This has been a standout year for the SDSU College of Sciences. From construction starting on our new life sciences building to graduating the largest class in College history, establishing a new cybersecurity center, and producing high-power research that led SDSU to R1 status—the College of Sciences continues to advance STEM research and teaching at SDSU.
I am constantly in awe of our faculty and staf, who address critical health issues, protect the environment, and help make the world healthier, happier, safer, and more equitable for diverse populations. As early as freshman year, our students tackle biological mysteries, apply math to developing health solutions, and explore phenomena across the cosmos, in the recesses of our cells and under the sea.
None of this is possible without the support of donors like you. Your generous philanthropy enables scientifc strides that beneft local and global communities, solidifying SDSU’s reputation as a force for knowledge generation, problem-solving, and innovation.
On behalf of the College community, thank you.
Sincerely,
Jefrey T. Roberts, Ph.D. Dean College of Sciences
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward
John J. and Norma M. Gregory Endowed Fellowship
The College of Sciences received generous support through the establishment of the John J. and Norma M. Gregory Endowed Fellowship, a meaningful investment in the future of science education.
This fellowship is designed to support students who aspire to become science teachers, helping to prepare the next generation of educators who will inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and scientifc literacy in classrooms across our communities.
ARCS Foundation Inc. Scholarship
ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) began when a group of women in Los Angeles saw the opportunity to make a diference by creating a partnership between science and society. Their goal was to re-establish and re-energize the technological superiority of the United States. They started the frst ARCS Foundation chapter in September 1958. ARCS is a nationally recognized nonproft organization, founded and administered by women, who support American leadership and aid advancement in science and technology.
In 1985, four San Diego women followed their lead and established ARCS Foundation San Diego. They are committed to scientifc advancement in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) areas. Their mission is to address the country’s need for scientists and engineers by providing unrestricted funding to help our country’s brightest U.S. graduate scholars. They sponsor talented, motivated American students at top research universities in San Diego. Scholars are chosen based on their research in creating new knowledge and innovative technologies necessary to compete in today’s global economy.
In 2024–25, the ARCS Foundation Scholarship supported 11 STEM graduate and doctoral students at SDSU. Since 1989, the fund has supported 318 students, with the total amount awarded surpassing $2.5 million.
The Strauss Family Trust Scholarship Endowment
The College of Sciences received generous support through the establishment of the Strauss Family Trust Scholarship Endowment, which provides critical scholarship funding to students pursuing degrees that align with medical school prerequisite requirements.
This endowment is a powerful investment in the academic and professional journeys of aspiring physicians, helping to remove fnancial barriers and empower students as they prepare for careers in medicine.
Thriving in the Aztec Experience
Jia Gapuz, Class of 2026
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: College of Sciences
Major: Computer Science
Born in the U.S., Jia Gapuz grew up in the Philippines and returned to the States three years ago.
After two years at Southwestern College, she transferred to San Diego State University in Fall 2024 through the STEM Pathways program, which provides academic support, career mentorship, and research experiences for STEM students transitioning to a four-year university.
Jia shared, "STEM Pathways introduced a lot of internship opportunities to me, including one I did in the summer, conducting NSF REU-funded research in a bioinformatics lab at Temple University. The project was about using machine learning to synthesize proteins for drug discovery, so seeing how computer science could be applied to biology was super cool to me. Nature is nature, but programming, computers, and technology are things we can fully control, and I think a lot of great things can come from that."
“
STEM Pathways introduced a lot of internship opportunities to me, including one I did in the summer, conducting NSF REU-funded research in a bioinformatics lab at Temple University. – Jia
Liana Parrish, Class of 2025
Class Level: Undergraduate
Student
College:
College of Sciences
Major: Psychology
Throughout her collegiate career, Liana has actively participated in programs like the Henrietta Goodwin Scholars, Weber Honors College, and the SDSU MARC Program, all while maintaining academic excellence.
Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, she was a founding member of the Psychology Department’s DEI Committee and has been involved in various student groups like Black Campus Ministries, the Women of Color Empowerment group, and Delight Ministries, a religious student organization at SDSU, serving as President and Social Media Coordinator.
Furthermore, Liana has mentored youth through The AMANI Project, providing culturally afrming programming to Black students attending primarily white elementary schools. Conducting psychology research under Dr. Miguel Villodas, she has presented her research at regional and national conferences, and most recently, defended an undergraduate honors thesis. This fall, she’ll begin an SDSU master’s program, with plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology shortly thereafter.
“Liana has championed diversity, led student groups, conducted impactful research, and mentored youth—all while excelling academically and preparing to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Celebrating Shared Success
Recent Rankings
The SDSU Physics bachelor's program was ranked #76 on College Factual's Best Schools for Physics list. It is also ranked #9 in California.
