June 2012
Posted July 29
John L. Haan, Chemistry and Biochemistry, co-authored “The Direct Formate Fuel Cell With an Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane” posted in April and slated for an upcoming issue of the Journal of Power Sources.
Jeff Knott, Geological Sciences, co-convened a session on strike-slip faulting and regional tectonics, and presented “Budding Positive Flower Structure Along the Northern Death Valley Fault Zone, Death Valey, California” at the April American Association of Petroleum Geologists in Long Beach. Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Scholar Ernest Nunez, who worked in Knott’s lab, delivered a poster titled “Evidence of a Developing Cross-Valley Fault From Fault-Scarp Morphology in Eureka Valley, CA, U.S.A.,” co-authored with alumni Tyanna Schlom, Anthony Zepeda and Nathan Montoy, at the same meeting.
June 25
Several chemistry and biochemistry majors read posters at the CSU Channel Island Council for Undergraduate Research Conference in April. Participants included: Simona Bor, a student working in the lab of Chris Meyer, who gave "Investigating the Role of the E304 Residue in Allosteric Regulation of Agrobacterium Tumefaciens ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase"; from the lab of Zhuangjie Li: Eric Lew spoke on "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 1-8 Torr and 298 K Using the RR/DF/MS Technique," Gayle Villapando, "Detection of Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene in Water Using the FTIR-ATR Technique," and Mubashir Sheikh gave a presentation on "Detection and Quantification of Cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene in Water Using the FTIR-ATR Technique."
Student Vinod Valluri from the lab of Math Cuajungco, Biological Science, read "Transmembrane-176A and 176B Are Directly Linked to Cancer Pathology" at the April 21 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting in San Diego. Cuajungo served as a judge for the society's undergraduate poster competition. Also attending from the lab of Maria Linder, Chemistry and Biochemistry: R. Farhad, T. Z. Kidane, K. J. Lee and A. Santos delivered "Cooper Transporter 1 and the Mechanisms of Cu Uptake From Blood Plasma Proteins by Mammalian Cells," M. Ishida, D. Ramos, D. Mar and K.J. Lee, "Direct Update of Copper From Cerulopasmin by Cells With and Without CTR1, and Potential Involvement of a Copper Reductase," and J. Morgan, A. La, T. Nguyen, E. Sauble, A. Gonzales and A. Nguyen, "Release of Iron From Cellular Iron Stores in Lysosomes: Potential Involvement of Divalent Metal Transporter 1 and Common Metabolites." From the lab of Chris Meyer: G. Bains, D. Guzman, J. Sanders, H. Karzai, S. Bor and A. Orry, "Probing the Role of Proline-288 in the Regulation of Agrobacterium Tumefaciens ADPGlucose Pyrophosphorylase," M. Berriman, M. Susoeff, T. Cheever, E. Yik, S. Kaur and A. Orry, "Expression, Purification and Initial Characterization of the Diverse ADPGlucose Pyrophosphorylase From Thermodesulfovibrio Yellowstonii," and K. Cortina, A. Mendes, A. Pentoney, J. Sanders, T. Truc, D. Doshi and A. Orry, "Evidence for Specific Roles of Arginines 26 and 38 in the Allosteric Regulation of ADP Glucose Pyrophosphorylase From Thermus Thermophilus."
June 21
Curtis Plotkin was named interim director of Environmental Health and Safety effective June 1. Plotkin has served on campus since 2006 and has more than 25 years of experience in environmental compliance. Most recently, he has been serving as the EHS environmental compliance manager/radiation safety officer.
Elahe Amani, Student Affairs, discussed “The Women’s Movement in the Middle East and Africa” June 5 at a meeting of the Greater Whittier Area Branch of the American Association of University Women. Amani has been an organizer of statewide conferences, served as chair of the Coalition of Women from Asia and the Middle East and a member of the board for the Women’s Intercultural Network, in addition to taking part in the 51st United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
June 19
Undergraduate geological science major Josh Sobolew and graduate geological science major Michelle Gevedon received the Martin Van Couvering Award from the Pacific Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The award was created to encourage university student attendance and participation in organization meetings and field trips.
Matthew Kirby, Geological Sciences, gave a presentation titled “Making Sense of the Last Deglaciation Between Climatologically Diverse Regions: A View From Lake Elsinore in the Coastal Southwest United States to the Interior Southwest United States and Northern Mexico” at the 2012 Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section Meeting in Queretaro, Mexico.
June 18
Jeff Senge, Disabled Student Services, has been re-elected to a second term as chair of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Association Board of Directors. The board represents more than 2,000 active guide dog teams throughout the United States and Canada.
