Former SJSU President John H. Bunzel’s op-ed on U.S.-Korean political tensions, “Take first strike off table to prevent a nuclear showdown,” appeared in The Post and Courier. From 1983-1986, Bunzel served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and in 1990 received the Hubert Humphrey Award as an outstanding public policy practitioner. “Like it or not, President Trump is the key player in keeping the Korean peninsula free of nuclear war,” Bunzel wrote. Read more online.
Assistant Professor Ben Carter, Department of Biological Science, is part of a team of botanists who have discovered plants not previously seen on California’s Channel Islands. Carter discovered an additional two dozen mosses (non-flowering plants) beyond the 10 types previously catalogued. Learn more online.
The San Francisco Chronicle interviewed Lecturer Frank Freedman, Department of Meteorology and Climate Science, in an article about tracking smoke caused by wildfires. Freedman is working with NASA to help build pollution maps with satellite data for neighborhoods. Read more online.
The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Arts (SJICA) mounted a retrospective of the work of the late Steve French, retired associate dean, College of Humanities and the Arts. “Overture: The Art of Steve French” includes paintings and assemblages from French’s early career in the 1960s until his death in 2014 and runs through February 4. Learn more online.
MovieVine interviewed Department of Film and Theatre Professor Amy Glazer about her movie Kepler’s Dream, the story of a “city girl” who spends the summer at her grandmother’s ranch in New Mexico. “At this point in my life, my love affair is with film. And more than anything else, I want a shot at the next one!” Glazer also serves as the San Francisco Playhouse’s associate artistic director. Read more online.
iSchool instructor Colleen Greene gave a presentation on “Researching African-American Family History” at CSU Fullerton’s Pollak Library in November. Greene stressed the importance of census records in genealogy research and shared her techniques for uncovering information about the Wesley Grubb family.
Yahoo News interviewed Assistant Professor Dina Izenstark, Department of Child and Adolescent Development, on her research into nature’s effect on family interactions and the benefits of sharing a “quick walk in nature” to “tune out distractions” and improve family relations. “We know that nature has a powerful effect on individuals because it helps (reduce) mental fatigue,” Izenstark said. “When family members are less mentally fatigued, they have the potential to get along better with one another.” Read more online.
Assistant Professor Raymond March, Department of Economics, recently posted an op-ed about “right to try laws” for the terminally ill at The Hill. “Right to try laws were enacted to provide hope,” March wrote. “Such legislation provides dying patients with more treatment options, albeit risky ones. Without right to try, there is no hope for these patients.” Read more online.
To celebrate Redwood City’s 150th anniversary, Redwood City Parks and Foundation will unveil Department of Art and Art History Professor Brian Taylor’s public art installation at the downtown library on February 8. Taylor also serves as executive director of the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel. Read more online.
Turkey’s Hürriyet Daily News interviewed Assistant Professor Kamran Türkoğlu, Department of Aerospace Engineering, about the driverless electric car he designed that has broken a U.S. speed record for autonomous vehicles, reaching 256 kilometers per hour. “Smarter and more ergonomic vehicles will focus on making human life easier and give back time lost in traffic,” he said. Read more online.