Got bees?

I grew up surrounded by a lot of bees (not referring to my family members but the kind with wings that pollinate flowers) and like most every nature lover out there, I’ve been sad to see fewer and fewer of them as the years go by. That’s why I am looking forward to joining  Associate Professor of Biology Gretchen LeBuhn’s Great Sunflower Project. The much-buzzed about project is detailed in the latest issue of Sunset magazine on news stands now.

The basic idea is ordinary folks like you or me serve as “citizen-scientists” to let LeBuhn know if bees are stopping by sunflowers in our backyards.

As she explains, “We know very little about bee activity in home and community gardens and their surrounding environments, but we are certain that they are a crucial link in the survival of native habitats and local produce, not to mention our beautiful urban gardens. Our local pollinator populations require our understanding & protection, and to answer that call we need to determine where and when they are at work. With enough citizen scientists collecting data, we can learn much more, much faster, about the current state of bee activity.”

So purchase some sunflower seeds and get to planting and recording!

The latest on furloughs

Members of the California Faculty Association (CFA) have voted to negotiate a two day per month furlough for all faculty employees that is part of the California State University’s overall plan to address a $584 million budget deficit for the 2009-10 academic year.  You can read the full press release here. Our Twitter site (SF State_News is the place to go for up-to-the minute reports on the tough decisions the university faces in light of unprecedented budget cuts).

Pulitzer winner leaves Washington Post for Huffington

Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas is saying goodbye to The Washington Post and hello to a new editorial role, at The Huffington Post. He will start next month as Huffington’s technology and innovations editor.

Vargas, a political science grad, was just four years out of SF State when he won a 2008 Pulitzer Prize as part of a team that covered the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech. 

The move to Huffington seems a natural one considering Vargas’ longtime interest in electronic media—a subject he has covered for a number of esteemed publications, including SF State Magazine.

We’re all a twitter

SF State News now has an official presence on Twitter. Follow us at SF State_News and you’ll get updates about cool things on campus like our stinking corpse flower, find out how we’re making the best of another stinky situation–unprecedented cuts in state funding–and of course, enjoy a steady stream of good news about faculty, student and alumni accomplishments such as Frank Bayliss’ award from President Obama.

Professor at 1600 Holloway to be honored at 1600 Pennsylvania

Congratulations to Frank Bayliss, professor of biology, who will be awarded the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence by President Obama this fall.

Bayliss is one of just 22 receipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Read more here.

Alumna’s poem in The New Yorker

“Twin Cities,”  a poem by SF State alumna/California Poet Laureate Carole Muske-Dukes, is featured in The New Yorker this week. Read her poem here.

Happy Fourth!

As alumnus Ken White, president of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA,  points out, “the few days following the Fourth are among the busiest for animal shelters, responding to reports of frightened, injured and lost animals.” In his regular City Brights blog on SF Gate he offers some reminders and tips for keeping our furry friends safe and secure this weekend. Thank you, Ken!