U.S. News & World Report Rankings: #119 in Biological Sciences #108 in Chemistry #98 in Earth Sciences #133 in Mathematics #81 in Psychology
Statistics of Interest
Second-largest college by enrollment (17.7%) at SDSU (ASIR, SDSU).
The College of Sciences awarded a total of 1,545 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in 2023–2024 (ASIR, SDSU).
Recent Highlights
This year’s San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, hosted by Generation STEAM at Petco Park, attracted San Diegans of all ages for a full day of STEM excitement. Learn about the STEM fun SDSU delivered at this year’s event, which saw over 21,500 attendees — up from 17,000 last year.
The CSU Board of Trustees approved a new sciences building project during its January 2025 meeting, opening the path for SDSU to begin construction on a highly anticipated building that will signifcantly bolster STEM education and research.
Alpher Aspiras, Miriam Garcia, Polina Popova, and Sama Mikhail were highlighted in the CSULSAMP program’s annual magazine
SDSU and the Excellence in Advising Award Selection Committee selected the College of Sciences Student Success Center Advising Team as the recipient of the Advising Team Champion Award. The team includes Rosalynn Ayala, Raymond Stanley, Heather Stark, Kaylyn Talia, and Amy Tappen.
In response to new cybersecurity requirements from the Department of Defense, SDSU cybersecurity grad students Christopher Leong and Avi Martin are playing a critical role in helping one local company stay in the game.
Several College of Sciences students were honored at the spring ZIP Launchpad grad party, including Vineeta Khanna (Her Health AI), Ian Carscadden (Shira language app), and Daniel Self (Second Course food security).
Meet our new professors—experts in equitable workplaces, STEM education, and applied computer science—who also enjoy crocheting, trail running, and playing guitar.
Transforming Lives
Achievements:
Hyunjong Choi, Ph.D.
Title:
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
College: College of Sciences
Hyunjong Choi, along with students Pascal Reich and Hyunhee Kwak, participated in the 17th F1Tenth Autonomous Racing Competition in Hong Kong.
The team fexed their autonomous systems and robotics skills by designing a vehicle one-tenth the size of a typical F1 race car, which earned third place in the competition and was awarded “Most Autonomous Car.”
“Hyunjong Choi and students Pascal Reich and Hyunhee Kwak raced to success at the F1Tenth in Hong Kong—earning 3rd place and 'Most Autonomous Car' with their cutting-edge 1/10th F1 vehicle!
Cyber Security
The Cybersecurity Center for Research and Education (CCRE) fosters innovative research that addresses real-world cybersecurity problems while expanding SDSU’s curriculum in digital forensics, reverse engineering, wireless security, cybersecurity management, and embedded systems security. A few updates from the center's frst year in action include:
Curriculum: To meet student demand and lay the groundwork for a future degree, we’ve introduced two new 500-level courses for Fall 2025. Advanced Data Network Security and Privacy explores applying machine learning and big data to network trafc analysis, anomaly detection, and Internet defense. Wireless Security covers wireless technologies, attack vectors, exploitation, and defenses. Both build on cryptography and AI theory to deliver practical cybersecurity skills.
Students: Center faculty and SDSU Cyber Defense Club mentor Peter Bartoli led the club to a 19th-place fnish (out of 550+ schools) in the National Cyber League, blending coursework with ofensive and defensive system challenges. Three undergraduates worked as CCRE research assistants in Spring 2025 on IP geolocation security and NTP resilience. One is interning at Viasat, one at a local cybersecurity frm, and one started at General Atomics.
Community: CCRE participated in the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering at Petco Park in March. Five SDSU Cyber Defense Team students ran the center’s interactive table, engaging children with encryption activities and demos. In November, Director Rob Beverly joined local leaders at the CCOE’s 10th anniversary to discuss future cybersecurity challenges.
Research: CCRE is working with the San Diego Supercomputer Center on securing the Jupyter notebook supply chain and releasing a hardened distribution. The team will present a tutorial at the ACM PEARC conference in July 2025. Faculty Robert Beverly and Joann Chen had papers accepted to PETS—Beverly on deep learning privacy attacks, and Chen on risks in neural network training.
Growth: Dr. Yifan Zhang joins in Fall 2025 as assistant professor of cybersecurity and privacy. A recent Ph.D. from Indiana University, his research focuses on app security, reverse engineering, and AI for software security.
Dr. Robert Beverly, Director of CCRE
Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)
Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) is an undergraduate training program for institutions with research-intensive environments. For 30 years, MARC has supported SDSU’s best students in biology, psychology, chemistry, biochemistry, engineering, and other STEM felds who aim to earn Ph.D.s.
