NOTE: Faculty, if you are interviewed and quoted by news media, or if your work has been cited, and you have an online link to the article or video, please let us know. Contact us at news@csusb.edu.
Century-long timelines of herbarium genomes predict plant stomatal response to climate change
Nature Ecology & Change
Lua Lopez (biology) was part of a team that examined the stomata, plants’ pores for gas exchange, of the Arabidopsis thaliana and how it has historically responded to changes in climate. From the abstract: “Here we make use of extensive knowledge of 43 genes in the stomatal development pathway and newly generated genome information of 191 Arabidopsis thaliana historical herbarium specimens collected over 193 years to directly link genetic variation with climate change.”
Black queer femme and non-binary individuals’ polyamory: An act of liberation
Sexualities
Manijeh Badiee, professor of psychology, coauthored an article on “Black queer femme and non-binary individuals’ polyamory,” a perspective that is absent as queer, polyamorous folk are redefining kinship, according to the abstract. “A queer of color critique framework was applied to analyze social media content of polyamorous, Black American, queer, femme and non-binary interlocuters. We (a) provide historical, sociopolitical context, (b) center interlocuters’ experiential knowledge of polyamory spaces, and (c) describe their strategies for navigating themselves, relationships, and communities. Their strategies provide a survival guide for oppression and path towards liberation.”
Report finds San Bernardino County better off in California, despite some resource gaps
KVCR
Aug. 21, 2024
Daniel MacDonald, chair of the CSUSB economics department, was interviewed for a segment on a report that says San Bernardino County is generally receiving its fair share of state and federal resources. Voters in 2022 supported a ballot measure that asked the county Board of Supervisors to look at options to split from California, based on the notion that the county was not receiving its fair share of state and federal funding.
MacDonald said county leaders should create internal policies to improve their ability to govern and improve the lives of residents, rather than solely focusing on the amount of funding it receives from state and federal resources.
“Maybe we should be looking internally at policies and resources and figuring out more efficient or more effective ways of using the resources that we are given,” said MacDonald. “Perhaps this report is in some ways a wakeup call to policymakers in the area.”
What you might've missed at the DNC
538/ABC News
Aug. 22, 2024
Meredith Conroy, professor of political science and 538 contributor, joined 538 staff writers for an online politics chat that analyzed the Democratic National Convention that took place in Chicago Aug. 19-22. “My impression is that the central message of this convention is joy and moving the country forward, with (Vice President Kamala) Harris as a happy warrior. The ‘Happy Warrior’ in American politics is nothing new, but I do think it's historically a difficult archetype for women. Women often face a backlash when conveying both warmth and strength due to pernicious gendered expectations, and yet this convention is effectively signaling that Harris is able to do that. I think it's been effective. Millions are watching — and for many younger viewers, this may even be their first convention — and I think Democrats are making a strong case for themselves to lead.”
Retired CSUSB professor discusses efforts to combat antisemitism
KCVU TV (Redding, Calif.)
Aug. 20, 2024
Brian Levin, founding director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was interviewed for a segment about new global guidelines to counter antisemitism. Levin said that anti-Jewish hate incidents have increased domestically and internationally, and briefly discussed what the next White House administration should do to combat antisemitism.
These news clips and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines.”