Media contact: Robin McElhatton, SJSU media relations specialist, 408-924-1749, robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu
San Jose State will live stream President Mary Papazian’s inaugural State of the University address and formal announcement of SJSU’s strategic plan noon to 1 p.m. Monday, April 8, 2019.
Visit the relaunched strategic plan website to learn more.
Media Contact:
Robin McElhatton, 408-924-1749, robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu
San Jose, CA – Filmmakers at San Jose State University are anxiously awaiting the showing of their new short film “American Muscle” at the 2019 Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, a highly acclaimed international film festival held in San Jose each spring.
The film crew for Spartan Film Studios works on a scene from “American Muscle.”
Their 22-minute action drama is about an overlooked driver who exploits her brother’s reputation in the underground world of drag racing to finally get a shot at proving herself in the streets.
Nick Martinez, coordinator of studio operations at Spartan Film Studios and general manager of KSJS radio station, wrote and directed the short film. “I wanted to make the most authentic representation of what the world of drag racing is like in a narrative form,” Martinez said. “I wanted to show everyone this underground world in a way that had not been seen yet.”
It seems the audience at the LA Indie Film Festival, where the film debuted recently, resonated with the short. Martinez won Best Director at the festival.
Being an experienced film writer, director and producer, Martinez wanted to share the professional filmmaking experience with students at Spartan Film Studios. Forty-five current and former SJSU students had the opportunity to work on “American Muscle.” Riley Leggin, ’17 RTVF said all the students were part of the filmmaking team. “There’s no stand on the sides and watch the pros,” she said. “Everyone gets their hands dirty and we came away with a lot more knowledge and confidence on set.”
The film was shot over five days in San Jose, Sacramento and Alameda. It’s scheduled to show four times during the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, which runs March 5 through March 17.
In addition to the “American Muscle” film, three SJSU faculty members from the Department of Film and Theatre are sharing their expertise and script writing knowledge at a panel discussion: “Taking a Script to Screen Successfully.” Screenwriting Lecturers Larry Schapiro and Barnaby Dallas put together the panel of industry insiders. Schapiro will participate in the panel, and Professor Scott Sublett will serve as the moderator. The panel discussion takes place on Saturday, March 16 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the California Theatre Rehearsal Hall.
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
Media contact:
Robin McElhatton, SJSU Media Relations Specialist, 408-924-1749, robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu
San Jose, CA – The Spartan Speaker Series will present an evening with 2017 Time Person of the Year, Tarana Burke. She is the founder of the “Me Too” movement and has dedicated 25 years of her life to social justice. Burke will be speaking on campus Monday, Feb. 4 from 7 to 8:30 p.m at the Diaz Compean Student Union Ballroom. The event is free for all students, staff, faculty and community members.
The “Me Too” movement, or #MeToo movement as it is better known, began in 2017 as a hashtag on social media to bring attention to the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment. The movement quickly turned into an international sensation. Time recognized Burke, along with a group of other activists known as “The Silence Breakers” in its iconic Person of the Year edition in 2017.
Since 2016, the Spartan Speakers Series has aimed to present a broad range of timely content and diverse voices including distinguished authors, critics, artists, scientists and more. Past speakers have included Kamau Bell, Lisa Ling, and Ana Navarro, among others.
The next Spartan Speakers Series event will be Feb. 20 with activist and actor Bryan Terrell Clark.
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
Media Contact:
Robin McElhatton, 408-924-1749, robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu
San Jose, CA – Economists Robert Reich and Ben Stein will participate in a powerful and entertaining conversation on the future of the U.S. economy during San Jose State University’s Insights Speaker Series, “The Way Forward: Perspectives on the U.S. Economy.” Moderated by SJSU President Mary A. Papazian and underwritten by the Valley Foundation, this event is the second in a new university-wide speaker series that exposes the San Jose State community to a variety of perspectives in the areas of economics, business and global affairs.
Tuesday, February 5
7 p.m.
Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113
Students: Reserve your free ticket with Tower ID at the Hammer Theatre Box Office
Faculty, staff, alumni and community: $20 tickets available online
Robert Reich, the author of 15 books and now a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, has served under three national administrations, most recently as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. In 2008, TIME magazine named him one of the 10 most successful cabinet secretaries of the past century.
