News and Announcements
More than 300 rising high school seniors from across the Bay Area gathered at SFSU on July 18 for a day-long College Access Summit designed to help students prepare for their senior year and take the next steps toward higher education.
Hosted by SFSU in partnership with 10,000 Degrees, The Summit welcomed students from eight Bay Area regions for workshops, campus tours, college planning sessions and opportunities to connect with peers and university staff. Every participant also receives guaranteed admission to SFSU if they choose to apply.
The event reflects a shared commitment between SFSU and 10,000 Degrees to expand educational opportunity and support students as they navigate the path to college.
“At SFSU, we believe that higher education should be within reach for every student who aspires to earn a degree,” President Lynn Mahoney said. “Our partnership with 10,000 Degrees reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunities, removing barriers, and ensuring students have the support they need to thrive from high school through college graduation. Events like the College Access Summit demonstrate what is possible when universities and community organizations work together to invest in the next generation of leaders.”
Throughout the day, students participated in interactive workshops focused on the college application process, financial aid, academic planning and selecting colleges that align with their goals. Guided campus tours introduced participants to the University’s academic facilities, student services and community spaces, while resource sessions highlighted the programs available to support students' success throughout their college journey.
The Summit also provided opportunities for students to build connections with peers from across the region while engaging with 10,000 Degrees staff, SFSU faculty and staff, and volunteers committed to supporting their educational aspirations.
Kim Mazzuca, president of 10,000 Degrees, said the event demonstrates the power of partnerships that help students envision themselves in college and provide the resources to make that vision a reality.
For many participants, spending the day on a college campus offered a tangible glimpse of what their future could look like while reinforcing that they belong in higher education.
Through partnerships like The Summit, SFSU continues to advance its commitment to educational equity by creating pathways that expand access, reduce barriers and empower students to pursue their academic goals. Together with community organizations such as 10,000 Degrees, the University is helping more students see college not as a distant possibility, but as an achievable next step.
Photo courtesy of 10,000 Degrees
Looking for a supportive way to prioritize your health and wellbeing this semester? Fall 2026 will be the final semester of SFSU FitPlus before the program concludes in December.
Faculty and staff who have been curious about FitPlus, as well as past participants interested in rejoining, are invited to take advantage of this last opportunity to be part of the program’s community focused on wellness, accountability and healthy lifestyle habits.
For years, FitPlus has helped faculty and staff build healthier routines, stay active, connect with colleagues and support their overall wellbeing. A Save FitPlus effort is advocating for the program’s future, and a Qualtrics survey is available for you to share your FitPlus experience. If FitPlus has positively impacted you or someone you know, you can show your support and help demonstrate the value of this program to the SFSU community.
FItPlus Director John Penacerrada thanks all who have been part of the FitPlus journey. He looks forward to welcoming one final cohort this fall and celebrating the many ways the program has supported the health and wellbeing of the SFSU community.
The Vista Room, SFSU’s sit-down service training restaurant, is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for lunch only at 11:45 a.m., starting Tuesday, Sept. 15.
To make your reservation, please email The Vista Room at vista@sfsu.edu.
The new SFSU website is now scheduled to launch in late September, giving the University additional time to complete final content work, testing and quality assurance before the website goes live. The additional time will allow the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (SMC) and campus partners to expand user-experience testing, finalize search engine optimization, validate accessibility and technical integrations, and give departments additional time to review content for accuracy and completeness.
The goal is to ensure a smooth transition to a modern, accessible and student-centered website that improves SFSU’s digital visibility and makes it easier for prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community to find the information they need.
Work will continue throughout the coming weeks, and SMC will share additional information about the launch date and next steps as details are finalized. SMC thanks the many faculty and staff members across campus who have contributed to the project and continue to help prepare the new website for launch.
Zoom requires all users to be on an up-to-date version of the Zoom software. As such, all users of the Zoom web and video conferencing application should update their version of Zoom on their devices to the respective minimum version.
Zoom requires an update to the minimum software version for all users. Anyone who has not updated to the minimum software version will be unable to connect to Zoom meetings. You will be logged out of your Zoom Client or will not be able to join meetings via the Zoom Client until you update.
What about mobile? Zoom clients on mobile will update automatically from your mobile device’s app store and will continue to work as normal.
Additionally, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, the Zoom website will update with a new design to better match the look and feel of the Zoom mobile application. This update streamlines and simplifies access to common Zoom features like joining and scheduling new meetings to unify the experience across all platforms.
For more information or assistance with upgrading Zoom, please contact Academic Technology by email at at@sfsu.edu or by phone at (415) 405-5555.
The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) is pleased to announce the 2026 – 2027 academic year lineup of courses and programs designed to support innovative teaching, inclusive pedagogy, course design and professional learning. Offerings include workshops, learning communities, certificates, courses and socials for faculty, instructional staff and graduate instructors across disciplines.
Descriptions, schedules, and registration details are available on the CEETL website or on this flyer via Box.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of the University’s brick sale, the Alumni Association has decided to extend the deadline to Friday, Aug. 21. This is your opportunity to leave a lasting imprint at SFSU for years to come with a personalized, engraved brick. This is the perfect way to show your Gator pride or honor a special Gator in your life.
