Science and Environment
Distinguished Alumna and Sierra Nevada Brewery Quality Manager Kimberly Bacigalupo
Chemistry alumna Kimberly Bacigalupo is diversifying the brewing industry from the inside out.
Biology Faculty’s Research Sets Foundation for Future Findings of Life’s Evolution
Biological Sciences faculty Gordon Wolfe's research on organisms that thrive in extreme conditions is getting new life.
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.
Three-Year, $2.5 Million DOE Grant Puts Chico State at Leading Edge of Teaching Quantum Computing
In efforts to promote the field of quantum information science and technology, Department of Computer Science Associate Professor Jaime Raigoza and other scientists have been awarded a three-year, $2.5 million grant from the DOE.
Department of Energy Grant Funds Research by Chico State and Others to Develop New Battery Tech
Chico State faculty are working to develop new battery technology through the support of a three-year, $2.25 million grant from the US Department of Energy.
Celebrated Journalist and Producer Writes a Chapter with Groundbreaking AI Tech
Alumna Liane Thompson cofounded an award-winning environmental tech firm that is combatting climate change and making waterways more resilient.
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."
International Organization AASHE Once Again Honors Chico State for Excellence in Sustainability
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education recognized Chico State for its environmental practices, honoring it as one of the top performers in its Master’s Institutions category.
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.
Gateway Science Museum Presents a Pair of New Exhibits
From vital pollinators to nature’s most hilarious moments, the Gateway Science Museum features a pair of new exhibits to satisfy the curious and the light-hearted.
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.
California State University Honored with Innovation Award for Faculty Learning Community Led by Chico State Professor
Geography and Planning professor Mark Stemen has been honored by a national organization for his tireless work to bring sustainability to more than just science classes.
New Channel Teeming With Fish Thanks to Impressive Teamwork
The Kapusta Open Space Side Channel is teeming with tiny fish thanks to a massive team effort spearheaded by Chico State Enterprises and managed by the North State Planning and Development Collective.
Inside the ‘RAD-Lab’: Looking to the Ground for Solutions
The Regenerative Agriculture Demonstration (RAD) Lab began as an idea in grad school, and is now full service lab analyzing soil and carbon health.
Earth and Environmental Sciences Grad Student Driven by Social Issues
Graduate student Claire-Marie Kooi loves studying the Earth because "everything impacts something else." Kooi is making quite an impact as well in her work at UC Berkeley, and in the field of environmental justice.
Grad Student Farmer Grows Case for Marrying Agriculture With the Natural World
With her master’s thesis—a collaborative effort to study the effects of agroecology on her almond farm—Chico State graduate student Raquel Krach confirmed what the birds have been telling her. It’s working!
Life of Hard Work Pays Off for Agricultural Business Major
Zion Brigham says coming to Chico State: “felt like going from a black and white TV to full color.” He graduates in May with an agricultural business degree and a clear vision for what’s ahead.
From Northern California to Ocean Engineer
Gridley native Irene Duran (Mechatronic Engineering, '20), moved to Cape Cod after graduating with one mission: an engineering job.
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.
New Study Explores Drivers of Homelessness and Impact on Public Lands
Jesse Engebretson’s research aims to uncover ways state and federal governments can better serve unhoused communities who are increasingly pushed out of urban areas.
Distinguished Alum, Scientist, and CEO Thomas Butler
Thomas Butler found his passion in a Chico State lab. Today, he's the CEO of a company creating medicines designed to attack cancer and diabetes.
Gateway Science Museum Exhibit Takes Visitors on a Water Drop’s Extreme Journey
The Gateway Science Museum's newest exhibit, "Water's Extreme Journey," explores the water cycle, while water cycle works, while asking critical questions about the choices we make in our everyday lives.
Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Partners with CalTrout, Mechoopda for Native Fish Passage Restoration Project in Bidwell Park
The University's Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve is partnering with agencies, such as CalTrout and the Mechoopda Indian Tribe, on a native fish passage restoration project in Bidwell Park.
Expanding Collaborations in Latin America: Dean of College of Agriculture Visits Chile
College of Agriculture Dean Patricia Stock visited several academic and research institutions to exchange knowledge about the myriad challenges agriculture is facing in Mediterranean climate regions—like those in California and Chile.
Wildland Management Master’s Student Driven to Preserve Natural Spaces
Alum and current wildlands management master’s student Ben Chang is dedicating his life to battling climate change and mentoring the next generation of environmental stewards.
‘Beauty in the Chaos’: Fulbright Scholar’s Focus on Gemstone Trade in Sri Lanka
Anthropology faculty Brian Brazeal navigated the global pandemic and political unrest as he went to Sri Lanka to document the country's gemstone trade as part of his Fulbright Scholar Award.
Chico State Professor Helps Reshape How CSUs Teach About Climate Change
Chico State Professor Mark Stemen's Faculty Learning Community earns coveted sustainability award for helping CSUs integrate climate change topics in classrooms.
Fulbright Experience Helps Agriculture Faculty Deepen Roots Across the World
Whether it was teaching his students, learning from colleagues, or endearing himself to local food vendors, College of Agriculture faculty Lee Altier's Fulbright experience in Turkey was a memorable one.
Biology Student Among First to Research Fish’s Unusual Schooling Pattern
Cole Schmitt has been working with the National Systemics Laboratory and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, studying the vertical schooling behavior of the cutlassfish.
The Princeton Review Honors Chico State as One of its Green Colleges
The Princeton Review recently listed Chico State on its 2023 Guide to Green Colleges.
Chico State University Farm Celebrates 60th Anniversary on November 5
As Chico State's University Farm marks its 60th anniversary, it will host a free event to the public to celebrate its impact of serving the North State on Saturday, November 5.
Messy Science: Pumpkin Drop Set for Halloween Day
Put on by the Society of Physics Students the 33rd Chico State Pumpkin Drop demonstrates physics to elementary students in a creative and explosive way.
Ultracold Atom Lab Attempting to Cross ‘Unreachable’ Threshold
With the ultra-high vacuum chamber up and running, the University's ultracold atom chamber is ready to cool atoms to near absolute zero so they display their true quantum nature.
Student Researchers Share Insight into Summer Projects
CSC² has supported nearly 300 students in undergraduate research projects across the three colleges.
Multimillion-Dollar Grants Provide Undergraduate Research Opportunities to Underserved Students in STEM
Since 2016, the Chico STEM Connections Collaborative has provided academic and other support services to historically underserved students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and agriculture.
Civil Engineering Faculty Awarded $1 Million Grant to Study Lagoon Wastewater Treatment
Civil Engineering faculty Pablo Cornejo was one of two recipients nationally to receive a $1 million grant to study wastewater treatment systems.
Chico State Earns Coveted Top Spot in Prestigious AASHE Sustainability Rankings
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education recognized Chico State for its environmental practices, honoring it as the top performer in its Master’s Institutions category.
Natural Sciences Students Put Themselves Under the Microscope During Summer Research
The College of Natural Sciences’ Summer Research Institutes provide students with hands-on experience with a research topic in their field of study.
Innovative Program Strives to Protect the Wildlands of the West
The first of its kind in the CSU, the interdisciplinary master's degree in wildland management is graduating students from its inaugural cohort.
College of Natural Sciences Dean Recognized with Environmental Lifetime Achievement Award
The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences has recognized College of Natural Sciences Dean David Hassenzahl with its William R. Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award.