Ben Stein has an eclectic background. He was a speechwriter for Presidents Nixon and Ford, an actor and game show host, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and the author or co-author of more than 30 books. He is currently a regular commentator on CBS Sunday Morning, Fox News and CNN.
For more information, visit the Hammer Theatre website.
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
Media contacts:
Robin McElhatton, SJSU Media Relations Specialist, 408-924-1749, robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu
Lawrence Fan, SJSU Athletics Media Relations Director, 408-924-1217, lawrence.fan@sjsu.edu
San Jose, Calif. — San Jose State University is pleased to announce that it has received a $2 million gift commitment from alumnus John Hopkirk and his wife Anne Murphy. Their gift will support a critical resource for the Spartan football program; a new state-of-the-art football operations center on the east side of CEFCU Stadium, Home of the Spartans.
“John and Anne have been long-time Spartan supporters and their gift to the football operations center demonstrates their love for San Jose State University,” said Athletics Director Marie Tuite. “They understand and support the priority of investing in football to provide Coach Brennan and his staff the tools they need to build a championship program. In addition, John and Anne understand the value and impact their gift will have on changing the lives of the student-athletes we serve. We are so grateful for their generosity.”
The football operations center will include locker rooms, offices, a student-athlete lounge, an auditorium and premium seating options on the 50-yard line. The project will rebuild the stadium’s east side. The gift will add to improvements underway throughout South Campus, including the recently completed soccer, tennis, golf, and softball facilities.
John Hopkirk worked his way through school at San Jose State while pursuing a degree in business accounting. Hopkirk’s love for SJSU athletics took off after he graduated and began his professional career as a certified public accountant. As an avid supporter of SJSU football and basketball, Hopkirk believes he may be the only fan who has seen every SJSU men’s post-season basketball game since he first enrolled at San Jose State in the late 1960s.
In 1987, John met his wife, Anne Murphy, a University of San Francisco graduate. Anne has embraced John’s passion for SJSU athletics and the couple travels all over the country to watch the Spartans compete.
“I have been following Spartan football for over 50 years. It has brought me much joy, and we have made many great friends through our common love of Spartan football,” said Hopkirk. “I received a great education from San Jose State, and Anne and I thought we needed to give back to the university to show our appreciation. I hope our gift inspires others to do the same.
“San Jose State must have the facilities in place to attract the best and brightest student-athletes,” Hopkirk continued. “Hopefully our donation will enhance Spartan football’s chance to be a championship program and result in many more talented student-athletes proudly earning their diplomas from San Jose State University.”
“This critical project will have a major impact on Spartan football and our entire athletics program, as well as the gameday experience for our students and all who attend our games,” stated Paul Lanning, vice president for university advancement and CEO of the Tower Foundation. “Building a modern football operations center that revitalizes CEFCU Stadium is our most urgent fundraising priorities, and we’re thrilled to see two of our greatest fans make such a generous commitment to this project.”
“I am so grateful for John and Anne’s tremendous commitment and generosity to support and build a championship football program at San Jose State,” added Head Football Coach Brent Brennan. “Their gift provides us with a critical recruiting tool, enhances the student-athlete experience and helps SJSU compete in the Mountain West. I can’t thank John and Anne enough for their commitment to the program.”
To learn how you can support the football operations center, please visit www.sjsufootball.com or contact Joshua Thiel, Deputy Athletics Director for Athletics Advancement, at (408) 924-1697 or via email at joshua.thiel@sjsu.edu.
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
Professor Essam Marouf in his lab (Photo: James Tensuan, ’15 Photojournalism).
One of the most remarkable space explorations ever conducted is coming to an end on Sept. 15, and a San Jose State professor has played an important role.
“It has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, providing more knowledge than what was known before by orders of magnitude,” Professor of Electrical Engineering Essam Marouf said. “It changed the way we think about giant planets.”
Design work for the Cassini-Huygens Mission began 26 years ago with the goal of providing mankind its first close-up view of Saturn and its rings, atmosphere and moons.
The 22-foot-long spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral in 1997, and spent the next seven years traveling to Saturn.
Marouf is one of the original members of the Cassini Radio Science Team, which used radio waves to learn about the Saturn system. The Huygens probe even landed on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons.
Professor Marouf is interviewed by Mercury News reporter Lisa Krieger (James Tensuan, ’15 Photojournalism).
