SSU NewsCenter

Green Center's new music man

2013-05-17T16:24:21Z

Green Center's new music man, May 4, 2013, Press Democrat

State Budget Revision Maintains Funding for the CSU

2013-05-15T18:17:32Z

Governor Brown's May Revision of the 2013-2014 state budget continues to propose an additional $125.1 million in state funding for the California State University and also maintains reinstating $125 million that was cut from last year's budget and was due to be reimbursed in this year's budget following the successful passage of Proposition 30. The proposal also states that the administration will work with the colleges and universities, legislature and other stakeholders on a framework that would link future budget augmentations to performance-related measures.

]]> "The funding proposed for public higher education in the Governor's May Revise is a critical investment in the future of California," said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. "We look forward to working with the Governor and legislature to invest these educational resources while ensuring the accountability of our universities and the success of our students in a way that upholds the mission of the California State University."

Overall, the proposed increase in state support for the CSU would bring state funding levels to $2.3 billion for the support of university programs and operations. At their March board meeting, CSU Trustees reviewed an expenditure plan based on the proposed funding that addresses three major areas of need - student access and success, faculty and staff compensation and mandatory costs. Trustees will discuss additional details of this expenditure plan and the revised budget proposal at the upcoming May board meeting.

Keynote Speaker for Commencement 2013 led a team up Mount Everest

2013-05-09T18:21:02Z

Sonoma State University will award diplomas to approximately 2,300 graduates at its annual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 11. Keynote speaker for both ceremonies is Alison Levine, who served as the team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition. An adventurer, explorer and mountaineer, Levine has survived sub-zero temperatures, hurricane-force winds, sudden avalanches, and a career on Wall Street.

The day historically draws more than 10,000 people to the Commencement Lawn, and will be held rain or shine.

]]> Ceremonies are scheduled at 9 a.m. for the Schools of Education, Arts and Humanities, and Business and Economics, and at 3 p.m. for the Schools of Science and Technology, and Social Sciences.

The ceremony can be viewed live online by following a link available on Saturday on SSU's homepage.

Alison Levine serves as an adjunct professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. She is also an advisor to the Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point and serves on the board of the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics at Duke University.

She is also the founder of the Climb High Foundation, which trains jobless women in western Uganda to work as trekking guides in the Rwenzori Mountains.

A public art exhibit in various locations on the campus is titled COMMENCE: 2013 and features work by SSU art students. Materials range from plaster, wood, steel, clay, and rope to found objects and glass.

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For more information, visit the commencement website at www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/commencement/.

SOUP-ER Program Connects Campus to Individuals in Need

2013-05-09T18:12:57Z

Some highlights from the SOUP-ER program in the past year. JUMP student leaders and volunteers discuss the program and the impact it has had on them and the community.

Join Us Making Progress (JUMP), the community service organization at Sonoma State University, connects students with various volunteer opportunities in the local community.

One program takes place entirely on campus and makes a significant difference to the homeless population in Santa Rosa.

]]> This program, Serving Our Unfed People Everyday Re-packaging (SOUP-ER), allows volunteers to repackage untouched food from the Zinfandel cafeteria to be utilized by the Saint Vincent de Paul Dining Room in Santa Rosa.

The Saint Vincent de Paul Dining Room serves about 250 meals per day. The SOUP-ER program, in partnership with Dining Services, contributes to these meals.

For more information, visit www.sonoma.edu/as/jump

Sonoma State Student Sculptures on Display Through Next Saturday, May 4, 2013, Rohnert Park Patch

2013-05-06T22:18:32Z

Sonoma State Student Sculptures on Display Through Next Saturday, May 4, 2013, Rohnert Park Patch

Korbel's Gary Heck Honored for SSU Wine Program Vision

2013-05-06T16:34:15Z

By Eric Gneckow, North Bay Business Journal Staff Reporter

Gary Heck, owner and president of Korbel Champagne Cellars and Kenwood Vineyards, became an honorary inductee of the Sonoma State University chapter of the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society last month.

Heck joined students who were inducted into the society at the ceremony to celebrate the group's admission to the prestigious group. The Sonoma State School of Business and Economics cited Heck's role in the formation of the school's Wine Business Institute as reason for his selection.

"I am honored to be chosen as an honorary inductee. I wanted to create a place for the next generation of wine industry families to study the best practices of the wine business," says Heck.

Founded in 1995, the Wine Institute operates in close partnership with the wine industry and now offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs. The institute also offers a number of certificate programs and short courses for current and aspiring professionals in the industry.

(left to right) SSU Provost Andrew Rogerson, Gary Heck and William Silver, dean of the School of Business and Economics.

