A Message from President Morishita: Inside East Bay, July 2018

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  • July 9, 2018

While outwardly peaceful during the summer months, the ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ campus is busy at work.

Groundskeepers are attending to landscaping, ensuring the environment is beautiful and inviting to new and returning Pioneers. In the library, summer session students are finishing their last quarter before the official switch to semesters. Before we know it, the fall semester will be upon us.

Faculty like from the department of chemistry are working on research projects that have the potential to influence the future of not only our region but the world. Thanks to a three-year $785,000 research grant from the Department of Energy, Dr.Tinnacher, with graduate student Jonathan Pistorino and visiting professor Dr. Christophe Tournassat, will spend the summer testing engineered barriers that can safely store radioactive waste byproducts from nuclear power. Her research has the potential to resolve critical real-world situations.

But activity on campus does not end with university staff, faculty and students. ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ is also serving as the home base for several camps and programs that support children and teenagers with engaging summer learning opportunities. On a recent sunny day, more than 70 students from Hayward’s Mount Eden High School listened to a panel of ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ students interning with the Hayward Promise Neighborhood program. They passed on their college experience — both what they learned and what tools were needed to succeed. 

A few weeks ago, Contra Costa high school students attended an program aimed at supporting the STEM workforce pipeline. The , founded by the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, gave students the chance to put theory into practice with unique workshops such as programming a robot to designing and building a bridge from balsa wood.

Whatever your summer plans are, I hope you take the time to relax and reflect on the accomplishments of the past year.