January 2012

Posted Jan. 30

Melba Schneider Castro was appointed director of educational partnerships effective Jan. 23. She will oversee federal TRIO and GEAR Up programs as well as regional partnerships on campus. Previously, Castro was director of academic success initiatives at UC Riverside.

Jan. 27

David Wong was appointed acting chair of Economics effective Jan. 4. He will serve through Aug. 21.

Jan. 23

Leila Zenderland was appointed to a seven-month term as acting chair of American Studies effective Jan. 19.

Jan. 17
Patrick M. Kimani, Mathematics, delivered "Geometry and Measurement Content Knowledge of Preservice Teachers: A Synthesis of Research" at the October North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education meeting in Reno. The co-authored paper was published in the meeting proceedings. In November, Kimani presented "From Fundamental Counting Principle to Infinity and Beyond" and "Being Responsive to Students Work" at the 52nd Annual Fall Conference of the California Mathematics Council in Palm Springs.

Nicole Engelke and Patrick M. Kimani, both Mathematics, authored "Twizzled Trig" in Vol. 32, No. 2 of the California Mathematics Council publication ComMuniCator.

Kandy Mink Salas, Student Affairs, co-presented the "National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Public Policy Update" at the Nov. 19 NASPA Regional Conference in San Diego. Salas discussed new strategic plan components focused on public policy that impacts college students, campuses and student affairs professionals.

Irene Lange, Marketing, was honored with the naming of an auditorium at Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania. The auditorium was named for the professor and chair of marketing in recognition of her input and efforts while the university established and developed a program in business administration. Lange was awarded an honorary doctorate from Kaunas University in 1998 and last year was honored with a Lifetime Contribution Award by the Marketing Educators Association.

Raman M. Unnikrishnan, College of Engineering and Computer Science, gave the keynote address, "STEM Education and the Engineering Workforce," at the Oct. 29 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Orange County Section, awards dinner.

Ronald E. Clapper was appointed emeritus lecturer of liberal studies in recognition of 37 years of service to the campus community, including service as program coordinator for 24 years until the program became a department.

Jan. 3
At the 43rd Western Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Pasadena, faculty members and students from the departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Geological Sciences made presentations, including:

  • Students of Zhuangjie Li, Chemistry and Biochemistry: Eric Lew, “Kinetics Study of Reaction of Ethylbenzene With OH Radical at 298 K and 1-5 Torr Using the Relative Rate Discharge Flow/Mass Spectrometry Technique”; Phuc Lam, “Kinetics Study of Reaction of OH With 1,3,5-Trymethylbenzene at 240-340 K and 1-3 Torr Using the RR/DF/MS Technique”; Gayle Villapando, “Detection of Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene in Water Using the FTIR-ATR Technique”; and Mubashir Sheikh, “Detection and Quantification of cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene in Water Using the FTIR-ATIR Technique”;
  • Peter de Lijser, Chemistry and Biochemistry, “An Unusual Rearrangement of Iminoxyl Radicals Derived From Benzylketoximes – a Complete Mechanistic Study” with co-authors and 2010 graduates Luke Hanna and Lalisa Stutts and student Kwanruthai Tadpetch; graduate student Kevin Chen, “Synthesis and Evaluation of Benzyl Ether and Benzylamine Derivatives as Wnt Mimetics to Promote Stem Cell Pluripotency” with co-authors Eddie Laguna (B.A. chemistry ’10), Tyler Routledge, Leslie Kirby, Jason Schott, de Lijser and Nilay Patel, Chemistry and Biochemistry; undergraduate Quynh Tran, “Systematic Investigation of Mono- and Diamides as Potential Drugs for Maintaining Stem Cell Pluripotency” with co-authors Tu-Anh Tran, Michelle Wan, Francis Mision, Dereck Ferdaws, SimmerDeep Kaur, Karen Balcazar, Sarah Neumann, Tyler Routledge, Hanna, Patel and de Lijser; undergraduate Kavita Amin, “Investigations Into the Use of Chalcones as Drugs for Maintaining Stem Cell Pluripotency” with co-authors Brenda Hinh, Elizabeth Shuman, Mikiko Satoh, Routledge, Patel and de Lijser;
  • Geological science majors Anna Garcia, “Geochronology and Paleoenvironment of Pluvial Harper Lake, Mojave Desert, California”; Natalie Hollis and Michelle Gevedon, “Detrital Zircon Study of the Oldest Sediments in the Peninsular Ranges Forearc Basin, Orange County, CA”; Carolyn Rath, “Stratigraphic and Granulometric Comparison of Recent Pyroclastic Density Current Deposits Emplaced Following Volcanogenic Landslides at Augustine Volcano, Alaska”; and Kevin Tomita, “Detrital Zircon Investigaion of Metasedimentary Rocks at SCICON: Using Detrital Zircon Data to Enrich the Sixth-Grade Science Experience”;
  • Geological science faculty Phillip Armstrong, “What Uranium-Derived Thermochronometers Tell Us About the Styles and Causes of Deformation in Southern Alaska”; Diane Clemens-Knott, “Detrital Zircon Investigations of Early Cretaceous Sediment Provenance and Delivery to the Southern Great Valley Forearc Basin”; Jeffrey Knott, “Paleomagnetic and Radiocarbon Record of the Searles Lake Formation at Poison Canyon, San Bernadino County, California”; and Adam Woods, “Trace Metals in the Reconstruction of Ancient Environmental Conditions: A Case Study From Sedimentary Rocks Deposited During and After the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.”

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