San Diego State University Magazine

For many years, Taharka Adé, associate professor of Africana studies at San Diego State University, has studied various approaches to African history and culture, including Afrocentricity and W.E.B. Du Bois’s early 20th century exploration of the African World. Ade’s own more recent African World Antecedent Methodology examines the historical and cultural foundations connecting African peoples and their experiences.

Flying may never look the same to a group of future-focused San Diego State University students treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of San Diego International Airport. “Alaska Day: Cleared for Takeoff,” organized through a collaboration between SDSU Career Services, Alaska Airlines and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA), introduced students to the various career paths that support every airport takeoff.

San Diego State University School of Communication professor Rachael Record is the new lead of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (RSCA) for the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts (PSFA), with the goal of securing increased funding and engagement for research driven endeavors for faculty and students. Since SDSU achieved R1 status in February 2026, the university’s commitment to research and innovation carries greater significance and opportunities for grants and funding.

Laurelei Vasquez sat crosslegged on the floor of a whimsically-decorated classroom, decompressing after another challenging but rewarding day at College Park Preschool. The San Diego State University child development sophomore from San Diego, who works at the school as a substitute teacher, had just seen the last of her kiddos go bounding off into his father’s embrace. As the room fell silent, she took a beat to consider why she enjoys working with young children so much.

Exploring snakes’ hidden colors, parasitic infections, solutions for antibiotic resistance and molecular structures for new materials — these and more projects conducted by San Diego State University postdoctoral researchers are getting an extra boost thanks to funds from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The Moore Foundation has provided $55 million in one-time awards to support hundreds of early career scientists across 30 universities nationwide.

Typically, applicants for the California State University (CSU) Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement have a village behind them. Those considered for the honor, bestowed annually for superior academic performance, receive glowing nominations from their departments, programs or faculty. San Diego State University’s 2026 winner is a notable exception.

New research examining more than eight decades of wildfire activity found that fires are burning more land in Western watersheds that supply water to millions of people. The study published in Communications Earth & Environment [September/2026] analyzed wildfire trends from 1940 through 2024 across approximately 17,000 watersheds in 11 Western states. Led by Dalston J. Karto, a San Diego State University computational science doctoral student, and Alicia M.

San Diego State will debut “The Age of the Jaguar” uniforms for its home game against James Madison on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. The bold uniform design is inspired by Ocelotl, the Aztec word for jaguar, deepening the ways in which the university honors its Aztec identity. It will be the first time in program history that the Aztecs will wear a red uniform with red pants.

Medical researchers at two different institutions may need to compare patient data to advance drug discovery. Cybersecurity professionals may want to discuss intelligence related to attacks in their networks to defend against adversaries. Privacy concerns and safeguards, as well as legal regulations, however, can prevent them from sharing and collaborating on sensitive information, including personally identifiable information or intellectual property.

If you are unable to access the contents of this website, please contact Dr. Martha Lauzen. Documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.