Dr. Veena Howard, chair and professor, Department of Philosophy, presented a paper at the 11th annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, held at Merton College, University of Oxford, in August. Her presentation, “Hindu Animal Narratives and the Principle of Ahimsa: Can They Serve as Inspiration for Animal-Care Policies?” explored how Hindu narratives and the ethical principle of nonviolence might inform contemporary policies concerning animal welfare and protection. She was also appointed a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, which recognizes scholars with distinguished research and individuals who are professionally committed to the field of animal care.

Laura Ramos, director of the California Water Institute, presented to the California Water Commission during its meeting on Aug. 19. Ramos discussed the San Joaquin Valley Water Resilience Summit and its work to connect statewide water initiatives with Valley-led planning efforts.

The California Water Commission is a nine-member, governor-appointed and Senate-confirmed body that advises the California Department of Water Resources and provides a public forum for discussing water management issues. Ramos explained how the summit brought several water-planning efforts together to identify areas of alignment, elevate perspectives that may have been missing and move shared priorities toward action.

Her presentation highlighted eight priorities identified during the two-day summit and reflected the California Water Institute work, which connects academic expertise with water management challenges through education, applied research and collaboration.

Dr. Peter Robertson (Advancement) was the opening speaker for the 4th annual Queer Housing Summit recently held at Fresno City College. His presentation was titled “The pursuit of Happiness” and discussed how LGBTQ2+ allyship relates to resilience, community and creating a sense of belonging.

Under the guidance of Dr. Everett A. Vieira III, associate professor of political science, Fresno State’s Alpha Delta Beta chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha was awarded Best Chapter of the Year for 2025-26 from the National Political Science Honor Society.

This is the sixth year in a row the Fresno State chapter has achieved this honor, and is one of only six chapters to receive the award this past year out of 830 chapters nationwide.

The selection committee said it was impressed with the chapter’s achievements in providing opportunities focused on student professional development and community service.

Some of the professional development activities during the past academic year included collaborating with the Department of Political Science and the West Coast Consortium of Private Law Schools to hold an in-person admissions panel and reception for students interested in law school; holding a questions about graduate school meet-and-greet with Fresno State alumni currently enrolled in graduate school; sending a student member to the Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference in Washington, DC; sending another student member to the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association in San Diego; and the chapter’s sixth annual law student panel with Fresno State alumni currently enrolled in law school.

The award includes a cash prize of $500 for the chapter, as well as an additional $200 to the advisor for their service. The Fresno State chapter will be featured alongside this year’s other award-winning chapters in an upcoming issue of the American Political Science Association’s magazine, Political Science Today.