Continuing with its commitment to offer quality higher education opportunities in Ventura County, the University of La Verne is unveiling its relocated Ventura Regional Campus with a grand opening celebration on Thursday, May 3.

La Verne President Devorah Lieberman, City of Oxnard Mayor Thomas Holden and Ventura College President Robin Calote will host the 5 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by light refreshments and an open house, located on the 10th floor of the City National Bank Tower, at 500 East Esplanade Drive, Suite 1000, Oxnard, CA 93036.

In December, the campus relocated from an 8,000-square-foot facility to a 10,000-square-foot space, which allowed for larger classrooms that feature new instructional technology, including integrated computer equipment. Additionally, the new space features a student lounge, campus-wide wireless Internet and new furnishings to offer an enhanced professional study environment.

According to Regional CONTINUED »

I’m pleased to announce that this past Saturday, April 21, from 8am – 8pm at Rio Vista school in Oxnard, Fillmore had 19 students in grades 6th - 12th participate in the 9th annual regional Migrant Speech & Debate tournament! There were a total of 150 migrant students competing from around the county of Ventura. Fillmore did exceptionally well as we had 15 of the 19 students place in either 1st, 2nd or 3rd place for speech or debate! Ten of those students were first place winners and several students were double winners (both in prepared and extemporaneous speech). This year, Fillmore’s HS debate team was among the first place winners! Therefore, alltogether Fillmore left the tournamnet with 24 trophies and representing Piru School, Fillmore Middle School, and Fillmore High School.

The 10 first place winners (5 speech and the HS debate team) will be competing in the 2nd annual state tournament held in Sacramento over the weekend of May 4, 5, and 6.

I’d like to give a big thank you to their coaches: Jennifer Fitzpatrick (FHS), Nancy Kirkpatrick (FHS), Jenny Bortins (FMS), Jennifer Beal (FMS), and Mary Schroepfer (PIRU). In addition, Maria Gonzalez (Migrant office) spent the day helping support our students and John Wilber (FHS) came by to visit and watch the debate team compete in their final debate for the day.

In my 7th year of being involved with Fillmore’s Migrant Speech and Debate tournament, it was a great pleasure watching so many of our migrant students excel and finish well!

Jennifer Weir is Special Populations Student Support Coordinator for Fillmore Unified School District

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) has launched a new program that offers aspiring teachers a chance to develop their skills while making large-enrollment math and science courses more intimate and interactive.

The Learning Assistant (LA) Program, modeled on a nationally acclaimed program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, launched at CI this spring. The program pairs math and biology instructors with talented math and biology students in a collaborative teaching effort.

“The LA Program gives our most promising math and science students a flavor for what it’s like to be a teacher and, hopefully, encourages them to continue on that path,” said Dr. Jeanne Grier, Professor of Secondary Education and Director of the CI Math and Science Teacher Initiative, who introduced the LA program on campus. “It also provides instructors with an added resource for engaging students – a fellow student who has a strong grasp of math or science and who can share their knowledge with peers in a very approachable way.”

The LA gains CONTINUED »

Dr. Sean Anderson and fellow scientists offer new insights on BP oil spill and recovery efforts in publication on disaster’s second anniversary

Camarillo, CA - As the nation observes the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on April 20, a national panel of researchers is offering a new understanding of what happened, how to manage such events in the future, and why existing tools were inadequate.

Dr. Sean Anderson, Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management at CSU Channel Islands (CI), created and co-led the team of 22 renowned scientists in constructing the first complete conceptual model for understanding the Deepwater Horizon and how such spills should be handled in the future. Their findings are published in the May issue of the journal Bioscience in an article entitled, “A Tale of Two Spills: Novel Science and Policy Implications of an Emerging New Oil Spill Model.” The group’s work was funded by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), a research center of the of the University of California, Santa Barbara, supported by the National Science Foundation. The Center uses data-driven, cross-disciplinary research to address important issues in ecology and delivers that information to researchers, resource managers and policy makers.

The Deepwater Horizon CONTINUED »

Camarillo, CA - Instead of spending her spring break lounging on the beach, CI senior Jessica Cortez joined 14 of her fellow students to help rebuild aquaculture oyster farms in a Japanese village devastated by last year’s earthquake and tsunami.

Senior Ivett Plascencia headed to New Orleans to restore wetlands and create community food gardens for areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.

