Skip to Main Content
Chico State

Academics

A graphic showing the headshots of all 11 recipients of the Lt. Rawlins Merit Scholarship Recipients.

Celebrating Our 2024 Lt. Rawlins Merit Scholarship Recipients

From technology specialists and intensive care nurses to those serving multiple communities, these are the 2023-24 Lt. Rawlins Merit Scholarship Recipients—the best of the best at Chico State.

Jackson Webster dips a sampling container into Butte Creek.

Worth Sharing: Faculty-led Wildfire Research Published in Prestigious Journal

A listing of professional achievements by Chico State faculty, staff, and students.

Student Olicia Johnson smiles as she looks away from the camera while she's wearing a blue blouse in front of a beige studio background.

Passion Leads Chico Native to Find Path in Computer Science

A love of coding and her hometown led Olivia Johnson to pursue her degree at Chico State. "I have finally found my path..." she said.

Jorge Munguia Ramos poses for a photo wearing a blue shirt with a small white pattern.

Perseverance and Push from Professors Propel Future History Teacher

Tempted to return home during his first week at Chico State, Jorge Munguia Ramos not only stayed, but he found community and encouragement that helped him thrive.

Carter Lindstrom smiles while seated on a stool in a dark-colored suit.

Vision Beyond Sight: College of Business Student’s Inspiring Journey

Despite being legally blind, Rawlins award winner Carter Lindstrom carries a 3.92 GPA and is a leader in many Chico State College of Business clubs.

Photo illustration with three portraits that include Kimate Richards, Thembi Mawema, and Lateasha Meyers

‘Elevating Black Excellence’ the Focus of Tipping Point Student Success Summit

The event brings together the University community to explore data around student success and learn how innovations in teaching and support services can make a critical difference.

Smoke rises from burnt clumps of deergrass adjacent to a walkway on the Chico State campus.

Mechoopda Tribe and Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Partner to Conduct Cultural Burn on Chico State Campus

This collaboration makes the Mechoopda the first tribe to utilize new legislation to carry out a burn on a campus within the California State University System.

University Farm in the late afternoon.

Influential Ag Alum Pays Tribute to Chico State

President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, Natalie Collins says her journey began as Chico State.

Institute of International Education Recognizes Chico State for Study Abroad Excellence

In its latest Open Doors rankings, the Institute of International Education (IIE) listed Chico State as being one of the most active and engaged US higher education institutions in its category for participation in studying abroad.

Alyssa DeVries (left) and Liam McCoy (right) work on an exercise during a Communication for Disorders (CCD) counseling session on at Chico State.

Celebrating 75 Years of History, Impact in the Field of Speech-Language Pathology

Founded in 1948, the CMSD program has a long history of providing the North State with high quality professionals and critical speech, language and hearing services.

Anthony Costales runs during the 2023 Western States 100 while donning his Chico State cross country jersey.

Ultramarathon Alum Leans on Wildcat Crew

A one-pound iced lemon loaf is not an obvious snack for someone running a 100-mile endurance race, but you can't argue with Anthony Costales' results. The Chico State distance running alum relied on those calories and his Wildcats crew to finish 3rd at this year's Western States 100.

Cherie Higgs presents in front of a screen that reads, "I am remarkable."

From Adversity to Achievement: A Student’s Remarkable Journey in Chico State’s College of Business

Cherie Higgs overcame a rough upbringing to become a powerhouse within Chico State's College of Business.

Siblings Anna Rose Alexander and Josh Funk

Sibling Collaboration Spans Disciplines and CSU Campuses

A cross-discipline, multi-campus collaboration between Chico State and Cal State East Bay is made more special because the faculty involved are siblings.

A photo of a total solar eclipse, where the sun is completely blocked out by the moon.

How Witnessing a Solar Eclipse Can Help Prevent Global Disaster

Senior Danielle Casillas traveled to Western Australia on a NASA-funded trip to the site of a total solar eclipse, looking for clues to the "biggest mystery in the solar system."

Crash Course: The Good Life Vs. The End of the World

Two GE courses offered by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts evoke very different ideas: one of existential dread and the other enlightenment and happiness. Yet both encourage students to ask some of life’s age-old questions.

An academic building at dusk with the words "Joy of Learning, California State University, Chico"

Sixth Annual Joy of Learning Showcases Chico State Educators

From cognitive science to the power of emojis to the coldest stuff in the universe, Chico State is ready to educate at the sixth annual Joy of Learning, which takes place virtually on Friday, October 13.

Office Hours: Kinesiology Professor Carli Ross

Carli Ross, a kinesiology professor with a passion for adapted physical education, leads a study abroad program in Italy that gives students the opportunity to work hands-on at a camp for youth and young adults with disabilities.

Student Jordan Davis sits at a table while attending a professional development event. He is wearing a navy blue polo shirt and a white name tag.

Grant Opens Doors for North State Students to Become Teachers

Students interested in a career in teaching are receiving financial assistance at Chico State through a multimillion-dollar grant designed to ease the financial burden of pursuing a teaching credential.

Three students laugh and smile as the walk down the promenade of campus.

National Honor Awarded to Chico State Program That Advances the Number of Latinx Students Earning Graduate Degrees

Chico State's Graduate Equity Fellowship Program has been recognized by the nation’s leading authority on efforts to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.

The sun sets behind an academic building with grass and oak trees in the foreground and puffy clouds in the sky

Chico State’s Efforts to Advance Post-Graduate Education Recognized Nationally

Chico State’s Office of Graduate Studies received two multi-million-dollar grants from the Department of Education and was recognized by a national educational organization.

