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25 Years of Impact: Help Fund the Next Chapter

05/12/2025

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This year marks a special milestone for the Sonoma State University Library: it has been 25 years since the Schulz Information Center first opened its doors. Since 2000, Shulz has served as a vibrant hub of learning, connection, and innovation for students, faculty, and the broader community.

As we reflect on the past 25 years, we're looking to the future, and we're inviting you to be part of it.

Today, we're proud to launch our 25th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign: 25 Years of Impact.

Through this campaign, we aim to raise support for three key initiatives that directly impact student success:

Expanding Access to Course Materials

We're building on a successful pilot program that provided access to over 300 textbooks and learning resources to students for free. Your support helps us grow this program and remove financial barriers to education.

Investing in Digital Creation Tools

From podcasting and video production to 3D priting and digital storytelling, we're expanding our Makerspace to give students hands-on opportunities to learn, create, and share their voices.

Transforming Library Spaces

We're reimagining the library to be more inclusive, wellness-focused, and responsive to the needs of today's learners, including improved study spaces, a refreshed family study room, and community-centered design.

Over the next several months, we'll be sharing 25 Years in 25 Stories--highlighting the people and experiences that have shaped the library's legacy. And we'll be inviting you to join us for three special events this fall, including a student celebration and a community party honoring this milestone.

This campaign runs through November 7, 2025. Whether you're an alumn, a long-time supporter, or a first-time donor, you can make a real difference in the lives of SSU students.

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The library will be closed for Juneteenth

06/18/2025

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The library will be closed on Thursday, June 19 in honor of Juneteenth. We will reopen on Friday, June 20 for our regularly scheduled hours (7:30 am to 5:00 pm).

Want to learn more about Juneteenth? The library can help you with that.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of chattel slavery in the United States in 1865. While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed two years earlier, the last enslaved people were not freed until the end of the Civil War, in Galveston, Texas, in 1865. You can read more about Juneteenth in the Encyclopedia of African American History, online. If you want to dig a little deeper into the history, check out On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed (available in print in the library) or Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration by Edward T. Cotham (available online with an SSU account).

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. You can learn more about Juneteenth as a holiday, including information about the state and federal legislation designated it has such, at congress.gov.

You might also want to check out the posthumously published novel by Ralph Ellison, Juneteenth. The novel was compiled from over 2,000 pages of material he had written over a period of 40 years by his literary executor John F. Callahan.

And the Sonoma State Office of Equity and Belonging has created page with links to more information about Juneteenth.

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Summer Reading

06/02/2025

Laura Krier

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It's summertime and the perfect time to pick up a good book for a little relaxing reading. The library's got you covered! Check out our fun reading collection in Lobo's Lounge and find your perfect beach read. Here are a few highlights that we've recently received!

The Harder I Fight the More I Love You by Neko Case

ISBN: 9781538710500

Publication Date: 2025

In The Harder I Fight The More I Love You, Case brings her trademark candor and precision to a memoir that traces her evolution from an invisible girl "raised by two dogs and a space heater" in rural Washington state to her improbable emergence as an internationally-acclaimed talent.

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

ISBN: 9780593653982

Publication Date: 2025

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks is a poignant memoir that chronicles the author's journey through grief and healing following the sudden death of her husband, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Tony Horwitz, in 2019.

Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein

ISBN: 9780385550703

Publication Date: 2025

Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein is a richly imagined reworking of Dickens’s Oliver Twist, told from the perspective of Jacob Fagin—a Jewish pickpocket and reluctant mentor—who navigates the brutal streets of Victorian London while wrestling with survival, identity, and the moral cost of his choices.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney

ISBN: 9781982190248

Publication Date: 2025-02-18

Jane Austen's Bookshelf investigates the disappearance of Austen's heroes -- women writers who were erased from the Western canon -- to reveal who they were, what they meant to Austen, and how they were forgotten.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida; E. Madison Shimoda (Translator)

ISBN: 9780593818749

Publication Date: 2024

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida is a heartwarming Japanese novel that follows a mysterious Kyoto clinic where emotionally troubled patients are prescribed cats as therapy, leading to transformative journeys of healing and self-discovery through the unique bonds they form with their feline companions.