MARC scholars don’t just dream about designing mental health interventions, cleaner energy solutions, or cures for diseases like cancer—they’re actively contributing to these discoveries as they prepare to become tomorrow’s leaders. MARC graduates attend top Ph.D. programs across the country, including Stanford, Michigan, and Yale, and go on to become biotech leaders, clinicians, and professors.
Current and former scholars describe MARC’s impact on their lives:
“When MARC found me, I was a very naïve college student. I was a recent Latino immigrant, a non-traditional student, a mother of two, and the frst in my family to attend college in the U.S. I am quite sure that without the encouragement I received through MARC, I would not have pursued graduate education and then a research career. MARC not only gave me the tools to succeed, but also convinced me that I could.”
– Former MARC scholar and current Professor
“I transferred [to SDSU] as a low-income, low-GPA student seeing no path past hopefully graduating with my bachelor's degree. Thanks to the MARC program, and the amazing people who run it and mentor all of us, I am proud to say I have accepted an ofer to a Ph.D. program at a highly ranked school. I give all the credit to the MARC program."
– Current MARC scholar
“I am a 39-year-old single mother of three daughters, ages 19, 15, and 14. As a frst-generation college student, I feel motivated to succeed and to make a path for my daughters as well. [The] MARC program at SDSU has granted me the opportunity to continue with my education, to be involved in research, and to be thoroughly prepared to pursue a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience. This interest in neuroscience was born out of my lived experience of growing up with my brother, who had a ruptured brain aneurysm when he was 13. This lifestyle forever changed how I see and experience the world, and I know I can make a diference and advance what we know about seizures, brain lesions, and memory loss.”
– Current MARC scholar
Celebratory group photo
STEM Forward
STEM Forward is a robust SDSU initiative that will accelerate local economic growth and revolutionize the way we live, work, and interact. It’s a commitment to research and teaching that will drive positive change globally, while being grounded in community.
The STEM Forward initiative encapsulates ongoing and future investments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and teaching, with key projects happening across SDSU colleges and campuses.
Campus-Wide Space Planning: The university is working to increase academic and classroom space by reducing underused ofce and administrative space across campus. This efort will involve several projects that expand SDSU’s academic and faculty footprint on the San Diego campus. For example, Atkinson Hall is being repurposed for faculty and academic department use, including the Department of Psychology.
Life Sciences Building project area, courtesy: Hensel Phelps and SmithGroup
SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District Labs: The frst project to break ground at SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District is the construction of laboratories to house university researchers and provide research facilities to public and private partners. The labs are being developed by LPC West; design began in fall 2023, with possible move-in targeted as early as 2026.
Sciences Building: Creation of a new state-of-the-art SDSU Sciences Building on the San Diego campus will ignite new opportunities for STEM research as well as instruction. Design and construction planning for this project began in fall 2023, with faculty engagement and planning meetings continuing throughout this academic year.
SDSU Imperial Valley Sciences and Engineering Laboratories: Constructing laboratories at SDSU Imperial Valley will provide the Brawley campus with exceptional teaching and research space. The building will host new four-year degree programs in chemistry and engineering designed for Lithium Valley, core facilities for potential public-private partners (P3) in Imperial Valley, and science teaching laboratories to serve existing programs including nursing and environmental health. Construction broke ground in February 2024, and the labs are anticipated to be ready in fall 2025.
