Focus on: SSU Research
Autumn is a season for enjoying the fruits of prior labor, and this month we’re seeing the results of, in many cases, years of hard work by Sonoma State scholars and authors. Below are some of the articles, papers, and books that demonstrate the industry of Sonoma State over the past two months.
Baleria, G. (2026). Journalism in adversity: reporting through conflict, marginalization, and authoritarianism. Routledge. Drawing on expert contributions, case studies, and practical advice, Journalism in Adversity offers a compelling guide to practicing journalism in complex and challenging conditions. From war zones and authoritarian regimes to natural disasters and systemic inequalities, this book helps students develop the vital intangible skills and resilience strategies which are often overlooked in the classroom but essential in today's high-risk media environment. Chapters are organized into three sections: deconstructing objectivity, crisis coverage, and leveraging unique perspectives. Topics within these sections include source diversification, impact-focused reporting, navigating identity and code-switching, and managing personal well-being while covering traumatic events. Each chapter contains discussion questions and further reading to help solidify knowledge and encourage deep engagement with the issues discussed. Journalism in Adversity is a key text for students undertaking courses such as Advanced Reporting, Conflict Reporting, and Journalism Ethics.
Hao, B., Younis, S. A., Ahmadi, Y., & Kim, K.-H. (2026). Driving S-scheme charge transfer via Fermi level disparity: efficient toluene mineralization over oxygen vacancy engineered Bi2WO₆ coupled with TiO₂ . Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, 9(5), Article 386. Photocatalytic degradation is a sustainable strategy for the remediation of stable aromatic volatile organic compounds such as toluene. Yet, the energy-efficient mineralization of these pollutants under ambient conditions remains a critical bottleneck. Herein, an n–n S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst is constructed via in situ hydrothermal coupling of TiO₂ with oxygen-vacancy-engineered Bi₂ WO₆ (TB-x: x represents the TiO₂ /Bi₂ WO₆ molar ratio). A work function difference of 0.39 eV induces band bending and an internal electric field from Bi₆ WO₂ to TiO₂ enabling an efficient S-scheme charge transfer pathway. Consequently, the optimized TB-2 exhibits a longer charge carrier lifetime (21.1 ps) than the pristine components. In a fixed-bed flow system, TB-2 achieves 97.2% degradation of 5 ppm toluene within 60 min under UV irradiation, delivering a high dynamic clean air delivery rate (1940 L h −1 g −1 ) and an apparent quantum yield of 0.1%, with high stability across reuse cycles and under varying humidity conditions. In situ DRIFTS, EPR, and DFT analyses reveal a stepwise oxidation pathway via benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde intermediates, ultimately forming CO₂and H₂O. This work highlights the critical role of interfacial band engineering in constructing an efficient air purification system based on direct mechanistic evidence for oxygen-vacancy-assisted S-scheme charge transfer in TiO₂/Bi₂ WO₆heterojunctions.
Jung, I. (2026). Enjoyed or Expressed? Social Signaling Orientation and the Conditional Relevance of Perceived Wine Value. Marketing Management Journal, 6(1). Research on self-monitoring and attitude functions shows that some consumers gravitate toward image-oriented appeals while others respond to quality and enjoyment-based ones. Less is known about whether this principle shapes value perceptions consumers already hold about a product. This study asks whether social signaling orientation—the degree to which consumers treat wine as a self-presentation vehicle—determines which perceived value dimension most strongly predicts consumption intention. Survey data from U.S. wine consumers (N = 235) reveal an asymmetric pattern consistent with the proposed crossover: identity-expressive value becomes more strongly associated with intention as social signaling orientation increases, whereas the corresponding weakening of the hedonic-value association is directional but only marginally significant. Social value, despite correlating positively with intention in isolation, loses its unique positive association once the other value dimensions are modeled. An exploratory profile shows the most engaged segment is distinguished by motivational orientation rather than income, ethnicity, or education, offering practical guidance for segmentation and positioning in symbolically rich categories.
Pandolfi, R., Weidner, L., Sethian, J., Donatelli, J., & Ushizima, D. (2026). Turning Immersive Viewers into Analytical Workspaces: ASCRIBE-XR and Agent-Driven Scientific Visualization. Journal of Imaging, 12(8), Article 393. Scientific visualization is changing from passive observation to active, AI-assisted collaboration. While Extended Reality (XR) has proven valuable for comprehending dense 3D arrays, traditional VR applications are typically deployed in rigid, single-purpose, and monolithic architectures. In this paper, we present the evolution of ASCRIBE-XR: a virtual reality platform backed by remote computation that has been re-engineered into a dynamic, service-oriented ecosystem. We introduce three core innovations that make immersive data analysis easier, faster, and more flexible when using multimodal scientific imaging. First, a lightweight Python REST interface decouples XR logic from the rendering engine, enabling real-time, programmable scene customization and on-demand data generation. Second, we present a Specimen Catalog architecture that lets the platform pivot between radically different disciplines, ranging from archaeological heterogeneous concrete and fuel-cell membranes to the root system of a bioenergy grass, by describing each dataset through portable metadata rather than hard-coded application logic. Finally, we introduce a prompt-driven layer powered by the Claude Agent SDK, allowing researchers to generate, segment, and manipulate volumetric and mesh data through natural language dialogue within the virtual space. For example, applying foundation models such as the Segment Anything Model (SAM) to perform zero-shot segmentation on demand. By bridging human intent with remote computation, ASCRIBE-XR relaxes the constraints of conventional visualization tools, offering a highly adaptable, conversational platform for scientific discovery with human auditing.
