All the going ons at CSUMB -- and student scholars!

There's film, there's theater, there's provocative speakers, there's just so much going on at CSUMB!

And no, I'm not getting paid to do PR for them. I'm just genuinely impressed.

This month is jam packed. Not only are they hosting lots of activities related to "Sexual Awareness Month" -- addressing sexual assault stereotype, prevention, and a slew of other related topics -- but they're also hosting a series of films that celebrate organized labor. It's Reel Work, and it has some stories that promise to be very interesting. Occupy, anybody?

In between all that, students do have time to do research!

Five student projects will represent the university at the 26th annual CSU Student Research Competition at Long Beach State May 4 and 5.

In Long Beach, the chosen students will make 10-minute oral presentations before juries of professional experts from major corporations, foundations, public agencies, colleges and universities in California. The judges also review each student’s research paper.

The purpose of the competition is to focus attention on the accomplishments of students engaged in significant research and creative activity in all academic disciplines across the 23-campus CSU system.

The students selected to represent CSUMB are:

Graduate student:
• Bart Kowalski, Coastal and Watershed Science & Policy, “Effects of landscape covariates on the distribution of mammalian carnivores on Fort Ord," faculty adviser Dr. Fred Watson

Undergraduates:

• Sara Banco, psychology, “Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors of Serious Juvenile Offenders from Parental Substance Using Homes," faculty adviser Dr. Jill Yamashita

• Melissa Powell, psychology, "Familistic and Individualistic Values of Emerging Adults Across Cultures," faculty adviser Dr. Jennifer Dyer-Seymour

• Emily Roncase, biology, "Directed mutagenisis for the identification of regulatory phosphate-binding sites on the auxin transport protein ABCB19 in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana," faculty adviser Dr. Henrik Kibak

• Sarah Whiteford, kinesiology, "Effects of Isometric Squats on Vertical Jump in Male Recreational Club Athletes," faculty adviser Dr. Kent Adam

Good luck to the student scholars. You're making Monterey proud!