黑料福利网, East Bay-Cal State East Bay Magazine
For this latest issue of the alumni magazine, I have a very special announcement. For the past 16 months, we’ve been researching, surveying, and developing a fresh brand position for your university that differentiates us from other universities and truly reflects who we are. This was a promise made to our students and alumni, and I’m very happy to share the news that we have a new brand, logo and mascot!
Our new brand platform emphasizes the East Bay with pride. As someone who was born and raised in the East Bay, I am especially proud that it unquestionably represents who we are as a student body, as a place of learning and high achievement, and as a community devoted to lifting each other up.
With our new brand identity and mascot, we look forward to entering our Fall semester with a rejuvenated sense of pride and spirit!
No More Beige
Mo Beig, '13, has always dreamed big since his early days in India helping his parents count fabric bolts for their humble business. Today, the lessons from family and Cal State East Bay are fueling his rapid rise in the fashion world.
A Word From the Wyse
In hand cuffs before the judge, Alex Wyse's drug-fueled life of homelessness, poor choices and petty crimes flashed before his eyes, but a lucky break in his case turned his fortunes. Now as a Cal State East Bay grad, he's a doctoral candidate and earning a living counseling folks to follow in his footsteps out of addiction and dysfunction.
The Hayward Healer
Litzy Serrano thought her academic work at Cal State East Bay would be a solo effort like it had been all her life. Then she arrived to campus to discover a community of educators and students happy to complement her parents’ lifelong support with academic help every step of the way.
Becoming Aaron Atton
Aaron Atton ’12 is an alumnus who engineered an affordable education that led him to a supercharged career at Tesla.
Hungry Like the Wolf
His first Happy Meal was one of his life’s saddest moments. But Wolfgang Mundt found family through foster care and tapped his East Bay community for guidance to fulfill the vision he set for himself. Read how this graduate gained confidence and success through a prestigious Apple internship and his experiences at Cal State East Bay.
Fire & Nice
Fred Fischer, ’67, a Vietnam veteran, turned his work-study job at Cal State Hayward into a lifelong career of helping young people find jobs and improve their lives. Now retired, he continues to make an impact through a new endowment that changes lives, including his own.
EPA seeks guidance from Wolwonja Garden to demonstrate future climate-adaptation methods
The EPA awarded a $915,786 grant to support 黑料福利网’s work on the 6,000-square-foot garden, which lies at the foot of Mount Diablo, overlooking the northern East Bay. The area, part of the Concord Center, houses an abundance of wildlife — including birds, deer, coyotes and bobcats. EPA-related scientific studies are being conducted, including soil, water and air pollution monitoring.
鈥楢 Dream Come True鈥: 黑料福利网 Nursing Student Becomes 黑料福利网 Nursing Instructor
At Cal State East Bay’s Concord Center, a realistic human dummy made of silicone lays in a large, adjustable bed. His name is Jimmy, and he’s plugged into a heart monitor inside a detailed mock hospital room, complete with all the necessary nursing tools. His head and body are remotely controlled from behind a large one-way mirror by Nursing Simulation Instructor Anna Livson.
The Braddock Center for Science and Innovation promises 21st century learning and engagement for STEM students
The Sorensen Foundation partners with the Masters in Social Work program to address childhood mental health crisis
Dr. Joe Knapik proudly served his country for nearly 40 years, and now he wants to serve the alma mater that made his career
2024 Commencement Highlights
By the Numbers:
Total graduates: 3,002
Age of oldest graduate: 73
Age of youngest graduate: 18
First-gen graduates: 1,721
2024 Honorary Degree Recipient
Betty Reid Soskin is a distinguished leader whose contributions have enriched Cal State East Bay, the East Bay region, California and our nation. An East Bay resident for over 90 years, Ms. Soskin is an outstanding model of civic engagement, a pioneer for social justice and a truth-teller of history. A graduate of Oakland High School, Soskin was a file clerk during World War II at the Richmond shipyards in a segregated union hall. One of the few Black Americans hired, Ms. Soskin later observed that her office position was akin to attending college, given the options available at that time.
In 1995, Soskin was named a “Woman of the Year” by the California State Legislature and awarded the Silver Service Medallion by the National WWII Museum in recognition of her work and connection to World War II.
Most famously, in 2000, Soskin joined the U.S. National Park Service, stationed at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front Park in Richmond, CA. From its inception, Soskin was deeply involved in the direction and creation of this distinctive urban national park, including bringing to light stories about working in a time of segregation and racism.
