The famous swallows of Mission San Juan Capistrano have gone missing in recent years, and it’s professor Walter Piper’s mission to lure them back to the historical nesting site. His efforts have recently become fruitful; he discovered a swallow breeding colony only 1/4 of a mile from the historic Mission. Details of his findings can
The ballroom of the new Student Union took on the atmosphere of a shopping bazaar crossed with a science fair and book festival recently when the Office of Undergraduate Research hosted Chapman University’s first university-wide Faculty Research Expo. Students packed the room, perusing displays about faculty members’ research, projects and latest books in a variety
As part of their research of Earth hazards, scientists at The Center of Excellence in Earth Observing in the Schmid College of Science are tracking the massive Arizona wildfires. The image above was captured by Terra satellite and picked up by Schmid’s own direct-broadcast antenna. More views are available at Schmid’s website. Among those studying
The Schmid College of Science at Chapman University has been awarded a major grant to study the agricultural impact of climate change in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the $848,000 three-year grant will support advanced computational modeling to project the effects of climate change, allowing scientists and
We’re not sure if it was the pleasure of dining with a dynamic group of Chapman alumni and students, or the pasta served in braised rabbit sauce at a great Italian restaurant. But President Jim Doti reports that despite a cold and bad cough he finished this year’s April 18 Boston Marathon with a time
Schmid College of Science will celebrate Earth Week by presenting a major conference, “Energy, Economy and the Environment,” on Thursday, April 21, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Beckman Center, 100 Academy in Irvine. The conference will feature keynote and panel discussions on alternative energy options and the economics of energy for business and
The opening scene of a feature story in the current issue of Natural History magazine reads like a dispatch from the sidelines of a gladiator battle, with two males lunging, grasping, pummeling, pounding and thwacking one another in a battle to the death. But Walter Piper, Ph.D., professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Schmid
Forget the old jokes about Southern California’s weather being changeless. Weather forecasting in Southern California is critical when it comes to fires, floods, earthquakes and other natural hazards. A number of advanced systems in computing and observations have been installed at Chapman University that are either operational or in advanced development. Talking about these new technologies
Marijuana’s medical use is one of the hot topics of the moment in the national media, but a leading scientist at Chapman University who has long studied the plant’s properties is working on research that may make pot an easier pill to swallow. Susan Yang, Ph.D., professor, Schmid College of Science, published ground-breaking research on the topic
The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation has announced that Christopher Kim, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Chemistry, Schmid College of Science, has been selected as a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar for 2010. Dr. Kim, who is spending this year as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, is also principal investigator for the Environmental Geochemistry Lab at Chapman