By Emily Anne Espinosa |Staff Writer|
Research programs are expected to expand across the CSU system.
The CSU took in $539 million in research funds for the 2013-2014 academic year, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. As a result of that funding, 15,300 publications and 51,500 research journal citations were made.
“Every campus is continuing to grow their research programs. We expect from 10 percent to 50 percent growth at various campuses within 5 to 10 years,” said Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, chair of the CSU Council of Research Officers, Associate Provost for Research, Dean of Graduate Studies, and a professor of biology at CSUSB, in a recent article published in the Los Angeles Daily News.
“Engagement in research activities connects students to their field of study, allows them to develop critical thinking skills, oral and written communication skills, and provides experiences that will support admission to advanced graduate programs or job applications,” continued Thompson.
At CSUSB, the different research programs include stem cell biology, drug abuse, Arts-in-Corrections, cyber-security, water quality, earthquakes, materials science, neurofeedback, influenza, robotics, app development, creative writing, and music.
CSUSB’s Dr. Renwu Zhang, associate professor from the department of chemistry and biochemistry, and Dr. Robert Phalen, former associate professor of the department of health science and human ecology, recently were accepted in a publication in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
The study was a collaboration with undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry students Aristeo Cataquis Jr., Mahlet Desta and Michael Kloesel, on highly porous polymers for hydrogen fuel storage using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy.
Zhang and Phalen will be presenting the findings of their study at the 17th International Conference of Positron Annihilation in Wuhan, China this September. Research funding was provided through the Office of Student Research (OSR).
“Student research is important because it teaches you to think outside the box. In research, you have to come up with your ideas, find your own solutions to problems. It’s not a structured process like a laboratory class you take at school; you have to figure out how to make things work yourself for the most part,” said Cataquis.
Earlier this May, CSUSB hosted the 29th Annual Research Competition. Two students from CSUSB placed at the competition. Jason Alipio won first place in the Social and Behavioral Sciences undergraduate division, and Pamela Buchanan won second place in the Education graduate student division.
Funding for research programs is obtained from student success initiatives from the CSU system to support the OSR. These programs include Summer Faculty/Student Research Teams, Student Grants, Faculty/Student Grants, funds from the ASI Student Research and Travel program, and small grants from the OSR.
In addition, there are research projects that faculty members conduct themselves, in which students can participate. Some of these projects are supported by external grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“My experiences in student research ultimately propelled me into getting the job that I really want,” said Cataquis.
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