Helping experienced managers move into top leadership roles is the first goal of Sonoma State University's first Executive MBA program set to begin in January 2010.
An informational open house hosted by the School of Business and Economics describes the 18-month executive program at 4:30 p.m. at Aug. 18 in Schulz 3001. Interested applicants are urged to attend.
The EMBA from Sonoma State is a fully-accredited Masters in Business Administration degree, delivered with the schedule, relevance, and leadership focus that accomplished working professionals demand. "The North Bay needs an EMBA program because there are companies here that must add leaders to their ranks," says Dr. Rob Eyler, Chair of Economics at SSU.
"The point is that today - in particular in small firms - almost everyone is in a leadership position. Leaders need an education, training and a network of colleagues to help them meet that challenge."
At a tuition cost of $35,000, the SSU program provides an economical opportunity to gain the quality education that can launch one's career to the next level of leadership and management, Eyler says.
"This can translate into real dollars for graduates." A December 2008 report by the Wall Street Journal shows an initial pay increase of up to 20% for those who complete an EMBA.
SSU's program is a first for the North Bay and provides a varied course schedule in leadership, talent management, financial analysis and marketing. It also includes a sailing trip to the southern coast of California to foster team leadership skills and a trip abroad to study international business. Applications are being accepted beginning Oct. 15.
Dr. William Silver, Dean of the School of Business and Economics, says the most important part of an EMBA is relevance.
"First, the curriculum needs to focus on business tools and strategies that are immediately applicable to the challenges and opportunities that business leaders face. Students in our program will leave the classroom each weekend with tools they can use on Monday."
For further information, call (707) 664-2220 or e-mail emba@sonoma.edu. The School of Business and Economics Web site also offers details about the program and a Q&A with Bill Silver and Rob Eyler at http://www.sonoma.edu/sbe/emba_q_and_a.shtml.
The Sonoma County Office of Education and SSU's School of Science and Technology partnered to provide high school juniors with an exciting new educational program, focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics this summer.
They will present the results of their work in special presentations on Tuesday, Sept. 1 in the Darwin Lobby from 6:30-8 p.m.
"This was a unique opportunity for high school students to directly participate in research projects under the supervision of Sonoma State's Science and Technology faculty," said Saeid Rahimi, Dean of the School of Science and Technology.
Twelve students were selected from a competitive application process, and participated in the 4-6 week STEM internships under the mentorship of research faculty. Students were given an opportunity to work on challenging projects and to become familiar with state-of-the-art research and development facilities. Internships include coursework, data gathering and analysis, job shadowing, field studies and observations, and visits to worksites employing science and technology professionals.
A list of the selected students and their projects includes:
Sophia Grubb
* Rancho Cotate High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Meng-Chih Su, Department of Chemistry (sum@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Investigation of Surface Bound Proteins
* The main research effort in this group is to study the behavior of protein films adsorbed to substrate surfaces for potential use as optical, chemical or electrochemical sensors. The overall goal is to establish control over how the protein adsorbs to the surface, and how the protein responds to chemical stimulus once on the surface. The understanding of the fundamental principles governing the surface adsorption is necessary to improve control of growing proteins on various substrates, which is crucial to many practical applications, such as protein chip technologies.
Tiffany Daud
* Petaluma High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Anita Catlin, Department of Nursing (anita.catlin@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: How to Determine the Need for End of Life Care: Nurses and Doctors Speak
* Presently, two-thirds of the annual heath care budget in the United States is spent in the last two months of patients' lives. There is confusion and debate amongst both families and health care providers about when exactly a condition is "terminal" or "life limiting." 250 doctors and nurses were surveyed to identify at what point they determined that a patient was dying, would no longer benefit from curative efforts, and could be transferred to supportive hospice care. Student assists in data entry, analysis and manuscript preparation for publication.
Faith Deis
* El Molino High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Cohen, Department of Biology (cohenm@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Biomass to Biogas
* In collaboration with the City of Santa Rosa, Dr. Cohen's laboratory has launched an initiative to examine the feasibility of cultivating aquatic vegetation on treated wastewater in order to lower levels of residual pollutants in the water. Key to the success of this project is finding valuable uses for the harvested biomass. This project investigates the potential to generate methane from the harvested biomass, alone and in combination with agricultural feedstocks that are readily available in Sonoma County. Specifically, the student prepares replicates of small-scale digestion cultures in the laboratory and monitors the rate and yield of biogas production. Analysis of the results should reveal the existence of synergistic, neutral or inhibitory interactions between substrates. Additionally, the student assists in preparing samples of the feedstocks and spent digestates for carbon and nitrogen analysis. Concurrent seed germination experiments will assess the suitability of digestate as an agricultural soil amendment.
