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Library News

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, Schulz 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 printing 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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09/04/2025
profile-icon Laura Krier

We upgraded our study rooms this summer to give you the kinds of spaces you want for studying. 

  • New, more comfortable chairs for those ultra-long study sessions.
  • Power built into the tables! No more hunting for an outlet or tripping over an awkward power stand. 
  • Large monitors in group rooms so everyone can follow along. 

And the library is the best place to study! Get research help, borrow your course materials, print your papers, and meet with your study group, all in one place. Libraries just have that deep study vibe. 

Making a reservation online is easy! Visit our study room booking page and search for the time and the kind of space you need. Our booking site was upgraded, too, with images of each room, so you can see what you're booking ahead of time. You can even specify the kind of equipment you need in the room. 

Power, comfort, screens--the library has study rooms that get it. Reserve your perfect study set up today

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09/01/2025
Install a simple browser plug-in to make it super easy to access resources from the library.
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Light blue sign with text reading New SSU Research.
08/29/2025

Sonoma State faculty conduct research and create art and knowledge that changes the world. Below are a few recently released examples: 

Kouba, P. V., Latimer, A. M., Young, D. J. N., Odkins, M., Bell, D. M., Clark, I. R., & North, M. P. (2025). Prescribed and natural fire help restore fire-adapted conditions in an Eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 595, Article 123010. 
In the western US, restoring forests to historical, fire-adapted conditions can reduce fire risk, but most fire-adapted restoration targets in California focus on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. By comparison, Eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forests experience distinct climate and growing conditions, and both their historical structure and the effects of fire suppression are different from those of their west-side counterparts. In this study, our goals were (1) to use spatially-explicit forest reconstruction methods to estimate the historical, fire-adapted structure of eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forests; (2) to describe the structural changes observed after 54–65 years of fire exclusion; and (3) to quantify the structural effects and restoration potential of 1–2 recent fire events that followed the fire exclusion period. At two sites in the Eastern Sierra near Mammoth Lakes, CA, we surveyed stands and collected tree ring series to establish tree ages and reconstruct maps of the forest at the end of the frequent-fire period (1941), after the period of fire exclusion (1995/2006), and in recent years (2018). We found that half a century of fire exclusion led to denser stands with fewer, smaller openings and larger clumps of trees, much like in the western Sierra. However, east-side forests were not as departed from fire-adapted conditions, and 1–2 fire events in recent years showed potential to restore many structural characteristics to their prior state. Our results can inform forest management decisions, and they support the use of prescribed fire and managed wildfire in forest restoration. [Display omitted] •Historical forests here were less dense, with smaller tree-clumps and larger gaps.•Eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forests are not as departed as many western US forests.•Low productivity and shorter fire exclusion period may have limited forest changes.•Return of fire after ∼60 years restored aspects of active-fire forest structure.
 
Virmani, R., Mason, D., & Suarez, M. (2025). (Re)claiming sacred spaces: Male educators of color speaking truth to power in the classroom. In Building Community to Center Equity and Justice in Mathematics Teacher Education (Vol. 6, pp. 315–330).
This new volume of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) Professional Book Series provides mathematics teacher educators practical ideas of how to build community to center conversations and action on equity and justice in mathematics teacher education. This 24-case collection of experiences from mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) expresses how they build community in the following kinds of settings in order to provide examples of how this work can be done in a variety of MTE contexts: Cases to Build Community with Prospective Teachers; Cases to Build Community in Professional Development with Practicing Teachers; and Cases to Build Community with Graduate Students and Fellow Mathematics (Teacher) Educators. This book is written from and with a critical, practitioner stance and provides a variety of research-based cases (e.g., scenarios, tasks, modules, activities) to support MTEs to build community in mathematics teacher education courses and professional development collaborations. Creating learning communities that center on the joy, beauty, resiliency and variety of experiences and ways of knowing community members, particularly marginalized communities, is critical to promote agency and action that can support critical conversations that disrupt oppression in mathematics and mathematics teacher education. 
 
