CampusMemo Spotlight: August 24, 2026

SFSU VITA, Beta Alpha Psi receive IRS VITA Gold Destination Award

SFSU VITA and the Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) chapter received the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) VITA Gold Destination Award at the 2026 BAP International Annual Meeting in Baltimore. The award recognizes VITA sites preparing 601 – 1,000 tax returns.  

SFSU VITA completed its 19th year of service during the 2026 tax season. The recognition reflects the dedication of SFSU VITA student site coordinators, site managers and volunteers, as well as the continued support of faculty, staff, college leadership, alumni mentors, the IRS, United Way Bay Area and community partners. 

Yoo selected for Fulbright seminar

College of Ethnic Studies Dean Grace Yoo was selected for the Fulbright U.S.-Taiwan International Education Administrators (IEA) Seminar for 2026 – 2027. 

The U.S.-Taiwan IEA Award is a competitive two-week grant program for U.S. higher education professionals and senior campus leaders. Administered by Fulbright Taiwan and the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange, it helps participants understand Taiwan’s higher education system to build institutional partnerships. 

Fulbright IEA Awards are part of the Fulbright Scholar Program. These prestigious fellowships offer higher education administrators unique professional development opportunities to foster long-term connections that enrich their campuses, careers and communities. 

Photo courtesy of Grace Yoo

Komenich wins Distinguished Teaching in Journalism Award

Associate Professor of Journalism Kim Komenich won the 2026 Distinguished Teaching in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. 

“There is something so touching about seeing the passion a professor brings to the classroom every day, and that is something Kim has shown day in and day out. I do my best to emulate that exact fervor for photography and the world of news,” student Braelyn Furse said.  

“Across every dimension of this award — teaching ability, contributions to journalism and journalism education, and dedication to professional excellence — Kim Komenich stands out as an extraordinary candidate. His career reflects not only individual achievement but a sustained and meaningful investment in the next generation of journalists,” Associate Professor of Journalism Laura Moorhead said.

Penguin/Random House to publish Lukas’ next novel

Associate Professor of Creative Writing Michael David Lukas has written a new novel, “The Invisible Line.” It will be published by Penguin/Random House on April 6, 2027.  

In this audacious historical novel, an American spy agrees to help the victors divide up the spoils of World War I by literally drawing the new borders of the Middle East — only to discover that the relic he holds has far greater power than he could have imagined.

Azocar co-edits book on ‘Indigenous Peoples and the Media’

Journalism Professor Cristina L. Azocar and Meta G. Carstarphen are the editors of “Indigenous Peoples and the Media” (University of Oklahoma Press). It was published on Aug. 4.

Azocar and Carstarphen build upon the 2012 book “American Indians and the Mass Media” with a brand-new volume to showcase the diversity and resilience of Indigenous storytelling in today’s media context. Together, their contributors — ranging from media scholars to Indigenous content creators —document experiences, analyze representations and provide a platform for a conversation about how mass media can lead consumers toward social justice. 

Skonieczny wins Holsti Award

International Relations Professor Amy Skonieczny has been selected to receive the Holsti Award of the International Studies Association (ISA). The Ole R. Holsti Distinguished Scholar Award is an annual honor given by the International Studies Association West region to recognize outstanding scholarship, teaching, mentorship and service in the field of international studies.  

Skonieczny is also a 2026 recipient of the University’s Marcus Transformative Award.

A celebration of Skonieczny’s contributions to scholarship, service to supporting graduate and undergraduate students at SFSU, and recognition in the field of international relations will take place during the ISA-West Conference in Pasadena on Friday, Sept. 25. 

Journalism, BECA students report stories for KQED from across the Bay Area

On July 5, KQED-FM aired the fifth episode of “The Future of the Bay.” Students in Associate Professor Josh Davis’ spring 2026 course in Journalism/Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) 480: “Audio Journalism” produced this news magazine radio series.

This one-hour special reports on women-focused gyms, alternative therapies, prediction markets, nightlife and other stories that amplify diverse voices from all over the Bay Area.  

SFSU students produced every second of this special report — from reporting to audio production and editing. The student journalists behind this work are: Bianca Sieraski, Lara Magdesian, Sasha Onadja, Derrick Wills, Giselle Garza Lerma, Gwen Murray, Grace Pastene, Cole Fowler, Gibran Beydoun, Lourence Alturino, Clarissa Delgado Barco, Alexa Luna, Angelique Persails, Alex Gomez, Steven Agrusa, Paul Singh, Jazlyn Wong, Gabe Janssen and Julian Olson. 

George gives guest lecture at Sant’Anna Institute on global perspectives on nutrition, health education

In June, Professor and Co-Program Lead in Nutrition and Dietetics Gretchen George and Cal State San Marcos Professor Devan Romero served as guest lecturers at the Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, as part of its Human Nutrition course.

“It was a rewarding experience to engage with an international group of students and faculty, discussing interdisciplinary approaches to health education and exploring how nutrition, culture and public health intersect across different contexts,” George said. “This underscored the value of global perspectives in education and health promotion.”

Graduate student research sheds new light on methane cycling in wetlands

Wetlands play an important role in the global methane cycle, but scientists are still uncovering how wetland microorganisms process methane and related compounds.  

In a newly accepted study, graduate student Sukhjit Kaur, working with Biology Assistant Professor Archana Anand, investigated an often-overlooked step in methane cycling: how microorganisms process methanol, a compound produced during methane metabolism.

By analyzing genetic information from wetland microbial communities in public databases, the researchers repeatedly found xoxF, a gene associated with an enzyme that allows microbes to process methanol. In a representative wetland sediment dataset, xoxF-associated genes were considerably more abundant than genes associated with the classical form of the same enzyme.

The findings suggest that this alternative pathway for methanol processing may be an underappreciated part of microbial carbon cycling in wetlands and provide a foundation for future studies examining how these microorganisms and genes influence methane cycling under changing environmental conditions.

The article, “xoxF-linked methanol oxidation signals recur across wetland metagenomes,” has been accepted for publication in Microbiology Spectrum. Kaur is supported by the College of Science & Engineering Student Enrichment Opportunities Office. Kaur and Anand gratefully acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation Centre for Cellular Construction for graduate student tuition support in addition to the Department of Energy Phage Pathways program and Joint Genome Institute for bioinformatics training. 

Second edition of Lee’s ‘Cambodian American Experiences’ is published

The second edition of “Cambodian American Experiences: Histories, Communities, Cultures and Identities” by Asian American Studies Professor Jonathan H. X. Lee was recently published by Kendall Hunt Publishing Co.  

First published in 2010, Lee’s book on Cambodian Americans remains the only comprehensive volume on the subject. The new edition features updated research, new material and revisions that better reflect the diversity of the Cambodian American experience.

Rosen awarded top award in field of visual impairment

Sandy Rosen, professor emerita of Special Education, won the Josephine L. Taylor Award from the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. She joins the honorable list of SFSU faculty who have made tremendous contributions to the field of visual impairment and orientation and mobility. This is the highest award that exists in the field of visual impairment.