When Professor of Biology Terry McGlynn writes about teaching on his blog Small Pond Science, he often receives comments from science instructors who are dedicated to their students but admit they lack formal pedagogical training. With his new book The Chicago Guide to College Science Teaching, McGlynn offers a practical guide for anyone teaching STEM disciplines at the college level, from newly appointed faculty and graduate students teaching lab sections, to well-seasoned professors seeking new and creative ideas. McGlynn, a recognized expert in the biology of ants and how insects respond to challenging environments, orients his research program around providing students the ... Read More
College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
Faculty Highlights: October 2020
Our faculty members participate in conferences around the world, conduct groundbreaking research, and publish books and journal papers that contribute to their field and highlight their expertise. We feature those accomplishments and more in this section. To share faculty news, email ucpa@csudh.edu. College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences Ximena Cid, professor and chair of the Physics Department, was a featured speaker on Oct. 20 during 2020 SACNAS – The National Diversity in STEM Virtual Conference, the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity event in the country. Her inspirational presentation was titled, “Who We Are and Where We Come From Shape Who We Are as ... Read More
Study Finds Megadroughts and Humans Caused Extinction of Giant Species on Madagascar
Ashish Sinha, a professor of earth sciences at CSUDH, has co-authored a recent research study which found that while droughts on the island of Madagascar contributed to the extinction of such giant species the Dodo bird, gorilla-sized lemurs, and the Elephant Bird, it may have been humans that ultimately sealed their fate. Published Oct. 16 in Science Advances, the study shows that the crash of megafauna (large or giant animals, especially of a given region) that happened around 1,500 years ago took place after a couple of centuries of human settlement. This heightened human activity, in combination with a particularly severe spell of region-wide drought, may have doomed the large birds ... Read More
CISE Receives $7.6 Million to Create Hybrid Teacher Credential Program
(Carson, Ca.) California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) has been awarded the first year of a $7.6 million multi-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to develop an innovative teacher education program that offers the unique opportunity to earn a multiple-subject and single-subject credential in one program. Most universities only offer these credentials in separate programs. The Accelerated Preparation Program for Leaders in Education (APPLE) program will receive $4,946,297 over three years or $7,591.553 over five years to prepare approximately 350 teachers for the classroom. CSUDH students who has gone through APPLE will teach in the Los Angeles Unified ... Read More
Faculty Researchers Provide In-Depth Analysis of Fake News
Researchers at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) have released the results of a study that provides an in-depth understanding of who produces and spreads “fake news,” and who is duped by it. The findings are part of a larger study on the psychological constructs associated with fake news consumers and producers. Developed in CSUDH’s George Marsh Applied Cognition Laboratory by Professor of Psychology Mark Carrier, Professor of Communications Nancy A. Cheever, and students from the lab, data from the 14-month study was collected from an anonymous online questionnaire conducted from December 2018 to February 2020. The study’s 2,283 participants lived in college ... Read More
