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Spartan Daily, October 27, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 28

Spartan Daily, October 21, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 26

Spartan Daily, September 29, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 16

Distribution Modeling Predicts Pacific Newt (Genus Taricha) Road Mortality Near Remote Lakes In Santa Clara County, California, Anna Petrosky

Master's Theses

The California newt (Taricha torosa) is listed as a State Species of Special Concern across its southern range due to habitat degradation and loss, and limited studies indicate it may be experiencing these threats in its northern range as well. This project assesses where the California newt may be encountering roads as migration barriers and experiencing high mortality in western Santa Clara County, California, in an effort to inform future conservation efforts. I conducted surveys of California newt roadkill on roads bordering two reservoirs used as breeding habitat and accessed roadkill data collected by the Lexington Reservoir Newt Patrol. Roadkill …

Spartan Daily, August 27, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 04

Pushed To The Edges? Electivity Patterns Of Urban Stream Homeless Encampments In Environmentally Burdened Areas, Serena Alexander, Bennett Williamson, Jeff Wootton, Costanza Rampini, Gregory Brian Pasternack, Yufang Jin, Rune Storesund, Igor Lacan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Urban stream corridors in the San Francisco Bay Area have increasingly become locations for homeless encampments, yet little is known about the environmental conditions of these spaces. This study uses a geospatial electivity index to examine whether urban stream encampments in Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties are disproportionately located in census tracts with high pollution burdens, as measured by CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Findings show a statistically significant overrepresentation of encampments in census tracts in the top 25% of pollution and vulnerability scores, and a significant underrepresentation in lower-pollution areas. These results suggest that homeless individuals are being pushed toward environmentally …

Leventhal, Alan, San Jose State University

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Biographies

San Jose State University, Anthropology, MA 1993

(MA Thesis Title: A Reinterpretation of Some San Francisco Bay Mound Sites: A View from the Mortuary Complex from Prehistoric Site CA-ALA-329, The Ryan Mound): https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/694/

City College of New York, Major: Anthropology; Minor: Education and Geology, BA 1973

Archaeological Field Schools

University of Nevada: Nevada State Museum Archaeological Field School, Dr. Robert Elston, Director, June - August 1972

City College of New York Archaeological Field School, Dr. Robert Schuyler, Director, June - August 1971

See CV for Awards/Scholarships, 1972-2013.

Integrating Georeferencing And Fire Anatomy Modeling In Canyon Fire Experiments Using Thermal Uav Remote Sensing, Xiangyu Ren, Bo Yang, Alexander I. Filkov, Katherine M. Wilkin, C. David Benterou, Owen Hussey, Craig B. Clements

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Wildfires profoundly impact ecosystems and human health, making them a critical research focus. Drone-mounted Thermal Infrared (TIR) sensors are widely used for active fire monitoring due to their ability to penetrate smoke and capture real-time fire dynamics. Aims: This study addresses the challenges of georeferencing TIR data accurately, caused by limited fire anatomy modeling, imprecise georeferencing, the coarse resolution of TIR imagery and the dynamic nature of fire behavior. Methods: We collected a one-hour TIR dataset capturing a fast-moving controlled fire in a California canyon, US, alongside auxiliary data of multispectral and in situ meteorological observations. We developed an …

Biologically-Based Alternatives To Plastic Mulch Enrich Microbiome And Buffer Yield In Small-Scale Strawberry Production, Olivia L. Fragiacomo

Master's Theses

Much of commercial agriculture has used plastic mulch since the 1950s to contain fungicides and fertilizers, control weeds, retain soil moisture, and warm the top soil to start the growing season earlier. Research suggests that small-scale strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) growers may be able to incorporate biological techniques, such as wheat straw mulch with microbial amendments, to reduce the use of single-use plastic mulch with a comparable yield. For this study, I carried out a randomized complete block comparison of five strawberry management techniques: plastic mulch (PM), straw mulch alone, and straw mulch inoculated with either arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), …

A Socio-Ecological Study Of Coyote And Human Interactions In San Francisco Bay Open Space Preserves, Zhiyi Zhou

Master's Theses

Urban open space preserves support both intensive recreation and wildlife, but the information on carnivore activity and visitor perceptions is limited. This study combined camera-trap monitoring and on-site visitor surveys to evaluate activity patterns of medium- to large-bodied mammals and perceptions of coyotes at Windy Hill and Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserves (South San Francisco Bay Area). From October 2024 to July 2025, thirteen cameras recorded 213,681 photo events; detections were standardized as detections per 1,000 camera-hours. Ten mammal species and two avian species were detected, including four focal carnivores: coyote (Canis latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), mountain lion (Puma …

Uav-Based Estimation Of Fuel Structure And Dynamics In A California Canyon Fire Experiment, Xiangyu Ren, David Benterou, Jannike Allen, Katherine M. Wilkin, Henri Brillon, Craig B. Clements, Bo Yang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Wildfires in California increasingly threaten communities and ecosystems. However, comprehensive estimation of fire dynamics and fuel structure remains limited. Recent advances in Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology and high-spatial-resolution mapping have provided increasingly important tools for estimating wildfire fuel-height loss across fuel types. This study used a one-year Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) time series to quantify fuel-height loss and vegetation regrowth associated with a prescribed upslope canyon fire near Salinas, California, USA. Multispectral, infrared, and visible UAV imagery collected before, during, and after burning was used to generate orthomosaic, digital surface models (DSMs), fuel-type classifications, and surface-volume estimates. To enable …

