News and Announcements
Juan Carlos Arredondo faced challenges that profoundly disrupted his life. His father passed away when Arredondo was young, he had to navigate the United States education system as a child with very little guidance and he dropped in and out of college while pursuing an associate’s degree.
Despite these challenges, Arredondo persevered and turned his life around. Last spring he earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from SF State, graduating with a 4.0 grade-point average. He returned to SF State this fall to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work. On top of that, he recently earned one of the most prestigious student accolades.
The CSU has awarded Arredondo the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, the highest recognition of student achievement granted by the CSU. Each award provides a donor-funded scholarship to students who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and inspirational goals for the future. The awardees have demonstrated a deep commitment to making a positive impact on their generation, as well as those who come after them.
“Mr. Arredondo is an extraordinary person as well as a promising future professional who deserves the support provided by this award,” SF State President Lynn Mahoney said. “He possesses qualities of character, determination and personal excellence that’ll help him reach his goals and better our communities.”
Arredondo was born in the U.S., relocated to Mexico due to his father’s death and eventually moved back to the U.S. When he returned, he spent all of his time outside of school helping with food preparation for his mother’s food truck that catered to agricultural workers. While this experience shaped his strong worth ethic, it also took away his focus on school at times and prevented him from joining extracurricular activities.
After a decade of financially insecure and high-pressure work, Arredondo committed to pursuing an undergraduate degree. At that time, he had learned about an agency at the U.S./Mexico border that provides counseling to migrants who are incarcerated and separated from their families. That’s when his dream of becoming a social worker came into focus. “I want to be a role model and catalyst for change and embody the representation and services that were not available during my youth,” he said.
While at SFSU, Arredondo worked hard toward his dream. He led a qualitative study that highlighted the voices of the unhoused population in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District and presented the findings at the 2024 Social Work Social Development Joint World Conference.
Arredondo also won the highly competitive Willie L. Brown , Jr. Fellowship, which landed him an internship with San Francisco’s Human Services Agency. There he helped connect emancipated foster youth to a guaranteed-income pilot program, shadowed social workers in the family maintenance and family reunification department and assisted with biopsychosocial assessments.
“Education radically transformed my life,” Arredondo said. “It has not only given me meaning and hope for the future, but it is also healing old wounds. It has made me aware that I have always been capable.”
Arredondo is also involved in helping the communities he deeply cares for. For example, he interns at Manzanita SEED Elementary School, where he provides bilingual behavioral therapy in Spanish and English.
“It is with tremendous joy and great pride that I celebrate the outstanding achievements and extraordinary perseverance of this year’s Trustees’ Scholars,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “Through the visionary generosity of our donors, the CSU is able to uplift and support these diverse students and truly outstanding scholars who have overcome educational and personal hardships in pursuit of a college degree that will not only transform their lives, but will also elevate their families and strengthen their communities.”
Are you passionate about social work and supporting marginalized communities? Learn more about how SF State’s School of Social Work can help you make a difference.
SF State kicked off National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) two weeks ago with a music- and food-filled party at Malcolm X Plaza and rock-climbing and art events at the Mashouf Wellness Center. The celebration continues with events across campus.
“Each part of America Latina creates a beauty that is diverse in culture, art, dance and food, to name a few,” said Emmanuel Padilla, director of SF State’s Latinx Student Center. “Latinx Heritage month reminds us of that beauty and centers us in the present.”
Padilla helped SF State launch the Latinx Student Center at the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month two years ago. Today the center — located in Village C, room 140 — offers workshops, study and meeting spaces, free printing, an open kitchen, a community library and more.
Padilla teamed up with partners across campus to create a mix of National Hispanic Heritage Month events running from now through Wednesday, Oct. 9. For location updates, keep an eye on the Latinx Student Center on Instagram.
Schedule:
- Monday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Educational Opportunity & Pathway Programs and Student Support Services – Trio, Student Services 201: Showcase and Resources: Artists, Food and Culture of Hispanix
- Tuesday, Oct. 1, noon – 2 p.m., Library 121: Anti-Worry Doll-Making Workshop
- Wednesday, Oct. 2, Noon – 2 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza: Rise Beyond Borders: Undocumented Student Month Kickoff
- Wednesday, Oct. 2, 6 – 8 p.m., location TBD: Latinxa/o/x Film Club screening
- Tuesday, Oct. 8, 1 – 2 p.m., location TBD: Lotería with Project Connect
- Wednesday, Oct. 9, noon – 2 p.m., University Club (Cesar Chavez Student Center): Peso Pluma Listening Party
- Wednesday, Oct. 9, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., 2 – 3:15 p.m., location TBD: Salvadoran Women’s Poetry Reading
Want to know more? Learn about SFSU’s Latinx Student Center or email emmanuelpadilla@sfsu.edu.