The sun sets behind a line of dairy cows as they snack on hay on a University Farm

Chico State’s CRARS Awarded Nearly $6 Million to Address Climate Priorities

Chico State’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems has received a California Climate Action Seed and Matching Grant totaling approximately $6 million to support state climate priorities.

OSCM club members pose while tabling on campus

Need a Major That Will Land You a Job? Look at OSCM

Chico State's Operations and Supply Chain Management major is one of the University's best-kept secrets. Find out why.

Anna Rose Alexander poses and smiles along a dirt path outdoors with potted plants on both sides of the path.

5 Questions with Alumna and Cal State East Bay History Faculty Anna Rose Alexander

As Anna Rose Alexander (History, '06) engages with her history students at Cal State East Bay, she is also providing them with a glimpse of how their worlds have been shaped.

A portrait of John Vang.

Inspired by His Parents, Vang Perseveres to Earn Master’s Degree

John Vang faced several challenges as he pursued a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree from Chico State. But when he questioned whether he was up for the task, he only had to look to his parents, Xae Chon and Mai Xiong, for the inspiration he needed to push forward.

Colleen Milligan and other members of the Human ID lab stand grimly planning in the lab as they prepare to go out and search for human remains during the Camp Fire.

2023–24 California State Budget Includes Funding for New Human Identification Laboratory at Chico State

The 2023–24 state budget calls for a $3 million allocation to secure bonds that will fund a new facility.

A group of students stands outdoors while holding bags and other household items to be donated to an emergency shelter run by Chico State's Basic Needs.

REACH Students’ Service Projects Extend Support to Community

From mental health awareness to homelessness to animal welfare, 115 students tackle a dozen service projects to help the Chico community on and off campus.

Three searchers crouch through the warped frame of a mobile home.

Alumni of Human Identification Lab Attest to Its Influence

Alumni of the Human Identification Laboratory have added their voices to the refrain asking legislators to ensure a line item for a new facility makes its way to the final budget.

Portait of Sue Steiner

Office Hours: School of Social Work Professor Sue Steiner

With a heart for social justice and a drive to elevate communities. the School of Social Work's Sue Steiner was recognized with the Office of Civic Engagement's Civically Engaged Scholar Award.

Melania Raygoza looks at the flow test stand she and her group created

Engineering Success: Students Solve Real-World Problems

From self-cleaning pool robots to a self-stabilizing spoon for Parkinson’s patients, engineering students demonstrate their ingenuity at the ECC Senior Design Capstone Project Expo.

portrait of Deserea Langley

Crash Course: American Indian Storytelling

Deserea Langley’s “American Indian Storytelling/Oral Narrative” course is bringing the oral tradition of sharing stories, lessons, and customs with younger generations to students.

Marin Spalding, left, and Marcus Peoples, on the right, sit side-by-side in a classroom with laptops opened in front of them. Both are dressed in formal clothing, smiling widely and clearly amused.

Students Travel, Grow, and Build Friendships Through Speech and Debate Team

The speech and debate team, which doubles as a club and a course, offers team members space to grow far beyond the competition stage.

Rio Miner poses for the camera with a colleague in a corporate conference room.

In the Midst of a Successful Career of Catching Bad Guys, Military Vet Pursues Online MBA

After a long and successful career first in the military and then the financial industry, Rio Miner enrolled in Chico State's online MBA program to further his career and fill in the gaps in his business acumen.

Mateus Avalos, wearing a black polo shirt and khaki pants, sits on a bench in front of a brick building for a posed photo.

Construction Management Student Gets Solid Start to Future

Senior construction management major Mateus Avalos went from novice to leader in the program—securing three internships and helping lead community service projects in his hometown of Chico.

A group of young children stand in a circle with four older teachers crouching down to play a game with a ball.

Kinesiology Major Finds Groove in Adapted Physical Education

From hating PE to aspiring to change how it is taught, Drew Jones’ passion for adapted physical education has taken her on a journey of service-learning opportunities and to pursue her teaching credential.

Hands hold down a piece of fossilized bone.

Students, Faculty Embrace New Fossils from Ever-Growing ‘Miocene Zoo’ Site

Chico State continues to lead the way in making scientific determinations from the findings at a Northern California site.

A student (left), wearing an orange safety vest, kneels alongside Professor Mohammed Albahttiti (right) while the two work on installing pavers at the site of a community service project at the Chico Islamic Center.

Office Hours: Concrete Industry Management Professor Mohammed Albahttiti

CIM Professor Mohammed Albahttiti empowers students through hands-on service-learning projects that connect theory with real-world application.

A Chico State educator interacts with children using hulahoops on a playground at a school in the UAE.

Students Embrace Trip to UAE as Moment of Cultural Education, Community

A donor-funded trip to study adapted physical education and communication disorders was both educational and rewarding.

Madeline Litman, one of the 2022-2023 recipients of the Lieutenant Robert Merton Rawlins Merit Award, is photographed.

Introducing Madeline Litman: 2023 Lt. Rawlins Merit Scholarship Recipient

While at Chico State, Madeline Litman's work ethic, perseverance, and maturity have led to leadership roles in student clubs, a stellar academic career, and now a prestigious Rawlins Merit Scholarship.     

A stop-motion animation character rests between takes

Digital Media Classes Cultivate Creativity

Blending stop-motion animation, film, and art, Josh Funk's digital media classes prove to be extremely popular—and fun.

Portrait of Theodore Greenfield who is wearing sunglasses, and a blue button up dress shirt.

Introducing Theodore Greenfield: 2023 Lt. Rawlins Merit Scholarship Recipient

Theodore Greenfield, a father of two and elementary school band instructor, hopes to become a high school math teacher to share his love for the subject.