Cal Poly Humboldt
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

• RePower Humboldt- Aptly named “RePower Humboldt: A Strategic Plan for Renewable Energy, Security and Prosperity,” this project was developed by HSU’s Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) and the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA). It was published in March of 2013 and proposed energy development projects and initiatives that would make Humboldt County a net producer of local, renewable energy, thus providing for energy, economic, and environmental security. The plan has been a road map influencing local energy policy and action since 2013. Read more at http://www.redwoodenergy.org/index.php/services/renewable-energy
• EV Readiness Planning- A partnership between HSU’s Schatz Energy Research Center, GHD, PG&E, and the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, the North Coast Plug-in Electric Vehicle Project launched support for the successful introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and the development of a strong PEV market on the North Coast from 2012 to 2016. Project goals included identifying locations for charging infrastructure, determining investment requirements to meet community needs, development of planning and research to support phased build out of charging infrastructure, facilitation of PEV adoption in private & public fleets, estimating energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, sharing lessons learned, and providing education & outreach to the community. Read more at http://www.redwoodenergy.org/index.php/services/alternative-fuels
• PBS Film Project “Locally Grown”- HSU Interim Dean and Professor of Politics Noah Zerbe, Social Work Professor Jen Maguire, and Film Professor David Scheerer teamed up on a film project for PBS. The film discusses food sovereignty and highlights local stories that hope to inspire community members and policy makers to think local, buy local, and eat from our own local food-shed.
• Humboldt Food Policy Council Food Summit- In February 2016, the Humboldt Food Policy Council (hosted by the CA Center for Rural Policy at HSU) organized a first-of-its-kind event focused on creating a healthy and equitable local system for producing and distributing food. With activists, farmers, scholars, social service, providers, and medical professionals in attendance (among others), the event facilitated community dialogue around how Humboldt County can overcome challenges to creating a food system that is equitable, economical, and environmentally sustainable. Read more at http://www.times-standard.com/article/NJ/20160227/NEWS/160229899.
• Broadband- The CA Center for Rural Policy, housed at HSU, has long worked on an ongoing initiative called Redwood Coast Connect (RCC) in an effort to make broadband internet available to all residents in the counties of Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity. RCC has grown into a consortium network with representatives from a diverse range of stakeholders and representatives from each county’s Board of Supervisors. The group seeks to make affordable, ubiquitous broadband available to all rural communities through community engagement, simplification of county and municipal policies, and by tapping the ingenuity of entrepreneurs in the region. Read more at http://www2.humboldt.edu/ccrp/projects/rccbc/.

• Food & Housing Security Study within the CSU- The CA State University System has been the first public university system in the nation to conduct extensive research to better understand and address the housing and food security needs of college students. CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White commissioned the most recent iteration of this research, of which HSU faculty member Jennifer Maguire will act as one of two principle investigators from the CSU system. The goal of the project is to confirm the scope of food and housing security issues and identify best practices with the aim of launching campus-based intervention programs and policies to support student success and degree completion efforts across the CSU. Read more at http://now.humboldt.edu/news/unprecedented-research-on-student-food-and-housing-security/
• AB 1747- A bill drafted by CA State Assemblymember Shirley Weber and signed by CA Governor Jerry Brown in the fall of 2016, AB 1747 is meant to expand support for programs tackling hunger among college students. Research and programs at HSU inspired major portions of the bill. Further, HSU Social Work Professor Jennifer Maguire and Health Education Coordinator Mira Friedman testified in front of state lawmakers at the Select Committee on Campus Climate about the development of Oh SNAP!’s many program offerings, among them HSU’s unique trailblazing program to accept EBT cards and CalFresh benefits. Read more at http://now.humboldt.edu/news/hsu-efforts-help-pass-law-on-college-food-assistance/ or https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/media-center/Pages/Governor-Signs-Bill-Addressing-Homelessness,-Hunger-Among-College-Students.aspx
• AB 1930- HSU Social Work Professor Jennifer Maguire sits on a working group for AB 1930, which defines student eligibility to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Maguire has strongly advocated that the bill be expanded to include eligibility for college students.
• UC Global Food Initiative- HSU Social Work Students and Professor Jan Maguire presented at the CA Higher Education Food Summit in January 2016. The three-day summit, held under the broader umbrella of the UC Global Food Initiative (UCGFI) included workshops, speakers, and activities aimed to forge collaboration and conversations about food justice across the state’s college communities. The workshop presented by HSU explored engagement of community partners, and proposed information and destigmatizing programs to support food security for students. Read more at https://www2.humboldt.edu/socialwork/about/news/hsu-social-work-students-and-professor-jen-maguire-present-california-higher-education.
• CSU Food & Housing Security Conference- In June 2016, the CSU Conference to Best Meet the Needs of Housing Displaced and Food Insecure Students convened CSU staff, faculty, administrators, and students to present current research and practice, develop inter-campus partnerships and work groups, and bring collaboration to the effort. One explicit objective was to “promote policy advocacy, enhance programmatic collaborations, and more effectively address regional, state nationwide issues of food and housing insecurity among college students. HSU Professor Jen Maguire was a planner, evaluator, and presenter at this conference. Read more at http://csufoodandhousingsecurity.weebly.com/.
• CA Public Higher Education Basic Needs Security Leadership Team- In fall 2016, the inaugural CA Public Higher Ed Basic Needs Security Leadership Meeting convened as a means of bringing together CA’s higher education partners. These included representation from the CA Community College system, the CA State University, and the University of CA, and among them, researchers, service providers, leadership advocates, students, staff, and faculty. The participants discussed student hunger, malnourishment, homelessness, and the impact these have on health, wellness, academic performance, and student success. HSU Professor Jen Maguire is one member of the working group. One strategic next includes inviting additional participants from government relations, policy, and student leadership sector entities.

• #RealCollege Conference- In April 2016, over 150 practitioners, policymakers, and researchers met at Milwaukee Area Technical College for #RealCollege, a first-of-its-kind convening to learn how to effectively address undergraduate food and housing insecurity and increase college completion for low-income students. The conference welcomed attendees from California, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin, among other places, in addition to the federal departments of education, agriculture, housing, and urban development, demonstrating turnout at a national level for discussion about solving hunger and homelessness for college students in the United States. HSU Professor Jen Maguire attended, presented, and networked at the conference.

• 2016 Association Study of Higher Education- HSU Professor Jen Maguire was one of five presenters in an interactive symposium called Food Insecurity in Higher Education at the 2016 Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Conference. Panelists and participants spanned an international range, with attendees from Africa and Australia. The primary mission of ASHE is to foster scholarly inquiry of the highest standards of excellence for the purpose of increasing knowledge about and understanding of higher education. Read more at http://www.ashe.ws/.
• Lighting Africa- HSU’s Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) has been a leader in efforts to increase access to good quality, affordable off-grid lighting systems in Sub Saharan Africa, India, and beyond. The SERC team is leading Lighting Africa’s effort to develop an international program for quality assurance and consumer protection for LED-based off-grid lighting systems. Lighting Africa is a part of the World Bank’s contribution to Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All). The program is implemented in partnership with the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the governments of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the U.S. Read more at https://www.lightingafrica.org/about/ or http://www.schatzlab.org/projects/developingworld/lighting.html.