April 16, 2024
Happy April to all,
There is so much happening at SSU right now. The air is warming while spring hovers, the campus is gearing up for Commencement, and so much of our work is gaining visibility – its educational and research impact emerging with clarity and cohesion.
SSU’s trajectory is especially notable in the context of the recent solar eclipse, and the myriad ways in which our perspective can change. Take a look at the Eclipse Megamovie, the product of a partnership between the EdEon STEM Learning Team and NASA, using a network of volunteer eclipse-watchers to chronicle the April 8 event.
EdEon’s efforts extend beyond chronicling the eclipse, of course. The event also presented an opportunity for NASA’s Neurodiversity Network – created by SSU’s Dr. Lynn Cominsky – to partner with several schools and engage and intrigue neurodiverse learners to “inspire them to learn more about the sun and the cosmos,” Cominsky says.
The diversity of SSU research and outreach work is considerable – from the Kinesiology Department’s hosting of Tech High students for hands-on lab experiences, to two wine industry scholars’ research being presented at CSU’s annual Student Research Competition, to Dr. Brent Hughes’ ongoing reporting on the impact sea otters are having on coastal salt marshes, and SSU’s own celebration of the breadth and depth of its research across campus during the upcoming 2024 Research, Scholarship & Creativity Symposium April 29 and 30. We also continue to expand our support and advocacy for a campus community free from sexual violence, engaging in different events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and building stronger networks to ensure that learning and research remain equitable and safe.
In addition to our strong academic culture, our campus community is rich with different traditions and histories and personal stories that inform the depth of our diversity. Although May is generally recognized as Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, at SSU we begin a rich series of celebrations in April, so as not to run over the end of the semester. Rituals of atonement, reflection, and recommitment to the holiest traditions also cycle through this month, from celebrations of Easter to Passover and Eid al-Fitr, (the Festival of Breaking the Fast), to mark the end of Ramadan.
All of this activity – which extends far beyond what can possibly be mentioned here – is a fresh reminder that Sonoma State University fulfills a vast array of educational needs. We have a reputation as a strong liberal arts university, and the excellence of SSU’s programs in those areas bears that out. But like a versatile athlete, Sonoma State plays well to all fields, with all of our programs demonstrating excellence and accomplishment as the university makes important progress through research and engagement with our communities and partners.
Thank you, again, to all of you who contribute to SSU’s success; you are truly valuable, and I hope, feel valued.
Warmly,
Mike Lee, Ph.D.
President