The Student Lab Coat Checkout Program was honored last weekend in Austin, Texas at the annual conference of the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA). The program received three CSHEMA Innovation Awards.

Launched last spring, the lab coat program is a collaboration among SHS, the University Library and the chemistry and biochemistry department. Currently enrolled CSUSM students can borrow coats from the library for free for up to 16 weeks, with the items available on a first-come, first-served basis. The program served 241 students last semester.

Marissa Acosta, Vanessa Rivera and Victor Franco Bolanos from SHS worked with three employees in the library’s User Services department – Alysa Hernandez, Kelly Ann Sam and Leslie Hovland – to make the partnership a success.

Acosta said the program was created to address a barrier to equitable laboratory safety: access to proper personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically lab coats.

“Before the program, some students faced financial challenges when purchasing a lab coat,” said Acosta, who received the awards in person on June 19. “This inequity directly affected student readiness for laboratory participation and created preventable obstacles to maintaining a consistent and accessible culture of safety.”

Based in Wisconsin, CSHEMA is the pre-eminent leadership organization representing the environmental health and safety (EHS) profession in campus environments.

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It wasn’t until she had a conversation with Robert Iafe, one of her biochemistry and chemistry professors, that she gained the confidence to pursue it.

“He was the first professor where I actually went to his office hours and we talked human to human instead of purely professional,” Newell said. “We talked about issues I had going on in my life at the time, struggles with self-doubt and feeling like maybe I want to do medicine but I'm not sure if I can. And he was really supportive of me. I felt like if Dr. Iafe believes in me, then why don’t I believe in myself?

“My conversations with him played a formative role in me changing the trajectory to end up where I am now.”

That would be UC San Diego, where Newell is a first-year medical student. And now that she’s in medical school, Newell is working to help other undergraduate students understand that they belong in the medical field.

It’s what led Newell back to CSUSM on April 18 to participate in the university’s second annual North County Aspiring Medical Professionals Conference (NCAMP). The conference, a one-day event for CSUSM and community college students, is supported by a grant through the California Medicine Scholars Program. CSUSM is a partner in the grant, which is led locally by UCSD.

“The purpose of the conference is to help students learn about the different steps that are needed on their pathway to medical school,” said Richard Armenta, who is the associate director of the Center for Training, Research and Educational Excellence (CTREE) and leads CSUSM’s efforts on the grant. “We have workshops on applying to medical school, transferring to four-year universities and just helping students think about the different things they need to do to be successful in getting into medical school.

“We want students to be able to be here and know that we have the resources and support for them to become medical students and future doctors.”

The conference this year drew about 80 participants, primarily from CSUSM, Palomar College and MiraCosta College. In addition to hearing from Newell and other medical students, participants got firsthand experience with clinical skills, including ultrasounds and medical evaluations.

“I think they really enjoyed it, especially the interactive session,” said Newell, who graduated from CSUSM in 2021. “I didn't use an ultrasound until I got to medical school, so a lot of them had never used it before and never seen it before. They got to see their blood vessels and the inside of their eye. It's very illuminating for them. Especially as undergrads, I remember you feel so far removed from that kind of thing unless you have a special job, which is hard to get. So it was nice to give them that perspective of the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Newell was joined at the conference by two fellow CSUSM alumni who are in medical school at UCSD: Vince Adair and Austin Powell. Seeing people from a similar background is an important part of showing current CSUSM and community college students that they, too, can successfully navigate the path to medical school.

“It took me until almost the end of undergrad to build up my confidence and say, ‘Yes, I want to pursue medical school. I want to be a physician. And I believe that I can do it,’ ” Newell said. “I feel like if there had been something like NCAMP back then, I could have gone and actually mingled with medical students and realized, ‘Oh, they’re just regular people. They don't have some special thing that I don't have.’ I think that could have helped build my confidence earlier.”

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Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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But before putting the finishing touches on your list of New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look back at some of the most-talked-about stories of 2025.

Hunter Industries Gives Transformational $10M Donation for ISE Building

In September, CSUSM announced a transformational $10 million philanthropic investment from Hunter Industries, one of the largest gifts in university history. The donation is supporting the construction of CSUSM’s new Hunter Hall of Science and Engineering, a cornerstone of the university’s commitment to preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Perfect Chemistry: Campus Wedding 16 Years in the Making

If getting married at one’s place of employment seems unconventional, it shouldn’t to those who know biology professor Elinne Becket and chemistry professor Robert Iafe. The passion they have for their students is the same passion they have for the university, so it makes sense that the tied the knot on campus at the McMahan House on campus.

CSUSM Kicks Off Historic $200 Million Fundraising Campaign

Through the largest fundraising campaign in university history, CSUSM is aiming to raise $200 million to support student success and power the region’s future. The university officially launched its “Blueprint for the Future” campaign on Sept. 19. It’s an effort that combines philanthropy with grants and research funding. The campaign’s theme reflects both the physical growth on campus and the forward momentum building at CSUSM. 

Professor Elevates Samoan Language, Culture as Consultant for "Moana 2"

Professor Grant Muāgututiʻa never could have dreamed that linguistics would take him to the shores of Oʻahu as he rubbed elbows with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other stars of the Disney glitterati before the world premiere of the animated film “Moana 2” in 2024. Indeed, Muāgututiʻa was more than a little caught off guard when the filmmaking team behind the sequel to the wildly popular movie “Moana” from 2016 contacted him out of the blue two years ago.

Construction of New Wellness and Rec Center Underway

CSUSM held a Construction Kickoff on Nov. 12 to celebrate construction being underway for the Student Wellness and Recreation Center (SWRC), which is expected to open by summer 2027. CSUSM is partnering with Sea Breeze Properties – developers of North City, which includes CSUSM’s North Commons, The QUAD and the Extended Learning Building – on the SWRC, which will be the latest addition to campus life.

Faith, Resilience Help Athlete Through Life-Threatening Crisis

It all started with a headache. A seemingly normal ailment, but Malachi Wright doesn’t get headaches. And he definitely doesn’t get headaches that force him to leave work early or have him confined to the couch and throwing up for three straight days. That's when his mom, Ivonne Mancilla, knew this was something more. Wright spent the next 40 days in the hospital, undergoing three brain surgeries with no idea what the future would bring. But Wright defied all odds. 

Alumna Finds Purpose in Advocacy for Native Children and Families

As Maya Goodblanket reflects on her time as a student, she vividly remembers the day she found the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at Cal State San Marcos. Little did she know that she was meeting mentors that day who would help her achieve the career she has today. Goodblanket, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, serves as an Indian Child Welfare Act court advocate for the Valley Center-based Indian Health Council, which provides health and wellness services for American Indian communities in north San Diego County. 

Ask the Expert: A Scientific Perspective on the L.A. Fires

When the hills above Los Angeles exploded in flames early last month, Matt Rahn snapped into action. Rahn, though, isn’t a firefighter who was called into duty to help battle what became one of the biggest and most destructive fires in California history. Rather, he’s a wildfire researcher at Cal State San Marcos who, in 2019, created a unique degree program called Wildfire Science and the Urban Interface. He’s also the executive director of the Wildfire Conservancy, a nonprofit research foundation dedicated to serving the state’s firefighters and protecting its communities.

Cougar Care Network Marks 10 Years as a Campus Hub for Connection

Built on listening first and guiding without judgment, the Cougar Care Network enters its second decade as a trusted stop for students seeking practical help, community and a path forward. The Cougar Care Network (CCN) launched in fall 2015 as part of Cal State San Marcos’ Early Support Initiative within the Student Outreach and Referral (SOAR) program. 

Chronic Illness a Journey of Strength, Self-Discovery ... and Salt

The first time Emmi van Zoest rode in an ambulance was in May 2024. She was in the middle of her 10:30 a.m. Communication 200 class when she realized her vision and hearing were failing. She couldn't keep her legs or arms straight and she couldn’t speak. The full memory is hazy, but she found herself sitting outside of Crash’s Market in the University Student Union with a handful of salt packets and on a Facetime call with her parents, who live in Tennessee. This experience didn’t come out of nowhere. She has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a chronic condition that she has lived with since her junior year of high school.  

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Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

“It’s incredibly meaningful to give students with intellectual disabilities an inclusive college experience,” Brooks said. “My greatest hope was to obtain funding to expand our cohort size and ensure the long-term sustainability of this program. These grants make that vision a reality.” 

Funding at this level is highly competitive nationwide, yet faculty and staff at CSUSM like Brooks continue to stand out, securing awards that support innovative projects and create transformational experiences for students. 

“Our faculty and staff are pursuing some of the most-sought-after grants in the nation, alongside leading institutions,” said Charles De Leone, dean of graduate studies and research. “It’s exciting to see their ideas recognized and to watch how their work enriches our students’ experiences, strengthens our campus and serves our broader community.” 

Examples of projects funded this academic year include: 

• Supporting chemistry and biochemistry students: A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation will fund student scholarships in chemistry and biochemistry as well as a Vertical Mentoring Learning Community (VMLC). Led by Robert Iafe, Afra Panahi and Aswad Allen, the program blends mentoring, research opportunities and priority enrollment for up to 30 students each year, with eight first-year students eligible for renewable $15,000 scholarships.
• Making exercise more accessible: Kinesiology professor Todd Astorino received a $442,590 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore how reduced exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) – two short 20-second sprints within a 10-minute workout – can improve health and make exercise more attainable for inactive adults.
• Expanding mobile making in local schools: Funded by the National Science Foundation, this project led by Edward Price, April Nelson and Sinem Siyahhan of the Center for Research and Engagement in STEM Education (CRESE) expands the university’s Mobile Making program. Through after-school “making” clubs across North County, undergraduate STEM ambassadors bring hands-on activities and equipment to schools, libraries and community centers.
• Helping students with intellectual disabilities experience college: Brooks and psychology professor Allison Jobin received $2.5 million in grants to expand Aspiring Scholars with full-time staff, a dedicated campus space and additional peer mentors.
• Adding water refill stations: A grant from CalRecycle will enable CSUSM to reach its goal to have a water refill station on every floor of every building. Led by Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, director of sustainability and climate justice, in partnership with Facilities Development & Management, this grant will fund 10 new water refill stations and replace five older stations across campus. The project’s progress will be measured through station usage, recycling volumes and waste audits. 

“Each of these projects reflect the spirit of innovation and collaboration at CSUSM,” De Leone said. “They also give students meaningful opportunities to engage in hands-on research that prepares them for their future careers.” 

Research funding is an integral part of CSUSM’s “Blueprint for the Future” campaign, helping advance the university’s $200 million goal through both philanthropy and grants.

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Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

That commitment received a boost recently, as CSUSM was awarded a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to create a learning community for chemistry and biochemistry majors and award scholarships to qualified students. The program will incorporate a Vertical Mentoring Learning Community (VMLC) for up to 30 chemistry and biochemistry students each year, with eight first-year students receiving a renewable $15,000 scholarship based on financial need.

The program is led by chemistry and biochemistry professor Robert Iafe, the principal investigator, and co-principal investigators Afra Panahi, a chemistry and biochemistry professor, and Aswad Allen, CSUSM’s chief diversity officer.

Together, they plan to create a community of high-achieving, motivated students recruited from introductory chemistry classes. Students who prove proficient and committed to their studies will be invited to join the learning community, and those who qualify financially will be able to apply for the additional scholarship to help with tuition and housing.

“The community aspect of it gives it a supportive place to really go for your goals, but also a safe and secure place to experiment,” Iafe said.

Students selected for the VMLC also will receive priority enrollment for chemistry classes and labs required for their major.

The vertical mentoring learning experience highlights a discipline-specific learning community of students supported by each other, faculty members and professionals. This offers students a comfortable learning environment filled with like-minded individuals guiding them toward their futures in STEM, whether that be graduate school or pursuing a career.

“We make sure they participate in professional development activities so they can build a strong science identity and become more competitive for graduate school and the job market,” Panahi said. “The supportive environment from their peer mentors, academic advisers and professional mentors can really help them build a stronger network.”

The smaller, more intimate setting of the vertical mentoring program provides a comfortable space for students to ask questions freely and create a closer relationship with faculty. This environment creates a rewarding experience for all and promotes a sense of happiness and job satisfaction among the faculty involved.

“There are concrete benchmarks along the way for students to actually see themselves progressing,” Allen said. "Vertical learning allows students to visualize their futures and see themselves where they want to be.

“We're going to create the right atmosphere, the right environment and all the right ingredients for them to thrive.”

Learn more on the Vertical Mentoring Learning Community website.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, is the world’s largest multidisciplinary honor society with an international community of scientists and engineers dedicated to research excellence, promoting public engagement with science, and cultivating the next generations of researchers.

Maya Qaddourah, a graduating biochemistry major, helped start the CSUSM chapter. She first brought the idea up to the Committee of Undergraduate Research (CUGR) in November 2023. She helped create a student organization through the Student Leadership and Involvement Center. It was a complex effort that involved bringing together groups across departments, colleges and divisions. As an informal honor, Qaddourah’s was the first student nomination accepted in a brief ceremony on May 6.

Robert Iafe, associate professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, is the president of the new chapter. He will lead a group of founding members through the early years of chapter development. The chapter’s other founding members include David Barsky, Charles De Leone, Erika Díaz Almeyda, Kang Du, Sajith Jayasinghe, Julie Jameson, Jane Kim, Dennis Kolosov, Afra Panahi, Betsy Read and Deanna Schmidt.

At CSUSM, Sigma Xi will provide a platform to celebrate STEM students while opening new avenues of support for grants, networking and presentation at professional STEM conferences.

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Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Scientists who had the proper academic underpinning. Scientists who were passionate and driven. Scientists who weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard.

And it certainly didn’t hurt if they were, like him, scientists who had graduated from Cal State San Marcos.

“I brought on board some of my previous classmates and really kept an eye out for any fresh grads from CSUSM who were just looking for an opportunity,” Greely said. “Because I know the educational basis that they're operating with and their scientific expertise. But on top of that, one of the things that I've noticed about the CSUSM community is really the push to strive for more.”

Greely would know, since he is one of those strivers. One of two children of a single mother who was a victim of domestic abuse, the North County native embarked on a decade-long journey (interrupted multiple times at multiple schools) in higher education that ended in a single academic year at CSUSM, from which he graduated with a degree in biology in 2017.

