Faculty Panel: Engaging Students in Research and Creative Activities

Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring faculty members from different colleges across CSUF as they share their experiences and strategies for engaging students in research and creative activities. In this session, faculty will discuss innovative approaches for involving students in hands-on research projects, fostering creativity, and building meaningful collaborations. Attendees will gain valuable insights into effective ways to engage students, enrich their academic experiences, and enhance their research initiatives. Additionally, panelists will touch on the impact of securing funding and how involving students in projects can strengthen grant proposals and expand the scope of academic and creative endeavors. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from colleagues across disciplines and discover how student engagement can elevate your research and creative activities.

 

Faculty Panel: 
Engaging Students in Research and Creative Activities

Thursday, April 9, 2026

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

TSU Pavilions C

 

Register

Moderator

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Ioakim Boutakidis, Ph.D., Professor, Child and Adolescent Studies

[Bio forthcoming]

Panelists

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Mojgan (Mo) Sami, Ph.D., M.A., Associate Professor, Public Health

Dr. Mojgan (Mo) Sami is an Associate Professor of Public Health at CSUF who is deeply committed to accompanying students in community‑engaged, justice‑oriented public health practice and research. She supports students across disciplines in developing applied research skills, building community partnerships, and addressing real‑world social, environmental, and health equity challenges. She mentors high‑impact student initiatives such as the Engineering Social Justice project and leads community‑based research teams focused on environmental justice, active transportation, and structural determinants of health. Drawing on her interdisciplinary doctorate in Urban Planning and Public Health from UC Irvine and graduate training in international law and economics at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, as well as experience with the World Health Organization, United Nations, and World Bank, Dr. Sami equips students to pursue meaningful, equity‑driven careers in public health and beyond.

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Yuko Okado, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Psychology

Dr. Yuko Okado is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Cal State Fullerton.   She is a clinical psychologist by training and is the 7th faculty member at CSUF to receive the National Science Foundation CAREER award. Her research areas include STEM persistence and outreach,  mentoring, and college students' adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Robert Lockie, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Kinesiology

Dr. Robert Lockie is a Professor of Strength and Conditioning at California State University, Fullerton and has been a researcher for over 25 years. His primary research focus is with first responders, including recruit and incumbent law enforcement officers and firefighters; custody assistants; and military populations. This research has focused on the performance aspects of tactical populations as it relates to academy survivability and job-specific tasks, injury prevention, and career longevity. Dr. Lockie has authored or co-authored over 170 manuscripts and 130 presentations on the topics of law enforcement, firefighter, and military fitness, testing, and tactical performance. Dr. Lockie has also conducted research in linear speed, change-of-direction speed, and agility; strength and power; biomechanics; and performance analysis of different sports from adolescents to elite athletes. Including sports research, Dr. Lockie authored or co-authored over 310 manuscripts and 220 presentations. From 2022-2025, Dr. Lockie has been recognized by Elsevier & Stanford University as one of the top 2% most-cited scientists in the world. In 2024, Dr. Lockie was awarded the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Tactical Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year.

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Paul Stapp, Ph.D., Professor, Biological Science

Dr. Stapp is an ecologist who studies behavioral, population, and community ecology of wildlife species, particularly mammals, in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, and applied problems related to their conservation and management, including in urban ecosystems. His research interests are varied and include both field and laboratory-based projects, almost all of which involve undergraduates or graduate students (MS Biology, MS Environmental Studies).

A native of northern California, Dr. Stapp earned his BS in Zoology from UC Davis, a MS in Wildlife from the University of New Hampshire, and his PhD in Zoology-Ecological Studies from Colorado State University. Following postdoctoral research projects at the University of Wyoming and UC Davis and a Lecturer appointment at the University of York (UK), he joined the Department of Biological Science at CSU Fullerton in 2002, where he taught courses in ecology, conservation biology, and mammalogy, as well as graduate courses. In 2024, he was appointed Faculty Director of the California Desert Studies Consortium, which operates the CSU Desert Studies Center in Zzyzx.