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Claire Kooi wears a lab coat and smiles as she leans on a counter in a lab

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.

Raquel Krach sits on a rock wall with trees and shrubs in the background.

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!

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.

Aishwarya Gowda poses against a brick pillar on campus, wearing a white shirt and jeans.

Bollywood Dance Club Founder Finds a Sense of Home at Chico State  

In two years, International student Aishwarya Gowda has already made her mark on campus. To her, the biggest impact has been finding herself and her community here on campus.

Humberto Partida poses by leaning on the hand railing outside Trinity Hall, wearing a brown leather jacket and a blue shirt.

Graduating Senior Follows ‘Role Model’s’ Footsteps to Florence, Italy

Harnessing a long-held desire to travel, political science and international relations major, Humberto Partida, made his own dream come true by studying in Florence, Italy for a semester.

Hirra Khan is photographed outside of Kendall Hall. She wears a white cotton shirt and a tan Hijab.

Business Double Major Ready for Life’s Next Big Challenge

More than 10 years ago, Hirra Khan moved from Pakistan to Gridley as a pre-teen. She will now graduate with one degree in business administration and another in business information systems, and an impressive work résumé.

Zion Brigham on a bridge over Big Chico Creek with lush greenery behind him.

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.

Advisor Jaycob Arbogast and students work in the College of Business' FinTech lab.

Student-Managed Investment Fund Takes on a Bull Market 

The College of Business' Student Managed Investment Fund is giving students real-life opportunities to test money investment strategies.

Irene Duran poses in high visibility safety gear and a hard hat on Iselin Dock in Woods Hole.

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.

Karsten Kaufmann poses for a photo in front of his home workstation.

Three Imaginative Media Arts Alumni Making Exciting Moves

Karsten Kaufmann’s dance moves became a viral sensation in 2015. Find out where he and collaborating media arts majors Sophie McGuirk and Michael Connell are today. Hint: They're still making amazing content!

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.

Professor Jesse Engebretson is standing on a rock overlooking a valley of trees. He is addressing a group of students during a field trip.

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, CEO, and scientist, Thomas Butler

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.

Lateasha Meyers poses and smiles as her image is reflected along a wall.

Office Hours with Multicultural and Gender Studies Assistant Professor Lateasha Meyers

Assistant professor Lateasha Meyers is combining her passion for art and scholarship in leadership in her teaching.

Distinguished Alum and Strategic Architect Kimate Richards

Distinguished Alum and Strategic Architect Kimate Richards

Veteran and alum Kimate Richards designs cutting-edge smart technology while making time to give back to his community.

Two museum visitors interact with a new museum exhibit

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.

A drone shot of a canyon and creek

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.

Stylish photo of Armando Ibarra next to words that say 2023 Distinguished Alumni Honoree

Distinguished Alum and Farmworker Rights Advocate Armando Ibarra

Armando Ibarra (Sociology, Spanish, ’99; MA, Public Administration, ’02) is being honored as the 2023 Distinguished Alumni of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

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.

Ben Chang stands on rocks and smiles because he likes it so much

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.

Gretta Kirkby and two of her fellow interns pose in gloves, lab coats, masks, and face shields.

Student-Athlete Captures CalHOPE Courage Award

Gretta Kirkby, winner of the CalHOPE Courage Award, is using the opportunity to remind her peers to reach out for help if they need it.

Low-lying clouds hover over a green valley amid a sunrise in Sri Lanka

‘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.

Ty Weber, dressed in a suit, sits at a desk.

Can Psychedelic Drugs Treat Mental Illness? One Grad Student’s Quest to Find Out

Chico State graduate student Ty Weber is collecting data to research whether psychedelic drugs may be helpful in treating mental health disorders.

Amy Magnus leans on a pedestrian bridge in a lush, green envirnonment

Office Hours with Criminal Justice Faculty and Rural Issues Researcher Amy Magnus

A passion for justice and activism has always been part of criminal justice professor Amy Magnus' identity. Now, she's sharing it with the next generation of changemakers.

Professor Mark Stemen poses for a photo with Chico State President Gayle Hutchin as they hold the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Campus Sustainability Achievement 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.

A college faculty and his students pose and smile standing in a lush green field.

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.

Cole Schmitt, a white cisgender male student, is perched on a log in the creek that runs through Chico State campus.

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.

A Space for Students to Practice Self-Care

With high rates of depression and anxiety among college students nationwide, Chico State has added an on-campus resource to help our Wildcats get to graduation, both healthy and happy.

Students do exercises in a gym

PARADISE U Helps Elementary Students Rediscover the Joy of Movement 

PARADISE U, a physical education program created by kinesiology professor Cathrine Himberg, helps students discover the benefits and joy of movement.

A valley oak tree spreads its branches as the sunlight filters through

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.

A teacher stands in front of a classroom discussing what is displayed on the screen

‘Latinx and Immigration’ Class Dives Deeper into Lived Experiences

With a course as relevant and impactful as "Latinx and Immigration," MCGS faculty Gabby Medina Falzone is also preparing her students for their post-graduation goals.

A college student drives a tractor beneath a sign that says Chico State University Farm

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.

Kids look on as a pumpkin drops to the ground in physics display

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.

Farhan Rehman and Esteban Teran adjust the lasers that work to cool the atoms.

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.

Nicholas Esparza looks through the high vacuum chamber in the ultracold lab.

Student Researchers Share Insight into Summer Projects

CSC² has supported nearly 300 students in undergraduate research projects across the three colleges.

A grid of diamond-shaped images shows students engaging in various kinds of research, from looking through a vaccum chamber to attaching wildlife cams to trees to working with mushrooms, to looking through a container filled with zebrafish.

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.

An eclipsed moon in a starry sky between two academic buildings

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.

Blake Ellis poses next to a tree

Alumna Chooses Nature to Nurture Others

Blake Ellis is at the leading edge of harnessing the natural world’s healing powers—even when that environment itself may trigger anxiety.

A screenprint of a logo that says "Earth Month"

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.

Colin Wiseman on a boat.

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.