Academic Spotlight November 2018: SJSU Celebrates 2018 Authors and Artists with Reception

Photo: Daniel Mitre, BFA and minor in Business, '19 At San Jose State University's Annual Author and Artist Awards guests peruse some of the books published by Spartan faculty members in 2018.

Photo: Daniel Mitre, BFA and minor in Business, ’19
At San Jose State University’s Annual Author and Artist Awards guests peruse some of the books published by Spartan faculty members in 2018.

By David Goll

When they are not preparing the next generation of Silicon Valley students for momentous futures, San Jose State University’s faculty are researching some of the world’s most topical issues.

The published and performed work of more than two dozen San Jose State University faculty members were celebrated during a Nov. 2 ceremony at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library. More than 100 people turned up for the event to recognize the efforts involved in editing and authoring scholarly books on topics ranging from politics to 3-D printing to cybersecurity, creating celebrated theater stage design and writing an adaptation of an internationally acclaimed play.

The seventh annual Author and Artist Awards presentation was held in the library’s spacious eighth-floor Grand Reading Room, where 29 pieces by 26 authors and artists were recognized.

“The work you do has such an impact on students,” said Joan Ficke, interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, during her welcome remarks. “It benefits all of us. The research is what is actually important. The students follow in your footsteps.”

Of the 26 faculty members recognized, two honorees were asked to make extended presentations of their work.

“Here we are in the spectacular Grand Reading Room, the crowning glory of our library,” said University Library Dean Tracy Elliott said. “The perfect place to honor the best of the best. (They) are the reason San Jose State is considered one of the top public universities for academic research.”

Associate Professor Virginia San Fratello, who teaches Interior Design, presented the book she co-authored entitled Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing. She noted it’s now possible to 3D print an entire structure. Taking advantage of the city of Oakland’s liberal review process for small residential units to help combat the housing crisis, San Fratello displayed such a home created by 3D-printed tiles.

She showed striking photographs of more whimsical printed objects, too, including coffee cups and coffee pots made of coffee “flour,” sugar spoons spun out of the granulated sweet stuff, and saltshakers constructed of salt.

“I approach these tasks like a chef in the kitchen,” she said.

Matthew Spangler, an associate professor of Communication Studies, also shared information about his creative work. He first read the book The Kite Runner in 2005. The 2003 novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini detailed the tumultuous political and social events in his native country along with the exodus of refugees from Afghanistan to Pakistan and the United States — including the Bay Area.

The book changed Spangler’s life. He wrote a stage play based on the novel, which was first presented by SJSU students in 2007.

“Thirteen years later, 44 theater groups have done 15 different productions of the play worldwide,” Spangler said, including the theater capital of London last year. Other productions have been presented in Cleveland, Calgary, Tel Aviv, Liverpool and Nottingham. “Over 400,000 people have seen those plays,” he said. “That’s way more than read my scholarly articles and books.”

College deans introduced each of the other authors and artists, sharing a few notes about their scholarly and creative endeavors. See the list of all authors and artists on the library website.

Academic Spotlight November 2018: Philosophy Professor to Present Thoughts on ‘Violence’ Versus ‘Brutality’

Professor Carlos Sánchez will present his recent research at the last University Scholars Series event of the semester on Nov. 14. Photo: David Schmitz

Professor Carlos Sánchez will present his recent research at the last University Scholars Series event of the semester on Nov. 14. Photo: David Schmitz

Carlos Alberto Sánchez, a professor of philosophy and San Jose State University alumnus, ’98 Advertising, ’00 MA Philosophy, will present a talk on his latest research at the final University Scholar Series event of the semester on Nov. 14, from noon to 1 p.m., in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room 225/229.

His current research focuses on the philosophy of violence, specifically the distinction between “violence” and “brutality.” His talk, “The Philosophy of Brutality: A Preface in Three Parts,” will highlight the difference between violence and brutality within the context of Mexican narco-culture, a socio-political and historico-cultural phenomenon that challenges the conception of violence, personhood and culture itself.

Sánchez is the editor of the American Philosophical Association Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, chair of the Inter-American Relations for the Society of the Advancement of American Philosophy and a founding member of the Society for Mexican American Philosophy.

“The reason I focus on Mexican philosophy is because it is my responsibility to make sure that philosophy belongs to everyone—that all viewpoints are counted,” Sánchez said. “Through my work, I am inserting myself into the philosophical conversation. Being recognized in this way lets me know that SJSU continues to be a place that values the humanities and, most importantly, the sort of scholarly diversity that my work represents.”