Find more great summer reads by perusing the most recent edition of our New Books email. And if you want to receive our New Books email in your inbox every other month, you can sign up online.

The library is open all summer, so stop by and find a great read for these long summer days.

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Focus On: SSU Research

05/30/2025

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Our amazing SSU faculty continue to publish great research every month. Check out some of the latest publications.

Bouvet, Florence, and Puspa Delima Amri. “From Margins to Headlines: Analyzing the Determinants of Increased Media Focus on Income Inequality.” Social Science Quarterly., vol. 106, no. 3, 2025.

Abstract: This study examines the determinants of media coverage on income inequality across nine OECD countries from 1980 to 2021, aiming to understand its increased salience after the Global Financial Crisis despite minimal changes in actual inequality trends. Using a novel dataset of over 400 million newspaper articles, we analyze the media coverage volume and tone, examining their relationships with economic fundamentals and extra-economic factors. Our results show that economic fundamentals account for less than half of the variation in coverage, while the rise of populism and Piketty's book publication coincided with increased attention. The media focused more on market income inequality, potentially skewing public perception. The findings highlight the significant role of extra-economic factors in shaping inequality coverage, emphasizing the need for political leaders to communicate economic successes more effectively given media tendencies to focus on negative developments.

Burke, Megan, and Martina Ferrari. “Disobedient Anonymity and the Politics of Protesting Violence against Women.” Feminist Theory., vol. 26, no. 2, 2025, pp. 468–85.

Abstract: This article accounts for a particular kind of politicised anonymity, namely ‘disobedient anonymity’, that operates as a liberatory response to the longue durée of gender violence. We examine the street performance Un violador en tu camino created by the Chilean feminist theatre collective LASTESIS, to show how disobedient anonymity is an embodied and collective disruption of colonial subjectification and state-sanctioned gender violence. Building on the insights of the Argentinian decolonial feminist scholar Rita Segato's analysis of high-intensity patriarchy as well as discussions of perverse anonymity in critical phenomenology, we examine how disobedient anonymity operates in Un violador as an embodied practice that makes possible a decolonising, feminist liberatory public. We argue that through the deployment of disobedient anonymity, Un violador re-territorialises and re-temporalises colonial fields of sens. In doing so, it institutes a new form of political subjectivity that upends colonial logics.

Martin, Claire Emilie, et al. “Luck of the Draw: Gambling, Marriage, and the Labor Economy in Clorinda Matto de Turner’s Herencia.” The Palgrave Handbook of Transnational Women’s Writing in the Long Nineteenth Century, Springer International Publishing :, 2024, pp. 305–21.

Abstract: Clorinda Matto de Turner has been studied as an important naturalist writer. However, her use of economic topics deserves more attention. Herencia exposes her anxieties surrounding women’s limited work options, economic risk, and Peru’s rapid modernization and financial upheavals after the War of the Pacific. It communicates the dangers of economic deals taking place in spaces that excluded women and the risks of valuing appearances and social climbing over practical financial decisions. Matto de Turner employs symbolic plot devices such as business plans, the lottery and the casino to consider financial decisions by her characters, offering somewhat conflicting messages about economic dangers, luck, and money. This study surveys the economically risky activities to reveal their relationship to women’s lack of financial power and work opportunities in Peru.

Wu, W., Castronovo, F., Luo, Y., Liang, A., Gomez, F., Kassis, S., Wolcott, A. “Faculty Learning Community (FLC) as a Structured Intervention to Prepare Higher Education STEM Faculty for Classroom Integration of Extended Reality (XR).” Computers & Education: X Reality, vol. 6, 2025.

