June 2021 Newsletter
A Note from the Dean
Hello! It's been a year of constant change at the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, but that hasn't slowed us down. We've adapted our teaching, labs, and field work to fit within the ever-changing public health guidelines. We had a commencement ceremony like no other this year, combining our celebration of the classes of 2020 and 2021 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim with distinguished alumni speaker Dr. J.B. Durand. As the state continues to open up and life moves towards a new normal, we are excited to have more students in our research labs, looking forward to more in-person classes, and happy to get back to the research and work that makes us all proud.
Getting through the pandemic brought new complications and difficulties. Throughout it all, your support has been paramount to our continuing success, whether it was helping needy students, showing up to on-line events like the College Fellows lecture, providing money for scholarships, or helping our Geology students get their summer field work.
In addition to reading about commencement, in this issue you can learn about up-and-coming Physics professor Alex Klotz, winner of this year's Mayfield Teaching Award; our alumni supported Geology Department's summer field experience; and about the 2020-21 Student Council President, scholarship winner, and physics student extraordinaire Natalie Cannon.
Please enjoy this edition of our newsletter!
At a Glance
Here are the articles you will find on this page. Use these links to jump to a particular article, or continue scrolling to read them all!
Congratulations to the Classes of 2020 & 2021
A year like no other deserves a celebration like no other! This year's Commencement ceremony was one for the books.
Thousands of CNSM students from both of the classes of 2020 and 2021 filed into Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Memorial Day to celebrate their academic accomplishments. Families, faculty, and staff were on hand to cheer the graduates on as they processed from the field-level entrance to their stadium seats.
The ceremony kicked off with its usual music and processions, but when the speeches began they highlighted something different. That these graduates had done what no other class in recent memory had: complete their degrees in the midst of a global pandemic while navigating a new academic landscape. The sudden shift to alternate modes of instruction left students and instructors alike reeling, but the attitude of the last two years hasn't been one of defeat. It has been one of overwhelming resilience and hope.
Our student speakers, Teodora Nedic and Natalie Cannon, who have been friends for years and were President of the CNSM Student Council in 2020 and 2021 respectively, spoke to their classes and applauded the resilience and determination it took for them to triumph during their unique academic experience. They were met with raucous applause and a swell of pride from their fellow students in the audience.
Dr. Jean-Bernard Durand, our guest speaker, CNSM distinguished alumnus, and current M.D. and Professor in the Department of Cardiology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, took the stage next. His inspiring speech stressed the importance of persistence in the sciences, a theme that these two graduating classes can easily identify with as they embark on their careers with no shortage of dedication to their chosen fields.
Congratulations graduates!
With the supportive CNSM community, an impressive network of alumni, and a healthy dose of persistence and dedication you're ready to take on the world and usher in the next wave of great scientific discoveries.
Smelly Surprise
Phil, one of our resident corpse flowers up in the greenhouse, decided to surprise us with a bloom during the month of June! Head Botanical Curator, Brian Thorson started to notice signs of Phil's impending bloom on June 9 and as the days progressed Phil began to put on a show.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the college couldn't host the public for an on-campus viewing of Phil like we did in 2019. Instead, we set up a live webcam feed in the greenhouse so that anyone could tune in and watch Phil bloom in real time. The bloom happened quickly this time, thanks to the excellent care our corpse flowers receive from Thorson and the southern California heatwave. Phil fully opened on June 15 and stayed open, while releasing his signature scent, for a good 36 hours. During the bloom, Thorson attempted to hand pollinate Phil. Since there are no pollinators in the greenhouses, Thorson has to cut a hole in order to access Phil's flowers and attempt to produce seeds.
We hope to have an open, on-campus experience for the next corpse flower bloom so that you too can enjoy all that Phil has to offer!
Want to know a little more about Phil or corpse flowers in general? Check out this video we made with our Head Botanical Curator Brian Thorson before Phil fully opened up.
VIDEO: Let's Learn About Phil
Scholarships Support Women in STEM
Natalie Cannon never felt she had the aptitude for Physics. But she knew she had a passion for it.
A combination of societal pressures, a personal struggle with ADHD, and having no financial support for higher education from family made it seem as though pursuing her passion for Physics might not be in the cards. But after 3 years of classes to obtain an A.S. in Physics & Mathematics at Santiago Canyon College, Natalie transferred to California State University Long Beach where she found community in the Physics Department.
After only 1 full semester on-campus, the COVID-19 pandemic caused campus to close and for classes and campus activities to move online. "I was worried I would be very isolated," she said, "Because of my ADHD, I struggled with online classes. Everything took twice as long." Natalie was also really worried about her immunocompromised sister who worked as an ICU nurse on a COVID ward. Yet another blow came when both of Natalie's parents were laid off from their jobs due to the pandemic.
Luckily for Natalie, the community she had found in the CSULB Physics Department would prove to be there for her academically, socially, and financially.
Natalie found out that she would be receiving The Richard and Florence Scalettar Scholarship that honors the memories of Physics Professor, Richard Scalettar and his wife, mathematics teacher Florence Scalettar.
