Dr. Sangeeta Bansal, assistant professor, Department of Plant Science, co-published the article, “Impacts of stocking densities on soil biochemical and microbial properties” in the Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems Journal, Jan. 2024.

The first-year campus faculty member teaches classes tied to the roles of biological and mineral matter in soil, plant and water relationships, nutrient recommendations for different crops, and soil and plant tissue evaluation and analysis techniques. Her research has focused on different dimensions of soil health, and investigating interactions among soil physical, chemical and biological indicators.

She has specifically studied the effects of regenerative practices such as incorporation of cover crops, organic amendments, no-till, and crop diversification, and how these practices can contribute toward improving soil carbon sequestration, drought resilience and groundwater recharge.

Dr. Sam Lankford, professor, Department of Recreation Administration, received the California Park and Recreation Society Service Award of Excellence in the category of Outstanding Research. He was recently recognized at the CPRS Connections Conference in Palm Springs.

Dr. Pa Nhia Xiong, assistant professor, Department of Social Work Education, published “Worth the Sacrifices of Hmong Soldiers: Hmong Uplifting Hmong Out of Poverty - A Mixed Method Study and Comparison of Hmong Communities in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin” in a special issue of Hmong Studies Journal focusing on Hmong Americans in the 2020 Census.