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Fresno State Magazine - Alumni behind the Downtown Turnaround

Fresno State Magazine – Alumni behind the Downtown Turnaround

The following is based on a true story. It’s about the fall — and rise — of a downtown located Read "Fresno State Magazine – Alumni behind the Downtown Turnaround" [...]

Academics

Grad initiative expands to fund summer classes for students in need

June 4th, 2018|0 Comments on "Grad initiative expands to fund summer classes for students in need" 0 Comments

More than 300 Fresno State students are speeding up their road to graduation thanks to a financial award program that Read "Grad initiative expands to fund summer classes for students in need" [...]

Campus & Community

Popular Fresno State sweet corn arrives at Gibson Farm Market

June 6th, 2018|0 Comments on "Popular Fresno State sweet corn arrives at Gibson Farm Market" 0 Comments

Fresno State’s renowned campus-grown sweet corn will be available for the first time this year at 7 a.m. Friday, June Read "Popular Fresno State sweet corn arrives at Gibson Farm Market" [...]

Civil engineering and social work grads earn Fresno State’s highest academic honors

May 19th, 2018|0 Comments on "Civil engineering and social work grads earn Fresno State’s highest academic honors" 0 Comments

Annemarie Schwanz and Patricio Galindo were awarded the University’s top academic honors at Fresno State’s 107th Commencement Saturday, May 19, Read "Civil engineering and social work grads earn Fresno State’s highest academic honors" [...]

Fresno State launches Institute for Media and Public Trust

June 6th, 2018|0 Comments on "Fresno State launches Institute for Media and Public Trust" 0 Comments

Fresno State has established the Institute for Media and Public Trust to study media literacy and “fake news,” and develop Read "Fresno State launches Institute for Media and Public Trust" [...]

Research

Valley Economic Index remains solid; finding, hiring workers biggest challenge

June 5th, 2018|0 Comments on "Valley Economic Index remains solid; finding, hiring workers biggest challenge" 0 Comments

The San Joaquin Valley Business Conditions Index declined slightly in May, but remained above growth neutral for the 21st consecutive Read "Valley Economic Index remains solid; finding, hiring workers biggest challenge" [...]

Alumni

Craig School breaks ground on Ruiz Foods Executive Classrooms

May 31st, 2018|0 Comments on "Craig School breaks ground on Ruiz Foods Executive Classrooms" 0 Comments

The Craig School of Business at Fresno State will host a public groundbreaking for its Ruiz Foods Executive Classrooms that Read "Craig School breaks ground on Ruiz Foods Executive Classrooms" [...]

Half of Valley voters know someone who has overdosed on drugs

May 29th, 2018|0 Comments on "Half of Valley voters know someone who has overdosed on drugs" 0 Comments

According to the final report of the 2018 San Joaquin Valley Survey, half of registered voters know someone who has Read "Half of Valley voters know someone who has overdosed on drugs" [...]

Tucker Award presented to alumna, news anchor Brandi Hitt

May 9th, 2018|0 Comments on "Tucker Award presented to alumna, news anchor Brandi Hitt" 0 Comments

Brandi Hitt, a news anchor and reporter at KABC in Los Angeles, is the recipient of the 2018 Jim Tucker Read "Tucker Award presented to alumna, news anchor Brandi Hitt" [...]

Fresno State corn picked at peak maturity, freshness for best taste

What’s so special about Fresno State sweet corn?

The shopping frenzy on opening weekend of corn sales at the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market can be baffling. It’s not uncommon to see hundreds of people stand in line, sometimes for hours, to grab a bag or several of the popular summer crop grown on 82 acres of the University Farm Laboratory.

Betsy Juergens, the first customer on opening day, June 8, arrived at 4:30 a.m., hours before the market opened at 7 a.m. Jackie Fladger strolled in around 8 a.m. for what she described is “sweet, delicious and juicy” white and yellow corn. She bought 24 ears.

Pat Dougherty, with three bags in hand for her two children and herself, loves the freshness. “It doesn’t sit in the store or warehouse and it is very sweet. I love it. You know you’ve got fresh-picked corn that day.”