Smeds, E. A., Cooper, Z., & Bentley, L. P. (2025). lacunr: Efficient 3D lacunarity for voxelized LiDAR data from forested ecosystems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Structural complexity has been considered a key driver of ecological phenomena in forested ecosystems. Geographic metrics that attempt to summarize the heterogeneity of complex 3‐dimensional (3D) spatial structures, such as fractal dimension and rugosity, provide insights into ecological processes such as biodiversity, productivity and resilience. Lacunarity is a popular metric for quantifying the spatial heterogeneity of 2‐dimensional data via determining the texture associated with patterns of spatial dispersion. Given the widespread availability of 3D remote sensing data, it is beneficial to increase the scaling efficiency of existing computational algorithms to make lacunarity calculations feasible for voxelized LiDAR data. We present an open‐source software package ‘lacunr’, written in the R programming language, which allows for efficient calculation of 3D lacunarity using LiDAR point clouds, with specific emphasis on forest stands. It includes tools to process point clouds into voxel data and 3D spatial maps and facilitates rapid visualization of lacunarity curves via built‐in plotting functions. ‘lacunr’ is applicable to LiDAR data regardless of collection method (e.g. terrestrial or airborne), as it only requires a point cloud with XYZ data for use. This makes it accessible for a wide range of users, specifically ecologists and foresters. ‘lacunr’ can easily be integrated into existing data‐analysis workflows for LiDAR data and removes a significant computational barrier previously hindering calculations of lacunarity using 3D point clouds.
 
Quinn, C. A., Burns, P., Jantz, P., Salas, L., Goetz, S. J., & Clark, M. L. (2024). Soundscape mapping: understanding regional spatial and temporal patterns of soundscapes incorporating remotely-sensed predictors and wildfire disturbance. Environmental Research. Ecology, 3(2), 25002.
Increased environmental threats require proper monitoring of animal communities to understand where and when changes occur. Ecoacoustic tools that quantify natural acoustic environments use a combination of biophony (animal sound) and geophony (wind, rain, and other natural phenomena) to represent the natural soundscape and, in comparison to anthropophony (technological human sound) can highlight valuable landscapes to both human and animal communities. However, recording these sounds requires intensive deployment of recording devices and storage and interpretation of large amounts of data, resulting in large data gaps across the landscape and periods in which recordings are absent. Interpolating ecoacoustic metrics like biophony, geophony, anthropophony, and acoustic indices can bridge these gaps in observations and provide insight across larger spatial extents and during periods of interest. Here, we use seven ecoacoustic metrics and acoustically-derived bird species richness across a heterogeneous landscape composed of densely urbanized, suburban, rural, protected, and recently burned lands in Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., to explore spatiotemporal patterns in ecoacoustic measurements. Predictive models of ecoacoustic metrics driven by land-use/land-cover, remotely-sensed vegetation structure, anthropogenic impact, climate, geomorphology, and phenology variables capture landscape and daily differences in ecoacoustic patterns with varying performance (avg. R 2 = 0.38 ± 0.11) depending on metric and period-of-day and provide interpretable patterns in sound related to human activity, weather phenomena, and animal activity. We also offer a case study on the use of the data-driven prediction of biophony to capture changes in soniferous species activity before (1–2 years prior) and after (1–2 years post) wildfires in our study area and find that biophony may depict the reorganization of acoustic communities following wildfires. This is demonstrated by an upward trend in activity 1–2 years post-wildfire, particularly in more severely burned areas. Overall, we provide evidence of the importance of climate, spaceborne-lidar-derived forest structure, and phenological time series characteristics when modeling ecoacoustic metrics to upscale site observations and map ecoacoustic biodiversity in areas without prior acoustic data collection. Resulting maps can identify areas of attention where changes in animal communities occur at the edge of human and natural disturbances.
 
Gutiérrez, R., Ortega, O., Lahme, B., & Ford, B. (2025). I was scared and excited to do the work: rehumanizing mathematics through lesson study at a Latine-serving institution. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 14(5), 73–88.

Mathematics instructors seek to address the well-being of students who are Indigenous, Black and Students of Color who have experienced mathematics classrooms as harmful spaces. Lesson study (LS), which engages multiple instructors at once, is a viable tool for enacting institutional change. This study investigates one US university mathematics and statistics department implementing a rehumanizing mathematics (RM) framework and especially how one AfroLatina member experienced the work. Changes in their instruction sought to better support Latine students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The study sought to understand what meaning faculty members made of their work.

