From the President's Desk
Welcome to the spring 2026 edition of SJSU Magazine
It’s an exciting time to be a Spartan.
As the only public university in Silicon Valley, San José State is leading the way in shaping the future. In our classrooms, labs and studios, the future isn’t just happening. It’s being built right here at SJSU.
Our faculty are producing research levels that are unprecedented for our campus. Our students work and learn with some of the world’s most innovative academic programs and dynamic companies. Our alumni are succeeding and leading in virtually every human endeavor and sharing their experiences with the next generation.
This year we had the opportunity to show the world what SJSU has become, with Super Bowl LX, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and the FIFA World Cup all connecting with our campus. For instance, public art and augmented reality experiences created by our faculty, staff and students greeted visitors to the city, and students learned in close proximity to major global events, such as Super Bowl Media Day.
These successes, and many others you can read about in this issue, are a direct result of our work to position SJSU at the epicenter of the future. In recent years, we have recalibrated our strategic plan, grown our enrollment and elevated our academic and research reputation. Your support has been essential to our efforts in each of these areas.
Together, we have embraced and enhanced the SJSU qualities of innovation, academic and research excellence, and a community that lifts up students. All of these combine to give our graduates a tremendous advantage in life. We proudly call this the Spartan Edge.
Thank you for helping us forge the Spartan Edge for our university and our students.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson SJSU President
Muwekma Ohlone SJSU Area Land Acknowledgement
The San José State University community recognizes that the present-day Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, with an enrolled Bureau of Indian Affairs documented membership of over 550, is comprised of all of the known surviving American Indian lineages aboriginal to the San Francisco Bay region who trace their ancestry through the Missions Santa Clara, San José, and Dolores, during the advent of the Hispano-European empire into Alta California; and who are the successors and living members of the sovereign, historic, previously Federally Recognized Verona Band of Alameda County.
Furthermore, the San José State University community recognizes that the university is established within the Thámien Ohlone-speaking tribal ethnohistoric territory, which based upon the unratified federal treaties of 1851–1852, includes the unceded ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of the enrolled Muwekma lineages are descended from direct ancestors from the Thámien Ohlone tribal territory whose ancestors had affiliation with Mission Santa Clara.
The San José State University community also recognizes the importance of this land to the indigenous Muwekma Ohlone people of this region, and consistent with our principles of community and diversity strives to be good stewards on behalf of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe whose land we occupy.
Top photo: SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson with Debbie Pacheco, '26 Communication Studies, Anna Sprague, '26 BFA Graphic Design, and Mariah Ramsour, '18 English, '20 MLIS, at the opening of the AI Center for Civic and Social Good at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in March 2026. Photo: Robert C. Bain.