With the support from this scholarship, Natalie was able to cut back on the number of hours she needed to work in order to focus on her studies, internship, and her involvement in the college community. In addition to serving as President for the CNSM Student Council, Natalie cofounded the CSULB Women in Physics club with graduate student Maya Martinez. The club's mission is to promote a sense of belonging for everyone in our physics community and to provide opportunities to network and learn about academic and career development as women in physics.
The support also allowed her to buy her own books for the first time in her college career. The time and stress this saved allowed her to get through some of her toughest Physics courses, fully apply herself to her internship at Scientific Applications & Research Associates (SARA) Inc., and apply to graduate school.
Next year, Natalie will be headed to a Ph.D. program in Nuclear Engineering at Georgia Tech University. She is excited to be looking ahead, but she is grateful for the support that helped get her there, "This scholarship changeds my life," she said, "It allowed me the opportunity to focus on my studies and it let me chase my dreams. I definitely wouldn't have gotten into grad school without it. And especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, every bit of support counts.
Mayfield Award Winner
Congratulations to Dr. Alex Klotz!
Klotz, an assistant professor in the Physics & Astronomy Department, is the 2021 Mayfield Award winner.
CNSM students vote every year to bestow the Mayfield Award for outstanding teaching in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The Mayfield award is named after a beloved chemistry professor who for 34 years (1956-1989) was an inspirational professor and mentor for students in the college.
"I was both honored and surprised to receive the 2021 Mayfield award. I began teaching in 2019 and taught in-person for six months before the pandemic forced us online. In a sense, I was fortunate that I only had to re-learn six months of teaching experience rather than twenty years. While teaching online has been difficult for the professors, there is no doubt in my mind that learning online is even more difficult for the students, and with the world in catastrophe it was my goal to ensure that my online classroom did not make their lives even worse. I had many false starts and tried teaching practices that were not effective, but I have always aimed to continuously improve. I am grateful that my efforts are appreciated by the students," Klotz said upon receiving the award.
Klotz's lab studies material physics using DNA molecules, which have similar physics but are much bigger than the molecules used to make modern materials. Currently, his research is focused on complex networks called kinetoplasts, made of thousands of connected circular DNA molecules. Klotz keeps the student research experience front and center, and is currently training 11 students (5 graduate, 6 undergraduate) in experimental and theoretical aspects of this research.
Alumni Support Keeps Geology Students in the Field
The Geological Sciences Department has been swamped with requests from students all across the state to join their Geology Summer Field school which took place from June 2 to June 29, 2021. Chair Rick Behl has had to turn them down to ensure our own students would be able to have a slot.
"CSU Long Beach was one of only a few universities in California or the nation who managed to run their Spring and Summer Field Geology programs during the pandemic," Behl said, "And yet, real field training, not virtual, is required by the California State Board to be eligible for professional licensing, that is key to our students' success. We feel for students at the other programs."
The course, GEOL 450: Summer Field Geology, his a hallmark of the CSULB Geology program. A culmination of several courses expressly focused on developing field skills, the course is a 4-week long research intensive where students and instructors travel across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah mapping and documenting in some of the region's most beautiful mountains and landscapes.
In addition to tuition, students pay an additional course fee to cover the cost of travel, lodging, and meals. What they get from the experience, however, is far more valuable. The hands-on experience provides students not only with a thorough understanding of geological fundamentals, but also strong personal relationships with instructors and fellow students that last throughout their careers.
With precautions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer Field capstone has become a lot more expensive than previous years. "With vehicle capacity rules during the pandemic, we are only allowed to have 4 people in a 12-passenger van and 3 in an 8-passenger SUV. Our 19 students, instructors and cook will require 7 large vehicles," Behl said.
Last year, although only temporarily postponed, the COVID-19 related restrictions almost caused the Summer Field capstone to be canceled entirely. Thankfully, through a crowd-funding effort, dozens of Geology alumni contributed to save the capstone experience. When they got word that the Summer Field capstone was at-risk, 78 supporters together raised over $16,000 to ensure that cost would not prevent the department from providing this essential training.
In the online campaign one supporter commented, "We are happy to support CSULB Geology! We both know how important Summer Field is to a graduating senior. I know from experience that consulting firms prefer hiring graduates who completed the course. It's also so much more fun traveling as a geologist. You see everything so differently. Everything is interesting. Everything is exciting. Thanks for reaching out to us. It's awesome to see how our alumni network bands together to help out the next generation."
Since then, many of them continue their support to help offset the higher than usual cost for students. For Chair Behl, the support from former students has been exceptional. "The Department is incredibly grateful for the emotional and financial support of our alumni and friends and the administrative support from the College Dean's Office and the university that made it possible. Operating field training with innumerable, constantly evolving COVID-related safety policies has been very difficult and expensive, but it was made possible by the outpouring of alumni support through the last year. The staff and students are very, very appreciative."
Thank You!
Thank you for reading and thank you for your support.
We could not do the work we do without you.
Have a happy and safe 4th of July!