What a year it was, however. It helped propel Greely into a job at Carlsbad’s Trinity Biotech, which he then parlayed into a position at TriLink BioTechnologies by May 2018. Almost seven years later, he’s still there, having been promoted six times, most recently in 2023 to associate director of nucleic acid products manufacturing.

TriLink has about 200 employees, and Greely estimates that up to 10% of them are CSUSM alumni. Included in that group are a couple of others who are high in the company’s hierarchy: Justin Barbosa, vice president and general manager of discovery; and Evan Myers, associate director of process development.

“CSUSM provides a high-level education that prepares us for the future,” said Myers, a 2016 graduate who tutored Greely through the STEM Success Center when they were both students and now works with him closely at TriLink. “Chris is an exceptional worker who brings huge value to the company.”

At no time was that more clear than in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the virus was beginning to rage out of control, BioNTech, the German biopharma giant and an existing client of TriLink’s, approached the company asking for its assistance in producing a vaccine that would combat COVID.

TriLink, which specializes in the synthesis of nucleic acids and mRNA capping analogs, possesses a proprietary technology called CleanCap that simplifies mRNA manufacturing by removing additional enzymatic steps, resulting in higher efficiency and better yields. BioNTech wanted as much CleanCap as it could get its hands on.

There was just one problem: TriLink had recently moved into a new building in Sorrento Valley, and its GMP (an industry term that stands for “good manufacturing practices”) lab wasn’t operational yet. So while Greely was building out his team from five people to 45 to prepare for the heightened demand from BioNTech, he also had to devise a solution that would bridge the gap from where TriLink was in its manufacturing capacity to where it was going. That involved doing some of their work in a standard chemistry lab like the ones Greely utilized back at CSUSM and the rest in a temporary GMP lab.

“It enabled us to partner with BioNTech and Pfizer and say, ‘Hey, we understand we’re not equipped right now to satisfy your needs, but we’ll make it happen,’ ” Greely said.

By the time the state-of-the-art lab facility was completed, Greely and his team were ready to hit the ground running. Starting on Valentine’s Day in 2021, they worked around the clock every day for about eight months to ensure that BioNTech had enough CleanCap to produce the vast amounts of COVID vaccine necessary to inoculate millions of people around the globe.

“It was an enormous satisfaction knowing that you were helping your community, the overall population, the whole world,” Greely said. “During the pandemic, some of my lead engineers would say things like, ‘I’m coming in at 2 a.m. because you called me, because the equipment is down, and at the end of the day, I want my daughter to be able to go back to school.’ That was huge.”

Greely was prepared for such a period of growth, both personal and professional, because of the training he received at CSUSM. He vividly remembers a biochemistry course with professor Kambiz Hamadani that was three units but seemed like twice that. At the time, Greely felt overwhelmed by the volume of work, but once he was a new employee at TriLink, he suddenly found himself grateful for the grueling experience.

“The principles that Hamadani taught and the ground that his virtual lab covered prepared me for some of the standard operating procedures I would see in the lab within my first three months of starting my job,” he said. “That was eye-opening for me, the real-world application of what’s being taught at CSUSM.”

After growing like gangbusters during the pandemic, TriLink contracted in 2023 as the demand for the COVID vaccine decreased. But the company is coming off a prosperous year fueled by the development of a new iteration of CleanCap that’s being used by industry partners for cell and gene therapy that could help cure diseases.

“Whenever I interview anyone, they always ask me, ‘What do you love about TriLink?’ ” Greely said. “And my response always stays the same: I am never bored. It’s all about pushing to that new benchmark, clearing that next hurdle, seeing how far we can take our intellectual property for the betterment of the human experience.”

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Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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Ask Iafe and he’ll say the crack he made about Becket’s beloved Croatian soccer team did the trick. Not so, says Becket.

“At first, I actually disliked him for weeks,” Becket said. “Once he finally started being nice to me, then I started liking him. But he's like, ‘No, that's what caused interest.’ This is one of those agree to disagree moments.”

But there’s no such controversy when it comes to their engagement in 2022.

“It was perfect,” they both said, nearly in unison.

Becket, a biology professor, and Iafe, a chemistry professor and department chair, tied the knot two years later, exchanging vows last Oct. 5 at the place that has become a second home for them – Cal State San Marcos.

If getting married at one’s place of employment seems unconventional, it shouldn’t to those who know Becket and Iafe. The passion they have for their students is the same passion they have for the university. And CSUSM’s Event and Conference Services (ECS) team ensured there wasn’t a moment of doubt about having their wedding at the McMahan House on campus.

“Everyone at ECS literally brought me to tears in a good way multiple times because they were just so helpful and so thoughtful,” said Becket, noting the tireless work and attention to detail of event planners Lizette Alvarado and Zayla Paschall. “It went perfectly because of them. I'm just so, so grateful for the fact that they made it even more special than I thought it was going to be.”

It was a day that was 16 years in the making.

Becket and Iafe met in 2008 at UCLA where each was working on their Ph.D. (Becket in molecular biology and Iafe in organic chemistry). Though they were in different departments, they met through one of Becket’s former teacher assistants who was lab mates with Iafe.

They were friends for about six months before they started dating, though the friendship could have been derailed by Iafe poking fun at Croatia’s painful exit from the 2008 Euro Cup when Turkey tied a quarterfinal match as time was winding down before advancing on penalty kicks.

“It was just enough of a bite for her to be annoyed but have that interest,” Iafe said.

Becket remembers it a bit differently. Born in Los Angeles, she traveled between the U.S. and Croatia frequently as a child during the Croatian War of Independence, spending time with her grandparents while her mom helped guide humanitarian aid to the front lines.

Needless to say, her ties to Croatia – and its soccer team – run deep.

“Oh, he knew what he was doing,” she said.

Iafe rebounded from the faux pas and their friendship evolved as they regularly hung out in UCLA’s grad lounge while waiting on results from their respective research experiments.

Both play piano, leading to battles in the grad lounge pitting Becket’s classical music against Iafe’s penchant for Elton John (Becket’s wedding processional was to John’s “Your Song,” which Iafe often played for her). The piano duels led to another talent they share – dancing. Becket has danced a variety of styles throughout her life and Iafe competed in ballroom in college.

Their friendship blossomed, and, on Dec. 16, 2008, they had their first official date, even marking the occasion with a photo.

The 16-year wait from that first date to their wedding day wasn’t intentional so much a product of juggling a relationship with the challenges of establishing their respective careers.

“Marriage was always what we wanted to work toward, but we were just enjoying what we had,” Becket said. “It was less important about the legal thing and more important about saying vows in front of our loved ones.”

And it was those vows that remain a highlight from their wedding day, particularly Iafe’s words. He took to heart an early conversation they had when they were dating – though, much like the soccer joke he made, they don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on the way that conversation went.

“So, 16 years ago, she had a couple of demands for me,” Iafe said. “She said, ‘You are not allowed to read your vows. You have to say it from the heart.' ”

“This was when I was 20, when we first started dating,” Becket interjected. “And it wasn't a command, it was an off-the-cuff remark where I was like, ‘I don't understand how people can just read their vows.’ It was one of those things of, ‘If you really mean it, you should be able to say it, blah, blah, blah.’ ”

“And I listened to every word that she said,” Iafe said.

Fast forward 16 years and Becket jotted down some bullet points to ensure that she would hit on the topics that were most meaningful. Iafe, on the other hand, decided to wing it.

While there is friendly disagreement over whether it was truly off-the-cuff or well-rehearsed, they agree that Iafe nailed it.

“Of course, this guy has the best vows ever memorized and completely showed me up,” Becket said. “And what's really annoying was that when we were talking about who goes first, he's like, ‘You know what? I'll let you go first.’ He said he didn't want to repeat something I said.

“And, no, it was because he wanted to show me up,” she added, laughing. “The video shows me saying, ‘Oh, now I know why you wanted to go second.’ ”

Similar to how he lectures, Iafe said he had major points he wanted to hit and just let it flow from there. His groomsmen, Becket said, tell it differently.

“They were telling me, ‘He was practicing all day,’ ” Becket said.

“Just the major points,” Iafe said. “How we get there, I don’t know. It’s a journey. Live on the edge.”

As they approach their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple this week, there aren’t any special plans in the works. They’ll mark the occasion in the low-key way they normally do.

And before Becket can give details on what they normally do, Iafe jumps in.

“We don’t actually celebrate Valentine’s Day,” he said, “because every day is Valentine’s Day.”

Less than five months into marriage, spoken like someone who already knows the key to wedded bliss.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Green chemistry is the design or creation of chemical products and processes that reduce and eliminate the generation of waste and/or use of hazardous substances. This responsible approach to chemistry reduces the chemical footprint by utilizing methods that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly.  

“We have something that's going to save us, but if the production of this material will harm us, then it actually doesn't do an overall good for the environment,” said Robert Iafe, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “We have a choice to not use carcinogens in a synthetic method; we have a choice not to make compounds that could be released downstream; we have a choice to not release something into the environment that could later cause harm.” 

While green chemistry principles can substantially help the environment, they’re not widely known or accepted because they’re frequently thought of as a side discipline. The American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Chapter at CSUSM, however, is changing this narrative.  

During the fall 2022 semester, members of the ACS Student Chapter had their minds set on increasing green chemistry recognition and practices. In January, they were recognized by Beyond Benign’s program for minority serving higher-education institutions’ (MSI) ACS Student Chapters.  

Beyond Benign is a public charity organization that equips MSIs with the “tools, training and support to make green chemistry an integral part of chemistry education” with the intent to ensure the next generation of chemists and scientists are prepared to address sustainability globally. 

“I think this is really the direction where chemistry should be heading in the future because green chemistry addresses several major issues, like pollution, environmental racism and sustainability,” said Gabby Martinez, a senior chemistry major and president of the institution’s ACS Student Chapter.  

“Chemistry is beautiful in terms of how powerful its applications are because the knowledge of science can help people better their lives. Students are the catalysts for change on campus, and that’s really empowering.” 

ACS has already started making changes, bringing Beyond Benign representatives to campus to share insight with students. In the future, ACS plans to host a green chemistry summit, with hopes of having John Warner, one of the founders of the field, as the host. This summit will hopefully bring together campus leaders, students, CSUSM deans, and even local colleges to discuss what green chemistry is, what efforts will help fulfill goals, and which changes are urgently needed. Their efforts last year also led the organization to being recognized as an Outstanding Student Chapter nationally. 

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is also continuing to explore approaches to green chemistry within the curriculum. Leaders within the department are frequently making innovative efforts to replace reagents to be more “green” while still producing the same result. This is especially true in CHEM 150, CHEM 201 and the biochemistry laboratories. 

Students are encouraged to participate in problem solving, where they find solutions to large issues, such as their need to use plastic within labs. But the solution, switching to reusable containers, raises another problem: Reusable containers must be frequently washed, and the overuse of water is a large concern with California in a drought. 

“I see potential to use (concerns within the classroom) as a way to teach students how to think about the problems of the world and how to use chemistry to solve them,” said Sajith Jayasinghe, department chair of chemistry and biochemistry. “This generation (of students) really cares about (using innovation to tackle) these big issues.”

These mindsets and practices align with Beyond Benign’s Green Chemistry Commitment, which states that the university agrees with the Green Chemistry Student Learning Objectives. CSUSM was the first California State University school to sign the agreement. 

In the future, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry plans to continue fulfilling this agreement by soon adding a green chemistry or environmental chemistry minor, which would include courses in toxicology and green chemistry. Such an addition would make graduates highly marketable, as few local programs offer these specializations, particularly in green chemistry.  

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Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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Sebastian Aguero and Valeria Castellanos Rodriguez are the first students from CSUSM ever to be awarded a Barry Goldwater scholarship. They are among 413 students nationwide, and only six from the California State University system, to receive the award from a pool of more than 5,000 college sophomores and juniors across the country.

Both students will be given up to $7,500 for each of the next two years.

Aguero is a sophomore chemistry major and a Targeted Learning Community scholar, which is a National Science Foundation-funded program for chemistry and biochemistry students who are academically talented and financially burdened. Last summer, he participated in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) project at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, where his research focused on analyzing biological samples from bacterial on an ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometer.

Aguero will be participating in another REU experience this summer at Scripps Research in La Jolla. When he returns to CSUSM in the fall, he will continue his course-based independent research projects in the lab of Robert Iafe, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

Rodriguez is a sophomore biology major with a concentration in molecular and cellular biology. She participated in CSUSM’s Summer Scholars program last year, with her project focused on the morphological changes of breast cancer cells, and she’s a researcher in the lab of biology professor Carlos Luna Lopez. This summer, she will continue her breast cancer research through an REU program at CSUSM.

Rodriguez also is an ambassador for The Alliance, which helps promote higher education in the sciences by giving presentations to K-12 students. 

“As a first-generation Latina student, this award represents my determination to achieve a Ph.D. degree in cancer biology or cell biology,” Rodriguez said.

Since 1989, more than 10,000 scholarships have been awarded by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The organization is named for the five-term U.S. senator from Arizona who was the Republican Party nominee for president of the United States in 1964.

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Llamas, a third-year biochemistry student at Cal State San Marcos, is getting a head start on that career goal this summer as a recipient of the Pfizer La Jolla Academic Industrial Relations Diversity Research Fellowship in Chemistry. She is one of just four people in the western region selected, joining awardees from Arizona State, UC Davis and UC Riverside.

“I was shocked,” Llamas said. “Words can't really explain how I'm feeling. I was just like, ‘I'm not sure if this is real. Am I dreaming?’ ”

The fellowship strives to cultivate diversity within pharmaceutical sciences by supporting undergraduates from historically underrepresented groups. Llamas will use the $20,000 award to research synthesizing novel benzotriazole compounds as potential antifungal agents using gold catalysis.

Robert Iafe, who is Llamas’ faculty sponsor for the fellowship, always stresses the importance to students of interacting with their professors, and that’s exactly what led Llamas to learn about the fellowship. She was taking a biology course last fall with professor Mallory Rice, who recommended that Llamas meet with Iafe. The ensuing conversations led Iafe to identify Llamas as a competitive candidate for the Pfizer fellowship.

