Features, Profiles and Stories
Stars on the Field: Spartan Football Team Unites During a Unique Season
In 2020, the San José State Spartans won the Mountain West Conference championship for the first time after winning an impressive 7 games, their best season since 1939. The heart of Coach Brennan’s coaching ethos? His players, regardless of position, years on the field or life beyond sports, play for and with each other.
Dreamers: The Undocumented Student and Immigrant Experience
More than 700 San Jose State students are undocumented. How will this community address challenges posed by the federal government? Photo by Tom Sanders.
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s American Story
The Farewell to Manzanar author credits the civil rights movement for creating opportunities for people of color to share their experiences, voice their frustration and force the nation to confront racial inequality. Photo courtesy of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston.
On Fire
The only team of its kind in the United States, Craig Clements’ Fire Weather Research Laboratory studies and decodes wildfire behavior to improve fire management and prevention. Photo courtesy of the Fire Weather Research Lab.
Her Own Hero: The History of Women’s Self-Defense
Associate Professor of History Wendy Rouse explores the history of women in self-defense and its relationship to women’s rights. Photo courtesy of Wendy Rouse.
Like Father, Like Son
Pabel Mijangos, ’20 Finance, learned how his father Octavio Mijangos’ journey to the U.S. informed his own path to an education while writing a paper for his Global Dimensions of Business course. Photo: courtesy of Pabel Mijangos.
Addressing Inequities in Early Childhood Education
SJSU’s Lurie College of Education is working to organize and present the best possible early childhood education research resources for teachers, parents and the greater Bay Area community. Photo by Robert Bain.
The Women of the Olympic Project for Human Rights
In the 1960s, student activists at San José State University mobilized around the 1968 Mexico City Olympics to organize a stand for civil rights. It took courage, commitment and focus on a bigger picture to take a stand for civil rights and to demand equal treatment. Sandra Edwards, Gayle Boze Knowles, Rochelle Duff Davis and Mary Noel were among the pioneering young women who led the charge for civil rights.
Wayne Merry: Climbing First
On November 12, 1958, Wayne Merry became one of the first rock climbers to reach the summit of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan from its great South Face.
Geology From the Ground Up
Rocks tell stories. Their age, their chemical composition, their placement in the environment, the manner in which they shift or move over time—geology offers insight into Earth’s history if a scientist knows where to look and which questions to ask, says Kim Blisniuk, assistant professor of geology.