The Coupled Hydrology–Human Activity Information (Chhai) Dataset: A Global Benchmark Dataset For Model Comparison And Evaluation, Azara Boschee, Aneseh Alborzi, Augustina Clara Alexander, Berit Arheimer, Salsebil Bel Hadj Ali, Günter Blöschl, Andrea Castelletti, Xi Chen, Aniya Dogra, Erhu Du, Jesse Duku, Aldo Fiori, Margaret Garcia, Salvatore Grimaldi, Naota Hanasaki, Yeonjoo Kim, Heidi Kreibich, Chenyuan Li, Ali Mehran, For Full Author List, See Comments Below

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

To enhance hydrologic modeling, the hydrology community has developed benchmark datasets (e.g. Model Parameter Estimation Experiment, MOPEX), providing standardized data for model evaluation and parameter estimation. However, these datasets primarily focus on modeling natural hydrologic processes, leaving a critical gap in understanding the role of human influences. Here, we introduce the Coupled Hydrology-Human Activity Information (CHHAI) dataset, a benchmark dataset that integrates coupled human–water data from regions across all continents, excluding Antarctica. CHHAI incorporates data from 25 regions that cover various human impacts such as reservoir management, flood protection, river management policies, land use changes, and water use. Each basin …

Mitigating Negative Consequences Of New Urban Growth In Disadvantaged Communities, Shishir Mathur, Christopher E. Ferrell, Cindy Adrian

Mineta Transportation Institute

New housing and development in California are often planned in communities that already face economic hardship, environmental burdens, and limited access to reliable transportation. Recent research finds specifically that in the San Francisco (S.F.) Bay Area and Southern California (SoCal) metropolitan regions, there is a high propensity to plan new urban development in socially, economically, and environmentally disadvantaged communities (DACs) with poor transit accessibility and limited personal mobility. This project first reviews the literature to identify potential unintended negative impacts of high concentrations of new urban growth in DACs across social, economic, educational, environmental, and transportation dimensions. It then identifies …

Exploring The Scales And Drivers Of Blue Transitions Of Marine Wild-Capture Fisheries To Mariculture In California, U.S.A, H. E. Froehlich, M. Rennick, R. R. Gentry, H. R. Lemoine, L. Gardner, S. E. Lester

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Commercial capture fisheries worldwide are susceptible to perturbations and sudden declines, also known as shocks. While management reforms and diversification within wild fisheries have provided some stability, it is less clear how parallel sources of seafood production, such as aquaculture, fit into these dynamics, past and present. Marine aquaculture (mariculture) is one way to increase seafood supply as demand increases and fisheries landings potentially become more variable. This study examined historical trends in marine fisheries and mariculture in the state of California, U.S.A., with an aim to empirically understand local ‘blue transitions’, i.e. shifts from wild to farmed production. Using …

Spartan Daily, April 28, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 38

Spartan Daily, April 23, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 37

Challenges Confronting The Use Of School Media Resource Centres In Secondary Schools In Jos North Lga, Plateau State-Nigeria, Ucham James Diyong, Gilbert Paul Igboechesi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Background: This study investigated challenges confronting the use of school media resource centers in secondary schools within the Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, Nigeria. The research aimed to identify existing obstacles and their impact on student achievement through two research questions and two hypotheses.

Methodology: Utilizing a descriptive survey research design, the study sampled 294 Junior Secondary School (JSS 2) students—selected via simple random sampling—from a total population of 1,178 across four schools. Data were collected using a self-structured, four-point Likert scale questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation).

Findings: Results revealed that …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Daily And Per Capita Vmt In California: A County-Level Analysis (2019–2023), Yong Lao, Bo Yang

Mineta Transportation Institute

Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is a fundamental metric for assessing mobility trends and infrastructure needs. This study examines the spatial-temporal dynamics of daily VMT (DVMT) and per capita DVMT across California counties from 2019 to 2023, covering the pre-, mid-, and post-pandemic periods via GIS mapping and k-means clustering. To identify determinants of per capita DVMT, we compared traditional linear regression approaches (OLS, Ridge, LASSO, Elastic Net) with ensemble tree-based models. Specific results include: the ensemble models estimated using 2019–2022 data delivered substantially higher accuracy, achieving R² values exceeding 0.98; meanwhile, out-of-sample performance on 2023 data remained robust (R² ≈ …

Spartan Daily, March 11, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 21

Spartan Daily, March 5, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 19

Synthesis Of Data Products For Ocean Carbonate Chemistry, Li Qing Jiang, Amanda Fay, Jens Daniel Müller, Luke Gregor, Alizée Roobaert, Lydia Keppler, Dustin Carroll, Siv K. Lauvset, Tim Devries, Judith Hauck, Christian Rödenbeck, Nicolas Metzl, Andrea J. Fassbender, Jean Pierre Gattuso, Peter Landschützer, Rik Wanninkhof, Christopher Sabine, Simone R. Alin, Mario Hoppema

