FIPSE: Faculty Profiles
The faculty participating in this plan has extensive experience in watershed analysis,
hydrologeology, and environmental and water policy. The faculty is committed to the diversity visions of Cal State LA and the US Department of Education. Both of the faculty PIs have
advised and mentored many minority students during their academic careers, involving most in
experiential learning activities and in published research. Both faculty members have been
involved in educational and curricular reforms in the geosciences and water resources.
Senior faculty member and PI, Barry Hibbs has worked with a number of graduate
minority students, showing a progression of greater diversity in his lab. Of the 23 MS students
completing theses and MS degrees under his direction, nine were Hispanic or Native American
students and nine were female. Dr. Hibbs developed a MS Degree Option in Hydrogeology in
2003 in the Department of Geological Sciences. Many minority students have already
completed their MS under this option. The degree option is open with adequate remedial classes
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to all science and engineering graduates (see
http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/geology/gradprog.htm and
http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/geology/gradprog2.htm#HydroMakeup). Required classes within
the Hydrogeology MS option include hydrogeology, watershed analysis, water quality seminar,
and environmental and forensic geochemistry, as well as 5 elective classes. Dr. Hibbs now
recruits minority students with BS degrees in geology, biology, chemistry, mathematics,
engineering, and environmental science into the hydrogeology degree option. These students are
able to tackle surface water and groundwater problems after completing the remedial makeup
program.
Dr Ellis, a junior faculty member has mentored and is mentoring a number of students in
hydrology and related fields of isotope geochemistry, environmental geology and the interactions
of climate change and water resources. Though a faculty for only a few years, he already has a
track record in recruiting and retaining students to water related sciences. He brings to the Cal
State LA the experience working at another HSI - the University of Texas at El Paso. It became
clear to him early on that students from the local minority community in the desert southwest
will make a great contribution to sustaining our water resources, if a pathway can be provided
for them. The number of students enrolling in his hydrogeology course grew from just 7 in the
first year to the maximum capacity of 20 in four years. He is committed to helping the graduate
program at Cal State LA grow and brings his expertise in developing innovative isotope tools
and designing curriculum related to water resources and global climate. Dr. Ellis’ research and
courses already incorporate sought after skills in computing and GIS.