“I was blown away with just how confident she was talking to me about opportunities,” Iafe said. “She was very upfront with what she wanted, and I love students who are confident in themselves and can make that step to come and chat with a professor. I highly encourage everyone to do that because it will get you to the next level.”

Llamas grew up in Murrieta, about 40 miles north of CSUSM, and still commutes from her home there to campus each day. Though her parents never attended college and her father, who grew up in Guadalajara, had limited formal education, they always stressed the importance of higher education.

Llamas’ sister, Monique, who is 7 years older, helped paved a path for Llamas by graduating from CSUSM in 2017.

“My sister coming here really motivated me,” Llamas said. “She's my role model. I looked up to her, so I made the effort to come to college as well.”

Llamas plans to pursue a Ph.D. in organic chemistry after graduating from CSUSM in 2025, another step in achieving her goal of becoming a lead researcher in the pharmaceutical industry. She has always been interested in chemistry, but it was her own battle with anxiety that inspired her to work toward a career researching and developing more efficient and accessible antidepressants.

Llamas will train on instrumentation in Iafe’s lab this spring and her fellowship work will begin in earnest over the summer, culminating in a presentation of her findings to Pfizer’s internal fellowship board.

“This kind of research is something that can continue next fall and can easily become Diana’s independent research project for her senior thesis in two years,” Iafe said. “And then, of course, she’ll have an opportunity to present at national conferences.

“My predictions of her being a great fellowship candidate were solidified through the application process, because she accomplished every challenge that I gave her in writing her proposal. She did the online research, she wrote everything, and she was able to adopt the research and translate it into her own words. She has been very impressive and set a high bar for this summer.”

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Honorees were nominated by faculty or staff and endorsed by their college’s dean. Here is a closer look at each award recipient:

Krystal Alvarez-Hernandez, psychological science

President’s Outstanding Graduate

Dean’s Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Alvarez-Hernandez overcame numerous challenges on her path to earning a degree. She became a mother at 16 and, as a first-generation college student from an immigrant family, had little support to help her navigate higher education. But Alvarez-Hernandez is highly motivated with a strong work ethic, and she consistently showed the persistence to thrive.

Alvarez-Hernandez was one of 10 students selected for the U-RISE@CSUSM program, which is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to provide professional development and research opportunities to students from underrepresented groups who show promise for success in graduate studies and careers in research.

Nominating professor Keith Trujillo noted that Alvarez-Hernandez is thoughtful, organized and motivated, and regularly contributes insightfully to scientific discussions and assignments. She takes the program seriously and is a leader among her peers. She will pursue her Ph.D. in cognitive science and neuroscience at Northwestern University.

Learn more about Alvarez-Hernandez here.

Melissa Hernandez, human development

Dean’s Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services

Hernandez was lauded for her strong record of educational achievements and service to CEHHS, the university and the region. Nominating professor Teru Toyokawa praised Hernandez for her passion for serving others and generously providing time for people in local communities.

As a first-generation college student, Hernandez navigated her own way into her academic achievement while working full-time and engaging in on- and off-campus activities.

Among the many ways in which Hernandez demonstrated her leadership is by serving on the CEHHS Committee of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity as a student representative. She also has been an active member in the Society of Pre-Health, a student organization with a mission to have students become involved with health-related issues and activities and facilitate students’ career exploration in health care. Through this organization, Hernandez helped other club members develop several projects and provided opportunities for club members to find jobs in health-related fields.

Learn more about Hernandez here.

Karolina Lindberg, business administration

Gerevas Family Dean’s Award Recipient, College of Business Administration

An international student from Sweden, Lindberg distinguished herself in the global business management program and across the college. She demonstrated consistently high academic performance, became increasingly involved within student organizations, and harnessed lessons learned in her professional experiences. And she did all of it while completing her degree in only three years.

Nominating professor Eric Rhodes noted that Lindberg arrived at CSUSM with a strong professional background in customer service and finance, incorporating her unique perspective and bilingual capabilities into her academic endeavors.

Among the challenges Lindberg has overcome are a diagnosis of epilepsy. When the pandemic hit, her family wanted her to complete her studies back home in Sweden, closer to her doctors and family. That meant attending CSUSM for the entire 2020-21 academic year from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Zoom, five days a week, due to the nine-hour time difference. Despite this hurdle, she maintained a 4.0 GPA.

Learn more about Lindberg here.

Billy Unger, mathematics

Dean’s Award, Graduate Studies and Research

Unger has demonstrated outstanding achievement across each of the rigorous selection criteria, graduating with a 3.8 GPA.

Unger’s thesis work involved the study of graph theory and the study of space, or topology. His work centered on a conjecture from graph theory posed in a paper that nominating professor Andre Kundgen coauthored in 2002 with CSUSM colleague Radhika Ramamurthi. A math conjecture refers to a statement that is assumed to be correct but has not been proven. Although the mathematical community had made little progress in addressing this conjecture in the last 20 years, Unger gravitated toward working on it when he came on as Kundgen’s student. In a few short weeks, he made a major breakthrough by coming up with the first graph that had the predicted behavior.

Kundgen praised Unger as an outstanding example of what can be accomplished as a graduate student at CSUSM.

Madison Wagner, chemistry

Dean’s Award, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Wagner overcame numerous challenges to become a role model to her classmates in her commitment to excellence in academics, service leadership and research.

A first-generation college student, Wagner was a top academic performer, including a 4.0 GPA since transferring to CSUSM from Palomar College in fall 2019. Wagner consistently scored in the top 1% on all exams and written assignments in nominating professor Robert Iafe’s organic chemistry lecture and scored in the top 4% nationwide on the ACS Standardized Exam in organic chemistry. Wagner also was awarded the 2021-2022 CSUSM Beckman Scholars research award – one of only two on campus – to support 15 months of mentored research experience.

Iafe noted that Wagner works proficiently in a team setting, is not afraid to be a leader, and also has a professional and patient quality that builds confidence when she helps lab mates.

Learn more about Wagner here.

Anastasia Zacky, political science

Dean’s Award, Dean of Students

Zacky has made lasting contributions to student life at CSUSM through her many involvements, including as a Cougar Pantry intern, Orientation Team leader, event programmer/student coordinator with USU Live!, onboarding a new sorority as Panhellenic Affairs vice president, and most recently, as chapter president.

Zacky also excels in the classroom with a cumulative 3.6 GPA and membership in the Order of Omega and Gamma Sigma Alpha honor societies.

Zacky had multiple nominators for the award who said she has proven to be an outstanding role model for students by actively seeking ways to integrate her passions, student life experiences and dedication to her education. They noted that she has transformed the lives of CSUSM students, positively impacted the campus community, and served as an ambassador and change agent.

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That curiosity never dissipated, even when Wagner was laboring to get through high school. And, despite those difficulties, Wagner found her passion during her junior year at Valley Center High School.

“I was in a really bad place and just struggling with a lot,” Wagner said. “Then chemistry and science kind of came out of the woodwork. It was something that I was really good at and something that I loved to do.”

Wagner became the first person in her family to earn a high school diploma when she graduated from Valley Center High School. College was never a goal so much as an option that seemed as good as any other. So, it was only natural that, when she enrolled at Palomar College after high school, she would pursue her love of chemistry.

But when Wagner met with an academic adviser, she received an unexpected recommendation. The adviser told Wagner about the long odds she faced, how it would be difficult to complete a chemistry degree, how a first-generation college student would be better served in a field outside of STEM.

Wagner reluctantly heeded the advice and declared performing arts as her major – for one semester.

“I knew it wasn’t for me,” Wagner said. “I needed to do science.”

Wagner did that and more. She earned associate degrees in both arts and science at Palomar before transferring to Cal State San Marcos to fully devote herself to chemistry. Not only is she earning her bachelor’s in chemistry next month, she will be recognized at the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics commencement ceremony on May 20 as the dean’s outstanding graduate, an annual award that recognizes academic excellence, research and service to the college.

“Every challenge I threw in front of her, she just destroyed it,” chemistry professor Robert Iafe said.

Wagner thrived in Iafe’s organic chemistry class. She consistently scored in the top 1% on exams and was a regular at office hours and problem-solving sessions outside of lectures.

Wagner’s work in the classroom led Iafe to invite her to conduct organic methodology research in his lab, and she earned a 2021-22 CSUSM Beckman Scholars research award, which provides 15 months of mentored research experience.

“Dr. Iafe has been instrumental in my success here,” Wagner said. “I cannot thank him enough for the opportunities he’s given me. He's worked so hard to give me time in the lab, and he's supported me every step of the way. I'm really thankful for his mentorship and guidance.”

When Iafe asked Wagner about her post-graduation plans, she told him about her goal to make life-changing medicine.

Wagner’s older brother, Pierson, battled clinical depression and schizophrenia, and he died by suicide at 16. Wagner was just 4 years old at the time and didn’t learn until high school about how Pierson died. Now, she wants to help people with similar mental health struggles, and she realized at Palomar that it’s something she can do through chemistry.

“I thought about how I can really make a difference and how I can kind of impact people,” she said. “For me, that’s through medicine and treatments. I realized that I'm good at science and it’s where I could really make a difference.”

Wagner didn’t know much about graduate programs when she arrived at CSUSM, but Iafe helped her understand how important it would be in achieving her goals. She was accepted to multiple top-notch graduate programs, including UC Irvine and USC, before choosing to pursue her Ph.D. at Scripps Research this fall.

While Wagner paid for her undergraduate education through a combination of a Beckman Scholars stipend and scholarships earned through her participation in rodeo pageants (her many awards include winning Miss Rodeo California in 2019), she won’t have to worry about that at Scripps. The school covers tuition costs, and Wagner will be paid a stipend for living expenses, which means she can focus completely on her work.

“Madison went above and beyond, I think, of any undergraduate that I've seen in the past,” Iafe said. “She actively sought out collaborations, interactions and introductions with principal investigators at graduate schools.”

Wagner credits her parents, Billy and Madelyn, for instilling that work ethic. They set an example both through the successful commercial electrical company they established in Valley Center and through the daily work needed to care for dozens of animals on their property.

“My mom always says, ‘You go to college one way or another,’ ” Wagner said. “You either go to a higher education institution or you work really hard somewhere and kind of work your way up the ranks. They've worked so hard their whole lives to get there, and I think a lot of that drive and commitment passed on to me.”

Wagner’s mom was with her that day five years ago when she met with the adviser who recommended that she avoid STEM majors. Wagner never saw that adviser again after that meeting. She found another counselor who provided the type of guidance she needed.

While some people might be tempted to track down that first adviser to share how wrong they were, Wagner holds no animosity for the advice she received that day.

“I recognize the place she came from,” Wagner said. “I know the statistical odds of ending up where I did is really low, and I recognize that she saw that. My only advice to people would be that you know what's in you and you know what you're capable of. The person who you're meeting might have only met you for 10 minutes out of your whole life, so you have to take everything that you hear from people with a grain of salt. Because you might be capable of a lot more than you thought.”

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One glance at his phone told him otherwise.

Oakley had a slew of messages offering congratulations to his lab boss, MacMillan.

“I had no idea what it was about,” said Oakley, who earned his bachelor’s in chemistry from Cal State San Marcos in 2018.

A quick check of the news showed Oakley why his phone was going crazy: MacMillan had been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in chemistry “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.”

“I immediately jumped out of bed with a massive smile on my face and just an overwhelming excitement,” Oakley said. “It was funny. About five minutes after that, Dave sent an email to all of us saying, ‘Despite the news, we're still having group meeting this morning.’ So we all got together and presented our research, but this time with a bunch of cameras and people from communications recording this historic event.”

MacMillan shares the award with German chemist Benjamin List. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prizes for physics and chemistry, lauded MacMillan and List for “their development of a precise new tool for molecular construction: organocatalysis. This has had a great impact on pharmaceutical research, and has made chemistry greener.”

Working in the lab of a Nobel laureate wasn’t something Oakley could have envisioned coming out of Valley Center High School, which is about 20 miles northeast of CSUSM.

An accomplished artist, Oakley spent some time training at an art atelier to hone his skills before realizing art wasn’t something he wanted to pursue professionally. That led him to enroll at CSUSM, where he took a wide range of courses his first year.

“Chemistry just really stuck out to me,” he said. “With the great chemistry professors at CSUSM and their passion for chemistry and also teaching chemistry, it just really got me into it. I just really fell in love with the subject and pursued it fully.”

Oakley’s closest mentor at CSUSM was chemistry professor Robert Iafe, and the two remain close today.

“James found a passion for chemistry at CSUSM, and his determination to learn and contribute to the field led him to receiving accolades (including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program) and joining a research lab whose PI is now recognized with the most prestigious award in chemistry research,” Iafe said. “I couldn’t be more proud and excited for him.”

Oakley thrived in CSUSM’s chemistry program and was even a finalist for the Glenn Nagel Undergraduate Student Research Award in 2018. He credits Iafe and his other professors for preparing him for the rigor of graduate school at Princeton.

“Cal State San Marcos really gave me an excellent education,” he said. “I came to grad school very prepared, especially with all the research I did with Robert Iafe. I was able to hit the ground running.

“The smaller classes and the intimate teacher-student interactions really gave me not just a breadth to my education, but also a depth that was really enabling for me when I began doing science at Princeton. There's a lot of really close mentorship, which I think is also a unique part of CSUSM. The professors really care about you. I made a lot of really close connections and had a lot of long scientific discussions with people like professors Paul Jasien, Kambiz Hamadani and, of course, my closest mentor, Robert Iafe.

“And there was so much hands-on undergrad research at CSUSM. I wasn't just washing glassware or doing menial labor. I really was able to get down and dirty with the science and work through tough problems and do actual research. And, thankfully, I was able to actually get a publication out of that. I think that's just a testament to the unique opportunity that CSUSM gives students. I know very few people who have a publication from undergrad, let alone first author, and I think that's really one thing that CSUSM does – it gives you these really hands-on, in-depth research opportunities.”

Oakley will graduate from Princeton in May 2023, but his job application process will begin next summer. Being part of MacMillan’s lab has presented opportunities for Oakley to work with a number of large pharmaceutical companies, and he is looking toward a career that allows him to work on problems that directly impact people’s lives.

Oakley has maintained ties to CSUSM even while 3,000 miles away. He remains close with Iafe, even collaborating with his CSUSM mentor and members of the university’s chapter of the American Chemical Society to host virtual “STEMinars” in which CSUSM undergraduate students had an opportunity to hear from Princeton students about the graduate school process.

