News from the College of Sciences
Head Start to Microbiology Research as a Rising Sophomore
Sama Rakin Michael began as a teaching assistant and is now working on genetically modifying bacteria in a lab that focuses on how bacteria induce the metamorphosis of tubeworms, and how this can inform research to develop therapeutic drugs
Binaries are for Computers
“The message that I’d like to deliver to other trans students is this: nothing is more important than who you are. Nothing…” —Brienne Hayes, First Transgender/Nonbinary Person to Graduate with Distinction from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Ancient Baleen Whales Had a Mouthful
A strange phenomenon happens with modern blue whales, humpback whales and gray whales: they have teeth in the womb but are born toothless. Replacing the teeth is baleen, a series of plates composed of thin, hair- and fingernail-like structures growing from the roof of…
SDSU Computer Science Grad Raises $1.6 million to Invest in Underrepresented Entrepreneurs
A newly graduated San Diego State University alum has raised $1.6 million — largely through her Twitter following — to invest in startups founded by diverse people rarely seen in the entrepreneurial world.
Red Flag: Childhood Irritability Could Signal Future Problems
Psychologist Jillian Lee Wiggins received $5.4 million in NIH grants to study irritable youth to predict risk for mental health issues.
Interns Lend a Helping Hand in Disasters
Gabby Smith had just read a news app text message on the horrific migrant-smuggling tragedy in Imperial County: an SUV crammed with 25 people had smashed into a tractor-trailer near the international border, resulting in numerous fatalities.
Big Ideas for Climate Change
Chemists Douglas Grotjahn and Jing Gu will develop catalysts and use microbial fermentation to convert CO2 into chemicals. Microbial biologist Marina Kalyuzhnaya will work on leveraging microbes to consume methane and convert into cell building blocks to produce proteins.
SDSU Astronomy Department Receives $14 Million Bequest
San Diego State University has received the largest donation to a single department in the university’s history, a $14 million gift to the Department of Astronomy.
Virtual Reality: Immersive Learning In Class and the Lab
In biology, students manipulate the skull and different bones to get 360º views of human bones in Sandra Garver’s anatomy class, but they’re not in the lab — this is taking place via remote learning. “In five years we’ll look back and wonder how we ever taught without these immersive learning tools.”
SDSU Joins Nationwide Study of COVID-19 Risk and Severity
Health researchers at SDSU’s South Bay Latino Research Center will join a nationwide study that aims to determine what causes COVID-19 risk and disease severity in diverse communities. The large study of 50,000 people aims to determine what causes disease severity and long-term impacts.
A Legacy in Research
An endowment to support graduate research in chemistry honors the legacy of SDSU President Brage Golding. Former Mayor Susan Golding hopes her father’s endowment will continue to grow, providing needed assistance for graduate students hoping to solve the world’s greatest challenges.
SDSU Professor Rees Garmann’s Research on the Assembly of Bacteriophage MS2 Recognized for Understanding COVID-19 and other Viruses.
Scientists are exploring the physics of viruses, to understand how these pathogens assemble themselves — and might be rent apart.
SDSU Imperial Valley adds B.A. in Math and M.A. in Homeland Security Programs
“It is extremely exciting to see our 17 years of program knowledge instructing homeland security, national security, emergency management, law enforcement, and military professionals inside the SDSU Main Campus Graduate Program in Homeland Security program…”
SDSU Faculty Address Mental Health During a Pandemic
College of Sciences psychology professor Jean Twenge and Florida State University colleague Thomas Joiner compared levels of mental distress experienced by U.S. adults during the pandemic to pre-pandemic distress levels.
Ancient Lake Contributed to Past San Andreas Fault Ruptures and Could Help Explain Fault’s “Earthquake Drought”
SDSU joint Ph.D. student Ryley Hill presented new work using geophysical modeling to quantify how the presence of a large lake overlying the fault could have affected rupture timing on the southern San Andreas in the past.
Halloween 2020: More Risk from Fellow Trick-or-Treaters than the Loot
Researchers say viral transmission risk is low, even when candies are handled by infected persons, but hand washing and disinfecting collected treats reduces risk even further.
Public Trust in Science on the Rise during COVID-19 Pandemic
Conservation ecologist and biology professor Rebecca Lewison concurred, observing that COVID-19 has demonstrated that through coordinated action, daunting challenges can be tackled efficiently.
SDSU Faculty Lead Collaborative COVID-19 Research Efforts: Health Care
Biology professor David Lipson is partnering with San Diego biotechnology company Menon Biosensors and UCSD researchers to develop a new COVID-19 test using a combination of molecular biology and nuclear magnetic resonance technology.