Cal Poly Pomona
Project Title: Zeolite production from geothermal waste as a circular model for climate justice
With increasing urgency to mitigate climate change, California has set aggressive targets for establishing renewable energy infrastructure and extraction of minerals like lithium for electric vehicle batteries. State and industry actors have rebranded the agricultural hub of Imperial Valley, California, as “Lithium Valley” centered on lithium extraction from geothermal brine. Geothermal brines are hot brines that are brought to the Earth’s surface and used to flash steam for electricity generation. Even though it is considered a closed-loop and renewable source, geothermal energy production generates considerable amounts of solid waste that are usually sent to a landfill or hazardous waste facility.
Our research aims to demonstrate a cradle-to-cradle approach to waste management that will provide a circular model to help address environmental health and climate justice concerns regarding water use and waste streams in direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines. Specifically, we will produce zeolites from geothermal waste and study their feasibility as a soil amendment for agricultural water conservation and heavy metal remediation.
San Diego State/Cal State Long Beach
Dr. Kinsey Brock (PI)
Assistant Professor and Curator of Reptiles & Amphibians
College of Sciences
Department of Biology
Evolutionary Biology
San Diego State
Website: www.kinseybrock.com/
Dr. Bree Putman (Co-PI)
Assistant Professor, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Biological Sciences Department
Cal State Long Beach
Website: www.breeputman.com
Project Title: Understanding Ecophysiological Responses to Climate Change Across the Urban-Rural Gradient
Climate change and urbanization threaten global biodiversity by radically altering the temperature and water availability of ecosystems. Urban areas can even have their own microclimate that is usually hotter and more humid than surrounding areas, a phenomenon known as the “urban heat island effect.” A lot of research has narrowly focused on the effects of elevated temperature in cities, and relatively little is known about how environmental moisture and water availability affect wildlife in cities. Our EAGER research will leverage three CSU campuses (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSU Long Beach and San Diego State University) that span a climatic gradient across central and southern California to test if urban campus habitat influences the ecophysiology of one of the state’s most abundant vertebrate species, the Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis). Student researchers will measure environmental conditions that lizards experience on CSU campuses and in surrounding undeveloped habitats and compare lizard hydration levels and rates of evaporative water loss through their skin. We will then use these data in combination with future climate forecasts to predict how lizards will adapt (or not!) to future climate change.
Cal State East Bay
Dr. Kathryn N. Hayes (PI)
Associate Professor
Chair, Department of Educational Leadership
PI, Science Communities of Practice Partnership
Co-PI, Climate Empowerment Learning Initiative
Dr. Karina Garbesi (Co-PI)
Professor Emerita, Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Department of Anthropology, Geography & Environmental Studies
Project Title: Scaling Justice-Centered, STEM Grounded, and Solutions-Oriented Climate Education: Laying the foundation for Student Climate Agency throughout a Highly Diverse School District.
Our goal for this EAGER project, which is focused on the areas of
Climate Change and
Environmental Justice, is to
build the partnerships necessary to apply for an NSF ITEST (Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers) Scaling, Expanding, and Iterating Innovations grant (5 years, up to $3,500,000). The ITEST proposal will be focused on scaling an existing STEM-NET-incubated, ITEST-funded project (NSF Abstract), referred to as the Climate Empowerment Learning Initiative (CELI). CELI has sought to address the polycrisis of climate disaster that our students, schools, and families experience, through creating school-wide climate learning experiences that cultivate student agency and STEM and climate solutions-focused identities (McGowan & Bell, 2022; Trott et al., 2023). In alignment with these goals, the broader-impact outcomes of the Scaling ITEST grant would be as follows:
1) Spread justice-centered climate classroom-based learning experiences for middle and high school students across the district;
2) Create multiple, intersecting outside-of-classroom justice-centered climate education and leadership experiences for HUSD students based on community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005); and
3) Develop the structures, policies and relationships necessary across the district, city and community to sustain the justice-centered climate learning initiatives.
