News & Announcements
SF State is proud to be named a Fulbright HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institutions) Leader for the second year in a row by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This designation recognizes the noteworthy engagement that selected HSIs have achieved with the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.
The Fulbright HSI Leader status has been conferred on 43 HSIs across the nation, including SF State. The University receives this status because it has demonstrated significant engagement with Fulbright exchange participants during the 2021-2022 academic year and has promoted Fulbright Program opportunities on campus.
“We are proud at SF State to receive this recognition from the Fulbright Program. We take seriously our responsibility as an HSI to internationalize our students’ experiences,” SF State President Lynn Mahoney said. “More than 80% of our students come from communities of color, including 37% who identify as Latinx students. I’m grateful to the many staff and faculty who serve our students so well and share in their commitment to redouble our commitment to their success.”
Since its inception over 75 years ago, the Fulbright Program has given over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. In turn, the program promotes the exchange of ideas and finding solutions to complex international challenges.
Learn more about SF State’s participation in the Fulbright Program.
The death of a young woman while in the custody of Iran’s morality police last month has sparked some of the largest worldwide protests against the country’s government ever. SF State Professor Persis Karim serves as the Neda Nobari Distinguished Chair and director of the University’s Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies. She continues to monitor developments closely and take action by commenting in the media (as she did recently on KQED), attending rallies in the Bay Area and organizing an SF State teach-in. In a new Q&A interview, SF State News asked her to share her insights into the protests.
SF State News: What can people do to support the protests in Iran?
1. Share news from Iran
We should call on experts — academics and activists — who have lived in Iran to offer their analysis. [They] should be asked to write opinion pieces and contribute meaningfully to local and national press; we can also hold teach-ins and other forms of educational events.
The silence is just painful, and though I understand that there are no journalists on the ground, there are ways to cover this that don’t only rely on footage of the crackdown on protests. We should be talking about the impact on women and girls, and also in terms of how people are resilient. We need to keep reposting stories online, and also include these hashtags: #WomenLifeFreedom #MahsaAmini.
2. Attend a protest or teach-in
Staying involved in protests and taking to the streets, the bridges and the candlelight vigils is an ongoing way to make your opinion known. Teach-ins, film screenings and other educational events serve as community meeting points to continue involvement and sharing of news and knowledge.
3. Support human rights organizations
The best way to help is to donate money and support to human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Center for Human Rights in Iran.
An Associated Press tally shows there have been at least 1,900 arrests connected to the protests. As of Sept. 24, an Oslo, Norway-based group called Iran Human Rights estimates at least 154 people have been killed. Without a reliable government source of information and limited journalism allowed in the country, human rights organizations serve an important role of documentation.
4. Pressure universities to support academics
Given the recent attacks at Sharif University, and the fact that the majority of those protesting are high school and university students, we need to bring attention to students, particularly female students.
The School of Theatre & Dance will continue its fall 2022 season with a production of Jeffrey Lo’s play “Dealing Dreams” beginning Thursday, Nov. 3. The play follows two ambitious young college graduates as they face the harsh realities of adult life while pursuing their dreams in Palo Alto. Student actors Amanda Schaer and Ikenna Tanaka (pictured) star under the direction of School of Theatre & Dance Lecturer Cara Phipps.
“Dealing Dreams” will be performed in the Lab (CA 104) at 6 p.m. Nov. 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10. There will also be a matinee performance at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. Tickets are $5. Purchase tickets via Simpletix.
In a cross-college collaboration that is the first of its kind at SF State, “Project ARISE: Adversity and Resiliency Interventions for Social Emotional Development in Early Childhood” — a proposal by project directors Maryssa Mitsch from Early Childhood Special Education and Jocelyn Hermoso from the School of Social Work — was funded by the U.S. Department of Education for $1,100,000 over five years. This represents a unique opportunity for faculty and students in two colleges to bring their teaching and scholarship together around common goals. Project ARISE will focus on inclusionary practices and early childhood mental health supports for young children with disabilities and their families. The first cohort will begin in fall 2023. Reach out to Maryssa Mitsch or Jocelyn Hermoso with questions and student application information.
It is week three of Cyber Security Awareness Month. This week’s theme is “Downloading the Latest Software and Apps Is Important, No Cap.” When was the last time you applied updates or patches for your device? Always keep your software updated as soon as updates become available. Don’t delay! These updates fix general software problems and provide new security patches where cyber criminals might get in. You can be sure the bad guys are always looking for new ways to access your data through software, so updating your software is an easy way to stay a step ahead. If you would like to learn more, please visit Information Technology Services’ Campus Safety Week info booth between 3 and 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, in LIB 121 for the presentation “Stay Safe in Cyber Space.”
