Insight Magazine
Get a new perspective on the College of Arts & Letters at SDSU. Discover news about CAL students, faculty, donors, and alumni. This new magazine highlights the stories of the people within our academic community. It gives you insight into the breadth of activities and achievements that have impact locally, nationally, and internationally.
Fall 2023
It’s my pleasure to welcome each of you to our year-end digest of important activities in CAL.
I am happy to report that CAL researchers secured more than $13 million in grant awards. CAL faculty contributed to the university's 365 principal investigators, who received 805 awards from 331 funding sources, and submitted 1,270 proposals to further research-related funding. In total, SDSU faculty and staff secured $192.2 million in grants and contracts last fiscal year. The annual awards listing features an anthropology researcher on the cover.
The fall semester has been full of engaging events, research activity, and student enrichment. I am deeply proud of our college and all of its accomplishments.
CAL’s focus on sustainability continues as we welcome the Office of Energy and Sustainability to the physical space in the Arts and Letters building. In October an open house and vine-cutting ceremony helped welcome the office and President de la Torre spoke about the importance of sustainability at SDSU. Along with SDSU’s Office of Energy and Sustainability, this exciting and collaborative hub consists of the Center for Regional Sustainability, the Center for Better Food Futures, and the Sustainability major and minor.
Highlights in this edition of Insight magazine:
- ISCOR students have developed an innovative new podcast
- Faculty have received invitations to join prestigious organizations
- Two CAL faculty were awarded the SDSU Alumni Distinguished Award and two were awarded a Fulbright scholarship
- Alumni are actively engaged and making a difference in our communities
- CAL amassed more than $1 million in transformative gifts from a multitude of gracious donors and foundations
As we look forward to the new year, I’d also like to take a moment to express my appreciation and acknowledge you and the entire CAL community for a phenomenal year.
Ronnee Schreiber, Ph.D.
Interim Dean
College of Arts and Letters
Student Success: Benefits of Being Active on Campus
Participation in student councils can create connections and leadership opportunities that last a lifetime
When students are new to San Diego State University, oftentimes they feel alone as they navigate their academic journey. Student councils provide connections to other like-minded students who are studying in a particular college.
Student Showcase Shines Light on Undergraduate Research in CAL
Students present their research and creative activities at October event
Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) is a top priority at San Diego State University. The College of Arts and Letters provides research support for students through the Undergraduate Research Office in CAL (UROC).
SDSU Mundt Peace Scholars Engage in Humanitarian Work in South Africa
Students made impacts during their eight-week service-learning internships in Cape Town.
The William R. Mundt Memorial Scholarship for Cross-Cultural Peace Internships extends a transformative opportunity to San Diego State University students, honing their leadership acumen and cultural competence. Through semester-long service internships that actively immerse participants in hands-on projects alongside NGOs, the scholarship transcends conventional learning boundaries.
ISCOR Students Create “The Spotlight” Podcast to Demystify Current Events
The first two episodes featured interviews with Pierre Asselin, history professor and Jonathan Graubart, political science professor.
When international security and conflict resolution (ISCOR) Director and Professor Latha Varadarajan was discussing issues in global security with her class in spring 2023, she floated the idea of a podcast about current events that would be student-focused and student-led.
Economics Graduate Student Selected as Farm Foundation Scholar 2024
Olivia Richard, first-year master’s student in economics, has been selected to the 2024 class of the Farm Foundation Agricultural Scholars Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS).
Pascale Joassart-Marcelli and Jeanette Shumaker Honored with 2023 Alumni Distinguished Faculty Awards
During the All-University Convocation on August 17, 2023, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs William Tong and Samuel Brown, president of the SDSU Alumni Board of Advisors, presented the annual Alumni Distinguished Faculty Awards for Outstanding Contributions to eight faculty across the campus.
Honored for outstanding scholarship, teaching, and citizenship were CAL’s Pascale Joassart-Marcelli, geography professor and director of the Center for Better Food Futures and Jeanette Shumaker, professor of English in Imperial Valley (and longtime associate in CAL’s Department of English and Comparative Literature).
