Top NewsCenter Stories of 2015
A look at the top campus stories from the past year.
2015 was a year of discovery for San Diego State University.
From groundbreaking research, to major strides in The Campaign for SDSU, to tales of student success, it was a busy year on the Mesa.
We compiled a list of the top stories SDSU NewsCenter covered throughout 2015. Here’s a list of the biggest headlines from the last year:
Interdisciplinary research is the future, and SDSU is ready to go there. The Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences (EIS) Complex, which is scheduled for completion in 2018, is a key piece in SDSU’s drive to become a top-50 public research university. Having scientific research, engineering know-how and entrepreneurship and prototyping expertise all under the same roof will make the EIS Complex a unique and powerful hub for problem-solving,
A Record Fundraising Year in Campaign to Raise $750 Million
In a significant step toward reaching a campaign goal of $750 million, SDSU has completed its best-ever year of fundraising. The university raised $96.3 million in fiscal year 2014-2015 and increased its endowment to $191 million. Support in the form of estate gifts and planned gifts remained strong, accounting for about 25 percent of the total raised this year through The Campaign for SDSU.
Entrepreneurship Program Among Best in Nation
SDSU's undergraduate entrepreneurial program has been ranked No. 8 among the nation’s public universities and No. 21 for all universities in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report. The report ranked SDSU as No. 149 on its list of top national universities, having moved up 34 spots from No. 183 in 2011.
A significant gift from San Diego philanthropist Darlene Shiley increased the endowment to a level that will support the Weber Honors College ambitions and growth plans for decades. At its current level of $10 million, the endowment will enable the Weber Honors College to increase enrollment to 1,200 students, support faculty fellowships and develop challenging new curriculum for the entire student community.
Campus Arts Come AliveArts Alive SDSU — a program that promotes the work of SDSU arts students, faculty, and staff — is engaging the campus community with the flourishing wealth of art on Montezuma Mesa. After a successful first year, the program has been praised for adding more color, life and artistic excellence to the San Diego State campus.
SDSU No. 15 in Nation for Study Abroad
SDSU ranks No. 15 among all universities in the country for the number of students studying abroad, according to the latest Institute for International Education’s Open Doors report. A record 2,119 SDSU students studied internationally in 2013-14, the latest academic year for which Open Doors report statistics are available.
The start of the fall 2015 semester brought a lot of change to San Diego State University. SDSU welcomed 10,000 new students to campus with new faculty, programs, initiatives and facilities that will contribute to student success.
Eight SDSU Students Receive Fulbrights
Eight San Diego State University students were selected to teach and conduct research abroad in 2015-2016 as part of the prestigious Fulbright Program, the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.
Highest-Achieving Freshman Class in SDSU History
The most competitive applicant pool in SDSU history has yielded its highest achieving freshman class. The application pool was more competitive than ever before, with a record 82,000 undergraduate applications received for the 2015/16 academic year.
The SDSU football team beat the Air Force Academy to win the 20th conference championship in school history. This is SDSU's first outright title since winning the Western Athletic Conference crown in 1986.
