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SJSU Day of Giving
SJSU’s 1857 Minutes of Giving is on March 11-12, and we’re aiming to make the most of this incredible opportunity. Mark your calendar and join us in making a positive impact on our SJSU community. Your support will help us achieve our goals and contribute to the thriving community we all cherish. We appreciate your consideration and support. Together, let’s make SJSU’s 1857 Minutes of Giving a success and bring our project to life!
Student Profile – Christian Alonso Catano
For Christian Alonso Catano, a first-year master’s student in the Biomedical Engineering SAGE program at San José State University, engineering is more than just a career—it’s a calling. With a deep passion for research and mentorship, Christian has been walking on a path of leadership and academic excellence for the past five years. Outside of SJSU, he enjoys watching anime, reading manga, spending time with family and friends, and keeping up with the English Premier League and the Colombian National Team.
Born and raised in Ventura, California, to Colombian immigrant parents, Christian is the first in his family to pursue higher education. After finishing his master’s, he also plans to pursue his Ph.D. His fascination with biomedical engineering research as a career was sparked by his work in Dr. Patrick Jurney’s lab, where he discovered the profound impact of treating diseases.
Christian’s leadership within the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) has been transformative. He was once the president of the Boys and Girls Club’s Keystone Club in high school but after the pandemic, his social skills declined. However, after he joined the BMES club, he was not only able to regain but improve his confidence and social interaction, thanks to the connection he formed with other members.
His position as Vice President of Conference saw him take on the monumental task of organizing the 2024 Bay Area Biomedical Device Conference, an experience he describes as both challenging and rewarding. Through months of meticulous planning and collaboration with a dedicated team, he helped deliver a successful conference that left a lasting impact on the BMES community. He acknowledged that the event would not have been successful without the amazing group leads and volunteers he had. “I owe the conference’s success to them,” he says.
Beyond academics, Christian is deeply passionate about mentorship. As a teaching assistant for multiple BME courses and the head of Dr. Jurney’s research lab, he has since honed his guidance and technical skills. He strives to make complex concepts accessible and fosters an environment of learning and support not just in the classroom but also for BMES club members.
As he prepares to pass the baton to new leadership in BMES, Christian’s advice to future leaders is that the success of one is built on teamwork and communication. “A leader is only as successful as those they are surrounded by,” he says. “My greatest successes have come from working with an incredible team, and my biggest challenges were when I tried to do everything myself.”
In the future, Christian envisions himself earning his Ph.D. and making significant contributions to mechanobiology research with multiple successful publications. He hopes to inspire future engineers, particularly Latino and first-generation students, proving that graduate school and research are achievable paths. “There aren’t many Latino BME professors,” he notes, “and I will feel immense pride in holding that title. I hope it encourages others to follow their own unique paths, whether in academia or industry.”
Science Extravaganza: Igniting the Spark for the Next Generation of STEM Leaders
SOLES Team Members at Science Extravaganza 2025. Photo courtesy of Shelby Matthews.
The Society of Latino Engineers and Scientists (SOLES) recently hosted its 26th annual Science Extravaganza (SE) at San José State University (SJSU), drawing over 300 middle school students from underserved communities across the city of San Jose. This long-running event continues to inspire young minds to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by providing hands-on workshops and showcasing the diverse opportunities in these fields. This is especially crucial in our current climate where STEM representation is particularly important.
The event took place in various spaces across SJSU, including the Student Union ballroom, meeting rooms, and also College of Engineering classrooms. Young students had the rare opportunity to experience college life firsthand while engaging in exciting workshops facilitated by industry professionals and student volunteers.
Excitement was in the air with students expressing how much they enjoyed the hands-on activities. For some, this was their first engaging exposure to STEM. Teachers in attendance noted how grateful and motivated their students felt after participating in the event. For parents, it was impactful to see firsthand the potential of STEM opportunities that can be made available to their children. With SE providing such an inspiring experience, the event motivated middle schoolers to consider careers in engineering and science, helping them see how these fields could be a reality for them.
The SOLES team attributed a lot of the event’s success to the generous support from industry professionals and volunteers. There were volunteers from SJSU’s College of Engineering as well as from major industry players like Apple, NASA Ames, VISA, Applied Materials, and the Intuitive Foundation. Representatives from these companies led workshops, showcased their expertise, and are great examples showing students that careers in STEM are attainable and can be exciting.
While SE 2025 was a great success, organizers are already thinking ahead to next year. Expanding outreach to more schools, and involving even more volunteers and industry partners are some of the key goals for SE 2026. For the students who attended, the event was not just an exciting day of learning—it was the beginning of a new chapter where they could see themselves as the engineers, scientists, and innovators of tomorrow.
Women’s History Month
Source: Wyld Networks
Hedy Lamarr, born in Austria in 1914, was a Hollywood actress celebrated for her beauty and captivating performances, but few recognize her as a brilliant inventor. Raised in a Jewish family with a banker father and a pianist mother, she displayed early intellectual curiosity in both the arts and sciences. After fleeing an unhappy marriage in 1937, she moved to Hollywood and became a major film star. However, her passion for innovation never faded, and during World War II, she co-invented a groundbreaking technology known as “frequency hopping.”
Working alongside composer George Antheil, Lamarr devised a system that rapidly switched radio frequencies to prevent enemy jamming of Allied torpedoes. Inspired by the mechanics of player pianos, they created a synchronized pattern for transmitters and receivers to communicate securely. Though the U.S. Navy did not immediately implement their invention, the technology later became the foundation for modern wireless communications, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Despite her revolutionary work, Lamarr received little recognition in her lifetime and never profited from her invention. It wasn’t until 2014—14 years after her passing—that she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Today, her contributions continue to inspire engineers and scientists, proving that innovation can come from unexpected places.
Is Apple’s $500 Billion AI Bet A Smart Strategy Or Overhyped AI Escalation? – featuring Prof. Ahmed Banafa
Apple’s surprise $500 billion AI investment signals a major shift in its strategy, positioning the company as a serious player in the AI arms race alongside Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. But is this massive spending spree sustainable? Professor Banafa highlighted concerns about overhyped AI expectations, energy constraints, and supply chain challenges that could impact Apple’s long-term success.
Read the full article for insights into what Apple’s bold move really means.