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LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 29, 2018) –Long Beach State University Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe today released the following statement in response to Encinitas shark attack:
Interested reporters should contact Lauren.Williams@csulb.edu to schedule an interview.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2018) – Long Beach State University will reinforce its commitments to environmentally-responsible practices by forming a President’s Commission on Sustainability, charged with improving the campus’ abilities to conserve resources and to take actions to mitigate effects of climate change.
“Long Beach State is keeping its promise to protect the environment,” President Jane Close Conoley said. “Our investments in technology and research will not only reduce the campus’ climate footprint, but will provide thousands of students with the tools to make sustainability an important part of their own lives."
Long Beach State wetlands ecologist Christine Whitcraft will serve as the new commission’s interim chair before membership elections scheduled for spring. She will be joined by other members of the faculty, as well as students, campus staff and members of the Long Beach community.
“The presidential Sustainability Commission hopes to focus in the short term on zero-waste practices on campus, transportation issues, as well as climate action planning, so that we are engaging with the local community in making our campus more sustainable in terms of how we get and use our energy,” Whitcraft said.
Whitcraft’s scientific work includes researching a pilot program at Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge designed to show whether sediment augmentation can protect coastal wetlands from rising sea levels.
The new commission will also be charged with fostering environmental literacy by blending sustainability topics into classroom lessons for students in all fields. The commission will also work on the development of an on-campus Sustainable Living Center to help students adopt sustainable lifestyles.
The Commission’s inquiries and future actions will build upon Long Beach State’s existing sustainability commitments. Among them, the campus has a partnership with Long Beach Transit providing students and employees with free bus rides as an alternative to driving to campus, has begun to distribute zero waste receptacles around campus to divert recyclable materials from landfills, installed solar panels at campus parking lots, and has designed its new College of Continuing and Professional Education building as a net-zero structure. Solar panels to be installed there will enable the building to generate as much energy as its occupants will use.
Long Beach State has also committed to a Climate Action Plan that envisions the attainment of climate neutrality by 2030.
Long Beach State will also commemorate October as Sustainability Month. Events are scheduled to begin Tuesday, Oct. 2 when Matt Petersen, chief executive of Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator is scheduled to visit the campus to discuss how the higher education community can work toward sustainability.
For more information about the university’s commitments and programs, as well as details about events throughout Sustainability Month, view the campus’ Sustainability webpage.
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About the campus:Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
B-Roll: Interviews with Long Beach State University wetlands ecologist Christine Whitcraft, President Jane Close Conoley and sustainability coordinator Holli Fajack, as well as footage of sustainability-related assets on campus.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 26, 2018) – Student filmmakers at Long Beach State University will continue to benefit from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s financial support for narrative and documentary films.
The Association, which co-produces the Golden Globes, has granted $65,000 to the Long Beach campus’ Department of Film & Electronic Arts for the current academic year. That total is the sum of $60,000 for scholarships to finance current students’ work and $5,000 to build an endowment for scholarships.
The scholarships create opportunities for students to pitch ideas to campus faculty. A winning pitch can earn $3,000 to help pay the bills for short films that students may go on to enter into film festivals.
“Hollywood Foreign Press Association funding allows our students to put learning into practice by creating original films from the seed of an idea to completion,” Film and Electronic Arts interim chair Anne D’Zmura said. “This funding affords our students an opportunity to share their unique and timely stories that are reflective of our larger society. We are deeply grateful for the association’s support in developing the next generation of diverse, socially aware, dedicated and talented filmmakers.”
Long Beach State filmmakers, who have benefited from Hollywood Foreign Press Association Support, are behind two documentaries —“For Vivian” and “Lurker” — that are finalists for awards to be handed out in October during the California State University Media Arts Festival.
The association’s financial support helped the filmmakers who made “For Vivian” cover such costs as color correction and sound design work. “If we didn’t have the funding, the film would not be at the level that it is,” editor and co-director of photography Nicole Gomez said.
“For Vivian” tells the story of director Samantha Hernandez’s aunt.
Another scholarship helped “Lurker” director Charles Watson work with Super 8mm film and cover travel costs to places like San Francisco and Palm Desert to tell a street photographer’s story. “It was very critical for what we envisioned,” Watson said.
The association has provided the Department of Film & Electronic Arts more than $760,000 worth of support since the 2005-06 school year. In addition to financing for scholarships, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has also helped the department obtain sound-mixing and documentary equipment.
Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarship recipient Sean Geisterfer wrote and directed “The Sound of Love,” a short film honored with the Best in Show, Best Narrative and Audience Choice awards at the 2017 California State University Media Arts Festival.