A Discover SF State Open House will be held on campus 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 29. This University-wide event is geared toward encouraging prospective high school and community college students to apply for Fall 2023 admission, as well for the campus community to provide a sneak peek of all that we have to offer, including campus life, support services, admission requirements, financial aid, housing and more. Please consider serving as a university ambassador to assist colleagues in making this a great experience for our guests and a great success for SF State!
Register as an ambassador today! Lunch and an SF State T-shirt will be provided for all ambassadors. If you would like to serve as an ambassador, please discuss this opportunity with your supervisor.
Do you have kids? Do you want to connect with other working parents on campus? You’re invited to join SFSU Parents Club Join to gush about our kids and visit hot topics that are important to us in navigating work and parent life. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child, and the SFSU Parents Club wants to be part of your support network!
Please mark your calendars for the club’s first virtual hangout: noon to 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 18. Feel free to eat on camera as club members chat during their lunch hour and gauge general interest on what folx are wanting from this group. Keep in mind this is not a committee: It’s an informal group. Think fun things like toy swaps, clothes swaps and hot topics like potty training, daycare, tantrums, etc. RSVP to Marciana Flores at mfloresa@sfsu.edu for the Zoom link.
If you have topics of interest to discuss, please take an online interest survey via Qualtrics.
The Academic Senate will meet from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, via Zoom for its third meeting of the academic year. Visitors who wish to attend please contact the senate office at senate@sfsu.edu for a Zoom link. The agenda includes:
- Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Resolution on Campus Response to Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates (ICAS) Cal-GETC Proposal, in first reading.
- Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Proposed CEL Name Change, in second reading.
- Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: To Change the Minor in Management from 21 to 15 Units, in second reading.
- Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Sense of the Senate Resolution, in Solidarity with Women and University Communities in Iran, in first reading.
- Presentation by Sheldon Gen, Professor, Public Affairs and Civic Engineering, and Dr. Anoshua Chaudhuri, Professor/Chair of Economics, “Needs Assessment of Staff and Faculty Housing Assistance.”
The full agenda, meeting materials and minutes can be found on the senate website.
The Institute of Holistic Health is hosting weekly educational activities throughout the month of October. The campus community is invited to explore concerns about our modern food supply, the Standard American Diet (SAD) and poor dietary habits. Institute of Holistic Health faculty and guest food experts will share evidence-based nutrition, recipes, cooking demos and expert advice geared toward the prevention and reversal of disease and the achievement of resilient health.
Activities will be held from 5 to 6:45 p.m. on Mondays in HSS 306 and via Zoom. Attend via Zoom link. Passcode: 985622. Upcoming events:
The Division of Graduate Studies & Career Pathways is hosting its annual Grad Preview Week virtually Oct. 17-21. The week-long program includes graduate program information sessions, Cal State Apply workshops, office hours for prospective students and department-specific events that showcase SF State graduate education. Participants can explore SF State graduate education opportunities in over 60 events by Zoom Oct. 17-21.
Check out Grad Preview Week schedule online. Some events require prior registration to receive the Zoom link, so remember to click on “Details.” The division is adding new sessions daily.
The campus community is invited to the premiere of a new conversation and performance series, Undisciplining the Fields, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Poetry Center (HUM 512). Undisiciplining the Fields will invite writers, artists, filmmakers and scholars from a range of fields to discuss and share their cross-disciplinary practices and thinking. The first event will feature Ronaldo V. Wilson in conversation with George and Judy Marcus Chair in Poetry Tonya M. Foster. Wilson is the author of a number of books, including “Narrative of the Life of the Brown Boy and the White Man,” winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize; “Poems of the Black Object,” winner of the Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry and the Asian American Literary Award in Poetry; and “Farther Traveler: Poetry, Prose, Other,” finalist for a Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry. His latest books are “Carmelina: Figures” and “Virgil Kills: Stories.” Co-founder of the Black Took Collective, Wilson is an interdisciplinary artist. He is also a professor of Creative Writing and Literature at UC Santa Cruz, serving on the core faculty of the Creative Critical Ph.D. Program, as principal faculty member of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and as an affiliate faculty member of Digital Arts and New Media.
Initiated by Foster in collaboration with the Poetry Center, the Undisciplining the Fields series is envisioned as an unruly exploration of the ways that practice is developed and encouraged through interest, study and accident and the ways that creativity motivates/instigates investigations of the possible. For more information, visit the Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives website.
