News and Annoucments
SFSU recognized staff members for their dedication and commitment during the annual Years of Service Recognition ceremony on June 17 in Jack Adams Hall. The event honored employees celebrating milestone anniversaries ranging from 5 to 45 years of service, in five-year increments, as of December 2025.
President Lynn Mahoney and Chief Human Resources Officer Ingrid Williams hosted the event, with campus leaders joining the celebration to recognize members of their teams.
Human Resources extends its sincere appreciation to all SFSU employees for their years of service and the lasting contributions they make to the University community.
For questions, please email Nancy Ganner at ganner@sfsu.edu.
Photo by Nancy Ganner
Supported by California Education Learning Lab, SFSU recently hosted a day-long Generative AI Symposium for science, technology, engineering and mathematics educators, bringing together industry leaders to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the workplace.
The morning session showcased research on AI literacy, curriculum design and classroom implementation across multiple Computer Science courses. Faculty shared lessons learned from integrating generative AI into teaching while maintaining academic rigor, fostering critical thinking, and promoting responsible AI use.
During the “GenAI in the Workplace” session, School of Engineering Assistant Professor Alyssa Kubota moderated a panel featuring industry leaders. Panelists described generative AI as an increasingly common part of their daily work and emphasized the importance of human oversight. As AI tools generate large volumes of information, code and ideas, professionals must carefully evaluate outputs, ask critical questions and communicate effectively.
The discussion also explored how educators can help students develop AI-related skills. Panelists suggested classroom activities that require students to work through complex problems in stages, navigate ambiguity and compare different AI agents to understand their strengths and limitations. As AI technologies continue to evolve rapidly, the panelists encouraged students to embrace lifelong learning and explore practical applications of AI beyond the classroom, including building agents and using the technology to support personal projects and productivity.
Participants also attended lightning talks on AI integration in engineering education and methods for evaluating AI-generated responses, and explored the AICO Tutor, an AI-powered tutoring platform developed at SFSU.
“It was incredibly rewarding to see instructors from across disciplines engage in thoughtful conversations about how GenAI is transforming both education and the workforce. Participants learned practical approaches to integrating AI into teaching and heard perspectives from industry leaders but also had the opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from across campus,” said Zhuwei Qin, an assistant professor of Computer Engineering at SFSU. "Many expressed interest in more hands-on, discipline-specific workshops, which reinforces our goal of building an ongoing community of practice around responsible and effective AI integration at SF State.”
Biopharma Leaders of Color (BLOC) named SFSU College of Science & Engineering (CoSE) Dean Carmen Domingo as a BLOC100 Luminary. The honor recognizes 100 women of color and their allies for their meaningful contributions to biopharma, health care and life sciences.
BLOC is a nonprofit community and innovation hub dedicated to empowering professionals of color across industries to reach their highest potential, supporting individuals at every stage of their career. The organization is committed to being an inclusive organization open to everyone who shares their mission. They host events such as a J.P. Morgan reception where SFSU students and alumni have shared their research and networked.
“I am deeply honored for this recognition and for the opportunity to work with so many wonderful colleagues to continue breaking barriers and expanding opportunities to ensure the health and wellbeing of everyone," said Domingo.
She leads CoSE, which has over 6,500 students across many departments and schools. CoSE has more than 46,000 diverse graduates who have an important presence in local industries. Eighty percent of CoSE alumni live in the Bay Area, and 8% of the largest Bay Area biopharma companies are SFSU alumni.
Domingo oversaw the construction of a new Science and Engineering Innovation Center, which opened in 2025. Industry partners such as the Genentech Foundation, Gilead Foundation and Agilent were among the generous donors outfitting the building with cutting-edge equipment and providing support for student initiatives and programming. This has led to programs such as the Gilead Innovation Initiative at SFSU supporting student researchers.
Domingo became CoSE’s dean in March 2019 and is the first woman to hold the office in the college’s history. She started at SFSU in 1997 as a Department of Biology faculty member and served as associate chair of the department from 2007 to 2015. During her tenure, she’s led grants from the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and other agencies, often establishing programs that focus on equity, diversity and inclusion. She has led or supported SFSU programs such as the CIRM-Bridges, SF BUILD and more.
“The College provides exceptional academic and research opportunities that prepare students for success in biopharma and beyond. Our diverse graduates — most of them local — build their careers in the Bay Area, providing the talent that is essential to a thriving life sciences ecosystem,” said Domingo.
Learn more about the College of Science & Engineering.
