SJSU Magazine Presents 2025 Year in Review
From enrolling a record-breaking 40,000 students to earning R2 research designation status, 2025 has been a year of chart-topping achievements at San José State. Revel in some of the year’s best moments below.
SJSU's Star Keeps Rising
San José State continues to thrive in regional and national rankings.
Award-Winning Work
San José State was recognized by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, District VII, for three projects in 2025.
Circle of Excellence, Gold: Apology for SJSU Role in Japanese Detention
President Cynthia Teniente-Matson, as part of what has become the university's annual marking of Day of Remembrance on February 19, 2024, submitted an op-ed to the San José Mercury News that included an apology for SJSU's role in the incarceration of local Japanese Americans during World War II. It was the first time that such an apology had been issued by the university. The goal was to provide a public atonement for the role played by the university during that time, to foster healing, and to reinforce the university's commitment to honoring the past and acknowledging harm. This piece received a CASE national award.
Best of 2025 CASE Awards Winner: The Student Journey
This video, which shows how the next generation of changemakers and innovators can be found right here at San José State, was recognized in the "Best of 2025" category for District VII.
Best of 2025 CASE Awards Winner: SJSU-Downtown Brandscaping
This campaign represents the activation and beautification of Downtown San José, strengthening the relationship between the university and the city. It was awarded "Best of 2025" for District VII.
By the Numbers
The future looks bright for Spartans
59%
of graduate respondents secured jobs within six months of graduating
$76,114
reported average annual starting salary of graduates, according to the First Destination Survey
The Year in Research
In 2025, San José State received a 2025 R2 research activity designation from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation, elevating the university’s profile as a nationally and globally recognized research institution.
SJSU Receives R2 Research Designation
For the first time in its 168-year history, San José State has received a 2025 R2 research activity designation from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation. SJSU becomes the eighth campus in the CSU system to earn the R2 designation.
San José State University Launches New School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies
San José State University (SJSU) today announced the launch of the new School of Planning, Policy, and Environmental Studies. This interdisciplinary school, a first of its kind in the California State University (CSU) system, brings together programs in environmental studies, geography and GIS, public administration and urban planning under one umbrella to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.
CSU Grad Slam Winner Finds That Femicide Decreases When Female Empowerment Increases
Clad in a smart black suit, Lydia Durunguma, ’25 MA Applied Economics, faced the audience at SJSU’s Hammer Theatre to deliver some eye-opening findings. She began her San José State Grad Slam presentation with a painful declaration.
Undergraduate Research and Opportunity Program (UROP) Sparks Enthusiasm Among Students
The UROP model, which builds on components from similar programs at CSU Long Beach and the University of Michigan, is geared toward not only providing students with on-the-ground paid experience in research, but also with opportunities for connection, collaboration and professional development. It’s open to freshmen, sophomores and first-year transfer students.
The Year in Innovation
SJSU stands at the forefront of innovation, driving fresh ideas and real-world impact.
The Year in The Arts
SJSU continues to elevate the arts and social sciences, fostering creative expression and bold interdisciplinary work.
Amy Tan: Novelist, Birdwatcher, Icon
Celebrated novelist Amy Tan shares how her love of language blossomed at San José State.
More Than a Mural
Placemaking at San José State is critical to cultivating a sense of belonging for all Spartans. The Filipino American History Mural project is just one example of how Filipinos and Filipino Americans have contributed to the labor movement in the U.S. and beyond.
Andy Nguyen, Award-Winning Artist, Reminds People of Their Roots
Andy Nguyen’s art studio is a sea of blue — the walls are adorned with framed photographs, collages and cyanotypes (blue “camera-less” photographs created when images are exposed to UV lights on paper or cloth).
Michelle Frey’s Work of Heart
It’s safe to say that the world changed dramatically throughout Michelle Frey’s six years pursuing a graduate degree at San José State.
Frey, ’25 MFA Pictorial Art, who works by day as the senior director of creative strategy for university marketing and communications at SJSU, enrolled in her program in fall 2019, juggling full-time work with a part-time course load.
Zuhayr Usmani: Rolling the Credits
This is the fifth in a series of Countdown to Commencement stories celebrating the Class of 2025. Join us in celebrating the hard work, dedication and achievements of graduating Spartans.
Neal Raghani’s Art Beyond the Spectrum
Neal Raghani, ’25 Digital Media Art, first understood that he lives with autism when he was preparing to apply for college. His parents described autism as a neurodevelopmental disorder akin to a clock — each minute representing a spectrum of expressions.
Humaira Ghilzai’s “Pilgrimage” Takes the Stage in San Francisco
Ten years after traveling to Saudi Arabia to make a minor pilgrimage to Mecca, playwright Humaira Ghilzai, ’90 International Business, is translating the experience to the stage in “Pilgrimage,” a play she co-wrote with playwright Bridgette Dutta Portman.