Cagsar Apaydin and Kjellen Belcher
* Petaluma High School and Santa Rosa High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lynn Cominsky, Director of E/PO (lynnc@universe.sonoma.edu)
* Co-Mentor: Dr. Kevin McLin, GORT Director (mclin@universe.sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Monitoring Active Galaxies with the GLAST Optical Robotic Telescope
* The Education and Public Outreach program at Sonoma State operates a small observatory located in the Pepperwood Preserve of the California Academy of Sciences. The observatory houses the GLAST Optical Robotic Telescope, a Celestron 14-inch, remotely operated telescope. For the past several years GORT has been used to make observations in support of NASA high-energy astrophysics missions (Swift, XMM), and with the launch this past year of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST), the pace of work at the observatory has picked up. The primary task of the observatory is to monitor active galaxies for changes in brightness. It is used to do both routine monitoring, for which we have a catalog of 26 objects, and partake in coordinated observing campaigns with other observatories, both on the ground and in space. The interns learned how to make these observations and how to use computer software to reduce and analyze the acquired data. Included in their tasks is learning how to accurately measure stellar brightnesses and the effects of the atmosphere on such measurements, as well as becoming acquainted with the motions of objects in the sky.
Riley Yaylian
* Orchard View Charter School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sazia Eliza, Department of Engineering Science (eliza@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Intensity Control of a Light Bulb
* In the operation theatre of a hospital, the light intensity affects the visibility of a surgeon. It is quite helpful if the theatre is equipped with an auto adjusted emergency light panel. If any of the working light goes off, the emergency light will be automatically turned on. The auto turn on of a lamp/light bulb can be made through the design of a simple electronic circuit. The darkness of the room will be sensed by a phototransistor. As the intensity of the room goes low, the phototransistor will draw less current from the supply passing more current through the light bulb. The light will be automatically turned on to maintain the same degree of illumination in the room. In this project, the student learned about ideas of transistors and electrical lighting with the knowledge on resistance, current and voltage.
Eric Lu
* Rancho Cotate High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mohammad Haider, Department of Engineering Science (haider@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Sensor Signal Processing and Telemetry
* Recent technological improvements of health care monitoring equipments, micro- and nano-fabrication processes and wireless communication technologies have led to the developments of miniature, lightweight, and energy-efficient circuit solutions for biomedical sensor applications. The silicon-based micro-fabrication and microelectromechanical techniques have been successfully applied for the fabrication of a large range of miniature biomedical sensors. Ubiquitous growth of wireless sensor networks has opened up a new and innovative application of wireless technology in medical as well as in healthcare field. This trend has just been started and it is expected that wireless networks are going to become an integral part of medical solutions due to their benefits in reducing healthcare costs and increasing accessibility for the patients as well as the healthcare professionals. With this project the student gets hands-on experience with the sensors, especially biomedical sensors, simple circuit design technique and basic concept of wireless communication.
Jared Carr
* Montgomery High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Izabela Kanaana, Department of Mathematics and Statistics (izabela.kanaana@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Graph Theory and its Real-World Applications
* Graph theory is a branch of mathematics that is easily accessible and does not require much prior knowledge, but has many real-world applications in a variety of fields. For example, consider a railway network connecting various towns. How can we find the shortest (or the cheapest) route between two specified towns in the network? Is it possible to plan a trip to visit each town exactly once and then return to the starting point? How do we schedule a route for a maintenance team so that they cover each section of railway at least once, and travel as little as possible? All these questions can be answered using graph theory. In this project we introduce elements of graph theory and consider its applications to problems of this type.
Katie Schmidt
* Healdsburg High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ali Kujoory, Department of Engineering Science (ali.kujoory@ieee.org)
* Project Title: Design and Build a Pedometer
* A pedometer is a device that records the distance a walker or a jogger covers over time. In this project, the student makes use of a switch that can respond to the body motion at each step and trigger a circuit that would eventually increment a counter and register properly the number of steps that have been covered.
Isabel Love
* Santa Rosa High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jeremy Qualls, Department of Physics and Astronomy (quallsj@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: An Investigation of Magnetocaloric Materials Towards Refrigeration
* Magnetocaloric materials are novel materials that get hot or cold when a magnetic field is applied to them. This allows them to be ideal candidates for components of more efficient refrigerator devices. Over the last five years a wide number of new materials have been realized that have large magnetocaloric effects with materials that are not too expensive or toxic. In this project, the student works with a number of magnetocaloric materials looking for the impact of pressure and sample geometry in attempts to better understand and improve this phenomenon. SSU has a state of the art Magnetic Field Laboratory with fields up to 17 Tesla that the student worked with.
