Skip to Main Content
Chico State

Research

Edward Berdan smiles and leans against a wall.

Diversity Fellow Finds Niche in AAPI Politics

As a master’s student in political science, Edward Berdan has bloomed into a scholar destined to change the study of AAPI politics.

Brian Brazeal wears a helmet with a headlamp in a dark mine shaft.

Anthropology Professor Chosen for Prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award

Anthropology professor Brian Brazeal is Chico State's own Indiana Jones— and was recently awarded a Fulbright award.

Juanita Mottley sits on a concrete bench with flowers to her right and in front of the Student Health Center

5 Questions with WellCat Services Director Juanita Mottley

As executive director of WellCat Services, Juanita Mottley oversees both physical and mental health services for the campus—while also leading the University's COVID-19 response as its pandemic manager.

Office Hours: Psychology Faculty and Neuroscientist Shawn Bates

Professor Shawn Bates may be new to the Psychology Department, but he brings with him a longstanding passion for neuroscience, mentoring, and diversity in STEM.

A nursing student wearing protective gear holds a syringe that contains the vaccine against the coronavirus.

Nursing Students Serve on the Frontlines Against COVID-19

Doing their part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, students from Chico State's School of Nursing are volunteering at local sites to provide much-needed testing and administer long-awaited vaccinations.

Sunshine breaks through the tops of trees over a ranch-style setting.

Family of Professor Emeritus Gifts $1 Million for Educational Programming at Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve

The Dempsey family has donated $1 million to the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve—the largest cash gift in its history—for educational programming.

Lisa Kendhammer fills plastic bags with chemistry equipment for at-home experiments.

Chemistry Kits Deliver At-Home Learning Opportunities

Despite learning virtually for the vast majority of the fall semester, chemistry students are still able to conduct hands-on experiments at home.

Water gently flows through the Sacramento River

Chico State Enterprises Receives $10 Million Grant to Continue Salmon Habitat Restoration Projects

Chico State Enterprises received a $10 million grant over five years to help restore 47.3 acres of juvenile salmon habitat and 4.3 acres of spawning habitat along the Upper Sacramento River.

Jacque Chase places her hand on a sitting bench and Peter Hansen smiles as they stand among grass and trees. 

Mapping Lab Takes Closer Look at Population Displaced by Camp Fire

As a team of Chico State researchers continues to study the initial movements of those displaced by the Camp Fire, as well as where they are now, their findings are revealing.

An aerial view of campus shows trees turning color in fall as students walk on campus.

History Majors Embrace Groundbreaking Research with Inaugural Adelante Grants

This summer, three history majors—Vivian Hernandez, Jose Valadez, and Juan Vega—tackled topics much of the world knows little about with support from a national grant.

Chico State nursing student Elyse Fontana poses and sits on a desk

Nursing Students Tackle COVID-19 Contact Tracing

In need of public health clinical hours to fulfill their graduation requirement, students from the School of Nursing served their communities as COVID-19 contact tracers.

A digital illustration of four different movie titles

KIXE PBS to Showcase ALVA-Produced Films in August

Local Public Broadcasting Service station KIXE PBS to air a series of documentary films from Chico State's award-winning Advanced Laboratory for Visual Anthropology.

A collection of baskets from four generations of Mountain Maidu Weavers of the Meadows-Baker Family sits in the Valene L. Smith Museum.

Chico State Museums Help CSU Preserve the Past, Define the Present, and Direct the Future

The Valene L. Smith Museum supports a broader mission to advance knowledge, learning, and culture by introducing the community to global cultures, history and people.

Portrait of David Johnson in a field

Chico State Leads New Future for Agriculture Industry

To mitigate the ag industry's environmental impact, researchers at the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems are finding new methods and teaching them to the next generation.

William Nitzky stands in the Valene L. Smith Museum with an exhibit behind him.

Office Hours: Anthropology Faculty and Documentarian Will Nitzky

Professor Will Nitzky wears many hats—museum director, professor, anthropologist—and he added one more with his directorial debut, Bang the Drum: Documentary.

Hyewon Pechkis smiles while in conversation.

Five-Year, $430,000 Grant Funds Cutting-Edge Physics Research at CSU, Chico

Physics faculty Hyewon Pechkis was awarded a National Science Foundation Early Career Award, granting her and her cutting-edge research $428,734 over the next five years.

The words "the digital divide" are overlaid over a rural road, split in half, with one side looking like a cracking old black and white photo and the other side in color with internet symbols.

The Digital Divide

The Geographical Information Center has been pioneering projects to improve high-speed internet access across California for years. Now, as COVID-19 forces millions of people to work and school from home, the center's efforts and expertise have never been more critical.

A woman and small boy sit on a specialized swing near the words "Serving the Spectrum."

Serving the Spectrum

For nearly 20 years, Chico State has supported North State children with autism and their families through multisensory services at our Autism Clinic.

A family pets a dairy cow at the University Farm.

