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About CSUMB

Innovation in Higher Education

Higher education is facing challenges in an era of increased demand, changing demographics and declining state support. American colleges and universities will need to adopt new educational approaches and technologies to serve more students while maintaining quality. CSUMB is addressing this through a variety of ways: a new three-year computer science degree developed in partnership with Hartnell College; creation of an Institute for Innovation and Economic Development; and exploring the potential to use technology for online programs.

– Dr. Eric Tao

From iPhone Apps to Flying Drones­ – Computing and Engineering Education at CSUMB

– Dr. Eric Tao

Science with a Mission at CSUMB

The CSUMB Science Division includes experts from both terrestrial and marine realms. Their common mission is to use sound science to solve environmental problems in the tri-county area. They use cutting-edge technology and student power for the good of the community.

– Dr. Doug Smith

A Vision for Service: At CSUMB, Giving Back is a Core Value

CSUMB has won national acclaim for integrating community service with each student’s academic experience, and is changing lives – and our ideas about learning and community –in the process

– Dr. Seth Pollack

Athletics at CSUMB

CSUMBis dedicated to building champions, one victory at a time – in our community, in the classroom and in competition. The university fields 12 teams competing at the NCAA Division II level. It has earned a national title in men’s golf, and a number of California Collegiate Athletic Association titles.

– Kirby Garry, athletic director

Master of Social Work program meets local demand

CSUMB now offers a Master of Social Work program, created in collaboration with community partners to address a shortage of social workers with graduate degrees in the region.

– Dr. Julie Altman, program director

CSUMB goes green

People across campus are working on many fronts to make Cal State Monterey Bay a more sustainable university. We developed a Climate Action Plan that will provide a road map for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and issues surrounding sustainability are addressed in many classes. We also have a robust alternative transportation program in place. Mike Lerch of campus facilities can speak to the many energy efficiency upgrades on campus (that have cut our energy use 20% and reduced our carbon footprint).

– Mike Lerch, CSUMB’s associate director of facilities services and operations

Research at CSUMB: Why We Do It and What it Means for the Monterey Bay region

Researchers at the university bring in millions of dollars in grants. Those funds create jobs and support the development of new knowledge. We’re eager to discuss economic development and to share ideas for cooperation and collaboration between the university and industry.

– University administrator

Science, Math, Computing

From ‘You’ve Got to be Kidding!’ to ‘Ah-Ha!’ – Hope for our oceans through insight and innovation

The talk discusses innovative ways to address the unprecedented threats of climate change, sea level rise, ocean acidification, pollution, fishery declines, coastal erosion, algal blooms and storm intensification on the coastal oceans and communities.

– Dr. Rikk Kvitek

Peeling Back the Blue: How we Map and Use 3D Visualization to Reveal and Learn from Earth’s Hidden Seafloor Landscapes

Although the global ocean is the driver of weather, a highway for marine commerce, a reservoir of vast marine resources, and our playground, we know more about distant planets than we do about the seafloor. Imagine if the next time you were standing at the ocean's edge that instead of watching crashing waves, you were able to visualize submarine canyons, underwater seamounts and ridges, and even a kelp forest teeming with marine life. The State of California has undertaken a cutting-edge project to make this possible by mapping the seafloor of all the state's waters. Dr. Kvitek will show you the first images created from this effort and share with you how this new information is already being used in a multitude of ways.

– Dr. Rikk Kvitek

Dr. Kvitek is a professor in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy, where he directs the CSUMB Seafloor Mapping Lab. He earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Michigan, a master’s at Moss Landing Marine Labs, and Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Washington. His research with whales, sea otters, walrus, sea birds, fish, icebergs, submarine canyons and numerous invertebrates from the Arctic to the Antarctic has brought novel insights to the fields of benthic ecology, seafloor disturbance, habitat mapping and species relations, and the effects of harmful algal bloom toxins in marine foodchains. Beginning with SCUBA, Dr. Kvitek quickly realized that detailed bird’s-eye views of the seafloor could do for marine research what aerial photography had done for terrestrial studies, and now specializes in bringing seafloor habitats to life with high resolution remote sensing and 3D visualization

San Clemente Dam Removal

San Clemente Dam has been removed from the Carmel River to reduce the risk of dam failure and to foster the historic salmon run. This large-scale project has long-term impacts on the watershed, and could be a model for other dam removal projects in California.

