San Diego State University Magazine

San Diego State University, with Merrill Gardens, PMB, and Pillar Properties, today announced plans for a senior living community as part of the development of SDSU Mission Valley. The project is envisioned as a university-centric senior living community that will add to the growing mix of uses at SDSU Mission Valley, further supporting the university’s long-term vision for a vibrant district that brings together housing, open space, recreation, innovation and neighborhood-serving amenities.

San Diego State University led an international collaboration published in The Lancet Public Health, one of the world's leading public health journals, that offers the most comprehensive synthesis of evidence on sex workers' health in more than a decade.

For many women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the most difficult battle begins after initial treatment appears to work. High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and deadliest form of the disease, accounting for approximately 75% of total ovarian cancer cases. Chemotherapy is often effective in shrinking initial tumors and sending the disease into remission, but roughly three-quarters of patients with advanced cases experience a recurrence within five years.

Associate Professor Afarin Rajaei, director of SDSU’s marriage and family therapy program, discusses why she considers the Apple TV hit comedy to be ‘a powerful text’ worth analyzing. Afarin Rajaei at the door to her office (Photo: Joshua Arguelles) As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Afarin Rajaei is trained to see people in mental and emotional distress are not merely experiencing something internal.

For SDSU Imperial Valley associate professor Neda Shamsalizadeh, her profession is part of a lifelong commitment to serving others. With that goal in mind, Shamsalizadeh, the first tenured faculty in SDSU Imperial Valley’s School of Nursing, is helping shape the next generation of nurses. Shamsalizadeh’s journey began in her home country of Iran, where she earned her undergraduate degree in midwifery and spent a decade practicing as a midwife in rural communities.

Once a year in August, the night sky is graced by the glittery display of the Perseid meteor shower. Robert Quimby, San Diego State University professor of astronomy and director of Mount Laguna Observatory, shares that this summer will be an exceptional one for witnessing this cosmic event. In this Q&A, Quimby explains the best times to see the Perseids, what is needed for a successful viewing experience and the science behind the shower. What are the Perseids?

San Diego State University alumna Keiana Martin has reached one of the most recognizable stages in sports broadcasting, making her debut last month as an anchor on ESPN’s flagship program "SportsCenter." “Walking onto the SportsCenter set for the first time honestly felt surreal,” said Martin. “Then you walk into the studio and see the desk you’ve watched for years.

Lauren Darwaza (left) and Kayla Snyder worked in the Blanco-Suárez lab. (Photo: Bryana Quintana) From comics censorship in schools to the use of comics in historical inquiry, San Diego State University faculty and staff this week will again bring their wide-ranging expertise to panels at San Diego Comic-Con..

Wren Iswandhi isn’t your typical engineering student — and it’s a point of pride. Iswandhi, who identifies as queer and nonbinary, is a star in San Diego State University’s mechanical engineering department, boasting a 3.98 grade-point average and holding leadership positions in a pair of engineering organizations. When Iswandhi arrived at SDSU in fall 2024 from Sunnyvale, they wondered whether they would be accepted in the male-dominated major.

For Connor Cornelius, a semester studying abroad as a San Diego State University undergraduate crystallized his passion for travel. A few years and a career change transformed that wanderlust into a premium suitcase and adventure travel business. For Leah Lavoie, a dream of studying internationally nearly vanished as she scoured social media for someone to sublet her College Area apartment so she could afford a semester overseas.