The Year in Giving
$28.76M
Philanthropic support for SJSU
in fiscal year 2024-2025
5,123
Donors gave to SJSU
$231.1M
Endowment Portfolio Value
as of June 30, 2025
706
Endowment Funds
as of June 30, 2025
$7.37M
Endowment distribution
Funds available to support SJSU student scholarships, academic programs, faculty, research, athletics and campus initiatives
Spartans of Significance: A Night Honoring Our Distinguished Alumni
This year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards, held on February 21 at San José State, was an unforgettable evening of inspiration, gratitude, and celebration.
SJSU’s 1857 Minutes of Giving Raises $3.6 Million During Two-Day Campaign
Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Spartan community, SJSU’s 1857 Minutes of Giving campaign raised a record-breaking $3.6 million over two days between March 11 and March 12.
SJSU Receives a Multi-Year Commitment from the Cadence Giving Foundation
San José State’s has received a multi-year commitment from the Cadence Giving Foundation to support the expansion of the university’s Artificial Intelligence initatives in multiple areas.
SJSU Athletics Receives Historic $2 Million Donation to Women's Golf
In a transformative gift for the future of women’s athletics, San José State is proud to announce a groundbreaking $2 million donation to the SJSU women’s golf program from successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, Malin Giddings.
Colleen Wilcox: Champion for Communication
Wilcox's story begins in Moline, Illinois, where her severe stutter began at age four. "When I was seven, my father enrolled me with the school's speech therapist, and I knew at that point that this person was lovely, but had no idea what they were doing,"
Jindia Family Gift Supports Resource Center at SJSU
SPARC: the Spartan Aphasia Research Clinic, a program offered at no cost through the Kay Armstead Center for Communicative Disorders in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences.
Stars and Skylines: San José State Celebrates Spartans with Honorary Doctorates
Constance “Connie” Moore was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in recognition of her exceptional career in real estate and dedication to service. William Borucki, ’82 MS Meteorology, a pioneering NASA space scientist whose work fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the cosmos, received an honorary Doctor of Science.
The Year in Athletics
Scholar Athletes
For the fourth consecutive year, a school-record number of San José State student-athletes received a 2024-25 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete Award as 129 Spartans are honored for their performances in the classroom during their athletic career.
For the 2024-25 academic year, 185 Spartans earned academic all-conference recognition from the Mountain West (16 sports – 162) Western Athletic Conference (men’s soccer – 5), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (women’s water polo – 8) and West Coast Conference (men’s water polo – 10).
The Year in Community Impact
SJSU strengthens community impact by expanding partnerships and empowering students to drive meaningful change.
College Corps Alumna Leads Community Art Project with City of San José at the Guadalupe River Park
When Ivana Gottwald, ’25 Digital Media Art, suggested to San José Mayor Matt Mahan in 2024 that the City of San José could use “more color,” she couldn’t have imagined that a year later, a few hundred San José State students and volunteers would be painting a community art project she designed along the Guadalupe River.
Project Rebound Offers a Path to a Degree for Justice-Impacted Students
This spring, San José State officially launched Project Rebound, a program that supports the higher education and successful social reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals wishing to enroll and succeed in the California State University (CSU) system.
Community Service and Experiential Learning Converge: SJSU Accounting Students and Tax-Aid Offer Crucial Tax Return Preparation Help
Professor Caroline Chen and her SJSU accounting students put their skills to work, volunteering with Tax-Aid to prepare tax returns for the local community at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library. Photo Courtesy of Caroline Chen.
SJSU’s Title IV-E Program Breaks Down Tuition Barriers for Aspiring Social Workers
Over the past three decades, San José State’s Title IV-E Child Welfare program has led to the training and education of high-quality social workers across Santa Clara County and beyond. By participating in this unique and impactful program, graduate students in SJSU’s School of Social Work receive a comprehensive education in public child welfare — tuition-free.
Tanequa Bailey Awarded the CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement
Tanequa Bailey, ’27 Software Engineering, has been named one of the recipients of the 2025 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. The prestigious annual honor, which includes a $7,000 scholarship, recognizes students for their superior academic performance, personal accomplishments and remarkable resilience in the face of challenges.
The Year in Media
Top Media Stories
Along with stories told on the SJSU NewsCenter and SJSU Magazine, local and national media outlets have featured SJSU students, faculty, staff and alumni throughout the year. Here are some of our favorites from 2025.
San Jose State alumni hold 50,000 jobs statewide generating $9.8B in industry activity - Silicon Valley Business Journal
‘Incredibly gratified and grateful’: Dublin sportswriter Smith enshrined in Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame - Pleasanton Weekly
America’s Top Animation Schools - Hollywood Reporter
Fifty years after ‘Jaws,’ shark science is still surfacing - San Juan Daily Star
Media Inquiries
The number of media inquiries fielded by SJSU.
Faculty Experts
The number of faculty who can be called upon to provide their expertise for a story.
Stories posted on the SJSU NewsCenter from January - December
Magazine stories published in 2025
Meet an Expert: Caroline Chen
Caroline Chen is an associate professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance at the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business. In 2025, she gave multiple media interviews, covering everything from the economy, tariffs, and changes to tax plans.
