From breaking ground on San Jose State’s Interdisciplinary Science Building to the grand opening of the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center to the launch of Transformation 2030, SJSU’s strategic plan, 2019 was a year of growth at One Washington Square. The following 13 stories feature exciting interdisciplinary research, award-winning new facilities, important university rankings, campus initiatives, innovative projects and alumni giving.
Spartan Football Receives $1 Million Gift from Kevin and Sandy Swanson, January 2019
San Jose State alumnus Kevin Swanson and his wife Sandy Swanson committed to give $1 million to Spartan football.
Kevin and Sandy Swanson at the Spartan football All In campaign event in 2017. Photo: David Schmitz.
SJSU Student Engineers Launch Latest TechEd Satellite with NASA, March 2019
After a year of hard work, collaboration and many late nights subsisting on Costco pizzas, a group of SJSU students, faculty and alumni gathered with guests from NASA Ames Research Center to watch the deployment of a technology education satellite (TechEdSat) from the International Space Station (ISS) on March 5.
TechEdSat group in N-244 Lab 9 with mentors Mark Murbach (standing back left) and Ali Guarneros Luna (kneeling on right). Photo courtesy of NASA Ames Research Center.
SJSU Opens $130 Million Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center, April 2019
SJSU hosted a grand opening ceremony for the new Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC), a facility that provides new modern recreation facilities and services for students and the entire university community.
Photo: David Schmitz
Forbes Names SJSU to 2019 Best Value College List, April 2019
Forbes named SJSU to its 2019 list of America’s Best Value Colleges. The university moved up from #55 on the list in 2018 to #40. SJSU was listed as #13 in California.
Graduates celebrate at Avaya Stadium during San Jose State University’s College of Social Sciences Graduation in 2018.
Photo: David Schmitz.
San Jose State University Celebrates Historic Groundbreaking on Interdisciplinary Science Building, April 2019
SJSU celebrated the historic groundbreaking for its new Interdisciplinary Science Building.
An artistic rendering shows what the Interdisciplinary Science Building will look like in 2021 when it is completed.
SJSU Community Invited to Spartan Food Pantry Open House, April 2019
The SJSU Cares Program and the SJSU Student Hunger Committee hosted a Spartan Food Pantry Opening Celebration.
Ben Falter, left, a senior student affairs case manager, helps a student at the Spartan Food Pantry. Photo: Brandon Chew
State of the University Address and Strategic Plan Announcement, April 2019
SJSU introduced Transformation 2030, its new strategic plan.
Photo: Javier Duarte
SJSU Celebrates the Class of 2019 at Commencement May 22-24, May 2019
SJSU honored more than 6,800 graduates during spring 2019 commencement with seven ceremonies.
College of Engineering students cheer during commencement in fall 2018. Photo courtesy of Best Grad.
On Fire, Washington Square spring/summer 2019
The only team of its kind in the United States, SJSU Associate Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science Craig Clements’ Fire Weather Research Laboratory studies and decodes wildfire behavior to improve fire management and prevention.
Photo courtesy of the Fire Weather Research Lab.
Where Research Leads, Washington Square spring/summer 2019
From engineers to medical doctors, four alumni reflect on how their SJSU experiences have helped them make an impact.
Noemi “Nicky” Espinosa, ’81 Chemical Engineering. Photo by David Schmitz.
Danielle Ishak: Robots for Seniors, Washington Square spring/summer 2019
Danielle Ishak, ’16 MS Human Factors and Ergonomics, is helping develop products to support the elderly.
Photo: David Schmitz
SJSU Ranks #6 Among West’s Top Public Universities and #5 Overall for the Region in Social Mobility in U.S. News and World Report College Lists, September 2019
U.S. News and World Report ranked SJSU #6 among the West’s top public universities offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The publication added a ranking for social mobility that compares how well universities and colleges do in graduating Pell grant-eligible students. SJSU ranked #3 among public universities in the West, and #5 overall for the region.
Graduates of the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering celebrate at Spring 2019 commencement. SJSU ranked among the top public engineering programs on U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 college rankings. Photo: Josie Lepe, ’03 BFA Photography.
Jianna Salinas, ‘13 CHAD, Receives Special Message During Commencement, December 2019
It was an eventful year at San Jose State, full of student, faculty and alumni accomplishments. How would you describe your #SJSU2019YearInReview?