Library News - Research Guides at Sonoma State University Library

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Focus on: SSU Research

10/31/2025

Rita Premo

Sonoma State faculty continue to produce excellent scholarship and creative activity. The following include articles and other materials disseminated during the month of October.

Leyva, L. A., Mitchell, N. D., Posada-Castañeda, R., Byrne, M. H., Luna-Bazán, R., Ashkenazy, Y., & Abreu-Ramos, E. (2025). Racially-Affirming Community in Instructional Servingness for Latin Students’ Gateway Mathematics Classroom Participation. AERA Open, 11.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) advance servingness (i.e., racially-affirming support for Latin* students through campus programs and services) to promote academic success. However, the role of mathematics instruction in servingness is underexamined. Given how gateway mathematics courses filter out racial diversity in STEM majors, insights about Latin* students’ experiences of instruction in these courses can enhance servingness. This study analyzed 27 undergraduate Latin* students’ experiences of servingness through classroom participation in gateway mathematics courses at an HSI. We focused on classroom participation due to its well-documented influence on Latin* students’ mathematics identities and STEM persistence. Latin* students largely reported supportive instruction that reduced risks of participation. However, cultivating a racially-affirming community (a key aspect of servingness on the broader HSI campus) was also necessary to disrupt racialized influences and ensure Latin* students’ equitable access to participation. We conclude with implications for research and practice to advance servingness through STEM education across HSIs.

Ricart, A. M., Gómez, J. B., Karm, R. H., Largier, J. L., Bastos Correa De Souza, V., Dias, A. S., Velázquez, M. G., Nelson, T., Cavanaugh, K. C., Cavanaugh, K. C., & Hughes, B. B. (2025). Persistent kelp forests during a massive decline reveal the importance of land–sea connectivity. Ecology (Durham), 106(9), Article e70212.

A fundamental goal in ecology is to understand the drivers of stability in natural ecosystems in the face of disturbances. However, this is challenging when biotic and abiotic stressors operate simultaneously across multiple spatial scales. Such is the case for bull kelp forests (Nereocystis luetkeana) in northern California, where losses of predators combined with marine heatwaves have led to shifts from kelp forest to sea urchin barren states. However, despite the >90% loss of bull kelp forests since 2014, some patches remain. Here, we investigate the bull kelp community assemblage in these remnant patches as well as the drivers of bull kelp forest resistance. We used a combination of in situ field surveys (years 2020–2022), remote sensing data (years 2016–2022), and a laboratory grazing experiment with urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). We found that, in addition to the two dominant states (kelp forest vs. urchin barren), there is a third community state dominated by understory canopy‐forming macroalgae that stays subsurface. Moreover, bull kelp abundance and cover were positively associated with freshwater flow and proximity to freshwater sources, and bull kelp persistence was positively associated with sand cover, all of which seem to diminish sea urchin abundance and the negative effects of sea urchin herbivory on bull kelp. This was also shown in the laboratory experiment where sea urchin herbivory rates on bull kelp decreased with decreasing salinity. Overall, these results suggest that freshwater influence in shallow coastal environments could prevent loss of bull kelp and show that land–sea connections should be considered for species‐specific management and conservation actions.

García, J. J., & Ni, H. W. (2025). Editorial to the special issue on Diversity Science: From theory to action in applied settings. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.).
Over the past few years, furthering diversity science as an interdisciplinary field has been vital to addressing societal inequalities that disproportionately affect historically marginalized and minoritized communities. Within a diversity science framework, human behavior and psychological processes are shaped by—but also influence—social environments. Plaut (2010) originally defined diversity science as “the study of the interpretation and construction of human differences—of why and how differences make a difference—within the context of existing, historically shaped cultural and structural realities” (p. 168). This field has several theoretical principles, including the need to dismantle the mask of neutrality afforded to those in dominant groups, a focus on minoritized perspectives to resist homogeneity in psychological processes among minoritized groups, an examination of the sociocultural climate that minoritized persons navigate, and centering a sociocultural approach to understand different racialization processes among communities of color (Plaut, 2010; Miller et al., 2019). Since then, diversity science has had remarkable growth and recognition as a legitimate field of study that includes various diverse communities (Causadias et al., 2023; Miller et al., 2019). In the backdrop of historical/current backlash against DEI—and to highlight the scientific contributions of this diversity science to the broader academic community—our special issue features 18 articles from both U.S. and international scholars, representing countries such as China, Türkiye, Spain, South Korea, Japan, Ethiopia, Portugal, Germany, and Taiwan. Articles within this special issue span multiple fields, including Educational Psychology, Health Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Kinesiology, Developmental Social Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Medicine, Behavioral Sciences, Public Health, and Social/Economic Psychology. Featured work applies the theoretical principles of diversity science to five contexts: education, healthcare, industrial/organizational, stress-based research, and innovative methodology.

