News and Announcements
Three SFSU faculty members have won two of the 63 awards in the CSU’s first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) Educational Innovations Challenge.
SFSU winners:
- English Language and Literature Professor Jennifer Trainor and Economics Professor Anoshua Chaudhuri: “Investigating How Students Write with GenAI: Co-Creating Innovating Curricular Materials for Writing Courses.”
- Assistant Professor of Marketing Yiwen Chen and Cal Poly Pomona Assistant Professor In Hye Kang: “Marketing Message Coach: An AI-Powered Lab for Marketing Communication.”
Launched in April, the challenge invited faculty from all CSU campuses to develop instructional strategies that leverage AI tools. More than 400 proposals were submitted, representing over 750 faculty members systemwide. The CSU Chancellor’s Office will award a total of $3 million to fund the winning proposals.
Image courtesy of Adobe Stock
SFSU wrestling’s Hayden Ancheta will compete at the U-20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, at 57 kilograms in freestyle on Monday, Aug. 18, and Tuesday, Aug. 19. The redshirt sophomore will represent the Philippines.
In addition, assistant coach Anthony Mancini has been selected by the Philippines national delegation as the national team coach for Team Philippines. He will coach Ancheta at Worlds.
Photo courtesy of SF State Athletics
The SFSU Fine Arts Gallery presents “Beads and Belonging,” an exhibition exploring the ways beadwork and beads are common means of expression across cultures. It is open Tuesdays – Fridays, noon – 4 p.m., through Thursday, Sept 4.
Guest curated by Kristina Singleton (M.A., Museum Studies, ’25), this exhibition features works by Demetri Broxton, Taraneh Hemami, Chelsea Kaiah, John Paul Morabito, Gabrielle Severson, Charlene Tan and Nico Williams. The exhibition also includes an ancient Egyptian beaded work on loan from SFSU’s Global Museum. “Beads and Belonging” is supported by a grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation.
Patterns, connections and narratives come to life bead by bead. Through means of trade, adornment and cultural signifiers, beads are global visual and physical communicators. From beaded artifacts to contemporary beadwork, the broader complexities of colonial influence forge a narrative that is revealed and subsequently addressed by contemporary artists. Despite the legacies of colonialism tied to the histories of beads, the act of beading allows for connections to ancestors, those who came before, while also making meaning of the present.
The artists in this exhibition actively respond to the historical narratives while making meaning of current challenges. Beadwork becomes a form of reclamation of identity and an act of resistance through the preservation of personal and cultural narratives. Using beads of all kinds to tell these stories, the exhibition explores beadwork as a means of expression across cultures.
To visit by appointment, please email fineartsgallery@sfsu.edu.
Image courtesy of the Fine Arts Gallery
As part of SF State’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of data security, all employees are requested to review the SF State Payment Card Industry (PCI) policy. This policy ensures that all campus entities that require payments are consistent, efficient and secure as they protect the interests of the University, its auxiliaries and individuals, including students and employees, and organizations conducting business with SF State.
This policy outlines the requirements and provides guidance to ensure that all payment card acceptance and e-commerce processes comply with PCI data security standards.
For questions or to be added to the list of approved locations, please email the PCI Committee at pci@sfsu.edu.
As of Aug. 4, access to the University’s image and branding asset library requires you to register with your sfsu.edu email address. This includes downloading and viewing campus photography, video and brand assets. Anonymous access is no longer available.
Now when you visit the image and branding asset library, you’ll be guided through the access request process. For questions or help, please email the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at marcomm@sfsu.edu.
From enhancing course engagement to streamlining grading tasks and harnessing the power of in-classroom technology, Academic Technology (AT) presents “One Little Thing.” These bite-sized tutorials promise to revolutionize your approach to education, one little thing at a time.
“One Little Thing” videos are available to view on the Academic Technology YouTube channel and the AT website on a regular cadence throughout the semester.
Topics include:
- Canvas how-to’s for faculty and students
- Artificial intelligence tools and quick tips
- Accessing campus services like wi-fi and Gateway
- And much more
Have a specific topic in mind? Please submit your request via Microsoft Forms for a “One Little Thing” video.
SF State researchers can now take advantage of support for publishing in Oxford University Press open-access titles.
The CSU system, University of California system and 30 private academic and research institutions represented by the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium reached a comprehensive four-year transformative open-access agreement with Oxford University Press this year.
The read-and-publish agreement provides SFSU students and employees with full-text access to Oxford’s world-leading journals. It also allows them to publish their work open access without paying out of pocket.
When you have an Oxford article approved for publication, you will receive an email that contains a link to the Online Licensing and Payments System, SciPris. To take advantage of the open-access agreement, please follow the instructions in this Author Guide.
