News and Announcements
“You’re a stranger now in your home town / With strange faces on once familiar streets.”
These lines from SF State Professor Emeritus Alejandro Murguía’s poem “Silicon City” evoke the feelings of many residents of San Francisco’s Mission District, where gentrification has torn apart the community for decades. The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts remains a fixture despite the changes, and it wouldn’t have happened without artists and activists like Murguía.
“As a marginalized community and community of color, we’re always going to be held to different standards,” said Murguía, the center’s inaugural director who later would earn two degrees from SF State. “And so we always have to come out on top — sobre pasar, go above them — in our talent and our skill and our ability to organize our community so that we can survive.”
Established in 1977 as inequity and displacement had taken shape in the neighborhood, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) provides a full array of free, affordable classes and programming that cover Chicanos, Central and South America and the Caribbean. More than 10,000 people visit every month. Housed in a 37,500-square-foot building honored on the Historic Register of Historic Places, the MCCLA includes an art gallery and studios, a print shop, classrooms and a theatre. It also plays key roles in the annual Carnaval, offering music and dance courses to teach people to perform in the parade.
“Coming out of the civil rights movement, people of color were finding their voice in this country. Activists were fighting for ethnic studies programs,” said Martina Ayala, MCCLA executive director. “Thanks to those artists and community activists, we can look back at the Mission District and find multiple anchor institutions that were established by young students, many of them at SFSU, who had a long-lasting impact.”
Coinciding with student activism at SF State in the 1960s, organizers made a major push for the San Francisco government to establish community centers throughout the city. Murguía (B.A., ’90; MFA, ’92), fellow future SF State Latina/Latino Studies Professor Carlos Cordova (B.A., ’74; M.A., ’79) and other students were among those organizing in the Mission.
“All these cultural celebrations we enjoy today are great, but the history behind them, they came at a cost. And they came at a cost that many college students paid,” Ayala said. “And I can’t thank them enough for their courage to fight for what they believed in.”
Over the years many SF State faculty have selected the MCCLA as the venue to feature their creative work. Professor Emeritus Carlos Barón (M.A., ’88), once the MCCLA theatre and dance coordinator, premiered his play “Death and the Artist” there. Music Lecturer John Calloway (M.A., ’03) has been performing at the center for decades.
Murguía says it continues to serve community needs in multiple ways despite existential challenges to the Mission. Gentrification remains the most persistent in the once working-class neighborhood, which was at its peak majority Latina/Latino but continues to decline.
“It’s a real hotbed of community activism and culture and helps ground the Mission District community through all these phases of gentrification that it’s gone through the past 47 years the cultural center has been around,” he said. “Nationally, it’s a huge magnet for artists from other parts of the country, and even Latin America, to show up in San Francisco and have a place immediately that grounds them in their art, that supports them in their art, that allows them a foundation.”
MCCLA and SF State faculty and students continue to share a symbiotic relationship, promoting similar grassroots and progressive values. The center frequently employs SF State students as interns, including several this year. SF State Dean of Students Miguel Ángel Hernández has been invited to join the center’s board of directors.
“Any cultural event that we create — whether it’s a poetry reading, a gallery exhibit, a Carnaval, a music concert — it’s all part of not just our resistance to the antagonism to our community, but an affirmation that we have been here longer than the Pilgrims,” Murguía said. “And that’s super important that we realize that. Every act of culture, whether it’s a mural or a poetry reading, is in fact an act of resistance — doubly so, in our times, when not just our community is being attacked, but arts, reading, literature and books are under assault.”
MCCLA’s city-owned building needs much maintenance, which will force it to move temporarily beginning July 1. Ayala says she and other MCCLA supporters are using their activism skills to ensure the city government provides written assurance that allows them to return to the city-owned building once retrofit and repairs are completed, honoring the rent of $1 per year.
“I always tell people that the Mission Cultural Center is the hospital of the soul,” Ayala said. “And we all know that during the pandemic, without the arts we would not have been able to survive. When we’re confined in a space, we need to find a spirit.”
Ten years ago, Clarissa Maciel learned that her professor would be absent from class because he was at Burning Man. As an SF State Geography undergraduate, she found the news both cool and perplexing. A college professor at a week-long festival famous for raucous music, elaborate art installations and anything goes attitudes? It turned out that her professor, now School of the Environment Co-Director Andrew Oliphant, was there to work on a research project with a master’s student: an analysis of the micrometeorology of a transient city in the desert.