A new paper in Communications Biology, co-authored by Biology Professor and Department Chair Vance Vredenburg, describes the importance of microreserves for conservation of amphibian species, the most vulnerable vertebrate class. The findings show that while the global protected areas (PA) network continues to grow, it underrepresents threatened amphibians and has slowed creation of PAs to protect these species. Microreserves — geographical spaces less than 10 km2 — could help with conservation efforts.
In the paper, the authors confirm that amphibians have smaller geographical ranges than other terrestrial vertebrates. Adding microreserves to the PA network could cover amphibian species 1.5 – 6 times faster than larger PA categories. Existing microreserves can host amphibian species richness comparable to PAs 1,000 – 10,000 times larger.
In 2008, Vredenburg and his colleague coined the term Sixth Mass Extinction from the view of amphibians. The new paper suggests a way to help prevent this from happening among amphibians and other species with small geographic ranges.
“This new paper is really important because we map out a relatively novel way to protect amphibian species globally: don’t pass up the opportunity to preserve small areas. There has been a massive worldwide decline in the amphibians,” said Vredenburg, who co-authored the paper with collaborators at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley and Florida International University.
Photo by Anton Sorokin
The Open Enrollment window is open through Friday, Oct. 11, to review CSU employee benefits. Enroll or change health plans, add/delete dependents, cancel coverage or sign up for new voluntary benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, pet insurance and others.
To make changes, please submit Docusign forms in as soon as possible to allow time for processing by the Benefits team. If nothing will change for your benefits, there is no need to act. Changes will take effect January 2025.
Professor of Social Work Yeon-Shim Lee and her colleagues have been awarded a grant from the National Cancer Institute for their project, “A Mobile Web App Intervention to Promote Cervical Cancer Screening among Indigenous Women.” This initiative aims to enhance cervical cancer screening rates by implementing an innovative mobile web app intervention designed for Indigenous women living on rural reservations in the Northern Plains. The ultimate goal is to improve cervical cancer screening and reduce health disparities related to cancer for underserved Indigenous women at both local and national levels.
The University Tenure and Promotion Committee announces special election for nominations for a tenure/tenure track faculty member for one open seat. It is a two-year term. The nominees must be from the College of Ethnic Studies, College of Health and Social Sciences or Library. No individual should actively participate simultaneously on promotion and tenure committees at two different levels (department, college and campus) or serve as senator.
For questions, please email the Office of the Academic Senate at senate@sfsu.edu.
The SF State Academic Senate will meet Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2 – 5 p.m., via Zoom for its third meeting of the academic year.
- The Executive Committee presents an informational item:
- Restructuring Memorandum of Understanding: Division of Museum Studies from School of Art
- Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee proposals for substantive reduction in units as consent items:
- Minor in Urban Studies and Planning
- Minor in South Asian Studies
- B.A. in in Philosophy
- B.A. in Philosophy and Law
- Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee proposals in second reading:
- Certificate in Digital Marketing
- Certification in International Risk Analysis
- Minor in Deaf Studies and American Sign Language
- Minor in Philosophy and Religion
- Minor in Religious Studies
- Recommendation from Executive Committee in first reading:
- San Francisco State University Resolution to Suspend Implementation of Interim CSU Time, Place and Manner Policy
Academic Senate will hear formal presentations from:
- Darlene Yee-Melichar, CSU faculty trustee, “CSU Update” (3:30 – 3:50 p.m., time approximate)
- Anna Titus, assistant vice president for Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, “Title IX Update” (3:50 – 4:10 p.m., time approximate)
- Guisselle Nuñez, associate vice president of Strategic Marketing and Communications, and Emmanuel Padilla, Latinx Student Center Director, “Latinx Belonging Study Summary” (4:10 – 4:30 p.m., time approximate)
The “HERE HERE” exhibition in the Fine Arts Gallery celebrates the work of the artists and art historians of SF State’s School of Art’s faculty and staff.
The exhibit features artwork and scholarship by: Gwen Allen, Mike Arcega, Susan Belau, Libby Black, Kevin B. Chen, Ilana Crispi, Vic De La Rosa, Bronwyn Dexter, Jeff Downing, Nathan Kosta, Santhi Kavuri-Bauer, Chris Finley, Mario Laplante, Paula Levine, Eusebio Lozano, Sean McFarland, Lorena Molina, Sanaz Safanassab, Lori Schafer, Casondra Sobieralski, Lisa Solomon and Deborah Stein.
“HERE HERE” opened Sept 27 and is open through Thursday, Oct. 24. The Fine Arts Gallery is in Fine Arts 238. Regular gallery hours are Tuesdays – Fridays, noon – 4 p.m.
The University Police Department is excited to hold the next “Coffee with a Cop” event on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., on the plaza level of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. It provides a unique opportunity for the campus community to ask questions and share ideas over a free cup of coffee.
Join the SFSU Muslim Tech Collaborative for an exclusive fireside chat with Headstarter AI CEO Sajjaad Khader on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 4 – 6:30 p.m., in the University Club, Cesar Chavez Student Center. Kader is a technology influencer with over 260,000 followers on Instagram.
