Voices - Chico State Today

North State Roots Collaboration Expands Access to Healthcare Information in Rural Communities

With new funding, a team from Chico State and nonprofit First 5 Tehama are bringing a free online healthcare service to rural communities across the North State.

President Steve Perez runs through Expressions Dance team with raised pom poms as the campus community enjoys the Alumni and Family Weekend BBQ barbecue as part of Wildcat Weekend

We are Making a Good First Impression

A note from a parent after Wildcat Weekend impresses upon President Steve Perez the value of every interaction with prospective students and their families.

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.

Colorful wooden cutouts of houses on a white background

A Place to Call Home

To address student homelessness, Chico State’s Rapid Re-housing Program is breaking down barriers and stigmas that stand in the way of student success.

Cassandra Schaeg is being filmed for her show, holding a glass of red wine with a sample.

Taking Bold Leaps Toward a Dream

Emmy Award winning alumnus Cassandra Schaeg shares insight from her long road to personal and business success in the beverage industry.

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.

President Steve Perez and his wife, Tanya, walk their two dogs through the Catastic carnival.

Living in Historic Home Gives New Meaning to Residential Campus

President Steve Perez reflects on being Chico State's newest on-campus resident, as the new tenant of the Warrens Center.

President Steve Perez shares a laugh with incoming students and their families at Orientation.

30 Days In: President Perez Reflects on New Role

President Steve Perez marvels at the warm welcome he has received and the excitement of students who are also just starting their journeys.

Thomas DuSell stands next to the larger, lighted stop sign he pushed to have installed at the crosswalk along Warner Street and Ivy Street. The science building is in the background.

Celebrating Thomas DuSell: Campus Safety Award Winner, and So Much More

When he noticed a thorny traffic issue, Chico State Rose Garden specialist Thomas DuSell lobbied for an important change that would keep students and staff safe.

Dawn Frank wears a bright red dress and smiles as she poses for a photo while holding a trophy and plaque

Celebrating Dawn Frank: 2022’s Outstanding MPP of the Year

Running three different centers on campus while living out her values, Dawn Frank epitomizes excellence in management—and caring for those around her.

Mary Bowman wears a pink top and holds an award certificate with her right hand and a trophy with her left hand as she poses for a photo.

Celebrating Mary Bowman: 2022’s Making a Difference Award Winner

Brimming with compassion and a desire to give back, Mary Bowman is the epitome of an inspiring and engaged campus colleague.

Eriberto Hernandez leads students from local high schools on a campus tour during a meeting of The League.

The League Paves Pathways of Possibilities for Local Youth

The League changes the lives of local high school students. Just ask Markel Hardman and Kanye Parham, who just completed their first year of college and are now part of a push to make its impact even greater.

President Hutchinson addresses an enthusiastic crowd with arms outstretched.

Reflections on Retirement

University President Gayle Hutchison reflects on her storied tenure as Chico State's top official, during her final semester.

Janell Bauer sits at her desk while writing in a notebook and looking at the camera. A pink book sits on the desk to her left.

Office Hours with Journalism and PR Department Chair and Professor Janell Bauer

Fueled by her passion for feminism and gender equity research, Janell Bauer aims to inspire her students to be thoughtful communicators.

Student sits on the floor with 5-year-old boy as they play with trains during a session in the Autism Clinic in March 2020. Other toys and play equipment, like hula hoops, can be seen in the background.

Five Questions with Kinesiology Alumna and Adapted Physical Education Teacher Taylor Guy

As an adapted physical education teacher, kinesiology alumna Taylor Guy is passionate about making sports accessible to her students and helping them find an activity they enjoy promoting lifelong physical activity.

An Acorn Woodpecker carries a snack in its beak while perching on a branch in Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve.

The Birds Are Calling to You

Pssst. Pssst! The Bushtits and Spotted Towhees are trying to get your attention. Give it to them for a little while. You won't regret it.

A footbridge crosses a creek which is surrounded by trees in full fall foliage

Worth Sharing: Student-Athletes Shine in the Classroom

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

Fall colors of red and gold in the downtown street trees brighten Broadway Street in downtown Chico.

Alumni-Owners of Downtown Chico Businesses Share Their Stories

Whether they opened their store shortly after graduation, took over a longstanding business, or brought something new to the area mid-career, the owners of four downtown businesses share what makes the Chico State connections special to them.

Bringing Mental Health to Light

Chico State alumni and family find healing through mental health awareness advocacy and the creation of a Senate bill to improve youth mental health in schools.

Anthropology Faculty Reflects on Fulbright Experience in Jordan

Anthropology faculty Jesse Dizard shares about his experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Jordan.

Tracy Butts, Douglas Leiker, Angela Trethewey, Rashell Brobst, David Hassenzahl, Monica Soderstrom, Eddie Vela, Kathleen Grave, Terence Lau, Bill Dodd, Blake Wentz, Dan Wheeler, and President Gayle Hutchinson

Celebrating Our 2022 Distinguished Alumni

Through their work and their service, our 2022 Distinguished Alumni are an inspiration to us all, but especially our students as they, too, hope to transform tomorrow.

