News & Announcements
One of the world’s preeminent realist painters, the late Robert Bechtle inspired hundreds of SF State students over his three decades on the faculty. Now, students for decades to come will still be able to draw inspiration from him thanks to a generous gift of five original works from the Robert Bechtle and Whitney Chadwick Trust.
Bechtle (1932 – 2020), a professor emeritus of Art, is a giant of American realist painting known for his tightly detailed renderings of everyday suburban landscapes and vintage cars. He is so precise and detailed that his pieces look incredibly similar to photographs. The Alameda native’s work is represented in the collections of the Whitney Museum and Guggenheim Museum in New York, the SF Museum of Modern Art and the de Young in San Francisco, and other revered institutions. He was married to Professor Emerita of Art Whitney Chadwick (born in 1943), an art historian and author of the widely cited book “Women, Art and Society.”
The donated works will live in the School of Art’s Graphic Art Collection to be used as teaching resources in printmaking, painting, art history and beyond.
“This gift is an acknowledgment and an advancement of Robert Bechtle’s legacy, a significant portion of which surrounds his 30-year tenure at SF State,” said Robert Firehock, the estate trustee and Chadwick’s cousin. “We are excited that his work will continue to inspire students’ creativity and discovery of their individual artistic voice.”
The donation includes two original watercolors. One is a 1987 study of the ventilation chimneys in front of SF State’s Fine Arts building. Bechtle made it for a class demonstration held outdoors.
The gift’s three lithographs were recommended by Professor Emerita Sylvia Solochek Walters, an esteemed printmaker and close friend and colleague of Bechtle and Chadwick. One highlight is “’61 Impala” (pictured), a 1973 piece showing the Chevrolet parked alone inside the vast SF State parking garage.
“These three images evidence how even banal subject matter can become the subject for art that communicates emotion, daylight and the potential for personal expression in the art of representation,” said Art Professor Emeritus Mark Dean Johnson, who served as SF State Fine Arts Gallery director for nearly 25 years. “These artworks join hundreds of others, awaiting discovery by successive generations of students to learn about the techniques and potentials of art on paper.”
When Sedzani Musundwa’s Ph.D. was approved by the University of South Africa this fall, making her one of the few Black chartered accountants in South Africa with a Ph.D., she had a lot of people to thank. High on the list was the faculty member who supervised her dissertation … who actually wasn’t at the University of South Africa at all. Because of her dissertation’s provocative subject matter — critical accounting, which examines the way race, gender and class impact key accounting decisions — Musundwa had to look beyond her university and even beyond her nation for help. Fortunately, she eventually found a dissertation supervisor who was an expert on the topic: SF State Professor of Accounting Theresa Hammond.
“With South Africa having very few Ph.D.s, and even fewer Ph.D.s in critical accounting, I found that there were very few professors who were willing to undertake the journey with me,” said Musundwa, who teaches at the University of South Africa as senior lecturer in Accounting and former chair of the Department of Financial Accounting. “Those who expressed interest appeared to want to steer the study as close to mainstream accounting as possible and away from its main objective.”
Hammond, on the other hand, has been exploring the effect of race on accounting from her earliest days in the field.
“I interned in public accounting in the 1980s and was shocked by how homogeneous it was,” Hammond said. “So I joined the National Association of Black Accountants while I was in graduate school in order to learn more about how I could help shape a more inclusive future for the profession.”
Around the same time, Hammond began working on a dissertation exploring the experiences of underrepresented minorities in accounting. She traveled across the country to interview the few Black men and women who were then Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). That research later became the basis for her book “A White-Collar Profession: African American Certified Public Accountants Since 1921.”
Years later, Musundwa became aware of Hammond’s work while doing her own research. It didn’t occur to her that the American professor might be willing to serve as her dissertation supervisor, though. Then a stroke of good luck changed everything.
“I presented my Ph.D. proposal at a colloquium where an international moderator formed part of a panel,” Musundwa said. “That moderator turned out to be a close friend and colleague of Theresa Hammond. The main feedback she gave me: ‘Get in touch with Theresa Hammond. She is best suited for this study.’ And as they say the rest is history.”
Read more about how Hammond helped Musundwa with her dissertation at SF State News.
