Research
GEP faculty have active research programs within our fields of expertise. Our scholarship is evident in many different outlets including peer-reviewed publications, research reports, and participation in conferences, and citations in public media outlets.
We also embrace the teacher-scholar model, recruiting students to participate in our research as research assistants and interns. These collaborations provide an opportunity for students to explore career options, gain valuable research skills, and prepare for jobs or graduate school.
Recent Scholarly Activities by GEP Faculty
Dr. Clark and collaborator Dr. Chris Hakkenberg from Northern Arizona University presented their research, which focuses on using a NASA space laser on the International Space Station, called GEDI, to assess forest fuel loads and predict wildfire severity.
NASA recently awarded Dr. Clark an additional $99,229 to add artificial intelligence applications to his BioSoundSCape research. Read more about it here
Professor Hernandez Ayala explains why the Atlantic hurricane season may be extremely active this year. Read the article here:
Dr. Baldwin provides expertise on Oregon's historical policies towards beaver, and how those policies are changing. Read the story here
Over 70 climate scientists and policy professionals from across the country attended and presented their research at the Pacific Climate Workshop (PACLIM2023). GEP's Professor Goman helped bring the important group together and presented her own research.
Prof. Hernandez Ayala provided expertise on the likelihood and impact of hurricanes on Puerto Rico. Read the article here:
Professor Matthew Clark is working on a new research project, funded by a NASA grant, in the Cape region of South Africa. This project, called BioSoundSCapes, uses bioacoustics to assess biodiversity.
Professor Matthew Clark has received new funding from CAL FIRE that will seek to assess where high severity wildfires will occur in California using satellite and other spatial data, such as winds.
Prof. Hernandez helped make the case that climate change fueled the historic 2020 hurricane season’s rainfall. Read the full article
Dr. Michelle Goman received funding for a large, 5-year interdisciplinary research project in Oaxaca, Mexico. The research encompasses looking at environmental change, human impacts on the environment and linkages to past and societal collapse. Dr.
GEP's Caitlyn Hachmyer received the Advocate of the Year award from the CA Small Farms Conference for work with a team at Celebrating Women’s Leadership in Food.
Dr. Hernandez Ayala was a mentor for NASA’s Neurodiversity Network Internship Program, helping a high school student produce a research project that focused on examining the extreme rainfall climatology of the western United States.
GEP Prof. Baldwin and the School of Social Sciences hosted the first California Beaver Summit. The webinar was attended by 980 registrants representing 25 States and 4 countries.
GEP's Dr Fuller recently published an article that explores how consciousness, indigenous knowledge, and cultural practices allow Gulla Geechee fishers of South Carolina to access resources.
Dr. Fang provided expert comment on the radio program Marketplace about changing urban transportation space
Dr. Daniel Soto represented SSU at a summit focusing on best practices for preparing current and future teachers to educate 500,000 students per year in California on environmental and climate change problems and solutions.
Congrats to Dr. Goman & Dr. Baldwin: Professor Goman received SSU's Excellence in Research Award, and Professor Baldwin received the Excellence in Teaching Award for 2019!
Sonoma State hosted a Women in Sustainability Panel acknowledging and learning about women in the environmental industry. GEP faculty, Dr. Laura Watt and Dr. Sharon Fuller were on the panel sharing details about their career paths. GEP faculty, Wendy St.
Professor Hernández Ayala's paper Extreme Rainfall Associated With Hurricane Maria Over Puerto Rico and Its Connections to Climate Variability and Change has recently been cited in the media.