Shrestha, S. (2025). Device and method for determining a level or concentration of an analyte in a person's blood from one or more volatile analytes in the person's breath (U.S. Patent No. 12278013). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

A device configured to determine a level or concentration of a disease-related analyte in a person's blood from volatile analyte(s) in the person's breath. The device includes one or more sensors configured to detect the volatile analyte(s) in the person's breath, a microcontroller in communication with each sensor, a transmitter, a battery, and a housing. The microcontroller contains logic that correlates parameter values from the sensor(s) or the level/concentration of the volatile analyte(s) to the level/concentration of the disease-related analyte. The transmitter is configured to transmit the parametric value from each sensor and/or the level/concentration of the volatile analyte(s) and/or the disease-related analyte. The housing surrounds, encloses and/or secures the sensor(s), the microcontroller, the transmitter and the battery, and contains a tube or opening through which the person exhales so that the person's breath contacts the sensor(s).

If you're interested in other scholarly and creative works by Sonoma State faculty, you can check out items from the SSU Faculty book display on the 2nd floor of the Schulz Information Center or use the specialized search option within OneSearch and select SSU Research.

Psychology, Electrical Engineering, Biology, Mathematics

Title image reading New SSU Research with leaves on the top left corner.

Focus on: SSU Research

09/26/2025

Rita Premo

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.

Springmier, K. (2025). An Exploration of Faculty and Student Perceptions of Generative AI. Library Trends, 73(4), 426–442.

The release of generative artificial intelligence (AI) large language chatbots such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini, as well as many others, has left many questioning the implications for higher education. This article reports the results of an exploratory study intended to capture student and faculty perception and use of generative AI. At a midsize regional university, students and faculty were invited to participate in separate surveys to record their experiences with and opinions of generative AI tools. Questions probed students and faculty to detail their use or non-use of generative AI inside and outside the classroom as well as their perceptions of the technology. Results indicate that faculty are reluctant to embrace generative AI, citing concerns that generative AI enables plagiarism and is a detriment to student learning. By contrast, student respondents reported using generative AI tools to organize, structure, or proofread their work; for brainstorming or idea generation; and for clarifying complex course topics. Results indicate that the difference between student and faculty perceptions and uses of generative AI provides an opportunity for librarians, who are especially skilled at adopting, adapting, and critiquing new technologies. The article concludes with suggestions for librarians on how to support AI literacy for the academy.

Hoogendam, W. B., Jones, D. O., Ashall, C., et al. (2025). Seeing the Outer Edge of the Infant Type Ia Supernova 2024epr in the Optical and Near Infrared. The Open Journal of Astrophysics, 8.

We present optical-to-near-infrared (NIR) photometry and spectroscopy of the Type Ia supernova (SN~Ia) 2024epr, including NIR spectra observed within two days of first light. The early-time optical spectra show strong, high-velocity Ca and Si features near rarely-observed velocities at $ 0.1 c$, and the NIR spectra show a “knee.’’ Despite early-time, high-velocity features, SN~2024epr evolves into a normal SN~Ia, albeit with stronger peak-light Ca absorption than other SNe~Ia with the same light curve shape. Although we infer a normal decline rate, Δ m 15 ( B ) = 1.09 ± 0.12 ~mag, from the light-curve rise, SN~2024epr is a Branch”cool’’ object and has red early-time colors ( g − r ≈ 0.15 ~mag at − 10 ~days). The high velocities point to a density enhancement in the outer layers of the explosion, predicted by some models, but thick-shell He-detonation models do not match the smoothly rising light curve or apparent lack of He in our early-time NIR spectra. No current models (e.g., delayed detonation or thin He shell double detonation) appear to reproduce all observed properties, particularly the unusual early-time colors. Such constraints are only possible for SN~2024epr from the earliest optical and NIR observations, highlighting their importance for constraining SN~Ia models. Finally, we identify several literature SNe~Ia with intermediate mass elements at $ 30 000 k m s ^{-1}$ within days after the explosion that evolve into otherwise normal SNe~Ia at peak light, suggesting the early-time spectra of SNe~Ia may hide a broad diversity of observational characteristics.

Cortese‐Krott, M. M., Fukuto, J. M., & Ahluwalia, A. (2025). Recent innovations in targeting redox biology for therapeutics. British Journal of Pharmacology.

Redox signalling governs key physiological and pathological processes, offering diverse therapeutic targets across disease contexts. This editorial introduces a special issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology highlighting recent advances in redox biology, including novel small molecules, non‐canonical nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide pathways, epigenetic modulation and immune regulation. Together, these contributions illustrate the translational potential of redox‐targeted pharmacology and outline future directions for innovation in the field.

Hotz, S. J., Karm, R. H., Hughes, B. B., & Zippay, M. L. (2025). Effects of thermal history on the heat shock response of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Botanica Marina.

In 2013, a marine heatwave called the “Blob” caused northern California bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) populations to decrease significantly. The loss of this foundation species motivated recent investigations on kelp thermal tolerance to understand how warming events might impact their physiological performance. We tested the effect of acclimation temperature on bull kelp by measuring the protein abundance of a molecular chaperone, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70). Blades were collected from two sites (Big River and Russian Gulch) and acclimated for 7-days at two temperatures (13 and 17 °C) before tissues were subjected to a 1-h heat shock (13, 17, 20, 23, and 26 °C). Results showed a significant difference between acclimation temperature with 20 % greater total Hsp70 protein abundance in bull kelp acclimated to the warm treatment, while site was only marginally different. Heat shock temperature had no effect on total Hsp70 protein abundance. This study is the first to report about the heat shock response of bull kelp and found that thermal history of an organism is an important factor in determining whether an organism can mount a heat shock response. This information can help understand bull kelp’s tolerance to future marine heatwaves.