“Robert Iafe really helped me figure out why I would want to go to grad school and the process of doing so,” Oakley said. “And that was a nice way that I felt I could give back because CSUSM really prepared me for a research career at Princeton and beyond.”

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Elena Gonzales, lecturer, chemistry and biochemistry

Gonzales was nominated both for her ability to get organic chemistry labs into a teachable format and her work helping students overcome challenges during the pandemic.

“Dr. Gonzales has been so supportive, encouraging, and she genuinely cares about teaching my peers and me,” the student nominator wrote. “Dr. Gonzales goes above and beyond for her students, especially throughout this past year. She is a great chemistry professor, she allows the students to open up to her and gain experience, and she is willing to connect with her students in a special way. …

“Dr. Gonzales has made a difference in my college journey, and I know I'm not the only one.”

Scott Gross, associate vice president for industry partnerships, Planning and Academic Resources

Gross was lauded for his ongoing service to support the campus in myriad ways during the pandemic, including his critical roles in Graduates on Parade last year and serving as the liaison to San Diego County health officials.

“Due to Scott’s planning and investment in community partnership, CSUSM was able to serve the campus and community through a testing location, vaccine site and alternative space for the arts,” the nominator wrote. “Scott is a behind-the-scenes leader dedicated to the success of our students, faculty and staff. Through his attention to detail and fostering of community partnerships, CSUSM has been an active partner with San Diego County.”

Ericka Wells, case management specialist, Cougar Care Network

Wells, who has worked with the Dean of Students Office for two years, was highlighted for her work supporting students who were COVID-positive or had a family member who was ill or died as a result of COVID.

“Ericka was perfect for this role due to her past experience with palliative care and working with HIV-positive clients,” the nominator wrote. “Ericka has been instrumental in providing care to our students. She has assisted students with academic, financial and mental health during this difficult time. She networks students with resources, provides a listening ear and helps them get back on track to be successful.”

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Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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But earlier this month, two-plus years after Iafe earned the Jean Dreyfus Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions award, CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt signed a Green Chemistry Commitment with the nonprofit Beyond Benign, stating that the university’s department of chemistry and biochemistry agrees with the Green Chemistry Student Learning Objectives outlined in the document.

“Now that our commitment has been signed, it's the department's task and duty to get there quickly and efficiently so that we can train students with these principles,” said Iafe, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

The Dreyfus award included a grant to host a leading researcher in the chemical sciences to give two lectures. Iafe used the grant to bring John Warner, a renowned chemist and co-founder of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, to speak at the Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research, which CSUSM hosted in November 2019.

Warner is also a co-founder of Beyond Benign, which aims to empower educators, students and the community to practice sustainability through green chemistry. The group defines green chemistry as “the design of chemical products and processes that reduce and/or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances,” and Warner’s 2019 keynote address on the topic inspired CSUSM students and faculty to pursue the Green Chemistry Commitment.

“Hearing him, it was like, ‘Why are we not doing this now?’ ” Iafe said.

“We are training chemists to be contributors in the pharmaceutical industry, contributors in materials design and industrial products. And the importance of training somebody is you have to be not only knowledgeable in how to do the chemistry and science, but the novel part about green chemistry is you also have to be responsible and knowledgeable for every bit that you partake in, in terms of health, safety and secondary consequences down the line.”

The Green Chemistry Commitment, which Beyond Benign launched in 2013, commits schools to ongoing improvement of the implementation of its Green Chemistry Student Learning Objectives. CSUSM is the first California State University institution to sign the commitment and one of about 80 in the world.

“About 5% of U.S. schools currently have Green Chemistry Student Learning Outcomes in their curriculum, so I like to think that at Cal State San Marcos we're leaders in change,” Iafe said.

Matthew Kromer, a lecturer of chemistry and biochemistry, is leading a workgroup that is developing a proposal to help the department implement the 12 principles of green chemistry.

The workgroup’s short-term goals include focusing on small substitutions in the existing curriculum to make labs safer and produce less harmful waste while also finding substitutes for hazardous chemicals. The workgroup also is updating existing student learning outcomes and lecture curriculum.

“Every chemistry course has a set of student learning outcomes, and currently they don't incorporate green chemistry,” Kromer said. “We're just slightly modifying them so the lecturers can very easily implement these green chemistry principles into their courses.”

Kromer said longer-term goals include implementing new lab protocols designed to incorporate green chemistry and teach students green chemistry in the lab; incorporating new courses; and, ultimately, to offer a green chemistry certificate or minor. Iafe and Kromer noted that a certificate or minor in green chemistry would be a boon for students as they enter the working world.

“A lot of these green chemistry principles involve minimizing waste, and there are EPA regulations in place that require a company to treat that waste, which costs money,” Kromer said. “So if you are more sustainable in an industrial environment, ultimately that will save the company money. That's a really powerful thing we want our students to bring to the workforce and really solidify Cal State San Marcos' name in the chemical industry. Companies will know that we're training chemists and biochemists to incorporate concepts of sustainability and green chemistry into their work.”

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She wasn’t 100 percent sure on her career path, but she wanted to explore what the program touts as “the global literary experience.”

She took GES 100 (“The Physical Science Around Us”) for a general education requirement, but had no intention of doing anything in science beyond passing the course. That was partly because although she enjoyed science in high school, she had what she described as an “awful” chemistry teacher.

“I swore I was never going to take another chemistry class again,” Araiza said.

As fate would have it, a few CSUSM professors had something else in mind for her. Araiza’s GES 100 professor convinced her to take his Chemistry 150 course the following semester because he “called me out for not working to my potential.”

That’s when she also met Jackie Trischman, who would serve this time in Araiza’s life as her lab instructor but eventually would progress to her mentor, colleague and friend.

Organic chemistry was next, a course she completely fell in love with. It wasn’t long before she was changing her major to chemistry and essentially altering her entire life.

In addition to earning her bachelor’s in biochemistry, Araiza recently became the first graduate of CSUSM’s master’s program in chemistry and currently teaches two courses in the department.

“As a scientist, I very much acknowledged that education is a journey and there's no end to it,” Araiza said.

Araiza’s journey through both CSUSM degree programs required equal amounts time and patience. While many of her classmates were relying on a combination of student loans and help from home, she handled the financial burden by working and earning scholarship money from a variety of sources.

In her last semester as an undergrad, Araiza worked as a TA for as many professors as she could.

Upon earning her undergraduate degree, she had no interest in going into the classroom.

“I swore I'd never teach,” she said. “But by the end of it, I was asked to come back and teach Chem 416 labs (‘Instrumental Methods of Analysis’). Even when I started teaching, at first I swore it was a transitionary job.”

However, the department sweetened its offer to keep her lecturing by offering to pay for her master’s degree tuition as CSUSM was on the verge of beginning its advanced degree program in chemistry.

While it took the next 10 years to get the master’s degree program up and running, Araiza continued to make more of an impact each year she spent in the department.

By the time that first cohort began the master’s program, she was already a year in and had access to labs as a faculty member.

“So I ended up teaching there the whole time,” said Araiza, who has a 4-year-old son. “I kind of really got drawn into it and fell in love with teaching. And then eventually the master's program opened and I figured that was the whole reason I got the job there. So I did the master's program, but it really hasn't impacted my teaching all that much because it was already what I was doing before.”

Araiza finished her master’s last summer and immediately began to rewrite the lab component for the Chem 105 course (“General, Organic, and Biochemistry for Life”) that she taught in the fall. Although students were forced to take their lab kits home because of the pandemic, she developed a program where everyone logged into Zoom sessions to share the lab experiences together.

It worked so well that a version is being developed for usage if Super STEM Saturday is forced to go virtual this year.

“She is mentoring research students, active in assembling outreach teams and doing amazing work with Chem 105,” said Trischman, the CSTEM interim dean. “This course is taken by pre-nursing students and kinesiology students. Robyn was instrumental in bringing the lab online, and her work in collaboration with Dr. Kambiz Hamadani has been shared across the system. She also developed good insights into how students approach virtual learning.”

She’s also currently teaching “Chemistry of Chocolate” (Chemistry 316) as an upper division GE course. It has 120 students this semester from every imaginable major. The class was set up as an expansion of Trischman’s natural products lecture.

“It's the idea of kind of looking at the ups and downs of natural products and how a plant can be used for positive things and negative things,” said Araiza, who said her goal as a teacher is to demystify chemistry. “And natural things aren't necessarily good. And synthetic things aren't necessarily bad. So we kind of tried to make a point with it.”

The course also has an international component.

“Robyn is working with Robert Carolin and the Office of Global Education to bring her ‘Chemistry of Chocolate’ students together with gastronomy students in Ecuador,” Trischman said. “They will learn about the science their studies have in common from Robyn and about the sustainability of chocolate production that they study in their course in Ecuador.

“Robyn is interested in reaching students across the university. She never stops thinking about the relevance of her teaching and how to improve student success.”

In a nod to her own experience, Araiza is drawn to teaching non-science majors. Even as a graduate student, she wasn’t necessarily headed toward the Ph.D. route. That’s why the CSUSM program – now in its second cohort – was perfect for her.

In addition to catering to people who are already working in the medical field, the master’s program boasts its individualized approach as faculty members typically have only one or two students to work with.

“It gives kind of a little bit more directed attention versus these really big labs at some other universities,” Araiza said. “It's also designed for people who work. Since classes are in the evenings, you can do your research on the weekends. So several of the people who ended up in the program have full-time jobs. It's a nice thing to consider that people are already in the industry.”

The private industry may come calling for Araiza in the future with a wealth of experience in a lab coupled with her leadership skills.

But it’s hard to envision her leaving the place that she has called home for the past two decades.

The one-time lit major analyzed her future, rewrote her story, and altered her life path.

Wasn’t she supposed to never want to be around chemistry again?

“I always laugh at that,” Araiza said. “I’m never going to take another chemistry class again, and here I am teaching them five days a week. No, science was not at all in my plans when I first started. The joke was on me on that one.”

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CSUSM received an award of $104,000 over three years as part of the 2021 class of the Beckman Scholars Program, a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry, biological sciences and interdisciplinary combinations thereof. The program is supported by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, located in Irvine. 

CSUSM was selected after a rigorous application process that included a two-part review led by a panel of scientific experts. Only two other institutions in California were chosen in 2021: Chapman University and the University of Southern California. 

Tracey K. Brown, a professor of biological sciences at CSUSM, led the team of professors who applied for the award.  

“We are quite honored to be able to bring this incredible opportunity for our students to CSUSM,” Brown said. “Most modern biology and chemistry researchers have benefited from the inventions and technology of the late Dr. Beckman, and now our students will be supported by his legacy as they begin their own research careers.” 

At CSUSM, four biology, biotechnology, biochemistry or chemistry undergraduate students will become Beckman Scholars and be supported and mentored in an independent research project over two summers and the intervening academic year. Each Beckman Scholar will: 

• receive $18,200 in stipend support and $2,800 for research supplies and travel over a 15-month period. Also, $5,000 in support will go to their research mentor for help with developing a mentor and research plan, and to purchase supplies. 

• receive one-on-one research and career mentoring from their faculty research mentor. 

• participate in the CSUSM Summer Scholars Program and the Puentes Program. 

• be provided travel and lodging to the annual Beckman research symposium and other conference opportunities. 

• be connected with Beckman Scholars alumni who now hold research and professional positions worldwide. 

There will be one scholar award starting in each of Year 1 (2021-2022), Year 2 (2022-2023) and Year 3 (2023-2024), with one additional award in one of those three time periods. 

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports researchers and nonprofit research institutions in making the next generation of breakthroughs in chemistry and the life sciences. It was founded in 1978 by Mabel Beckman and Arnold O. Beckman, a scientific instrumentation pioneer and longtime former professor at the California Institute of Technology. Arnold Beckman died in La Jolla in 2004.  

For more about the Beckman Scholars Program at CSUSM and to apply for the award, go to csusm.edu/beckmanscholars. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

He has defended his country in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, respectively.

He has designed war plans, has a master’s degree from the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., and, as an officer, now teaches command and staff.

And it all started with white-board sessions as a chemistry major at Cal State San Marcos.

Utuk, the current program director and deputy regional director at the Marine Corps University at Camp Pendleton, makes it clear he owes much of his career success as a military officer to the time he spent at CSUSM, specifically in Jackie Trischman’s class and lab.

“I remember the white-board sessions with Jackie,” Utuk said. “She was able to provide students almost like a playground whereby you were building relationships with your peers while you were learning. I remember many times during those white-board sessions where she would just come down and watch us. She might say something inspirational to make you want to go back and research a little bit deeper. She taught us that you can memorize these things and pass the exam, but if you are not able to have the critical thinking and apply your God-given talent to have an in-depth knowledge of what you’re being taught, then you cannot apply it and advance those principles where it matters the most in the real world.

“Those white-board sessions – I wish I could write a book about it. Everything that I’ve done planning war plans or doing anything like that, I always start with a white board.”

Utuk enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1997 and began attending CSUSM as an enlisted member shortly after. His time as a chemistry major didn’t come easy. The subject matter didn’t come naturally to him, and before graduating in 2002, he struggled with some of the same challenges all undergraduate students face.

That’s when Trischman came into his life. A chance meeting turned into an opportunity as a lab tech.

“I remember how kind Jackie was,” Utuk said. “She is a beautiful angel in that her heart is just so big. There’s no way I could afford the textbooks so I had to work additional to complement some of the financial hardships of living in Southern California as a single young man. She was kind enough to offer me a job as a lab technician, which I really cherished.”

The job opportunity was not only critical to Utuk’s development, it provided an opportunity for the Marine to learn something about how much he could truly accomplish.

“It was hard work, don’t get me wrong,” said Utuk, whose master’s degree is in National Security Strategy and Military Science. “Obviously working as a lab tech, supporting her when she was doing her research, it was a lot but it was high payoff. It taught me hard work, it taught me the value of relationships, and lastly, it gave me something that I take with me to the grave, which is my education. I always told myself if I can survive Jackie, if I can survive her class in chemistry, I can do anything in life. She’s a lifetime mentor of mine.”

The respect and gratitude goes both ways.

