Volume 58, Number 9    October 11, 2010         

Family acceptance
Director of the Family Acceptance Project Caitlin Ryan commented on gay teen suicide for a story that appeared Oct. 6 in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Gay teens have been killing themselves for years -- in silence, and nobody knew their names. Now, we know who they are," Ryan said. "When families go from never discussing this to saying, 'I love you and want to understand,' they are opening the door to hope. One conversation can change how they feel about themselves, because they'll know they're not alone."

Management style
Professor of Management Sally Baack commented on senate candidate Carly Fiorina's management style as CEO of Hewlett-Packard for an Oct. 6 Sacramento Bee story. While unafraid of cutting jobs and costs, Fiorina "has been perceived as being extremely impersonal, that she didn't care about the people," Baack said. "It's important as a CEO to be compassionate, to show that you are of the people, not separate from the people, and that would be true in politics, as well."

Amphibian alert
Assistant Professor of Biology Vance Vredenburg's efforts to defend the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from the deadly chytridiomycosis fungus, or chytrid, were highlighted in an Oct. 4 article in The New York Times. "Once your study animals start dying, believe me, you pay attention!" Vredenburg said. Cautious despite encouraging preliminary results, he added, "there are still places in the world where chytrid hasn't shown up yet, like Madagascar. But it will. It's just a matter of time."

When right is left
Political Science Lecturer David Lee was quoted in an Oct. 4 Los Angeles Times story about the adjustments San Francisco politicians must make when running for statewide office. "Labels are relative here. Our conservative is L.A.'s liberal," Lee said. "San Francisco voters poll so much more to the left than the rest of California that politicians have to adjust."

Political appetites
Assistant Professor of Political Science Jason McDaniel commented on the possible motivations of politicians in an Oct. 4 Associated Press story about a proposed San Francisco ordinance that would require changes to McDonald's Happy Meals. "Local politicians, especially liberal and progressive ones, tend to focus on individual lifestyle issues because they are consistent with liberal or progressive goals, yet do not require large scale government effort and resource mobilization," McDaniel said. "Politicians want to be perceived as being responsive to their constituents, especially if they want to be re-elected, or have higher political ambitions."

Weather wise
Adjunct Professor of Geosciences Jan Null discussed his career forecasting the weather and, more recently, his forensic analysis work in an Oct. 1 San Jose Mercury News interview. "Back in 2001, I read about a five-month-old boy in San Jose who died after being left in a hot car. I was asked by a reporter at the time about how hot could it have gotten in that car, and I couldn't find any good studies," Null explained. "It was simply scientific curiosity. I couldn't find answers to my questions, and for a scientist that's pretty compelling motivation."

For more media coverage of faculty, staff, students, alumni and programs, see SF State in the News.

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Last modified October 11, 2010 by University Communications.