And junior Suki Fukumoto went to Detroit to meet with auto industry executives and learn how U.S. car manufacturers are rebuilding and innovating.

Their spring break trips were actually service and travel learning experiences that form the basis for three innovative CSU Channel Islands courses. The courses are aimed at helping students gain a first-hand understanding of complex world problems and the skills and dedication to help solve them.

“It was eye-opening,” said Cortez, a biochemistry major. “I did not know much about Japanese culture before taking this class and I now have a profound appreciation for the people and the culture. It was extremely gratifying to be able to contribute to something greater by helping the local oyster fisherman revive their business and encouraging them to have the strength to carry on in their recovery efforts.”

On Tuesday, April 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. in CI’s Broome Library, more than 40 students who participated in the trips will share their experiences, insights and discoveries with the campus community. The students’ poster presentations will address topics ranging from how to promote eco-tourism in tsunami-stricken areas of Japan to levee failures, automotive production and jazz.

“These trips are CONTINUED »

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will host “Forging Alliances,” the Fourth Annual Conference for Social Justice in Education, on Saturday, April 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at CI’s Malibu Hall and John Spoor Broome Library.

The event gathers Ventura County teachers and learners to showcase and discuss issues of social justice at work in the community, area schools, and institutions of higher education.

The conference is free and open to teachers, students, parents, administrators, counselors, youth advocates, activists, paraprofessionals and anyone else in Ventura County who is connected to public education in some way and is concerned about issues of equity, access and accountability.

The day will begin with opening remarks by CI President Richard Rush and a keynote speech by Ben Romo, Director of Community Education and Special Projects for the Santa Barbara County School of Education. Afternoon sessions include presentations by local leaders in social justice issues. Throughout the day, attendees will have an opportunity to network and share, plan, discuss, question, support and change what we do to achieve equity in our schools.

Complimentary on-campus parking and lunch will be provided. Registration is strongly encouraged and is available online at http://education.csuci.edu/justice-conference/.

“Forging Alliances” is sponsored by CI’s School of Education, the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics, the Provost’s office, Extended University, Arts & Sciences, and the Center for Integrative Studies, along with the Ventura Unified School District and the Ventura County Social Justice Fund.

To learn more about social justice education at CI, please contact Dr. Tiina Itkonen, Associate Professor of Education, at tiina.itkonen@csuci.edu or 805-437-3294.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
5:00 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
7:00 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA
5:00 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Board of Education reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION School District Pupils (Education Code 35146)
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-10
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-11
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-12
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-13
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-14
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-15
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-16 Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to District Negotiators (Dr. Alan Nishino, Dr. Michael Bush, Todd Schieferle, Margaret Chidester) for negotiations with the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association (FUTA), the California School Employees Association (CSEA), Confidential Employees, and District Administration Personnel Matters (Government Code 54957)
o Hiring, Evaluating, Discipline, Dismissal, Release, Reassignment, Transfers Public Employee Performance Evaluation: Superintendent (The Board and
Superintendent meet periodically to provide feedback to one another concerning
the achievement of goals.)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Superintendent's Office at (805) 524-6038. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the district to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [in accordance with Government Code 54961 and Board Bylaw 9320(a)].

7:00 p.m.
E. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION Any Action From Closed Session
F. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
G. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the school board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Board of Education reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
7:15 p.m.
H. COMMUNICATIONS Student Representative’s Report Superintendent’s Report
7:30 p.m.
I. CONSENT ITEMS (Corresponding to numbers 1-5)
Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine and will be enacted by a single motion. None of the items will be discussed unless a Board Member or member of the audience requests discussion.
1. Approve Personnel Order 11-12-13
2. Ratify Accounts Payable Month of March 2012 (ReqPay12a)
3. Ratify Purchase Orders Month of March 2012 (ReqPay11a)
4. Ratify 3/01/12 through 3/31/12 Certificated and Classified Payroll in the Amount
of $1,643,494.45 (Pay01a)
5. Donations
J. ACTION
6. Adopt Resolution Number 11-12-13 to Approve Layoff of Classified Employees
7. Approve 3rd Quarter Williams Uniform Complaint Report
7:45 p.m.
K. STUDENT DISCIPLINE
8. Student Expulsions
8:00 p.m.
L. FUTURE MEETINGS
May 1 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
May 15 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
June 5 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
June 19 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
M. BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
8:15 p.m.
N. ADJOURNMENT

Sespe Elementary School Science Fair will be from 9am-11am on Wednesday April 18. Display for the parents is on Thursday April 19th from 6-7pm.