Please RSVP via Luma. Attendees who RSVP will be served free food.
Expand your generative AI (GenAI) toolkit. Academic Technology hosts “Beyond Chatbots: GenAI Images and Meetings,” a hands-on workshop where you’ll harness the power of GenAI for image creation and virtual meeting transcription and support. Open to both beginners and advanced users, this event is a great opportunity to elevate your GenAI skills in a supportive environment.
Join Health Promotion & Wellness for its annual Fun Fest event on Thursday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., on Malcolm X Plaza. SFSU students can learn about the various health and wellness resources available to them, participate in a drawing to win prizes and pick up sweet treats in between their classes.
Please visit the Health Promotion & Wellness website for more information.
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) presents a workshop series for instructors teaching Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum (WRAC). The theme of this series is “Pedagogies from the Global South.” Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) instructors are encouraged to attend.
The second of three workshops will be held Monday, Oct. 7, 1 – 3 p.m., via Zoom. A badge will be given to those who complete all three workshops.
Get ready to reconnect, reminisce and celebrate! The Alumni Association is thrilled to invite all staff and faculty alumni to its 2024 Campus Staff and Faculty Alumni Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., on the fifth-floor patio of the Administration building. This is your chance to catch up with old friends, make new connections and share your SF State stories.
The luncheon is free; registration is required. Please register by 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, via the University Development website.
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) presents its monthly Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) Brown Bag meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., in Library 242. The brown bags are open forums for faculty to discuss challenges and opportunities in teaching GWAR courses.
CEETL encourages participants to attend the Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum workshop series for further discussion. Please email Cynthia Chu at cchu4@sfsu.edu for the Zoom link.
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) invites the campus community to its “WE Wednesday” event on Oct. 9, 2 – 3 p.m., for a community pumpkin carving for the Halloween season. Pumpkins will be provided.
Information Technology Services is excited to announce the rollout of Microsoft Copilot to SF State staff with two training sessions to help enhance productivity and streamline workflow. Sessions will take place Thursday, Oct. 10, and Tuesday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m. – noon, via Zoom.
The sessions provide an in-depth look at the features and capabilities of Microsoft Copilot and how staff can utilize Copilot effectively in daily tasks. Attendees can expect a comprehensive overview of Copilot’s functionalities, hands-on demonstrations of key features, tips and best practices for integrating Copilot into their work routine and a Q&A.
Please RSVP via Qualtrics for Oct. 10 and Nov. 5.
Please visit the Generative Artificial Intelligence website for more information and resources.
SF State’s School of Theatre & Dance will present the Musical Theatre Workshop as part of its fall 2024 season on Wednesday, Nov. 13, and Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Lab Theatre (Creative Arts 104).
The Musical Theatre Workshop is an exploration of acting through song. The emphasis is on storytelling and the character’s journey. This is a presentation of student work with repertoire they have chosen. It will include a variety of genres including ballads, comedy pieces and small ensemble numbers. Potential composers represented in the workshop may include Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lynn Ahrens, Jerry Herman, Richard Adler, Stephen Schwartz, Ben Pasek and Justin Paul.
For interviews, inquiries and tickets, please email Michael Schweikardt at mzs@sfsu.edu.
Photo, from left: Masha Aleskovski, Adriane Perdigones, Yunseo Oh and Nathan Torento. Photo by Victoria Giari.
SF State Spotlight
Professor of Asian American Studies Jonathan Lee is a featured guest on Hulu’s docuseries “Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal.” He is interviewed in episode eight, “Ghosts of Chinatown,” speaking about the religious dimension of ghost and ghost scam in the Chinese immigrant community. The series debuted Sept. 24.
On Sept. 24, Lee delivered the inaugural lecture in Oakton College’s Religious Studies Speaker Series. Lee’s lecture, “Buddhist Death Rituals and Religious Syncretism in Chinese Popular Religions,” explores Chinese folk religion’s diverse array of beliefs, rituals, myths and principles, deeply influencing followers’ daily lives, social interactions and perceptions of their place within the cosmos. Lee delves into how Buddhism has transformed Chinese popular religion, particularly focusing on the experiences of Chinese Americans within the global diaspora, focusing on how death rituals shape identity and intersect with the racialized perceptions of Chinese Americans as both “American” and “non-American.”
Assistant Professor of Journalism Joshua Davis published an in-depth report about a Project 2025 plan to prosecute locally elected officials who do not adhere to the priorities of a potential second Trump administration. His story, “Project 2025 Holds a Plan to Make Prosecutors Do the Bidding of the Right,” appeared Sept. 13 in the nonprofit news outlet Truthout and in The Marshall Project’s Opening Statement newsletter.
Dina Ibrahim, professor of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts, has been selected for an Alex Trebek Legacy Fellowship by the Television Academy Foundation in Hollywood. She is one of 18 professors selected from colleges and universities nationwide for the 2024 fellowship program.