Even Simon Majumdar, a Food Network chef, has gushed about the corn, which he tasted in the agnolotti pasta dish made by Annex Kitchen, one of several Fresno restaurants that use Fresno State corn. During a trip to Fresno last year, Majumdar told local media that the corn “is second to none.”

So, what’s the secret behind the super sweet and juicy corn?

“There’s nothing special here except maybe that it’s grown really well and that we harvest it when it’s at the peak perfection of maturity and get it to the store the very next day,” said David Sieperda, farm manager.

There’s no state-of-the-art engineering or complex science behind the pop-in-your mouth kernels, although the growing process has been refined and updated with surface drip irrigation for efficiency over the years. The yellow corn is a decade-old variety known as Vision while the white is simply No. 3274.

“People have laughed and said (the corn) must have crack in it or something special and it doesn’t,” Sieperda said. “It’s regular old sweet corn.”

A professor in 1981 had students grow corn on a few acres for a project. Corn was the professor’s favorite, Sieperda said. A year later, the corn was sold for the first time at the old farm market on the southeast corner of Chestnut and Barstow avenues.

sweet corn It takes 80 days for the corn to grow from seed to harvest. Special attention is given to the amount of water and nitrogen the plants receive. Agricultural students study the corn through the growing season. The entomology class looks at spider mites and other insects on the corn, Sieperda said. Students in soil and irrigation look at the dirt and water and a group even studies the weeds. Agricultural business students look at the economics of the corn business.

When it comes time to harvest, the corn is picked at dawn when it is at its coolest, Sieperda said. From there, the corn is placed in coolers and chilled overnight to 35 degrees to slow the sugar, or liquid, in the kernels from turning into starch reducing its sweetness and changing its texture. You can tell corn is starchy when it is chewy, Sieperda said.

The ability to get freshly picked corn locally with a strong flavor and sweetness is what Annex Kitchen owner Jimmy Pardini likes about Fresno State corn. He uses the yellow, because of the bright color, in his agnolotti pasta during the summer months. Pardini said he tried making the pasta in the wintertime with off-season corn but the taste wasn’t as bold. The dish will make its seasonal debut on Tuesday, June 19.

“The kernels are really nice. They’re plump,” Pardini said. “I really like the size of the kernels… you can just shave the corn and eat it. You don’t even need to do anything with it and it’s really good. There’s so many ways to prepare it. The kernels are fantastic.”

Supporting Fresno State is a plus, Pardini said. People want to know when the corn agnolotti will be on the menu every year because it’s a unique dish pairing two ingredients that don’t normally go together and “because it’s a dish that supports the community,” he said.

The market sold 36,980 ears of corn opening day, the second-highest first day of sales behind last year when customers bought 38,586 ears. Nearly 81,000 ears of corn (49,486 of yellow and 31,280 of white) were sold opening weekend, beating last year’s record of 78,473.

In 2017, 800,000 ears of corn total were sold. Proceeds help support the market, students and the businesses that develop store products. In a few weeks, the University’s Food Processing Lab will use corn kernels in a salsa that will be sold at the market.

Corn will be available through August. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

50 grade-school students to participate in ‘Design Code Build’

Fresno State’s Lyles College of Engineering and the Computer History Museum will host Design Code Build with 50 students in grades six through eight from the Boys and Girls Club of Fresno County and Kerman Unified School District from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, at Fresno State. “Design Code Build” engages students in hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, math activities with a focus on problem-solving and innovation through the lens of computer science and history while allowing students to meet real tech professionals. “Introduction to Design Code Build” will take place at 2 p.m. in the Grosse Industrial Technology Building, Room 160. Other activities will include a human-sized maze exercise that teaches the basic concepts of programming language development, introduction to programming” with raspberry Pi’s, an introduction to Geomatics Engineering with an interactive project called the augmented reality sandbox that simulates rain, followed by a brief human scanning activity with the Leica ScanStation P20 3D scanner. INFO: Hernan Maldonado at 559.284.0837.