Please visit the Alumni Association website to purchase your brick.
Read how bricks impact lives — it’s a one-of-a-kind SFSU love story.
The provost’s monthly open office hours continue this fall, offering students, staff and faculty a welcoming opportunity to connect with Provost Amy Sueyoshi. Whether you have a question, an idea, feedback to share, would like to seek guidance or simply want to stop by and say hello, you’re invited to reserve a time to meet.
Open office hours are held 8 – 9 a.m. on one Thursday each month; dates vary based on the provost’s schedule. The location is the provost’s office in Administration 455. Breakfast refreshments will be provided.
The Alumni Association sponsors its first Family Welcome Lounge during move-in days Tuesday, Aug. 18 – Wednesday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., in Monarca Dining Hall. The association is excited to welcome all new residents and their families to the residential community, so it created a special space where families can relax, connect and feel welcomed during move-in.
Enjoy complimentary snacks and refreshments, explore campus resources, pick up SFSU swag and visit our child-friendly activity corner. Monarca offers a $10 lunch special.
For questions, please email Marciana Flores at mfloresa@sfsu.edu.
Connect with colleagues, enjoy coffee and light refreshments, and kick off the academic year on Thursday, Aug. 20, in the Creative Arts building. Distinguished faculty and staff awards will also be announced. A campus Resource Fair precedes the program. The first 200 attendees get new SFSU swag!
Schedule:
- 8:30 – 10 a.m., Studio One: Resource Fair and food
- 10 – 11 a.m., McKenna Theatre: Convocation program
Visit the Academic Senate website for more information and to watch the live stream.
Attend Human Resources’ virtual professional/personal development classes. Upcoming sessions include:
- Friday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m. – noon: “Business Etiquette.” Content includes practicing professionalism, e-mail dos and don’ts and more.
- Friday, Sept. 4, 11 a.m. – noon: “Workplace Change.” Content includes understanding change and its impact on people, becoming a positive influence on the change process, strategies to become more adaptable and more.
Presentations later this fall include: “Neurodiversity in the Workplace,“ “Conflict Management Styles,” “Co-worker Communication” and more. They are presented by our employee assistance program partner LifeMatters.
The University Budget Committee (UBC) invites employees to its first meeting of the fall semester on Thursday, Aug. 27, 10 a.m. – noon, via Zoom.
Agenda items include: a campus budget update, a “university budget 101,” satellite campus updates and a cost of instruction/Voluntary Separation Incentive Program final report.
UBC members also host a drop-in office hour on Friday, Aug. 28, 11 a.m. – noon., via Zoom, for faculty and staff for conversations about budget-related concerns.
To RSVP for the UBC meeting, please email UBC at ubc@sfsu.edu.
The Office of the Provost invites faculty to join Provost Amy Sueyoshi for the continuing series of Brown Bag Lunches throughout fall 2026. Bring your own lunch and enjoy an informal, in-person conversation about teaching, research, student success, campus initiatives and other topics of shared interest.
Whether you’ve attended before or are joining for the first time, all faculty are welcome. These gatherings are an opportunity to connect with colleagues and the provost in a relaxed setting and engage in open conversation.
Schedule:
- Thursday, Aug. 27
- Wednesday, Sept. 30
- Tuesday, Oct. 13
- Thursday, Nov. 12
- Monday, Dec. 14
All events will be held noon – 1 p.m. The location will be shared upon RSVP confirmation.
Please RSVP via Qualtrics for the Brown Bag Lunches. If your schedule changes, you’re still welcome to join us even if you aren’t able to RSVP.
For questions, please email Academic Affairs at academic@sfsu.edu.
On Friday, Sept. 11, 1 – 3:30 p.m., CalPERS-eligible faculty and staff are invited to a virtual CalPERS education class to help plan for retirement.
Offered directly by CalPERS, this webinar is its most comprehensive class that provides a deeper understanding of your benefits as you begin to prepare for retirement. Learn how your pension is calculated, ways to increase it and payment options available upon retirement for your beneficiaries.
Please register via Qualtrics for the CalPERS retirement webinar.
SFSU Spotlight
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) congratulates these faculty members and others for their recent grant awards.
Katharyn Boyer, executive director, Estuary and Ocean Science Center: $45,032 from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Merkel and Associates for “Cosco Busan Eelgrass Restoration.” This funding extends existing work with Merkel and Associates for eelgrass restoration research following damages from the Cosco Busan oil spill. The work involves eelgrass whole shoot collection from several naturally occurring locations (sources) around San Francisco Bay, rigging the plants into transplant units in the baywater tanks and tables at the Estuary and Ocean Science Center, planting into multiple locations in the bay with an experimental design allowing evaluation of the use of different sources of plants or mixtures of sources, and conducting monitoring to determine efficacy of the restoration overall and per source.
