CSUB College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering

09/04/2026

Six students from California State University, Bakersfield spent time at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) this summer gaining experience solving real-world problems with experts in the fields of cybersecurity and data science.

While two students spent 12 weeks in LLNL’s Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Summer Institute (CSI), four more participated in the lab’s two-week Data Science Challenge. The summer activities are the latest in a partnership between the prestigious research laboratory and CSUB and its College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering (NSME).

As the director of CSUB’s California Energy Research Center (CERC), Katy Larson champions partnerships like the one between the university and the laboratory. Students at CSUB can research alongside faculty even as undergrads, and the growing partnership with LLNL expands those research opportunities even more through competitive fellowships and internships.

“Our students competed nationally alongside applicants from some of the country’s most recognized universities,” Larson said. “We are incredibly proud of their selection for these prestigious programs and of the outstanding work they have accomplished.”

Read more at the link!

`Runners spend summer at Lawrence Livremore National Laboratory

09/03/2026

📰 NSME in the News 📰 CSUB Professor of Biology Dr. Anna Jacobsen is featured in two articles about a plan to eradicate invasive mule deer on Catalina Island. Dr. Jacobsen provided essential background information for the article, including on how the deer make the island less fire resilient, threatening its ecosystem and the 60 plants and animals found only on the island.

Read more from The New York Times here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/catalina-island-deer.html

Read more from The Guardian here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/03/catalina-island-deer-california

Cull of animals that eat native shrubs, causing spread of fast-igniting grasses, to go ahead despite fierce opposition

08/28/2026

STUDENT-FACULTY RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: An academic paper authored by CSUB biology students and faculty has been published in the Journal of Experimental Botany. “Leaf vessel length and stem-node connectivity in woody angiosperms” by Tagacy Valdez, Lhea Kathlyn Mae Domondon, Danica Bergin, Dr. R. Brandon Pratt and Dr. Anna L. Jacobsen is the culmination of years of student-faculty collaboration.

The project was initially developed in the Jacobsen lab during SURE 2022, where Bergin, a graduate student, served as a graduate mentor and was supported through the CSUB Title Vb Graduate Excellence program. Valdez, an undergraduate researcher, then continued the project throughout the following academic year, taking on an increasingly independent role in conducting the research, analyzing the results, and communicating the findings. Domondon also supported the project during this time while working on her own separate project. From there, the project was expanded, refined and finalized during Dr. Jacobsen’s Spring 2026 sabbatical.

“This paper is a wonderful example of the impact of student-driven research, mentorship and the sustained contributions that students can make to scientific research,” Dr. Jacobsen said. “The publication represents not only an important scientific contribution, but also a strong example of how sustained undergraduate research experiences can lead to meaningful contributions to cutting-edge scientific work and peer-reviewed scholarship.”

The team’s research looks at the transition between stems and leaves, where the plant’s water transport system must shift from the stem into the leaf. This work helps fill a gap in understanding of an important but little-studied part of plants.

Read the paper at the link: https://academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jxb/erag422/8772312

08/26/2026

Construction crews were busy this summer, slowly but surely bringing our Energy Innovation Building to life! While we wait for its completion next fall, you can check out the construction livestream at any time to see the building's current progress.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/25/2026

Three new faculty members join California State University, Bakersfield's College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering this year. Meet the three new faces joining the departments of mathematics, computer & electrical engineering and computer science and nursing at the link!

College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering welcomes new faculty to CSUB

08/24/2026

Welcome back, `Runners!! 💙 💛 Whether you spent the last few months working on research, summer classes, personal projects or just taking a well-deserved break, we hope you had a wonderful summer! Campus was quiet without you, so we're glad you're back and ready to take on a new school year! 📚

07/28/2026

Three CSUB students are receiving scholarships from the CSU system this year to help them achieve their goals of earning a doctorate, including two NSME students!

🔹 Jocelyne Lopez, a biology master's student and an Instructional Support Technician for our Department of Biology, plans to enroll in a Ph.D. program in microbiology

🔹 Heather Gross, a biochemistry undergrad, plans to pursue a doctorate in toxicology

Gross and Lopez have both been chosen as Sally Casanova Scholars through the California Pre-Doctoral Program.

Read more about these two amazing NSME students and Tremaine Law, a psychology student named a Health Professions Scholar, at the link!

Three CSUB students receive state doctoral scholarships

07/07/2026

The California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education will be on Saturday, October 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., hosted by San Diego State University.

This is a one-day conference offering workshops, networking and exposure to opportunities in graduate education. It is free and open to all college students in California, including those that may face barriers, who are open to the possibility of graduate school in their future.

(Reposting with updated information. We apologize for any confusion on the earlier post!)

06/15/2026

This weekend, a group of our nursing students took off for Argentina, the latest of many global outreach trips the CSU Bakersfield Department of Nursing has organized over the last few years.

Karla Sosa at 23ABC came out to talk to professor Krystal Ball and some of the students before they left. Check out the story at the link!

Cal State Bakersfield nursing students are heading to Argentina as part of the university's Global Nursing Outreach program.

05/26/2026

Sophomore electrical engineering major Serenity Loveless was selected for a highly competitive scholarship and internship program with the U.S. Department of Energy. The DOE’s Environmental Management (EM) Success Through Academic Research Scholarship (STARS) program selects a small group of STEM students from Minority Serving Institutions, providing them with full tuition coverage, an academic-year stipend, paid summer internships, funding for training and professional development and housing, travel and transportation support during internships.

Through this program, Serenity will be spending the summer at the Hanford Site in Washington, where she will work on projects related to nuclear facility safety and environmental management. She will build skills in technical analysis, risk assessment, communication and teamwork and problem-solving in real-world systems. Serenity’s acceptance into the program also comes with a commitment to continue working with the DOE after graduation.

“This program is more than just financial support,” Serenity said. “It’s opening doors for me professionally and giving me access to opportunities, mentorship and experiences that are honestly life changing. I’m really excited to represent my school in a program like this and bring back what I learn.”