Science and Environment
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.
Chico State Students to Present Research at Statewide Competition
Ten Chico State student delegates will compete against scholars statewide at the California State University’s 36th annual Statewide Research Competition.
Student Fly-Fisherman Casts His Line into Researching Local Creeks
Ten years after leaving college, Maurice Ledoyen returned and is conducting research studying metal accumulation in aquatic organisms in creeks downstream of the Camp Fire.
Faculty Showcase Offers Chance to Be ‘Inspired’
Three faculty members who published amid the pandemic share their passions and stories of persistence.
Poop Sleuths: Student Researchers Track COVID-19 in Residence Halls
Two biological sciences faculty and eight students are conducting complex wastewater monitoring in the residence halls to research the virus that causes COVID-19.
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.
Making CSU History: Chico State Adds All-Electric Street Sweeper to Fleet
In its push to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, Chico State became the first CSU campus to purchase and use an all-electric street sweeper.
Seeding the Future: Center for Regenerative Agriculture Receives $1 Million Gift
Looking to improve communities one at a time, Bruce Burnworth discovered Chico State's Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems—and found it worthy of a $1 million donation.
Multimillion-Dollar Grants Ensure Hands-On Research Continues for STEM Students
Chico State was awarded a pair of multimillion dollar grants, ensuring that STEM students in three different colleges will be able to continue receiving hands-on research opportunities with faculty.
Where Education Meets the Land
The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve is a living laboratory for students of all ages, ground-breaking research, and innovative land management practices.
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.
Fulbright Program Names Chico State to Prestigious List of National Higher-Education HSI Leaders
Chico State has been named a Fulbright HSI Leader in the designation’s inaugural year, and is one of just 35 higher education institutions nationwide to receive the honor.
New Gateway Exhibit Showcases Fossils Unearthed in Northern California
This extensive paleontology exhibit gives visitors a chance to explore our region’s rich evolutionary and geological history, including fossils from one of California's most remarkable discoveries.
Professor Receives Fulbright Scholar Award To Teach and Study Agricultural Best Practices in Turkey
Lee Altier is taking nearly 40 years of farming expertise to Ege University in Izmir, Turkey to focus on agroecology.