News and Announcements
Estuary & Ocean Science Center’s Interim Executive Director Katharyn Boyer is one of four Local Heroes in Bay Nature magazine. She’s being honored as an “environmental educator” and celebrated for her significant contributions to public education and awareness of local natural history and ecology.
Boyer and the other 2024 awardees will be honored at the 14th annual Local Hero Awards this month.
Boyer has been a Biology professor at SF State since 2004, specializing in science-informed ecological restoration to increase resiliency of coastal habitats. She works with undergraduate and graduate student researchers to study nature-based solutions to climate change. Many of these students now foster similar work around the Bay Area. Boyer is leading an educational pipeline program focused on climate-action training with community colleges and underserved youth.
“This is really a special honor as I approach 20 years of mentoring and teaching students at SF State’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center,” Boyer said. “My job is most gratifying when I can see that I have sparked a passion for healing the waters and lands alongside the science training. There is so much work to do, particularly in response to climate change, and I try to nudge budding scientists out into the world with their sleeves rolled up.”
Other recent honors for Boyer include the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Outstanding Educator Award and the SFSU Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Applications for the 2024 Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) teaching awards are due Tuesday, April 2, by 5 p.m.
The awards recognize outstanding faculty (lecturer and tenured/tenure-track) who have made a significant impact on their students’ learning and development. These awards are open to all faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and a commitment to student success.
Monday, April 8, marks your last chance to view a solar eclipse for the next 20 years. From 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. if skies are clear, student docents from the SFSU Observatory will provide special solar viewing equipment on the Quad and on the plaza in front of Thornton Hall. It is very important to never look directly at the sun.
During this eclipse, the moon will spend a leisurely two hours passing across the face of the sun. As viewed from San Francisco, about one-third of the sun will be blocked by the moon at maximum eclipse, which will occur at about 11:13 a.m.
As part of the process to reorganize University Enterprises into Administration & Finance, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Wilson has announced a transition in the University Corporation (UCorp).
In collaboration with President Lynn Mahoney, the UCorp board of directors have appointed Tammie Ridgell to serve as interim executive director, in addition to her position as associate vice president of auxiliary business services.
The California State University’s Student Success Network March newsletter is now available to read on the CSU Student Success website.
Nominations and applications are invited for interim associate dean of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development. The position offers a unique opportunity for senior faculty to gain valuable leadership experience in the central administration of the university.
For 2024 – 2025, the priorities in the Office of Faculty Affairs will center on expanding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including leadership development and recruitment workshops. The associate dean will continue to assist the associate provost in all faculty-related processes and have significant responsibilities in the development and implementation of all new and continuing priorities and initiatives.
Faculty with department chair experience and/or other campuswide leadership experience are especially encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted until review begins on Monday, May 20. Interviews will be scheduled after May 20 and will continue until position is filled. Start date is negotiable but is anticipated between Monday, July 1, and Monday, Aug. 5.
The associate dean reports to the associate provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development.
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) has openings for two faculty director positions starting in the fall semester. Both are two-year positions with an expected effort of 270 hours, equivalent of a 0.4 workload assignment per semester.
The areas of priority are:
- Faculty director for multimodal excellence in teaching and learning
- Faculty director of writing and reading across the curriculum
Faculty directors will be expected to start their positions on Monday, Aug. 5, and will be compensated with intersession pay.
Please visit the CEETL website for more information including how to apply.
Celebrate SF State’s climate of excellence: Nominations for the 2024 Distinguished Faculty and Staff Awards are now open. These awards honor tenured faculty, full-time lecturers and staff who have demonstrated significant, longterm contributions to the University and to their disciplines.
Please submit nominations via Qualtrics. Applications are due Monday, April 15, by 5 p.m.
For questions, please email members of the awards committee.
The SF State Foundation sponsors the awards.
SF State has partnered with other CSU campuses to provide workshops for employees.
The CSU Cross-Campus Collaboration provides a unique opportunity to extend campus workshops beyond campus borders and a different way to share professional development systemwide.
Upcoming workshops:
- Breath and Health (Multiple dates)
- Weekly Dose of Mindfulness (Multiple dates)
- Facilitating Challenging Conversations Series (Multiple dates)
- Self-Coaching 101 (Multiple dates)
- Streamlining Communication: Beyond the Inbox
- Diversity, Inclusion and Equity 101
- Decisions, Decisions! Creative Problem Solving and Decision-Making Techniques
- Virtual Stepping Beyond – Customer Service
- Impact of Learning Styles in the Workplace
- S.M.A.R.T. Goals
- Excel Tips and Tricks
- Getting Started with Microsoft OneNote
- Success as First-Gen Professional (Multiple dates)
- Subject Matter Experts and Course Design
- Building Trust in the Workplace
Go to the Chancellor’s Office CSU Cross-Campus Collaboration website to register.
Curious about artificial intelligence (AI) and what it might mean for students? Generative AI has become a topic of interest in the popular media, business and at colleges across the country. ChatGPT and other emerging AI tools are quickly evolving and are soon to become vital in professional and personal environments.
Through Academic Technology, learn about types of AI, ethics, AI tools, appropriate usage and the “stoplight” method. A virtual workshop will be held Tuesday, April 9, 2 – 3 p.m. An in-person workshop takes place Thursday, April 25, 2 – 3 p.m., in Library 121.
Visit the Academic Technology website for more information and to register.
Join Project Rebound to capture a glimpse of the challenges that formerly incarcerated people face upon reintegration. This interactive simulation event will be held Thursday, April 11, noon – 2 p.m. in Rosa Parks Rooms A – C, Cesar Chavez Student Center.
Participants will be given an alias of someone who served time and be tasked to “navigate society for a month” with that identity. Will you be able to avoid reincarceration? Come and find out.