Bell, D., Halbur, M., Elias, F., Pearson, N., Crocker, D. E., & Bentley, L. P. (2025). Assessing Umbellularia californica Basal Resprouting Response Post-Wildfire Using Field Measurements and Ground-Based LiDAR Scanning. Remote Sensing (Basel, Switzerland), 17(17), 3101.

In many hardwood forests, resprouting is a common response to disturbance and basal resprouts may represent a substantial component of the forest understory, especially post-wildfire. Despite this, resprouts are often overlooked in biomass assessments and drivers of resprouting responses in certain species are still unknown. These knowledge gaps are problematic as the contribution of resprouts to understory fuel loads are needed for wildfire risk modeling and effective forest stewardship. Here, we validated the handheld mobile laser scanning (HMLS) of basal resprout volume and field measurements of stem count and clump height as methods to estimate the mass of California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica) basal resprouts at Pepperwood and Saddle Mountain Preserves, Sonoma County, California. In addition, we examined the role of tree size and wildfire severity in predicting post-wildfire resprouting response. Both field measurements (clump height and stem count) and remote sensing (HMLS-derived volume) effectively estimated dry mass (total, leaf and wood) of U. californica resprouts, but underestimated dry mass for a large resprout. Tree size was a significant factor determining post-wildfire resprouting response at Pepperwood Preserve, while wildfire severity significantly predicted post-wildfire resprout size at Saddle Mountain. These site differences in post-wildfire basal resprouting predictors may be related to the interactions between fire severity, tree size, tree crown topkill, and carbohydrate mobilization and point to the need for additional demographic and physiological research. Monitoring post-wildfire changes in U. californica will deepen our understanding of resprouting dynamics and help provide insights for effective forest stewardship and wildfire risk assessment in fire-prone northern California forests.

Wu, N., Fong, B., Yang, X., & Zeng, K. (2025). Hardware-Accelerated Music Transcription on the Cloud via FPGA Implementation. 2025 IEEE World AI IoT Congress (AIIoT), 0299–0308.

This paper presents a real-time, cloud-accessible music transcription service implemented on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The system integrates a web server and chord transcription engine directly on the FPGA board, delivering a Software-As-a-Service solution for Automatic Music Transcription (AMT). By leveraging hardware acceleration, the proposed design achieves a significant reduction in processing latency-transcribing chord sequences in 680 milliseconds compared to 2.5 seconds using a conventional Python-Based approach. The architecture includes a reusable Vivado Suite Block Design Intellectual Property (IP) core, which enables efficient integration into other FPGA-based applications. Validation is performed using dedicated test benches for each subsystem, as well as full-system demonstrations via remote hardware interaction. The complete design is released as open source, providing a flexible foundation for developers to extend the AMT pipeline or integrate additional register-transfer level modules such as Discrete Fourier Transform and Pattern Matching.

The Airlie House Revisited Workforce Training Working Group, with contributions by B. Ford, A. Boutin, K.C. Head, J. Doershuk, K.C. Nolan, A. Palmiotto, et al. Aligning Education With Industry: Strategic Pathways to CRM Workforce Readiness. The SAA Archaeological Record, 25(4), 12–19.

American archaeology faces a myriad of challenges. It is easy to get lost in the immediate risks facing the disciplines, such as the loss of federal funding for academic research or the threat to laws and regulations protecting archaeological sites. Rightfully, much of the discipline's energy is focused on meeting the moment. Yet, even if we are successful in defeating some or all of these threats, there will remain a structural dilemma facing the disciplines. Put simply, “Are we training students adequately for the jobs and careers that exist now and in the future?” That question relates two interrelated problems: (1) the high demand for cultural resource management (CRM) professionals to support efficient compliance with US heritage management laws and (2) the cuts to resources for anthropology and archaeology programs within institutions of higher education. This article, an outgrowth of the “Airlie House 2.0: Visioning Future Directions in CRM Archaeology Workshop” (Banks et al. 2025), suggests that both of these problems can be addressed by creating or modifying existing education programs to be more CRM-focused, as suggested by Altschul and Klein (2022). We argue that aligning programs with professional industry needs and standards ensures that archaeologists achieve relevant competencies, broaden their informed entry into archaeological professions, and meet the spirit and intent of disciplinary ethical standards, such as the Society for American Archaeology's Principles of Archaeological Ethics. This article has two goals" (1) to arm, proponents of CRM-oriented archaeological education with an argument for why these programs are both needed within the current structure of higher education and fit university proproitoes and (2) to map various strategies to prepare students for careers in CRM.

Electrical Engineering, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Cultural Heritage and Resources Management