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Academics

Alumnus Montgomery returns as new Fresno State winemaker

August 10th, 2017|0 Comments on "Alumnus Montgomery returns as new Fresno State winemaker" 0 Comments

Thomas Montgomery, an award-winning winemaker and Fresno State alumnus, is the Fresno State Winery’s new winemaker. The Sanger native, who Read "Alumnus Montgomery returns as new Fresno State winemaker" [...]

Campus & Community

Fresno State launches ‘Clear the Air’ campaign for smoke-free campus

August 17th, 2017|0 Comments on "Fresno State launches ‘Clear the Air’ campaign for smoke-free campus" 0 Comments

Fresno State announced today its plan to provide a clean, safe and healthy environment for the campus under a new Read "Fresno State launches ‘Clear the Air’ campaign for smoke-free campus" [...]

Dr. Jill Biden to keynote California Teachers Summit

July 21st, 2017|0 Comments on "Dr. Jill Biden to keynote California Teachers Summit " 0 Comments

(July 21, 2017) — The third annual Better Together: California Teachers Summit will be held Friday, July 28, at 35 Read "Dr. Jill Biden to keynote California Teachers Summit " [...]

Castro kicks off 107th year with major campus upgrades

August 17th, 2017|0 Comments on "Castro kicks off 107th year with major campus upgrades" 0 Comments

As the Fresno State campus at Shaw and Cedar avenues enters its 62nd academic year since moving from its original Read "Castro kicks off 107th year with major campus upgrades" [...]

Research

Survey shows most Valley residents support construction of High-Speed Rail

May 8th, 2017|0 Comments on "Survey shows most Valley residents support construction of High-Speed Rail" 0 Comments

According to a new survey of the San Joaquin Valley conducted by the Institute for Leadership and Public Policy at Read "Survey shows most Valley residents support construction of High-Speed Rail" [...]

Alumni

Rabobank creates scholarships in memory of Tony DeGroot

August 10th, 2017|0 Comments on "Rabobank creates scholarships in memory of Tony DeGroot" 0 Comments

The Ag One Foundation announced the creation of two Fresno State student scholarships sponsored by Rabobank N.A. in memory of Read "Rabobank creates scholarships in memory of Tony DeGroot" [...]

Valley economic index points to expansionary economy

May 1st, 2017|0 Comments on "Valley economic index points to expansionary economy" 0 Comments

The San Joaquin Valley Business Conditions Index declined slightly in April to 60.2 from March’s record high 61.2, but remains Read "Valley economic index points to expansionary economy" [...]

Manuel Pérez, Diana Gomez to receive Bold Visionary Legacy Award

May 12th, 2017|0 Comments on "Manuel Pérez, Diana Gomez to receive Bold Visionary Legacy Award" 0 Comments

(May 12, 2017 -- updated May 15) — Two Fresno State alumni will be presented with the Fresno State Chicano Read "Manuel Pérez, Diana Gomez to receive Bold Visionary Legacy Award" [...]

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Fresno State

6 hours ago

It may not be Perry Mason's grand courtroom style, but it's right up there with real-life drama!

#FresnoState's mock trial A team took seventh place, and the B team took first at the Colorado Springs Regional! #GoDogs 🐶🐾👍 ... See MoreSee Less

Fresno State Campus News | Beating Perry Mason

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For the first time in Fresno State's 12-year history in mock trial, three of the five teams won a bid to compete at the Opening Round of the National Championship March 25-26.

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Fresno State

10 hours ago

Let's "Clear the Air!" Fresno State's campus is going tobacco-free, smoke-free, and vapor-free to create a healthier environment.

More on the new CSU system-wide policy: bit.ly/FSNClearTheAir 🐾🐶 ... See MoreSee Less

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Fresno State

16 hours ago

Welcome to Fall Semester 2017! President Castro announced that Fresno State is upgrading and modernizing its most heavily used teaching spaces, as we continue to invest in our infrastructure.

See all of the announcements: bit.ly/FallAddress17 🐾🐶 #GoDogs #BeBold ... See MoreSee Less

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Fresno State launches ‘Clear the Air’ campaign for smoke-free campus

smoke-free-campus-resources

Fresno State announced today its plan to provide a clean, safe and healthy environment for the campus under a new California State University system-wide policy requiring all 23 campuses to become tobacco, smoke and vapor free beginning Sept. 1.

The University’s “Clear the Air” campaign will educate students, employees and campus visitors about the new policy adopted in the spring 2017 semester by the CSU Chancellor’s Office with Executive Order 1108.

State law already bans smoking from workplaces and all buildings accessible to the general public throughout the state as well as within 20 feet of buildings. Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations authorizes universities to set and enforce smoking and tobacco policies.

