Living the Aztec Experience
Arianna Spata, Class of 2024
Class Level: Graduate Student
College: College of Arts and Letters, and College of Health & Human Services
Major: Public Health Epidemiology and Latin American Studies
Arianna Spata is one of seven San Diego State University students and recent alumni have won Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for international study for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year. Funded primarily through the U.S. State Department, Fulbright grants provide students with the opportunity to expand their perspectives and improve understanding of diferent cultures. About 2,000 students nationwide receive one-year Fulbright grants annually.
As frst-generation immigrants, Arianna's family struggled with access to consistent and afordable health care. That led her to study biology on a pre-med track and join SDSU’s Maternal and Infant Health Among Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Woman Project.
Now a Public Health Epidemiology and Latin American Studies graduate student, she will travel to Argentina to research the postpartum impacts of insufcient prenatal care among migrant women in Buenos Aires.
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Congratulations, Arianna, on being a recipient of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant!
Grayce Honsa, Class of 2024
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: College of Arts and Letters
Major: Political Science and Women's Studies
Grayce Honsa is a frst-generation student, exceptional activist, and community builder. Some of Honsa’s fondest memories at SDSU come from their time working at the Women's Resource Center.
Though busy with work and academics, Honsa found time to attend events to support the many diverse and creative communities within SDSU student organizations. For the past three years, Honsa was a member of IGNITE SDSU, a club focused on educating and empowering young women in politics.
Honsa won a number of scholarships and awards to include the Andrea O'Donnell Memorial Scholarship, which honors the memory of an activist student at SDSU. The scholarships are designed for women’s studies majors who demonstrate commitment to community activism and leadership in developing, promoting, or supporting activities that empower women.
After graduation, Honsa will work during the summer at the State Bar Association of California as a human resources intern in San Francisco. In a few years, Honsa plans to return to graduate school, but in the meantime, is looking forward to developing professional skills, engaging in community activism, and continuing to advocate for more equitable public policy. “
Congratulations, Grayce, on being a recipient of the Andrea O'Donnell Memorial Scholarship!
Tajuddin Henry, Class of 2026
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: College of Arts and Letters, and College of Health & Human Services
Major: Africana Studies and Public Health with a minor in leadership development
Tajuddin Henry received one of California State University's frst-ever Black Student Success Scholarships. The junior is one of six CSU students honored for their leadership in community service and advocating Black excellence. Henry, who said he is motivated by paying his success forward to the next generation of students and championing holistic student development, has ambitious goals for the 2024-25 academic year.
In addition to personal goals of raising his GPA and developing future career skills as a policy advocate, researcher and public health professional, Henry said he plans on applying for the Quest for the Best and Donald A. Strauss Scholarship Foundation scholarship, running for Homecoming Court and seeking membership in the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society.
After graduation, he wants to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health and Public Policy, which he said will allow him “to advocate for the erasure of disparities that minoritized communities face at various levels in social, educational, medicinal and political felds.”
Henry eventually plans to earn a doctorate in Public Health and Africana Studies.
Pictured above is Tajuddin with California State University Chancellor Mildred García and Jack Clarke, chair of the CSU Board of Trustees, during the Black Student Success Scholarship ceremony at the 2024 CSU Juneteenth Symposium, Friday, June 14, 2024.
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Congratulations, Tajuddin, on receiving CSU’s frst-ever Black Student Success Scholarship!
Helping to Build a Brighter Future
Achievements:
Sergio Rey, Ph.D.
Title: Professor of Geography
College: College of Arts and Letters
Sergio Rey, a San Diego State University geography professor whose innovative geospatial data science software has garnered more than two million downloads worldwide, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Achievements:
Erika Robb Larkins, Ph.D.
Title: Professor of Anthropology
College: College of Arts and Letters
Congratulations to Erika Robb Larkins, professor of anthropology, director and endowed chair of the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies, who has been elected president of the Brazilian Studies Association (BRASA).
Achievements:
Alvin Henry, Ph.D.