Taylor Lee
* Petaluma High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Suzanne Rivoire, Department of Computer Science (suzanne.rivoire@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Open-Source Software for Modeling Computer Power Consumption
* The intern participatd in the release of an open-source software package to model a computer's power consumption and help prepare the software for release by adding features, improving the performance of the current (unreleased) implementation, testing the software and models developed, and/or producing documentation for the user community.
Weston Stauffer
* Petaluma High School
* Faculty Mentor: Dr. Hongtao Shi, Department of Physics and Astronomy (hongtao.shi@sonoma.edu)
* Project Title: Magnetic Semiconductors
* Semiconductors have important applications in data storage, mobile devices, and optoelectronics, etc. While silicon is the most popular semiconductor for electronic devices, other materials are being explored for high-speed applications and for optical applications, such as light-emitting diodes and laser diodes, in the blue or ultraviolet regimes. In this project, electrochemical reactions were used to fabricate zinc oxide films on different wafers, a material suitable for blue or UV applications. Facilities in the Keck Microanalysis laboratory on the campus were used to investigate the structural and optical properties of these samples. The samples were doped with magnetic ions to try to form diluted magnetic semiconductors for future applications in spintronic devices.
The STEM Program is open each summer to high school juniors who are enrolled in science, mathematics, technology, and/or pre-engineering coursework in Sonoma County high schools. Upon completion of the internship, students receive a $1,000 stipend underwritten by the Sonoma County Office of Education.
The students are also be invited to enroll in related courses at Sonoma State University during their senior year of high school. Attendance at these classes will require concurrent enrollment at SSU and their local high school.
Despite the recent closure of spring admissions to new and transfer students, Sonoma State University's School of Education has been approved to accept applications for Spring 2010 admissions for those interested in obtaining a teaching credential or a master's degree.
Offerings in credential programs range from single and multiple subjects, special education, and professional administrative services. Master's programs are offered in curriculum, teaching and learning, educational technology, educational administration, early childhood education, reading and language, and special education.
Deadline for applications is Oct. 1, 2009.
Application information and forms, deadlines for applications, and interview dates are available at http://www.sonoma.edu/education/.
For further information, call (707) 664-3115.
As part of an overall strategy to address an unprecedented budget reduction of $584 million for 2009-10, California State University campuses announced earlier that student applications for the 2010 spring term - with very few exceptions.
"Only fully-eligible first-time freshmen, upper division undergraduate transfers or graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants who have applied for admission prior to July 6, 2009 may be offered admission to the 2010 winter term," said Jeri Echeverria, CSU executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer.
The CSU has typically enrolled more than 35,000 freshmen, undergraduate transfer and graduate students during the spring term.
Despite budget cuts, CSU's enrollment for the past several years has exceeded the state funding received for each student. Echeverria said that the measure is needed to bring enrollment in line with available resources.
Overall, the CSU is looking to reduce its enrollment by 40,000 students system wide for 2010-2011 through a combination of enrollment tools. The decision to close spring admissions is part of the overall effort to reduce enrollment.
SSU plans to cut its enrollment by 450 students over the next two years.
The California State University will defer State University Fee payments for the summer and fall 2009 term for CSU students who experience delays receiving Cal Grants from the California Student Aid Commission. The State Controller and the CSAC have informed higher education institutions of delays in the payment of Cal Grant A and B awards.
The state began issuing IOUs due to a cash shortage resulting from failure to adopt and sign a state 2009-10 budget that closes the projected $26.3 billion General Fund shortfall.
To provide for CSU's financially-neediest students who rely on Cal Grant A and B awards, CSU campuses will delay student payment of the State University Fee until the CSAC is able to disburse Cal Grant funds to campuses.
Cal Grant B recipients also receive a stipend from the state. However, due to the proposed system budget reductions of $584 million and state cash-flow problems, the CSU is not in a position to automatically cover these cash stipends to students until the CSAC actually distributes the funds.
While these students will receive their federal Pell Grant awards in addition to other forms of financial aid, some students may still face a financial hardship to enroll for the summer and fall semesters.
In these cases, CSU campuses will � on a case-by-case basis � provide short-term emergency loans to the neediest students, provided students have exhausted all alternative funding sources.
"CSU is committed to ensuring that this situation with the Cal Grants does not hurt our students' academic progress," said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. "Many students and their families rely on Cal Grants to cover the cost of education. We will do what we can to provide for the neediest of students, many of whom are the first of their family to attend college."