Expand your generative artificial intelligence (AI) toolkit. Join Academic Technology on Thursday, April 11, 2:30 – 4 p.m., in Library 280 for “Beyond Chatbots: GenAI Images, Voice, Meetings.”
This hands-on workshop harnesses the power of GenAI for image creation, video transcription and virtual meeting support. It is recommended for both beginners and advanced users and offers an opportunity to elevate GenAI skills in a supportive environment.
Explore the fascinating world of Polynesian family history at the Sutro Library’s free virtual genealogy talk on Friday, April 12, at 1 p.m. Miyamoto Loretta Jensen, known as the “Polynesian Genealogist” from Laie, Hawaii, will discuss the culture of genealogy in Oceania, the variety of records available for researchers and the wealth of knowledge provided by the Oral Genealogies of the Pacific.
Join the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement for a free workshop on resume development. It takes place Monday, April 15, at 1 p.m. via Zoom.
Learn how to develop a professional resume that will stand out to future employers. This is a peer-led event for those seeking employment and professional development resources.
The Office of Human Resources invites all SF State employees to attend the CSU’s Got Talent webcast on Tuesday, April 16, 10 – 11 a.m, via Zoom. Tim Scudder, author and founder of Core Strengths, presents “Relationship Intelligence: How Relationships Really Work and Why Your Future Depends on Your RQ.”
Do you feel stressed? Are you tired sitting at the computer? Do your eyes get blurry and irritated? Do you experience back or neck pain? Do you get irritated and find it changing to let go? Are you looking for techniques you can implement right away to improve your health and wellbeing? Attend the “TechStress to Health” workshop series for faculty, staff and students on Wednesdays from April 17 to May 1, noon – 1 p.m. in HSS 306.
Schedule:
- Wednesday, April 17: “Posture, Body Presence, Peace” by Elyse Shafarman. The Alexander Technique is a time-honored method to improve posture, breath and movement. Learn to use the mind and body to stop tension habits, gaining more freedom and control in life.
- Wednesday, April 24, noon: “Quick Rescue Techniques When Stressed” by Erik Peper. Learn breathing, movement and reframing techniques that can be applied right away to restore balance and regain calmness.
- Wednesday, May 1, noon: “Clear Your Vision” by Meir Schneider. Learn about the principles of natural vision improvement: simple strategies to prevent vision degeneration and techniques to improve vision and health.
The Institute for Holistic Health and Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism is the the presenter of this series.
“She Kills Monsters” is a play is about a grieving young woman who embarks on a journey into the unknown world of Dungeons and Dragons to understand the little sister she never truly knew. Directed by Patrick Russell, this production is part of the School of Theatre and Dance’s spring 2024 season. It will be presented Thursday, May 2 – Sunday, May 5, and Wednesday, May 8 – Saturday, May 11, in the Little Theatre, Creative Arts building,
At the heart of “She Kills Monsters” is a story about family, identity and finding escape from the harsh realities of the real world. Expect puppetry and epic battles, humor and joy, alongside the thrilling and darker elements that the play has to offer.
Please visit the School of Theatre and Dance website for tickets.
Photo by Chani Bockwinkel
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) invites the campus community to a mini-symposium on artificial intelligence (AI) and teaching on Friday, May 3, 9 a.m. – noon.
The event will feature short presentations by SF State faculty on how they use AI in the classroom, followed by Q&A.
After the presentations, esteemed scholar José Antonio Bowen, author of “Teaching Naked” and the forthcoming “Teaching with AI,” will give a keynote speech about the future of teaching and learning in higher education in an age of generative AI.
Please visit the CEETL website to RSVP and submit proposals.
Please join the Alumni Association for the SF State Kinesiology alumni and retired faculty dinner on Saturday, May 4, 5 – 9 p.m., at Seven Hills Conference Center. The guest speaker is alumna Carolyn Sideco (’03), who was featured in the recent Netflix series “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.” Sideco has over 20 years experience as a kinesiologist, physical education educator and athletic administrator and is the founder of Coaching Kapwa.
Tickets are $50 (early bird: through Friday, April 5) and $65 (general). Each ticket includes dinner and drinks, including beer and wine. Registration closes Saturday, April 20.
Please visit the Alumni Association website to purchase tickets.
SF State Spotlight
A March 19 article from ESPN cites research by Information Systems Professor Paul Beckman on the annual NCAA Division I women’s and men’s basketball tournaments.
“San Francisco State Professor Paul Beckman did a study of every men’s and women’s bracket since 2000, primarily relying upon seeding of teams that made it to the Sweet 16,” the article stated. “He found the women’s tournament to be slightly more predictable (the odds of picking a perfect women’s bracket are still something like 1 in 100 billion) and that the men’s tournament has been wildly variable, even from year to year. For example, from 2018 to 2020, the men’s tournament Sweet 16 team total seeds went from 85 to 49 to 94. Even the predictability of the tournament is unpredictable, let alone picking individual games.”
Beckman also discusses his study on the KPIX-TV morning news on March 21. He explains the problem and difficulty of correctly choosing winning teams and how parity can yield insights into that selection process.
Associate Professor Rachel B. Gross, the John and Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies, presented “Feeling Jewish: Nostalgia and American Jewish Religion” on March 27 at Temple Israel in Minneapolis. She presented “’I Don’t Care What I Am Called’: Mary Antin and the Boundaries of Religious Identity” on March 28 at University of Minnesota.
On March 26, the Minneapolis publication TC Jewfolk published a preview of Gross’ talks.
Assistant Professor of Race and Resistance Studies Rama Ali Kased will be a featured speaker at “Haiti: A Call to Action” on Saturday, April 6, 1 – 3 p.m., at Eastside Arts Alliance in Oakland. The event will also be streamed live on YouTube.