Kirsch, R. E., & Ray, E. (2025). Bunkerization as a fantasy of consumer sovereignty: The politics of American disaster preparation. Thesis Eleven, 189(1), 54–69. 
This paper theorizes “bunkerization” as an organizing principle in American society that emerged after the atomic bombings of Japan and continues through contemporary crises. Bunkerization reconfigures domestic space as a defensive fortress through consumer choices, inverting Schmitt’s definition of sovereignty from “the sovereign is he who decides in the exception” to “the sovereign is he who is decided by the exception.” Three key arguments are advanced: (1) bunkerization explains how Americans oriented themselves post-1945 and manifests distinctively in American society; (2) bunkerized society transforms citizens into consumer-sovereigns managing personal micro-states while maintaining American identity; and (3) this consumer sovereignty fantasy reveals how America conceptualizes its katechontic function—restraining apocalypse while envisioning post-collapse futures. Bunkerization is critiqued as a neoliberal fantasy that individualizes collective threats, making them manageable through market choices rather than collective action, leaving citizens to purchase their way to an illusory safety.

Turner, A. A., Clark, M. L., Salas, L., Seymour, C., Snyder, R. L., … Taljaard, P. (2025). BioSoundSCape: A bioacoustic dataset for the Fynbos Biome. Scientific Data, 12(1), Article 1432. 
Most biodiversity data are collected at fine spatial scales, but threats to species and ecosystems occur at broad spatial scales. Remote sensing allows broad-scale assessment of biodiversity but these data need to be ground-truthed with contemporaneous in situ datasets. Various faunal groups produce sounds or vocalizations which can then be related to remotely-sensed data. As part of the NASA-led BioSCape project, the BioSoundSCape project deployed Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs), which record sounds in an approximately 50 m radius, at 521 sites spread across an area of approximately 119,058 km 2 in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, during the wet and dry seasons of 2023. The ARUs recorded sounds one in every ten minutes, over 4–10 days, producing 825,832 minutes of recordings (approximately 400,000 minutes of recording in each season). These sound data are georeferenced to within 20 m, with time and date information, so may be useful for relating biodiversity patterns in soundscapes to vegetation structure, fire history, plant phenology, distance to roads and other human infrastructure.

 
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08/18/2025
profile-icon Laura Krier

Welcome back, Seawolves! Whether you're new to campus or already know your way around, the University Library has so much to offer you this year. From course textbooks and technology to cozy study spaces and research support, the Library is here for you. 

To help you discover everything you can get and do in the Library, we're hosting a special Love Your Library event on Tuesday, August 26. 

Here's how it works: 

  • Visit the library any time from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and pick up a stamp book at the Information/Checkout Desk.
  • Stop by different stations to learn about services and resources. 
  • Collect stamps in your stamp book as you go. 
  • Turn in your completed stamp book at the Information/Checkout Desk to claim your prize. 
  • Bonus: You'll be entered to win an even bigger grand prize!

Why come? 

At Love Your Library, you'll discover: 

  • How to checkout laptops, chargers, calculators, and other tech.
  • Where to find quiet study zones, group study rooms, and collaborative spaces. 
  • The best spots to relax and recharge when you need a break.
  • How to access course textbooks, research help, and digital creation tools. 
  • Who to ask for support with writing, advising, and more--all located right here in Schulz!

The Library is more than just books. It's a place for learning, creating, and connecting. Don't miss your chance to explore, win prizes, and fall in love with your Library. 

Come to the library Tuesday, August 26 between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. 

Bring your friends and bring your curiosity--we can't wait to see you there!

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08/15/2025

Did you know you may be able to access your course textbooks for FREE in the library? Check our Course Reserves page to see if your classes are listed. Your course textbooks may be available in print or ebook format!

Print books can be used in the library for up to two hours at a time. You can read required pages in the library or scan them to read later. 

To borrow print textbooks, come to the Information/Checkout Desk on the second floor of the library, near the main entrance. Ebooks can be accessed from the Reserves list or by searching for items in OneSearch

If your books are available in the library, you may want to opt-out of the Seawolf Bundle to save money. You have until September 3, 2025 to opt-out of the Bundle if you want to access your learning materials in the library, instead. 

We’re here to help you get the resources you need without breaking the bank, because your success is our priority. Swing by the library, check out our Course Reserves page, and make the most of what’s here for you. Your next study win might be as simple as stopping by.