Trischman, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, attended Utuk’s graduation ceremony aboard the USS Midway in 2002 as Utuk was an active-duty Marine.

“He is a fantastic guy; very diligent and respectful,” said Trischman, who is the interim dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. “Eddie was so enthusiastic remembering the lab and his classmates, and I loved finding out a small piece of his success story.

“He is the living embodiment of a quote I have on a sticky note on my computer screen: ‘Let your faith be bigger than your fear!’ ”

Now living in Carlsbad, Utuk married his wife in 2004. Twelve years later, Janette, a registered nurse at Tri-City Medical Center, delivered baby Brie Meribelle to the world.

Utuk took the assignment at Camp Pendleton so he could, in his words, stabilize his family. By 2023, he figures to retire from military service.

Utuk comes from a military family. His father was a colonel in the Nigerian Army who came to the U.S. to attend Airborne Infantry School at Fort Benning in Georgia as an exchange student.

Eddie was born in Fort Benning and grew up in Columbus, Ga., but was essentially a military brat, living all around the world once his father’s time was done there. One of his father’s classmates is the current president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.

“Being a military brat, you just learn the prestige of being able to serve your country,” said Eddie, whose father died in 2009. “I come from a position of gratitude. I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve as a Marine. Now I mentor, coach and train many, many young people to be my future replacements. I’m just so grateful to be given the opportunity by people who invested so much of their time in me, including my dad, to teach me and show me the right way to be a human being.”

His path has found an ideal landing spot in North County.

Utuk would like to return to school to obtain a doctorate. He and Janette have plans to expand their family some day in the near future. He wants to continue to teach and mentor, and do all of the above in the region.

No matter where life takes him, Utuk is grounded, respectful and thankful above all else.

And wherever he goes, he’ll be sure to bring his white board.

“Three things for me matter the most,” Utuk said. “The very first thing is character. I truly believe character is something that is baked into you. It’s what gives you a conscience to do the right thing when no one is looking. The second thing is compassion. Compassion is why we serve. Love for all the people. Putting other people first and being selfless in that manner. And the last thing is passion. If you say you’re going to do something, by God, you have to do it.

“You have to make sure your words match your actions as a human being. If I can pass those to my daughter, I believe the sky is the limit in terms of what she can accomplish in life.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

That inaugural group was so impressive that it earned a student chapter honorable mention award from the ACS, which is a nationwide network of professional chemists.

Competing against collegiate chapters across the nation, the sophomore group’s year ended with another honorable mention award while the 2019-20 team took a big leap with a commendable award.

The group continues to outdo itself, recently earning the highest distinction possible – outstanding. CSUSM’s chapter was one of about 70 around the nation to earn the prestigious recognition.

“This year, particularly because there’s nothing on campus, the current officers have had the hardest task to, one, have a club at all, and two, to make it successful,” said Robert Iafe, the club’s adviser and an organic chemistry associate professor. “The six officers have done their fantastic best to keep the group cohesive and also do what they set out to do.”

ACS is a nonprofit scientific organization that was founded in 1876 and chartered by Congress. It has more than 152,000 members in more than 130 countries.

The student chapter division is a respected collaborative club that provides opportunity for chemistry and biochemistry majors to network and get involved in outreach programs. It provides a supportive environment where students can achieve their professional goals in science.

“One of the areas where academics always need improvement is, OK, you’re getting a chemistry degree, but what are you doing with it on the other end once you have this document in hand?” said Iafe, who is also the graduate program coordinator for those seeking a masters in chemistry. “The ACS Club fills that curricular gap, and what’s awesome about our student club is that it’s not only professionally driven, but they also see the value in inspiring children as young as grade school in that area as well as in outreach programs. Diversifying chemistry and creating a community of inclusion can bring amazing problem solvers from all areas of our community into the field.”

When she was in her third year at CSUSM, Alma Avila Oropeza was admittedly lost in where to steer her career path. Looking for a community to provide advice and career options, she found the campus ACS club.

Now a fifth-year biochemistry major with a minor in Spanish, she is this year’s president of the CSUSM group. She plans on obtaining a Ph.D. in toxicology in order to pursue a career as a forensic toxicologist.

“The American Chemical Society gave me many opportunities I never thought were possible,” said Oropeza, who is part of the research lab of Jackie Trischman, a professor of biochemistry and chemistry and the interim dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. “It gave me confidence as a scientist, which eventually gave me a chance to join Dr. Trischman’s research lab on campus.”

Oropeza and her fellow officers meet once a week and host meetings for the entire student organization twice a month. They hosted a Zoom session a few weeks ago on how to apply to graduate school and held a virtual social event two weeks ago to simply check in and see how everyone is doing.

Last week, they hosted an online seminar on how to apply to summer REUs, or research experience for undergraduates.

“They’re going above and beyond the call of duty considering everything that's happening,” Iafe said. “This year is particularly exciting because all of the officers are women. It shows how crucial and important it is that women are represented in the chemical and STEM field. They’re a fantastic group.”

The average level of students becoming disinterred in STEM fields, particularly math and science, is fourth and fifth grades. Therefore, outreach to elementary school students is a large focus for the ACS club.

Super STEM Saturday, an annual event held on campus that highlights outreach toward younger future scientists, draws 10,000-plus children and parents to campus for a one-day festival each spring. The ACS club’s participation includes:

• Performing a chemistry safety demonstration in which they review all of the personal protective equipment and how to use it;
• Providing tours of the science building; and
• Putting on a “Better Than Magic” chemistry show in which they do demonstrations that look like magic, but then explain the actual science behind it.

Although the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions, plans are underway for the 2021 version if it is deemed safe to host it in person.

Because students are not able to do outreach on campus right now, the officers felt they needed to do something special this semester. And it has become a huge success. Former ACS officer James Oakley, who graduated from CSUSM two years ago and is now in the graduate program at Princeton, teamed up with this year’s officers to form the CSUSM/Princeton “STEMinars.”

So far this semester, they have hosted three 45-minute Saturday events on YouTube where Princeton graduate students gave talks ranging from their research to how they became graduate students. The events have been so well-attended, they’re looking to continue the events even when campus returns to a standard learning environment.

“They started it this year because of the pandemic but because you don’t have to fly anybody out, your outreach is whoever wants to spend an hour on Zoom with you,” Iafe said. “It’s a way to connect a network of our current students with the upper echelon of graduate programs.”

As a freshman at CSUSM, Emily Lyon witnessed ACS officers visiting her GEL 101 class. They encouraged the first-year students to get involved in the organization by attending meetings and volunteering at outreach events.

Four years later, Lyon is a chemistry major and the ACS vice president because she wanted to mentor and encourage other students like those who came before her.

“My favorite part of being a part of this chapter is the people that I've met along the way and the memories I've made,” said Lyon, who is applying to graduate programs with the goal of eventually leading a research group at a pharmaceutical company. “I always look forward to volunteering at science outreach events like ChemExpo and Super STEM Saturday because of the opportunity to teach kids about science by doing fun experiments and demos.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Know someone who deserves special recognition for their efforts? Email details to publicity@csusm.edu and we’ll include them in an upcoming edition of this ongoing series.

Tasos Lazarides, director, Academic Innovation & Strategic Solutions, IITS

Learning & Tutoring Services (LTS) Team

Lazarides and the LTS team were nominated together for their collective effort in moving all tutoring, supplemental instruction and academic support webinars to a virtual format.

LTS is a seven-person team (pictured above) that leads the Academic Success Center, STEM Success Center, Supplemental Instruction, and Writing Center in the Office of Undergraduate Studies. The team includes Jennifer Brich, director of the STEM Success Center; Alexa Diaz, Academic Success Center coordinator; Julia Garcia-Medina, STEM Success Center coordinator; Maricruz Macz, director of Supplemental Instruction; Trevor Ryback, Math Lab coordinator; Evan Smith, director of the Writing Center; and Amanda Tomanek, academic English language specialist for the Writing Center.

“This student-focused group supported more than 27,000 student visits to the learning centers this past year,” the nominator wrote. “More impressively, in response to COVID and the need to move to remote delivery, they worked alongside Dr. Tasos Lazarides in IITS to move all tutoring and supplemental instruction online within four days last spring. They had to come together in significant ways to test and modify digital platforms, develop training for tutors and SI leads, and more.

“Based on what they learned between March and May, this summer the LTS team tested several digital delivery platforms and then moved forward in building a model to provide fully remote tutoring and Supplemental Instruction via Microsoft Teams. This work also included the development and delivery of a multi-day online training for all of the student staff this summer with detailed plans for ongoing training throughout the academic year. Furthermore, the team had to determine how best to track student engagement in the remote learning centers. When the fall semester began, LTS launched their deeply revised approach to providing academic support.”

The nominator noted that their efforts caught the attention of Microsoft, which consults with Lazarides to address suggestions that emerge from their work with Teams.

Farideh Farheidar, instructional support technician, CSTEM chemistry and biochemistry

Farheidar received multiple nominations for her work preparing personal protective equipment (PPE) for different campus departments, particularly chemistry, biochemistry and biology.

“She’s an important part of why CSUSM is able to offer hybrid in-person lab classes this fall semester,” one nominator wrote. “Farideh is a registered nurse and very familiar with medical protocols with respect to PPE. Her experience, advice and insight are invaluable. She has an overriding heartfelt concern for staff, faculty and student safety.”

“When COVID hit, she kicked it into gear and put in place sterilization procedures that have kept our students, faculty and staff safe in both Science Hall 1 and Science Hall 2,” another nominator wrote. “Her major contribution to the campus at large, however, is that she secured thousands of masks for the campus through our membership in BIOCOM. This request resulted in masks being available for on-campus classes, for researchers, for campus staff, and for anyone else on campus who needs a mask.”

Andre Kundgen, mathematics professor

Kundgen was highlighted for his efforts to ensure his students’ success during the transition to virtual learning.

“Not only did he make himself available to all of us above and beyond the required scope, he also provided many resources and links for us to help facilitate our success in our education and overall well-being,” the student nominator wrote.

“He provided us with information regarding refunds, computer and electronic access, financial resources, educational tools, as well as emotional support. He was patient and encouraging when we were all struggling through our distance learning experience and was understanding when we felt confused and frustrated.”

Veronica Ohm, assistant to the associate vice president, Facilities Development and Management

In the early weeks of the pandemic, Ohm provided cloth, reusable and fashionable face coverings to employees in Facilities Development and Management, Safety, Health & Sustainability, Distribution Services, University Police, Parking and Commuter Services, and anyone who stopped by Distribution Services.

“She even took requests from our employees for their families in the early days,” the nominator wrote. “This assistance came at a time when you couldn’t find or order reusable face coverings from other venues. She made various sizes to accommodate everyone in her FDM family that was interested. In fact, when I asked her why she was doing this, she said that she wanted to do whatever she could to protect her FDM and campus family. She explicitly exudes our campus safety culture, and her degree of humanity was extraordinary during a very concerning time.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The Society for Historians of the Early American Republic (SHEAR) announced that Julia Lewandoski, a Cal State San Marcos assistant professor of history, is the recipient of the SHEAR Dissertation Prize, which is awarded to an exceptional unpublished dissertation pertaining to the history of North America from 1776-1861.

Lewandoski was honored for “Small Victories: Indigenous Proprietors Across Empires in North America, 1763-1891.”

Established in 1977, SHEAR is “an association of scholars dedicated to exploring the events and the meaning of United States history between 1776 and 1861.”

Physics department honored

The physics department is among the recipients of INSIGHT Into Diversity’s 2020 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award, which recognizes unique and innovative efforts for improving access to science, technology, engineering, and math for underrepresented students.

Among the areas highlighted by INSIGHT Into Diversity was the department’s ranking for being sixth in the nation among undergraduate-only programs in awarding physics degrees to students from underrepresented groups.

Professor’s art collective on Lumen longlist

Allochronic Cycles, by the art collective Cesar & Lois with contributions from CSUSM arts, media and design students, is on the longlist for the 2020 Lumen Prize for Artificial Intelligence. CSUSM students engaged in independent studies with professor Lucy HG Solomon, who began Cesar & Lois with Brazilian collaborator Cesar Baio, contributed to the project’s research last spring.

The shortlist will be announced on Sept. 9 with winners announced on Oct. 22.

$1 million grant for chemistry professors

Robert Iafe, an associate professor of chemistry, and Paul Jasien, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, have received a grant of almost $1 million from the National Science Foundation that will support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students in chemistry and biochemistry.

Rankings

• CSUSM is 22^nd on Money’s list of “Most Transformative Colleges” and 202^nd out of more than 700 schools on Money’s list of “Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value.”
• The university ranks 27^th in the Great Value Colleges list of the “Top 30 U.S. Colleges That Are Excelling in Community Outreach.”
• CSUSM is ranked 97^th in the country and seventh in California by LendEDU for having one of the lowest student loan debt figures for the Class of 2019.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The grant of $999,875, which covers five years, was awarded to Robert Iafe, an associate professor of chemistry, and Paul Jasien, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry. It’s part of the NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income, academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. 

Over its five-year duration, the project will fund scholarships of up to four years to 20 full-time students in three cohorts. Scholarship recipients will be embedded in a 30-student Chemistry and Biochemistry Targeted Learning Community (CB-TLC). The project aims to increase student persistence in STEM fields by linking scholarships with effective support activities that include a cohort model for coursework; peer, graduate student, faculty and professional mentoring; and academic and professional workshops. 

“We are beyond excited at the opportunities that the CB-TLC will create for our students,” Iafe said. “This is the first scholarship program specifically designed to support chemistry and biochemistry students at CSUSM.” 

After their second year, CB-TLC students will be encouraged to participate in program interventions such as research, internships, attendance at professional conferences and career/graduate school application workshops. Starting in the third year, CB-TLC members will be mentored by graduate student and industry professionals as they start to develop specific career goals. Some students in the CB-TLC will themselves become peer mentors for students in subsequent cohorts, helping to develop a sustainable mentoring community of peer, faculty and professionals.  

The primary objectives of the project are to: 

• recruit and enroll 30 students in each of the first three years into the CB-TLC; 

• retain at least 80% of scholarship recipients in the major after the first year and at least half of recipients after the sixth term via new support activities; 

• leverage previous and ongoing support and experience, and;  

• assess the effectiveness of intensive mentoring on the CB-TLC students.  