All this became a faded memory for Maciel — now a San Francisco State graduate student — until she found herself heading to Burning Man to help Oliphant and other researchers conduct a follow-up to the 2013 study. In addition to gathering more data, the team (which was made up of researchers from SF State, San Jose State and UC Berkeley) wanted to understand if and how Burning Man’s new commitment to sustainability is making a difference on the event’s carbon footprint. Just like in the past, team members measured carbon emissions before, during and after the construction of the temporary city on the playa (flat and dry land) in Black Rock City, Nevada.
Burning Man organizers have launched efforts to become carbon negative and participate in programs to offset the festival’s carbon emissions. Oliphant and his team want to know if this is making an impact. Maciel is particularly interested in how humans can work with their landscape to tackle the effects of climate change. For her master’s thesis, she’s studying soil greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of farm management practices on reducing emissions produced by agriculture. Her interests and skills nicely complement the work happening in Oliphant’s study.
“Everybody’s focused on planting more trees. Yes, that is great, but I want us to focus on the actual land that’s underneath us and focus on the soil and nurture the actual soil,” Maciel said. “That can help us improve the emissions that are released into the atmosphere.”
At Burning Man, the researchers set up a 100-foot flux tower that measured CO2 emissions, wind speed and turbulence, air and playa temperature, and more. The tower was positioned close to the center of the city near a lot of foot traffic. Since she’s interested in studying the emissions that come from the land, Maciel used a chamber — a literal cube that collects gasses emitted from the soil, that’s similar to what she uses for her thesis work — to measure emissions coming from the bare playa at a location that was relatively pristine and at a second site with more foot traffic. It means she can start studying the emissions coming from the land and how more than 70,000 attendees might be affecting it.
With hot days, freezing nights, strong winds and occasional torrential downpours, the weather during Burning Man mirrors the unpredictability that the rest of the world is starting to experience more and more. As Maciel sees it, that makes the festival even more valuable as a microcosm of larger climate forces.
“I think that we should always be prepared for crazy weather, especially in our current time,” Maciel said, pointing to the unexpected hurricane in Southern California last month as an example. “That’s exactly why we’re doing these studies. Climate change? We’re in climate chaos. We never know what to expect.”
The team is still analyzing the latest data, but in 2013 they saw that the transient city’s CO2 emissions were comparable to Mexico City and parts of London. Maciel is interested to see if there’s a shift in emission trends, especially after climate change literally rained on the experiment. The rain might have impacted the playa microbial biome and thus CO2 emissions from the surface, she explains. She thinks the study could have applications beyond the annual festival.
“Burning Man could be a model for a carless city. There are very few cars there. Most people are walking or using a bike. If the emissions are equivalent to that of other urban cities, we could look at [Burning Man’s] transportation sector and compare it to those cities,” she explained.
Although Oliphant was already intrigued by the microclimate of Burning Man’s ephemeral city, it was his former student Garrett Bradford (M.S., ’15) who helped officially kick off the project in 2013. Bradford frequented Burning Man and wanted to study the role of buildings on turbulence and airflow there for his thesis. This year, Bradford, along with his 4-year-old son, traveled to Burning Man to lead the climate science themed camp. School of Environment Lecturer Malori Redman also returned this year after participating as an undergraduate researcher 10 years ago. This year, she rode a bicycle outfitted with equipment to measure the city’s impact on temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration.
Key to the success of the original Burning Man experiment and this year’s follow up was the faculty expertise and the interests and skills of students like Maciel, Bradford and Redman. For Oliphant, these types of partnerships have been some of his most rewarding research collaborations and have taken projects in directions he never envisioned.
“My advice to students is to understand and appreciate the unique value that they can bring to any research project and to reach out to professors regarding research opportunities,” Oliphant said. “When given an opportunity, fully engage as a research partner especially sharing ideas and questioning assumptions.”
Learn more about research happening in the School of the Environment.
What role do universities play in the future of San Francisco? SF State President Lynn Mahoney believes universities — including the one she leads — are critical to creating a diverse local workforce.