– Dr. Doug Smith

Water Resources on the Monterey Peninsula

People on the coast between Carmel and Seaside have been seeking a sustainable water resource for decades. The search has been fraught with technical, political and legal pitfalls. What are the technical solutions? What are the political/legal constraints? What's the latest plan?

– Dr. Doug Smith

The Geology of Coastal Monterey County: Resource Opportunities and Geological Hazards

Wherever you stand, there is a stack of rocks below your feet that records the local geological history and governs the kind of urban development that is suited to the region. We will consider the water resources and environmental hazards of our region. Water is scarce, and urban expansion is locally constrained by coastal erosion, landslides and hill slope erosion potential.

– Dr. Doug Smith

Institute for Applied Marine Ecology (IfAME)

The primary goal of the IfAME is to provide science in support of government decision-making ranging from local municipalities to state, federal and international governments. That science includes monitoring the new state marine protected areas along California's coast, exploring the resources of National Marine Sanctuaries from Monterey to New England, studying the impact of commercial bottom trawling on seafloor habitats around the world, and diving from the world's only undersea laboratory in the Florida Keys. The closely linked secondary goal is to involve CSUMB students in the conduct of this research.

– Dr. James Lindholm

Math, Revealed – Cracking the Mysteries of Math for Youngsters

New research examining thousands of students in two dozen California school districts finds that students already doing well in math in the seventh grade are more likely to take advanced math courses in high school and meet college entrance requirements. But for many students who struggle with math in grade seven, there is no clear path to learning and achievement. CSUMB math professor Hongde Hu uses math games, engaging presentations and curriculum he has been refining for years to reach those youngsters.

– Dr. Hongde Hu

Technology in the Classroom

Technology is being used to expand curriculum options, maximize scarce resources, increase teacher and student engagement, and improve outcomes. It delivers a new type of interactive education to meet the needs and requirements of 21st century learners as global citizens. Dr. Bude Su has a particular interest in encouraging technology education as part of the K-12 curriculum and encouraging women/girls in STEM fields as well.

– Dr. Bude Su

Psychology

Eyewitness Memory

Eyewitnesses are notoriously bad in the identification of the perpetrator of a crime. If you witness a crime, can you be sure that your memory for that event is accurate? Not really. Scientific evidence explains that memory changes over time, is malleable and is easy to manipulate via suggestibility and misattribution. Find out why eyewitnesses are so bad at remembering details of the crime and in the identification of the perpetrator.

– Dr. Jill Yamashita

Creating Memories for Events that Never Happened

False memories are the remembering of events that never took place. Memory is easily manipulated and can change without our awareness. Memory research shows that it is easy to create false memories (for example, a memory of getting lost in the mall). One of the issues with false memory is that you cannot tell the difference between a false memory and a real one.

– Dr. Jill Yamashita

They All Look the Same: The Other-Race Effect

The other-race effect is a deficit in the ability to recognize or identify a face that is of a different race. You might hear a child say, “All of the faces look the same,” which is common response when looking at faces of an unfamiliar or different race. I examine what influences the other-race effect and what helps to minimize this effect.

– Dr. Jill Yamashita

Human Development

Family Dynamics

Dr. Rob Weisskirch, a professor of human development, can talk about a number of topics including:

• Cell phone use between parents and adolescents

• Sexting in romantic relationships

• The science of adolescent development

• The impact of language brokering among immigrant children

• Understanding brain development

– Rob Weisskirch, MSW, Ph.D.,professor of human development

Immigration

Mexican Entrepreneurs: a New Look to Immigration

Immigrants aren’t always who you think they are.

– Dr. Juan Gutierrez

Business

Developing Business Models for New Ventures

The focus of creating new businesses has changed from writing a business plan to creating a business model. This talk tells what it takes to develop a killer business model - and how to do it.

– Dr. Brad Barbeau

Funding for Startups – the ABC's

New opportunities for raising funding are emerging in online crowdfunding. When should a startup use angels, banks, and crowdfunding? This talk covers the latest developments in venture funding and where they fit into the founder's toolkit for fundraising.

– Dr. Brad Barbeau

The Current State of the Economy

A discussion of current economic data and its meaning for business.