From his lab right here at SJSU, Marouf and his students have been analyzing data collected by Cassini, making important discoveries, along with scientists from 26 nations.
Among the most significant is the discovery of a methane sea on Titan, described by NASA as strikingly similar to Earth in a deep freeze of minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit.
Many news reporters came to campus Sept. 13 to interview Marouf before he departed for Pasadena, where he will witness the disintegration of Cassini.
#SanJoseState #professor invests 26 years into #Saturn #Cassini project. https://t.co/WvdE0qA0CT #space
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) September 13, 2017
The spacecraft is almost out of fuel, so operators are deliberately plunging Cassini into Saturn to ensure its moons will remain pristine for future exploration.
“I have mixed emotions,” said Marouf, who has celebrated Cassini milestones with his family including his wife, daughter and two granddaughters.
“Part of me is sad because the last 26 years have been an integral part of my daily life, planning experiments and analyzing data.”
Sharing their expertise with millions of television viewers and radio listeners will be professors Sergio Bejar-Lopez, Melinda Jackson, Larry Gerston and Garrick Percival. Photo Illustration: SJSU Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
San Jose State University political science professors will be sharing their expertise with millions of television viewers and radio listeners across the Bay Area on election night. Four professors will be providing reaction and expert commentary on six television and radio stations Nov. 8 and 9.
“Our political science faculty is excited to be able to share its expertise with the community,” said Melinda Jackson, department chair. “SJSU has a long tradition of engaged scholarship and public service, one of the things we love about teaching here.”
Associate Professor Jackson will appear on ABC affiliate KGO-TV on election night beginning at 8 p.m. She will also offer post-election analysis the next morning on KGO-TV’s newscasts.
Assistant Professor Sergio Bejar-Lopez will be on-set analyzing the election for Telemundo affiliate KSTS-TV and Univision affiliate KDTV-TV.
For the 36th year, Professor Emeritus Larry Gerston will share his political expertise with NBC Bay Area viewers and KCBS radio listeners.
Associate Professor Garrick Percival will offer analysis of some of the 17 propositions on this year’s ballot with Fox affiliate KTVU and others.
“We are especially proud of the fact that so many of our department’s faculty members have been asked to provide political analysis on the important issues and races at the local, state and national level this year,” Professor Jackson said. “We have a wealth of expert knowledge on this campus!”
Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’16 MS Mass Communications
September 25, 2015, marked the end of an era for the San Jose State University Faculty Wives Club. The nearly century-old club held its final meeting and handed out the last of its scholarships.
At its height, the group boasted a membership of 165 women. It has dwindled to 41.
“It’s unfortunate that we can’t keep it going, but we can’t,” said Pat Daoud, ’74 MA Psychology. “Nobody can survive in this valley without both people working, as a general rule, so young women don’t have that option of joining social groups and supporting the community.”
Photo: Christina Olivas
Winifred MacQuarrie, wife of Professor Thomas MacQuarrie, started the Faculty Wives Club in 1927. He was appointed president of San Jose State in 1927. As a final act, club members donated to the SJSU President’s House a silver coffee and tea service that was commissioned in the 1950s in memory of Winifred MacQuarrie.
Betty Van Arsdale is one of the longest living members. She joined 69 years ago in 1946.
“The scholarships have been the most important part, but of course the friendship and contact throughout all the years with people who were in the same position as being wives of professors has been very endearing,” Van Arsdale said.
The club served as a social and community-minded organization. It held fashion shows, sold cookbooks and donated money to fund student scholarships.
Over the years, the club handed out an estimated $123,000 in scholarships. Four students received $3,000 scholarships at the club’s final meeting.
Cindy Brown-Quinn, ’14 BA Social Work, was one of them. The scholarship was critical for her.
“It’s basically keeping me from going homeless. I feel like there’s no way I would have been able to do this, without the scholarship,” she said. Brown-Quinn is currently working on a master’s degree in social work at SJSU.
Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’16 MS Mass Communications
Another scholarship recipient, Kanotha Kamau-Devers, ’16 Civil/Structural Engineering was grateful for the Faculty Wives Club scholarship, too. After talking to club members at the final meeting, he realized the club offered more than financial assistance.
“The love and spirit this group brings, means a lot,” he said.
