Sonoma State University has been repeatedly asked by Telecom Valley companies that surround the campus to aid them in educating their employees. SSU heard that plea and responded by drafting a program that will help meet the needs of industry and the community.
The master's degree program in Computer and Engineering Science (MS-CES) recently received unanimous key campus approval, including the Natural Sciences Curriculum Review Committee, the faculty of the School of Natural Sciences, the Educational Policies Committee and just last week, the Faculty Senate. The program now moves on to endorsement by the CSU Board of Trustees and then the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation.
"We appreciate SSU making this course of study available in our area because we feel it will help attract and further prepare the professional workforce essential to the growth of the New Media Industry in the North Bay," says Mike Campos, vice president of the North Bay Multimedia Association.
"The MS-CES program is a unique and innovative program in which the curriculum has been designed to further the working skills and practical knowledge of engineers, computer scientists and similar professionals," says Anne Swanson, dean of the School of Natural Sciences. Once approval by the Board of Trustees and WASC has been received, classes are expected to begin in Fall 2001.
Students enroll in a 30 unit program designed for the working adult. Classes are offered in the late afternoon and evenings and include 9 units of core courses, 12 units in one of two areas of specialization (Communication and Photonics or Computer Hardware and Software Systems), up to 9 units of electives, and up to 6 units in a capstone experience (thesis, design project or comprehensive exam). Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in the program to earn the degree.
"The program emphasizes hands-on learning, with many of the required courses having a laboratory component," says Saeid Rahimi, SSU professor of applied physics.
The program will be housed in SSU's Salazar Hall in 13,000 sq. ft. of laboratories and instructional support space. The space becomes available once the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center is complete this summer and the current library moves from Salazar Hall to the Information Center.
The MS-CES program is self-supporting through two revenue areas: student fees and community investment. The goal is $8.5 million which includes $900,000 for start-up and a $7.6 million endowment for instructional support and equipment refreshment. Verbal commitments from several Telecom Valley companies have been received which total approximately $5 million.
"Those commitments represent business investments in the long-term economic development of the community," says Ruben Arminana, SSU president.
Extensive interviews with principles from the high tech companies in the North Bay began the process of developing the program; an external market demand study of the geographical region will complete the process for the WASC accreditation.
The MS-CES faculty is composed of professors from Sonoma State University whose expertise and interests traverse the fields of the sciences, mathematics, and engineering, as well as qualified professionals from the community with cutting-edge expertise in the various engineering course options.
For more information, contact Anne Swanson, 707 664-2171 or Saeid Rahimi, 707 664-2169.
As the Y2K craze approaches, Sonoma State University is ready to move into the new millennium. In order to ensure a smooth transition, SSU Police Services and the Information Technology and the Facilities Services divisions, among others have worked for the past year to ensure that areas critical to the ongoing operation of the university will be operational on January 1, 2000.
As usual during the first few weeks of January, the campus will not house students in the residence halls and offices will be closed for its normal closure from 12/27 - 12/31.
To effectively update the status of the university, members of critical departments will be on campus January 1, 2000 to confirm that university systems have made the transition successful.
In order to keep the public informed of the status of the University during the Y2K transition, Sonoma State University has established an information line: 888 533-5388. In addition, updates will be made available on KZST (100.1 FM), KSRO (1350 AM), and KCBS (740 AM) radio stations as well as KFTY TV 50. Interested parties may call for updates after 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 2. The line will be updated daily or as needed.
Dr. Judy Sakanari, associate professor and parasitologist in the department of biology at Sonoma State University has co-authored a paper entitled, "Radiologic-pathologic findings in Baylisascaris procyonis infection: 'Raccoon scat encephalitis'" which will be published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology.She, along with authors Dr. Howard A. Rowley, Dr. Rosalie M.Uht, Dr. Kevin R. Kazacos, Dr. Wendy V. Wheaton, Dr. A. James Barkovich, and Dr. Andrew W. Bollen report a case of a parasitic infection in a young boy that had severe consequences. Normally, the parasite called, Baylisascaris procyonis, is found in raccoons. When people accidentally ingest the eggs of the parasite which are found in the raccoon's feces, the parasite can cause neurological damage including, loss of vision and motor functions. One study found that 8 of 12 raccoons in the Northern California area are infected with this worm. Since raccoons live close to residential areas and frequently visit backyards, it is advisable to clean any raccoon feces found in yards and to keep children from coming into contact with the contaminated feces.
Sakanari also published three other papers this year on some of the biochemical and molecular processes that are involved in the pathogenesis of parasitic infections. This past summer, she was a co-organizer of a national meeting of the American Society of of Parasitologists and Society of Nematologists which was held in Monterey. Sakanari is also an associate editor for an internationally recognized journal, "The Journal of Parasitology." She also works with four senior students on their research projects. Simone Haslam and Laura Corbin are currently expressing recombinant proteins in a yeast expression system and biochemically characterizing the proteins; Tami Yarbrough is working on a test to diagnose a protozoan infection in salmon; and Laura Royal is working on the life history of a parasitic worm that is found the sea otter population along the coast of California.