“About half of our students are first in their families to go to college. Eighty-four percent of our students are BIPOC. We look like the city [of San Francisco],” she said.
This was one of the many of thoughts President Mahoney shared on Oct. 12 at San Francisco Structures, an annual event hosted by San Francisco Business Times that focuses on the future of the city. It brought together local leaders, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, at the St. Regis Hotel to answer important questions that will help shape the city’s economic recovery from the woes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Breed opened the conversation with a keynote speech sharing her vision for San Francisco’s future that included elements of the city’s economic recovery roadmap. She also emphasized how the city is a hub of extraordinary talent.
“It’s because of the people in this room who are doing what they can every single day, not only making their businesses successful, but to make our city the economic envy of the world,” Breed said. “This is the city of invention and innovation.”
After Breed’s speech, President Mahoney joined San Franciso Business Times President and Publisher Mary Huss on stage to discuss in depth how SF State is fueling the city’s workforce and economy.
One example President Mahoney gave is how San Francisco State has been a leader in graduating STEM students and preparing them for the workforce. She talked about how the University will open doors to its new Science & Engineering Innovation Center — a 125,000-square-foot building with state-of-the-art equipment and labs — once construction finishes in January 2024. President Mahoney said the building reflects the growing demand for programs offered by the University’s College of Science & Engineering. She also added that SF State is a key player in contributing to the city’s pipeline of civic and nonprofit leaders, creatives and activists.
In closing their conversation, Huss asked President Mahoney what businesses and the city could do to help SF State.
“I need you to all help us overcome the prestige bias that dominates conversations about education,” President Mahoney answered, calling on employers to consider graduates from California State University campuses like SF State. “Come to our campus, meet our students, come to our career fair, recruit our students. You will get the diverse pipeline of employees that I always hear you want.”
Professor of Public Health Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh, a social epidemiologist, was awarded a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant is part of NIH’s transformative research to address health disparities and advance health equity at minority serving institutions.
Partnering with UCSF co-investigators and community-based organizations in Oakland and Chicago, the project will determine the effectiveness of a community-based group intervention delivered in Spanish. It is designed to prevent HIV among Latinx immigrants who identify as gay/bisexual men or men who have sex with men. The intervention focuses on addressing racism and homophobia as factors shaping HIV risk. It uses a community-based approach centered on community involvement as means to promote sexual health and to build community.
One of the U.S.’ major public health priorities is to reduce racial/ethnic health inequities. Thus, the study will help move these efforts forward.
The Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) extends a warm invitation to all new and existing members to join in its mission to create a supportive community, foster networking opportunities, and serve as advocates for the Black community on campus, while also providing valuable support to students.
To become a part of this important initiative and to be added to the contact list, please email Sterling L. Shanks, providing your name, department and faculty or staff status.
The BFSA is also excited to announce the Chicken and Juice gathering, which will take place Monday, Nov. 13, noon – 4 p.m., in Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center. This event offers a valuable opportunity for students to connect with Black faculty and staff members. Don’t miss out on this chance to engage with our vibrant BFSA community and stay informed about upcoming events through the listserv.
Employees who drive their personal vehicle for University business are required annually to complete the Authorization to Use Privately Owned Vehicles on State Business form (STD 261).
By submitting the STD 261 form, an employee certifies that the employee’s vehicle:
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will always be covered by liability insurance at the following levels: $15,000 for personal injury to, or death of, one person; $30,000 for personal injury to two or more persons in one accident, and $5,000 for property damage;
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is adequate for the work;
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is equipped with operating safety belts; and
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Is in safe mechanical condition.
In an effort to simplify administration, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) will transition to one common renewal date for all “personal vehicle” authorizations. All existing authorized drivers will be emailed a DocuSign power form link on Friday, Dec. 1. Please use this link to renew your 2023 authorization form regardless of the last time you submitted the STD 261 form to ERM. Newly hired employees will be authorized as requests are received and transitioned to the common renewal date with all other employees next fall.
For questions about SF State’s Driver Safety Program or the STD 261 form renewal process, please email Demond Blanton.
Week three of Cybersecurity Awareness Month is about staying updated and protected. One of the best ways to ensure all devices remain safe and secure is by keeping their software and apps current.