New classes to begin at the Downtown Center in July

The Fresno State Downtown Center will offer two new classes this summer including the next class in the “Brew U” series, “Craft Beer 301: Sensory and Styles” beginning Thursday, July 5, and “Project Management for the Workplace” beginning Monday, July 16. “Craft Beer 301” is designed for beer enthusiasts and those with a desire to learn more about the brewing process, importance of sanitation and skills needed to identify flavors in beer through sensory training. The course will feature professional brewers from Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company. The course will be offered from 6-7:30 p.m. July 5, 12 and 19 at the Downtown Center located in the Bitwise South Stadium. The following class will be held at from 6-7:30 p.m. July 26 at Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company on Fulton Street. Students must be 21 or older to enroll and will need to pay a $250 class fee. Registration is recommended by June 27. “Project Management in the Workplace” is an introduction to project management teaching concepts and skills such as initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and breaking down projects in the workplace along with the skills needed to do so. This course will be offered from 6-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, July 16 to 19, in the Downtown Center, Room 2. Students will need to pay a $250 fee. INFO: For more information on these events visit http://fresnostate.edu/cge/professional/downtown/index.html or call Division of Continuing and Global Education at 559.278.0333.

Dog Days welcomes new students, parents for orientation

More than 7,400 new Fresno State students and their parents or guests are registered to attend Dog Days 2018, a series of orientation sessions to prepare them for the fall semester.

Dog Days equips new freshmen and transfer students with tools to help them successfully navigate the transition into the University, from learning how to register for classes to accessing career services. Studies show that students who attend a university orientation are more likely to stay in school, perform better academically, graduate sooner and are more satisfied with their college experience.

“Orientation is essential to student success at Fresno State,” said Dr. Frank Lamas, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “Each student has the opportunity to meet and learn from faculty, staff and peers in their college — some of whom may become their new mentors and colleagues. Students are made aware of many of the basic needs and academic support services that are offered to facilitate their success. It’s really a holistic experience about what happens inside and outside of the classroom.”

Orientation sessions begin Tuesday, June 12, and run through Aug. 1, with specific dates for students in programs such as College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and athletics. Dates are dependent on the students’ majors. Three types of sessions will be offered: one-day, two-day and two-day overnight. The fall semester begins Aug. 17 with classes beginning Aug. 22.

Dog Days is open to the 13,751 new students (10,487 freshmen and 3,264 transfers) admitted to the University for fall 2018, plus their parents and guests. The sessions are mandatory for freshmen and transfer students.

Academic advisers from each of Fresno State’s eight colleges and schools will be available at the summer sessions to discuss general education and major academic requirements. Staff, faculty and student leaders will answer questions and give insight into campus life. A campus resource fair, campus safety discussion and campus tours are offered.

Breakout workshops in Spanish, exclusively for parents and guests attending with their students, also will be available. In addition to various presentations about college life, parents and guests will have the opportunity to ask questions about academics and co-curricular activities for students.

Each Dog Days session begins with check-in at 7 a.m. in front of the Joyal Administration building. One-day sessions run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The two-day session will include all the information presented in the one-day orientation plus seminars about campus life and social justice. The program runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. the first day and 8 a.m. to noon the second day.

The two-day overnight program includes an optional evening session. The program runs during the same time as the two-day sessions, with students spending the night in the University Courtyard housing.

The Dog Days office in the Joyal Administration building (Room 224) is open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday on any non-orientation date throughout the summer.

For more information, visit www.fresnostate.edu/dogdays or call 559.278.4885.

Note: The University no longer is accepting applications for first-time freshmen and transfer students for the fall. However, applications are being accepted for spring 2019. For application information, contact Undergraduate Student Recruitment at 559.278.2048 or visit www.gotofresnostate.com.

Related Links:

Freshman Orientation Dates and Schedule

Transfer Orientation Dates and Schedule

Preparing for Your Orientation

Record opening-weekend sales for Fresno State sweet corn

The Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market at Fresno State sold 160 bins of sweet corn over the weekend, or 80,766 ears (49,486 ears of yellow and 31,280 ears of white), beating last year’s opening weekend record of 78,473 ears. On Friday, June 8, the official opening day, Central Valley customers bought 36,980 ears, the second-highest opening day sales ever (slightly behind last year’s opening day record of 38,586 ears). Betsy Juergens was the first customer in line on Friday, arriving at 4:30 a.m. before the market’s 7 a.m. opening. The sales figures include 5,671 ears sold during a soft launch on Thursday, ahead of the official opening day.