Fulbright Brings Dris Soulaimani to Morocco in Search of Historic Berber Manuscripts
Dris Soulaimani, an associate professor in the Department of Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages is investigating Berber historical manuscripts written in Arabic script thanks to a Fulbright in Morocco for the academic year 2023-24. His study aims to analyze the content of these manuscripts and identify the different genres found in the works — such as religious, historical, or linguistic.
Gregory A. Daddis Elected to Board of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
Center for War and Society Director, USS Midway Chair in Modern U.S. Military History, and Professor Gregory A. Daddis has been elected to serve as a board member for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a major think tank in Washington, D.C. committed to "a less militarized and more cooperative foreign policy."
National Humanities Center Invites Joanna Brooks to Complete Work on an Emergent Humanities Toolkit
Brooks, a visiting scholar-in-residence in spring 2024, will support humanities scholarship nationwide
The National Humanities Center (NHC), a private nonprofit organization based in North Carolina, will host Joanna Brooks, SDSU associate vice president for faculty advancement and student success and English and comparative literature professor, as a visiting scholar in 2024.
Center for Comics Studies Receives NEH Grant to Help K-12 Educators Learn to Teach Social Justice Through Comics
Center co-directors Elizabeth Pollard and Pamela Jackson are developing a summer institute at SDSU that includes participation in Comic-Con International.
The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded San Diego State University’s Center for Comics Studies an Institutes for K-12 Educators grant of $175,000.
NEH Grant for New Empowerment Tool That Helps Communities Document Heritage of Historic Buildings
Faculty at SDSU are developing digital tools for use by grassroots preservationists locally and across the country.
San Diego State University in partnership with the University of Central Florida received a $150,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities "Digital Humanities Advancement" program to develop a smartphone-enabled digital documentation toolkit for grassroots community preservationists.
$5M USDA Grant Helps Train Next Generation of Food and Agriculture Scientists
Faculty from CAL are among a large team at SDSU leading the effort to prepare career-ready students for work on food system challenges on U.S.-Mexico border
The university was awarded a $5M U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to continue work that is part of a $1M HSI educational USDA grant received last year. The new project is entitled: "Expanding and Diversifying Careers in Sustainable Food Systems along the U.S.-Mexico Border."
Preservation and Digitization of Tijuana’s Historical Archives Broadens Public Access
Teams from the University Library and the Center for Regional Sustainability take the lead on a massive bi-national project at The Archivo Histórico de Tijuana, housed in the Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura (IMAC) in downtown Tijuana.
Hundreds of stacked file boxes, and shelves filled with news clippings, vinyl records, cassette tapes, videos, and other ephemera represent the rare recorded history of Tijuana since its founding in 1889. The Archivo Histórico de Tijuana, housed in the Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura (IMAC) in downtown Tijuana, is set to receive a new space — online.
Fiske Legal Series at SDSU Gives Students Insight Into the Law Profession
Aspiring law students have an opportunity to meet law professionals to learn about career pathways thanks to alumnus John Fiske.
When John Fiske (‘04) decided he wanted to go to law school in the fall of 2003, he had minimal understanding of what lay ahead for him.
Thomas Claypool Creates Sustainable Solutions to Recycle, Repurpose, and Remix Shoes
The Native Shoes co-founder and international business alumnus is dedicated to social and environmental initiatives at his company based in Vancouver, BC.
Growing up in the Chicagoland area, Thomas Claypool began skateboarding at an early age. He wore the classic skate shoe designs of the ‘90s as a teen, and noticed how skateboarding shoes transcended into pop culture. He worked part-time in retail while in high school and after moving to San Diego, at local skate shops.
Alumnus Unveils a Chicano Park Mural, 20 Years in the Making
Jose Olague’s National M.E.Ch.A. mural prominently features San Diego State University faculty and alumni.
The smell of burning sage, the rhythmic thunder of drums and the kinetic blur of brightly adorned Aztec dancers heralded the completion of a new masterpiece at San Diego’s iconic Chicano Park.
Transformative $1 Million Gift Bolsters the Future of Asian Studies at San Diego State University
A planned gift from the Charles Wei-hsun Fu Foundation will support scholarships, events and programming, and operations for the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.
As a faculty member for more than 40 years, Sandra Wawrytko has seen Asian Studies manifest a steadily increasing importance at San Diego State University. Now she’s committing herself to a personal role in ensuring the university’s resources keep up with the times.