Two other Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarship recipients, Laura Aika Tanimoto and Daniel Alvarado, also earned plaudits during the 2017 event. Tanimoto’s “HapPINEness” received recognition as the Best Experimental film, and Alvarado’s “'Bobby' by Hannah" won recognition as the festival’s Best Music Video.
The 2018 awards ceremony for the California State University Media Arts Festival is scheduled to take place Oct. 16 at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
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About the campus:Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
About the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual Golden Globe Awards have enabled the non-profit organization to donate more than $29 million in the past thirty years to entertainment-related charities, as well as funding scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals. In the year 2017, the donations reached a total of over $2.8 million in grants destined to non-profits, institutions, and charities.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 20, 2018) –Several self-care initiatives are launching in the upcoming weeks at Long Beach State University, including one study of students participating in a body positivity workshop.
An eight-week workshop will be held at the Health Resource Center for students and focus on reclaiming health, cultivating self-love, reducing an individual’s critical inner voice and learning ‘intuitive self-care’ through journaling, art therapy and forms of group expression. For the first time this year, the center will launch a study with student participants to measure their changes in self-compassion, eating disorders, depression and resiliency.
So far, 65 students in nine cohorts have taken the workshop and have shown a demonstrable, statistically significant improvement on the self-compassion scale.
“This program has really affected students’ lives in many positive ways,” said Angela Girard, associate director of Student Health Services.
Much of the work being done at the workshops is trying to reverse negative body and self-talk that is taught at a young age. A recent article in HuffPost found that nearly half of girls between the ages of 3- and 6-years-old say they worry about being fat.
“What we know from research right now is that the messages kids pick up start at really, really young ages,” said sociologist Lori Baralt, who serves as a member of the body positivity core group. “When we ask toddlers what’s attractive, it’s already a narrow standard of beauty. Particularly for girls because that’s emphasized for girls in society.
“People don’t feel good about themselves,” Baralt said. “We’re seeing that at younger and younger ages.”
To combat these pressures, a host of events will be held on campus the week of Oct. 22 through Oct. 26 at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and University Student Union, including blind yoga, massage chairs, outdoor yoga and blindfolded rock climbing for students to engage with their senses other than sight.
“At the Student Recreation and Wellness Center our goal is to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all and to promote that we have something for everybody,” said Sean Pellerin, Recreation Sports Coordinator. “Love Your Body Week provides the platform to celebrate the individual and encourage positive views towards one’s body and self.”
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About the campus: Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2018) –In response to questions raised about statements made by lauren woods during her presentation at the University Theater, the following statement can be attributed to Terri Carbaugh, spokesperson:
"It is important to understand that the departure of Kimberli Meyer is unrelated to the exhibit’s contents. We view our campus as an ideal place for important-- and sometimes difficult-- discussions to take place. While Ms. Meyer's artistic vision is supported by the College of the Arts, the day-to-day and long-term operation of a university museum demands more."
"Regarding the request for transcripts -- During Tuesday’s presentation at the University Theater, lauren woods herself described the recordings as ‘upsetting’ to her and her research assistant, and she shared how listening to them caused her emotional and physical pain. Campus officials sought transcripts not to curtail free speech or artistic expression, but to gain a clearer understanding if the campus would need to invest in counseling staff who could assist any student who might experience an emotional trigger as a result of the intensity of the exhibit. There is no link between the request for transcripts and the termination of Ms. Meyer. The decision to separate from Ms. Meyer accrued over a longer period of time."
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2018) –Long Beach State University has one of the 25 best theatre arts programs in the United States for students who want to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field, according to a new ranking.
“We know that we have one of the top theatre programs for students in the Southern California area, and we hope that more students from around the country also come to train with us,” Theatre Arts Department chair Jeff Janisheski said, following publication of the rankings.
OnStage Blog, which also reviews theater productions in California, New York and elsewhere, ranked the top 25 university-level theatre arts programs that are strictly-focused to allow students to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, as opposed to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Long Beach State took the 12th spot in the rankings.
The coursework leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre arts gives students a chance to experience a broad range of activities, such as acting, directing, design and writing, within the art form, Janisheski explained. Bachelor of Fine Arts programs, however, typically involve conservatory-style learning in one particular aspect of theatre arts.
The Bachelor of Arts option, according to OnStage Blog, is often a solid choice for students who are also interested balancing their studies with the likes of a second major or a study abroad option.