Title: Associate Professor and Director of Asian American Studies
College: College of Arts and Letters
Alvin Henry, associate professor and director of Asian American Studies, will join the inaugural cohort of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) Faculty Innovation Fellows.
Fellows represent 13 institutions across 10 states and come from a diverse array of disciplines including business and hospitality, nursing, and social sciences.
“Congratulations, Dr. Henry, on being part of the inaugural cohort of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) Faculty Innovation Fellows!
New Endowments
Dr. Ora B. Gordon, MD and CAPT Lance B. Gordon, USN (Ret.) Endowed
Scholarship for the Center of War and Society
Jack McBirnie Endowed Scholarship for English and Comparative Literature
Kit and Karen Sickels Endowed Chair in University Heritage and Community Engagement
Thomas C. Strand Endowed Scholarship in Geography
Endowments (Active)
African-American Faculty/Staff Endowed Scholarship
Al O’Brien Endowed Scholarship
Alvena Storm Memorial Endowment
Alyce Cioch Wawrytko Endowment for American Indian Studies
Andrea O’Donnell Endowment
Andrew Appleby Endowment
Andrew B. Appleby Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Ann M. Johns Linguistics Scholarship Endowment
Ann M. Johns Rhetoric and Writing Studies Scholarship Endowment
Anonymous Endowment-College of Arts & Letters
Ariss Treat Endowed Scholarship
Arthur Getis Endowment for Social Science Excellence
Arthur Getis Lectureship Endowment
B. Porteous Endowed Professorship in Political Science
Baron Ethics Endowment
Betty Nesvold Endowment
Birch Endowed Chair
Bowman English and Comparative Literature Endowment
Catherine M. Stiefel & J. Keith Behner Latin American Studies Endowment
Center for International Business (CIBER) Endowed Scholarship
Charles Wei-Hsun Fu Endowed Scholarship
Chinese Language Lecture Endowment
Christopher John Mortenson Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Clara De Escudero Endowment
Clifford Baker Endowment
Colonial Latin American History Endowment
Conniff Memorial Endowment
Cooper Lectureship Endowment
CPE/Weiss Endowment
D.C. & K.W. Stott Endowed Scholarship
Dan McLeod College of Arts and Letters Faculty Excellence Endowment
Dan McLeod Japanese Language Endowment
Daniel Weintraub Endowed Scholarship
Danny Scarborough Endowment
David George Excellence Endowment for Political Science
David H. Johns Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Dennis P. Hill Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Donna Dickson Kindig Dean’s Excellence Endowment
Dorothy E. Knott Endowed Scholarship
Dorris Lipinsky Lecture Endowment
Dr. Clare B. and Loch Crane, Sr. Endowed Scholarship for Liberal Studies
Dr. Gianangelo Vergani Italian Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Nalini and Dr. Hasmukh Shah Endowment
Dr. Norman Mann and Mrs. Sivia Mann Public Policy and Foreign Affairs Endowment
Dr. Thomas L. Wendelmoot Dean’s Excellence Memorial Endowment for History
Dr. Thomas L. Wendelmoot Dean’s Excellence Memorial Endowment for Rhetoric & Writing
Dwight Stanford CAL Dean’s Excellence Endowment
Economics Endowed Scholarship
Edwin A. Watkins Endowment
Elijah James Blum Memorial Endowed Award
Elynor F. McPeak Endowed Scholarship for Economics Excellence
Endowed Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Classics in Memory of the Stepsay
Family
English and Comparative Literature MA Endowed Scholarship
Everett W. Hesse Endowment
Fiske Pre-Law Endowment
Frank J. Dixon and Marion E. Dixon Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Fred E. Sims History of Progressive Thought & Reformist Movement
Endowment
Fred J. Hansen Chair in Peace Studies
Friends of Classics Charter Endowment
Friends of Classics Endowed Professorship
Friends Of Classics Endowment
Gail Burnett Lecture Endowment
Gene Gleeson Endowed Scholarship
Geography Development Endowment
Geography Graduate Reception Endowment