The new CSU policy, which will be in effect at all times, applies to all University property, including buildings, athletic venues, residence halls, parking lots, vehicles and grounds. This includes no smoking, vaping or tobacco use inside any personal vehicles located on Fresno State property.

This restriction applies to tailgate gatherings and other outdoor, on-campus events. The new plan also removes 22 designated smoking areas that had been established under Fresno State’s previous smoking policy.

Fresno State offers cessation resources for students, faculty and staff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/adminserv/smokefree/cessationprgs.html.

To help support the implementation and communication of this new policy, University President Joseph I. Castro assembled a committee of 20-plus members including students, faculty and staff. The committee is led by Deborah Adishian-Astone, Fresno State vice president for administration. Adishian-Astone said the primary goal of the committee is to educate the campus community and public about the smoke-free policy.

“We are sensitive to what this change will mean for our campus community, so we want to do as much as we can through educational programs, communication and resources,” Adishian-Astone said. “To support this goal, the ‘Clear the Air’ educational campaign will create awareness of the change and invite cooperation as we move toward creating a healthier campus environment.”

She said Fresno State campus and community members are asked to help create a smoke-, tobacco- and vapor-free environment using community reinforcement.

“Community reinforcement relies on individuals to educate one another about the smoke-free policy and the value of breathing smoke-free air,” Adishian-Astone said. “Studies show that tobacco-, smoke- and vapor-free campus policies can reduce tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke, which provides health benefits to the entire campus community.”

Resources:

For help with smoking and tobacco abuse, online resources and information are available at www.fresnostate.edu/smokefree.
Students needing help can contact the Student Health and Counseling Center at 559.278.2734.
Faculty and staff may contact the Employee Assistance Program Life Matters 24/7 Referrals at 1.800.367.7474as well as the online resources.
For more information about Fresno State’s smoke-free programs, visit the websites for smoking cessation and counseling programs and the Fresno State Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Safety Council.

Fresno State Smoke Free Committee members – www.fresnostate.edu/smokefree

CSU Executive Order 1108 (PDF)

Smoking cessation and counseling programs

Enforcement protocols (reporting noncompliance)

CSU Tobacco-Free Policy Rationale (PDF)

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Castro kicks off 107th year with major campus upgrades

As the Fresno State campus at Shaw and Cedar avenues enters its 62nd academic year since moving from its original site on Van Ness in 1956, the University will embark on a plan to upgrade and modernize older areas including a dozen high-use classrooms, Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro said Thursday, Aug. 17, at the annual Faculty/Staff Fall Assembly.

The University’s nearly 1,500 faculty members returned to work this week when the semester officially began Aug. 14 in preparation for class instruction beginning on Aug. 22. They join about 1,000 staff in fulfilling the University’s mission “to boldly educate and empower students for success.”

The fall semester’s projected enrollment is nearly 25,000, the president reported.

“Educating the next generation of leaders through teaching, research and public service is what Fresno State does best,” said Castro, a Hanford native who enters his fifth year as Fresno State’s eighth president, the first born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley.

“Our efforts in this area have resulted in widespread national distinction over the past year alone from U.S. News and World Report, Washington Monthly, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Association of Public Land Grant Colleges and Universities among others,” he said.

Declaring that a critical ingredient to the University’s success “is to preserve and upgrade our physical and technological infrastructure,” Castro announced an investment of $26 million in new funds during 2017-18 to support infrastructure projects.

This will include $10 million to modernize the North Gym and South Gym to support academic and athletic programs and $5.1 million to modernize eight of the oldest and most important teaching spaces on campus.

He also announced that a new plan to upgrade teaching and learning spaces extends through 2019 and will include a total investment of about $11 million ($5 million this year and $6 million next year) to modernize 12 of the most widely used classrooms.

Castro noted that since 2013, the University has invested about $100 million in improving its physical and technological infrastructure.

The University is also investing in its people, as the president recognizes that even after significant investments made during every year since he has been President, employee concerns still remain particularly in regard to compensation and professional development opportunities.

“The good news is that virtually every new permanent dollar received from the state in the past four years has been used for faculty and staff compensation,” he reported. “In addition to salary, we each receive a generous benefits package that includes essential health insurance for us and our eligible dependents.”

He noted total compensation and benefits for staff and faculty at Fresno State have increased the past four years from $50 million in 2013 to $80 million today. For each individual employee, benefits represent an average cost of 40 percent of total salary.

“This investment is made with great pride because we know that an investment in you is an investment in achieving our mission of student success,” Castro said.

Castro also addressed freedom of speech and how universities are places where a wide range of ideas and perspectives can be discussed and debated.

“Fresno State has an opportunity to model for our Central Valley and beyond how freedom of speech — in a civil and respectful way – leads to a stronger teaching and learning environment,” Castro said. “As a thoughtful member of our campus community, I urge you to be boldly open-minded and to take the time to listen to and respect the perspective of others while sharing your own perspective. This is especially important on occasions when you might disagree with someone else’s point of view.”