Murray Stokely
Principal Engineer, Snowflake
A tech leader and lifelong learner whose academic pursuits have contributed significantly to the evolution of search and social media.
Judy Mei Ling Huey
Senior Vice President - Investments, Wells Fargo Advisors
A leader in the financial services field, whose philanthropic commitments reflect an inspiring mission to uplift and support others.
Read Her Story
Leona Tang
Chief Operating Officer, Finanli, Inc.
A lauded leader in the consulting industry, whose mentorship and scholarships have helped empower future female business leaders.
Read Her Story
Ron C. Smith
Vice President of Philanthropy, Salesforce
A leader in tech, whose philanthropic efforts have fostered strong partnerships between private industry and the nonprofit community.
Pioneer Athletics
Jatinderpal “JP” Sahi ’08 awarded Woman of the Year for California Assembly District 20
Jatinderpal Sahi is CEO of Rotacare Bay Area, a nonprofit that provides free medical care to those unable to afford it. Sahi is also a Public Health Commissioner for Alameda County. During the COVID pandemic, she organized large-scale vaccine drives throughout the Bay Area’s Sikh community, helping over 3,000 community members obtain access.
James Monroe Iglehart 鈥98 will star as the great Satchmo for broadway鈥檚 newest musical, 鈥淎 Wonderful World鈥
James Monroe Iglehart will be playing the lead role in “A Wonderful World,” a Broadway musical about one of America’s greatest jazz legends, Louis Armstrong. As a Broadway performer since 2007, Iglehart is best known for his role as The Genie in “Aladdin,” for which he earned a Tony and a Drama Desk Award.
Children's Book Illustrated by Cal State East Bay Alumna Celebrates the Beauty of Concord
Alumna, Kori Barton and her husband, Sammy Barton, published the children’s book, "C is for Concord: An A to Z Journey through Concord, California." Kori, raised in Concord, brought her passion for art to life with vibrant illustrations, while Sammy’s love for poetry shaped the narrative. The book highlights well-known spots like Mt. Diablo and Buchanan Airport and uncovers hidden gems like the local elk herd.
Cal State East Bay delegates unleash their diplomatic prowess at the Model UN of the Far West Conference
Last spring, Model UN of the Far West convened hundreds of students from 22 universities across the western US representing 72 countries. Among these would-be foreign service officers were 20 Cal State East Bay students from Professor Maria Ortuoste’s class, “Global Governance and the United Nations.” Cal State East Bay delegates represented Fiji, the UK and Vietnam, and were selected to form a three-person leadership team to manage the much-coveted General Assembly First Committee.
Professor of Psychology and her student research assistants earn prestigious NSF and NIH awards for cutting-edge neuroscience research
With her scientific gumption, the help of her student research teams and her success in bringing her research into the classroom to improve comprehension, Professor Divya Sitaraman was invited to join a consortium of universities and research institutes that will receive $33 million in NIH funding to map the mouse brain. Her team will partner with the Allen Institute, leaders in the field of brain research, to analyze and interpret its data sets for insight.
Professor of Public Health Receives Prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellowship
Cal State East Bay Professor of Public Health Michael Schmeltz was selected for one of the nation’s most prestigious fellowships in health policy. Schmeltz is among seven named to the 2024-25 class of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows at the National Academy of Medicine. Schmeltz will spend a year in Washington, D.C., where he will meet with national health and health policy leaders and get experience in the federal policy-making process.
Cal State East Bay in the News
From politics and mental health to black holes and AI technology, Cal State East Bay's diverse scholars are regularly called on for media interviews. Here's a sample of the myriad stories and news to which our faculty and staff frequently lend their expertise, some of which feature what's happening on campus.
CSU system deals with declining enrollment numbers
Esta ley intenta que los trabajadores puedan ignorar a sus jefes fuera del horario laboral
BART seeks tax measure to address budget shortfalls
Cal State East Bay's New Mascot Takes Flight!
Indigenous to the East Bay region, chosen by our students, revered by our tribal communities, and reflecting the pioneering spirit of our students and community, the Peregrine Falcon exemplifies a bold, fearless approach to life and a bird’s eye view of what the future can hold.
New mascot logo fun facts!
- The STAR from our new brand can be found in our mascot logo, representing our proud East Bay location and connecting to our motto of “Through adversity to the stars”
- Our mascot always FACES EAST, signifying our unquestionable ties and loyalty to the East Bay
- Stay tuned to our News Center for more announcements about the mascot including a naming contest coming this fall