Kremen School appoints interim Dean Dr. Laura Alamillo

Dr. Laura Alamillo has been appointed to serve a one-year appointment as interim dean of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development. Alamillo previously served as associate dean for the Kremen School and is currently the executive director for Programs for Children at Fresno State. Alamillo received her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in language, literacy and culture before coming to Fresno State in 2004. Prior, she taught migrant education in an East Bay elementary school district. In addition to her experience in schools, Alamillo continues her research in the education of emergent bilingual children looking specifically at additive teaching practices used in classrooms to recognize and validate racially, culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms.

REACHABLE Grant in place as participants visit Yosemite National Park this week

The U.S Department of Education awarded $1.7 million to Fresno State for its “REACHABLE” – Reimagine Educating: American Civics and History Academics for Better Learning and Engagement program. The “REACHABLE” program, which is happening this week at Fresno State, will foster professional development for 250 of Fresno’s high school teachers and learning experience for 500 Fresno high school students. Fresno Unified teachers who teach American history applied and were accepted for the program, will receive Fresno State credits, develop curriculum, and experience a paid, guided trip to Yosemite National Park. The program also offers students hands-on learning and research experience in American history and civics, along with a week-long on campus intensive workshop, and a three-day paid trip to Yosemite National Park. This week, the Congressional Academies for Students will travel to Yosemite June 16-18, following their day-long seminars June 11-15. Next week the seminars and trip for the Presidential Academies for Teachers will take place. INFO: For more information contact, Lucero Benitez at lbenitez@csufresno.edu or 559.278.4381.

Bulldoggers rodeo club advances five qualifiers to nationals

(June 8, 2018) — Five members of the Fresno State rodeo team are headed to Casper, Wyoming, to compete in the College National Finals Rodeo from June 10 to 16.

Under the guidance of third-year coach Tony Branquinho, Fresno State will send four men’s qualifiers: senior Colton Campbell (Klamath Falls, Oregon), junior Bodi Dodds (Sanger) and sophomores Jacob Bairos (Modesto) and Mitchell Parham (Clovis).

Campbell will compete in the team roping header event and ranks first in the region and sixth nationally. Dodds ranks second regionally and 15th nationally in tie-down roping, Bairos ranks third regionally and 19th nationally in steer wrestling and Parham ranks first regionally in bareback riding.

Fresno State’s women’s qualifier, sophomore Meagan Kautz (Santa Clarita), will compete in barrel racing. She ranks first regionally and fifth nationally. Her horse, Whip, was also named the regional horse of the year, as was men’s team member Rial Engelhardt’s horse, Vaquero.

Men’s and women’s individual qualifiers were selected based on their combined West Coast region standings over 10 competitions from September through the last event, hosted on May 4 and 5 by University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In the regional team rankings, the Bulldoggers men capped the regular season ranked 17th nationally and third in the West Coast region — one position shy of a national invitation. The women’s team also stood third regionally.

In recent years, the women’s team has advanced to the national event after second-place regional finishes in 2015 and 2016.

Campbell is Fresno State’s top returning competitor who will return to Casper after a fourth-place team roping healer finish in 2016. His horse, Nic-N-Pine, also received the 2016 NIRA/American Quarter Horse Association Horse of the Year award.

Last year, Campbell was one of only six competitors who scored in at least two of the six men’s events thanks to his 19th-place finish in the team roping and 27th-place finish in tie-down roping.

Dodds also competed in the team roping event in 2017 and placed 19th overall.

Barrios, Parham and Kautz will make their first appearances at the event.

The rodeo schedule and event information is available at http://cnfr.com, and national and regional standings are available at https://www.collegerodeo.com/standings.

The Fresno State rodeo team dates back to 1946 and officially became a club in 1949 — the same year the first College National Finals Rodeo was held in San Francisco. Today, the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association sponsors more than 100 college rodeos that include 3,500 student members and 137 universities.

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