To enhance the leadership skills of campus, Castro announced the establishment of the President’s Leadership Academy, a new professional development program that is “uniquely designed to prepare a new generation of leaders for our University. I am optimistic that many future deans, directors, associate vice presidents and vice presidents will be graduates from this program.”

Castro invited the campus community to join him in recognizing four faculty and staff for their service and contributions to Fresno State’s pursuit of excellence:

Jennifer Randles, a sociology professor, won national awards from the American Sociological Association and the National Council for Family Relations.
Ken Ternate served the past 12 summers as the coordinator of Fresno State Dog Days: New Student Orientation Program, organizing the welcoming of 5,200 freshman and transfer students and 2,000 guests.
Luke Shields, Fresno State men’s tennis coach, was named the 2017 Mountain West Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year.
Tom Uribes, the University’s public information officer and a founding writer for www.FresnoStateNews.com, the campus news service in the University Communications Office, will retire this semester after nearly 30 years of service to Fresno State.

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Fresno State student vies for world judo title Aug. 21 in Taiwan

National collegiate judo champion Miranda Imamura, a pre-nursing student and member of the Fresno State Judo Club, will compete at the 2017 World University Games Aug. 19 through 30 in Taipei, Taiwan. Imamura, who leaves for Taiwan early Wednesday morning with a 16-member delegation, earned her spot to represent the United States in the World University Games when she won the senior division title at the National Collegiate Judo Championships at San Jose State University in 2016. Her division, women’s under 57 kilogram, begins competition at 9 p.m. PDT Aug. 21 with finals set for 2 a.m. PDT Aug. 22. The competitions will be streamed live at www.livefisu.tv. The USA team is governed by the United States International University Sports Federation and its members compete globally as representatives of the United States in university-level sports competitions. Imamura began learning judo at age 4 and is coached by her father, Randy, and her uncle Richard, both alumni. Her grandfather, Haruo Imamura, taught a judo class through the Kinesiology Department at Fresno State and started the Fresno State Judo Club on campus. INFO about the Judo Club: Eddie Dominguez at 559.278.5987.

Fall semester classes begin next week; Castro talk Aug. 17

Fresno State prepares to kick off the fall 2017 semester with several events this week and next. On Aug. 17, Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro will deliver his annual Fall Assembly State-of-the-Campus talk to faculty and staff. On Aug. 18, University Courtyard move-in day for Residence Halls will begin for students and will continue through the weekend. On Aug. 21, New Student Convocation and Bulldog Bash will welcome new students to campus with celebratory festivities. On Aug. 22, classes begin. FresnoWOW welcome back activities will be ongoing, culminating Aug. 25 with Fresno State Night at Campus Pointe. Full press release with details/times to come.

Music alum Pappas gets understudy for lead role in ‘Phantom’

Earlier this summer Fresno State music alum Constantine Pappas landed a role playing the understudy to the character of Raoul in the national tour of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Since joining the cast for rehearsals on May 3 in El Paso, Texas, Pappas has done 11 performances as Raoul. Pappas, a 2014 music vocal performance graduate from Clovis, said he thinks the tour, currently scheduled through August 2018, will continue as long as there is demand. This is the same company and production that played in San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2015, before its stop in Fresno in October 2016 as part of that year’s Broadway in Fresno lineup. Read more on Fresno State’s College of Arts and Humanities blog.

New report offers solutions to health care crisis in south Fresno

With millions of residents across the U.S. at risk of losing access to health care, a new study produced in Fresno shows people have very clear ideas of what they need to be healthy.

The “Community Benefit Needs Assessment in South Fresno” report, conducted by the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State and commissioned by Fresno Building Healthy Communities, shows that local residents are looking to not-for-profit hospitals to shift their community benefit investment activities in order to promote a culture of prevention and responsive care to address barriers to living a healthy, safe and productive life.

“Local nonprofit hospitals have an obligation to improve the health of the community that goes beyond direct care,” said Sandra Celedon, executive director of Fresno Building Healthy Communities. “People know what they need to be healthy, but they face an overwhelming amount of barriers, like where they live, that affect their ability to lead healthy lives.”

In the report, residents expressed that a lack of access to health care in their neighborhoods, the availability of healthy and affordable food and the number of places to be physically active are tremendous obstacles.

In response to overcoming these barriers, residents identified strategies that not-for-profit hospitals can use to improve the overall health of neighborhoods. One such recommendation was the desire for culturally and linguistically responsive wellness promotion activities in places where groups already meet, such as community centers and schools.

“Recommendations for neighborhood investments included cultural exercise opportunities, healthy eating and nutrition classes and diabetes management workshops,” said Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner, a research scientist at the institute and the lead author of the study.