Education is a crucial lever for addressing the climate crisis. Yet models for enacting systematic justice-centered climate education across districts are sparse (Windschitl, 2024; Trott et al., 2023). Through both the EAGER and ITEST grants, we are hoping to understand how to foster and sustain systemic change in which a district integrates climate-justice focused learning into their core middle- and high school curriculum, while the community and district simultaneously develop policies and structures that support this learning and facilitate student-driven projects.
Sacramento State/CSUN
Dr. Rohollah (Roham) Moghadam (PI)
SMIEEE
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Sacramento State
Dr. Mohammad Rasoul Narimani (Co-PI)
Assistant Professor, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CSUN
Project Title: Enhancement of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Grid Integration to Address Climate
The overall goal of this project is to model the electric grid of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), as a representative dense community, to understand and mitigate the negative impacts of EV charging infrastructure. The project is expected to deliver AI-driven solutions that optimize electric grid efficiency for EV charging stations, reducing the risk of grid overload in dense urban areas. Additionally, it will provide actionable insights for strategic energy planning, supporting the sustainable expansion of EV infrastructure.
CSU San Marcos/CSU Dominguez Hills
Dr. Sabrina Liu (PI)
Assistant Professor, College of Education, Health, and Human Services
Department of Human Development
CSU San Marcos
Website: www.drsabrinaliu.com/
Project Title: Reflections on Our Origins in the Transition to Parenthood Study (ROOTS)
This study, led by Dr. Sabrina Liu at CSU San Marcos and Dr. Irene Tung at CSU Dominguez Hills, aims to explore the unique mental health challenges and resources faced by second-generation immigrants (SGIs) during the transition to parenthood. This study focuses on how cultural factors—such as family values, bi-cultural identity, neighborhood support, and experiences of discrimination—impact mental health outcomes like depression, anxiety and stress during pregnancy and postpartum. Using a combination of surveys and interviews with a diverse group of first-time SGI parents in Southern California, this research aims to provide an evidence-based model to help inform culturally sensitive interventions and policies.
The ultimate goal is to improve mental health outcomes and support systems for the growing yet understudied population of second-generation immigrant parents in the United States.
Chico State
Project Title: Assessing Post-Wildfire Drought Impacts on California Seed Banks
Dr. Robert Griffin-Nolan (Biological Sciences) and Dr. Kristen Kaczynski (Earth and Environmental Sciences) at Chico State received funding to study the effects of wildfire and drought on California’s soil seed banks, the reservoir of biodiversity belowground that lies dormant until the appropriate conditions arise for germination to occur. The project examines how fire intensity, drought, and seed traits influence seed bank composition and the regeneration of native and invasive plant species. Using pre-fire data from the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, the research will assess post-fire changes in seed abundance and diversity following the 2024 Park Fire. This work will provide insights into ecosystem recovery under changing climate conditions and support student involvement in scientific research.
Fresno State
Dr. Nupur Hajela (PI)
Associate Professor, College of Health and Human Services
Department of Physical Therapy
Co-Director Gait Balance and Mobility Research and Education Center
Director of Rehabilitation Technologies & Outcomes Research
Central California Sports Sciences Institute
Website: www.fresnostate.edu/about/directory/physical-therapy/hajela-nupur.html
Dr. Ellen Woo (Co-PI)
Associate Professor
Director, Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab
Director, Brain Health & Science Program
College of Science and Mathematics
Department of Psychology
Project Title: Advancing Health Equity for Underserved Parkinson’s Patients through Innovative Virtual Reality-Based Physical Therapy and Mobile Health Unit
This study investigates the impact of an integrative approach combining immersive virtual reality (VR) with physical therapy on motor, psychological functions and quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), with a specific focus on promoting health equity among underserved populations utilizing mobile health unit. The neuropathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) often directly leads to both motor deficits and depression, significantly impacting quality of life. Traditional rehabilitation methods, while effective, may not be accessible to all patients due to geographic, economic and social barriers. The current research utilizes a VR Therapy system that includes neuromuscular education, therapeutic exercises and postural correction. The program integrates VR scenarios for motor training, aiming to enhance motor skills, mood and quality of life, while also addressing health equity by providing accessible care to the underserved aging PD population.