Information Technology Services (ITS) recommends applying an update to devices without delay as soon as one becomes available. These updates include patches that address any vulnerabilities where hackers can gain illegal access to private information. That’s why staying up-to-date and always running on current versions is mission-critical.
Don’t sweat it. ITS has you covered with valuable tips on the week three page for Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Whether your Halloween plans are for adults or kids, there’s plenty to consider before choosing a costume, putting on makeup and eating a bag full of treats.
To help you and your loved ones enjoy a safe and happy Halloween, Environment, Health & Safety shares tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Check out tips about costumes, treats, eye safety and more. Additional Halloween safety tips can be found on the Enterprise Risk Management website (PDF).
The CSU Student Success Network creates space for students, faculty, staff and administrators to collaborate, experiment and share evidence with each other across all 23 campuses. The network supports system goals, such as increasing graduation rates, closing critical opportunity and outcome gaps, and supporting equity-based inquiry and action.
Read the September edition of the newsletter.
For questions about the network, please email Susanna Jones, First-Year Experience faculty director.
Did you know that staff and faculty can purchase discounted cold and cough medicine at the Student Health Services (SHS) Pharmacy? Ask your SHS pharmacist for a recommendation. View the list of over-the-counter products and prices.
Fees will be added to your Bursar’s account. Payment can be made online or at the Bursar’s Office. Prices and products are subject to change. Generic equivalent products are used when available.
CampusMemo received the following message from SF State’s Upper Division Curriculum Committee (UDCC).
Colleagues:
We, the Upper Division Curriculum Committee, want to take a moment to acknowledge campuswide something we often note in committee, but never voice to the broader campus.
Simply put, we are dazzled by the intellectual depth and creativity being poured into new and revised courses across campus. Despite undeniably significant challenges facing the University, the intellectual life of this place as manifest in the curriculum is thriving. The faculty here are bringing cutting-edge arguments into the classroom, daring to dispense with proscribed way of doing things in the face of rapid social change, energetically trying new pedagogy to improve student learning, crossing disciplinary boundaries to prepare students in new ways. ... In short, we are pushing ourselves and our students collectively into the future, a future that surely needs our students to be prepared in ways different than the past.
By way of examples, James Blackmon in Philosophy has put together an amazing “Ethical Issues in Science and Technology” course that, among other things, is going to help our students better grapple with their AI futures. Rama Kased in Race and Resistance Studies has a course titled “Reclaiming the Bay: Grassroots Struggle Against Racial Capitalism” that both enlightens students as to the history of this place and current movements to make it better and more just. Nick Sousanis in Comic Studies collaborated with the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability to come up with “From Superman to the Supercrip: Comics and Disability,” expanding the possibilities for how our students conceptualize the potential of this storytelling medium that is exploding in growth globally. The list just goes on and on.
We know you rarely hear much from UDCC except quasi-negative feedback to your proposals — “change this,” “can you say more about how you will ...,” “explain what percentage of the course grade is dependent on assignment X.” But for the most part, these are just minor tweaks to ensure GE goals are fully met. The overall positive feedback — “I want to take this course,” “this is exactly what our students need” and so on, well, that we never share. We wanted to pause for a moment to correct this.
We are collectively thankful to have you all as colleagues. You make this institution an amazing place.
Professor and Veteran Documentary Corps (VDC) Director Daniel Bernardi and his team will showcase two of their films for free on YouTube.
To celebrate the Navy’s 248th birthday on Friday, Oct. 13, the VDC will screen “Jack Ensch: Hanoi Hilton POW,” the compelling story of a Navy pilot who, during his 30 years of service, was shot down and held as a prisoner of war in the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War. He shares how was able to go on to live a full life. Directed by Daniel Bernardi.
In support of the National Day of the Deployed on Thursday, Oct. 26, VDC will screen “RUIZ” from Thursday, Oct. 26 to Tuesday, Oct. 31. This film shares the story of Kcey Ruiz, a young woman whose spirited personality defined her life before and during her service in the Air Force. While deployed to Afghanistan and serving as a member of a flight crew, Kcey tragically lost her life in a plane crash. Her family and friends find solace in honoring her joyful memory. Directed by Jesse Sutterley.
The SF State Academic Senate met on Tuesday, Oct. 10, via Zoom.
The senate:
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Passed Distance Education Authorization for M.A. in International Relations.
