All-University Convocation celebrates constructive engagement and common ground
A new Presidential Global Democracy Fund at SDSU will support faculty, staff and student projects dedicated to dialogue, unity and understanding.
San Diego State University President Adela de la Torre opened the 2024-25 academic year with a focus on the university’s essential role in constructive civic engagement and upholding the expression of a full range of viewpoints.
“At SDSU, we pride ourselves on fostering an environment in which diverse ideas and perspectives can flourish,” de la Torre told about 1,000 faculty, staff and students during the annual All-University Convocation on Thursday in Montezuma Hall at Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. “Our commitment to academic excellence is matched by our dedication to preparing our students to be informed, engaged, and responsible citizens.”
This engagement, she said, “and how we work together to find solutions to challenges on our campus and within our global community, all contribute to the collective well-being of our society.”
De la Torre’s seventh convocation as SDSU president marked the beginning of the university’s 127th academic year and continued an annual tradition of honoring the exceptional work of faculty and staff.
As a “microcosm of the broader society,” de la Torre said SDSU seeks to preserve the values of integrity, inclusivity, civility and respect that strengthen the broader community. “Our democracy thrives when we engage in respectful dialogue, seek common ground, and strive to understand perspectives different from our own,” she said.
Toward that goal and to support education as a tool in this activity, de la Torre said she is establishing a Presidential Global Democracy Fund at SDSU, to be managed by the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, with an initial contribution of $50,000.
“I personally want to support the members of our SDSU community in continuing to be the powerful forces for positive change that you already are,” de la Torre said. “This initiative will fund projects organized and led by faculty, staff or students that serve to foster dialogue and support caring leadership.”
At SDSU, de la Torre said, “we witness constructive civic engagement every day throughout the campus. We are involved in staying informed and encouraging others to do the same. More often than not we do this in a respectful manner, which enhances robust dialogue and engagement.”
In the community
In the 2023-24 academic year, de la Torre said, SDSU students collectively completed an estimated 72,000 hours of community service in projects that included building homes in Tijuana, tutoring at K-12 schools, and raising charitable contributions.
Also during convocation, Interim Provost William Tong and Denise Zellmann, president of the SDSU Alumni Board of Advisors, presented the annual Alumni Distinguished Faculty Awards.
“SDSU is an extraordinary university, in large part because of our extraordinary faculty,” Tong said. “Among them are masterful, inspirational teachers; phenomenal researchers; committed and engaged citizens of our university community; passionate leaders of their scholarly disciplines both nationally and internationally; compassionate servants of our SDSU communities and many who excel in all these areas of professional endeavor.”
This year’s honorees are:
- Clarissa Clò, College of Arts and Letters
- Beth Chung, Fowler College of Business
- Marva Cappello, College of Education
- Chunting “Chris” Mi, College of Engineering
- Penelope Quintana, College of Health and Human Services
- Calvin Johnson, College of Sciences
- Donna Castañeda, SDSU Imperial Valley
Also recognized were the Presidential Staff Excellence Awards recipients for 2024:
- Jessica Chang, Rachel Hart, Lott Hill, Jennifer Imazeki and Conor McLaughlin, team effort
- Megan Taormina, staff-to-staff mentoring
- Susana Lopez, community service
- Natalie Roper, service to the university
- Luis Topete, auxiliary support
- Greg Elliott, innovation & creativity
- Stephanie Anderson, manager of the year
The university’s third annual Lifetime Achievement award recipient was Chris Lindmark, assistant vice president of donor relations and special events.
University Senate Chair Nola Butler-Byrd and Associated Students President Katarina Hernandez also spoke at convocation.
Noting the current election-year political environment, Butler-Byrd said it is important to protect academic freedom, inclusivity and multicultural democracy, preserving faculty and student rights.
Hernandez said the theme for the student government organization this year is “Be the Change You Want to SEA,” an acronym for Safety, Equity, and Accessibility, which she said are essential to growth and development at SDSU.