June 15
Adam D. Woods, Geological Sciences, was named associate editor in chief of the Journal of Palaeogeography, an English-language version of a Chinese journal dedicated to the study of Earth's past.
Jane Hansen was appointed director of development for the College of Education and special constituencies, such as the Pollak Library. Previously, she was chief development officer at the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation. Her appointment is effective June 18.
Alina Mircea-Trotz was appointed director of development for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences effective Aug. 1. She is currently with the Pacific Chorale as director of development.
June 11
Diane Clemens-Knott, Geological Sciences, joined students Hector Fernandez, Isaac Shirley and Josh Sobolew to present “A Detrital Zircon Study of the Age and Provenance of the Gravelly Flat Formation, Great Valley Group and Metasedimentary Rocks of the Tule River and Slate Mountain Pendants” at the April American Association of Petroleum Geologists meeting in Long Beach.
Six undergraduate students from the lab of Peter de Lijser, Chemistry and Biochemistry, delivered posters at the March American Chemical Society meeting in San Diego. Wanshin Kim delivered “Cyclization of o-Alkynyloxime Derivatives Under Photooxidative Conditions”; Kevin Chen, “Design and Synthesis of Benzylamine and Benzyl Ether Derivatives as Wnt Mimetics to Promote Stem Cell Pluripotency: Comparison of Carbonyl and Oxime or Oxime Ether Functionality”; Tu-Anh Tran and Quynh Tran, “Design and Synthesis of Mono- and Diamides as Potential Drugs for Maintaining Stem Cell Puripotency”; Brenda Hinh, “Use of Chalcones and Its Oxime and Oxime Ether Derivatives as Drugs for Maintaining Stem Cell Pluripotency”; and Karissa Montes, “Mimicking a Protein to Inhibit Protein-Protein Interactions: Design and Synthesis of Peptide-Containing Drugs to Promote Pluripotency in Stem Cells.”
June 8
Ryan E. Alcantara and Berenecea Johnson Eanes, both Student Affairs, are in Washington, D.C., June 9-12 as Millennium Leadership Initiative protégés. Selected to take part in the American Association of State Colleges and University-sponsored leadership development program, they, along with 33 other protégés, will be assigned a mentor who, over the next year, will groom them for potential presidential appointments in higher education. On June 9, incoming CSUF President Mildred García will take part in the program, addressing various issues faced by college presidents
Morteza Rahmatian, Economics, was appointed associate dean for academic programs and faculty development in Mihaylo College of Business and Economics. The appointment was effective June 1.
Jidong Huang, Electrical Engineering, presented two papers at the April 24-26 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Institute of Navigation and Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society's Position Location and Navigation Symposium in Myrtle Beach. He read "A Location-Based Services System (LBSS) Designed for an Arboretum" co-authored with engineering students M.J. Yeh and P. Uys; and "Study on the Use of Microsoft Kinect for Robotics Applications" co-authored by Yeh. At the same symposium, Mohinder S. Grewal, Electrical Engineering, gave tutorials on "Fundamentals of Kalman Filtering for Navigation" and "Kalman Filtering for GPS/INS Integration."
June 7
In Memoriam — Sheila Faris-Penn, director of advancement web development, died May 28 after an 18-month battle with cancer. Faris-Penn joined the university in 1995 as a researcher in University Advancement, becoming interim director of alumni and parent giving for Advancement's Annual Fund program in October that year. She continued to progress, becoming director of information services in 1997 and in 2001 to her current position. She is survived by her husband, James Penn; sons, Zachary and Andrew; her father, Bobby Faris; mother, Karen Faris; and sister, Stephanie Faris. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Church of Religious Science in Fullerton.
June 4
“Becoming an Expert: Transfer and Generation of Expertise in Student Consulting Process” authored by Dmitry Khanin and Atul Teckchandani, both Management, has been selected the Outstanding Field Report Paper at the Association of Management conference “The Informal Economy” Aug. 3-7 in Boston. Khanin and Teckchandani will be honored at a special session of the Management Consulting Division. The paper is included in the organization’s Best Paper Proceedings.
Danielle Zacherl and Jennifer Burnaford, Biological Science, spoke, respectively, on “Oyster Restoration in Newport Bay” and “Habitat Modification and the Performance of Native and Non-Native Oysters in Newport Bay” at the Newport Back Bay Science Center March 8. Burnaford also organized and gave the introductory talk at an April 26 “Baseline Monitoring of Orange County Marine Protected Areas” symposium sponsored by the Orange County Marine Protected Area Council in Newport Beach.
June 1
Carol Spencer was appointed senior director of development for Mihaylo College of Business and Economics effective June 5. She previously served as director of development for UC Irvine’s School of Social Sciences.