“This project builds on a previously successful small-scale pilot program designed to build student community,” Jasien said. “The program’s activities will be valuable in identifying and supporting high-achieving students who have financial need.” 

Finding solutions in those difficult times was part of her inspiration for pursuing the position of interim dean of CSUSM’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

“When I began my leadership of the faculty in 2003, that was right when the first downturn came of the horrible budget years,” Trischman said. “One of the things that made me apply is because I've been through this rodeo before.”

Trischman will begin a one-year appointment as CSTEM’s interim dean on July 1. She is succeeding the college’s founding dean, Katherine Kantardjieff, who is leaving for a position as provost at Cal State Monterey Bay at the end of June.

Trischman earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Virginia Tech and her Ph.D. in marine chemistry from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She taught organic chemistry and spectroscopy at Tulane University and UC San Diego before joining CSUSM’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department in 1995.

During her time at CSUSM, Trischman has twice served as both Academic Senate chair and vice chair, twice served on CSUSM presidential search committees, was the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department chair from 2006-12, and is the faculty director for the EngiBeering program.

“Dr. Trischman is familiar with the depth and breadth of CSTEM curriculum and has worked closely with faculty across the college,” Kantardjieff said. “She has developed innovative programs, pioneered online instruction, and she is a recipient of the Athena Pinnacle Award for Individual in Education.

“Dr. Trischman is committed to diversity and inclusion, and she has made significant outreach contributions to the American Chemical Society and the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering. I am very grateful to Dr. Trischman for taking on the role of interim dean of CSTEM, supporting the college and the university through this leadership transition and these unprecedented times in higher education.”

Trischman has been sitting in on meetings with Kantardjieff, department chairs and their governance representatives in preparation for her transition to interim dean. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised May budget called for cutting higher education funding by about 10%, and many of Trischman’s plans for CSTEM remain on hold as the university awaits the final state budget next month.

It’s not an unfamiliar situation for Trischman, who has seen the CSU endure similar budget issues in the past.

“This is a time when all creative ideas are encouraged,” Trischman said. “Just like in the last few downturns – we've had two big cycles of downturns – when a lot of the most creative ideas came from faculty and staff who were just sending ideas into teams that were working on things. And that's super important for people to take ownership of what they do and really brainstorm how to deliver it best under these circumstances. That's what I really want to see happen.”

Trischman was impressed by how her colleagues handled the transition to virtual learning in the spring, and she said faculty were equally impressed with how students adapted. With the announcement that virtual learning – with some limited exceptions – will continue in the fall, faculty continue to work on transforming how they deliver courses.

Trischman said faculty are making contingency plans while they wait to see which labs will be approved for in-person instruction in the fall. She noted that conducting research also remains a challenge, but her background working in sterile environments conducting mycobacterial research is an asset in assessing the feasibility of CSTEM’s plans for the fall.

“I am very comfortable with the associated risk,” she said. “It's never zero, but we can do things safely and we will. It’s of the utmost importance to do things safely, and we also have to maintain the integrity of our programs. People need to take it seriously and propose what they're going to do in order to carry out anything with students on campus or anything where they're on campus. But I believe that can be done.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

“It was just amazing,” Melanese said. “I had my dad watch them, too. I was like, ‘You have to hear this.’ ”

Warner didn’t disappoint in person, either. His keynote address at the Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR) in November was one of the highlights for the nearly 1,400 participants who attended the annual one-day conference for undergraduate students to present their research, scholarship and creative work.

Warner is a renowned chemist and co-founder of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, which defines green chemistry as “the science of making smart choices from the very beginning about the chemicals that make up the products we use every day.” Warner co-authored the seminal book on green chemistry, “Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice,” and has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2004 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring and the 2014 Perkin Medal, widely acknowledged as the highest honor in American industrial chemistry.

Warner’s visit to CSUSM was made possible through a Jean Dreyfus Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions award received by Robert Iafe, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Warner hosted two talks, met with students in CHEM 308 Environmental Chemistry and CHEM 690 Chemistry & Biochemistry Seminar, and was the guest of honor at a special “invitation only” banquet during his visit. His first talk on Nov. 22 was more technical for a smaller group of CSUSM chemistry students. The SCCUR keynote address was designed for a broader audience, focusing on efforts to make green technology truly clean and “help us reach the world we want.”

“It was really life-changing for those who attended the talk,” said Iafe, who co-chaired SCCUR with biology professor Betsy Read.

“John Warner’s speech provided perspective, motivation and a combined understanding of both art and science,” added arts and technology student Micah Mariah. “I appreciated his ability to recognize that these two subjects demand each other for future advancement.”

Biochemistry student Kaylee Shoemaker praised Warner’s ability to connect with a diverse audience, which included students from the arts and business. It was something that was appreciated by students who don’t have a chemistry background.

“As a non-chemistry major, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to understand,” said molecular biology student Ebony Stretch. “It wasn’t heavily focused on what chemistry is, but more the impact chemistry can have. And that really made it enjoyable.”

The theme of the SCCUR event was sustainability, from forgoing plastic water bottles in favor of recyclable cups to eschewing paper programs and providing an electronic version instead. Warner’s talk proved a perfect complement to those efforts.

“His talk was like the icing to a fantastic conference,” Iafe said.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos chemistry professor Michael Schmidt received his undergraduate degree from Princeton, his Ph.D. from Stanford and spent a few postdoctorate years working in a lab at Johns Hopkins. So when he set out to write his first textbook, instead of choosing an Ivy League-type audience, he chose an area with a large need that would reach a wide range of undergraduate science students.

Hence the birth of “Being a Scientist: Tools for Science Students,” a title just recently published by Toronto Press. It’s a publication he hopes will have an immediate impact for teachers looking to take the many aspects of scientific life beyond the classroom and lab.

“One of the scientific writing texts I used went from a fairly readable first edition to a citation-heavy, tedious second edition,” Schmidt said. “I could see that the authors were trying to model the kind of writing that is done in science, but that wasn’t working at all for my undergraduate students, who needed something that could keep their interest and be very accessible. So I vowed to make my book easy to read. I saved the difficult reading for when we actually look at reading papers in the scientific literature.”

The textbook, which comes in paperback, hardcover and as an e-book, was published in November by the Higher Education Division of the University of Toronto Press. It’s 320 pages and written specifically for a semester-long course based on teaching research and communication skills to undergraduate science majors.

While many science textbooks are heavy on technical explanations of concepts, Schmidt’s textbook is written in a conversational style. It will greatly aid in an undergraduate’s ability to understand the historical and philosophical roots of modern science while learning basic research skills.

“I didn’t start out with a strong belief that these topics were important,” Schmidt said. “I found these topics fun, and my students seem to enjoy learning about these things as well. They give students a sense that they’re part of a long but constantly evolving tradition. It also helps them see why we do things the way we do them and equips them to counter some of the critiques of science that sometimes come up. The philosophy of science ended up providing me with a unifying theme to connect such diverse elements as ethics, literature searching, peer review and writing style.”

Schmidt took a different approach during the writing process. While many textbook authors work on and complete their work with a publisher already in tow, he completed the book and then shopped it around to publishers.

“It was a different enough sort of book that I really felt I needed to be able to show how everything fit together in order to convince a publisher to take it,” he said.

That wasn’t the only part of the process that was different. While some college professors shy away from student feedback on their work, Schmidt actually encouraged students to read online drafts of whatever part of the book he had finished.

The idea for the subject of the book began formulating when Schmidt took over a course called CHEM 300, Literature of Chemistry, in the mid-1990s. In that course, he had his students perform small, safe research projects at home using household materials in an effort to provide them something to write about.

What he began to learn from these projects was students needed help with all aspects of the research process, from idea inception to idea refinement and proposal to research ethics.

“All these different topics began to be incorporated into the course, but there were no textbooks out there that covered all these topics,” he said. “At first, I just lectured about them, but that didn’t leave much class time to do active learning activities related to these topics. Writing the book meant that students could get all the background information by reading, and then I could use class time to discuss, answer questions and provide practice.”

While his book writing days are behind him – at least for now – Schmidt has a renewed energy for lab research at CSUSM.

“Now that the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has a master’s degree, I need to put more intellectual energy into my laboratory research so that I can help develop cutting-edge research experiences for our graduate students,” Schmidt said. “I have recently changed my research focus from the biomineralization and crystallization research I have been doing for the last two decades back to the transition metal chemistry I did in my Ph.D. research, and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Luis Arrioja was sitting in his high school AP Psychology class at nearby Escondido High a few years ago when the lecture turned to neurons and their role as carriers of information. The information about neurons that was carried from the teacher to the student was carried to the brain via neurons.

The irony wasn’t lost on Arrioja.

That fateful lecture sparked a curiosity in the now-Cal State San Marcos student to the point of him pursuing a degree in biological sciences and a future career in medicine and research.

In September, Arrioja presented his summer research project at the Minority Access 20^th National Conference and left the event in National Harbor, Maryland, with a first-place award. He’s the first CSUSM student to win first place at the prestigious conference.

“I feel honored to have represented the campus,” said Arrioja, who is in his last year at CSUSM. “Above all, I definitely enjoyed the experience in Maryland. Ultimately, I was shocked to have heard my name being called out as a first-place winner. I do believe any experience you have, whether it’s a job or a summer program, can lead to more open doors.”

The conference is hosted by the national organization Minority Access, Inc., whose goal is to improve diversity in education, employment and research. CSUSM’s Office of Inclusive Excellence chooses students to present their research at the conference based on their work during the Summer Scholars program, which is supported by a generous gift from Viasat, Inc. With the help of faculty mentors, the program aims to introduce undergraduates to new instrumental techniques and analytical methods in STEM research.

Arrioja’s research examines the possibility of delivering selectively toxic nanoparticles to tumors that have the potential to provide new diagnostic and chemotherapeutic applications in the fight against cancer.

“At this conference, we participated in various workshops hosted by faculty from different schools across the country,” said Arrioja, who serves as vice president for the American Chemical Society CSUSM Student Chapter, as a Peer Leader in the Tukwut Leadership Circle and is a member of the Pre-Health Society. “One workshop we were introduced to tips and strategies on how to effectively present our research. Overall, I was able to learn about other students’ research projects and network with students from other schools that attended the conference such as the University of Arizona, CSU Northridge, Rutgers University and Howard University, to name a few.”

Arrioja, who also earned $1,000 as part of his first-place finish, is advised by Dr. David Bwambok, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at CSUSM. He has been thoroughly impressed with Arrioja’s enthusiastic learning style.

“Luis has made progress in research and shown exceptional leadership by training his peers with patience,” Bwambok said. “He is always curious and takes initiative to solving scientific problems and is already looking like a great scientist.”

Arrioja wasn’t the only CSUSM representative at the conference. Matilde Macedo also attended and presented her research on alopecia areata that may be important in finding a cure for this autoimmune disease.

“Matilde is a shining star in the laboratory,” said Dr. Julie Jameson, an associate professor in the department of biological sciences who also heads up The Jameson Lab on campus. “She loves to solve difficult problems through hard work and perseverance. These are the makings of an excellent scientist.”

Arrioja also works on campus at the STEM center as a tutor and as a supplemental instructor for organic chemistry.

After graduating, he intends to apply to medical school to become a pediatrician or go into palliative medicine. Due to his passion for medical research, the chemistry minor is also interested in M.D./ Ph.D. programs that provide training in both medicine and research.

Whichever direction his path goes, Arrioja knows he’ll have the knowledge and support earned at one of the most innovative universities in the state.

“I had the privilege of getting to know faculty in both the biology department and chemistry and biochemistry department,” Arrioja said. “All faculty members have been very supportive and engaged in students’ learning and future career goals. They have all been inspiring to me and motivated me to succeed and achieve my future goals.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The awards recognize faculty leaders who have implemented innovative practices that significantly improve student success.

“World-class CSU faculty are leading the charge as our university continues its remarkable progress in improving student learning and degree completion,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. “These exceptional recipients demonstrate leadership in their respective fields and incorporate cutting-edge techniques into curriculum. Their commitment to student success ensures that the value of a CSU degree continues to increase.”

A selection committee composed of faculty, student representatives from the California State Student Association and staff members from the CSU Chancellor’s Office reviewed 366 nominations to identify the inaugural awardees.

As part of the recognition, awardees will receive a $5,000 cash award and $10,000 will be allocated to their academic department to support ongoing innovation and leadership to advance student success. Funding for the awards is provided by generous grant support from the College Futures Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation, which see faculty innovation and leadership as vital to improving outcomes for California’s diverse students.

“Dr. Hamadani is creating an academic experience that helps our students discover where their interests intersect with the cutting edge in their field,” said Katherine Kantardjieff, dean of CSUSM’s College of Science and Mathematics. “By actively working to instill creativity, curiosity, critical thinking and innovation in our students, Dr. Hamadani is helping to prepare our students to be productive members of an agile, resilient and inclusive STEM workforce.”

Faculty innovation is crucial to reaching the ambitious student success goals outlined in the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025. This system-wide effort advances specific goals to eliminate equity gaps and significantly improve degree completion.

Award recipients will be formally honored in mid-October at the third annual Graduation Initiative 2025 Symposium hosted this year in San Diego.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 28-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls 17,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

It turned out to be a good move.

“I signed up for a general chemistry course, and it just changed my life,” Oakley said. “I was captivated at how from a small set of elements we can design and create vastly complex molecules that serve to benefit humankind in so many different ways.”

His passion is paying off. With plans to enroll in a Ph.D. program this fall, Oakley was chosen as a finalist for the Glenn Nagel Undergraduate Student Research Award at the 30^th Annual California State University Biotechnology Symposium in Santa Clara from Jan. 11-13. A student team led by Oakley and mentored by Professor Robert Iafe investigated new chemical methods for designing molecules using gold catalysis to synthesize a structural scaffolding found in various medications. Oakley mastered a novel, multi-step synthesis of a 1,1‐diarylmethane, resulting in a presenting-author manuscript submitted to an international peer-reviewed organic chemistry journal.

Oakley’s was one of several CSUSM teams at the symposium.

“I’m just really happy to represent my school and the Iafe Lab at Cal State San Marcos,” Oakley said. “A lot of hard work went into this research, and it truly is an honor to be recognized.”