CSU, Chico Honored as One of Nation’s Top Colleges for Agriculture Degree

Grad Reports recently honored Chico State at No. 12 on its national list of “25 Best Colleges for an Agriculture Degree” for 2020.

Students water plants in a greenhouse.

CSU, Chico Awarded $2.2 Million Grant for Undergraduate Research Experiences

The National Science Foundation awarded Chico State $2.2 million to launch a program to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets and research opportunities right within the everyday classroom.

A view of campus with the Trinity Bell tower.

Faculty Expert: Public Health Chair Holly Nevarez

Holly Nevarez explains how COVID-19 will change the landscape of the public health profession and society for years to come.

Student-Athletes Urge Peers to Scratch the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health

Chico State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee created a resource page for Mental Health Awareness Month and kicked off a campaign aimed to end mental health stigma. #ScratchTheStigma

Students walk down a road at University Farm

Journal Club Keeps Undergraduate Agricultural Research Rolling

Unable to meet in the fields to check their research plots, an undergraduate group started a Journal Club to stay connected and keep learning.

Troy Cline and student do research in a lab

Faculty Expert: Virology Professor Troy Cline

Virologist Troy Cline shares what stands out to him about the novel coronavirus and how he’s been incorporating the crisis into his lessons.

Three industrial robots are lined up inside a room.

Tech Company Omron Gifts $830,000 and Robotics to Transform CSU, Chico’s Mechatronics Laboratory

A generous gift from global technology giant Omron has upgraded Chico State’s mechatronics laboratory, making it one of the most advanced labs of its kind in the nation.

Bruce poses in the hallway of the Department of Comparative Religion and Humanities.

Religion—and Diversity of Thought—at Center of Professor’s Teachings

Professor Bruce Grelle advocates that learning about religions should not be polarizing—it makes us better citizens of a global society.

A young girl clasps her hands in prayer with her eyes closed.

Religion Professor Bruce Grelle Featured in TIME Magazine

The director of Chico State's Religion and Public Education Project is among the experts to address prayer in schools for TIME Magazine.

Russell Shapiro poses with the found 15-million-year-old whale vertebrae fossil in Simi Valley.

No Bones About It: Fossil Find a Whale of a Mystery

Geological and environmental sciences professors Russell Shapiro and Todd Greene were called to collect mysterious 15-million-year-old fossils unearthed by an earthquake that rocked the Mojave Desert on July 4, 2019.

Jessica stands in front of shelves of food.

Student Leads Swipe Against Hunger

After struggling to meet her basic needs early in her life, Jessica Ramirez is fighting food insecurity on campus with Swipe Against Hunger.

Autism Clinic Helps Build Skills for Life

Chico State's Autism Clinic serves children on the autism spectrum—strengthening their gross motor skills while lifting their confidence.

A human finger touches a finger sensor on a mechanical finger.

Engineering for a Better Tomorrow

Whether focused on clean drinking water or eliminating single-use plastics, engineering students spent the last year tackling some of society’s most pressing challenges.

White puffy clouds float above Trinity Tower.

Worth Sharing: Model UN Team Shines

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

Students sit at a table with a laptop, cell phone, and notebook to work on a presentation.

Student Teams Work to Alleviate Housing Insecurity

The cross-disciplinary course concludes this week with presentations on partnerships and policies to find solutions for students, Camp Fire survivors, and generally unsheltered individuals.

Several people in a grassy area set small prescribed fires with fire canisters.

University’s Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Scheduled For Prescribed Fire

Chico State's Ecological Reserves are partnering with Terra Fuego and Cal Fire to conduct a prescribed burn on Tuesday.

A map of the United States has red dots scattered across it showing where people have relocated after the Camp Fire.

Mapping a Displaced Population

New maps from an interdisciplinary team of researchers begin to reveal the how, why, and where Camp Fire survivors have moved.

Jackson Webster dips a sampling container into Butte Creek.

Water Contamination Goes Under the Microscope

A team of faculty and student researchers is examining the magnitude of water contamination that resulted from the Camp Fire, as well as public health and environmental implications.

A woman sits on the outdoor step of her travel trailer.

The Camp Fire’s Forgotten Communities

In chronicling the stories of survivors, the Camp Fire Oral History Project has captured the challenges of recovery among the most rural populations.

Groundbreakers

Four faculty discuss their current research and how they aspire to change the world.

An illustration depicting five student faces and the words "The Changing Face of Chico State"

The Changing Face of Chico State

Today, Chico State is home to more identities and expressions than ever. Yet, “first gen” is one of the fastest-rising identity markers. The University is focused now more than ever to ensure they achieve their dreams—no matter how high they are set.

An illustration by Jenn Liv for Genentech shows blue cancerous cells amid a sea of purple healthy cells.

Every Two Minutes

Every two minutes, a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed in the United States. Meet three alumni whose lives are driven by these tiny yet deadly cells.