The NSME Impact Magazine is out now!

Welcome to the November newsletter updating you on everything going on in the College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering.

NSME Impact magazine is out now!

We are so excited to share the third issue of our NSME Impact magazine! Inside, you'll find stories about students, faculty, research, outreach and so many other things that make NSME special. Our cover story is about freshwater ecologist Dr. Rae McNeish and her team's efforts to study the ebbs and flows of the Kern River.

Flip through the pages and find previous issues!

The ebbs and flows of researching the Kern River

The mystery of the Kern River is something freshwater ecologist Dr. Rae McNeish has spent the last several years slowly uncovering, learning about the geology of the river, the politics that surround its water flow, the trash that litters it and the creatures that make it their home. Along the way, she’s put her lab on the map as a leader in Kern River research.

Dr. McNeish’s work has already earned the respect of journalist Lois Henry, who covers water issues in the San Joaquin Valley for her independent, nonprofit news organization, SJV Water. Studying the Kern River in whatever wet or dry state it’s in is something she hasn’t seen anyone else tackle.

“I don’t think anyone has done that kind of exacting research on the river so far,” Henry said. “It’s not political or being done under any agenda. She’s just gathering and analyzing the facts as nature presents them. I think that’s highly valuable to the future of Kern River management.”

As dynamic as the Kern River is, so too has been the process of studying it.

CSUB welcomes 150-plus high schoolers for Geology Day

The Department of Geological Sciences at CSUB recently welcomed more than 150 local high school students for its first-ever Geology Day. The event was a chance for the department to get the next generation of geologists excited about exploring the earth beneath their feet.

Prospective students visiting campus for Geology Day on Oct.17 learned all about the wide world of geology and the many different career paths they can take with a degree in the subject. Current geology majors shared about their research experience, while alumni and other working geologists answered questions in a career panel and keynote speaker Kerry Klein talked about her journey from geology graduate to science reporting.

The students were all from dual enrollment geology classes, meaning they are already earning college credits from CSUB as part of their high school education.

“We want to expand our connections with regional high schools and community colleges, and Geology Day offers a way to bring students to campus to engage with our students, faculty and alumni,” said Geology Chair Dr. Anthony Rathburn. “I hope that students came away with a sense of the diversity of geoscience and environmental science careers, the excitement of geoscience activities at CSUB and the many job opportunities in the region.”