Abstract: Numerous factors may have contributed to the slow diffusion of XR in higher education STEM classrooms. This research underscores the role of faculty as change agents for innovation and a key success factor for effective XR integration in STEM education. Focusing on faculty professional development, this research study aims to examine peer-led academic communities of practice known as Faculty Learning Community (FLC) as a structured intervention to foster faculty's acceptance, exploration, and hands-on experiment with teaching with XR across STEM disciplines. By evaluating the impacts of participating in a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded XR Faculty Learning Community (XR-FLC), this research studied two cohorts of twenty STEM faculty and their lived experience in the XR-FLC to understand their developed aptitude and perspectives toward meaningful and intentional classroom integration of XR through guided course redesign and tryouts. Multiple streams of quantitative and qualitative evaluation data were collected via formative and summative surveys and semi-structured interviews in focus groups. Thematic analyses were conducted to gain insights into how and to what extent the XR-FLC achieved its intended objectives. The research results revealed multifaceted barriers faculty typically encountered when integrating XR and suggested potential pathways to navigate them. Overall, the XR-FLC experience fostered faculty's growth in technological, content, and pedagogical knowledge, while enhancing their proficiency and confidence in the intentional use of XR in STEM classrooms.

Gin, W. “Classificatory versus Transformative Data Regimes: Towards a Positive Right to Data Production and Analysis.” Handbook on Governance and Data Science., Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, 2025, pp. 316–31.

Abstract: Data is produced, analyzed, and used in two ways. Data regime 1 classifies and sorts subjects into groups, often for the purpose of economizing resources. Data regime 2 aims to experiment and transform individual subjects, allowing subjects to transcend those classifications. In the contemporary era of big data analytics, the majority of data analytics corresponds to data regime 1, though there have been sporadic attempts to move to data regime 2 in different areas. The predominance of data regime 1 in contemporary social formations creates two kinds of inequality. There is an overall epistemological inequality in that the ways of thinking associated with classifying and economizing predominate over experimenting and transforming. There is also a distributive inequality, in that only some privileged actors and entities can successfully engage in the iterative experimentation of data regime 2, while others are stuck primarily being the "objects" of the classificatory schemes of data regime 1. From this perspective, the chapter concludes that there is a positive right to the production of data to allow more individuals access to the benefits of data regime 2.

Anand, Bhaskar, et al. “Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Frameworks for Real-World Application toward Adsorptive Capturing of Gaseous Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds in Air.” Coordination Chemistry Reviews., vol. 539, 2025.

Abtract: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials with a high degree of tunability in terms of chemical functionality and morphology (e.g., pore size). Because of such advantageous properties, MOFs are recognized as effective adsorbents against diverse pollutants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, as the use of MOFs has generally been confined to lab bench-top small-scale studies, their real-world applications can encounter various operational challenges (e.g., flow constriction, performance impairment due to humidity, framework collapse, secondary pollution, low regenerability, exorbitant upfront cost, and limited scalability). To help overcome these issues, this review focuses on the scalability of MOF-based adsorbent in relation to their physicochemical properties (relative to the “gold standard” BPL AC as a commercial activated carbon produced by Calgon Carbon) along with their performance evaluation toward nonpolar aromatic VOCs (e.g., the sorption partition coefficient [PC] at specific inlet partial pressure [for air purification <0.1 Pa]). This review is thus expected to offer a better understanding of the synthesis, modification, and functionalization of MOFs to realize their upscaled application for large-scale air purification systems.

Kelly, Allison, et al. “Using Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) to Measure Forest Canopy Cover and Individual Tree Height Metrics in Northern California Forests.” Forests., vol. 16, no. 4, 2025.

Abstract: Quantifying forest structure to assess changing wildfire risk factors is critical as vulnerable areas require mitigation, management, and resource allocation strategies. Remote sensing offers the opportunity to accurately measure forest attributes without time-intensive field inventory campaigns. Here, we quantified forest canopy cover and individual tree metrics across 44 plots (20 m × 20 m) in oak woodlands and mixed-conifer forests in Northern California using structure-from-motion (SfM) 3D point clouds derived from unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) multispectral imagery. In addition, we compared UAS–SfM estimates with those derived using similar methods applied to Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) 3D point clouds as well as traditional ground-based measurements. Canopy cover estimates were similar across remote sensing (ALS, UAS-SfM) and ground-based approaches (r2 = 0.79, RMSE = 16.49%). Compared to ground-based approaches, UAS-SfM point clouds allowed for correct detection of 68% of trees and estimated tree heights were significantly correlated (r2 = 0.69, RMSE = 5.1 m). UAS-SfM was not able to estimate canopy base height due to its inability to penetrate dense canopies in these forests. Since canopy cover and individual tree heights were accurately estimated at the plot-scale in this unique bioregion with diverse topography and complex species composition, we recommend UAS-SfM as a viable approach and affordable solution to estimate these critical forest parameters for predictive wildfire modeling.