For information about other publisher agreements available through the Library, please review the Library’s open-access guide.
By April 2026, all public-facing PDF files hosted on SF State websites must comply with accessibility standards to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To support this effort, the SF State Accessible Technology Initiative has launched the Drupal PDF Accessibility Review.
This project provides:
- A comprehensive scan of your domain for hosted PDFs
- Guidance on how to remediate any inaccessible documents
If you manage PDF content on a Drupal site, please visit the Drupal PDF Accessibility Review project page. You’ll find instructions, scan results and remediation resources to help you meet the deadline. Inaccessible PDFs may not be publicly available after April 2026.
For questions or assistance with PDF accessibility, please email access@sfsu.edu.
Are you a faculty member looking for an extra credit assignment to offer students in your fall 2025 classes? If so, please encourage students to become a Peer2Peer mentor.
SF State supports incoming students by offering mentorship from trained continuing students through the Peer2Peer mentorship program. Research shows that both receiving and providing mentorship significantly contribute to student success. In today’s mentorship-focused job market, being a Peer2Peer mentor can help students stand out.
To help recruit mentors, faculty are encouraged to consider offering extra credit to students who serve as Peer2Peer mentors. Sample language that you may use for an extra-credit assignment can be viewed via Box.
For questions, please email Susanna Jones, First-Year Experience faculty director, at susjones@sfsu.edu.
Students, staff and faculty are invited to meet with Provost Amy Sueyoshi in the fall semester during her open office hours to discuss any topics. Meetings will take place 8 – 9 a.m. on the first or second Thursday of each month, depending on Sueyoshi’s availability, in Administration 455. Breakfast refreshments will be provided.
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) invites faculty to enroll in “Teaching Writing: Meeting the Moment.” This fully asynchronous, self-paced online course is designed to support faculty teaching upper-division writing-intensive or Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) courses. Explore how writing can deepen student learning and disciplinary thinking on your own schedule.
Whether you’re new to teaching writing or an experienced instructor, this course offers practical strategies, reflection opportunities and discussions focused on writing in the disciplines. Instructors of lower-division writing courses may also find this course useful.
Please enroll via Qualtrics for the “Teaching Writing: Meeting the Moment” course.
On Tuesday, Aug. 19, and Wednesday, Aug. 20, the campus will welcome new residents to the housing community for the 2025 – 2026 academic year. In preparation for their arrival, please be aware that there will be higher than normal traffic congestion in and around the campus perimeter (particularly State Drive, Lake Merced Boulevard and Holloway Avenue). In addition, lots 19 and 20 (floors 1 – 3 and top floor) and some street parking may be restricted.
CampusMemo has resumed weekly publication for the fall semester. Please submit items via Qualtrics. The deadline is 5 p.m. the Tuesday prior to the week you’d like your item to appear.
If your item is about an upcoming event, it’s recommended to also submit it to the University Calendar.
For questions, please email the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications at marcomm@sfsu.edu.
The “Prompting for Practical Applications” course offers a focused exploration of prompting and iteration strategies for generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like Microsoft Copilot. It takes place Wednesday, Aug. 20, 10:30 a.m. – noon, via Zoom.
Through collaborative, hands-on activities and interactive exercises, participants will learn to write clear, effective prompts, apply refinement techniques such as prompt chaining, and assess AI-generated outputs for accuracy and relevance to achieve more reliable and useful results in a variety of academic and non-academic contexts.
This course is required to receive a digital badge for the AI Literacy Education Program.
Please visit the SFSU AI website to register for the “Prompting for Practical Applications” course.
Staff are invited to the first Staff Forum of the fall semester on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 11 a.m. – noon, via Zoom. All SFSU staff, except employees classified by the management personnel plan and faculty, are encouraged to attend.
The forum will include opening remarks from President Lynn Mahoney and updates from the Equity Programs and Compliance Office and the Strategic Marketing and Communications Office. Staff Forums are offered monthly during the Academic Semester and hosted by Human Resources.
To opt into all meetings and for the Zoom link, please RSVP via Qualtrics.
Please join your colleagues to kick off the academic year. Opening Convocation is Thursday, Aug. 21, 10 – 11:15 a.m., in McKenna Theatre, Creative Arts building. A resource fair begins at 8:30 a.m.; refreshments will be served.
Distinguished faculty and staff awards will be announced, and new faculty will be introduced.
If you can’t attend the event in person, you can watch a live stream on the Convocation page.
The “Critical Analysis of Generative AI” course explores the critical analysis of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to support responsible use of this technology. It takes place Thursday, Aug. 21, 2 – 3:30 p.m., via Zoom.
