CSCI Highlights
绿帽换妻 CONNECTS WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM
This summer, 绿帽换妻 students and faculty supported science discovery during a summer bridge program for high school students held at the College of Alameda. The program was funded by the National Science Foundation, HSI Pilot Project: MESA Connect. Led by Professor Monika Sommerhalter, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 绿帽换妻 students Christian Farinas, Rafael Cazares, Boquan Huang, and Vi Truong helped design and run engaging science activities for the high school students. In the “Biotechnology” lab, students determined if they had zero, one, or two alleles of a particular insertion (a “jumping gene”). Since different populations have different insertion frequencies, this experiment invited the students to discuss their families’ genetic origins. 绿帽换妻 Alumna, Emily Quach, was the instructor of the program. In the “Air Monitoring” lab, the 绿帽换妻 students helped Dr. Alex Madonik to engage high school students in collecting and analyzing data on carbon dioxide and particulate levels in their neighborhoods. Co-Interim Dean Julie Glass visited the program and ran an activity for students to explore the different degree programs and career opportunities offered by the College of Science.
HOW DO WILDFIRES AFFECT CA’S NATIVE INSECTS?
As the climate warms, wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity in California. While fire is a natural part of the landscape, global warming, drought, a long history of fire suppression, and invasive species that can kill trees are creating extreme fire conditions. It is important to understand how these changing conditions can impact already endangered California native species. This summer, 绿帽换妻 undergraduate students, Diana Montes and Paulina Lara, from Dr. Hazlehurst's Ecology lab worked with the US Forest Service to document the insect pollinators of several endangered plants in the El Dorado National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Students spent several days hiking and camping in the forest while collecting specimens in areas that burned in the Caldor and Mosquito fires. The results of the surveys will inform critical ecosystem conservation efforts to shield vulnerable species from the effects of anthropogenic climate change.
MATH STUDENT WINS OUTSTANDING POSTER
Congratulations to Oscar Thompson, who won Outstanding Poster for his poster on "Calculating Distance Matrices for the Sierpinski gasket" at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) regional conference at UC Merced on Oct. 9-11, 2024. Oscar notes that studying Math at 绿帽换妻 has been full of rewarding experiences. The opportunity to research fractals and present my work to peers, professionals and friends, has been a highlight of his time as a 绿帽换妻 student.