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07/29/2025
profile-icon Rita Premo

SSU faculty produce consequential research relevant to the university, the North Bay, and the broader public. The library is pleased to highlight and share monthly via Focus On: SSU Research. Here is July 2025's digest of newly published research: 

Sperou, E. S., Krause, D. J., Borras‐Chavez, R., Charapata, P., Costa, D. P., Crocker, D. E., Smith, K. J., Thompson, B., Best, A., Anderson, J., Goebel, M. E., Bonin, C. A., & Kienle, S. S. (2025). Individual Specialization in a Generalist Apex Predator: The Leopard Seal. Ecology and Evolution, 15(6), e71593-n/a.

Apex predators are typically considered dietary generalists, which often masks individual variability. However, individual specialization—consistent differences among individuals in resource use or ecological role—is common in apex predators. In some species, only a few specialized individuals can significantly impact prey populations. Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are apex predators important to the structure and function of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Though broadly described as generalists, little is known about their trophic ecology at the population or individual level. We analyzed δ13C and δ15N profiles in whiskers (n = 46) from 34 leopard seals in the Western Antarctic Peninsula to assess trophic variation. We also evaluated individual consistency across years using repeat samples from 7 seals over 2–10 years. We compared population and individual isotopic niche space and explored drivers of intraspecific variation in leopard seal trophic ecology. We find that leopard seals have a broad trophic niche (range: 6.96%–15.21‰) and are generalists at the population level. However, most individuals are specialists (59% for δ15N and δ13C), with only a few generalists (13% for δ15N, 6% for δ13C). Individuals also specialize at different trophic levels. Most variation in trophic ecology is driven by individual specialization, but sex and mass also contribute. We also find that some seals specialize over time, consistently foraging at the same trophic level, while others switch within and between years. This suggests some seals may disproportionately impact prey, especially when specialists consistently target specific species. Long-term specialization by a few leopard seals likely contributed to the decline of the local Antarctic fur seal population. Our findings show the importance of examining individual specialization in leopard seals across their range to understand their impact on other prey populations. This approach should be applied to other apex predator populations, as a few specialists can significantly impact ecosystems.

Mangun, G. R., Liu, Y., Bengson, J. J., Fannon, S. P., DiQuattro, N. E., & Geng, J. J. (2016). Neuroimaging approaches to the study of visual attention. In Neuromethods (Vol. 119, pp. 387–417).

Selective attention is a core cognitive ability that enables organisms to effectively process and respond to relevant information while ignoring distracting events. Elucidating the neural bases of selective attention remains a key challenge for neuroscience and represents an essential goal of translational efforts to ameliorate attentional deficits in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Knowledge of the cognitive and neural mechanisms of attention is crucial for the development and refinement of brain-machine interfaces. In addition, the relevance of attention mechanisms also extends to training and education methods. A more nuanced understanding could enable the development of more effective strategies and programs, enriching the educational landscape. This chapter will examine how functional imaging methods, with a primary focus on fMRI, have deepened our understanding of core aspects of attention, such as how attention is controlled, focused on relevant inputs, and reoriented, and how this control leads to the selection of relevant information. The most relevant studies will be reviewed with a focus on fMRI methods. However, a discussion of electromagnetic recording methods used in conjunction with fMRI, including simultaneous EEG/fMRI methods, will also be included where appropriate.

Burton, B. R. (2025). Six Steps to a Successful Study Abroad Program: Case Study in Stockholm, Sweden. csuglobalaction (2)2, 1-12.

This article is meant to serve as a guide for developing a short-term (typically 2 to 3 weeks long) faculty-led study abroad program. I will focus solely on my work in Stockholm, Sweden, during summer 2023. This article will be particularly helpful to faculty members who are new to developing their own study abroad programs. I have six suggested steps for developing a successful faculty-led program. These six steps include:

  1. thinking about what you want for students and your own career;
  2. building on-campus partnerships;
  3. recruiting and supporting students as early as possible;
  4. making the program itinerary interactive and rewarding for your students;
  5. preparing students for international travel;
  6. reflecting at the conclusion of the program while continuing to build long-term relationships with global partners.

Bhang, C. H., Yoon, E., Alejandre, S. M., Lefebvre, E. A., & Yeh, E. Y. (2025). Resilience Among 1.5 Generation Korean American Emerging Adults. Asian American Journal of Psychology.