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Art by Mattias VanBreemen
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Art by Jacob Alvarez
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Art by Emmanuel Roldan
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Art by Daniel Vaca
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Art by Nancy Hurtado
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Tobacco Bus
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The Tobacco Bus of Horrors rolled into town again this year to visit Fillmore Middle School. Ronda Reyes-Deutsch, FMS school counselor, welcomed Carolyn Consoli and Johnny Gomez from the Ventura County Health Care Agency that educates 6th graders on the dangers of tobacco. 6th grade docents led the tours for their peers sharing shocking information like there are 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke and 70 of them are known to cause cancer. The Tobacco Industry uses movies for advertising to influence kids to use tobacco products. It is estimated that a thousand children are influenced to start using tobacco every day!

The outside of the bus has been painted with murals and the inside of the bus shows past and present advertising in the media on luring young people to begin smoking to replace those who have died from tobacco use. Also, the students got to walk through a mouth of a smoker (a structure built inside the bus).

Each 6th grade class was divided into 5 groups. Docents then took the students to a designated location around or inside the bus to engage the children in conversations such as what is second hand smoke and learning that there is such a thing as third hand smoke. Illegal sales to minors (anyone under 18 years of age) was discussed and a phone number was given to report the criminal activity. Some children had a family member or close friend that smokes. The bus has a number on it to call to help those addicted to nicotine stop. Another conversation on one side of the bus was that cigarette butts are the majority of litter in parks and beaches. Fillmore parks still permit smoking!

Did you know that it takes about 30 years for a cigarette filter to decompose? Or did you know that a cigar can have as much tobacco as a pack of cigarettes?

Some clever phrases also are painted on the outside of the bus:
• You chew you lose… Smokeless today… toothless and cheekless tomorrow.
• Cross your heart. Hope to die!
• It’s a woman killing thing.
• Butts are litter.
• If your outside looked like your inside, would you still smoke?
• Lethal injection: Cadmium Arsenic, Methane, Insecticide, Ammonia, Plutonium, Formaldehyde, Carbon Monoxide
• 2nd Hand smoke kills.
• RIP

If you see someone selling to a child under 18 years of age, please report it. The number to call is: 1-800-5-ASK-4-ID

If you or a loved one wants to kick this nasty habit, please call the County at 201-STOP.

6th Grade Docents for Wednesday, April 4, 2012:
• Grailing Lowe-MacMahon
• Jacqueline Rios
• Natalie Martinez
• Dezeray Zavala
• Christian Andrade
• Laura Ortiz

6th Grade Docents for Thursday, April 5, 2012
• Tristen Marmont
• Blake Palacio
• Erik Uriostegue
• Alina Cardenas
• Dianna Cardoza
• Chloe Stines

FMS Art classes facilitated by Doris Nichols also helped raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco by creating Anti-Tobacco collages. Daniel Vaca, Mattias VanBreemen, Nancy Hurtado, Jacob Alvarez and Emmanuel Roldan are among the students that chose to create artwork sending messages to not use tobacco.

Thank you Tobacco Bus of Horrors!

Reese Halter

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A free public presentation on the need to save bees will be part of California Lutheran University’s Yam Yad 2012 celebration.

Reese Halter, an adjunct member of the CLU biology faculty, will present “Save the Bees, Savor Their Honey” at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in Kingsmen Park. Visitors of all ages can sample honey from Camarillo’s Jubilee Honeybee Co. and find out why it’s important to protect urban bees and what people can do to help.

Halter has written many books and in October released an updated version of “The Incomparable Honeybee and the Economics of Pollination.” His other titles include “The Insatiable Bark Beetle,” “Wild Weather: The Truth Behind Global Warming” and “Mysteries of the Redwood Forest with Bruni the Bear.” Halter will be available to sign books during the event. Featured regularly as an environmental expert on MSNBC and as a contributor for The Huffington Post, Halter founded the Global Forest Science conservation institute.

Yam Yad is a day of service, education and recreation. Students, alumni, staff and family members will spend the morning participating in service projects around campus. They will plant trees and shrubs outside academic buildings, remove weeds and build raised beds in the CLU Community Garden, create a path outside Samuelson Chapel and begin work on a meditation garden there. A trip to Zuma Beach is planned for the afternoon.