Joseph Powell, May 1, 2013, Press Democrat

2013-05-03T23:24:27Z

Joseph Powell, May 1, 2013, Press Democrat

Men's Lacrosse Team Appears Headed for Nationals

2013-05-03T22:20:51Z

The SSU Men's Lacrosse team wrapped up their regular season on April 14 finishing with an 11-3 record overall and a perfect 6-0 in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL). Led by six seniors the team has qualified for WCLL Championship tournament as the #1 seed this weekend.

The six seniors are Casimir Morawski, midfield, Ryan Heidrich midfield, Josh Lucero, midfield, Matt Gillan attack Kyle Riddle attack and Brian Ponzi short stick defense. Having ended the 2012 season with a 2 overtime loss to Cal in the WCLL semifinal game, this group was determined to focus on winning their league championship while ultimately aiming for the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) National Championship.

]]> The 2013 season started off with a win over WCLL rival, Santa Clara 17-4. The following weekend was a showdown with Cal . In a thriller, the Seawolves won 9-8 on the Bear's home field.

With a 2-0 record, the team traveled to Eugene, OR to visit the Ducks and the Beavers. In some hotly contested battles the Seawolves fell short losing 8-6 and 9-7 respectively. With just one day off before taking on #12 Texas, the Seawolves needed to regroup quickly.

Led by the return from injury of Senior Casimir Morawski and some stout defense, the team beat Texas 9-8 on the Sonoma State campus and began a streak of 9 consecutive wins. During this streak, the offense was led by seniors Matthew Gillan, Ryan Heidrich, Josh Lucero, and Kyle Riddle.

The defense was led by goalie Dylan Fanin and senior Brian Ponzi. In this streak, Sonoma scored wins over UC-Davis, Stanford, Cal-Poly, Virginia Tech, Richmond, and Pittsburgh among others.

As a result of their hard work, this team positioned themselves to receive an invitation to the MCLA National Tournament. Due to games beginning Monday May 13 in Greenville, SC the team will be leaving on Saturday. May 11.

Coach Doug Carl said the team's success was due to the hard work of the senior leadership whose freshmen year losses put the need for hard work, training and coaching into perspective. "You couldn't have a better group of students off the field as well," he said.

The Seniors voted unanimously to forego commencement ceremonies in order to be with their teammates and finish what they started. Support the seniors and the entire team by following the Seawolves on twitter, @nomalax. All the games will also be streamed live on http://mcla.us

NOTE; The Seawolves lost to the Colorado State Rams 9-4 in the quarterfinals of the National Championship tournament in Greenville, SC. SSU ended the season 13-5 with their first tournament berth since 2009.

Alarm Over Possible Spike In Student Loan Interest Rates, May 2, 2013, Petaluma 360

2013-05-03T21:06:51Z

Alarm Over Possible Spike In Student Loan Interest Rates, May 2, 2013, Petaluma 360

Wasp on Media Panel

2013-05-02T18:24:50Z

Jean Wasp, News and Public Information Coordinator, recently gave a presentation to the Association for Fundraising Professionals in Santa Rosa as part of a media panel. Wasp discussed the university's strategy for developing news on its web site and home page. She described how she nurtures relationships with the media and creates story ideas for ongoing coverage of SSU.

Sullins Discusses Moral Arguments for Robotic Weapons Arms Control

2013-05-02T18:21:56Z

Philosophy Professor John P. Sullins will be presenting an invited paper on the moral arguments for robotic weapons arms control as well as speaking on a panel on ethics and autonomous weapons at CyCon, June 4-7, 2013 in Tallinn, Estonia. This conference is sponsored by NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence and IEEE.

His paper will focus on the ethical criticisms of the overuse of telerobotic and semi-autonomous weapons systems which have been enthusiastically embraced by politicians and militaries around the world. The paper suggests certain considerations motivated by the philosophy of technology that might be worthy of addition to future robotic arms control treaties.

]]> Sullins argues that these technologies, through the process of reverse adaptation, can change our notions of just-war theory to the point that caution in their use is recommended until further analysis of these effects can be accomplished.

Ajay Gehlawat Explores Multiple Controversies of "Slumdog" Phenomeon

2013-05-02T18:18:03Z

Hutchins Professor Ajay Gehlawat spent his time as a doctoral student at the City University of New York Graduate Center studying film and theatre. Beyond simply watching movies, Gehlawat became fascinated by representations of race, class, gender and sexuality in cinema. During this time one subject in particular stood out to him: Bollywood.

His body of research encompasses representations of Bollywood in cinema. Continuing with this theme, Gehlawat has recently published The "Slumdog" Phenomenon, a critical anthology responding to the 2008 feature film, Slumdog Millionaire.