– Dr. Brad Barbeau

Creating Customer Loyalty

John Avella, head of CSUMB’s hospitality program, has 40 years of human resource development and teaching experience in the hospitality industry. He has been vice president of human resources for Marriott Corporation, The Rainbow Room and Windows on the World, and president of Human Resource Concepts. His work focused on management and executive development, customer service and organizational strategic change. He has studied the application of emotional intelligence to customer service/loyalty, emotional labor and leadership. He has developed a process that teaches people to “connect” to the customer.

The Region’s Hospitality Industry – What’s Ahead?

The lingering effects of the recession and looming water problems are just two issues facing the local tourism/hospitality industry. What’s on the horizon?

– Dr. John Avella

Sustainable Hospitality Management

– Dr. John Avella

Health

Kinesiology Gains in Popularity

Kinesiology – the study of human movement – is the fastest-growing major on campuses across the country. As the U.S. population skews older – and fatter –there’s a demand for fitness trainers, physical therapists and researchers who study the science of movement and performance. Dr. Kent Adams, a prolific researcher as well as head of the Kinesiology Department, shares his findings to help people keep fit across the lifespan.

– Dr. Kent Adams

Nursing Program will Meet a Need

The health care industry is coping with the “silver tsunami” of aging baby boomers, combined with the impact of health care reform. Nurses will play a big role in meeting both challenges, but will need more than a two-year degree to do so. CSUMB has partnered with four community colleges in the region to offer a four-year degree that prepares them to serve as health care navigators, helping patients manage multiple conditions such as hypertension and diabetes outside a hospital setting. The university also offers currently employed nurses an opportunity to earn a B.S.N.

– Dr. Savitri Singh-Carlson

Education

Unraveling Standardized Testing and Evaluation

Mark O’Shea, a professor of education at CSUMB, has been studying the standards movement from the perspective of the classroom teacher for years. He has conducted extensive clinical research in standards-based education and has consulted with school districts and state departments of education. He can also talk about the new Common Core standards – he helped state officials develop the science standards – and their implementation in California.

– Dr. Mark O’Shea

The Coming Teacher Shortage

California is facing a looming teacher shortage. Dr. O’Shea talks about why and offers some strategies for dealing with it.

– Dr. Mark O’Shea

Archaeology

Digging through time

Dr. Ruben Mendoza is an archaeologist, writer, and photographer who has explored the length and breadth of Mexico, Central America, Europe, and the U.S. Southwest documenting both pre-Columbian and Colonial era sites and collections. He has directed major archaeological investigations and conservation projects at missions San Juan Bautista, Carmel, and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, among others. Recent efforts at the Royal Presidio of Monterey resulted in the tandem discovery of the earliest Serra era Christian houses of worship in California dated to 1770. And he has made astronomically and liturgically significant discoveries of solstice, equinox, and feast day solar illuminations of mission church altars throughout California,the U.S. Southwest, and Mesoamerica.

– Dr. Ruben Mendoza

Adult Education

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is Bringing Seniors Back to School

Are you sitting on an idea for the next great American novel and don't know how to begin? Would you like to understand contemporary art? Ever wonder where our special brand of weather comes from? Would you like to know the history of Cannery Row? Then the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI@CSUMB) is the place for you. These are just some of the topics that have been covered in courses that range from one day to eight weeks during the Fall and Spring semesters each year. For adults age 50 or better and funded in part by the Bernard Osher Foundation, many of our courses are taught by CSUMB professors. There are no test or grades, just good fun and great fellowship with friends and neighbors in our region. Learn how and why OLLI@CSUMB came into being and how it has evolved to reflect the interests of our adult learners.

– Michele Crompton, OLLI director

Science Illustration

Art in the service of science

Science illustration is all around us – in books, magazines, posters, on websites, in films and TV, and in museums. Most of us don’t notice the extraordinary technical skill, the precision and carefully observed detail, or the beauty of these illustrations because we’re busy absorbing information from them. CSUMB is home to a nationally renowned science illustration program; graduates’ work is in the Smithsonian Institution, the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History; in top science magazines such as National Geographic, Scientific American, Nature and Audubon; at the National Zoo, in Washington, D.C., and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

– Jenny Keller, instructor in the Science Illustration program

Bioethics

Linda MacDonald Glenn, J.D., LL.M.

Bioethicist, futurist, and counselor-at-law in graduate and undergraduate education and consultant. Other research interests include the global impact, legal, ethical and social implications of Exponential Technologies and Evolving Notions of Legal Personhood and Human Rights.