doing it can feel as wide as the Grand Canyon. Kinesiology professor Cathrine Himberg offers some tips.

a group of four faculty gather around a lit lightbulb

Lighting the Way: 30 New Faculty Join Campus

Thirty new faculty were welcomed to campus this fall, each hoping to spark ideas and light the way for their students. View the gallery of new faculty.

Yee Yang holds up some of the food that the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry provides nutritious food, CalFresh food program assistance and referral services for students experiencing food insecurity.

“My Goal is to End Poverty”

Through her work with the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry, graduate student Yee Yang wants to ensure her peers' basic needs are met.

Graduating students sit facing the stage as their decorative graduation caps are displayed.

Chico State Terrific Titles of 2018

With the end of the 2017-2018 year rapidly approaching, and the swirl of the spring semester struggle muddying your memory, it seems only right to recap what our Wildcats accomplished this year.

Michaela Marr studies needles on a tree.

Opting Outside: Students Plunge Into Watershed for Immersive Course

One class spent two incredible weekends camping on Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve and exploring study sites ranging from the Sacramento River all the way upstream to the creek headwaters, to understand how the watershed works as a whole and learn about the wildlife that exists there.

Donna Humphrey stands before the columns at Laxson Auditorium.

Dreams Are Possible at Any Age

In high school, Donna Humphrey broke the difficult news to her mother she was not planning on attending college. Thirty-three years later, her mom is driving from Colorado to Chico to watch her graduate with her master's degree.

The sky is pink as the sun sets around Kendall Hall.

Retirees Named for Hall of Honor

Eight employees representing the "best of the best" of University retirees will be inducted into the Emeritus Retired Faculty and Staff Association Hall of Honor in May.

Chris Friedland and his wife delivered 290 generators for residents in Puerto Rico.

Class Notes: Spring 2018

Alumni share snippets of what they’ve been up to these days, and Chico State bids a fond farewell to recently passed alumni, students, and colleagues.

How To: Get the Most Out of your Summer Travels

International travel expert and professor Matthew Stone shares 12 tips to maximize your summer vacation experience.

#ChicoLove is in the air!

#ChicoLove made us feel like Willie the Wildcat! Warm and fuzzy!

A Love for Humanity

In act of global service, nursing professor Faye Mitchell-Brown led a team 10 of students on a trip to provide health care in rural Mexico.

Gayle Hutchinson (center) talks to students, staff, and faculty to participate in the Together We Will … Write Our Story: WASC Open Forum on Monday, May 1, 2017 in Chico, Calif. The drop-in forum provides an initial opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to meet representatives of WASC Essay Committees who are charged with writing sections of the Institutional Report, an essential part of our reaccreditation effort. (Jason Halley/University Photographer)

9 Things to Know About WASC

Help us, as we not only put our best foot forward but critically and honestly examine ourselves and prepare to unleash our true potential.

Benjamin Panconi uses his laptop in Brittany Fortune's Special Topics-Competition class.

CSU, Chico’s College of Business Receives Esteemed Re-Accreditation

College of Business has received a prestigious, full five-year re-accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Doing Things Differently

Jessica Gonzales knows hardship. The pre-nursing major has endured homelessness, discrimination, and field labor to reach college. But she’s determined to be the first in her family to earn a degree and one day open her own health clinic.

Instagram photo of a cat in a cap and gown costume

Chico State’s Top Social Media Moments of 2017

Some of our favorite social media memories from the past year, ranging from recognition and news to stunning campus views.

In the Spirit of Giving

24 hours. $260k raised. Countless reasons for giving. Chico State Giving Day was a huge success thanks to the Wildcat community!

Wrapped holiday presents pile on a table.

Paying Holiday Magic Forward

Lisa Saldano talks about her passion and involvement with the University's Needy Children's Program, bringing the magic of Christmas to young children.

Students and faculty sit around a dining table enjoying a meal.

Serving Inspiration: Discernment Dinner Hosts Stories of Persistence

More than 100 students joined faculty and administrators at two Discernment Dinners held in Sutter Dining to hear stories of adversity, determination, and perseverance after enjoying a four-course meal.

Face-to-Face with First-Gen

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is sparking an awareness campaign to support the faculty, staff, and students who are part of the first-generation community on our campus, and these nine individuals share their unique stories about what it means to be first-gen.

Three campus faculty and students playing the game Dicey Peaks.

‘Game Night’ Makes Meriam a Place to Play

Join fellow students and campus faculty for a fun and friendly monthly Game Night at Meriam Library.