Club members also awarded scholarships to Nhan Nguyen, ’15 Nursing, and Elizabeth Marie Mellow, ’15 Psychology. These final scholarships closed out the books for the club, but their legacy will live on.
“I want to be that person in the future who starts my own scholarship, whose part of committees to give back to the next generation, to pay it forward,” said scholarship recipient, Cindy Brown-Quinn.
Morehshin Allahyari (Photo: Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’15 MS Mass Communications).
SJSU lecturer and artist Morehshin Allahyari is using technology to save art from the past for the future.
She started her latest project, “Material Speculation: ISIS,” after seeing images of ISIS fighters destroying ancient artifacts at the Mosul Museum in Iraq. Not only does the Iranian-born artist have a personal interest in re-creating the 3,000-year-old art work, but her research lies at the nexus of 3-D technology, art and activism.
“I think there’s a lot of interest around ways you can use new technology to resist something political, but also how, as artists, you can respond to social, cultural and political events of our contemporary way of life,” Allahyari said.
One of the four miniature artifacts destroyed by ISIS. (Photo: Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’15 MS Mass Communications)
Using 3-D printers, Allahyari produced miniature versions of four of the artifacts destroyed by ISIS. The reproductions are miniature, plastic replicas of the original pieces.
“Getting accurate information about the artifacts was one of the most challenging aspects of the project,” she said. “So I included a flash memory card inside these artifacts, where I think about this idea of a time capsule. So in 20 to 30 years, people can take out these artifacts and have access to the information.”
The 3-D pieces are on display in Florence, Dallas, Istanbul, and soon, New York. Allahyari is traveling to each city to speak about her work. She’s also planning on re-creating five or six more artifacts that were destroyed by ISIS.
As a new media artist, Allahyari believes we are entering an era of having access to certain kinds of artifacts, and having more affordable high-tech tools as a way to document and archive history.
“I think it’s really, really interesting to see in 10 years how that will change the whole landscape of museums, digital and physical archiving, and our role in general, as humans, to save, reflect back, or think about concepts related to history,” Allahyari said.
The San Jose State men’s water polo team jumped back in the pool after a 34-year hiatus for its season opener against the Santa Clara Broncos on September 5 (Photo: Terrell Lloyd).
In the 1960s and 1970s, SJSU had a powerhouse water polo team. They won a national title in 1968, and finished in the top five nationally four times in the 1970s. But in 1981, the school discontinued the program to comply with Title IX regulations.
Bill Simpkins, a former college water polo player himself and son of long-time SJSU benefactors and alumni Alan and Phyllis Simpkins, repeatedly pressed the university to reinstate the sport. But the funds weren’t there. So Simpkins spearheaded an effort to raise enough money to bring the sport back.
“The team had a winning history. It needed to come back,” Simpkins said. “The sport of water polo has not added a new D1 team for over 30 years. Hopefully, this will start a trend. My parents, Alan and Phyllis, were my wingmen.”
Before the team’s first game, several donors and former water polo players participated in a cap ceremony, giving swim caps to the 19 players on the current roster (Photo: Terrell Lloyd).
Bill Simpkins and his wife Brigid made a generous donation. So did Peter Ueberroth,’59 Business Administration. Ueberroth is a former travel industry executive, Major League Baseball commissioner and U.S. Olympic Committee chairman.
Jane Hind set up a $1 million dollar endowment in her late husband’s name. Greg Hind, ’69 Health Science, was an All-American water polo player in the 1970s at SJSU.
Altogether, more than 100 people donated more than $3.5 million, which will sustain the program for five years until the university takes over the financing. Interest from the Greg Hine endowment will fund student-athlete scholarships beginning next year.
Before the team’s first game in September, several donors and former water polo players participated in a cap ceremony, giving swim caps to the 19 players on the current roster.
For a moment in time, right there on the pool’s edge, the years melted away as the generations bonded over their love of the game and their quest to keep this Spartan tradition going strong.
Facebook Chief Technology Officer Michael Schroepfer will visit campus for the Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium (courtesy of Facebook).
SJSU Media Relations contacts:
Pat Harris, 408-924-1748, pat.harris@sjsu.edu
Robin McElhatton, 408-924-1749, robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu
Ten of the world’s leading tech experts are coming to San Jose State this fall for the 13th annual Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium, beginning Sept. 10.