At present, undergraduate students at Long Beach State can pursue a general Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre arts that covers a range of subjects including acting, technical and design crafts, and theatre history and criticism. Students may also choose a performance-focused option, as well as a technical theatre option centered on scenery, lighting, costuming and makeup.
Theatre Arts faculty plan to debut a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting in the near future.
“Our performance alums are working across media: From shows on Amazon, CBS and Fox to major films and theatre in New York and Los Angeles,” Janisheski said. “And our tech and design graduates are getting work for major companies in the Los Angeles area, or working at regional theatres around California. This ranking is a testament to the incredible efforts of our talented faculty and staff.”
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About the campus: Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2018) – Cyrus Parker-Jeannette, dean of the College of the Arts at Long Beach State University released the following statement in response to questions about the University Art Museum.
On September 11, I shared that Kimberli Meyer is no longer serving as the executive director for the University Art Museum. While I cannot comment on personnel matters, I can say this decision was part of a longer-term process. The “American MONUMENT” project continues at the museum as directed by the artist lauren woods. The installation is designed to provoke open and free discussion. Our campus is a place for civil discourse and artistic expression. American MONUMENT is part of this culture.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2018) –Future conservation leaders and marine safety officials may be able to use environmental DNA tests to check coastal waters for the presence of white sharks, according to a new paper co-authored by Long Beach State University Shark Lab director Chris Lowe.
Researchers from U.S. Geological Survey, UC Santa Barbara and Central Michigan University also worked on the project. Their paper, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, reports their development of a method of testing water samples for environmental DNA (also known as eDNA) for evidence of shark activity. The research creates the possibility of improving the test to help observers track rising white shark populations without needing to actually see or tag the animals.
“We can use eDNA not only to determine whether white sharks have been present at a beach, but also to determine if their favorite food is there is well, such as stingrays,” Lowe said. “Once we are able to better refine and calibrate the methods, another goal will be to integrate eDNA technology into autonomous surface vehicles that can be programmed to move along the coast sampling water and send data into the cloud, along with text alerts to local lifeguards, of the presence of white sharks at a particular location. This technology holds great promise for future, near real-time monitoring.”
The technology could also add another layer of protection for the beachgoers.
“One of the goals of this research is for a lifeguard to be able to walk down to the shore, scoop up some water, shake it and see if white sharks are around,” said Kevin Lafferty, a U.S. Geological Survey ecologist and the new paper’s lead author.
Environmental DNA is genetic material collected from the environment, as opposed to within a living organism. Things animals may leave behind — such as mucus, feces or shed skin — contain their genetic signatures, which can be parsed out and identified through genetic sequencing. Scientists can extract and amplify specific genes within the DNA fragments found in water samples and determine if the DNA contained in those samples is from a specific species.
Because eDNA can drift with currents, and sharks can swim long distances in the time it takes eDNA to degrade, the new approach only gives a rough idea about where sharks actually are at a particular moment. Still, “Chris Lowe can now add eDNA to his new white shark monitoring program, which includes real-time acoustic tracking and drone flights,” Lafferty said.
For surfers, ocean swimmers and beachgoers, the increase in white shark population may be a cause for concern. Although white sharks don’t feed on humans (and juveniles favor rays and other fish), they have certainly been known to bite out of defensiveness, curiosity or mistaken identity, causing grave or lethal injuries. Environmental DNA monitoring could give lifeguards and other people responsible for public safety clues as to when to be extra vigilant, and also help marine biologists understand how well white sharks are recovering in response to protection.
About the campus:Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
About the U.S. Geological Survey:Created by an act of Congress in 1879, USGShas evolved over the ensuing 125 years, matching its talent and knowledge to the progress of science and technology. USGS is the sole science agency for the Department of the Interior. It is sought out by thousands of partners and customers for its natural science expertise and its vast earth and biological data holdings.
About UC Santa Barbara:At UC Santa Barbara, we offer a dynamic environment that prizes academic inquiry and interpersonal connection to inspire scholarly ambition, creativity, and discoveries with wide-ranging impact. We’re inquisitive and curious, community-driven and globally-focused. Across our campus, you’ll find independent thinkers and consensus builders, Nobel Laureates and leaders chasing noble causes. But no matter how you define us, we are above all Gauchos — diverse in our pursuits, yet connected in our collective drive toward excellence.
About Central Michigan University;Welcome to Central Michigan University, a nationally ranked institution that fosters the transformative power of advanced learning while embracing a sense of community among our students, faculty, staff and more than 225,000 alumni around the world. From our roots as a teachers' college, CMU has grown to offer nationally acclaimed programs in areas ranging from the health professions and engineering, to business and communications, and science and technology.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 12, 2018) – Long Beach State University scored highly — as the third-best regional public university in the western United States — in the newly-published U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Colleges rankings.