Megumi Fuse, professor emerita of Biology: $100,000 from Bristol Myers Squibb for “Bristol Myers Squibb Tomorrow’s Innovators STEM Scholarship 2026 – 2027.” The goal of the Bristol Myers Squibb Tomorrow’s Innovators STEM Scholarship program is to develop a strong pool of scientists from a population of low-income and/or first-generation students at SFSU. These scholars will earn a Ph.D. and/or will acquire the skills to successfully transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce. The objectives are to:
- Engage all scholars in research activities, including placement in a research lab.
- Provide scientific literacy to ensure the successful completion of undergraduate or M.S. degrees in a timely manner.
- Ensure the transition of scholars to postgraduate programs and/or successful entry into biotech careers.
Xochitl Sanchez, associate director, Educational Opportunity Program: $50,000 from Maisin Foundation for Guardian Scholars Program 2026 – 2027. This grant is intended to support current and former foster-care youth with their retention, persistence and graduation from SFSU. Each academic year the Guardian Scholars Program supports the needs of students with a history of foster care, to ensure they stay enrolled, maintain adequate grade point averages, graduate, have employment and internship experiences while in college, create community supports and transition successfully to adulthood. The program’s mission is — through advocacy, support and empowerment — to create a vibrant community to help current and former foster youth attain college degrees and secure stable housing and a career path to employment. The purpose of this grant is to fund summer housing costs for youth in the program.
Xochitl Sanchez, associate director, Educational Opportunity Program: $350,000 from Tipping Point Community for Guardian Scholars Program 2026 – 2027.
This summer, M.S. in Business Analytics graduate Kunal Sheth volunteered his time to help write the 2026 Economic Impact Analysis on the San Francisco International Arts Festival’s (SFIAF) growing role as an economic driver in the Mission District of San Francisco.
For three years in a row, Lam Family College of Business students, under the mentorship of Anoshua Chaudhuri, professor of Economics and senior director of the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning, have participated in community-based participatory research. They have done data collection and data analysis and written economic impact reports for SFIAF.
Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Professors Erik Peper, Aiko Yoshino and Richard Harvey recently authored the article “Hope for Dry Eyes and Eye Strain: How Breathing-Blinking Patterns Influence Dry Eye Experience” in Biofeedback.
Colin Johnson, professor of Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management and director of the Lam Family College of Business’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Initiative, co-authored a paper that won Best Paper Award at the 13th Advances in Tourism, Hospitality, Marketing and Management Conference in Macau. The paper is titled “The Influence of National Culture on Leadership and Employee Relations in Small Tourism Accommodation Enterprises: Evidence from South Africa, Ghana and Kenya.”
Johnson’s co- authors are Michael Evans (University of Salford), Sam Ikwaye (Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers KAHC) and Vikelwa Nomnga (Walter Sisulu University, South Africa).
History Professor Eva Sheppard Wolf’s research on early American life is featured in an article on the website for Harvard University’s Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
“From stories of everyday people like Samuel Johnson to those of famous leaders like Thomas Jefferson, Wolf’s historical investigations reveal how individual Americans constantly grappled and negotiated with the ideal of freedom and their obligations across the color line,” Sydney Sauer wrote in the article, published Aug. 3. “In a time of political dissatisfaction and cynicism, her work offers a powerful reminder that change is possible.”
SFSU Web Producer Cecilia Cao took the photo of Wolf that appears in the article.
Professor of Sociology and Sexuality Studies Clare Sears has a new book forthcoming from Wayne State University Press. “Killing Eve” offers the first book-length scholarly study of the groundbreaking television series, examining how it reimagines gender, sexuality, violence and the spy genre through a queer feminist lens.
Combining close textual analysis with production history and exclusive interviews with creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge and executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle, Sears argues that the series transformed television by placing queer women’s desires at the center of a mainstream thriller narrative while challenging longstanding assumptions about gender, sexuality and psychopathy. This book offers a new framework for understanding queer representation, television authorship and audience engagement in the streaming era.
Karen Fredriksen Goldsen, professor of Social Work at University of Washington, and Brian de Vries, professor emeritus of Gerontology at SFSU, recently guest edited a groundbreaking special issue of the Journal of Sexuality Research and Social Policy published by Springer Nature: Global Pride.
The issue, published in June, features 15 papers from the international research collaboration, spearheaded by Fredriksen Goldsen and de Vries, spanning 19 countries and six world regions and over 45 researchers committed to advancing culturally grounded research on sexuality and gender diversity. Across countries and cultures, the research reveals several common themes, including persistent inequities; the importance of social support; significant diversity within sexual and gender diverse communities across culture, race and ethnicity; and social location, resilience across the life course and the need for better data. The special issue highlights how historical and contemporary social forces — from colonial legacies and religious influences to legal protections and public policy — continue to shape everyday experiences around the globe. Importantly, several international collaborators faced significant barriers and risks in conducting this research, underscoring the continuing importance of protecting both researchers and participants engaged in sexuality and gender research worldwide.
The Global Pride Study offers a roadmap for future research, policy and practice, emphasizing the need for evidence-informed approaches that address structural inequities, particularly during a period when debates about gender, sexuality and human rights are intensifying globally, while building on the strengths and resilience already present within communities.