]]> Winner of numerous awards and the epicenter of multiple controversies, Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire has fueled a series of debates regarding depictions of India and the slum, its references to Bollywood, its global circulation and success, and its reception by critics and audiences.

The anthology brings together a collection of critical essays exploring the multiple controversies surrounding the film from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Edited by Gehlawat, each of the book's four sections considers a particular aspect of the film- such as its relation to the nation, to the slum and to Bollywood- along with its reception and theorization.

The book seeks to address these controversial topics and, in the process, provide new and innovative ways of looking at the film.

Gehlawat's first book, Reframing Bollywood: Theories of Popular Hindi Cinema (Sage, 2010), combines multiple theoretical approaches to provide a fresh perspective on Bollywood and challenges the homogenizing tendencies in much of the ongoing scholarship in the field.

His research has been predominantly concerned with the construction of femininity in 1970s Bollywood, the viewing of Hindi cinema by subaltern audiences in India, and the use of media in the classroom.

He has also written essays exploring the racial dynamics of The Princess and the Frog, the erotic Orientalism of James Bond, and the cultural identities of Harold and Kumar.

Along with Bollywood and Indian cinema, Gehlawat is concerned, more broadly, with contemporary trends in film studies, postcolonial theory and popular culture.

For additional details about the book, visit www.anthempress.com/the-slumdog-phenomenon

Matt Benney Honored for Educational Equity Contributions

2013-05-02T18:16:26Z

Matthew Benney, Associate Vice President for Academic Support, was recently presented with the Friends of WESTOP award at the Western Association of Educational Opportunity Personnel annual conference in Honolulu, HI recently. The award is given each year to an individual, corporation or organization that "has made significant contributions to the field of educational equity through personal, financial, moral, political or ideological means going above and beyond the call of duty". Former winners have been congressional reps and senators. Benney's nomination was made by Emalyn Lapus from the Japanese Community Youth Council in San Francisco.

]]> Benney currently oversees the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, supervises ten federally funded grant programs and serves as the Principle Investigator for a national training grant through the U.S. Department of Education-Higher Education Programs Division. He has been actively lobbying Congress on educational equity policy issues for more than twenty years and is very active in mentoring young educational equity professionals throughout the western region.

Robert Girling Recognized for Business Simulation Expertise

2013-05-02T18:06:32Z

Business Professor Robert Girling has been committed to teaching his business students through real-world experience. One way he has been able to accomplish this is through the continued use of a computer program called CAPSIM, an online computer based simulation that challenges students to run a $100 million company. His success in the classroom earned him recognition this past January by Management Solutions Inc. (MSI) as Featured Professor of the Month.

After nearly twenty years using this computer-based simulation, both Girling and his students are still finding that CAPSIM is a powerful learning tool for business acumen.

]]> Each week students meet in their company team to make between 100 and 125 business decisions. The decisions cover virtually every aspect of running a business from financing operations to setting prices.

Girling said, "it challenges them to put into practice, not write just about, all that they have learned in their entire college career." Each week they practice applying management skills and building strategies in which students learn. Moreover, each team sees the results of their decisions in comparison with 2000 teams from universities around the world.

McCuan Serves on Election Reform Panel with Congressmen Also on HUFFPO LIVE! Discussing Gun Control Through the Ballot Box

2013-05-02T17:59:23Z

Political Science Professor David McCuan recently participated in a public forum on election reform with Congressmen Jared Huffman and John B. Larson at Dominican University. McCuan joined the congressmen as the lone academic representative. "This was a pretty prestigious invite by Congressman Huffman," McCuan said.

The invitation was extended by Huffman and his office and marked the first constituent meeting/ town hall of his congressional career.

McCuan sat on a panel alongside Larson who earlier this year was named Chairman of the Task Force Election Reform by Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. The Task Force was created to develop a legislative agenda for reforms to take big money out of politics and address flaws in the electoral system.

]]> Phillip Ung of Common Cause, a nonprofit advocacy organization working for political change in America, also spoke at the forum. Students from Dominican College, College of Marin, SSU, and other community leaders were able to discuss these issues and ask questions.

Attending the forum allowed McCuan to share his thoughts concerning campaign finance and reform with individuals who can readily implement those ideas.

He recalls that both Congressmen were "furiously writing notes about the ideas I put forth and asked for a copy of my remarks and talk afterwards."

McCuan regularly offers his perspective on KSRO and KCBS radio one to two times per week depending upon what is happening in politics.

McCuan recently participated in a Huffington Post Live! event on putting gun reform in the hands of the people through ballot initiatives. It can be viewed at http://huff.lv/18ahgqu.