New Awards
Gov. Schwarzenegger has also proposed that the state of California not fund new awards in the 2009-10 budget. While a legislative conference committee rejected that proposal, budget negotiations within the state Capitol are ongoing.
At this time, CSAC is warning all students that new awards are considered tentative pending a final budget.
More than 60,000 CSU students receive Cal Grant awards.
The recent economic troubles of a Sonoma County real estate developer Clem Carinalli, who was involved in loans from the Sonoma State University Academic Foundation, did not negatively impact the Foundation's endowment pool or student scholarships, says Patricia McNeill, Foundation president.
A July 1, 2009 article in The Press Democrat reported that Carinalli's loans put the Foundation in jeopardy when he recently defaulted on a $1.2 million loan which was backed by a first deed of trust for Sonoma County property.
The Foundation is currently in the process of taking ownership of the property in lieu of foreclosure, says Chief Financial Officer Laurence Furukawa-Schlereth. The only other outstanding Carinalli loan, for $235,500, was not in default and has been paid in full.
McNeill and Furukawa-Schlereth have responded to the newspaper's reporting with a guest editorial published July 17, 2009. It responds to many of the issues raised by the article.
The guest editorial follows:
CARINELLI LOANS WERE LEGAL AND ETHICAL
By Patricia McNeill, President, SSU Academic Foundation and Laurence Furukawa-Schlereth, Chief Financial Officer, Sonoma State University
Like you, we believe it is very important for Sonoma State University to keep its students, faculty, donors and the public at large properly informed on issues of concern to them.
Recently, you have read about loans, secured by real estate, that were made by the University’s Academic Foundation to a local real estate developer, Clem Carinalli. These types of investments were made in accordance with all legal, ethical and fiduciary guidelines. They were part of an investment strategy that has been successful for more than 15 years. These investments outperformed other types of fixed income category investments in the Foundation’s total portfolio providing an average annualized rate of return of approximately 9%.
Some questions have arisen which we wish to clarify:
· At no time have any taxpayer funds been used by the Foundation to make investments
· Scholarships were not negatively impacted
· The endowment pool has not been negatively impacted
· Mr. Carinalli resigned from the Foundation Board before any of the loans were made to him
· Loan interest rates were consistent with loans made to other borrowers in the same time frame
· Loans were secured by first deeds of trust and serviced through a brokerage firm
· At no time was the reported decline in the Foundation assets due to any financial issues associated with Mr. Carinalli.
Earning and sustaining the trust of the campus and community is one of our highest priorities and guides our every decision. Since 1974, the Foundation has existed to support the mission of the University in providing the finest education to our students. Its purpose is to receive and administer gifts, endowments, scholarships and planned giving. Its activities are directed by a board of community members, students, faculty and administrators.
The loan investments involving Mr. Carinalli represent a small part of the Academic Foundation's total investment portfolio and primarily support a charitable remainder trust program in which many beneficiaries have received steady returns on their investment.
We encourage you to learn more about the SSU Academic Foundation and its investment policy at http://www.sonoma.edu/afd/fnd/.
SSU has earned and maintained the trust of the community throughout its nearly 50-year history. We take this responsibility very seriously and continue to provide integrity, honesty and transparency to our business practices. Our students benefit from the generosity of members of the community.
On behalf of those students, we offer our thanks and our continued commitment to excellence.
Hundreds of academic classes and many degree programs will be available through Sonoma State University's School of Extended Education in the spring 2010 semester despite the fact that traditional state-supported program admissions are on hold due to the state budget crisis.
The School of Extended Education Extended is self-supporting and does not rely on state-generated funding. The School is working closely with the academic schools and departments to help mitigate some of the negative effects caused by the economic crisis in the state, says Dean Mark Merickel.
The School currently offers academic degree programs in Liberal Studies (BA), Spanish (MA), Depth Psychology (MA), Organizational Development (MA), Action for a Viable Future (MA), and Computer/Engineering (CES). The School of Business and Economics will soon be offering a new Executive MBA through Extended Education.
All of these extended degree programs are fully accredited and are approved through the same curriculum and degree-granting schools as those offered traditionally through state-supported operations.
Extended Education also offers individual academic classes during January and August intersessions, summer term, online, evening/weekend, and through "Open University."
"We are making every effort to work in concert with the academic schools and departments to offer courses and programs for both non-traditional adult students as well as traditionally-enrolled students who need classes that can no longer be offered due to the severe budget cuts to higher education," he says.
"Providing greater access to Sonoma State University's intellectual, cultural, and educational resources is our role," says Merickel.
For information about offerings at the School of Extended Education, contact Barbara Brooks at (707) 664-2394 or visit online at http://www.sonoma.edu/exed/.