The first Yam Yad, which is May Day spelled backward, was held on May 1, 1967, when the student government planned a day off from classes. Students trekked to the “Gunsmoke” movie set, where they held mock gunfights with water guns and water balloons and ate barbecue served by the cafeteria staff.

As the tradition continued, it expanded to include a service project that students and staff worked on together. Projects included creating Buth Park on campus and laying a cement walkway through Kingsmen Park. Water fights and food remained a part of the festivities through the years. The date of the event, which wasn’t always on May 1, was kept a surprise for most students, who would wake to yells of “Yam Yad” and gather to find out what was planned. The Yam Yad tradition lapsed from the early 1980s until 2010, when it was revived in honor of CLU’s 50th anniversary.

Kingsmen Park is located on the north side of Memorial Parkway near Mountclef Boulevard.

For more information on the public talk, contact Halter at EarthDrReese@gmail.com or 805-493-3342.

Khevin Pratt, a Moorpark College student, has been selected to travel to a NASA Center in May 2012 to participate in a three-day on-site event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Pratt was selected as one of 92 community college students from across the nation to be part of the National Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) program (https://ncas.aerospacescholars.org). While participating in four Web-based assignments during the school year, Pratt maintained a 97 percent average on assignments to qualify for the NASA robotics experience. On one assignment, Pratt invented a "human-like" wind-powered robotics apparatus named "Hu-bot" (pronounced "hugh-bot"). Pratt plans to work closely with NASA engineers and scholars from across the nation to further develop his Hu-bot invention in hopes of a 2016 Mars exploration launch.

Pratt believes his goal to rebuild ecologically and socially sustainable communities and ecosystems devastated by tornado, earthquake, or hurricane destruction will be aided greatly by the technological expertise and cumulative wisdom available through the NCAS program. As a mathematics/engineering student, he is excited about the opportunities presented by the program and intends to contribute extensively toward the 2016 Mars exploration mission. Pratt will use the NASA experience to contribute to global society in the future and utilize his education for the benefit of greater mankind and the environment.

For additional information, please contact Deborah Hutchings, National Community College Aerospace Scholars Program Manager, at (281) 483-8623 or alternatively, deborah.hutchings-1@nasa.gov. For questions about NASA or other NASA education initiatives, contact Rachel Kraft at (281) 483-5111 or rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE ALTERNATIVE GOVERNANCE BOARD
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
9:00 A.M. CLOSED SESSION
2:00 P.M. REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA
BOARD ROOM

AGENDA
9:00 a.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS,
PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Alternative Governance Board reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Alternative Governance Board will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Personnel Matters (Government Code 54957)
o Evaluating
2:00 p.m.
E. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION Any Action From Closed Session
F. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Superintendent's Office at (805) 524-6038. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the district to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [in accordance with Government Code 54961 and Board Bylaw 9320(a)].
G. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS,
PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Alternative Governance Board reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
H. ACTION
1. Approve Minutes of Meeting Held February 14, 2012
2. Approve Draft of Findings and Recommendations on Fillmore Middle School, San Cayetano and Piru for Submission to the Fillmore Unified School District Board of Education For Approval
3. Approve the Dates to Present the Findings and Recommendations to the Site Principal/Staff and to Fillmore Unified Board of Education
I. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
4. Inclusion of Sespe and Mountain Vista to the AGB Process for the 2012-2013 School Year and the Continuation of the AGB Process for San Cayetano, Piru and Fillmore Middle School with Specific Formats for Each of the AGB Target Schools
J. FUTURE MEETINGS
May 29 4:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
K. ALTERNATIVE GOVERNANCE BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
L. ADJOURNMENT

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will host the 2nd Annual Mediation Conference on Saturday, April 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the John Spoor Broome Library on the CI campus.

The conference, presented by CI’s Communication Program and the Ventura Center for Dispute Settlement (VCDS), brings together expert mediators and community members for a day of sharing knowledge and skills on how to better solve conflict, engage divergent voices, and promote healing in our community.

The program features keynote speaker Laurel Greenspan Kaufer, a noted mediator/arbitrator and founder of Kaufer Mediation. Kaufer recently was named Attorney of the Year by California Lawyer for her pro-bono efforts to co-develop Prison of Peace, a highly successful conflict resolution training program for inmates at the maximum security Valley State Prison for Women.

