Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Course-based Research & Community Involvement
We currently support two types of community-focused fellowships for our students: 1) a climate action group with the Central Valley College Corps (CVCC) program and 2) community-based student assistantships (CBRA) made available through NSF GEOBond and USDA Ag-BOND programs.
Placed across positions and courses that help the community address gaps in education, food sustainability, and climate action, Fresno State is increasingly integrating community-uplift in our activities and mission. By connecting coursework with community experts and partners, this work helps Valley communities address, mitigate, innovate, and build resiliencies against vulnerabilities in the region.
2024-2025 CBRA Fellows: Matthew Lotakoon, Indigo Oliveira, Brian Penaranda, Daniel Scharton, Jeffrey Thibodeaux, Hunter Tidd, Alexis Valedez, Jodice Weems
2023-2024 CBRA Fellows: Bailey Foster, Matthew Lotakoon, Morgan Hicks, Johnathann Renna, Daniel Scharton, Hunter Tidd,
2023-2024 CVCC Fellows: Jorge Armenta, Aidan Boyles, Kelsey Ferreira, and Alexis Valadez
2022-2023 CBRA Fellows: Briana Fountain, Tanner Lawrence, Erik Rodriguez, Feng Teter
2022-2023 CVCC Fellows: Jorge Armenta, Aidan Boyles, Stephanie Marquez, Adam Medina, Marcos Mendez Reyes, Hillary Rodriguez-Castro, Tiara Smith, and Yureissi Vargas
Learn More About CVCC Resources for Teaching Climate Action
This community-based course is an introduction to environmental science, focusing on environmental principles and processes. Topics covered this semester will include human population and consumption, ecosystems and biodiversity, resource management and conservation, energy sources and technology use, dynamics, ecosystems, pollution and wastes, environmental economics and ethics, global changes, and tomorrow's world.The goal of this course is to inform students of current environmental issues. This course will provide a fundamental background that allows students to think critically about environmentally relevant issues and approaches to solve them. Following this course, students should feel comfortable reading and understanding current scientific research to address environmental concerns.
Faculty: Aric Mine
Teachers play a critical role in inspiring kids to choose science as a career, and we know our future geoscientists are only as good as their teachers. If we want to create a culture that not only understands but appreciates the earth, and have any chance in creating a climate resilient future, we must provide elementary students with quality educational experiences within the geosciences. Therefore, we strive to develop the scientific skill sets of future K-6 teachers and build their confidence in effectively teaching geoscience to their future students.
Faculty: Kerry Workman Ford
In collaboration with the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and the San Joaquin River Conservancy, Fresno State students are investigating sediments in the river to assess physical variables that influence habitat suitability for salmon. Students in EES102S have the opportunity to visit the river and collect samples, investigate the samples in the lab, and then prepare a scientific report for the local agencies.
Faculty: Mara Brady
Community-based Research Assistant: Matthew Lotakoon
In development - more information soon
Faculty: Mathieu Richaud
This community-based course builds upon existing climate solution content and a high-impact service-learning framework that supports climate action through readings, experiential learning, written reflections, and class discussions. As a participant in this class, the experiential component has you engage in service-learning, an integral component of this course, where you will plan and complete a community service that helps you develop firsthand knowledge of the challenges communities, their members, governments, and advocates face in response to local impacts of the climate crisis.
Faculty: Beth Weinman
Community-based Research Assistant: CSU STEM VISTA Bianca Hinojosa, CVCC Climate Action Fellows
Exposing youth to scientific concepts and demonstrations can spark interest in science and, potentially, inspire them to make a career out of it. That’s why we provide K-12 students with hands-on learning experiences in geosciences. This service learning course allows Fresno State students to develop their teaching skills through community outreach at various local schools. Are you a K-12 school administrator or teacher? Email the faculty instructor to let us know if you want our team to come to your school, or you can have your students can come to our campus, to enhance their analytical and critical thinking skills!
Faculty: Kerry Workman Ford