Fresno State News

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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

Fresno State sets new campus record for community service hours

June 21st, 2018|0 Comments on "Fresno State sets new campus record for community service hours" 0 Comments

Fresno State students, faculty and staff provided more than 1.44 million hours of service to the community during the 2017-2018 Read "Fresno State sets new campus record for community service hours" [...]

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 mourns the passing of supporter Manuel ‘JR’ Mancebo June 25

June 20th, 2018|0 Comments on "Fresno State mourns the passing of supporter Manuel ‘JR’ Mancebo June 25" 0 Comments

Manuel “JR” Mancebo, former owner of Kings County Truck Lines and supporter of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Read "Fresno State mourns the passing of supporter Manuel ‘JR’ Mancebo June 25" [...]

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" [...]

Facebook Posts

Fresno State with KSEE24 News.

11 hours ago

Mixed reality goggles are becoming a popular tool in the construction management industry, and Fresno State students like Monet Keeth and Tim Hobbs, are being taught how to use the latest technologies, but also taught the necessary tools to see a project from start to finish.

Our graduates are filling the need in the Valley, and being BOLD in the process! ... See MoreSee Less

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2 days ago

He's working quickly to save snails! Fresno State alumnus David Sischo is helping protect 50 rare & endangered species - many with intricate shells, considered "Jewels of the Forest" - on the Hawaiian Islands.

Read more by the Fresno State Alumni Association: bit.ly/RacingExtinction18. Thanks to Honolulu Magazine for the video: ... See MoreSee Less

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Fresno State added 2 new photos.

2 days ago

The U.S. wine industry is growing but faces a labor shortage. Did you know that at @Fresno_State, the @FSJordanCollege is training future wine professionals? 👀🍷

Thanks to @WineSpectator magazine for including Fresno State wine education programs and lecturer Kevin Smith. 🐶🐾

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Press conference June 25 to introduce new Athletics Director Terry Tumey

Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro announced Thursday via Twitter that Terrance J. “Terry” Tumey will be appointed the next director of athletics for Fresno State.

An introductory press conference will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, June 25, in the Save Mart Center media room. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. to the media. President Castro will introduce Tumey to begin the conference, then Tumey will speak followed by media Q&A.

Tumey most recently served as the Director of Athletics at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, a unified Division III athletics program in Southern California, and prior to that at UC Davis and Dominican University. In addition, Tumey’s experience includes working for the NFL spending two years with the Denver Broncos (1999-2000), before moving up the ranks with the San Francisco 49ers becoming the Director of Football Administration (2004-2009).

Tumey and President Castro will be available for one-on-one interviews at the conclusion of the conference. At that time, interviews with Castro should be coordinated by University Director of Communications, Patti Waid. Interviews with Tumey should be coordinated by Paul Ladwig or Matt Burkholder of the athletics staff.

All media will need to park at the northwest entrance of the Save Mart Center, and enter through the northwest doors on the main level. Security checks are mandatory.

Fresno State sets new campus record for community service hours

Fresno State students, faculty and staff provided more than 1.44 million hours of service to the community during the 2017-2018 academic year setting a new campus record for engagement and service-learning, according to the University’s “Service Impact on the Community” report.

The Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning at Fresno State, which released the report, announced the estimated economic impact of service at $40.3 million.

“This makes the ninth year in a row that Fresno State has provided over 1 million hours of service annually,” said Chris Fiorentino, director of the center. “We at the Richter Center are proud to help foster the culture of service that makes this level of commitment to our community possible. However, the real credit for the 1.44 million hours of service goes to the thousands of students, faculty, staff and community partners who make this all possible.”

This year, 18,135 Fresno State volunteers gave 1,436,069 hours of service through a variety of campus clubs and organizations, through internships, work study and service-learning courses, and by volunteering in community events like Valley Children’s Hospital Kids Day. During the 2016-17 academic year, volunteers provided 1,386,449 hours.

According to the Independent Sector, a national nonpartisan network of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and professionals, the 2017 value of an hour of volunteer time in California was $29.09. This figure was multiplied by the number of service hours reported and combined with the financial support students received in the programs for the total economic impact of about $40.3 million in 2017-18.

“While this figure is impressive, the actual impact on those who served and those who benefited from the service is probably much greater; both financially and in non-financial ways,” Fiorentino said.

The Richter Center is responsible for coordinating the University’s community engagement and service-learning efforts. In August 2007, Jan and Bud Richter pledged to provide $3.5 million to establish the center on the Richters’ belief that it would “instill in students a lifelong character trait of giving to the community.”

The center works closely with other Fresno State programs and departments also involved in community engagement such as the Humanics Program at Fresno State, Community Service Scholarship Program and the Scholars in Service Program. Additionally, the Richter Center partners with about 200 community benefit organizations across the Central Valley.

For more information about the Richter Center, call 559.278.7079.

Related links:

Impact Report 2017-2018

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader

NASA Aerospace Academy teaches STEM to migrant children

Community Based Learning, housed in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, is hosting a NASA Aerospace Academy at Fresno State from 9 a.m. to 12:15 a.m., June 18 through 29, for underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth. Fresno State is one of nine institutions nationwide, funded by NASA, to implement an Aerospace Academy. A major purpose of the Academy is to increase interest and involvement of K-12 students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The program offers 36 hours of STEM engagement, using NASA-themed, problem-based curriculum. The “Family Involvement” component includes family nights and take-home projects to promote collaboration between students and family members. Upcoming sessions include Journey to Mars (June 20 through 21), Introduction to Flight (June 22 through 25) and Videography and Underwater Robotics (June 26 through 29). INFO: Samantha Ray, communications specialist, at samray@mail.fresnostate.edu or 559.278.0451; or Kasey Vang, project director, at kavang@mail.fresnostate.edu or 559.278.0293.