Here are two notable clips:
"President Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs plans," NBC Bay Area News, February 10, 2025
“National economic boycott held in response to dismantling of DEI policies”, NBC Bay Area News, February 28, 2025 For 13 years, Chen served as a senior attorney at the Internal Revenue Service, primarily with the Large Business and International Division. She is admitted to practice in California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia. She is a member of the bar of the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She holds a law degree from American University and a master of law degree in taxation from Georgetown University.
The Year in Partnerships
SJSU advanced its strategic mission by creating new partnerships with industry and community organizations to expand experiential learning, research collaboration and workforce development.
San José State Launches the Pathways to Success Initiative with South Bay Partners
Through its “Pathways to Success” initiative, SJSU is collaborating with Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD) and Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD) to increase college access for historically underserved communities. These partnerships build on years of outreach, relationship-building, and alignment around college and career readiness goals.
SJSU Business Students Share Highlights from 2025 NVIDIA GTC Student Experience Event
The future of AI came into sharper focus for San José State University students on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, thanks to the NVIDIA GTC Student Experience. This immersive four-hour event, hosted at the Provident Credit Union Center, allowed students to participate in the excitement of NVIDIA’s global AI conference.
Ten Spartans Selected for Apple NextGen Innovator Mentorship Program
Ten San José State students were selected to participate in Apple’s Next-Gen Innovators Mentorship program, a ten-month opportunity that pairs college sophomores and juniors with mentors from Apple’s hardware engineering team. Students engage in structured monthly collaborations, receive career guidance, practice interviewing and resume building skills, and gain valuable insights into careers in hardware engineering.
Do You Know The Way? Plug and Play Sparks New AI Partnership in San José
April 2, 2025 marked an exciting step forward for San José’s tech scene as Plug and Play announced the launch of its new AI Center of Excellence right in the heart of downtown. The city hall event drew in several executives and officials from the City of San José, San José State University, PG&E and Plug and Play. SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson spoke at the launch event about the natural synergy between Plug and Play and the university.
Deep Dive in Five with Raymond Lam: Adobe Creative Services at King Library
Did you know that San José State students, faculty and staff can access the entire Adobe creative suite free of charge? Not only that, but Spartans can master the fundamentals of the Adobe Creative Cloud with the help of Raymond Lam, ’21 BFA Digital Media Art, Adobe trainer and instructional designer at SJSU’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.
Top Social Posts
Our social feeds were full this year. Feast on some of the 2025 highlights from our @SJSU accounts.
Building the future of SJSU 💙💛 In the latest edition of SJSU Magazine, discover how San José State’s new Campus Master Plan is shaping the next 20 years of Spartan life. The plan reimagines how students learn, live, and connect, creating spaces that inspire innovation, wellness and community in the heart of Silicon Valley. This is more than construction. It is a vision for belonging, growth, and the next generation of change makers. ⚙️🌿
Guess who Sammy had the chance to meet? The hilarious and talented @morganjay! 😂🙌 @sjsusammy tried to keep his cool, but the excitement was real getting to hang out with this goofy guy who had everyone smiling. 💙💛 Can Morgan get an LOL and a huge applause for coming to campus and sharing his humor with the Spartan community? 🎤👏 We’re cheering you on for the rest of your shows! ✨ Also shoutout to the @studentunionsjsu for making this happen!
Nothing beats the Bay Area Squad!!! 💙💛 #bayarea #squad #mascotsarepeopletoo @hhpzoo @officialsjsharkie @officialsjgigante @qmascot @frenzyahl
Spartans are back! Look out @cityofsanjose we got new and returning students back in action!🏠 Move-In Day this past weekend was full of smiles, boxes and new beginnings. Let’s go, #SJSU! 💙💛Join Jay and Sammy the Spartan at the SU Bowling Center to train for Spooky Bowling & Baskets!
Hey that's my plume @officialsjsharkie But honestly who wore it better? 😂💙💛 #mascotshenanigans #sjsunight #sharksterritory
Are You Spartan Ready?
At SJSU, every sunrise sparks your purpose. Purpose ignited in the classroom, on the to the field, through Silicon Valley internships, academics, excellence, teamwork, and research. And our community of care means that every Spartan is valued and supported.
Editor's Picks
This new course uses coffee brewing as a hands-on way to explore core scientific concepts like mass, density, chemical reactions, pH and even process design.
“Bringing thousands of visitors to San Jose isn’t just about filling convention halls. It’s about activating downtown,” Phan said.
Juan Carlos Soliz Meza, ’21 Behavioral Science, ’25 MSW, proposed to his longtime partner Alma Sanchez onstage at Chicano Commencement this May.
For Vondell Pilcher, ’23 BS, ’25 MS Speech Language Pathology, few accomplishments are as important as helping others find their voices.
Wil Quintero, ’25 MBA, was among the hundreds of firefighters deployed to Paradise, California, to fight the Camp FIre, one of the deadliest fires in state history.
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Images and videos courtesy of Robert C. Bain, Jim Gensheimer, Javier Duarte and SJSU Athletics
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