This qualitative study uses grounded theory to uncover cultural factors that promote resilience in 1.5 generation Korean American emerging adults. A total of 14 Korean Americans recruited from Los Angeles and surrounding areas completed demographic questionnaires and semistructured interviews ranging from 1 hr to 1.5 hr. The data were then analyzed using grounded theory, which yielded three categories and a model of cultural factors that promote resilience in 1.5 generation Korean American emerging adults. Results indicated several themes in each of the three main categories of resilience-promoting factors, cultural context, and understanding of cultural context. From the findings, we developed a conceptual model of 1.5 generation Korean Americans’ resilience process in the intersection between culture and resilience. The model involved cultural context, resilience-promoting factors, and meaning-making between culture and resilience, adding onto ecosystemic, socioecological frameworks of resilience.
 

Hao, B., Ahmadi, Y., Zhang, T., Chen, C., Lu, Z., Ma, H., & Kim, K.-H. (2025). Ultrathin K-doped g-C 3 N 4 /BiOBr heterojunctions with S-scheme charge transfer for efficient photodegradation of tetracycline. Journal of Environmental Management, 391, 126677. 

Residual tetracycline (TC) in aquatic ecosystems poses a significant risk to the health of both flora and fauna. Advanced catalysts with strong photocatalytic capabilities have emerged as a promising solution for not only TC degradation but also water purification. Here, the photocatalytic destruction (PCD) of TC has been investigated using ultrathin potassium-doped g-C3N4/BiOBr heterojunctions (KCNx/By, where x and y are the percent mass ratio values of KOH/melamine and KCN/BiOBr, respectively). All PCD tests have been conducted under 300 W of illumination from a xenon lamp with a light intensity at the catalyst surface of 280 mW. The PCD efficiencies of the formulated KCN2/B3 (92.7 % within 30 min) are approximately 1.62 and 1.34-fold higher than those of KCN2 and BiOBr, respectively. KCN2/B3 achieves the strongest performance against TC in terms of removal-reaction kinetics (r: 0.209 mmol g−1 h−1) and space-time yield (5.90E-03 molecules·photon−1·g−1) among the common photocatalysts built by g-C3N4- or BiOBr. The superior photocatalytic activity of KCN2/B3 can be attributed to the S-scheme charge-transmission pathway, which efficiently preserves photogenerated electrons (B3: reduction catalyst) and holes (KCN2: oxidation photocatalyst). This newly fabricated 2D/2D nanocomposite can be used in the construction of a scalable photocatalytic system for the remediation of TC in wastewater.

 

Green, N., Norwood, A., Sidhe, C., Mutlow, A., Aymen, J., Stiles, R., Bushell, J., Lim, T., Culver, E., Reeder, N., Timmer, M., Connelly, F., Charbonneau, J., McCall, W., Koenig, L., Stein, M., Geist, N., Lambert, M. R., & Hernández-Gómez, O. (2025). Shell Lesion Prevalence and Bacteriome Associations in Threatened Western Pond Turtles (Actinemys marmorata and Actinemys pallida) in California, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 61(3), 574. 

Bacteriome characterization studies can provide insights into the microbial ecology associated with disease. We collected western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata and Actinemys pallida) from six San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA, ponds; assessed their shells for lesions; and collected shell swabs and keratin scrape samples to evaluate bacteriome differences between the whole shell (swabs) and the affected tissues (scrapes). We quantified shell lesion type and prevalence by using visual inspections of photographs collected of the plastron and carapace and then applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the associated bacteriomes of shells that observed pits, ulcerations, or no lesions. We observed shell lesions at high frequencies throughout our sites, with larger individuals (>100-mm plastron length) more likely to possess injuries. We saw no differences in alpha diversities between shells presenting with lesions and those on which we did not observe lesions; however, swab samples showed higher bacterial richness than keratin scrapes. The bacterial composition within the scrapes was influenced by pond location and then lesion presence. We observed a higher relative abundance of Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Cyanobacteria, and Deinococcota in the shell keratin microflora of turtles with shell lesions. Because western pond turtles are under consideration for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in the USA, understanding patterns of shell disease pathologies and the bacteria associated with disease is imperative for the management of current populations.