Photo courtesy of Gilead
Strategic Marketing and Communications (SMC) is excited to share that the new SFSU website will launch in August. An exact date for the launch will be announced soon. When the new site launches, it will replace the current University websites. This marks a significant milestone in creating a more modern, accessible and student-centered web experience that better reflects SFSU and makes it easier for prospective students, current students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community to find the information they need.
SMC thanks everyone who has contributed to this effort. Colleges and units across campus have spent the past several months reviewing, updating and migrating content, and this collaboration has been essential to getting to this milestone.
Important content changes before launch
If you need to make an important change to your new website before launch, please submit a request using the Web Content Change Request Form.
Web editor access
Because the new website uses a new content management system and governance model, current website editor permissions will not carry over. Each department chair or unit director must designate their web editor by completing the Web Editor Access Request Form, if they have not already done so.
Beginning this week, approved web editors will receive access to create and manage news, profiles and events. This access will remain in place through the website launch.
Launch phase 2: Expanded editing access
Following the launch, SMC will begin phase 2 of the launch project. During this phase, web editors will participate in additional training before receiving access to edit general web pages, which is expected in September. Web editors will also be placed into a new Web Content Community group (replacing the Community of Practice) to stay updated on web best practices, new components, etc. Until then, if you have urgent website updates, please continue to submit them through the Web Content Change Request Form.
New website URLs
The new website includes a new information architecture with shared content across the University. As a result, nearly every website URL will change. Department and unit websites will move to a simplified URL structure:
- cinema.sfsu.edu → sfsu.edu/cinema
- marcomm.sfsu.edu → sfsu.edu/marcomm
To help ease the transition, existing department and unit URLs will automatically redirect visitors to your department’s new homepage for approximately six months after launch.
Archived websites
SFBRN will maintain an archived backup of each current website for approximately six months following launch. This archive is intended as a temporary internal reference while the campus transitions to the new website.
Looking ahead
SMC recognizes that this redesign introduces new workflows and a new approach to website governance. Change takes time, and your partnership throughout this process is appreciated.
These changes will lead to a more consistent, accessible and student-focused web experience while making it easier to share content across the University. As staff and faculty become familiar with the new platform, we’ll all be able to better showcase the stories, programs and opportunities that make SFSU unique.
Thank you for your continued collaboration and support as the launch draws near.
As part of SFSU’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of data security, all employees are requested to review the SFSU Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) Policy. The policy establishes requirements for the secure, consistent, and efficient acceptance of payment cards across the University. It helps protect the University, its auxiliaries, students, employees and business partners by ensuring that payment card and e-commerce activities comply with the PCI DSS.
For questions, please email the Payment Card Industry Committee at pci@sfsu.edu. If your department accepts payment cards, please email pci@sfsu.edu to confirm your location is included on the University’s list of approved payment card locations.
On June 29, the CSU flipped SFSU to a new Zoom Workplace for Education license, providing faculty and staff with new features. Zoom features for students remain unchanged.
Read more about new features and what has changed.
For questions, comments or concerns, please email Academic Technology services at at@sfsu.edu, call (415) 405-5555 or visit Library 80 during business hours.
Seeking to connect with other parents and caregivers across campus? Join the SFSU Parents Group — a welcoming community of SFSU faculty and staff balancing work, family life and everything in between. New members are always welcome!
The group shares resources, swaps parenting tips, celebrates milestones and supports one another through the joys and challenges of raising children while working at SFSU. Whether you’re a new parent, a seasoned pro or somewhere in between, you’ll find a supportive network of colleagues who understand the realities of juggling work and family.
The group will host a casual Bring Your Own Lunch Picnic Hangout on Tuesday, July 28, at 12:30 p.m. It’s a great opportunity to meet other parents, make new connections and enjoy some time together before the busyness of the next academic year.
Interested in joining us? Please RSVP to Marciana Flores at mfloresa@sfsu.edu.
A new regional transfer discount policy gives an automatic transfer discount of up to $2.85 when transferring between agencies within two hours. This applies to Clipper cards and contactless credit/debit cards; it is applicable for transfers on all Bay Area transit agencies.
If you ride Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to Daly City and transfer to the 28 Muni bus, your Muni ride will be free since Muni’s standard fare is $2.85. If you transfer from Muni to BART, your total BART fare will be discounted by $2.85. This new transfer discount overrides the previous transfer discount that Muni and BART had in place.