The SF State campus feels like college again: Classrooms are full, there’s a line for the salad bar in the student union and students are rehearsing anywhere they can find the space. As remote learning has given way to in-person instruction for the most part, so have the arts. Dozens of student performances and exhibitions are taking place in the flesh throughout the school year. Consider attending an event this Fall semester to support your peers and to get a dose of the arts in your diet.
Theatre
“Dealing Dreams” is a modern-day story of newly minted college graduates coming face-to-face with the harsh realities of assimilating into adulthood. As with all SF State theatre productions, students comprise the entire cast and crew. Performances run Nov. 3 – 10 in The Lab in the Creative Arts building.
Coming in December, students perform the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Doubt: A Parable” in the first main-stage production of the year. Set in 1964, "Doubt” encapsulates the tension and uncertainty of the 1960s through the microcosm of a Catholic boys school. Performances run Dec. 1 – 9 in the Little Theatre.
Music
Music has been part of the SF State curriculum since its founding in 1899, when the course “The Pedagogy of Music” offered training in a variety of topics to aspiring teachers. The tradition continues to this day with frequent free performances presented by the SF State School of Music in Knuth Hall. Upcoming highlights include the SF State Orchestra and chamber music ensembles, the Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble (pictured), classical guitar students, the SF State Chamber Singers and University Chorus.
The Depot is the place to be on school nights — Monday to Thursday, that is — for open mic comedy and music, student punk bands and guest artists. Lower conference level, Cesar Chavez Student Center.
Art
The Martin Wong Gallery in the Fine Arts building spotlights a different student artist every week, both in IRL and on Instagram. A recent exhibition captured an immediate response to the killing in Iran of Mahsa Jina Amini, in paintings by student Jasmine Mirzamani.
The Associated Students Art Gallery hosts free exhibitions throughout the semester and often posts calls for student participation on its Instagram account. Its next show, “The Cave: An Odyssey of the Self,” opens Oct. 26, featuring works centered on students’ personal journeys of identity, growth and transformation.
Just after Thanksgiving, the 35th annual Student Stillwell Show will debut, showcasing the best undergraduate student artists as judged by their peers. The exhibition runs Nov. 29 – Dec. 8 in the Fine Arts Gallery.
Did you feel the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that hit the Bay Area last Tuesday? Did you know what to do?
In the event of an earthquake, remember to Duck, Cover and Hold until the shaking stops. Most injuries occur when people try to move while the ground is still shaking. Report emergencies by calling 911.
MyShake Alert is a great tool for imminent earthquake warning. Learn more or download the app via MyShake’s webpage.
Contact the Office of Emergency Services if you're interested in scheduling an earthquake/preparedness training for your department. Email: oes@sfsu.edu.
All members of the campus community are invited to a public forum to learn about and comment on a proposal (available via Box) to install two murals in the lobbies of the Administration Building and the Student Services Building. In accordance with a University Executive Directive on the acquisition and display of public art, the forum will be held Thursday, Nov. 3, at 11 a.m. on Zoom presented by Jeff Jackanicz, VP of University Advancement, joined by Nancy Ganner of Human Resources, the proposal’s sponsor. Email questions to vpadvancement@sfsu.edu.
Register in advance for this meeting via Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
SF State Transforms congratulates the 2022 NSF ADVANCE Scholarship Hub Fellows. These nine NSF ADVANCE Hub Fellows will focus on creating solidarity and building community in a scholarship cohort. The NSF ADVANCE Scholarship Hub Faculty Fellows are:
- Leia Bernardi Bagesteiro, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, College of Health & Social Sciences
- Tiffany Caesar, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, College of Ethnic Studies
- Jaime Chaves, Assistant Professor of Biology, College of Science & Engineering
- Luella Fu: Assistant Professor of Mathematics, College of Science & Engineering
- Marcela García-Castañon, Associate Professor of Political Science, College of Liberal & Creative Arts
- Aakash Gautam: Assistant Professor of Computer Science, College of Science & Engineering
- Zubaida Qamar, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Sciences, College of Health & Social Sciences
- Shriti Raj, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, College of Science & Engineering
- Anusha Sundarrajan, Assistant Professor of Speech, Languages, and Hearing, Graduate College of Education
The annual Civic & Community Engagement Awards recognize individuals and groups for their exceptional leadership, service and collaboration. It is the essence of these achievements and more that strengthens the bonds of engagement connecting the University with the community. You can nominate students, faculty members and community partners who have made outstanding contributions to our communities through service and community-engaged scholarship. Visit the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement website for the nomination criteria and form.