 

Hernandez, K. M., Clemento, A. J., Linossier, J. E., Crocker, D. E., Costa, D. P., Reichmuth, C., & Garza, J. C. (2025). Microhaplotype Methods Enable Relationship Inference in a Bottlenecked Mammalian Species. Animal Conservation

Genetic methods provide the ability to assess key aspects of population biology. Recent advances in high‐throughput, low‐cost DNA sequencing are providing opportunities to study species with limited genetic diversity. In particular, microhaplotype genetic markers have exponentially increased our ability to elucidate kin relationships and social structure through accurate pedigree reconstruction. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) have extraordinarily low genetic variation—among the most depauperate of any mammal species—making it challenging to discern familial relationships with genetic methods. Here, we describe the discovery of a panel of 122 microhaplotype markers for the species, validated by genotyping population samples with a standard amplicon‐sequencing approach. Additionally, we correctly assigned known mother‐offspring pairs with high confidence in the inferred relationships, successfully overcoming historical obstacles to the use of genetic tools for relationship inference in pedigree studies of northern elephant seals. This work enables key conservation questions to be addressed for this species and provides an example of how to advance understanding of the ecology, behavior, and reproduction of other mammals with very low genetic diversity.

 

Geckle, B., Fang, K., & Saraví, J. R. (2025). Editorial: Skateboarding and society: intersections, influences, and implications. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7, 1649479. 

Over the last 75 years, skateboarding has come a long way, evolving from a niche activity among surfers in California to a global phenomenon with millions of participants worldwide. Throughout its history, the activity of skateboarding has diversified. The people who skateboard, where they ride, how they ride, and their reasons for riding have evolved as skateboarders have developed new and creative ways to participate in the activity. As the activity of skateboarding has changed, so too have skateboarders’ interactions with their surrounding communities, both physically and socially. These unique characteristics of skateboarding have attracted the attention of researchers over the last several decades. Books, theses, and articles are evidence of this research. The Research Topic presented here, entitled “Skateboarding and Society: Intersections, Influences, and Implications,” contributes to this body of literature by demonstrating how skateboarding can be a useful mechanism for negotiating power, placemaking, urban and social development, education, and change.

resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
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07/15/2025
profile-icon Kaitlin Springmier
Education Resources Information Center, or ERIC has seen a significant reduction in its content. ERIC contains research and information sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences within the U.S. Department of Education.
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06/27/2025

As always, SSU faculty continue to produce fantastic research, which we are pleased to highlight and share in our monthly installment of Focus On: SSU Research. Here is this month's digest of newly published research. 

Smeds, Elliott A., and Will Chatfield-Taylor. “A New Species of Okanagana Native to a Unique Serpentine Ecosystem in Northern California (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae).Zootaxa, vol. 5636, no. 3, 2025, pp. 487–98.
 
Abstract: Okanagana monochroma sp. nov. is described from a unique and geographically isolated serpentine ecosystem in Northern California. The new species is diagnosed from other Okanagana Distant by a combination of morphological and bioacoustic characters. We provide a description of the calling song, habitat, and host plant associations of O. monochroma sp. nov., and present hypotheses for possible endemism models to explain its remarkably narrow geographic range, which may be the smallest of any North American cicada.
 
Agiovlasitis, S., et al. “Accelerometer Output and Oxygen Uptake in Adults With and Without Down Syndrome: METs vs. Percent VO2Reserve.Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 2025.
 
From the Abstract: The estimation of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour with accelerometers is typically based on the relationship between accelerometer output and metabolic equivalents (METs)—an index of PA intensity. But for adults with Down syndrome (DS), PA intensity may be better reflected in the percent oxygen uptake reserve (%VO2Reserve), as it accounts for their lower aerobic fitness. This study examined if the relationship between accelerometer output and METs or %VO2Reserve across various PAs and sedentary behaviours differs between adults with and without DS.
 
Liu, Botao, et al. “The Viability of Mildly Oxidized Microporous Carbons for Adsorptive Removal of Gaseous Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Humid Air.” Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 388, 2025, pp. 125982-.
 
