Most of you know about all the exciting learning opportunities that are available at California State University, Stanislaus. Faculty and students are able to study locally, regionally, nationally, and abroad — all the while learning many interesting things through experiential learning. Students and faculty have been able to study in Death Valley, Mexico, Honduras, and hundreds more places during the University's 50-year history.

During the University's winter break in the early part of February, Geography students Elizabeth Machado and Elise Ferguson assisted Geography Professor, Dr. Peggy Hauselt, with her research on historical land cover change on the Channel Islands in Santa Barbara. Dr. Hauselt is exploring the dynamics of plant cover change brought about through human and environmental activity over the past 150 years. The students researched archival materials including historical photographs and documents at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and visited the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden to learn about the region’s natural and endemic vegetation. The research culminated with field study on the Channel Islands where land use change could be studied first-hand

Dr. Hauselt’s research project is funded by a University Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Grant. She is an Assistant Professor in Geography.  Her research and teaching interests include modeling the effects of agriculture on environmental and biogeographic landscapes in the western United States and East Asia. She plans to publish her work in Geographical Review later this year.

Elise Ferguson, left in above photo, is a fourth-year student in Geography. Her interests are in environmental geography and social justice and she plans to attend law school in the future. Elizabeth Machado is a third-year student in Geography. She is a cultural geographer with interests in migration and human-environmental change. She looks forward to an academic career and is currently exploring masters and doctoral programs in Geography.

Who knows, maybe during CSU Stanislaus' next 50 years of education service, students or faculty might be able to study the cosmos while actually being in space! It is actually a possibility — and an solid example of a Robert Browning quote that is ringing in my head right now. He said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that a person's reach should exceed their grasp. Now that's solid advice.

For more information, you might want to check out these links to the University's Geography Web site and the University's Study Abroad Web page. 

It is to be noted that a big thanks is issued to CSU Stanislaus Geography Chair Jennifer Helzer for submitting a portion of writing that appears in this blog entry, along with the great photos.