Four Cal State LA faculty receive CSU funding for projects to expand undergraduate research

Cal State LA faculty will lead or collaborate on four research projects funded through the California State University (CSU)'s new Growth in Undergraduate Innovation, Discovery and Engagement (GUIDE) program, expanding opportunities for students to gain hands-on research experience.

The projects include two led by Cal State LA faculty members Jingjing Li and Susan Cohen, along with collaborations involving Christine Scoffoni and Erica Ellis. The four projects are among 26 selected for the inaugural 2026-27 GUIDE awards.

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Launched by the CSU Chancellor's Office Division of Academic Affairs, GUIDE supports faculty-mentored research, scholarship, and creative activity while helping research teams prepare for future external funding. The program will invest $1.5 million in projects across 19 universities, benefiting nearly 4,000 students systemwide.

The projects involving Cal State LA span environmental science, molecular biology, agriculture, and communication disorders.

Cal State LA Professor Jingjing Li in the Department of Geography, Geology, and Environment will lead "AI-Driven Prediction of Post-Fire Water Hazards: A Multi-Campus Research and Training Initiative" in collaboration with Cal State LA Assistant Professor Alireza Farahmand, Long Beach State Professor Pitiporn Asvapathanagul, and San José State Assistant Professor Ali Mehran.

The project will use artificial intelligence to analyze satellite imagery, drone observations, and ground measurements to predict wildfire impacts on water quality in lakes, as well as reservoirs and flood risk in burned watersheds across California.

The award will support four paid undergraduate researchers through faculty mentoring and hands-on training in remote sensing, environmental data analysis, and predictive modeling. Project datasets and methods will also be incorporated into undergraduate coursework across the three campuses.

The team will use preliminary findings to pursue external funding for research on post-fire water hazards and undergraduate research training.

Cal State LA Associate Professor Susan Cohen in the Department of Biological Sciences will lead "Elucidating the Molecular Details of the Cyanobacterial Circadian Clock."

The project will investigate the molecular mechanisms governing biological timing in cyanobacteria, focusing on how spatial organization within the cell influences circadian clock function. Researchers will examine how an RNA-binding protein, called Rbp2, guides clock components to the cell poles at night and how potassium ion transport interacts with the clock to regulate cell pressure and growth.

The award will provide three undergraduate students with paid, hands-on laboratory research and mentorship. Their work will be integrated into course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), benefiting approximately 500 students annually across the biology curriculum.

The findings will inform a future National Science Foundation proposal to further explore how the biological clock functions within a three-dimensional cell and interacts with other cellular activities.

Cal State LA Associate Professor Christine Scoffoni in the Department of Biological Sciences and Cal State Monterey Bay Assistant Professor Caetano Albuquerque will partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service in Salinas on "Establishing a High-Throughput Gravimetric Phenotyping Platform to Quantify Water-Use Efficiency and Nitrate Leaching in Romaine Lettuce."

Student researchers will use precise plant-weighing technology and leaf-level measurements to track water use, responses to water stress, and the effects of excess irrigation. The goal is to identify irrigation strategies that maintain crop growth while reducing water waste and the movement of nitrogen into groundwater.

The project will support four paid undergraduate researchers and reach approximately 190 students through coursework at both universities. It builds on a partnership between Scoffoni and Albuquerque that has included shared research, mentoring, and student training since 2021.

The team plans to use the findings to support a future USDA funding proposal that would expand the work from greenhouse studies to field sites in the Salinas Valley.

Cal State LA Associate Professor Erica Ellis in the Department of Communication Disorders will join San José State Assistant Professor Marcella McCollum and Cal State Long Beach Associate Professor Belinda Daughrity on "Building Equitable Undergraduate Pathways in Communication Sciences and Disorders."

The three-campus project will examine barriers affecting racially marginalized, first-generation, Pell-eligible, and transfer students in communication sciences and disorders, a primary academic pathway into speech-language pathology.

Undergraduates will help design, implement, and refine a support model that includes mentoring circles, tutoring, and research preparation. Each campus will recruit student researchers, graduate research assistants, and a cohort of about 10 undergraduates early in the major, including community college transfer students.

Participants will gain faculty-guided research experience and opportunities to present findings with faculty at the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association's annual convention. The team will use the pilot findings to develop a shared framework for student support and pursue future external funding.