The symposium is among the most prestigious of its kind in California, and it brings together CSU students, faculty and administrators with biotech professionals working in academia, government and industry in an effort at broadening exposure to cutting-edge biotechnologies and innovation, and the spectrum of career paths available in the life sciences.

“The CSUPERB Symposium gives students a unique opportunity to discuss their scientific discoveries with a wide scientific audience,” Iafe said. “The chemical transformation that James researched simply cannot be found in an organic chemistry textbook because it wasn’t discovered yet. Students at CSUSM are truly pushing the frontiers of science.”

Iafe’s research interests are in manipulating organic compounds for pharmaceutical uses, and he is known for involving students in his projects. In 2016, Iafe earned the Award for Outstanding Faculty Student Collaboration, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, at CSUSM.

Oakley will enter a Ph.D. program in organic chemistry this fall. He has so far received offers of admission from Princeton University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois. His goal is to become a medical chemist and develop new compounds to treat various maladies.

Not bad for a student who never took more than the required science courses to graduate from Valley Center High School.

“My success speaks to the impact that Cal State San Marcos has,” said Oakley, who still draws often and sometimes sells his artwork online. “It’s such an amazing place, a school that allows you to find out what you’re really interested in and where the student-faculty collaboration is so special.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

He set out to find out why, earning a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in analytical chemistry and furthering his research as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard along the way. After more than three years as a senior scientist at Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry in Wilmington, Mass., Bwambok in September took what he learned and became an assistant professor in chemistry and biochemistry at Cal State San Marcos – drawn in large part by its commitment to diversity.

“I wanted to broaden the impact I was having, and for me, teaching is the best way to do that,” said Bwambok, whose research emphasizes the interface of chemistry and biology and who is interested in designing task-specific ionic liquid materials for forensic analysis and medical diagnostics. “It’s very fulfilling to see someone who may have a limited background in chemistry discover, ‘Yes, I can do this, I, too, can make a difference.’ ”

Why CSUSM? 

“There is something about this place,” said Bwambok, whose daughter is a CSUSM criminology and justice studies major and who notes the campus setting reminds him of his childhood home in the Kenyan highlands. “There is a collaborative environment, a very inclusive environment with a commitment to diversity. I am the first in my family to go to college, and when I came here, I found so many students who also are the first in their family to go to college and who come from a similar background. It feels like family.” 

– Dr. Robert Iafe

Dr. Robert Iafe has the best of both worlds.

On the cutting edge of organic chemistry research and whose Ph.D. dissertation was titled “Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Reactions of Pinacol Vinylboronates: New Cyclization Strategies to Prepare Polyene Macrocycles and Transannular Diels-Alder Cycloaddition Substrates,” Iafe gets to meld his love of discovery with another passion – teaching – as an assistant professor at Cal State San Marcos.

“I love organic chemistry research because I get to push the frontiers of our knowledge of the chemical and physical world, and using this knowledge, we can apply it to the preparation of pharmaceuticals and materials where we can save lives or make lives easier,” Iafe said. “As for teaching, this is a passion that started in graduate school. I enjoy instructing and molding the minds of our future generation because the students in the classroom today will be the researchers in the labs solving critical problems tomorrow. I love inspiring the next-generation chemist, but the next-generation chemist needs to understand classical principles in order to develop new theories.”

Besides, Iafe still engages in research at CSUSM; his research interests are manipulating organic compounds for pharmaceutical uses. Best of all, his students are heavily involved in his projects. In fact, Iafe last year earned the Award for Outstanding Faculty Student Collaboration, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, at CSUSM.

Born in San Diego and raised in El Cajon, Iafe said he feels at home at CSUSM.

“There is a very supportive environment here,” he said. “The students are very professional and very respectful. I’m impressed every single day.”

As a young girl, while many of her peers were reading Teen Magazine, Rocha was immersed in the science section of periodicals such as Newsweek.

“Imagine my excitement when I grew up to learn that there were entire stacks of a library dedicated to peer-reviewed research journals filled to the brim with the latest medical and technological advances, insight to understanding the workings of our brain, and human behavior,” said Rocha, a Research Associate and Assistant Director for Student Support in Cal State San Marcos’ Office for Training, Research, and Education in the Sciences (OTRES).

Rocha doesn’t visit the library as often these days, instead relying more on online library database searches. But her enthusiasm for science hasn’t waned.

Rocha will be celebrating her love for science on Saturday when she participates in the March for Science San Diego. The event is one of more than 400 planned around the world, including the centerpiece event in Washington, D.C.

The March for Science is being billed as the first step of a global movement to highlight the vital role science plays in health, safety, economies and governments.

Rocha is on the organizing committee for the San Diego march, which is a nonpartisan group of scientists, engineers, students, teachers and science enthusiasts united by an appreciation for science in people’s everyday lives.

Festivities begin with featured speakers at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Downtown San Diego Civic Center Plaza at 1200 Third Ave. The one-mile march to Waterfront Park (1600 Pacific Highway) begins at 11 a.m. and there will be additional speakers and a science expo at Waterfront Park from 12:30-2 p.m.

Rocha helped secure speakers for the event, including three from CSUSM – Bianca Mothe, associate dean for the Office of Undergraduate Studies and a professor of biological sciences; Sharon Patray, a biochemistry student; and Kevin Tenerelli, a biology student.

“Science is not at the forefront of people’s attention anymore, but it should be because that is what is going to improve health and the human condition,” Mothe said. “Almost everything that you consume is somehow related to science at this point. Everything from our phones to new materials that go into the things that we carry to the computers that we’re on every day to things that we eat. Once the emphasis goes away from that, how is the human experience going to be affected?”

Kevin’s passion for science derives largely from seeing his 6-year-old daughter’s battle with Septo-optic dysplasia, which includes an underdevelopment of the optic nerve, pituitary gland dysfunction and some structures connecting the two hemispheres of the brain. As it has for Kevin’s daughter, it can cause blindness.

“Science, from a biomedical research point and perspective, has helped me deal with my daughter’s disabilities,” said Kevin, who graduates from CSUSM in May and will then begin work as an M.D./Ph.D. student in UC San Diego’s School of Medicine. “It empowered me to realize you don’t have to be fearful of these things. People are doing research, and it’s important to do this research.

“This is a crucial time to support science.”

Similar sentiments were voiced by other CSUSM students planning to participate in Saturday’s event.

“We’re trying to increase awareness of how science isn’t fake and we’re trying to open up the community to what we do,” said Veronika Espinoza, a biochemistry student. “We’re curious, and we want to find the answers to all of life’s possibilities.”

At a time when budget cuts are being proposed at the federal level, Abraham Escobedo also emphasized the importance of funding to the work being done by scientists.

“We need resources to find answers,” said Abraham, a graduate student in psychology. “Sadly, a lot of people manipulate that into an idea that we’re just wasting money, which is not true.”

Rocha expects Saturday’s festivities to be a peaceful, positive, uplifting, family-friendly celebration of science. As it is also Earth Day, she is encouraging attendees to be conscientious of their environmental impact by carpooling if possible and considering repurposing cardboard or other materials to create signs.

“Science impacts every part of our lives, no matter our age, race, gender, sexual orientation or political party,” Rocha said. “From medical advances and improved technologies to clean air and water, we all benefit from science.

“Our nation needs science in order to thrive. Science allows us to discover, explore and understand the world around us. We need to stand for science. Not because science needs us, but because we need science.”

CSUSM community members share why they’re participating in Saturday’s March for Science:

Dustin Calvillo

Associate Professor, Psychology

“I am participating in the March for Science to support science and my fellow scientists. Science improves every aspect of our lives and its contributions should be celebrated. In order to continue the advancement of science, we need to increase funding for research, which requires the public to appreciate its benefits. We seem to be failing here because science deniers are being elected to public office. Policies that neglect scientific evidence and budgets that decrease funding for science will have a negative impact on the future of our nation and our planet. I am also marching to resist these policies.”

Jeani Cressy

Lab Coordinator, Budget Manager, Department of Biological Sciences, Biotechnology

“We are joining in the cognitive dissonance with our scientific community in order that our individual voices can be heard. Science is how we function in the 21st century; from the immunizations we received in early childhood to the satellites orbiting the planet that allow our phones to communicate with the world daily. We find it ironic that one of the richest countries in the world would consider defunding the science research and development which brought us to our standing in the first place. It is through the support of research that scientific applications have brought us to our modern day society.”

Suzanne Hizer

Director of Supplemental Instruction Program and STEM Tutoring

“I am marching because all people in our society (not just scientists) need to understand why science, truth and facts matter. It matters not only to make our lives easier, safer and longer … but matters because scientific inquiry and discovery is centered on finding the truth. The current socio-political climate has, unfortunately, validated the rejection of scientific findings, not based on data to the contrary but based on feelings of distrust, incompatibility with religious views, or worse … for economic profit. We must do a better job at educating the public on how science works and how the scientific community comes to accept certain principles. We must come out of our ‘laboratories’ and become activists for truth and fact!”

Michael Schmidt

Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“I am planning on participating in the March for Science because I think it’s the patriotic thing to do. Our nation was founded based on ideas from the Enlightenment, on the idea that humans working freely, communicating freely, and experimenting freely could come up with better understandings and better ways of organizing ourselves than those handed down by tradition and authority. Benjamin Franklin, one of the most influential of our founding fathers, was, among many things, a scientist. Today, there is a lot of doubt as to whether our national government, at its highest levels, really supports the spirit of free inquiry and seeking after the truth that guided our founding fathers. I’m participating to show support for that spirit and those ideas.”

Amara Siva

Chair, CSUSM Native Advisory Council

“I march for researchers, without whom the screening methods, diagnostic tests and therapeutic drugs we have today would not be possible; for teachers and professors who share their knowledge and inspire our future leaders to pursue their passions; for my grandmother as well as all of my family and friends who have had to face a disease diagnosis; for the patients who I impact every day through my work; and finally (fitting that the coming week is National Lab Week) I march for my fellow laboratory professionals who are the unseen heroes behind every diagnosis.”

Jackie Trischman

Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“I feel the current administration is politicizing science and scientific progress to an unacceptable extent. Our country relies on having a steady stream of scientific breakthroughs to continue our progress toward curing diseases, advancing technology and understanding the world around us. We need to insist that genuine scientists be in charge of scientific endeavors in the U.S., and that results are not censored or even changed to suit the will of a political leader.”

Keith Trujillo

Director, Office for Training, Research & Education in the Sciences (OTRES); Professor, Psychology

“Scientists are increasingly recognizing that we need to be better about sharing the importance of scientific discovery to health and well-being and the excitement of scientific discovery. The March for Science is a big step forward to communicating better with the public about science. In the end, we hope to increase the public’s understanding of science and attract young people to careers in scientific discovery.”

George Vourlitis

Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

“First of all, I am not one who normally participates in marches, in fact this will be my first. However, I am so disheartened by the posture of our elected representatives as they fully assault the scientific community with their ill-informed and partisan conspiracy theories. Contrary to their beliefs, the scientific community does not have a partisan ax to grind. We are entrusted with taxpayer support to assess how the natural world operates, and we use these resources as objectively as possible to answer the questions that we are tasked to address. It is not our fault that our elected officials do not like the answers that they are receiving from our research, but it is our problem when they use their position of power to quiet the scientific community and stifle intellectual progress. We have so many pressing scientific problems that need to be addressed, and the current administration’s efforts to reduce funding, conduct smear campaigns, and spin ‘fake news’ conspiracy theories about the ‘hidden agenda’ of the scientific community is a cunning and effective strategy to distract society on the need to deal with these pressing problems. So, I am marching because we, as a community, must band together and confront this tide of ignorance and partisanship. Our response must be loud, united and resounding, so these forces understand that we will not let them hijack science and stifle the scientific progress that is urgently needed to address the multitude of problems facing society.”

But, as a recent open house showed, those days are long in the past.

Nearly two dozen Cal State San Marcos faculty members participated in this year’s annual Bridges Open House, which gave students from MiraCosta College and Palomar College an opportunity to tour labs and speak with professors.

Garcia is the principal investigator and biology professor Tracey Brown is the project director on the Bridges grant, which is a partnership between CSUSM, Palomar and MiraCosta. Funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the program helps prepare underrepresented students for a seamless transition to a four-year university and a career in biomedical sciences.

There are Bridges programs throughout the country, but CSUSM’s is unique in that it is year round compared to the shorter summer stints that many other programs offer.

“We think getting students here several times a semester helps integrate them into a four-year institution and understand the culture and how things are done,” said Garcia, who is the associate dean for the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

The grant provides funding for 20 students – 10 from Palomar and 10 from MiraCosta – who each receive a stipend. Students meet with their site coordinators – Jim Gilardi at Palomar and Suzie Bailey at MiraCosta – every other Friday and participate in a variety of activities and seminars throughout the year.

Many will attend the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Tampa, Fla., this month. The conference is an opportunity to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and also offers sessions devoted to writing resumes, polishing interview skills and applying to graduate school.

“There’s probably 1,000 graduate school recruiters there,” Garcia said. “It’s like a Costco warehouse of graduate schools. It’s amazing for the students. And it’s all underrepresented minority science students there, so they’re seeing individuals like themselves. It becomes a great support system.”

CSUSM’s Bridges program has enjoyed tremendous success with about 98 percent of participants transferring to a four-year university and about 75 percent of those students transferring to CSUSM.

Garcia and Brown said the Office for Training, Research and Education in the Sciences (OTRES), including staff members Rita Cooper and Celia Martinez, is instrumental in assisting with the logistics of the program and coordinating with Palomar and MiraCosta.

Many Bridges participants eventually move on to CSUSM’s programs for Maximizing Access to Research Careers-Undergraduate Student Training Research (MARC U*STAR) and Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE), which help “bridge” students to doctoral studies.

Garcia and Brown said their biggest challenge is helping the families of Bridges students understand the value of the program.

“It’s not just a challenge for our grant, but all sorts of grants,” Brown said. “A lot of participants are first-generation students, and they’re all underrepresented minorities. Even if the student themselves understand the benefits of graduate school and Ph.D.s or even bachelor’s degrees and how that will help them in their lifetime, the families, which is their support, don’t always understand it.”

Said Garcia: “They’re all very motivated and they’re all great kids. They just have outside commitments and pressures that we have to navigate very sensitively.”