Since returning to his alma mater to teach in 2006, Sánchez has published five books, 25 articles and many conference papers. While writing his first book, The Suspension of Seriousness: On the Phenomenology of Jorge Portilla, the first authorized English translation of Portilla’s work, he visited libraries in Mexico City and presented at conferences all over North America. By translating and analyzing the work of Mexican philosophers, Sánchez is effectively democratizing access to critical thought. His prolific scholarship earned him the title of SJSU’s 2018 President’s Scholar.

“What I love most about teaching and working at SJSU is the people,” he says. “I’ve been here for almost 12 years and I’ve yet to meet someone who is not committed to the well-being of our students, our colleagues and our university.”

Julia Halprin-Jackson contributed to this story.

Academic Spotlight November 2018: Health and Wellness Week

 

The College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) hosted a week-long celebration of health and wellness in October to highlight San Jose State University’s commitment to creating a culture of wellness through its community connections. The second annual Health and Wellness Week was held Oct. 22-26, with booths set up daily to help students and community members learn about hygiene during flu season; handling stress; and managing heart health as well as special events throughout the week such as an SJSU Fitness Challenge, a workshop on bike and scooter safety, and cooking demonstrations.

The week of events aligns with both the mission of CHHS to intentionally promote health, global awareness, social justice and innovation as well as the university’s participation in the Centers for Disease Control’s Healthy Campus 2020 initiative.

“The opportunity to leverage this initiative with a celebration of health-based community partnerships that focuses both on internal as well as external wellness initiatives is exciting,” said Mary Schutten, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, “And this is really what the college is seeking to do, positively impact the health and wellness of our communities. It was a great week of collaboration and fun.

SJSU Celebrates International Education Week

San Jose State University Alumni gather at International House for the 40th anniversary of the organization on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018. (Photo: Jim Gensheimer)

San Jose State University Alumni gather at International House for the 40th anniversary of the organization on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018. (Photo: Jim Gensheimer)

San Jose State University is showcasing the diversity of its community as well as a dedication to providing students with global experiences Nov. 12-16 during International Education Week. The College of International and Extended Studies (CIES), led by the International Student and Scholar Services, has planned a week of fun activities including a CIES Open House, sessions on studying abroad for international and domestic students, workshops on Visas, and a Thanksgiving cooking class. See the full list of activities online.

The week’s activities allow an opportunity for international and local students to connect, explore potential career opportunities, and learn about opportunities to study abroad. SJSU offers traditional semester-long study abroad programs around the world as well as shorter-term faculty-led programs that allow students to experience a new culture while earning credit toward their degrees. Summer 2018 faculty-led courses are available in such far-flung destinations as Costa Rica, Finland, China and Uganda, among many other locations around the world on topics such as health, anthropology, political science and history.

On Friday, the International House will host an International Quiz and Scavenger Hunt. The I-House, as it is known to residents, celebrated its 40th year of providing an opportunity for students from many cultures to live together and learn about each other. Learn more: http://www.sjsu.edu/isss/pics/iweek-international-quiz-fall-18.PNG

International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Education. Learn more online.

Faculty Early Tenure and Promotion: Wendy Rouse

Wendy Rouse

Wendy Rouse

Wendy Rouse

Early Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

Years at SJSU: 7

Department: Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

RSCA focus: The history of women and children in the Progressive era, history education

Wendy Rouse, an associate professor of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, is the author of two books Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self-Defense Movement and The Children of Chinatown: Growing  up Chinese American in San Francisco, 1850-1920. While she often finds insight into her subjects through traditional sources such as archives she visited at Tulane and Smith College, she also has become adept at using genealogical sources such as ancestry.com to reconstruct the life story of an individual.

The highlight of her time at SJSU has been “working with future teachers in the Social Science Teacher Preparation program.” Her research has focused on methods of teaching history as well as women and children in the Progressive era, and she has penned a chapter on film portrayals of women’s suffrage for Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach U.S. History and a journal article on Chinese exclusion and resistance published in Teaching History: A Journal of Methods.

She tells students they should “research and study what you love.”

Note: Congratulations to the 43 faculty members who received tenure and/or promotion for 2018-19. We have invited each faculty member to participate in a series of posts profiling their teaching, service, and research, scholarship and creativity activities. Those faculty who opted to participate will be featured throughout the fall semester on the Academic Spotlight blog and the digital sign in the Administration Building lobby.