The Institute for Civic and Community Engagement is also seeking community partners, faculty, staff and students to review this year’s award nominations. If you are interested, please contact icce@sfsu.edu.
The final week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights data breaches, what they are and how to identify them. Data breach costs in 2022 have increased by 2.6% for an average total of $4.35 million, according to IBM. To protect our information on campus, the SF State community must do its part to ensure cyber safety. Look at Information Technology Services’ week 5 webpage to learn to spot data breaches before they happen.
Election day is coming up Tuesday, Nov. 8! You can drop off your ballot or vote in-person at the SF State Voting Center from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Annex 1 – Student Event Center.
The Academic Senate will meet Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. virtually via Zoom for its fifth 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 Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: B.S./B.A. in Business (Distance Education Authorization, with 8 concentrations), in first reading
- Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: B.A. in Economics (Distance Education Authorization), in first reading
- Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Minor in Juvenile Justice, in first reading
- Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Certificate in Comic Studies, in first reading
- Recommendation from Academic Policies Committee: Academic Calendar for Summer 2023, in first reading.
- Recommendation from Academic Policies Committee: Academic Calendar for 2023-2024, in first reading.
- Informational item from the Executive Committee on department and related name changes within the College of Liberal and Creative Arts.
- A formal presentation by Vice President of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management Jamillah Moore (tentative).
The full agenda, meeting materials and minutes can be found on the senate website.
The Global Museum’s fall exhibition, “Clearly Polluted: The Fight for Environmental Justice in the Bay Area,” investigates environmental racism and its ongoing, disproportionate impact on BIPOC communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, it features photographs and oral history recordings with local activists and advocates conducted between February and April 2021. Participants include a Civil Rights icon, a documentary filmmaker, grassroots advocates and educators who share their lived experiences and ongoing efforts for climate and social justice.
“Clearly Polluted” will be on view in the Global Museum, Fine Arts building room 203, just inside the main entrance, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through December 8.
A new exhibition in the Special Collections Gallery of the J. Paul Leonard Library presents photography by Hansel Mieth and Otto Hagel. Mieth and Hagel created a compelling body of work documenting the critical social transformations of the 20th century in the United States from a working-class perspective. They immigrated to the U.S. around 1930 just as the Great Depression began and became itinerant farm laborers, an experience that profoundly shaped their worldview. The exhibition highlights their images of the economic hardships of the Depression, the transformations to the Bay Area brought by World War II, communities and individuals standing up for justice, and longshore workers facing the impact of mechanization.
The exhibition is available for viewing Monday through Thursday between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. An opening event will be held in the gallery from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1. Learn more on the J. Paul Leonard Library website.
SF State’s Office of International Programs, Division of International Education is proud to announce the official launch of International Education Week(s)/Month for November 2022 with its first event, “Hidden Gems of Study Abroad,” to be held at noon Tuesday, Nov. 1. Alumni from SF State’s “hidden gem” study abroad programs in Taiwan and Sweden have been invited to share their stories, answer student questions, empower other students to realize their dream of studying abroad, and highlight the various programs in those countries during this free virtual event. Faculty and staff are encouraged to let students know about this wonderful event since it may be of great value to them! Students can register for “Hidden Gems of Study Abroad” via Zoom.
Are you ready for snow in San Francisco this year? The College of Professional and Global Education (formally known as the College of Extended Learning) is having its first Winter Session Snow Party on the main campus at Malcom X Plaza and the Quad. The event will be on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Winter Session is a three-week semester with over 50 classes to choose from. Students may earn up to four units, either to get ahead for graduation or catch up if needed. Enrollment opens Nov. 2, and classes start Jan. 3 and end Jan. 24. Students will able to enroll in courses at the event.
There will be free hot chocolate, coffee and cookies as well as winter wonderland snow, a giant Connect 4 game and a snowball toss. Students who visit the Winter Session table will also get a raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
There will also be a Winter Session info session to answer any questions from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 3. RSVP online. Students who can’t make it to the Snow Party or info session but are ready to enroll can visit the Winter Session page and check out the classes that will be available.