Google Director of Research Peter Norvig
The speakers include Facebook Chief Technology Officer Michael Schroepfer and Google Director of Research Peter Norvig, who are “exploring completely new things that will change the way we live,” according to The New York Times.
Schroepfer is connected to many Facebook innovations including, most recently, solar powered drones beaming Internet access. Norvig literally wrote the book on artificial intelligence.
The Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium takes place every Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in ENG 189. Also on the agenda are executives from LinkedIn, Intel, Qool Therapeutics, Splunk, NetApp, Greentech, and Twitter.
The Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering has been hosting the series since 2002. The symposium brings industry and government leaders to campus to discuss business, technology, the competitive global economy and hiring trends.
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Ahmed Hambaba conceived the series and has been its champion since its inception.
“It’s more than just a lecture series—it’s a networking and relationship-building partnership with organizations that will hopefully hire our graduates down the road,” he said.
About San Jose State
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 134 areas of study with 110 concentrations – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 33,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing more than 7,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 220,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
Photo courtesy of CSU Chancellor’s Office
SJSU Media Relations contacts:
Pat Harris, 408-924-1748, pat.harris@sjsu.edu
Robin McElhatton, 408-924-1789, robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu
SAN JOSE, CA – Melissa Ortiz, ’17 Computer Engineering, has faced more adversity in her young life than most people do in a lifetime. After her father died, she became homeless, lived in extreme poverty, and dealt with physical and mental abuse.
Overcoming Odds
But Ortiz managed to overcome those obstacles. She started her own company and secured an internship at Intel to support herself so she could go to college. She is the first in her family to do so.
That’s why Ortiz has been named a recipient of the 2015 CSU Trustees’ Awards for Outstanding Achievement. The awards are given to 23 students who overcome adversity and demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need. She will fly to the Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach on Sept. 8 to pick up her award.
Love of Engineering
Ortiz is majoring in computer engineering with an emphasis on embedded systems. She maintains a 3.3 GPA. She’s also a member of several campus organizations, but it’s computer engineering that intrigues her the most.
“Engineering brings out the kid in me, I feel like a kid in a candy store every time I work on a project,” Ortiz says.
Photo courtesy of CSU Chancellor’s Office
After completing her undergraduate degree, Ortiz plans to earn a master’s degree in computer science and business administration, with the hopes of one day, running her own engineering firm. She also wants to inspire young women to be independent and take an interest in STEM fields.
Ortiz was named the William Hauck scholar. The Hauck endowment will provide $6,000 to this year’s CSU Trustee Award recipient. The late William Hauck, ’63 Social Studies, served as deputy chief of staff to Governor Pete Wilson and chief of staff to Assembly speakers Bob Morretti and Willie L. Brown, Jr.
About San Jose State
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 134 areas of study with 110 concentrations – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 33,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing more than 7,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 220,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
SJSU alumnus Tom Sanders, ’15 MFA Photography, is on a 24-city photographic journey. At each stop he takes photos of World War II veterans.
“The goal of this assignment is to create a greater appreciation for all veterans and soldiers,” Sanders said. “The veterans get the opportunity to tell their story and be honored before they pass away, to preserve their stories and images for future generations.”
Sanders got the idea for the veteran photo project after snapping photos of a World War II vet for a senior project at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. During the shoot, the vet told him a spine-chilling story that he says put his life into perspective.
SJSU CyberGirlz program participants at Facebook (photos by David Schmitz).
Thirty-eight middle school girls from San Jose State University’s CyberGirlz program took part in a unique experience this summer that may ultimately be a life changing experience for them. They went to cybersecurity camp at Facebook. For months, students from SJSU’s Jay Pinson STEM Education program taught the girls basic coding and cybersecurity skills in after-school programs made possible through funding from Symantec, Intel, AT&T and Facebook.
At Facebook, the girls advanced those skills and learned more about malware, firewalls and cyber-ethics. They also heard from Facebook’s chief security officer, and a panel of female employees who shared their personal career stories and advice on getting into the cybersecurity field.
Facebook gave each girl a new laptop computer to make sure they continue to hone their cyber sleuthing skills.
Facebook, along with the Jay Pinson STEM Education program and several non-profit groups are working together to get young girls interested in STEM fields, especially computer science.