Learn how AI models are trained and why misinformation and biases may occur in AI-generated content. Develop strategies to analyze AI outputs and assess AI tools for quality and ethical considerations. Participants will be expected to engage in the evaluation process through collaborative, hands-on activities and reflective discussions.
This course is an elective that counts toward receiving a digital badge for the AI Literacy Education Program.
Please visit the SFSU AI website to register for the “Critical Analysis of Generative AI” course.
Welcome 300 new Gators to SFSU! Join the First-Year Experience Program to help staff a field trip exploring our beautiful city of San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 22, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The program’s course, All University 110: “Living in San Francisco,” is being offered for a second year. From Tuesday, Aug. 19, to Friday, Aug. 22, about 300 freshmen and transfer students will participate in this one-unit course. The course is designed to equip them with tools for academic and personal success, teach them how to use the Gator Pass and navigate public transportation, and introduce them to the iconic sights, sounds and culture of San Francisco.
For Aug. 22, the program seeks volunteers to lead small groups on public transit to pre-planned destinations around the city.
Please sign up for “Living in San Francisco” via Google Forms.
For questions, please email Susanna Jones at susjones@sfsu.edu.
The University Budget Committee (UBC) invites the campus community to its first meeting of the fall semester on Thursday, Aug. 28, 9:30 a.m. – noon, via Zoom (please note the earlier start time).
Agenda topics for this meeting include the campus budget (with the final California budget released over summer); updates on the San Francisco Bay Region Network and Athletics, the Estuary & Ocean Science Center; and recommendations from the Academic Senate Instructional Review Committee.
Please RSVP via email to ubc@sfsu.edu.
Committee members represent staff, faculty, students and administrators. They offer virtual UBC office hours on Friday, Aug. 29, 11 a.m. – noon, for feedback on budget-related matters.
The Digital Media Studio/MakerSpace will host two open-house events, open to all SFSU students, faculty and staff. Learn about 3D printing, virtual reality, podcasting, audio mixing, Internet of Things/micro-controllers/robotics, and video/audio equipment checkout. Check out presentations of student projects with edge computing, artificial intelligence, Apple Vision Pro and more.
Drop in to Library 260 on Thursday, Aug 28, 2 – 6 p.m., and Wednesday, Sept 3, 2 – 6 p.m.
The Digital Media Studio/MakerSpace will also host events this fall on a variety of topics, including:
- Podcast 101
- 3D Prints
- Internet of Things
- VR Night
- and more!
Learn more and view the calendar of events on the Academic Technology website.
Be a part of history and join your fellow SFSU alumni, students and faculty for Golden State Valkyries hoops during their inaugural WNBA season! Enjoy discounted tickets versus the Dallas Wings on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m.
Sit together with your SFSU community. Blocks of seats in several sections are reserved just for you. Ticket availability is limited.
Pay no taxes, surcharges or fees when purchasing your tickets on this Ticketmaster page. The last day to purchase tickets is Friday, Aug. 29.
Please visit the Alumni Association website for more information.
David Alan Olsher, associate professor of English and faculty emeritus, passed away on July 13 in San Francisco.
Born on May 18, 1956, to Rubin Sol Olsher and Laura Nancy Olsher, Olsher grew up in Southern California. He earned his B.A. in English from Williams College (1979), a California Teaching Credential in English for Adult Education from UCLA (1986), and both an M.A. in TESL (1996) and Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics (2003) from UCLA. His dissertation, chaired by renowned scholars Charles Goodwin and Emanuel Schegloff, explored collaborative group work in second and foreign language classrooms.
Olsher taught English in diverse settings prior to joining SF State: in the Los Angeles Community Adult Schools, at the Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages in Japan (where he also served as Program Coordinator), in UCLA’s intensive ESL program, and in the M.A. TESL and ESL programs at Bowling Green State University in Ohio (where he also coordinated the ESL program).
A respected scholar in applied linguistics, he focused on conversation analysis and its applications to language learning and teaching. His work addressed topics such as classroom interaction, the role of gesture in second language acquisition, and sociocultural approaches to language pedagogy. He published in key academic journals and regularly presented at prestigious conferences such as the American Association for Applied Linguistics. In addition, he authored an ESL/EFL writing textbook, “Words in Motion.”
At San Francisco State, Olsher was a core faculty member in the M.A. TESOL program and contributed significantly to the Linguistics and Composition for Multilingual Speakers programs. He taught a wide range of courses — oral communication, grammar and writing, second language acquisition, pedagogical grammar, pragmatics, classroom discourse, TESOL methods, technology in TESOL, and more. Known for creating a strong sense of community in his classes, he will be remembered by many students for his wisdom, warmth and humor. Legend has it that he had a “Seinfeld” reference for every grammar and pragmatics unit he taught! Colleagues cherished his generosity and collaborative spirit. His dedication to teaching, scholarship and mentorship will leave a lasting mark on the field and his community.