To make sure you don’t miss any updates, you can follow the College of Professional and Global Education on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Have you ever wondered about the professional careers of SF State students after they graduate or the impact study abroad has on their professional lives? To get answers, join a panel of former SF State students who studied abroad and now are working in their careers. They will reflect back on studying abroad and how it helped them get to where they are now. They will also discuss the networking opportunities that came about from studying abroad. Join them on Zoom on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 4 p.m. RSVP via Zoom and share this with your colleagues and students who might be interested in joining.
Encourage your students to make a difference in the world and live abroad through the Peace Corps. Students can learn more during an online information session Thursday, Nov. 3, at noon. Sakeena Ali, a Peace Corps alumnus and now representative, will share her experience working abroad and discuss opportunities for current students to do the same. RSVP via Zoom and share this with any interested students. Check out the rest of the month’s sessions taking place as part of International Education Month.
The All-University Committee on International Programs will host its Faculty and Staff Open House in recognition of International Education Week/Month. The event will be held on Thursday, November 3, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Administration Building. RSVP via Qualtrics.
Associated Students Culture & Social Justice Programs will present “The Lady & the Voice: What is a Healthy Relationship? College Tour Edition” from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, in Jack Adams Hall. Armand and Eileen, hosts of the relationship podcast “The Lady and The Voice,” will be joined by Lecturer for Step to College Shanice Robinson and special guest G Biz from radio station KMEL for this special discussion.
The Human Resources Benefits department will host a virtual presentation on the Tuition Fee Waiver & Reduction Program on Monday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m. via Zoom. The program provides an opportunity for eligible employees or their dependents to take classes at a CSU campus at a reduced rate. For employees, this can help with career development, undergraduate or graduate degrees. Register for the presentation via Qualtrics.
A CalPERS retirement informational session will be offered on Tuesday, Nov. 15, for all CalPERS-eligible staff and faculty. This virtual, three-hour session will be presented twice that day, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. Human Resources CalPERS Retirement Specialist Mary Saw will cover topics such as steps in planning for retirement, pension formulas and more. RSVP via Qualtrics for the Zoom link. Need it sooner? Make an appointment with Mary Saw or attend a general CalPERS class virtually or in-person. Check the CalPERS website for dates and details using the Education tab.
The University Budget Committee (UBC) will meet virtually via Zoom from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 17. These meetings welcome members of the campus community to attend and learn about the University budgeting process and provide an open forum at the end of each meeting for public comment. The UBC is comprised of SF State faculty, staff, students and administrators and is charged with serving as a deliberative body that provides the SF State president with ongoing advice and recommendations related to budget policy, planning and assessment. Information about the UBC can be found on the Administration & Finance website.
UBC meetings welcome persons with disabilities and may provide reasonable accommodations upon request. If you would like to RSVP to the Zoom meeting as a guest or have other questions, please email ubc@sfsu.edu.
Professor Emerita of International Relations Margaret Ellen Leahy passed away peacefully the night of Oct. 3, 2022. Leahy earned her B.A. and M.A. in International Relations from SF State and a Ph.D. in International Relations at the University of Southern California. She taught at Northeastern University in Boston and in the Graduate Program of International Relations at Golden Gate University in San Francisco before joining the Department of International Relations at SF State. During her 25 years as a faculty member at the University, she furthered her research and teaching interests in the areas of Latin America relations, particularly Cuba, and the role of gender in the political economy of development.
Spotlight
Asian American Studies Professor Russell Jeung was one of four people to receive the Key to the City of Oakland in a ceremony at City Hall with Mayor Libby Schaaf on Oct. 20.
Jeung is co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness of the growing problem of anti-Asian prejudice since the beginning of the pandemic.
“In attaining [the] Key to the City, Dr. Russell Jeung is formally acclaimed as a longtime Oakland resident who has helped put our city ‘on the map,’ who fosters belonging, who gives back to the community and whose work exemplifies Oakland values,” Schaaf tweeted.
Issues in Teacher Education, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the California Council on Teacher Education, has published a special issue focused on advancing equity and inclusion in early childhood settings (Summer 2022). Special Education Associate Professor Amber Friesen and Assistant Professor Maryssa Kucskar Mitsch and doctoral student Karina Du edited the issue. The collection of manuscripts presents both research and practice-based work focused on improving teacher preparation for early childhood educators and the diverse children, families and communities they work with.