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Heard in first reading:
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Certificate in Data Science for Psychology
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View the full agenda, meeting materials and minutes on the Academic Senate website.
Two more free “Rise Beyond Borders” events are scheduled to take place in October to commemorate the Undocumented Student Month of Action.
“Celebrating and Empowering Immigrant Voices through Open Mic,” led by Deyci Carrillo, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6 – 8 p.m., in The Depot, Cesar Chavez Student Center.
“Unlock Financial Potential: Exploring Pathways to Income Generation for Undocumented Students,” led by Rosa Salamanca, is on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the University Club, Cesar Chavez Student Center.
Presenters include Associated Students Inc.; the Division of Equity and Community Inclusion; Office of Diversity, Equity and Student Interfaith Programs; the Dream Resource Center; and IDEAS.
Register on Google Docs. For questions or reasonable accommodations, please contact Griselda Madrigal Lara.
Academic Affairs will honor faculty members who were granted tenure and/or received a promotion this academic year. The celebration will be held Wednesday, Oct. 18, 4:30 – 6 p.m., in the Vista Room, Burk Hall.
View the PDF for the list of 2023 – 2024 honorees.
Academic Affairs sends congratulations to all tenured and/or promoted faculty.
Join the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) to explore journaling as a pedagogical tool in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and a reflective teaching practice. CEETL will think about journaling as a way to reflect on and organize professional careers as educators and discuss the practice as a possible tool for student success.
Lecturer faculty teaching at least one course this semester are eligible for a $50 stipend.
The Financial Literacy and Deconstructing Wealth journaling workshop will be held Thursday, Oct. 19, 10 – 11 a.m., in Library 242. The facilitator is Celeste Francisco. The Responsive Education for Access, Community, and Hope (REACH) program will deconstruct conventional notions of wealth, consider how to promote financial literacy to students and explore the online financial wellness platform. IGrad. This customized, interactive online and mobile financial literacy platform for the SF State community includes tutorials on budgeting and money management, loan calculators and financial reflection and journaling.
Visit the CEETL website for more information or to register.
Please join the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) and Academic Technology as they examine adapting and emerging best practices in teaching and learning with artificial intelligence (AI). It will be held Thursday, Oct. 19, 2 – 3.30 p.m., in Library 242 and via Zoom.
The discussion coves AI for education: How do you use it pedagogically? How about academic integrity? How can faculty use it for their professional development?
These discussion circles are intended to meet faculty where they are in their response to AI technology as it impacts their instruction — whether curious, concerned, already using AI in assignments, prohibiting AI, or those in between and looking for a path forward. They hope to see you in person and online. The facilitator is CEETL Fellow and Professor of English Jennifer Trainor.
The registration deadline to join the Inaugural Lam-Larsen Distinguished Lecture Series event is Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 5 p.m. It will feature a fireside chat with Martin Chavez, vice chairman of global investment firm Sixth Street, led by Chris Larsen (B.S., ’84), co-founder and executive chairman of Ripple Inc.
The event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 31, noon – 2 p.m. at the Seven Hills Conference Center. A reception with refreshments at Coit Lounge will follow the fireside chat.
Visit the Lam Family College of Business website to learn more and register.
The CSU system is recruiting a faculty member to serve as a resident director at international program sites in Italy. This is a chance to work and live for a year abroad. The Academic Council on International Programs invites applications for the role of resident director for the 2025 – 2026 academic year.
The resident director position provides onsite academic, administrative and fiscal supervision of an overseas study center under the direction of the director of International Programs. The director of international programs appoints resident directors with the concurrence of the appointee’s campus administration. All resident directors serve full-time, 12-month appointments beginning Aug. 1 to July 31 unless noted otherwise. The faculty member continues to be a campus employee during the year they are abroad, and the campus pays the resident director.
Resident directors must be full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members holding a teaching or administrative appointment on a CSU campus, possess a terminal degree and have appropriate overseas experience. Faculty participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) are not full time and therefore are not eligible.
For questions, please contact Jaishankar Raman, CSU director of international programs, at 562-951-4790.
SF State Spotlight
The SF State Fine Arts Gallery exhibition “See You Space Cowboy … from Hokusai to Hiphop” received an in-depth review in Square Cylinder, a Northern California art publication. The exhibition explores the influence of Japanese graphic arts, manga and anime on contemporary visual culture.