Yoon, Soo‐Yeon, and Hyunjoon Park. “Gender‐Role Attitudes and Marriage Desires Among Never‐Married Adults in South Korea.” Journal of Marriage and the Family., 2025.

Abstract: Complementing existing economic and structural explanations of trends toward later and less marriage in Korea, this study focuses on the part played by gender-role attitudes in shaping never-married adults' marriage desires, which, in turn, are likely to affect their marriage behavior. Background: The persistent characteristic of marriage in Korea as a package requiring multiple family roles and obligations may conflict with the changing gender-role attitudes that have been facilitated by women's educational expansion and labor force participation. This inconsistency may impact never-married adults' desire to marry. Method: We analyzed data from a recent online survey that asked unmarried Korean men and women aged 25–49 about their desires for marriage and attitudes toward gender roles. Using factor analysis and ordered logit regression, we examined the association between gender-role attitudes and marriage desires among never-married adults. Results: Factor analysis identified two distinct dimensions underlying gender-role attitudes among never-married Korean adults: (1) attitudes toward the primacy of the breadwinner role for men and (2) attitudes toward the incongruency of work and family for women. We found that gender-role attitudes were significantly associated with marriage desires for women but not for men. Conclusion: The stronger relevance of gender-role attitudes for women's marriage desires is consistent with the salience of the marriage package for Korean women. We discuss the implications of our findings for the continued decline in marriage rates in Korea.

Chen, C. C. JJ, et al. “Impact of Adapted and Inclusive University Soccer on Mental Health in Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.” Sport Sciences for Health., 2025.

Abstract: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are also at high risk of co-occurring mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety disorders, cognitive deficits). Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and may also promote executive functions. Twelve young adults with IDD from a post-secondary transition program at the University participated in a 15-week adapted soccer course alongside typically developing (TD) partners. In addition, two young adults with IDD formed a control group that was not included in further data analysis due to the small sample size. Self-ratings of perceived exercise outcomes, anxiety levels, and three executive tasks (e.g., the Corsi block, reaction time, and mental rotation tasks) were obtained at the pre- and post-tests. The results indicated the observational improvements in the perceived positive outcomes, the simple reaction time task performance, and the Mental Rotation Task accuracy after soccer training. The benefits of perceived exercise benefits, faster information processing speed, and spatial ability can be attributed to their soccer practice with partners twice a week throughout the semester. With a medium to large effect size, a larger sample, additional physiological measures, and comparison group, including TD peers, could help further validate the mental health benefits of adapted and inclusive soccer programs for individuals with IDD. Lastly, the implications of these findings are explored.

Aziz, Khalid, et al. “Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-Based Adsorbents for Removal of Pharmaceutical Pollutants from Wastewater.” Materials Horizons., 2025.

Abstract: To cope with the environmental risks posed by pharmaceutical waste, adsorption is considered a viable option due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. This review explores the opportunities and challenges involved in applying nanomaterial-based adsorbents in their metallic, non-metallic, and hybrid forms for removal of common pharmaceuticals (e.g., antibiotics, beta-blockers, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, endocrine disrupters, and anticancer drugs) from water. To improve the selectivity and scalability of diverse adsorbents against such targets, the adsorption capacity and partition coefficient (PC) of each adsorbent are evaluated. Among the reported materials, magnetic nitrogen-doped carbon displays the highest adsorption capacity (1563.7 mg g−1) for common targets such as ciprofloxacin, while carbon nanotube-SiO2-Al2O3 has the highest PC (1425 mg g−1 μM−1) for estradiol. Despite the advances in adsorption technologies, their commercial applications are yet limited by several defects such as low efficiency, high costs, and poor scalability. This review examines current strategies for addressing pharmaceutical contamination and outlines potential directions for future research.