Asian American Studies Professor Jonathan Lee presented “The Best ‘We’ Can Do: Memory, Genocide and the Ethics of Identity” at CSU Chico on Oct. 27. His talk reflects on collective trauma, loss, memory and life in the aftermath of genocide among Cambodian refugees in America. It is a story about finding oneself through historical awakening, memory work and the connection between the living and the dead. It is a tale of resettlement and negotiating new identities.
The presentation is part of the Book in Common series, presented by CSU Chico’s Multicultural and Gender Studies Department, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and College of Humanities and Fine Arts.
On Oct. 20, “PBS NewsHour” visited the home of Lecturer John Ulloa for an interview about lowriding culture. San Jose recently ended its decades-long ordinance against cruising, a law that was targeted against the Latinx community.
Interviewed in his front yard near his 1973 Buick Riviera, Ulloa explains the origins of lowriding in the 1940s and its growth alongside the Chicano civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s.
“Having the cars and the people who built the cars, people who drive the cars present is quite a cultural statement, and it’s a reminder — it’s a visual reminder and a visual cue about our pride as Chicanos,” said Ulloa, who teaches in the Latina/Latino Studies and History departments and the School of Art.
An Oct. 12 New York Times article about artist Bernice Bing notes that SF State’s Fine Arts Gallery is one of the few major institutions to present significant exhibitions of Asian American artists. The others, according to an assistant curator at Stanford’s Cantor Art Center, are the de Young Museum, Asia Society Museum and Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The article also highlighted “Asian American Art: A History, 1850 – 1970” (Stanford University Press, 2008) by SF State Art Professor Emeritus Mark D. Johnson and Stanford History Professor Gordon H. Chang.
As unionization has come to Starbucks, Amazon and other companies, Labor and Employment Studies Professor and Chair John Logan has appeared in the press more than 50 times in the past five months alone.
“There’s a combination of things that have contributed to this organizing wave that we’re seeing, and the pandemic and post-pandemic economy have been a large part of that,” he said in The Washington Post on Oct. 24. “It has opened up an opportunity for unions that didn’t exist before the pandemic.”
LGBTQ people likely flourished during the California Gold Rush, according to an Oct. 19 feature on KGO-TV.
Associate Professor of Sociology and Sexuality Studies Clare Sears notes the terms for LGBTQ people did not yet exist at this time, but it is documented that same-sex relationships and gender-nonconforming behavior were booming.
“Most of those new people were young men migrating to San Francisco, over half of them from outside of the United States, in search of excitement, in search of wealth,” Sears said.
“... One thing that was happening early on in the Gold Rush, really the early 1850s, there were these masquerade balls, these really infamous dances that took place around here. But in San Francisco where there were some women around, and women’s clothing was in circulation, a lot of men would dress up, kind of in full drag, and attend these masquerade balls. Some women would attend; they would dress up as men.”
On Oct. 20, Time magazine published an opinion piece by Anthropology Assistant Professor Martha Lincoln and Drake University Law, Politics and Society Associate Professor Eric Holdren. Their piece addresses a lack of preparation by health agencies in the U.S. for a projected surge of COVID-19 cases nationwide this winter.
“As the end of the year approaches, it is highly likely that Americans are about to be blindsided by another wave,” they wrote. “Without renewed funding to cover these basic necessities, the U.S. could be facing another very dark pandemic winter.”
A San Francisco Chronicle article on Oct. 24 explores the decrease in Democrat voting registration in California cities with high numbers of Hispanic voters. Political Science Associate Professor Marcela García-Castañon attributes the decrease to Latinx voters feeling taken for granted by the Democratic party.
“That neglect gets old quick,” she said. “Voters start to look for someone or something else that might be more responsive in government.”
Public Health Lecturer Deborah Craig recently visited Sweet Briar College in Virginia, where she spoke about her documentary on Sweet Briar alumna Sally Gearhart. Gearhart was a much-loved Communication Studies professor at SF State from 1973 to 1992 and a groundbreaking lesbian feminist activist who fought for LGBTQ+ rights shoulder-to-shoulder with Harvey Milk. Gearhart passed away in 2021.
Humanities Professor Emerita Carel Bertram presented a lecture, “A House in the Homeland: Armenian Pilgrimages to Places of Ancestral Memory,” on Oct. 20 at CSU Fresno for the Armenian Studies Program.