Olsher’s contributions extended far beyond the classroom. He was active in University service, notably on the Academic Senate, including two years as chair of the Student Affairs Committee. He also served on the International Student Services and Academic Freedom committees, among others.
He is survived by his beloved wife Akiko Kadotani; his sister Janet, her five children and three grandchildren; his sister Alice, her husband Martin, and their two children; and his stepbrother John Michael Wheeler and his son.
In honor of Olsher’s life and legacy, donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or UCSF Foundation.
Tributes and remembrances can be viewed and shared via Forever Missed.
A public memorial will be held on Friday, Aug. 22, 2 – 4:30 p.m., in the Seven Hills Conference Center. Please RSVP via Greetings Island to join in person, or register for the livestream via Zoom.
SF State Spotlight
Research indicates that violence in hospital emergency departments is on the rise, posing serious risks to physicians, nurses and support staff. In her recent article for Physician’s Weekly, Lecturer Faculty in Kinesiology Stephanie Cyr highlights how empowerment self-defense training equips health-care workers with practical tools to prevent, de-escalate and respond to violence, ultimately improving safety and patient care.
Students across all majors — including Nursing, Business and communications — can build these vital personal safety skills on campus by enrolling in Kinesiology 158:01/02: “Personal Defense.”
Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics Gretchen L. George is the lead author of “Examining weight bias attitude changes after exposure to a brief photovoice assignment” in the Journal of Dietetic Education. The other authors are Missouri State University Professor Hillary L. Roberts, SFSU graduate student Kristin Rose, Missouri State University graduate student Madison Clemens and City University of New York Professor Kate Gardner Burt.
This pilot study finds that integrating a photovoice and reflection-based assignment into nutrition education courses may help reduce weight bias among pre-health students by improving attitudes related to fat acceptance and attribution complexity, highlighting the need for continued research and educator support to implement such interventions effectively.
As part of a collaborative team, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics Zubaida Qamar played a key role in shaping a conference session that explored ancestral food knowledge, foraging practices and climate-smart food citizenship. It took place at the annual conference of the Association for the Study of Food and Society and the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society in June.
The session engaged participants in hands-on activities including recipe creation, cultural flavor exploration and a bartering challenge to deepen understanding of food justice, food waste and the emotional connections tied to food.
Michael De Anda Muñiz, assistant professor of Latina/Latino Studies, was interviewed on July 21 on “Hecho en California” on KIQI-AM. He spoke about his book “Imperial Policing: Weaponized Data in Carceral Chicago” (University of Minnesota Press).
Associate Professor of American Indian Studies Robert Keith Collins gave an invited lecture on “Museum Anthropology and Native Knowledge” at the Colloquium Americanum of the Institute for Ethnology at Goethe University at Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany, sponsored by the Institute for Ethnology, on July 17. This lecture examined the relationship between Native knowledge and museum exhibits and how Native knowledge has been — and is being — used to inform changing paradigms in museum exhibit creation.
Collins also led an invited discussion on “New Paradigms in Native Knowledge Curated Museum Anthropology” at the Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt, Germany, on July 16. This discussion explored how knowledge from Native American source communities is lending to new best practices in museum curation and explored what European and U.S. museum anthropologists and practitioners could learn from one another.
SFSU’s School of Theatre and Dance is boldly innovating its curriculum in performance and production, Assistant Professor Michael Schweikardt says in a recent interview on the podcast “Light Talk with The Lumen Brothers.”
The new curriculum intends to address dwindling enrollment, budget cuts, inequitable workload for production/performance faculty and reverse exclusionary practices in the area of performance/production, Schweikardt says. It also aligns the way that the school does performance and production with students. Schweikdardt adds that these issues are existential for the school, so it will launch an experimental mode of production and performance, “SF State REP,” this fall.
This month, Schweikardt designed the sets for The Muny’s production of “Dear Evan Hansen” in St. Louis, Missouri. The Muny is the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre, now in its 107th season. It won the 2025 Regional Theatre Tony Award.
The latest episode of “The Traveling Radio Show,” hosted by Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Professor Jeff Jacoby includes a visit to his home campus of SFSU. It’s part of his series of travels to CSU campuses.
Recreation, Parks, Tourism and Holistic Health Professor Erik Peper gave an invited two-day presentation on tech stress and stress management for the International Stress Management Association-Brazil stress class. It took place June 22 – 23 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Peper recently gave the invited online webinar “Free Yourself from Pain and Improve Your Health” for the Dutch RSI Society.