They hope to pique their interest early on since some researchers believe girls loose interest in STEM subjects around 12 or 13 years of age. Facebook hopes to keep the interest going. They gave each girl a new laptop computer to make sure they continue to hone their cyber sleuthing skills.
The Jay Pinson STEM Education program is also gearing up for a new year of providing classroom instruction to elementary and middle school students in the San Jose area.
“We feel there’s a need to provide a safe space for girls to explore their curiosity and skills in cybersecurity, so in ten years we see a workforce that resembles our community with at least 50 percent men and 50 percent women participating,” said Virginia Lehmkuhl-Dakhwe, director of the Jay Pinson STEM Education program.
The Green Ninja Climate Ride Team (courtesy of The Green Ninja Project).
In the classroom (courtesy of The Green Ninja Project).
After months of training and fundraising, the Green Ninja Climate Ride Team is set to take off in the Northern California Climate Ride. The ride starts in Eureka on May 17, and ends five days later in San Francisco on May 21.
The eight team members will bike 320-miles along the Northern California coastline to raise awareness about climate change and support environmental non-profit organizations like the Green Nina Project — an SJSU environmental outreach program that teaches middle school students about climate change and inspires them to take action.
A custom-designed jersey (courtesy of The Green Ninja Project).
We are excited about the ride, but also a little nervous,” says Professor Eugene Cordero, a climate scientist in the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science.
The team is made up of two professors, one alumna, one staff member and three students. Some are avid cyclists, while others are beginning bicyclists. Even though their skill level varies, they all share a common goal — a commitment to maintaining a healthy planet and reducing climate change.
Follow the team
You can follow the team and encourage them on via SJSU’s official Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, using the hashtag #SJSUclimateride.
Photo: Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’15 MS Mass Communications
Inside an old, plain building in downtown San Jose, dozens of students are busy working on a futuristic transportation system.
“We are inventing, developing, and demonstrating a new paradigm in urban transportation, sustainable urban transportation since our system is going to be 100 percent solar powered and grid tied,” said Burford “Buff” Furman, a mechanical engineering professor in the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, and head of the Sustainable Mobility System for Silicon Valley project. The goal is to design a personal rapid transit system using renewable energy. Students call it Spartan Superway.
Four teams of students are designing and building a full-scale working model, a large tabletop model, and a mock-up of the interior cabin of one of the vehicles that will travel on the system. They’ll be displayed May 16-17 at the Maker Faire in San Mateo. The full-scale model includes a gondola-type pod that moves under the bottom of a 33-foot- long steel track suspended ten feet in the air. The pod rolls into a life-size transit station. Solar panels on top power the system, and excess energy is fed back to the electric grid.
Burford “Buff” Furman, mechanical engineering professor, and former engineering professor and team sponsor Ron Swenson with the 2014-2015 Spartan Superway team. (Photo: Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’15 MS Mass Communications)
The student team
There are mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, industrial design and business students working on the Spartan Superway. Most are seniors. Natalie Granados, ’15 Mechanical Engineering, is on the propulsion team. She’s interested in the transportation field so she decided to join the project. “I’ve learned how to design a propulsion system,” Granados said. “I feel like that’s pretty valuable.”
Jack Irwin, ’15 Mechanical Engineering, lead on the full-scale team, has gained valuable skills too. “It’s given me a lot of project management experience, and learning what it takes to get a project done of this scale,” Irwin said. “It’s a pretty big project that we’re trying to accomplish. We have deadlines and timeframes, funding, and we have to make sure we have money and a budget. It’s similar to working in a startup company.”
The project is made possible in part by SJSU former engineering professor Ron Swenson. He mentors the students, and supports the project through his 501(c)(3) non-profit organization: the International Institute of Sustainable Transportation. His brother, local builder Barry Swenson, donated use of the 9,000-square-foot building for three years, and friend Francis DeWinter provided most of the tools and a substantial part of the materials.
Jack Irwin, ’15 Mechanical Engineering, and Danny Ornellas, ’15 Mechanical Engineering, stretch a recently welded piece of metal to bring it up to specification. (Photo: Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’15 MS Mass Communications)
Building support
“The goal is to get vehicles separated from people. To give the streets back to the people,” Ron Swenson said. “It’s amazing to see the work the students are able to accomplish.”
