NOTE: Faculty, if you are interviewed and quoted by news media, or if your work has been cited, and you have an online link to the article or video, please let us know. Contact us at news@csusb.edu.     


CSUSB professor quoted in article about planetary bodies called ‘Centaurs’
Smithsonian Magazine
Dec. 6, 2021

Laura Woodney, CSUSB physics and astronomy professor, was quoted in an article about newly published paper on “Centaurs,” a multitude of city-sized chunks of rock and ice that are in between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune. The paper suggests sending a spacecraft near Jupiter to observe how a Centaur becomes a comet, and having it follow the comet as it journeys toward the sun.

“It’s a very exciting idea,” says Woodney, who was not involved with the current study, but has worked on similar investigations for possible Centaur missions. The proposed target, LD2, “is one of these pristine, outer-solar-system objects that would be really fascinating to follow, to study, to see what it’s composed of.”

The initial article misidentified the name of the university.

Read the complete article at “The ambitious idea to study the evolution of a comet.”


Taste of Research event held at CSUSB Palm Desert Campus
Redlands-Loma Linda Patch
Dec. 4, 2021

The Taste of Research event, hosted by the Office of Student Research (OSR) at Cal State San Bernardino, was held at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus on Dec. 1.

The mission of the Office of Student Research is to facilitate the engagement of students in scholarly and creative activities related to their disciplines by providing resources that support both student scholars and faculty mentors.

The event kicked off with a welcome by Palm Desert Campus Dean Jake Zhu, followed by remarks by Ryan Keating, OSR director, who discussed the importance of undergraduate students getting involved with research during their time at CSUSB.

Palm Desert Campus faculty members Sarah Dunn, kinesiology; Pablo Gomez, psychology; Michael Karp, history; and Deirdre Lanesskog, social work, participated in a panel discussion to share their thoughts about undergraduate research. They all agreed that participating in research activities as an undergraduate student helps develop important and necessary skills for the job market and graduate school.

Read the complete article at “Taste of Research event held at CSUSB Palm Desert Campus.”


CSUSB professor comments on the roots of recent anti-Asian hate incidents
Los Angeles Daily News/Southern California News Group
Dec. 3, 2021

Brian Levin, director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was quoted in an article about Compassion in San Gabriel Valley, an all-volunteer organization, launched in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate incidents during the pandemic. Their efforts include escorting seniors in public, rallies to raise awareness and self-defense workshops.

Some of the anti-Asian hate incidents have their roots in political rhetoric. Then-President Donald Trump’s rhetoric linking China and Asia to the pandemic is connected to the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in recent years, said Levin. “What we’re seeing is the effect of a combination of a catalytic, fear-inducing event (the pandemic) along with conspiracy theories and invective from the president,” Levin said.

Read the complete article at “In a time when Asian elders have become targets, San Gabriel Valley youths step up, speak out.”


These news clips and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines.”