Research Updates

Edison International awards $1 million endowment to CSULA for scholarships

Recognized for their academic excellence and their passion for the sciences, Cal State L.A.’s senior Yulan Lin and freshman Francisco Sepulveda were selected as the first scholarship recipients of the Edison Scholars program, funded by a $1 million endowment from Edison International to the University’s Honors College.

Both Lin and Sepulveda are in CSULA’s Honors College, a competitive interdisciplinary program for students pursuing advanced degrees. They will receive scholarship support annually until they graduate.

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Healthcare news is a hot topic, but long, jargon-filled descriptions of the science behind the headlines can be baffling to the public.

For science organizations like the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state’s official stem cell research agency, it’s important that prospective voters and funders understand its work, which is why it organized an informal “elevator pitch” contest at a spring conference for its grant-funded researchers.

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In 2010, the California Energy Commission awarded Sacramento State $2 million to establish a campus center for smart grid research. The Energy Commission recently awarded the University’s innovative California Smart Grid Center an additional $1.4 million to pursue three critical efficient-energy projects:

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Awards will help with graduate school application activities
Christina Hill and Omar Davila Jr. have been awarded the 2013 Barbara Baldock and Phillip Butler UROC Research Scholarships.

Hill, an Environmental Science, Technology and Policy major, and Davila, a psychology major, were selected based on their academic achievements, undergraduate research accomplishments, financial need, graduate school aspirations and a commitment to serve the broader community through research and outreach.

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Collaboration between CSUMB, Hartnell to start in fall

CSU Monterey Bay and Hartnell College have received a grant of $1.1 million to support their new three-year degree program in Computer Science and Information Technology.

NSF Acting Director Cora Marrett and President Eduardo OchoaThe university and Hartnell have partnered to create a program called CSIT-in-3. The two schools have worked closely on the program’s design and implementation and will collaborate on instruction, mentoring and advising. It will start in the fall with approximately 30 students.

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Scientist Cited for Excellence in Scholarship, Student Mentorship

For her excellence in research, mentorship to her students and commitment to the educational mission of Cal State Fullerton, scientist Maria C. Linder is the inaugural recipient of the L. Donald Shields Excellence in Scholarship and Creativity Award.

During a surprise visit to Linder’s morning seminar with her Howard Hughes Medical Institute scholars, President Mildred García today presented her with the award before the educator’s students and colleagues, who cheered the news.

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Gravitational-Wave Center Seeks Confirmation of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity

Faculty and student researchers in the new Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center are working on one of the most anticipated scientific discoveries of this century: the first-ever detection of gravitational waves.

“I’m a very curious person, and I believe that looking up to the sky to try to get answers on how the universe works is one amazing thing you can devote time and effort to,” said physics graduate student Veronica Lockett-Ruiz. “When gravitational waves are detected, which I believe will be soon, we will confirm a theory that was proposed almost a century ago, and that is exciting!”

http://news.fullerton.edu/2013sp/Gravitational-Wave-Center-Research.asp

The METRANS Transportation Center, a joint partnership of California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and the University of Southern California (USC), recently received a $3.7 million grant from the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations to establish a Center of Excellence in urban freight research.

The center, called METROFREIGHT, will research ways to streamline the transportation, handling and storage of goods in city centers while working to reduce the impact on traffic congestion, air quality and urban livability. An international Center of Excellence, METROFREIGHT will work with university partners in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Seoul, South Korea.

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For CSU students, time in the lab is just a part of the undergraduate learning experience. In recognition of National Undergraduate Research Week April 15-19, CSU Leader highlights some of the student breakthroughs that are earning grants and getting some serious attention from the scientific community.

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