Photo of Kendall Hall seen through the branches of bloomed flowers.

Faculty Showcase Offers Chance to Be ‘Inspired’

Three faculty members who published amid the pandemic share their passions and stories of persistence.

5 Questions with CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the North Valley and Alumnus Rashell Brobst

As a first-generation college graduate, Rashell Brobst channels her passion into serving the needs of underserved youth in her community.

Monica Soderstrom stands behind a waist-high brick wall with a brick building behind her.

5 Questions with Community Health Director and Distinguished Alumna Monica Soderstrom

Whether working in a Haitian orphanage after graduation or supporting nurses during the Camp Fire, the public health needs of her community has always been the core of Monica Soderstrom's work.

Kathleen Grave speaks into a microphone from a podium.

5 Questions with Educator and Distinguished Alumna Kathleen Grave

Kathleen Grave has worked in Silicon Valley, taught at Pepperdine University, and is CEO of a CBD company—she is also being honored as a Distinguished Alumni for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

5 Questions With Senator and Alumnus Bill Dodd

After spending more than 20 years in local and state government, College of Business Distinguished Alumnus Bill Dodd thinks cooperation and civility could solve much of our political strife.

A book titled "There There" sits among a field of grass.

Book in Common Challenges Perception, Narrative of Native Tribes

President Hutchinson encourages participation on the Book in Common Reading Challenge as an opportunity to honor and learn about Native American communities and systemic racism.

Office Hours: Regenerative Agriculture Leader and Professor Cindy Daley

Professor Cindy Daley honors her roots through regenerative agriculture education and carbon-smart solutions to fight climate change.

Felipe Restrepo coaches his players from the sidelines of a soccer game.

Office Hours: Men’s Soccer Coach and Leadership Instructor Felipe Restrepo

Professor and coach Felipe Restrepo helps first-generation and underserved students win on and off the field.

A worm in the handful of soil in the grazing pasture at the University Farm is part of the regenerative soil program that makes efforts for sustainability farming possible.

Five Questions with Alumnus and Micro-Farmer Garrison Harward

From stage to Senegal, lighting technician and micro-farmer Garrison Harward builds a global community through climate-conscious gardening.

O'Connell Technology Center under a cloudy sky

Office Hours: Electrical and Electronic Engineering Professor Hadil Mustafa

Leading by example, professor Hadil Mustafa shows young girls and women that engineering isn't "just for boys."

Alycia Anderson sitting in wheelchair and smiling, holding up a denim jacket that reads, "See Me," on the back.

5 Questions with Alumna and Motivational Speaker Alycia Anderson

Alycia Anderson has used a wheelchair all her life. After a successful career in technology sales, she's pursuing a more personal passion—inspiring people to believe in their limitless potential.

An owl box is mounted to the side of a tree.

How To: Enlist Owls for Pest Control

Owls are natural predators against gophers and other burrowing animals—making your own owl home can help keep your yard free of pests.

Student Guadalupe Cruz sits in front of her Dia de los Muertos altar she set up at the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology.

Day of the Dead Altar: A Celebration of Life

In honor of this year's Dia de los Muertos, student Guadalupe Cruz created an altar—borrowing many beloved items used by her family—for the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology.

A rock decor inscribed "Home Sweet Home" is placed at a destroyed home from the Camp Fire along Newman Avenue in Paradise.

Paradise Continues to Rebuild and Evolve Three Years After the Camp Fire

Three years after the Camp Fire scattered the residents of Paradise, the town continues its rebuilding process—while also evolving.

President Gayle Hutchinson and her brother pose with their bikes on a cross-country trip.

Determining What ‘Do and Dare’ Means For Us All

President Gayle Hutchinson explores what "Do and Dare" means for her, reflecting on a diabetes diagnosis decades ago.

Lindsay Woychick, her husband, and french bulldog pose in a colorful forest in Spain.

Alumna Predicts Post-Pandemic Upgrades Will Enhance Study Abroad Experience

After a decade living in Spain, Study Abroad alumna Lindsay Woychick (Journalism, '12) shares how COVID-19 has transformed the international experience.

Fond Farewell: Retired AS Staff Member Maggie Pattison

Beloved by students and colleagues alike, Maggie Pattison guided Associated Students officers in Robert’s Rules of Order, meeting decorum, and their authority and responsibility as elected officials.

How To: Be a Bookworm

English professor and writer Sarah Pape shares some tips on how to become a more avid reader without much effort.

The sun filters golden light through the trees along the bank of Big Chico Creek.

Reflections on Gratitude and Resilience

President Gayle Hutchinson expresses thanks for the Wildcat community's resourcefulness, collaboration, innovation, humor, and determination amid unprecedented challenge.