Abstract: The adsorption efficacy of commercial activated carbon (AC) toward volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is generally impeded by the presence of moisture under real environmental conditions. To address this limitation, surface modification strategies such as oxidative treatments are employed to enhance the hydrophilicity of AC. In this study, coconut shell-based AC (CSAC) is subjected to mild hydrogen peroxide (H O ) oxidation at 100 and 125 °C, producing samples labeled as CSAC100 and CSAC125, respectively. The oxidized CSAC samples are tested against gaseous benzene (10 ppm) in dry and humid conditions using raw CSAC as reference. Under dry conditions, CSAC100 and CSAC125 exhibit enhanced adsorption capacities (Q ) of 124.1 and 128.7 mg g , respectively relative to CSAC (108.1 mg g ). At 25% RH, they record the optimal uptake performance in terms of Q (135.4/136.9 mg g ) and partition coefficients (PC : 1.73/1.75 mol kg Pa ). The intraparticle diffusion model confirms that the diffusions of benzene across the oxidized CSACs proceed more favorably at 25% RH than in dry air, supporting their active adsorption of water vapor. Furthermore, the enhanced benzene uptake (e.g., Q (mg g )) of the oxidized AC samples is evident such as CSAC100 (78.3) and CSAC125 (96.6) relative to untreated CSAC (60.8) at 50% RH. The high adsorption performance of the oxidized CSACs, regardless of the moisture level, can be explained by the presence of additional mesopores with strong hydrophilicity. Overall, this study should provide the practical guidelines to tailor the sorbent properties required for the upscaled production of advanced adsorption systems to operate efficiently in the presence of moisture.
 
Piazza, Olivia, and Sudhir Shrestha. “Pre-Contextualized Augmented Language Instructions for Autonomous Vision-and-Language Navigation.” 2025 3rd International Conference on Disruptive Technologies (ICDT), IEEE, 2025, pp. 386–90.
 
Abstract: Advances in natural language has allowed for the automation of robotic tasks with minimal supervision, even in ambiguous situations. In the field of robotic navigation, human instruction can be utilized to allow a robotic agent to traverse unknown environments using instructional commands that mimic human-to-human interaction. This paper demonstrates the success of one such machine learning algorithms, delineating each machine learning architecture, and processes alternate fields where learning techniques can be applied for robotic automation.
 
Duran, Kirk, et al. “Deep Reinforcement Learning for a Four Degree of Freedom Robot Arm Accelerated by Human Demonstration.2025 3rd International Conference on Disruptive Technologies (ICDT), IEEE, 2025, pp. 537–42.
 
Abstract: This work investigates the use of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for training a four-degree-of-freedom (4-DOF) robotic arm to efficiently and adaptively reach arbitrary target positions. A dueling double deep Q-network (D3QN) manages the large state-action space, while human demonstration data guides the agent's policy toward more human-like and effective trajectories. Experimental results show that integrating human demonstrations enables the robot arm to achieve more precise target positioning more frequently and in fewer steps than a purely self-trained agent. To assess generality and adaptability, the approach is tested on both a PhantomX Reactor robot arm and a Dobot Magician robot arm, with adjustments made to the Denavit-Hartenberg parameters of the latter. After running 5000 simulated training episodes on each platform, the resulting model is then implemented on the Dobot hardware for 50 episodes, demonstrating the feasibility of accurately controlling a robotic arm model different from the one used during training. The method's potential extends to practical computer vision-guided tasks such as pick-and-place or peg insertion, thus showcasing its versatility in both simulation and physical implementations.
 

Chang, Gene H., et al. “Assessing Effective VAT Rates and Tax Efficiency at Industry-Level: The Case of China.China Economic Review, vol. 93, 102454, 2025.

Abstract: In the real-world value-added tax (VAT) rates among industries are often non-uniform. Estimating effective VAT rates (EVATRs) at the industry level can increase understanding VAT burden and tax efficiency in individual industries. EVATRs should be solved endogenously in a general equilibrium framework, so the estimated EVATRs are consistent with the given data of the input-output relationship and industry net VAT revenues. We adopt this new approach to estimate the industry-level EVATRs and assess tax performance under China's multi-tiered VAT rate system on a set of newly released data. The results demonstrate many Chinese industries - in particular, all service industries - pay more VAT taxes than their statutory rates require. The VAT overpayment is mainly driven by unrefunded VAT for inputs by small firms, induced by government policies. We also find China and its industries have higher VAT tax efficiency than most OECD countries, which challenges the conventional preference for a uniform VAT rate regime.

Liu, Lu, et al. “Advances in Morphological and Interfacial Tuning of Metal Oxides for Electrochemical CO2 Conversion.” Progress in Materials Science, vol. 155, 101522, 2026.

