More Than a New Science Building: A Place to Innovate
Earlier this year, SFSU held a dedication ceremony for its new Science and Engineering Innovation Center (SEIC), an all-electric science building filled with innovative student-centric teaching spaces. Located prominently on 19th Avenue, the building keeps the future in mind, specifically to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) while emphasizing student academic support and sustainability.
“This new center will grow the already significant number of alumni working in the Bay Area STEM industries by preparing our graduates to better compete in these fields,” SFSU President Lynn Mahoney says.
The ceremony marked the completion of the new 125,000-square-foot building and renovation of the existing adjacent Science building. SEIC is home to the College of Science & Engineering’s (CoSE) Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and School of Engineering, as well as the college dean’s office and the College of Professional & Global Education campus operations.
Other SEIC highlights include three studio-style integrated lecture/lab chemistry classrooms, chemistry research labs with industry-standard equipment, a robotics and mechatronics lab with a multi-robotic-arm-automatized assembly line, a structural and seismic engineering lab and much more.
The college anticipates SEIC will serve all 7,000 College of Science & Engineering students and thousands of general education students each year. CoSE Dean Carmen Domingo says she hopes that the building will be an inclusive space where students can see themselves as future engineers, chemists and scientists.
“The SEIC is more than a science building; It’s an inclusive space for students to explore, innovate and learn with cutting-edge technology and talented faculty,” Domingo says. “This major achievement, made possible by our generous partners and donors, will help thousands of diverse graduates make a profound impact on our regional workforce.”
The Seal of Approval for Latin X Student Success
SFSU has earned the Seal of Excelencia granted by Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education. To earn the Seal of Excelencia, institutions are assessed for their outcomes in retention, financial support and degree completion for Latinx students.
“Here at SF State, we understand the importance of providing an environment where students’ identities are celebrated and represented in their education,” says University President Lynn Mahoney. “Earning the seal reflects that.”
Latinx student enrollment at SFSU doubled between 2010 and 2022. Today more than 37% of students identify as Latinx, comprising the largest ethnic group among the University’s undergraduates.
Before SFSU earned the Seal of Excelencia, Mahoney joined Excelencia’s national network of Presidents for Latino Student Success. The network is comprised of over 200 higher education leaders committed to making their institutions learning environments where Latinx, and all, students thrive.
...and (Climate) Justice for All
SFSU has modified its graduation requirements to better incorporate climate justice, which focuses on the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized and underserved populations and the ways frontline communities are often leaders in developing just climate solutions. This is the first time a major public university has required students to take a course explicitly on climate justice, not just climate change. The revised requirement is also the first of its kind in the California State University system.
With the change, the University has revised its existing undergraduate Environmental Sustainability graduation requirement to include climate change and climate justice.
The requirement, which is now called Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action, officially makes climate justice a key pillar of the SFSU curriculum.
“Our students, no matter their major and no matter their career, need to understand climate change because
it is already impacting their lives,” says Autumn Thoyre, co-director of Climate HQ, a University-wide hub for climate- related activities at SFSU. “If you come to SFSU, you will learn about climate change and be ready for it in your career and civic life, you’ll be an informed voter and you’ll be ready for discussions with your family and friends.”