The Bridges grant runs over a five-year cycle, and Brown said they are looking for ways to incorporate the families into the program for the next funding cycle. One idea is to hold an open house for the families of Bridges students.

The student open house has certainly been a big hit. Not only has it gained widespread popularity among CSUSM faculty, but it has shown students the research and lab opportunities available to them. It also allows students to connect with peers who have been through the program.

“Their peers say, ‘I was you two years ago. Look where I am now,’ ” Brown said. “They see that and it makes it more tangible for them.”

The program has had 11 students go on to complete their Ph.D. with another 13 enrolled in a Ph.D. program. It has also seen 24 students earn their master’s.

“The statistics show that it has been a huge success,” said Garcia, who was a first-generation college student herself. “We’re looking to write more grants to hopefully scale it up for students in other academic areas. The success is amazing.”

It proved so successful, in fact, that it has become a biannual event.

The second annual STEM In Your Backyard: Vista Village event will be from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9 in the Main Street parking lot across from Wavelength Brewery in downtown Vista. The event is free and open to the public.

The College of Science and Mathematics partnered with Wavelength Brewery and the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering to hold STEM In Your Backyard: Vista Village as a precursor to Super STEM Saturday last March.

The event was so popular that Hans Haas, owner of Wavelength, and Amanda Coates, education and program manager for the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering, approached Laurie Schmelzer, Student Services Professional in CSUSM's College of Science and Mathematics, about holding STEM In Your Backyard: Vista Village twice a year.

The second edition features an expanded program and has been extended an additional hour. CSUSM faculty and students from physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biological sciences as well as STEM Ambassadors will be in attendance to help facilitate hands-on experiments and interactive presentations.

Visit the College of Science and Mathematics’ events website for more information.

What: STEM In Your Backyard: Vista Village, a biannual family-friendly event to celebrate science with hands-on experiments and interactive presentations.

When: 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9

Where: Vista Village in the Main Street parking lot across from Wavelength Brewery

FIS seminars explore the interface between biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics.

“The seminar series started in 2006 and was the only ongoing science seminar series on campus at the time,” said Edward Price, a CSUSM professor of physics. “It remains the premier science seminar at CSUSM.”

FIS attracts an audience of faculty and students from across the sciences and mathematics, brings leading researchers to campus to discuss their results and features industry scientists describing their applied work.

The one-hour seminars are free and open to the public. The seminars are held in Science Hall 2, Room 242 from noon-1 p.m. Visit http://www.csusm.edu/csm/points-of-pride/frontiers/ for more information.

Sept. 29: CSUSM Student All Stars: The ViaSat Summer Scholars Program.

Oct. 20: Student Understanding of Quantum Mechanics. Dr. Gina Passante, assistant professor, department of physics, CSU Fullerton.

Nov. 10: Translational Medicine: Neuroscience Research at a Biotech Startup. Dr. Diana Price, senior director, neurosciences at Neuropore Therapies, Inc.

Dec. 1: Protein Synthesis. Dr. Simpson Joseph, professor, department of chemistry & biochemistry, UCSD.

Pershing, a professor of folklore and cultural studies at Cal State San Marcos, grew up in the Los Angeles area going to Disneyland and watching Disney films and the Sunday evening TV show.

But as Pershing began studying film and media as a university student, she started to observe aspects of Disney culture that she hadn’t necessarily noticed before.

“For example, the primitive portrayals of black, African ‘natives’ and headhunters in the Jungle River ride at Disney Parks and the ever-present ‘someday my prince will come’ princess narrative in many of the films,” Pershing said.

“As I began to see the world in a more sophisticated and analytical way, I started rethinking the messaging and commercialization of all things Disney. I have training and years of teaching experience in women’s and gender studies, race and ethnic studies, and the study of popular culture. These have come together for me in ways that encourage me to ask questions about cultural images and the ways in which they communicate messages and meaning.”

Those questions led Pershing to develop a course at CSUSM that asks students to step back from their love of Disney and examine the images, messaging, cultural assumptions, stereotypes and marketing in Disney culture.

Pershing first taught the course, titled “Disney Animated Films: A Small World After All,” in 2011 as a women’s studies course. She has taught it as a general education humanities course for the past three years.

The course moves chronologically and by themes. It includes more than 20 Disney films, starting with 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” all the way through this year’s “Zootopia.” Students watch the films, read a series of scholarly articles and then discuss new ways to interpret and analyze the movies.

Pershing said similar to the popular “Harry Potter: Culture and Folklore in J.K. Rowling’s Magical World” course that she has taught, she created the Disney course because so many students have grown up with Disney as a significant part of their childhood.

“Often, Disney is also an important part of their cultural experience,” she said. “Students tell me that they celebrate important family events such as birthdays, honeymoons and family reunions at the Disney parks and have watched Disney films and visited the theme parks from the time they were toddlers.

“Parents in my courses mention how they often draw on their own fond memories of and delight in Disney by introducing their own children to Disney films, parks and merchandise. Because students are so deeply immersed in all things Disney, it makes it a fascinating and thought-provoking topic for cultural analysis.”

Pershing said the reactions from students vary widely when watching Disney films with a critical eye. She said it’s difficult for some to think critically about Disney because of strong, positive memories in their own life experiences with Disney culture. Some are simply hoping to watch and celebrate the “magic” of Disney films without much analysis. And others, Pershing said, are open to asking more probing questions and seeing the movies in new ways.

“One of the projects for the course involves using the ideas in our course material to analyze what they see when they visit Disneyland or a Disney store during the semester,” Pershing said. “It’s energizing and exciting to watch students grow and develop their analytical skills as they progress through the course.”

Pershing hopes students walk away from the course with the knowledge that people are deeply shaped and affected by the culture around them, including Disney.

“I want them to learn how to take a step back from their fond feelings about Disney while asking some probing questions — as if they had never experienced Disney before the course,” she said. “I hope they’ll learn how to examine assumptions, ask about the effects of commercial success and corporate profits, and become critical consumers of media and culture, including Disney.”

Pershing said this course is the most difficult one she has taught because of the pull that Disney has on so many people.

“It’s hard for many students to think analytically about a subject, and life experience, most people cherish and adore,” she said. “I hope students can use the skills they develop in the course to ask important questions about other aspects of popular culture and the resulting impact on our ways of thinking and seeing the world.”

Chemistry in the Community

Jackie Trischman’s “Chemistry in the Community” course has been offered at CSUSM since 1998 and still remains popular almost 20 years later.

“Service learning was just beginning on our campus when I proposed the course in 1997 and began teaching it in 1998,” said Trischman, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “I had just participated in an American Chemical Society program called Project Inclusion that discussed the importance of reaching out to K-12 students with activities to which they could relate. So that was the focus of the course. We tested water samples, reached out to teachers to help with chemical concepts in local elementary and middle schools and participated in large-scale outreach events.”

The course was offered once per year when Trischman first started teaching it, but has since expanded to being offered every semester.

“Students are typically surprised at how much effort it takes to offer an activity for the first time, but then how easy it becomes once someone has set it up,” Trischman said. “I am usually surprised at how much the college students jump right in and have fun with the younger students after seeing their cool, reserved sides in my classes.”

Trischman said they began developing science badge work for Girl Scouts about 12 years ago and have expanded to include Boy Scouts and general K-12 students. There is typically a theme and Trischman said the theme of this fall’s ChemExpo is “Solving Mysteries Through Science.” It will include activities such as fingerprint analysis, DNA testing in which students extract DNA and chromatography to analyze inks.

“But, of course, we also have our tried and true experiments like dancing raisins and Mentos and Diet Coke,” she added.

Trischman said feedback from students who take the course is overwhelmingly positive. Most return to help with outreach activities throughout their time at CSUSM, she said.

“My hope is that the course rekindles their passion for science and makes it easy for them to envision doing outreach in their future,” she said.

Video Games, Literacy, and Learning

Sinem Siyahhan, an assistant professor in the School of Education, is teaching a course that might immediately pique the interest of anyone who grew up playing Super Mario Bros. or Call of Duty.

Titled “Video Games, Literacy, and Learning,” the course is an extension of Siyahhan’s research and interest in video games and learning.

Siyahhan has taught similar courses at other universities.

“Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of experiences designing video games, implementing them in various educational settings and studying how people interact with them,” she said.

Siyahhan said the online course is for anyone interested in learning about video games. It is a graduate level course, but Siyahhan said undergraduates are also welcome.

Students play video games as part of the course and also design a game to better understand the affordances of video games and the processes of creating a game, according to Siyahhan.

“I hope that students develop a deeper understanding of video games and appreciate the power of this medium for helping us develop a better sense of ourselves and the world around us,” she said. “People often assume video games are a waste of time or just a leisurely activity. I hope that students will see video games in a different light after taking this course.”

To be sure, practicing neurosurgery—arguably one of the most elite fields in medicine—requires not only sustained dedication to the field but confidence, patience and methodical preciseness. These qualities certainly apply to CSUSM alumnus Dr. Jayson Sack, chief resident of neurosurgery at UC San Diego Medical Center.

CSUSM: The Foundation for Love and Neurosurgery

Some people know from a young age that their professional calling is medicine, but for Jayson that wasn’t always the case. As a high school student with feelings of uncertainty over the future, he declined to take college admission exams and instead enrolled in a local community college. After two years the La Mesa native transferred to Cal State San Marcos.

“I remember feeling like this was a place, with small class sizes and plenty of opportunities to get involved, where you wouldn’t be treated like a number—where professors would care about you and provide individual attention,” he said.

Initially he majored in psychology, thinking that his career would lead him to psychiatry, but a neurobiology course sparked his imagination and interest in neuroscience. With classmate Andy Mauldin and under the guidance of Psychology Professor and Health Professions Advisor Joanne Pederson, Jayson co-founded the CSUSM Pre-Health Society and became a double major in psychology and biology with a minor in chemistry.

“Jayson sought me out in the fall of 1999 and became a frequent visitor to my office,” said Pederson. “I have a flashbulb memory of our first meeting—it was clear to me that he had incredible passion for academics and focus for his career development, but it went beyond personal gain. He was, and still is, the type of person who finds something that needs to be improved and does the work to set things right or make things better.”

While working for the Department of Chemistry as its first Supplemental Instruction leader facilitating student study sessions, Jayson met biology major Shilow Blea and the two started dating.

In 2004, the year that both Jayson and Shilow graduated from CSUSM, Jayson earned the President’s Outstanding Graduate Award, the highest University honor bestowed annually to a graduating student in recognition of scholarly excellence. He applied to and was accepted at several medical school, ultimately selecting the University of Michigan.

Biological Sciences Professor Richard Bray wrote in a letter of recommendation, “Of the thousands of biology majors I have taught and hundreds of letters I have written, I regard Jayson among the top five students in terms of intelligence, passion for helping people and promise to develop a very productive career.”

Graduate School Success

At the University of Michigan Shilow earned a master’s degree in education while Jayson acquired both a M.S. in clinical research and a M.D.

On Match Day—the day when fourth-year medical students across the country find out where they will spend their residency—Jayson proudly wore for good luck a memorial T-shirt featuring the late Microbiology Professor Thomas Wahlund, one of his CSUSM mentors.

“The faculty at CSUSM really motivated me and encouraged me not to look back,” Jayson said. “Dr. Wahlund in particular inspired me with his work ethic. He once said to us in class, ‘If you aren’t going to give it 100 percent then get out.’”

In fact, when Jayson and Shilow got married, their wedding venue of choice was The McMahan House at CSUSM. Guests included University faculty and staff who, over the years, had become like family to them.

After medical school Jayson and Shilow moved to Tampa, Fla. for Jayson’s neurosurgery residency at Tampa General Hospital. But just a few years later, they relocated back to San Marcos after their daughter was born prematurely and they needed to be closer to family. Jayson was accepted to UCSD’s neurosurgery residence program as a third year resident —not an easy feat for the highly competitive program that typically only accepts two first-year residents a year. In 2014 he was promoted to chief resident a year early—a testament to his leadership and expertise.

Life as a Chief Resident

Jayson arrives at the Hillcrest-based UC San Diego Medical Center daily at 6 a.m. for rounds and often doesn’t leave until the evening. As the senior resident, he holds a position of leadership. By 7:30 a.m. he is in the operating room, acting as the primary surgeon. Following surgery, he is responsible for assisting junior colleagues with patient care—assigning them to tasks and specific cases—and he oversees all patients on the service. By 6 p.m., if Jayson is lucky, he heads home… but that doesn’t mean he won’t receive calls after hours or on the weekend, requiring him to immediately access a patient’s status remotely or to head back to the operating room.

Dealing with life and death on a daily basis means that in his line of work there is a very minute margin of error and the pressures can be extreme.

“I have to stay somewhat detached from what happens in the OR,” he reflected. “The hours and the pressure are intense but the reward is great—I can’t imagine making more of a difference in the lives of people than I do now. But at the end of that day, what is most important is my family.”

Today, not only is Jayson and Shilow’s daughter a thriving five-year-old, but they recently welcomed the addition of their second daughter in January 2015.

A Return to Roots...And a Bright Future Ahead

After teaching high school math and science, Shilow returned to CSUSM as a First-Year Program lecturer, teaching a required seminar course that supports first-year students in their transition from high school to the world of higher education.

Meanwhile, Jayson serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM).

“As a native San Diegan, Jayson provides a unique perspective to what our college can and should be doing for the region,” said CSM Dean Katherine Kantardjieff. “Moreover, as someone who considers his time at CSUSM paramount to his personal development and in preparing him for a career in medicine, Jayson truly understands and champions our mission, vision and values.”

Following Jayson’s final year of residency, they plan to relocate back to south Florida so that Jayson may complete a skull base fellowship with world-renowned Neurosurgeon Harry Van Loveren at Tampa General Hospital.

But what advice does Jayson have for current CSUSM students interested in a career in medicine? He suggests that students dig deep and consider why they want to become a doctor.

“It has to be for an intrinsic, deeply personal reason—not just because you want to make money or because you want to help people . . . it has to be deeper than that,” he said.

“And be proud of where you come from,” added Shilow. “We’ve always felt enormously proud to represent CSUSM. At Cal State San Marcos not only are you receiving an outstanding academic foundation but people really care about you.”