Eight break-out sessions, led by some of Southern California’s leading conflict resolution experts, will be offered throughout the day. For listings of the break-out session times and topics, visit http://www.vcds.bz/newsandevents/conference.html.

Advance registration for community members is $85 and includes lunch, materials and the opportunity to engage in critical discussions. Community members may pre-register online at www.vcds.bz. Registration on the day of the event is $100.

CI students, faculty and staff may register at no cost by Friday, April 13 at https://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/mediation-conference/.

For more information, please contact Dr. Tracylee Clarke, Assistant Professor of Communication, at 805-437-3305 or tracylee.clarke@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will hold its 8th Annual Poe Symposium, “Agriculture in the Golden State: Challenges in Feeding California in the 21st Century,” on Friday, April 20. The free public event will take place from 12 to 5:30 p.m. in Aliso Hall 150 on the CI campus. Advance registration is required at http://biology.csuci.edu/poe/poe8agriculture/.

As the nation’s top agricultural producer, California generates more than $30 billion annually. However, growers’ ability to feed California and the rest of the country is being continually challenged by new insect pests, drug-resistant pathogens, and environmental concerns at the urban-agricultural interface. The Biology program at CI organized the symposium to help educate the campus and community about the ongoing research on agriculture and the challenges facing growers and policy makers.

“Ventura County is one of the top 10 agriculturally important counties in California, producing many of the state’s strawberries, raspberries, citrus and avocados,” said Dr. Ruben Alarcón, Assistant Professor of Biology at CI and organizer of the symposium. “It’s important that we understand more about the threats to our agricultural livelihood and access to food so we can take appropriate steps to solve these problems.”

The symposium will kick off with remarks from CI President Dr. Richard Rush and Dr. Alarcón. Presentations from five experts in their respective fields will follow, covering topics ranging from pests, pathogens and pollination to water challenges and making new agriculture. Attendees will hear from Dr. Ben Faber and Dr. Oleg Daugovish of the University of California Cooperative Extension in Ventura County; Dr. Michael Cahn of the University of California Cooperative Extension in Monterey County; Brett Chandler, President and General Manager of Associates Insectary; and Dr. Gordon Wardell, Senior Bee Biologist for Paramount Farming Company.

Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

To register and learn more about this year's symposium please visit http://biology.csuci.edu/poe/poe8agriculture/ or contact Catherine Hutchinson at 805-437-8403 or catherine.hutchinson@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Math and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI) Scholarship for 2011-2012.

The scholarships are awarded to students who have committed to become math or science teachers and are enrolled in a teaching credential or prerequisite program at CI. This year, 15 students received a total of $32,000 in MSTI scholarships.

CI congratulates the following student awardees:

Bryn Aquino – Science

David Biblin – Math

Crystal Buckley – Science

Christele Cardenas – Math

Charles Ellis – Science

Allison Fredrick – Math

Danielle Hartley – Math

Rana Kalaj – Math

Roberto Martinez – Math

Jamiee Morrison – Math

Adam Northrup – Science

Kellie Sheehan – Science

Lidia Tawill – Math

Courtney Watkins – Science

Linnea Wentworth – Math

The Math and Science Teacher Initiative at CI is funded by a systemwide effort of the CSU Chancellor's Office to remedy the national shortage of math and science teachers through student recruitment and support. CI has received funding from the Chancellor's Office since 2006 for its own Math and Science Teacher Initiative. Over the past six years, more than 60 CI students pursuing their teaching credentials in math and science have received $149,000 through the initiative. The scholarships help ease students’ financial burdens as they go to school and work full-time to complete their student teaching requirements.

“CI is making great strides in preparing quality math and science teachers to address the shortages in our state,” said Dr. Jeanne Grier, Professor of Secondary Education and Director of the Math and Science Teacher Initiative at CI. “By providing support to math and science credential students toward a career path in teaching, we are promoting and forwarding the excellence of our programs into our local K-12 schools and community.”

For more information on CI’s Math and Science Teacher Initiative and scholarship opportunities, contact Dr. Jeanne Grier, Professor of Secondary Education and Director of the Math and Science Teacher Initiative, at 805-437-8987 or jeanne.grier@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.