Diaz, Laura M, et al. “Transforming the University into a Public Good for Environmental Justice Action: Our Experience from a Decolonial and Latinx Community-Academic Partnership.” Environmental Justice, 2025.

Abstract: Academic-led environmental justice (EJ) research has a colonial past and present. This includes the direct harms and injuries it has caused historically oppressed groups and the helicopter research that uses communities for academic capital. We re-imagine community-academic EJ research and action that integrates a decolonial praxis. It should leverage the expertise and tools of each partner to respond to issues of importance for frontline EJ communities. This involves a collaborative development of questions, a collaborative development of a process for obtaining answers, and a collaborative design of actions taken by its members. Our approach is rooted in Paolo Freire’s popular education and the concepts of guerrilla pedagogy, which we extend outside of the university to how community-academic partnerships should function. This praxis includes a critical analysis of funding structures and university incentives in EJ community-academic partnered research. We draw insights from our Latinx community-academic partnership between the Educator Collective for Environmental Justice, the Latinx youth partners of the North Bay Organizing Project, and the Hispanic-serving Sonoma State University. We argue that if we institute a shift in values that align with a decolonial and liberatory approach to this work, this will support more community-driven EJ efforts that will build power between the academic institutions and communities most burdened and impacted by environmental injustice. Finally, we provide a set of recommendations for academic EJ teams, funders, and universities working toward a more liberated practice that is driven by the community and supported by the academic partner.

Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Philosophy, Spanish

Need Research Help This Summer? We've Got You Covered

05/19/2025

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Summer might be a little quieter on campus, but your research doesn't have to take a vacation. Whether you're working on a summer session class project, preparing for fall courses, or diving into a personal research interest, the University Library is here to support you, even during the summer months.

There are plenty of ways to get expert support from our librarians:

Schedule an Appointment

Want dedicated one-on-one help? You can book a virtual or an in-person research consultation with one of our librarians. We'll work with you to find relevant sources, develop your topic, and make the most of library tools and databases. Appointments are flexible and personalized to your needs.

Chat with a Librarian Online

Have a quick question or need immediate help? Use our chat service for real-time help, 24/7. A librarian from our global librarian network will be on the other end, ready to help.

Email a Librarian

Prefer to reach out via email and respond on your own time? No problem. Send us your research questions and we'll get back to you with helpful suggestions and resources.

Whether you're on campus or off, we're here to help you stay connected to the resources and help you need. Don't hesitate to reach out--we're just a click away.

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Congratulations, Class of 2025!

05/16/2025

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As the academic year comes to a close, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of our graduating students! Your determination, creativity, and hard work have carried you through countless challenges, and we couldn't be prouder of everything you've accomplished.

As you leave campus to move into the next chapter of your lives, we know you'll carry the values of the Seawolf community with you. These values--integrity, respect, responsibility, and excellence--are not just important in college. They're lifelong commitments that will guide you as leaders, citizens, and members of your community.

You've made a lasting impact here, and we can't wait to see the difference you'll make wherever you go next. From all of us at the University Library, congratulations, graduates!

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Summer Hours Update

05/16/2025

Laura Krier

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We're shifting to our summer schedule starting Sunday, May 18 through Friday, August 15.

Main Library Hours

Monday – Thursday: 7:30 am to 7:00 pm
Friday: 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Noon to 7:00 pm

Research Help and Appointments
Available virtually and by request--visit our website to book an appointment.

Whether you're preparing for fall or working on a summer project, we're here to support you, just with shorter hours and a little more sunshine.

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Finals in the Library: 24/7 Access, Snacks, Tea, and More!

05/01/2025

Laura Krier

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Finals are just around the corner, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

From Sunday, May 4 through Friday, May 16, the library will be open 24 hours a day to give you the time and space you need to finish strong. Whether you're cramming for an exam, wrapping up a final paper, or just need a quiet place to focus, we'll be here for you, day and night.

