Volume 55, Number 27   March 31 , 2008         

Acting like a teen
In a March 24 Newsweek article about social networking Web sites, Assistant Professor of Psychology Kate Hellenga, who has studied intimacy and online behavior noted, "There's a difference between spewing a lot of 'content' between two people and true knowledge of another person. There isn't a lot of room for trust and earnestness because of the younger generation's constant awareness of self-presentation."
 
Money talks
Assistant Professor of Political Science Graeme Boushey commented on State Senator Carole Midgen's campaign finance violations in the March 20 San Francisco Examiner and the March 21 Sacramento Bee. "I would be surprised to see her survive this scandal," Boushey said. "(Migden's) big hope is voter fatigue and low turnout. Candidates have survived things like this in the past, but if her problems with the FPPC catch traction, she's going to be in trouble."

Rising gold
Professor of Economics Daniel Vencill offered his expertise in a March 14 ABC 7 Morning News broadcast about the near-record gold prices that exceeded $1,000 per ounce recently. Vencill estimated that historically, gold is priced about 15 times the price of oil. With the addition of the weakening dollar, Vencill predicted, "By the summer, it will be over $1,250 [per ounce], and it will probably peak between $1,500 and $1,600 before any let up."

Bee patrol
Assistant Professor of Biology Gretchen LeBuhn was featured March 15 on KRON 4 News Weekend broadcast, and in the San Francisco Examiner and the March 14 Online Almanac about her Great Sunflower Project, which provides free sunflower seeds for people to plant and time how long it takes the flower to attract bees. "Bees are struggling. (The project) will make people pause for a moment and take a look at these bees that are working incredibly hard for us," LeBuhn said.

Carefree Web surfing
A March 10 Wired.com article about Google's plummeting share price featured commentary from Professor of Management John Sullivan, who has studied Google's recruiting strategy and found that the average "Googler" is unconcerned about the drop. "I think the average age there is 12 or something, and they really have no fear," Sullivan joked. "It's like, 'Well, I'll just earn $10 million at my next job.' If you’re 40 years old and you work at HP, you may be worried about where you're going to get your money."

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

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Last modified March 31, 2008 by University Communications.