The SF State Safe Zone Ally program is looking for staff, faculty and administrators to become safe zone allies for the campus LGBTQ+ community. The Safe Zone Ally program’s mission is to foster a welcoming, inclusive and equitable campus environment by building a support network for people of all gender and sexual identities. Safe Zone allies are active and visible volunteers who are open to talking to members of the LGBTQ+ community in a confidential and supportive environment. To become a Safe Zone ally, volunteers must complete a Safe Zone ally training. Several Safe Zone ally trainings are offered throughout the year. The next training will be held virtually in two parts (and participants must be able to attend both): Friday, Oct. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. To register or get further details about the training, contact Rick Nizzardini at rnizzard@sfsu.edu. (You must pre-register in order to participate).
The All-University Committee on International Programs (AUCIP) invites faculty and staff to an international faculty and staff engagement event in recognition of International Education Month. The event will be held 3 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, on the fifth floor patio of the Administration Building. Come join your colleagues for refreshments as International Education Month kicks off! RSVP via Qualtrics.
Spotlight
Amy Sueyoshi, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was honored last week as one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times.
The annual awards celebration, held Oct. 13 at the Hilton on Union Square, showcases the leadership, community service and mentorship showcase that women have to change the world.
The Press Democrat interviewed Paul Steward, lecturer of American Indian Studies, for an Oct. 12 story about his new album, “World Champion” (2XG). The album includes a song mixing traditional Pomo music with contemporary music. It is the first-ever commercially released blues track sung all in Southeastern Pomo.
“We always played traditional music in a traditional way. I thought it would be fun to combine these two kinds of music,” Steward told The Press Democrat. “Dad and I recorded some rhythm and blues and shared it with our community and elders. I was very pleased to get acceptance from tribal members.”
Steward is a tribal member of Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians, near Clearlake Oaks in Lake County. It is an original unmoved village of over 20,000 years.
College of Health & Social Sciences Dean Alvin Alvarez delivered a keynote presentation, “Towards Institutionalizing Racial Justice: A Call to Higher Education,” at the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors 2022 annual conference, held Oct. 8 – 12 in Philadelphia.
Alvarez shared his reflections and experiences as a dean and psychologist in creating the CHSS RACE Initiative, which attempts to institutionalize and center racial justice into the college. In his keynote, Alvarez also challenged and critiqued representational diversity as a necessary but insufficient step in academia’s racial transformation. He instead argued for an ongoing practice of personal and institutional reflection to dismantle the white, male supremacist values and worldviews that are infused into the policies, practices and assumptions of white academia.
History.com published a story on Oct. 11 about anti-Asian racism in the response to a bubonic plague outbreak in San Francisco and Honolulu in the early 1900s. Asian American Studies Professor Jonathan H.X. Lee explains that the scapegoating of Chinese communities for public health crises had already been taking place for the previous half century. This made the climate ripe for bias.
Lee cites the early emigrants from China who were viewed by white workers as competition for jobs. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the culmination of restrictive, discriminatory laws at the national, state and local levels. Mob violence occurred targeting Asian American communities across the country.
Psychology Professor Ryan Howell and his former students Karynna Okabe-Miyamoto, Eric Durnell and Martin Zizi authored an empirical article last October in Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies. It is titled “Did Zoom bomb? Negative video conferencing meetings during COVID-19 undermined worker subjective productivity.”
“Because [remote work] may last beyond COVID-19,” they wrote, “organizations and managers should allow workers to use audio instead of video during meetings and refrain from using video conferencing meetings to surveil their employees to ensure workers are reporting that they are remaining productive.”
“The Front Row Network,” a program on National Public Radio-Illinois, featured an interview with Cinema Professor Joseph McBride on Sept. 29
McBride discusses his book “What Ever Happened to Orson Welles? A Portrait of an Independent Career” (University Press of Kentucky, 2006), including the misconceptions of Welles’ final decades and independent films.
Fairchild Books recently published the third edition of “Sustainable Fashion,” cowritten by Professor Emerita of Apparel Design and Merchandising Connie Ulasewicz. The book focuses on a commitment to innovative action to create healthier environments, reduce climate change and improve the well-being of all people as they choose and wear clothing.
This new edition, titled “Sustainable Fashion: Take Action,” presents a fresh exploration of possibilities and practices in the textile and clothing industries, highlighting students and graduates from SF State’s Apparel Design and Merchandising program.
Ulasewicz continues to engage with students, businesses and the community through CBU Productions, advocating for a greater understanding of clothing’s true value.
Dina Ibrahim, professor of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts, was a speaker at the Streaming Media Connect 2022 conference in August. Streaming Media Magazine shared her perspectives on monetization for independent online content creators during a session on building personalized advertising experiences.
“Discord is a fantastic community for marketing individual content creator platforms, and then ownership of monetizing without having to deal with any other companies basically individuals as LLCs, fractionalizing and monetizing content,” Ibrahim said. “It’s all about the micro and the meta, and Discord as an enormous community.”