The project started three years ago, but doesn’t yet have all the funding necessary to take it to the next level of development. “Getting funding is difficult because agencies are interested in funding paper studies instead of steel and concrete, which demonstrates concepts,” Professor Furman said.
Jordan Carter, ’15 Mechanical Engineering, and lead of the cabin team, thinks the project is a great way to end her senior year. “This is something bigger, something ongoing, that’s not going to be done at the end of the year when I graduate, and I think it’s been really rewarding just to contribute,” Carter said.
Spartan Superway may one day have an impact on transportation systems of the future. For now, its giving students skills that will put them in the driver’s seat as they begin their careers.
The Spartan Gold Team (courtesy of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business).
Facing tough competition, a four-student team from SJSU walked away with a first-place trophy at the CFA Institute Investment Research Challenge for the Northern California region.
They were up against teams from the Stanford MBA program, the Wharton executive MBA program, Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of San Francisco.
The win was a major accomplishment,” said Stoyu Ivanov, associate professor of accounting and finance, Nancie Fimbel Investment Fellow, and assistant director of the Center for Banking and Financial Services.
The teams
Two teams from SJSU took part in the competition March 5 in San Francisco’s financial district. Earning the top spot at the competition was the Spartan Gold Team made up of Joel Gonzales, ’15 Finance; Shayan Khales, ’15 Accounting; Valeriya Razdyakonova, ’18 Corporate Accounting and Finance; and Nirav Shah, ’15 MBA.
A second SJSU team, the Spartan Blue Team, consisted of Aaron Foster, Tarriq Hansrajh, Michael Farrell and Mark Smith, all finance majors.
The teams were required to research and analyze Gilead Sciences, a Bay Area biotech company. As part of their pitch, they wrote a paper, gave a presentation, and participated in a question-and-answer session.
We applied a lot from what we learned in the Spartan Fund and our finance classes,” Gonzales said.
Spartan Fund
The Financial Navigator Student Managed Investment Fund, also known as the Spartan Fund, was established with a $100,000 donation from Nancie Fimbel, and her husband C. Edward Van Deman, CEO of Financial Navigator.
Fimbel, who capped a 28-year career at SJSU by serving as acting MBA director and senior director of development for the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, wanted to give back to the university.
I’m very proud of having started this,” Fimbel said. “I had dreamed of this, and it’s really a kick to see the students pitch to each other.”
Students manage the $50,000 Spartan fund using 12 Bloomberg terminals in their classroom. They’ve raised the fund to $52,000 in just six months.
Next up for the Spartan Gold Team is the national competition on April 15 in Atlanta. A win there will send them to the Global Final, where they’ll face teams from the Europe and Asia Pacific regions.
The SJSU cheerleading team wins the national pennant (photo courtesy of Kelvin Lam).
For the second year in a row, the SJSU cheerleading team walked away with first place at the United Spirit Association Collegiate Championships. They competed against 10 other four-year schools March 22 and 23 in Anaheim.
Head Coach Kelvin Lam says the team prepares physically and mentally all year long for this one competition.
If you compare it to football, you only have one chance to run a play to make a touchdown. There are no second chances, so everything has to be perfect. That tells you the amount of pressure the cheerleaders face,” Lam said.
Acrobatics
The 22 women and two men team performed a two-and-a-half-minute routine choreographed to customized music and sound effects. Lam says their acrobatics, tumbling and stunts were nearly perfect on the first day, but less so on the second day.
Because of that, many team members were nervous going into the awards ceremony, uncertain of the outcome. But the Spartan cheerleaders were judged best overall in the two-day competition.
Lam says when they heard they won first place, “everyone was just ecstatic, jumping everywhere, just so full of excitement.”
Sweet victory
Cheerleader Paige Collins, ’15 Child and Adolescent Development, is one of seven seniors who will leave SJSU with a national win in hand.
The team this year was absolutely amazing, and it feels amazing to share a title with people who worked so hard and deserved it,” Collins said.
The win was even sweeter given the team had faced some adversity throughout the year, including a weight room injury just two weeks before the Anaheim competition, forcing major changes in the routine.
“It always feels good to win and it always feels great to get pats on the back from other people, but the most satisfying thing for me is to see how the team handled itself before, during and after the event,” Lam says. “I couldn’t have picked a better group of people to represent SJSU.”