For more information, please contact Clipper via phone at (877) 878-8883 or via email at custserv@clippercard.com.
CampusMemo will resume weekly publication for the fall 2026 semester on Monday, Aug. 17. The weekly deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. the Tuesday preceding publication.
Submit your events to the University Calendar.
For questions, please email the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications at marcomm@sfsu.edu.
Looking for a better return on your savings? For a limited time, San Francisco Federal, a proud partner of SFSU, is offering 4% annual percentage yield on its North Star Money Market account through Wednesday, Sept. 30.
With no maximum deposit cap, National Credit Union Administration-insured funds and a rate designed to help your money grow faster, this is a great opportunity to maximize your savings while maintaining easy access to your funds. You must open a qualifying money market and checking account with new funds to take advantage of this limited-time offer. Terms and conditions apply.
Please visit the San Francisco Federal website to learn more about the North Star Money Market offer.
CalPERS-eligible faculty and staff are invited to attend a virtual CalPERS education class to help plan for retirement. It will be held on:
- Friday, July 17, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Friday, Sept. 11, from 1 – 3:30 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 6, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Offered directly by CalPERS, this webinar is its most comprehensive class to provide 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 beneficiary. You will also learn about the CalPERS special power of attorney and employer-contracted CalPERS health benefits.
Please RSVP via Qualtrics for the CalPERS retirement webinar.
Join fellow alumni and current Gators for an afternoon watching the Bay Area women’s professional soccer team, Bay FC, as they head into in their third season. They will face off against the North Carolina Courage. The game is on Saturday, July 18, at 1 p.m. at PayPal Park in San Jose. Our unique offer grants you access to a select seating location at an exclusive group rate. Tickets are $18, not including fees.
Please visit Tixr to purchase your tickets to SFSU Night with Bay FC.
For more information, please email Eve DeGeronimo at edegeronimo@bayfc.com.
Human Resources invites you to presentations to help you reach your goals, improve your communications in the workplace and inspire yourself to be a workplace champion. Presented through our Employee Assistance Program, these presentations are offered via Zoom.
- Friday, July 24, 11 a.m. – noon: “Communicating Cooperatively at Work”
- Friday, July 31, 11 a.m. – noon: “Being a Champion; Strategies for Getting Ahead”
Learn more and RSVP via Qualtrics for the Employee Assistance Program presentations.
San Jose Earthquake soccer fans: Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 25, for SFSU Night. The Earthquakes will take on their rivals, the Los Angeles Galaxy. It begins at 7:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium, located at 625 Nelson Road on the Stanford University campus.
Please visit Tixr to purchase tickets to SFSU Night with the Earthquakes.
Human Resources will host a presentation on the CSU Employee Tuition Reduction/Fee Waiver program on Friday, Aug. 7, 11 a.m. – noon, via Zoom. This employee benefit provides an opportunity for eligible employees or their dependents to take classes or earn degrees at any CSU campus at a reduced rate. For employees, this can help with career development, certifications and post-baccalaureate or graduate degrees.
Please RSVP via Qualtrics for the presentation on the CSU Employee Tuition/Fee-Waiver program.
The campus will welcome students moving into the housing community Tuesday, Aug. 18 – Wednesday, Aug. 19. Want to join in on the fun? We need move-in ambassadors to help with wayfinding and welcoming students and families. Lunch will be provided.
In preparation for the students’ arrivals, please be aware that traffic congestion is expected in and around the campus perimeter, particularly on Winston Drive, Lake Merced Boulevard and Font Boulevard. Many of the streets bordering the campus along with Lot 20 may have restricted parking on these days, so please plan accordingly.
Please sign up as a move-in ambassador via Qualtrics.
For questions regarding move-in, please email Dania Russell at drussell@sfsu.edu.
SFSU Night with the Golden State Valkyries is Saturday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m., at the Chase Center Join your fellow SFSU alumni, students and faculty for the Valkyries’ 2026 regular season finale versus the Seattle Storm at discounted rates. Each ticket comes with an SFSU/Golden State Valkyries co-branded T-shirt.
Please visit Ticketmaster to purchase tickets to SFSU Night with the Valkyries. Tickets are limited. The last day to purchase tickets through this link is Friday, Aug. 28.
Keith Anthony Morrison, a former SFSU dean, passed away on June 1.
Morrison, a distinguished artist, curator, scholar and arts educator, was born in Linstead, Jamaica, in 1942. His artistic and curatorial work garnered international attention and esteem. While he forged his professional career primarily outside the Caribbean nation, the Jamaican Order of Distinction, Commander Class, was conferred on Morrison in 2017 to honor his outstanding contributions to the arts.