But that's not all! We know finals can be stressful, so we're rolling out a few extras to help you stay fueled and refreshed:

Finals Emergency Response Team: Keep an eye out for our friendly librarians and staff roaming the library with snacks, drinks, and words of encouragement throughout the week!
Pop-Up Tea Library: Stop by the lobby to make yourself a cup of tea from our selection of calming and energizing blends.
Relax and Recharge Stations: Take a study break with puzzles, coloring pages, and other relaxing activities in the lobby.

And of course, if you need some help with your assignments, stop by or schedule an appointment with a librarian for some research help.

Whether you're powering through a late-night study session or just need a moment to relax, the library is your finals headquarters.

Good luck, Seawolves--you've got this!

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Focus On: SSU Research

04/25/2025

Laura Krier

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So much great scholarship this month from our SSU faculty! We're delighted to showcase the most recent publications and scholarly works coming out of the university.

Martinez, Andres G. “Political Partisanship, Trait Empathy, and Social Justice Concerns in a Representative Sample of Californians.” Discover Psychology., vol. 5, no. 1, 2025.

Abstract: The current study provides an analysis of a representative sample of Californians (N = 875) to obtain insight into the nature of emotional empathy across the political divide. Although Democrats, Republicans, and Independents differed in average trait emotional empathy levels, the magnitudes of these differences were not large. Analysis showed that although all political categories showed some degree of empathy, the target of this empathy varied by political party. Specifically, Democrats’ and Independents’ empathic tendencies were linked to social justice concerns. In contrast, Republicans’ empathic tendencies were disconnected from this domain. These findings provide evidence that—in California and perhaps beyond—political affiliation predicts who is seen as worthy of empathy. Discussion explores the implications of these findings for political polarization and cooperation across partisan categories.

Ma, Alyson C., et al. “Admissions Policies and Colleges’ Retention Rates.” Education Economics., 2025, pp. 1–19.

Abstract: Our study examines the relation between college admission criteria and college–student retention in the United States. We report two key findings related to admissions requirements using a dataset for the 2021–2022 academic year. First, there is little evidence that test–optional admissions policies had a significant effect on retention rates for this cohort. Second, Required/Recommended Letters of Recommendation and Secondary School Record are consistently associated with 1.3–3.3% higher retention rates. When combined with the appropriate institutional supports these results may assist HEIs maintain or increase retention rates in this new admission landscape.

Marsh, Erik J., et al. “Dating the Ebb and Flow of Tiwanaku and Post-Collapse Material Culture across the Andes.” Quaternary International., vol. 727, 2025.

Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive Bayesian refinement of the chronology of Tiwanaku material culture. To place this material pattern in space, we present a presence-only map of most sites with Tiwanaku redware ceramics, snuff trays, and textiles. We compile radiocarbon dates and assess their material associations before building Bayesian models. We present bespoke calibration curve mixtures for each major region, based on air mixtures from climate models. The models suggest that redwares burst onto the scene in the AD 600s in the Lake Titicaca Basin (Peru and Bolivia) and around the same time, snuff trays with the same iconography appeared in burials at San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). Other parts of the Andes first saw this material culture later, and only in the AD 900s was it clearly present in all regions. Around ∼AD 1040, Tiwanaku redwares were no longer used at Tiwanaku or in Moquegua. Residents of the Western Valleys immediately innovated new post-collapse styles derived from Tiwanaku redwares, appearing and fading away at different times in different valleys. A small community near Lake Titicaca maintained old traditions for generations, including the use of raised fields and Tiwanaku burials. We assess temporal alignments and disjunctures in order to highlight variability of Tiwanaku material culture, long assumed to be fairly homogeneous over space and time. This opens the door to more nuanced, generation-scale questions about the interaction networks that assembled and disassembled Tiwanaku.

Naser, Sokiyna, et al. “At-Home Breath Data Collection for Signatures of Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Clinical Study.” Biosensors., vol. 15, no. 3, 2025.