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

As the largest active carbon reservoir on Earth, the ocean is a cornerstone of the global carbon cycle, playing a pivotal role in modulating ocean health and the Earth’s climate system. Understanding these crucial roles requires access to a broad array of data products documenting the changing chemistry of the global ocean as a vast and interconnected system. This review article provides an overview of 68 existing ocean carbonate chemistry data products and data product sets, encompassing compilations of cruise datasets, derived gap-filled data products, model simulations, and compilations thereof. It is intended to help researchers identify and access data …

Spartan Daily, February 10, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 8

Motivating Passion And Purpose In Grade Six Students Through Game-Based Learning, Violet H. Harada, Patricia Louis

Learning Hub

This article examines how a sixth-grade pathways course at Kamehameha Schools in Hawai‘i leveraged Game-Based Learning (GBL) and Indigenous knowledge to foster student agency, creativity, and environmental stewardship. Designed and taught by school librarian Patricia Louis with support from a multidisciplinary instructional team, the Nā Lawai‘a Hawai‘i (Fishing, Hawaiian Style) elective engaged students in researching the ‘Ama‘ama (Hawaiian striped mullet) and the ecological challenges it faces, then translating their learning into the design of a board game, ‘Ama‘ama Escape. Grounded in constructivist, learning-by-making principles, the course guided students through an iterative design process that included inquiry, collaboration, prototyping, and playtesting. …

Modeling Bounded Count Environmental Data Using A Contaminated Beta-Binomial Regression Model, Arnoldus F. Otto, Antonio Punzo, Johannes T. Ferreira, Andriëtte Bekker, Salvatore D. Tomarchio, Cristina Tortora

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Bounded count data are commonly encountered in environmental studies. This paper examines two environmental applications illustrating their relevance. The first investigates the effect of winter malnutrition on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawn mortality. The second application analyzes public perceptions of environmental issues using data from the Eurobarometer 95.1 survey (March–April 2021), which includes a question rating the perceived severity of climate change on a scale from 1 to 10. Together, these studies demonstrate the need for flexible bounded count models in environmental research. In this context, the binomial and beta-binomial (BB) models are widely used for bounded count data, with …

Assessing The Ecological Drivers Of Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Of Fuels In The California Home Ignition Zone, Christopher David Benterou

Master's Theses

Consecutive years of devastating home losses to wildfire indicate the need for home fuel reduction and construction improvements. Existing research correlates house survival with modifications to the home ignition zone (HIZ) and is required in high fire hazard areas of California (CA). Mitigations, designed to disrupt continuous fuel patterns, (e.g., separating surface and canopy fuels), can also introduce ecological changes that can alter overall code compliance. Previous compliance studies used respondent and agency-generated data, which may lack accuracy. Assessing additional house and ecological features (e.g., canopy cover and construction) would improve prediction of compliance, but these relationships are poorly studied. …

Mobile Markets And Farmers’ Markets: Evaluating Food Accessibility For Underserved Communities In The Bay Area, Rajeshwari Rajesh

Master's Theses

Studies indicate including farmers’ markets, mobile markets, and other local food systems improve fresh food access for low-income communities, especially when paired with food assistance programs that offer financial incentives. This study aims to evaluate mobile markets and farmers’ markets in the Bay Area using the five dimensions of food access: accessibility, availability, acceptability, affordability, and accommodation. The study is based on primary data collected from 173 in-person surveys at six mobile and eight farmers’ markets in the Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties. Key survey participants were market shoppers participating in food assistance programs. A mixed research methodology included …

A Methodology To Reconstruct The Extent And Dynamics Of Historic Wildfires (1850-1950) In The Santa Cruz Mountains Of California, David Vásquez Ospina

Master's Theses

This thesis reconstructs the extent and dynamics of historic wildfires in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California between 1850 and 1950 using qualitative archival evidence from historical newspapers, maps, and related documents. A systematically coded database of 225 reports, consolidated into 155 unique wildfire events, was developed to analyze temporal and spatial patterns, ignition sources, vegetation types, suppression strategies, and impacts on communities and infrastructure. Historical rainfall records from the Boulder Creek station were integrated using water-year totals, three-year rolling averages, and standardized precipitation indices to examine how multi-year dryness relates to fire occurrence and size. Linear regressions show only …

Spartan Daily, December 4, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 42

Spartan Daily, December 03, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 41

Exploring Electric Bicycle Safety Performance Data And Policy Options For California, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Kevin Fang

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study was conducted as directed by California Senate Bill 381 (2023), which called for research to help policymakers develop effective laws and policy to support the twin goals of expanding electric bicycle use and protecting the safety of electric bicycle riders and other road users. The three major strands of findings presented in this report are (1) a review of how California and other states (and countries) regulate electric bicycle use, (2) a review of the electric bicycle safety literature, including original analysis of primary data on crashes, injuries, and deaths, and (3) strategies that the state could adopt …