Pirard, L., Khudyakov, J. I., Martin, M., Vanoost, L., Warnant, A., Decloux, D., Baily, T., Crocker, D. E., Eppe, G., Scholl, G., Page, M. M., Rees, J. F., Smith, D. R., & Debier, C. (2026). Elephant Seal Blubber Under Multiple Stressors: Persistent Organic Pollutants, Stress Hormones and Hydrostatic Pressure Alter Transcriptome, Lipolysis and Leptin Secretion. Environmental Science & Technology, 60(37), 26131–26144. Anthropogenic stressors represent major threats to marine mammals. Yet, their combined effects on health remain poorly understood. To address this, precision-cut adipose tissue slices (PCATS) from weaned northern elephant seal (NES - Mirounga angustirostris) blubber were exposed to three treatments: (i) epinephrine (acute stress), (ii) cortisol, persistent organic pollutants (Aroclor 1254, BDE-47, BDE-99 and 4,4’-DDE) and variations of hydrostatic pressure mimicking NES diving conditions (chronic stress), and (iii) a combination of acute and chronic stressors. Compared to controls, acute, chronic and combined stressors altered the expression of 4854, 1544, and 8930 genes, respectively. Acute stress upregulated the expression of genes associated with inflammation and hypoxia and downregulated genes involved in lipid and xenobiotic metabolism. Chronic stressors activated inflammation, hypoxia and xenobiotic metabolism genes in exposed PCATS. Combined stress exerted the greatest impact on PCATS transcriptome, uniquely altering 4870 genes and regulating genes involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation and hypoxia. Epinephrine also stimulated PCATS lipolysis, while reducing leptin secretion. This study highlights how multiple stressors disrupt blubber metabolic functions, which are crucial for maintaining homeostasis during energy-demanding periods in marine mammals.
Smith, J. M. (2026). Constructing Belonging and Identity in STEM: Underrepresented Student Experiences of Maker Education [Paper presentation]. International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces, Houston, Texas, paper number 61. Historically marginalized and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are underrepresented in STEM fields and current trends in university graduation rates seem unlikely to make significant improvements. In this study I explored the phenomenon of maker education in a university general education setting through the experiences of underrepresented students majoring in STEM disciplines. This qualitative case study is grounded in a conceptual framework that critically incorporates both constructivism and social constructionism. Utilizing semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of five students with maker education as it related to their self-perception as STEM learners, self-efficacy with STEM subjects, and their sense of belonging in STEM communities. Findings from this study suggest that maker education can support STEM identity development for underrepresented students. However, a critical examination of the findings exposed a tension between opportunities for empowerment and experiences of exclusion. This study also found evidence of the ability of maker education to build self-efficacy with STEM subjects and that the social learning experience of the maker classroom strengthens a sense of belonging for underrepresented students. Based on these findings I recommend that maker pedagogy should also be more widely integrated into university STEM courses. Further research should be conducted into the experiences of underrepresented students as well as inclusive practices in makerspaces.
Yoon, S. Y., & Choi, I. (2026). Gender, Housework and Fertility. In Y. Kim (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Gender, Sexuality and South Korea, 173–181. Routledge. This chapter examines how the (mis)match between gender attitudes and the actual division of housework shapes fertility intentions among married individuals in South Korea. It constructs a categorical measure that combines gender attitudes and patterns of housework sharing – non-egalitarian attitudes with unequal sharing, egalitarian attitudes with unequal sharing, non-egalitarian attitudes with equal sharing, and egalitarian attitudes with equal sharing. The key findings indicate that, among women without children, those in the egalitarian/equal sharing category reported significantly lower fertility intentions than those in the non-egalitarian/unequal sharing category. In contrast, the gender attitudes-housework sharing type was not significantly associated with fertility intentions among childless men. The measure was also not significantly associated with fertility intentions among married individuals with one child. The results overall reflect the strong one-child norm currently observed in South Korea and suggest the continued influence of traditional gender norms surrounding childbearing and childrearing.
Yoon, S.-Y., Choi, J., Mapoy, A., & Wong, K. (2025). Attending School While Living at Home: Increased Inequalities Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. In S. L. Blair & T. J. Madigan (Eds.), Contemporary perspectives on family research, 29, 61–81). Emerald Publishing Limited. This study explores college students’ lived experiences with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and how family backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and gender affect students’ learning experiences differently. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 27 university students in California. The findings highlight the ways in which some students, especially students from less-privileged family backgrounds, such as first-generation college students, non-traditional students, and student parents face heightened barriers to achieving their educational goals. The findings highlight the unique struggles of first-generation Latina college students, who frequently navigated their own online classes while concurrently supporting their younger siblings with theirs. This multitasking mirrors that of student parents, who also juggle numerous roles simultaneously. We conclude the paper by proposing the need to recognize heterogeneous obstacles among college students to make an inclusive learning environment in higher education.