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has been recognized as a highly promising technological approach for realizing carbon capture and utilization. A plethora of metal-oxide (MO) nanostructures have been designed with the merits of unique crystal structures to achieve noticeable advances in the electrochemical CO2RR. However, more efforts are needed to properly elucidate the intricate relationships between their synthesis, structure, and activity. In this perspective, this review centers on: (i) the structural engineering of key factors (e.g., crystal facet, defect, interface, spin, and morphology), (ii) synthesis strategies governing the development of such structural features, (iii) structure–activity relationships, (iv) catalytic mechanisms of multiple proton/electron transfer steps in conversion of CO2 (e.g., either into C1 (e.g., CO, CH4, and CH3OH) or C2+ products (e.g., C2H4, C2H6, C2H5OH, CH3COOH, and C3H7OH)), and (v) the performances of diverse electrocatalysts (e.g., in terms of Faradaic efficiency, current density, and stability). The factors controlling the catalyst morphology and the adsorption/transfer behavior of the key intermediates are also discussed based on in situ/ex-situ techniques combined with density functional theory. Collectively, this review aims to provide critical insights that can guide the rational design of next-generation MO-based electrocatalysts for efficient and selective CO2 electroreduction.

Hua, Yongbiao, et al. “Functional Strategies and Performance Assessment of Covalent Organic Framework–Based Materials for Carbon Dioxide Capture.” Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 222, 115949, 2025.
 
Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions pose a major threat to the environment and public health. The advancement and implementation of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) technologies have progressed alongside improvements in various capture approaches (e.g., solid adsorbents, solvent-based capture, and membranes). The practical utility of an adsorption system is determined by multiple factors, including high selectivity, energy efficiency, scalability, and reusability. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as a promising class of porous adsorbents for CCS. The functionality of COFs can be enhanced significantly either through composite formation with MOFs or ionic liquids or through various modification strategies (e.g., pore surface engineering and metal ion-doping). The viability of those options with regard to their CCS potential is evaluated here using the partition coefficient and adsorption capacity. The regeneration of COFs following CO2 capture is also discussed to help expand their practical applications. Furthermore, current challenges and future research directions are outlined to help enhance the scalability and performance of COF-based materials in real-world conditions. [Display omitted] •Recent progress in the synthesis/modification strategies for COFs is summarized.•Regeneration of COFs post CO2 capture is discussed.•Performance are assessed between various modification strategies.•Metal ion doping of COFs is superior to all modified strategies compared.•The directions for the future advancement in this research filed are discussed.
 

Valderama-Wallace, Claire, et al. “Struggling to Shape the Future of Nursing: Paths of Resistance.” Nursing Philosophy, vol. 26, no. 3, e70031, 2025.

Within the health professions, systems of oppression discretize the world into factors and determinants. Nursing institutions are rife with contradictions and still our many forms of connection and resistance endure. This dialogue captures 2 h spent among nurse educators and scholar colleagues. Generally, our time together has defied task and deliverable-oriented agendas and, instead, has invited the power of counter-storytelling, strategizing, and support. The experiences we share are not only manifestations of power dynamics in nursing but also made possible through trust we continue to build among each other while navigating the labyrinth of struggling for social justice in and through nursing. We create paths for ourselves and each other while keeping future generations of nursing students and nurses as our north star.

Rizzuto, Anthony Dean. “Paine and Race: Ideologies of Racial Liberalism and Settler Colonialism in the Founding of the United States.Early American Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, 2025, pp. 177–214.
 
Thomas Paine has long been heralded as a voice of universal egalitarianism. That representation proceeds from wishful misattributions of antislavery writings and concerted misreadings of the existing archive that continue to this day. Building on insights from critical race theory, Black Marxism, settler colonial theory, and Indigenous studies, this article reveals a consistent pattern of white supremacy in Paine’s published writings. It argues that the emerging Republic defined itself as foundationally white against Black and Indigenous others, and that Thomas Paine was instrumental in this process. The article begins by delineating the systematic scholarly misrepresentation of Paine on the subject of race. It then provides a brief overview of his career in a transatlantic eighteenth-century frame, and proceeds to a radically new reading of Common Sense . It culminates with a reinterpretation of the racial ideology of Paine’s archive. A coda considers the significance of this argument in the current conjuncture.
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06/18/2025

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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06/02/2025
profile-icon Laura Krier

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!

Cover ArtThe 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.
 

Cover ArtMemorial 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.
 

Cover ArtFagin 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.
 

Cover ArtJane 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.
 

Cover ArtWe'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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