New Scholarship to Benefit Students Studying War and Society, History, and Political Science
The Dr. Ora B. Gordon, MD and CAPT Lance B. Gordon, USN (Ret.) Endowed Scholarship for the Center of War and Society will support a wide range of SDSU students.
Lance Gordon graduated from SDSU with a B.A. in political science. He received a J.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, School of Law, and an LL.M in taxation from New York University, School of Law. He also received a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College.
College of Arts and Letters First-Generation Program
The College of Arts and Letters First-Generation Program helps to address noticeable equity gaps in student success for transfer and first-generation students.
The fund supports the CAL Student Success Program, where new first-generation students can access supplemental advising, academic support and community at SDSU. Students often struggle when transitioning into a four-year university for the first time, but they find a home and a sense of belonging in CAL through this program.
Your gift to the First-Generation Program ensures that resources are available to provide key opportunities and extra help for these deserving students.
Anthropology // Seth Mallios was interviewed for: “Getting comfortable with an uncomfortable history, SDSU professor discusses racism in San Diego.” The San Diego Union-Tribune
Economics // Student Christopher Ritter wrote an opinion piece: “The Humanities do not need AI.” The Daily Aztec
Geography // Pascale Joassart Marcelli was interviewed by David Brancaccio for the report: “How to be a responsible foodie.” Marketplace Morning Report
Geography // Janet Franklin was interviewed in: “Cedar Fire: Restoring Cuyamaca's tree canopy is years away: Some birds may never return.” The San Diego Union-Tribune
History // Nathan Ellstrand was a guest on the podcast (episode 2) of the new "An Academic Odyssey" podcast that focuses on understanding and demystifying the path to a doctorate in the humanities. Audible
Center for Latin American Studies // Ramona Pérez was Interviewed by KGTV-10 News for the story: “Why does Hispanic Heritage Month start in the middle of September? San Diego professor, author, explains.” KGTV-10 News
Philosophy, Classics and Humanities, and IEPA // Joseph Stramondo was interviewed for the article: “Controversial dwarfism drugs spur growth — but do they improve health?” Nature Magazine
Political Science // Farid Abdel-Nour was interviewed by local news stations about events in Israel/Palestine. NBC7 KPBS CBS8 CBS8
Sociology // Neftalie Williams was interviewed by celebrated author Dave Zirin for his Edge of Sports program for the “Ask A Sports Scholar” segment (beginning at 26:40). The Real News Network
Department for the Study of Religion // Roy Whitaker wrote an article titled,”Through space and rhyme: How hip-hop uses Afrofuturism to take listeners on journeys of empowerment.“ The Conversation
Amir Issaa
Italian hip-hop musician Amir Issaa presented his newly released book “This Is What I Live For: An Afro-Italian Hip-Hop Memoir”with contributors from SDSU — Clarissa Clò and Jorge Hernandez (Italian and European Studies), Roy Whitaker (Study of Religion), as well as William Nericcio (SDSU Press).
Marcelo D’Salete
SDSU’s Center for Comics Studies and the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies collaborated to host Eisner Award winning social activist Marcelo D’Salete for a wide-ranging conversation about his work.
Andrew J. O’Shaughnessy
The Department of English and Comparative Literature presented a lecture and discussion with Andrew J. O'Shaughnessy, who spoke about his book, "The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind: Thomas Jefferson’s Idea of a University."
Sustainability Hub Open House
A celebration of the new SDSU Sustainability Hub featured comments by Interim Dean Ronnee Schreiber, President Adela de la Torre, and other sustainability faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Día de Muertos Celebration
In its 20th annual celebration, the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department presented the Day of the Dead altar at the SDSU Library.
Why Iraq Still Matters
The Center for War and Society Speaker Series sponsored by J. Fred and Susan Oliver featured nationally-regarded scholars and a veteran in conversation on the enduring and global consequences of the Iraq war and why it still matters today.
D.S. Waldman
MFA in poetry alumnus Waldman presented “Exercises in Ekphrasis: Ways of Seeing & Responding to Art through Writing.”
Anthropology Alumnus Documentary Screening
Alumnus Brian Mooney presented his film "Connecting Paradise" and met with anthropology alumni at a November event.