Seventy faculty members stepped into the spotlight at the 16th annual Faculty Service Recognition and Awards Luncheon, and were honored for their work at San Jose State University.
“It is an honor for me to take part in this annual event, recognizing our faculty members for their years of service to San Jose State University and acknowledging the special achievements and contributions of this year’s four faculty awardees,” said President Mohammad Qayoumi in his prepared remarks.
2014-2015 Faculty Awards
“I have devoted my career to training students in order to develop the next generation of scientists who will tackle the next generation of tough issues in human system integration. It is very gratifying to see that the university places such high value on those activities.”
With that said, Kevin Jordan, professor of Psychology in the College of Social Sciences, accepted the President’s Scholar Award. His 30-year career at the university is impressive. He’s authored or co-authored approximately 80 academic papers and presentations, supervised some 80 master’s theses, and secured nearly $200 million in research funding.
The Student Union ballroom erupted with applause as President Qayoumi presented the Distinguished Service Award to Scott Guenter, professor of Humanities in the College of Humanities and Arts. Guenter also received an award for his 25 years of service to the university.
Outstanding Professor Anne Marie Todd of the Department of Communication Studies in the College of Social Sciences and Outstanding Lecturer Cynthia Baer of the Department of English and Comparative Literature in the College of Humanities and the Arts also received a warm reception.
Yearly Service Awards
The university gave awards to faculty members with 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 years of service. William McCraw, professor emeritus of Political Science and a Humanities lecturer, was the only person at this year’s luncheon to receive an SJSU Tower frame for 50 years of service. As he walked to the stage, everyone in the ballroom rose to their feet and applauded.
“I feel a lot of pride for being associated with this vibrant campus,” said McCraw. “It seems just like yesterday that I stepped foot on campus.”
More than 350 people turned out to honor the faculty members for their inspiring work and dedication to SJSU.
Climate Ride team members before training in Woodside. Left to right, they are Ramya Shenoy, Huong Cheng, Kelly Chang, Eugene Cordero and Clare Cordero (photo by Steve Branz).
A team of Spartans will pedal hundreds of miles along the California coast this spring to raise awareness about climate change, and support SJSU’s environmental outreach program, The Green Ninja Project.
Before joining the team, the last time Ramya Shenoy, ’15 Computer Science, rode a bicycle was 11 years ago to pick up groceries for her parents in India. She recently rode 47 miles, and is determined to complete The Climate Ride, which runs May 17-21.
“I’m putting all my willpower into training for this. I think anything is possible, if you really put your heart into it,” Shenoy said.
The Team
The Green Ninja Team, a diverse group of SJSU students, alumni, and faculty and staff members, is participating in the California Climate Ride. They’ll be biking 320 miles in five days from Eureka to San Francisco to raise awareness about climate change and support environmental non-profit organizations like the Green Ninja project.
Shenoy and several other team members work for the Green Ninja Project, a non-profit environmental outreach program designed to educate middle school kids about climate change and inspire them to take action.
The Green Ninja Project is the brainchild of Professor Eugene Cordero, a climate scientist in the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science. Convincing Professor Cordero to participate in the Climate Ride wasn’t too difficult.
“I love cycling, I’m passionate about promoting solutions to climate change and our SJSU team is so inspiring,” Cordero said.
Sponsors
Each team member must fundraise $2,800 to ride, but they hope to raise $5,000 a piece. Kelly Chang, ’13 Biological Sciences, the team captain, loves getting active outside and hopes to inspire others to get outdoors through the Climate Ride. She’s actively promoting the ride, and trying to get more riders and sponsors to sign up.
We’re always looking for new riders, and we welcome all levels of bike riders,” Chang said.
Chang has been contacting local businesses to partner with and support the team. So far, Good Karma Bikes has graciously donated a bike, which will be raffled off in an upcoming silent auction.
Training
The Green Ninja team has organized training rides every other Sunday and they recently completed their longest ride of 47 miles. Huong Cheng, ’15 Animation/Illustration, learned to ride a bike just one month ago.
“I want this to inspire my friends and family to take on challenges in life with a can-do attitude. I know once I finish this ride, I will not be afraid of any obstacle I come across,” Cheng said.
Learn more about SJSU’s Green Ninja Team and support their fundraising goals. Want to join the team? Contact Kelly@greenninja.org.