Abstract: This study investigates the potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath as non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring blood glucose levels in individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A pilot clinical study was conducted to explore the correlation between VOCs and blood glucose levels in six T2DM patients. Participants used a custom-developed sensor device to collect breath data at home, alongside finger-stick blood glucose readings. Breath data were transmitted to a cloud database, while blood glucose readings were recorded on paper charts. The sensor data from the device and the blood glucose readings from the charts were consolidated to create the study dataset. Support vector machine and random forest models were employed to analyze the dataset, which achieved accuracies of 85% and 82%, respectively. The results demonstrate the feasibility of at-home breath sensor data collection for clinical studies and suggest its potential as a viable alternative to traditional invasive glucose monitoring methods. Future studies will expand the dataset to include more participants and additional clinical variables to enhance model performance and predictive power. This research highlights the promise of non-invasive breath analysis for glucose monitoring, which could improve patient compliance and diabetes management.

Janousek, Christopher N., et al. “Blue Carbon Stocks Along the Pacific Coast of North America Are Mainly Driven by Local Rather Than Regional Factors.” Global Biogeochemical Cycles, vol. 39, no. 3, 2025.

Abstract: Coastal wetlands, including seagrass meadows, emergent marshes, mangroves, and temperate tidal swamps, can efficiently sequester and store large quantities of sediment organic carbon (SOC). However, SOC stocks may vary by ecosystem type and along environmental or climate gradients at different scales. Quantifying such variability is needed to improve blue carbon accounting, conservation effectiveness, and restoration planning. We analyzed SOC stocks in 1,284 sediment cores along >6,500 km of the Pacific coast of North America that included large environmental gradients and multiple ecosystem types. Tidal wetlands with woody vegetation (mangroves and swamps) had the highest mean stocks to 1 m depth (357 and 355 Mg ha−1, respectively), 45% higher than marshes (245 Mg ha−1), and more than 500% higher than seagrass (68 Mg ha−1). Unvegetated tideflats, though not often considered a blue carbon ecosystem, had noteworthy stocks (148 Mg ha−1). Stocks increased with tidal elevation and with fine (<63 μm) sediment content in several ecosystems. Stocks also varied by dominant plant species within individual ecosystem types. At larger scales, marsh stocks were lowest in the Sonoran Desert region of Mexico, and swamp stocks differed among climate zones; otherwise stocks showed little correlation with ecoregion or latitude. More variability in SOC occurred among ecosystem types, and at smaller spatial scales (such as individual estuaries), than across regional climate gradients. These patterns can inform coastal conservation and restoration priorities across scales where preserving stored carbon and enhancing sequestration helps avert greenhouse gas emissions and maintains other vital ecosystem services.

Fraleigh, DC, et al. “Intra-Annual Consistent Diet of Lanternfish and Krill in Adult Female Southern Elephant Seals Mirounga Leonina from the South Georgia Population.” Marine Ecology Progress Series., vol. 753, 2025, pp. 175–89.

Abstract: Southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina are top predators in the Southern Ocean and significant consumers of mesopelagic mid-trophic level prey while spending most of the year foraging out at sea. Yet, there is still considerable uncertainty regarding variability in the dietary composition between individuals and over time. We ran a suite of mixing models using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios from the vibrissae of 54 adult female southern elephant seals from the South Georgia population (2005–2009) and potential fish, squid, and krill prey. Our goals were to (1) estimate the dietary composition of this population as a whole, (2) compare the dietary composition of individuals between previously identified foraging strategies, and (3) quantify the degree of dietary consistency at the individual level throughout a long foraging migration. Models indicate that myctophid fish were the dominant prey item consumed (mean 45% of diet), followed by Antarctic krill and Antarctic jonasfish. However, there was considerable variability within and among groups of seals regarding specific prey items consumed and the degree of individual dietary specialization, possibly as a means of reducing intraspecific competition. Finally, our models provide evidence of most seals displaying dietary consistency throughout a foraging migration. These findings have important management implications for the South Georgia population in an uncertain future and highlight the need for more effective krill management along the western Antarctic Peninsula.