“U.S. News & World Reports’ rankings spotlight what faculty and alumni often share with me, that Long Beach State students gain a quality education while earning their degrees,” President Jane Close Conoley said.
U.S. News & World Reports’ rankings follow other recognitions of Long Beach State’s commitments to academic excellence, value and social mobility:
- CollegeNET, Inc. rated Long Beach State fifth in the United States in its 2017 Social Mobility Index, which rates campuses by educators’ abilities to help students climb the economic ladder.
- Money magazine placed Long Beach State in 22nd place among more than 700 U.S. universities in its rankings.
- Diverse: Issues in Higher Education reported Long Beach State awarded the second-most bachelor’s degrees in the nation to minority graduates during the 2016-17 academic year.
Members of The Beach community are now being invited to ensure the campus builds upon its achievements and evolves to meet future needs. BEACH 2030, a new strategic planning initiative at Long Beach State, will ensure the campus continues to serve students and the public as one of the nation’s best public universities.
Conoley announced the project, a two-year initiative to prepare the Long Beach campus for future students’ needs, during her convocation address in August. The process includes Imagine BEACH 2030, an online event scheduled for Nov. 14 and 15 to invite the entire campus community to share their ideas for the campus’ future.
“We will continue to look toward innovation and the common good, but we must learn to do more than what has worked for us in the past,” Conoley said. “Meeting the future’s challenges and opportunities will require new ways of thinking and doing.”
Event Centers around Increasing Student-Voter Participation
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 10, 2018) – In an effort to motivate students to register to vote and participate in the November election, Long Beach State University will host a roundtable lead by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. During the event, roundtable participants will discuss ways the state can collaborate with the campus to encourage civic engagement amongst the more than 37,000 students who attend Long Beach State.
“The sooner we engage young people, the more likely they will be active voters for years to come,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “I’m excited to partner with Long Beach State University to reach students directly on campus and empower them to become participants in our democracy.”
After the roundtable, Padilla and President Jane Close-Conoley will sign a memorandum of understanding to formalize their partnership to improve voter registration on-campus.
A brief press conference will be held afterward.
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About the campus:
Long Beach State Universityis a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 6, 2018) – Daria Antonova, an engineering student at Long Beach State University who aspires to a professorship in that field, will receive the California State University Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement on Tuesday, Sept. 11.
Her award, which comes with a $6,000 scholarship, is the California State University’s highest honor for students. Awards are bestowed annually for academic excellence, community service, personal successes and financial need. Only one student from each of the California State University's 23 campuses received the Trustees' Award this year.
“My ultimate goal is to become an engineering professor and help students make connections between the material taught in classrooms and real-world engineering,” Antonova said.
Antonova, who studies civil engineering with an emphasis in geotechnical engineering, will receive this year’s Edison International Scholar award. She also has experience as an at-large member of the Associated Students, Inc. Media Board of Trustees, which governs 22 West Media outlets. Her community service activities have included beach cleanups and helping the Orange Coast College Food Riders Club stock food banks.
“These student scholars embody the leadership, diversity and academic excellence the California State University is known for,” Chancellor Timothy P. White said. “They have traced unique paths to their goal of a higher education and serve as powerful examples to their families, communities and California. The awards will give these high-achieving and deserving students even more opportunities to attain their academic and career goals.”
She and other honorees are scheduled to be honored Tuesday, during the meeting of the California State University Board of Trustees meeting at California State University Chancellor's Office, 401 Golden Shore, Long Beach.
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About the campus:Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
Long Beach State University Students to Participate in ‘Feed a Need’ Drive to Help Food Insecure Classmates
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2018) – Food insecurity is a growing issue throughout California State University campuses. In an effort to help students in need, Long Beach State University provides students struggling to put food on the table with prepaid meals and pantry supplies through the ‘Feed a Need’ campus initiative.
The aim of the initiative is to help Long Beach Campus students who are part of the estimated 37.7 percent of students reporting food insecurity, according to the California State University study on Basic Needs. During previous Feed a Need drives, students donated more than 1,300 meals to help fellow classmates.
“Long Beach State students model the way of support, and are an example for the entire California State University system,” says Jeff Klaus, associate vice president for Student Life.
Students can make donations at any of the campus’ three dining halls. The Forty-Niner Shops will match the first 300 donations. Feed a Need started in 2015.
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About the campus:
Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.