Campbell and Kautz advance to College National Finals Rodeo short go final round

Fresno State senior Colton Campbell (Klamath Falls) and sophomore Meagan Kautz (Santa Clarita) led the Fresno State Bulldoggers rodeo team with top-12 finishes at the College National Finals Rodeo, June 10 to 16 in Casper, Wyoming. In his third trip to the CNFR event, Campbell finished seventh in the in the team roping header standings with a combined time of 25.5 seconds in four rounds of action. His horse Desperada received the American Quarter Horse Men’s Horse of the Year honor after his heeler horse Nic-n-Pine won the same honor in 2016. Kautz placed 11th overall in barrel racing with a combined overall time of 63.91 seconds. The team’s other three competitors included sophomores Mitchell Parham (Clovis), who placed 23rd in bareback riding and Jacob Bairos (Modesto) who placed 32nd in steer wrestling, and junior Bodi Dodds (Sanger) who placed 40th in tie-down roping. Under the guidance of third-year coach Tony Branquinho, Fresno State ranked 35th overall in the final men’s team standings with 90 points. All five Fresno State individual entries qualified based on their West Coast region standings over 10 competitions from September through May. In the regional team rankings, the Bulldoggers men and women each stood third in the West Coast region — both one position shy of a national invitation. RESULTS: http://cnfr.com

Fresno State mourns the passing of supporter Manuel ‘JR’ Mancebo June 25

Manuel “JR” Mancebo, former owner of Kings County Truck Lines and supporter of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, passed away on Sunday, June 17.

In 2017, the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology announced that Mancebo pledged a $1 million bequest in support of the Fresno State dairy science program. Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro, Jordan College Dean Sandra Witte, faculty, staff, students and industry supporters honored Mancebo and his late wife last year for the donation with a club banquet in Tulare.

“I am deeply saddened to hear of Mr. Manuel Mancebo’s passing. As an icon of the San Joaquin Valley’s dairy industry, he was a cherished friend and supporter of Fresno State,” said Dr. Joseph I. Castro, president of Fresno State. “His generous gift to the University will provide vital support to the next generation of agricultural leaders in the Valley and beyond. I am honored that our dairy science program will perpetuate the Mancebo legacy of both Mr. Mancebo and his late wife, Katye.”

Mancebo started as a mechanic apprentice for the family company at the age of 17, before climbing the company ranks, and taking over the family business in 1971 at 41 years old. He helped build Kings County Truck Lines into an industry leader, developing a reputation for its reliable and safe transportation of milk products and dry goods throughout the Central Valley and Southern California, before selling the company in 2006.

Mancebo and his wife, Katye, who passed in Nov. 2014, were both large supporters of several local charities including Valley Children’s Hospital, St. Aloysius Catholic Church, among other community- and education-based organizations.

In recognition of their generosity, Fresno State will request that the campus dairy production facility be renamed the Manuel “JR” and Katye Mancebo Dairy.

A rosary and funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 25, at the Saint Aloysius Church in Tulare, with a luncheon to follow at the Visalia Country Club. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made payable to the Ag One Foundation for the dairy science program.

INFO: To submit a memorial tribute, visit http://www.fresnostate.edu/jcast/agonefoundation/mancebo.html and select the “donate” button at the bottom of the article.

Engineering and construction management summer camps inspire grades six-12

The first of the Lyles College of Engineering’s annual Engineering and Construction Management Summer Camps at Fresno State began Monday and run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 19 through 22 for grades six to eight. The second camp, for grades nine to 12, will run June 25 to June 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The camps, held on campus at the E.D.G.E. Challenge Ropes Course, will also include a field trip on Wednesday, June 20 and June 27 to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. Students will participate in a workshop where they will learn how computer programming has changed the world, while writing their own programs. That afternoon, students will discover Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California – home of the San Francisco 49ers football team – and visit the Chevron STEM Zone, where they will learn the science and engineering behind football. Additional camp experiences will include hands-on activities combined with academic lectures and experts from the fields of energy, computer and materials development. Students will also learn about the fields of construction management, civil, computer, electrical, geomatics and mechanical engineering – through areas of virtual reality, 3D modeling, website development, traffic light programming and bridge building. INFO: Rebecca Wass, communication specialist, at rwass@mail.fresnostate.edu or 559.385.1336; or Hernan Maldonado, director of Pathways: Student Services at 559.284.0837. See detailed schedule: http://bit.ly/1Vh8cK8.

CSU Summer Arts festival calendar released for July

Fresno State will host the CSU Summer Arts festival this July, bringing an array of artists to the campus for performances that are open to the public. The festival will feature arts such as dance, music, comedy and poetry, as dozens of artists perform and teach members of the public and students. During the day, students study alongside professionals, followed by more than 25 live events at night open to the public (check the website for ticket prices). Calendar highlights include Spectrum Dance Theater, at 7 p.m. July 2, “An Evening of Comedy,” at 7 p.m. July 7 “Stage Combat”, 7 p.m. July 16, and a lecture on storytelling from Bob Dotson, 7 p.m. July 19. These are only a few of the shows the Summer Arts festival has to offer. Tickets are now on sale online at www.csusummerarts.org, or at the Fresno State box office in the Speech Arts Building. INFO: To learn more about the festival calendar and upcoming events, visit www.csusummerarts.org or contact the CSU Summer Arts Fresno office at 559.278.5858.

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.

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