Freborg, Kaija, and LaTonia Clark Chalmers. “Seeing the Field: Applying Watson’s Unitary Caring Science to Discern Racism.” International Journal for Human Caring., vol. 28, no. 4, 2024, pp. 228–38.

Abstract: Raising unitary consciousness is fundamental in critical social praxis as the nursing profession grapples with its past and present relationships with racism. Watson’s Unitary Caring Science guides nurses to embody a practice that uplifts compassionate care and champions human dignity and belonging. However, contradiction resounds and persists; racial discrimination cannot exist simultaneously with unitary caring moments. An examination of how White comfort and White supremacy influence the Caritas–Veritas Field and a consideration of how nursing’s perceived caring ideology could act as a barrier to racial justice praxis are provided. By answering Watson’s call to see the field, move beyond the ego-self, and build positionality-informed consciousness to disrupt racism within caring moments, nurses can be better aligned with the ethical and moral standards of the profession.

Jenkins, Ryan, et al. "Recent Insights in Responsible AI Development and Deployment in National Defense: A Review of Literature, 2022–2024.” Journal of Military Ethics., 2025, pp. 1–23.

Abstract: This “literature refresh” identifies the most relevant new research in AI and robotic systems ethics from January 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024. Our selection methodology consisted of traditional research methods as well as novel human-AI teaming techniques, leveraging the expert human judgment of the authors, enhanced with a collection of AI and computational tools. We have identified stable trends in the critiques of the use of AI in the defense and security domain that cluster around worries about machine bias as well as the propensity of the technology to exacerbate human cognitive biases. Training data ambiguities, irregularities or untrustworthy data, and outright hacking of training sets are notable problems reported by the papers in our research set. This limits the trustworthiness of some systems which is heightened by the “black box” nature of many of these technologies which makes accountability and testing difficult. Given the speed and immense scale of operations that AI systems are involved in, there is a pronounced drift away from the reliance on “human in the loop” and “human on the loop” as the gold standard. We are now at the stage where a new ethical paradigm is needed.

Kim, Chong-Uk, and Gieyoung Lim. “The Economic Impact of Napa Valley on Other California Grape Districts.” Applied Economics., 2025, pp. 1–17.

Abstract: This paper investigates the economic impacts on other grape-growing regions in California relative to Napa Valley. To test empirically, we examine the influence of the production levels and prices of each grape variety in Napa, prioritized by their prevalence in Napa, on the production and price of the same varieties in other regions. Our empirical results suggest that first, price changes of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa affect prices across all other major regions. Second, changes in Sonoma’s Pinot Noir prices are found to influence fluctuations in Napa’s prices. Last, the lesser impact of production changes on other regions compared to price dynamics may be attributed to environmental factors.

Anthropology, Biology, Nursing

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04/21/2025

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New Resource: Latino Civil Rights During the Carter Administration

04/10/2025

Laura Krier

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The library is excited to announce the addition of a new primary source collection, History Vault: Latino Civil Rights During the Carter Administration.

In the summer of 1979, the Carter Administration created the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs in order to address issues of critical importance to the Latino community. Major topics covered in Latino Civil Rights During the Carter Administration include inflation, bilingual education, police brutality, political unrest in Latin America, Haitian refugees, immigration (legal and otherwise), Puerto Rican self-determination, and the US Navy's use of Vieques Island.

The collection consists of digital archival documents from the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and includes the Esteban Torres files and the Files of Gilbert Colon, Raul Robert Tapia, Miriam Cruz, Armando Rendon, and Hila Solis.

Esteban Torres was the head of the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and a former UNESCO ambassador. The files inlude records of his travels across the United States and documents pertaining to the inner workings of many Latinx organizations, including La Raza, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Colon, Tapia, Cruz, Rendon, and Solis were Ambassador Torres's assistants in the Office.

This collection represents a full spectrum of issues affecting the Latinx community in the late 1970s and early 1980s and provides a fascinating look at the work of a newly formed White House office.

History, Political Science, American Multicultural Studies, Chicano & Latino Studies