George and Evelyn Parrott Memorial Scholarship in Geography Endowment
Gertrude Jockusch Endowed Scholarship
Gracia Molina Enriquez de Pick Endowed Scholarship
Guffan Family Endowed Scholarship
Harriet Newmark Study of Ethics Endowment
Henri and Jeanne Ghilbert Endowed Scholarship
Herman & Mary Branin Endowment for Program Excellence in Geography
Hillary Ann Moore Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Religious Studies
Hugh C. Hyde Living Writers’ Endowment
Irene McFarland Geography Endowment
J. Keith Behner and Catherine M. Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies
J. Keith Behner and Catherine M. Stiefel Chair of Brazilian Studies
James J. Stansell Classics Endowment
James Hervey Johnson Endowment for Reason and Critical Thinking
Janet Cooling and Jackie Corlin Scholarship Endowment
Janice Dragin Endowment
Jewish Historical Society Archives Endowment
Joely Way Memorial Endowment
John Adams Endowment
John Anderson Bequest-Sociology Endowment
Katherine Ragen Endowed Scholarship
L. C. Post Lecture Endowment
L.C. Post Endowed Scholarship
Laurie Okuma Memorial Endowment
Letty Zanchez Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Lionel Ridout Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Lipinsky Institute Endowment
Loch and Clare B. Crane Endowed Scholarship for History
Lou Terrell Memorial Endowed Scholarship
M.C. Madhavan Excellence Endowment
M.S. Biehl Endowment
Mahatma Gandhi Endowment
McCuen Endowed Economic Scholarship
MFA Creative Writing Endowment
MFA Program Endowed Scholarship
Michael & Christine Pack International Business Endowed Scholarship
Mindy Gates O’Mary Memorial Endowment
Nasatir Endowed Chair
Ned Greenwood Physical Geography Award Endowment
Norma G. Sullivan Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Norton Allen Endowment
Oliva Espin Endowed Scholarship
Pat Crawford Endowment
Pitt and Virginia Warner College of Arts and Letters Dean’s Excellence Endowment
Pitt and Virginia Warner English Department Endowment
Pitt Warner Endowed Anthropology Scholarship
Prebys Poetry & Creative Writing Endowed Scholarship
President Stephen Weber Fund for Excellence in CAL Endowment
Ray Sabin and A.K. Jones Endowment
Richard Wright Award in Cartography Endowment
Robert and Paula Cottam Endowment
Robert W. Knauer Endowed Scholarship for Writers & Poets
Rosario J. Patti Memorial Endowed Scholarship for the Humanities
Ruth Keen Endowment
Salim & Francoise Shah Endowment for the Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies
Sara Joanne Davis Endowed Scholarship
Sarah B. Marsh-Rebelo Excellence Fund Endowment for the MFA Program in Poetry
Schuch Classics Endowment
Sheila Martin-Stone Scholarship Endowment
Shirley Ann Speilman Endowed Scholarship for Chinese Studies
Shirley Wade Thomas Memorial Endowment
Siegel Lectureship Endowment
Sociology Faculty Legacy Endowment
Sociology Graduate Symposium Endowment
Sonek Memorial Endowed Scholarship
South Coastal Info Center (SSRLB) Endowment
Stanford Endowed Chair
Stanley I. and Andrea J. Ornstein Scholarship Endowment
Stephanie Jennings Scholarship in Social Justice Endowment
Steven C. Schaber Endowed Scholarship
Stuzane Lectureship on Women and Judaism Endowment
Sue Russell Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Sutherland Endowment
Terhune Economics Endowed Scholarship
Terhune Political Science Endowed Scholarship
The Henry N. Wood Endowment for the Department of Economics
The Honorable Scholar Endowment
The Judge Victor E. Bianchini Mediation and Arbitration Endowment
The Pitt and Virginia Warner College of Arts & Letters Endowed Scholarship
Traute Gleeson Endowed Scholarship
Ulla Lotta Wiik Endowment
USS Midway Chair in Modern US Military History Endowment
Victor Bianchini War and Society Excellence Endowment
Viola Granstaff Endowed Scholarship
Virginia Warner Endowed English Scholarship
William & Vivian Finch Endowed Scholarship
Thank you for your generous support.