Olivia VanDamme loves surfing and spends time sharing that passion with younger surfers.

Sharing a Love for the Sea

Olivia Van Damme spends her days showing teenagers the depth of inspiration in the deep blue sea working as operations manager at City Surf Project, which serves low-income, underserved students in the San Francisco public school system.

A graphic of a globe featuring the countries three Chico State Alumni have traveled.

Global Humanitarians

Whether photographing childhood slavery in Ghana, improving health care in an impoverished puebla in Colombia, or offering an education to Myanmar refugees facing an unknown future in Thailand, three alumni share two things in common: big hearts and a belief in social justice.

Student poses next to the California State University, Chico, sign.

Desiree Makowski Poised to Make Her Mark on Video Game Industry

Dedicated faculty support first-generation student in conquering her self-doubt.

Students from the Student Philanthropy Council crowd behind Joe Picard and Kathleen Moroney as they both hold over-sized checks.

Chico Steps Up to Show Students We Care: “Chico Cares” About Solving Student Hunger, Homelessness

The Chico Cares Campaign works to alleviate students' food insecurity with the help of the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry and several Chico State philanthropy programs.

Lance Mitchell extends his hand to touch his virtual surroundings while wearing the Microsoft HoloLens.

Vision Becomes (Virtual) Reality: Collaborative VR Course Presents Opportunities

Seeking to incorporate newly developed technology into journalism, the Departments of Computer Animation and Game Development, Journalism and Public Relations, and Media Arts, Design, and Technology teamed up to bring cutting-edge virtual reality technology to collaborative classrooms.

Angelica Rodriguez leans over a stream and collects a water sample.

Grant Supports Groundbreaking Hydrothermal Research: Student Examines Lassen’s Volcanic Activity Potential

STEM Wildcat Angelica Rodriguez's love for the outdoors earned her a research grant that allowed her to spend her summer conducting environmental research, including data collection trips to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Boxes full of fresh fruit and vegetables.

‘I really did think I was the only one’

In sharing her own story about going hungry, graduate student Brandi Simonaro fights the stigma that students are alone in their struggles for food security.

The Chico State men's soccer team took in the sights and sounds of Spain, both on land and in the Mediterranean Sea,

Reflections on Spain: Wildcats Ready For 2017 CCAA Season

It has only been a couple of weeks since we returned from our trip, and we’re already back at it with trainings and preseason games. It is still settling in that we were in Spain playing against professional club teams and touring major La Liga Stadiums. It’s hard to believe how much we packed into […]

Ivy League Inspiration

Double-majoring in math and philosophy, first-generation student Diego Yepez highlights three Chico State professors as beacons of inspiration that led to his honored acceptance into Harvard.

(Left to right) Brooke McCall, Kathleen Moroney, and Bev Langston pose with their awards.

Staff Awards Recognize Exemplary Employees

This year, three outstanding Chico State employees were honored for their impacting presence on campus—from Kathleen Moroney's establishment of the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry, to Brooke McCall's bursting positive energy at the WREC, to Bev Langston's remarkable and welcoming customer service.

Photo of "Pacific Crest Trail north to Canada" sign tacked onto a tree.

Trail Angels Bring Magic to Pacific Crest Trail

Each summer, anthropology professor P. Willey hosts the blissful "PCT toast," where dedicated Pacific Crest Trail hikers stop at Humboldt Summit to cheers summer sundries while swapping trail stories.

Joe Liu and his wife Danielle pose for a picture while sitting together on the couch.

Hey, Joe! Faculty-(and Friend)-in-Residence Finds a Home in Sutter

Chico State faculty Joseph Liu and his wife Danielle—along with their pet albino rabbit Augustus—settled into their new home in one of Sutter Hall's apartments, making Liu Chico State's first Faculty-In-Residence.

Students hang a banner off the stairwell of Butte Hall asking for others to call the White House and support DACA.

Here to Thrive: A Chico State Dreamer Shares His Story

Despite the planned revocation of DACA, Dreamer and Chico State student Miguel Maldonado says he is not afraid and is here to stay.

The coloring station at the Back-To-School Connect Event at Chico Junior High School added to the family-friendly atmosphere.

Alums Drive Event Providing Resources to K-12 Homeless Students

Earlier this month, the Butte County Office of Education held its inaugural Back-to-School Connect, where underserved families were invited to get free school resources for their children, like clothes, shoes, and backpacks, as well as snacks and even haircuts.

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, home to Real Madrid CF, was one of the first stops the Chico State men's soccer team made during its trip to Spain