A printmaker, painter and art critic, Morrison leaves behind a distinguished creative and intellectual oeuvre, one destined to instruct and delight generations to come. His work is included in numerous private and public collections, including those of the Cincinnati Art Museum; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; the National Gallery of Art; the Smithsonian Museum of American Art; the Museum of Modern Art, Monterrey, Mexico; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland.
Best known for his figurative paintings and watercolors, Morrison represented Jamaica at the 1994 Caribbean Biennial in Santo Domingo, and in 2001 his work was included in the Venice Biennale, a prestigious international platform.
Most recently professor of painting emeritus at Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Morrison had a distinguished career in academia as administrator and professor. He was the first African American to be appointed the academic dean of art in a predominantly white American university, a position he held at five institutions, including Tyler School of Art. Morrison served as chairperson of the Art Department at DePaul University, associate dean of the College of Architecture and Art at the University of Illinois in Chicago, chairperson of the art department of the University of Maryland at College Park, dean of academic affairs at the San Francisco Art Institute, dean of the College of Creative Arts at SFSU, and dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland in College Park.
Morrison passed peacefully with family at his side. He is predeceased by his daughter, Dr. Melinda Gibson. He is survived by his wife Susan C. Alunan, Ph.D.; son Ron Morrison (Rana); brother Colin Morrison; stepchildren Catherine Alunan Talton (David Hassett, Theo and Luca), Robert Alunan Talton (Savannah), Buddy Gibson and a large and loving extended family. A memorial is pending.
Visit the Delaware Valley Cremation Center website to read Morrison’s full obituary.
SFSU Spotlight
Food has always been a central part of alumna Brenda Landa’s world. Her parents emigrated from Mexico and brought their culture with them to Redwood City. As a child, she spent her evenings helping her mom cook Mexican staples for their family of six.
“I have fond memories of making tortillas with her. I think it was her way to give me a piece of dough to be like, ‘Here, go play over there,’” she said. Together, they made rellenos, pozole and other traditional Mexican dishes. She developed a love of cooking that stayed with her into adulthood — and paved the way for her to become one of San Francisco’s top chefs.
Last year, Landa was named the head chef of Outerlands, a beloved restaurant in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood known for its brunches and fresh sourdough bread. The roots of her journey began in her family’s kitchen and first flowered as a college student at SFSU.
When it came time to choosing a major, she was torn. She hoped to become a business owner, but earning a degree in Business Administration didn’t feel like the right fit, she says. After meeting with a counselor, they agreed that a degree in Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management was a better match.
“I had a lot of fun taking courses,” she said. She took courses in California culture, wine and even cooking. One of the most memorable parts of her SFSU experience was studying abroad in Vienna, Austria. She went from being a first-generation Mexican American who had never traveled before to studying at a Viennese school for hospitality. “Talk about culture shock,” she said.
In her junior year at SFSU, she started working in restaurants to earn money. She started out as a hostess and eventually told one of the chefs she wanted to work in the kitchen. During her senior year, that chef gave her a life-changing opportunity as a prep cook. “I realized this is such a great opportunity and such a great path for me to take,” she said.
She worked in restaurants across the city such as Nopa and Cotogna. Around that same time, she wrote in her journal, “I want to be a sous chef by the time I’m 25.” That didn’t happen, but she did discover other non-traditional roles in the culinary world that helped her grow as a chef. She became a private chef, taught cooking at a culinary school and moved to Italy for an internship at famed chef Alice Waters’ Rome Sustainable Food Project, where she learned about sustainability and cooking with the seasons.
All of those varied experiences melded into her culinary identity, which she distilled as a belief in sustainable practices, seasonality, supporting local farmers and infusing dishes with her Mexican heritage. In 2023, she poured her cooking philosophy into a new venture — her own pop-up restaurant. Good Bird launched at 20 Spot, a Mission District wine bar. It took off from there and found a monthly home at Outerlands, where she cultivated a following.
Last year, she was named head chef of Outerlands. “This is such an institution, it’s important as a chef to understand the cuisine that you’re stepping into,” she said. Her approach is to see how she can add to the already successful menu. “It’s been awesome to develop recipes and have people enjoy them here,” she said.
Down the road, Landa hopes to add more of the Mexican dishes from her childhood to San Francisco’s culinary landscape — and to, one day, serve them in her own brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Explore the Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management Department with the Lam Family College of Business.
