November 2011
Posted Nov. 29
In Memoriam — Donn Finn, emeritus professor of theatre and dance, died Nov. 27. He taught acting for stage and film, as well as audition techniques for 20 years on campus. Finn also served as a director for several theater, television and film productions in the United States and Europe, including the National Theatre of Yugoslavia, opera productions in Germany and Yugoslavia and regional theater in Chicago and Minneapolis. He shared billing as casting director with his late wife, Mali, in such films as “The Super Mario Brothers,” “Titanic,” “LA Confidential” and “The Matrix” films. In 2005, Finn was invested as a Fellow of the American Theatre in recognition of his achievements in the industry.
Nov. 28
Ali Parsa, History, authored “The Mind of the Historian: Causation in Philosophy of History, A Case Study in Perso-Islamic Historiography” published by Outskirts Press in August.
Steven Murray, Academic Affairs, Mark Filowitz, Natural Science and Mathematics, Martin Bonsangue, Mathematics, Rochelle Woods, NSM, and Sean Walker, Biological Science, Cathy Fernandez-Weston, TEST:UP STEM Transfer Student Services, and Ricardo Lopez, NSM, co-authored “Improving Transfer Student Success in STEM Majors: Spotlight on Supplemental Instruction"” in the Summer 2011 NASPA Region VI newsletter.
In July, Leigh Hargreaves and Murtadha A. Khakoo, both Physics, read posters titled “Cross Sections for Electronic Excitation of Water by Low-Energy Electrons” and “Cross Sections for Near Threshold Excitation of Furan” at the 27th International Conference on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions in Ireland. The posters were co-authored by physics majors Kevin Ralphs and Gabriela Serna. Hargreaves also gave a talk on “Electron Scattering Cross Sections for Atomic and Molecular Species of Technological Relevance” at the 17th International Symposium on Electron-Molecule Collisions and Swarms at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
James Feagin, Physics, delivered a plenary overview on “Vortices in the Electron-Pair Continuum, of Just Deep Bubbles in My Guinness” at the 16th International Symposium on (e,2e), Double Photoionization and Related Topics in Dublin. Murtadha A. Khakoo, also Physics, discussed “Near -Threshold Electron Impact Ionization of the Rare Gases,” based on research he conducted with students Brent Yates, Kyle Keane and Ling Hong, at the same conference.
Ajay Bhootra, Finance, authored “Are Momentum Profits Driven by the Cross-Sectional Dispersion in Expected Stock Returns?” in the August issue of the Journal of Financial Markets.
Nov. 17
Scott Annin, Mathematics, wrote the article “Attached Primes Under Skew Polynomial Extensions” published in June issue of the Journal of Algebra and Its Applications. Annin also discussed “How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (A Cure for Mathematical Insomniacs)” Oct. 19 at the Cypress College Math Club.
Paul Stapp, Biological Science, co-authored “Climate, Soils and Connectivity Predict Plague Epizootics in Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus)” posted online in Ecological Applications. Stapp also taught a field course in field mammalogy at the Shortgrass Steppe Research Interpretation Center in Colorado.
Tammy and Zvi Drezner, both Information Systems and Decision Sciences, co-authored “Modelling Lost Demand in Competitive Facility Location” in the May issue of the Journal of the Operational Research Society.
Nov. 14
Ken Alan, Kinesiology, co-authored “Class Design and Delivery” published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Resources for the Group Exercise Instructor published in November by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Alan also spoke on “Training the Unfit Older Adult” and “Training the Active Older Adult” at the Nov. 3-5 American Council on Exercise’s 5th annual Fitness Symposium in San Diego.
Undergraduates conducting research in the lab of Paul Stapp, Biological Science, Leslie Herington, Denise Soto and SCERP scholar Bryan White, recently presented research results at the annual meeting of the American Society of Mammologists in Portland, Ore., and May meeting of the California Academy of Sciences, respectively.
Douglas Eernisse, Biological Science, gave talks on: Gulf of California starfishes at the 6th North American Echinoderm Conference in Anacortes, Wash.; the phylogeny of worldwide chitons at the American Malacological Society meeting in Pittsburgh; and on the history of molluscan research in the Gulf of California at the international Malacología 2011 meeting in La Paz, Mexico. At the La Paz talk, Eernisse also discussed the rapid inexpensive PCR-Based Barcoding Identification Approach for Southern California and Gulf of California oysters, co-authored with Danielle Zacherl, Biological Science, and undergraduates Oscar Ortiz and Sean-Michael Mohorosky.
Nov. 9
Anthony Fellow, Communications, spoke at the Sept. 26 International Water Forum at the United Nations. A member of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District for more than 20 years, Fellow discussed his district involvement.
Mira Farka, Economics, co-authored “The Fed and the Stock Market: An Identification Based on Intraday Futures Data” published in the January issue of Journal of Business and Economic Statistics.
Marcelo Tolmasky, Biological Science, co-authored “Genome of Ochrobactrum Anthropi ATCC 49188, a Versatile Opportunistic Pathogen and Symbiot of Several Eukaryotic Hosts” in the August issue of Journal of Bacteriology.
Nov. 7
Gloria Monti, Radio-TV-Film, presented a Nov. 2 lecture on Italian filmmaker Alessandro Blasetti during “Anni Trenta (The Thirties): Fact and Film” at UC Berkeley. She delivered a paper on “What Do You Know About Africa? National Identities in L’assedio (Besieged),” at the June Canadian Society for Italian Studies conference in Venezia, Italy, and was appointed to a three-year term on the Teaching Committee of the Society of Cinema and Media Studies.
Ionel Tifrea, Physics, helped organize and spoke at the second annual Workshop on Spin and Charge Properties of Low Dimensional Systems in Brasov, Romania. He presented a poster on nuclear spin diffusion in semiconductor nanostructures, co-authored with graduate student Dan Henriksen, at the August Frontiers of Quantum and Mesoscopic Thermodynamics workshop in Prague, as well as a paper on “Nuclear Spin Dynamics in Semiconductor Nanostructure” at the annual International Society for Optics and Photonics Conference in San Diego.
Jule Selbo, Radio-TV-Film, and Michael Karg, University of Advancement, were awarded a $10,000 Hollywood Foreign Press Association grant. The money will be given to two deserving RTVF students to complete film-video projects professionally for submission to festivals. Selbo also is featured in Creative Screenwriting magazine’s “Film School Roundup, Part 2.”
Junior Eliseo Cabrera and senior Jong Sang Lee have been awarded $5,000 scholarships from the Foundation for Agency Management Excellence, the charitable foundation of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.
Nov. 1
In Memoriam — Gene Murphy, former Cal State Fullerton and Fullerton College football coach, died Oct. 29 following surgery for cancer of the esophagus. He was 72. Murphy coached the Titan team from 1980 until the program's demise in 1992 and was inducted into the university's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. He is survived by his daughter, Aileen, her mother, Christine McCarthy, sons, Tim and Mike, and four grandchildren.