In the United States, most hospitals operate as nonprofit organizations and are required by law to invest in the health of their communities. In 2015-2016, nine local nonprofit hospitals participated in the Fresno Community Health Needs Assessment to identify the top health barriers the community faces to inform their community benefit investment strategy. In reviewing the process and results of the assessment, community organizations that are part of Fresno Building Healthy Communities worked to understand the perspective of community residents from south Fresno, primarily low-income and communities of color.

The report is a byproduct of this work and included eight focus groups with more than 100 participants from south Fresno. In addition to programs, the participants cited cost-effective and simple changes that nonprofit hospitals can implement directly in neighborhoods to create healthier communities, like building more parks, creating more green space and adding walking and bike trails.

“Despite a painful national political debate on health care financing, our community still faces extraordinary health inequalities,” said Dr. John Capitman, executive director of the institute. “There is a broad consensus that continuing to meet our community’s health needs requires expanding efforts in prevention and self-care of chronic conditions. I believe that this is a great time for us all to focus anew on primary and secondary prevention. Hospitals, organizations, the universities and community members can work together to find new ways to keep children and families healthy, happy and away from places like the emergency room.”

A community forum regarding this report will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Rutherford B. Gaston Middle School (1100 E. Church Ave.) in Fresno. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Augie Blancas at 559.473.6897 or ablancas@fresnonobhc.org.

Related Links:

Community Benefits Report: www.csufresno.edu/chhs/cvhpi

Central Valley Health Policy Institute: www.fresnostate.edu/chhs/cvhpi/index.html

Fresno Building Healthy Communities: www.fresnobhc.org

Community Benefits Forum: www.fresnobhc.org/community-benefits-forum

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Rabobank creates scholarships in memory of Tony DeGroot

The Ag One Foundation announced the creation of two Fresno State student scholarships sponsored by Rabobank N.A. in memory of Tony DeGroot, one of the area’s most respected and innovative dairy farmers.

Each scholarship will provide one year’s full tuition and a $500 book stipend for a student in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State.

DeGroot passed away at age 80 in September 2015 in a plane accident while on a fishing trip in Alaska.

He owned DeGroot Dairy near Hanford, which started in 1966 with 100 acres and 400 cows. The farm grew to 2,500 acres and 4,500 cows while raising its own youngstock. In addition, he developed a Dutch Warmblood horse breeding operation, D.G. Bar Ranch, that is well known in the dressage community.

The farm is now run by DeGroot’s son, Tony DeGroot Jr.

“The Tony DeGroot Memorial Scholarship honors Tony for his significant contributions to our community, industry and Rabobank,” said Bob Dingler, Rabobank executive vice president and food and agribusiness director. “He served for many years on Rabobank’s Ag Advisory Board and advocated for the bank to be involved in advancing the dairy industry through research and supporting education. We and his family decided that there is no better way to honor a man, who we all considered a friend and mentor, than to start a Jordan College scholarship in his name.”

DeGroot immigrated to the United States in 1956 from the Netherlands and began a career as a baker near Rochester, Minnesota before developing a lung condition known as Baker’s Disease. His doctors recommended that he relocate to the Southern California coast in 1959, but the condition eventually returned, so he moved inland to the Central Valley where his farming and dairy career began.

DeGroot was known in the industry for his progressive instincts, and he more than doubled the farm’s milk-per-cow productivity in the span of 25 years.

His milking parlor developed a new milking system that used two pulsators simultaneously and mimicked the natural suction of nursing calves, streamlining the process and using less energy.

His farm grew beets as a rotational crop in alkaline-rich areas to reduce soil salt levels, and the beets were incorporated into corn silage piles for feeding. He also incorporated microbial protein amino acids into cattle feed to assist milk protein synthesis and to cost effectively reduce the amount of protein needed in cattle diets.

In 2015 he was honored with the Betaseed Feed Beets’ first Pioneer Award.

The DeGroot endowment is among more than 100 that are managed by the Ag One Foundation. Started in 1979, Ag One has helped provide 3,700 students with more than $2.7 million in scholarships and grants.

Grant will help launch ‘Problem Solving Labs’ math project

Fresno State is one of 12 universities nationwide to receive a Collaborative Opportunity Grant designed to increase student success in entry level mathematics in collaboration with Fresno Unified School District. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Collation of Urban Serving Universities, the award is for Fresno State’s “Transition to Success: Mathematics” project that will develop “Problem Solving Labs” aligned with high school Common Core math instruction. Teams of K-16 math instructors will collaboratively develop topics and tasks for the “Problem Solving Labs” in the University’s Math 45 course. Pilot sections of the labs will launch in the fall 2017 semester, with more labs planned for spring 2018. Information about the labs will be distributed to students who have passed the Entry Level Mathematics exam and are due to enroll in Math 45. INFO: Gil Harootunian at gharootunian@csufresno.edu.

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