Photo by Juan Montes
Former SFSU baseball student-athlete Nathan Shinn (B.S., ’25) had his contract selected by the St. Louis Cardinals organization. The left-handed pitcher was signed by the Lake Erie Crushers in February. The Crushers are a member of the Frontier League, an MLB Partner League.
This July, giant sea anemones, urchins and hermit crabs illuminate the San Francisco skyline in a project filmed in collaboration with Marine Biology Professor Sarah Cohen. “Tiny Tide Pool Giants,” an underwater macro wildlife film, screens on the Salesforce Tower Crown, an enormous LED light sculpture wrapping the top six floors of the 1,070-foot tower with roughly 11,000 individual lights visible from 20 miles away. The film screens every night in July, midnight – 1 a.m., with extended hours sunset – 1 a.m. July 10 – 12. (Fingers crossed the fog cooperates!)
The piece transforms the Crown into a window showing the tiny denizens of the California coast in immersive scale and detail. SFSU was a key collaborator on the project: Cohen and her lab provided access, animal specimens and scientific guidance and expertise that shaped how these tide pool species were filmed and portrayed. Additional filming took place at National Geographic photographer Anand Varma’s WonderLab in Berkeley and along the shoreline at Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay. The film was created by San Francisco filmmaker Josh Cassidy (creator and cinematographer of the KQED and PBS series “Deep Look”) and editor Kia Simon (creative director of “Sneaky Little Sister”). Cassidy started his career in local tidepools, and, at SFSU, he took a video production course and completed his first student films. His “Deep Look” videos have featured work with many SFSU Biology labs on sea stars, sea slugs, barnacles, insects and much more.
Photo by Sarah Cohen
In a recent episode of “Short Wave” on National Public Radio, Biology Professor Andrea Swei is among experts discussing ticks, Lyme disease and how tick country is expanding past the Great Lakes area and the ortheastern United States. The episode also briefly covers the history of Lyme disease, research on an anti-tick vaccine for humans and more.
Specifically, Swei discusses how ticks are part of complex systems. For instance, when ticks feed on some reptiles (western and eastern fence lizard, southern alligator lizard), these animals have a protein in their blood that can clear ticks’ systems of Lyme disease-causing bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. However, if lizards are removed from an area, Swei observed that Lyme disease and prevalence of infection decrease — which is the opposite of what one may expect. While most animals have one to eight ticks per animal, lizards tend to have 25 or more (sometimes even 100), so fewer lizards mean less food for ticks to feed on and survive.
“I think what it shows us is these systems are incredibly complex. And pulling on one thread isn’t going to do the thing you think it will be. Because it’s connected to these other factors, and it’s just really complicated,” Swei said in the episode.
Associate Professor of History Felicia Viator wrote an opinion piece in The Philadelphia Inquirer on June 12. She compared this year’s White House-sponsored 250th anniversary of the United States with the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876.
“History reveals that America in 1876 was, as it is now, in turmoil, gripped by a growing economic crisis and mounting unemployment, politically torn apart, debating the impact of new technology, and reeling from the cost of war,” Viator wrote. “In the familiar context of extreme uncertainty, the glorious Exposition also drew sharp criticism and, more poignantly, highlighted the nation’s fragility.”
Professor of Kinesiology Maria J. Veri won the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) Award for Sport History and Social Justice at the 2026 NASSH conference in Toronto.
Veri was recognized for leadership and sustained engagement at the intersection of sport history and social justice. Her work spotlights the history of queer athletes, scholars and teachers through organizing sessions and publishing to support this community.
Anthropology Lecturer Faculty Niccolo Caldararo’s book, “An Ethnography of the Goodman Building: The Longest Rent Strike” (Palgrave/Macmillan), received a positive review in a recent issue of the International Journal of Housing Policy.
“Niccolo Caldararo’s ‘An Ethnography of the Goodman Building’ is a welcome addition to this historical record, charting a struggle against displacement through the lens of a single San Francisco building and the lives of its inhabitants, the protagonists of the titular ‘longest rent strike,’” Timothy Joubert wrote in the review.
Assistant Professor of Africana Studies Joshua K. Reason moderated “Out Online: Trans and Queer Community on the Early Net,” a discussion with author Avery Dame-Griff at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View on June 23.
Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures Masahiko Minami visited the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies on June 11 to deliver a lecture, “Why Does Language Vary? Variation and Identity.”