"STEM Forward represents the university’s bold investment in STEM through cross-campus, multidisciplinary initiatives that will prepare our students for the workforce while stimulating development in the region." — Dean Jef Roberts
Supporting Aztecs in Perpetuity
New Endowments
Alba Gonzalez Thompson Endowment for Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education
Eric Karl Spangenberg Scholarship Endowment
George Jiracek Award in Geophysics Endowment
John J. and Norma M. Gregory Endowed Fellowship
The Strauss Family Trust Scholarship Endowment
Verona Pichler Scholarship Endowment
Endowments (Active)
Albert W. and Susan G. Johnson Endowment
Alfred McLeod Chemistry Endowment
Alfred McLeod Mathematics and Statistics Endowment
Allan and Janet Dale Endowment
Avery and Grace Endowed Scholarship
Awona Harrington Endowment
Baylor Brooks Endowed Scholarship
Betty Wills Endowment for Applied Science
Beverly Butcher and Erin Ballard Memorial Scholarship Endowment
BMC Software Endowed Scholarship
Brage Golding and Susan Golding Endowment
Brenda & Dave Rickey Foundation Study Abroad Endowed
Scholarship
Britt Lundberg Endowed Scholarship in Sciences
Charles J. Stewart Endowed Fellowship Award in Biochemistry
Chemistry Department Endowment
Clifford and Ruth Smith Memorial Endowment
Conrad Prebys Bio-medical Endowed Chair
Crellin Pauling Student Teaching Award Endowment
Crouch Endowed Scholarship for Avian Behavior
CSRC Alumni Award Endowment
CSUPERB Quasi Endowment
Daniel Krummenacher Graduate Student Fellowships in Geology
David Farris Endowment
Deborah M. Dexter Scholarship in Biology Endowment
Don Eden Graduate Student Research Award Quasi Endowment
Donald Kelm Geological Sciences Endowment
Dora M. Newell Endowed Scholarship
Dorathe Frick Memorial Endowment
Doris Townsend Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Geldreich Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Joi Weeks Endowed Scholarship for Chemistry and Biochemistry Students
Dr. Richard L. Jenkins Endowment in Honor of Professor
Morey A. Ring
Eckis Seismology Endowed Chair
Edmond A. Duke Endowed Scholarship
Elliott Family Fund Endowed Scholarship
Elwood Beatty Endowed Scholarship
Franklin Alverson Memorial Endowment
Fred Henry Endowed Chair in Life Sciences
Geology Endowed Scholarship
Geology Utility Endowment
Gloria Ann Dylewski Endowed Scholarship
Gordon Gastil Endowed Scholarship
Gorostiza Endowed Scholarship
Grace Hoover Sciences Endowed Scholarship
Hardman Foundation Endowment
Harold and June Grant Memorial Biology Endowed Scholarship
Harold Walba Endowed Fellowship
Harrington Geology Endowment
Harry Hamber Endowed Scholarship
Hillix-Cronan Endowed Scholarship in Psychology
James & Mary Crouch Memorial Endowment
James Crouch Lectureship Endowment
Jerome M. Sattler and Eleonora De Amorim Silva Endowed Scholarship
Jerome M. Sattler and Family Endowed Scholarship
Jewel Tisdale Hovey Tribute Endowed Scholarship
John M. and Barbara M. Hood Astronomy Endowment Fund
John and Marjorie Rotner Family Endowed Scholarship
John Schopp Endowment
John W. & Diane D. Robinson Endowed Scholarship
Jordan Dale Covin Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Kopp Research Endowment
Kung-Jong Lui Endowed Memorial Scholarship
Lane Family Computer Science Endowed Scholarship
Larry and Judy Sowder Endowment
Lester Skolil Memorial Endowment
Lester Skolil Memorial Endowment
Litrownik Distinguished Alumni Scholar Endowment
Lizon Family Scholarship Endowment
Louise McNally Endowment
Lowell Burnett, Ph.D. Endowed Award
Mabel Myers Endowment
Malik Harrington Endowment
Maravai LifeSciences Foundation Student Discovery
Endowment
To learn more, please contact Stacy Carota at scarota@sdsu.edu
Supporting Aztecs in Perpetuity
Endowments (Active) Continued
Marjorie S. and Merle B. Turner Endowed Scholarship
Martha Nastronero Ogness Scholarship for Mathematics Endowment
Mary and Phil Kantor Endowment
Maxson Family Biology Undergraduate Research Endowment
Michael and Donna Malley Endowed Fellowship
Michael S. Ptacek Endowed Scholarship
Neel Endowed Scholarship
Oscar Kaplan Postdoctoral Fellowship in Developmental Psychology Endowment
Paul G. and Margaret F. Peninger Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Paul Kurtz and Genevieve Jane Crecelius Endowed Scholarship in Chemistry
Prebys Biomedical Research Endowed Scholarship
Professor Emeritus and Ecology Endowment
R. D. Harwood Endowment
Rebecca B. Bryson-Kissinger Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Reginald F. Buller Award Endowment
Roger and Gail Sabbadini Quasi-Endowment
Roger Carpenter Endowment
Rollin and Caroline Eckis Endowed Scholarship in Geology
Ronald Dietz College of Sciences Endowment
Shiley Life Sciences and Bioengineering Endowed
Scholarship
S. L. Frankel Endowment
Social Psychology Endowment
Student Field Experiences Endowment
Summer Visitor Program Endowment
The Campanile Foundation Endowed Chair
The Jivan & S.C. Tong Endowed Fellowship
Theodore William and Nhung Lu Booth Endowment
Thomas B. Day Awards for Excellence in Physics
Tom Ragan Memorial Endowed Fellowship
Vince Landis Geology Student Field Experience Endowment
W. M. Keck Foundation Geology Endowment
Wassenberg Seminar Endowment
Wawanesa Insurance Endowed Scholarship
W. H. Trowbridge Endowment
Willard Matteson Endowment
William E. Hazen Endowment
William F. Lucas/San Diego Astronomy Association Endowment