“By demonstrating how race, class and internationalism intertwine, this exhibition adds further complexity to how we understand the world, celebrating new and hybrid ways culture can be experienced,” the review stated.
The exhibit’s organizers are Fine Arts Gallery Director Sharon E. Bliss, Art Lecturer Kevin B. Chen and Anthropology Professor Dawn-Elissa Fischer with alum Cooper Fareira and student Zaki Willis.
“See You Space Cowboy … from Hokusai to Hiphop” is on display through Oct. 26. The Fine Arts Gallery is open Tuesdays – Fridays, noon – 4 p.m.
Anthropology Professor Dawn-Elissa Fischer presents “Seen & #Cited” on Oct. 16 at Washington University in St. Louis. Her lecture, offered by the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program and the Department of African and African-American Studies, explores “seeing and citing Black women’s unsung brilliance and flame-keeping while doing intellectual battles and breaking institutional barriers to build publicly engaged archives and art exhibitions.”
Miguel Ángel Hernández, associate vice president for Student Life and dean of students, is one of the higher education leaders nationwide featured by consultant Josie Ahlquist for National Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Being Latino, one of the cultural traditions I bring into my work is the art of storytelling,” Hernández said. “I believe one thing that changes hearts and minds are stories.”
OutHistory, a public history website led by Jamie and Phyills Pasker Professor of History Marc Stein, recently published a major exhibit by M.A. student Eric Noble. “Kaliflower and the Homosexual Revolution of 1969” is an exhibit on relationships between the counterculture and the early gay liberation movement in San Francisco, focusing in particular on the Kaliflower commune.
Tani Girton (MBA, ’90) was honored by the San Francisco Business Times as one of this year’s Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business at an awards celebration held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel on Oct. 3. All the women who received this honor were recognized for their leadership, community service and mentorship.
Girton is executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Bank of Marin.
An Oct. 9 story on KQED explores how spending time in nature can be beneficial for one’s health. Biology Professor Leticia Márquez-Magaña says it releases chemicals like dopamine and serotonin and can cause people to experience awe.
“Being in a state of awe triggers hormonal reactions that are important for well-being,” she said.
The “Millennials Are Killing Capitalism” podcast recently interviewed Associate Professor César “che” Rodríguez. The interview revolves around Rodriguez’s article, “‘Oscar Did Not Die in Vain’: Revelous Citizen Journalism, Righteous/Riotous Work and the Gains of the Oscar Grant Moment in Oakland, California,” which was published in Social Justice.
In his text, Rodriguez demonstrates how popular mobilizations in Oakland during the “Oscar Grant moment” (circa January 2009) disrupted the cultural strategies and legal protections that create impunity for law enforcement officers and agencies responsible for extrajudicial police killings. This resulted in the historic incarceration of a law enforcement officer (Johannes Mehserle, formerly of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department) for the on-duty killing of Oscar Grant, a young Black father from Hayward. Furthermore, this article illustrates how these popular mobilizations forced brief public transparency and reforms of a local law enforcement agency (the BART Police Department).
Rodriguez teaches in Criminal Justice Studies. He will join the Department of Race and Resistance Studies in spring 2024.
Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Development Rachel Flynn is co-author of a paper, “A Literature Review on the Effects of Exergames on Executive Function in Youth,” in the fall 2023 issue of Technology, Mind and Behavior.
The paper investigates the effect of exergames (video games that promote cognitive and physical activity simultaneously) on youth, focusing on executive function. The literature review examined exergames’ impact on cognition, defined experimental conditions and identified gaps for future research. The authors concluded that exergames have great potential to improve executive function in youth.
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla recently introduced legislation to expand opportunities for Latinx college students at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), the Oakland Post reports.
The U.S. Department of Education has classified SF State as an HSI. SF State President Lynn Mahoney says the University recognizes that “students need to have faculty, staff and administrators that reflect their own ethnic and racial backgrounds.”
“The future of California is our first-generation students of color, and Latinx students are the fastest-growing population here,” she said on Oct. 10. “This state will only continue to be the best place in the world, if, in fact, we get college degrees into the hands of our Latinx students. So this is an investment that the state and every single citizen has to make.”