Have a comment or question? Email the editor at ben.soriano@csueastbay.edu
For this latest issue of the alumni magazine, I have a very special announcement. For the past 16 months, we’ve been researching, surveying, and developing a fresh brand position for your university that differentiates us from other universities and truly reflects who we are. This was a promise made to our students and alumni, and I’m very happy to share the news that we have a new brand, logo and mascot!
Our new brand platform emphasizes the East Bay with pride. As someone who was born and raised in the East Bay, I am especially proud that it unquestionably represents who we are as a student body, as a place of learning and high achievement, and as a community devoted to lifting each other up.
With our new brand identity and mascot, we look forward to entering our Fall semester with a rejuvenated sense of pride and spirit!
Mo Beig, '13, has always dreamed big since his early days in India helping his parents count fabric bolts for their humble business. Today, the lessons from family and Cal State East Bay are fueling his rapid rise in the fashion world.
In hand cuffs before the judge, Alex Wyse's drug-fueled life of homelessness, poor choices and petty crimes flashed before his eyes, but a lucky break in his case turned his fortunes. Now as a Cal State East Bay grad, he's a doctoral candidate and earning a living counseling folks to follow in his footsteps out of addiction and dysfunction.
Litzy Serrano thought her academic work at Cal State East Bay would be a solo effort like it had been all her life. Then she arrived to campus to discover a community of educators and students happy to complement her parents’ lifelong support with academic help every step of the way.
Aaron Atton ’12 is an alumnus who engineered an affordable education that led him to a supercharged career at Tesla.
His first Happy Meal was one of his life’s saddest moments. But Wolfgang Mundt found family through foster care and tapped his East Bay community for guidance to fulfill the vision he set for himself. Read how this graduate gained confidence and success through a prestigious Apple internship and his experiences at Cal State East Bay.
Read His StoryFred Fischer, ’67, a Vietnam veteran, turned his work-study job at Cal State Hayward into a lifelong career of helping young people find jobs and improve their lives. Now retired, he continues to make an impact through a new endowment that changes lives, including his own.
The EPA awarded a $915,786 grant to support 绿帽换妻’s work on the 6,000-square-foot garden, which lies at the foot of Mount Diablo, overlooking the northern East Bay. The area, part of the Concord Center, houses an abundance of wildlife — including birds, deer, coyotes and bobcats. EPA-related scientific studies are being conducted, including soil, water and air pollution monitoring.
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At Cal State East Bay’s Concord Center, a realistic human dummy made of silicone lays in a large, adjustable bed. His name is Jimmy, and he’s plugged into a heart monitor inside a detailed mock hospital room, complete with all the necessary nursing tools. His head and body are remotely controlled from behind a large one-way mirror by Nursing Simulation Instructor Anna Livson.
The Braddock Center for Science and Innovation promises 21st century learning and engagement for STEM students
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The Sorensen Foundation partners with the Masters in Social Work program to address childhood mental health crisis
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Dr. Joe Knapik proudly served his country for nearly 40 years, and now he wants to serve the alma mater that made his career
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Total graduates: 3,002
Age of oldest graduate: 73
Age of youngest graduate: 18
First-gen graduates: 1,721
Betty Reid Soskin is a distinguished leader whose contributions have enriched Cal State East Bay, the East Bay region, California and our nation. An East Bay resident for over 90 years, Ms. Soskin is an outstanding model of civic engagement, a pioneer for social justice and a truth-teller of history. A graduate of Oakland High School, Soskin was a file clerk during World War II at the Richmond shipyards in a segregated union hall. One of the few Black Americans hired, Ms. Soskin later observed that her office position was akin to attending college, given the options available at that time.
In 1995, Soskin was named a “Woman of the Year” by the California State Legislature and awarded the Silver Service Medallion by the National WWII Museum in recognition of her work and connection to World War II.
Most famously, in 2000, Soskin joined the U.S. National Park Service, stationed at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front Park in Richmond, CA. From its inception, Soskin was deeply involved in the direction and creation of this distinctive urban national park, including bringing to light stories about working in a time of segregation and racism.
A tech leader and lifelong learner whose academic pursuits have contributed significantly to the evolution of search and social media.
A leader in the financial services field, whose philanthropic commitments reflect an inspiring mission to uplift and support others.
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A lauded leader in the consulting industry, whose mentorship and scholarships have helped empower future female business leaders.
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A leader in tech, whose philanthropic efforts have fostered strong partnerships between private industry and the nonprofit community.
Jatinderpal Sahi is CEO of Rotacare Bay Area, a nonprofit that provides free medical care to those unable to afford it. Sahi is also a Public Health Commissioner for Alameda County. During the COVID pandemic, she organized large-scale vaccine drives throughout the Bay Area’s Sikh community, helping over 3,000 community members obtain access.
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James Monroe Iglehart will be playing the lead role in “A Wonderful World,” a Broadway musical about one of America’s greatest jazz legends, Louis Armstrong. As a Broadway performer since 2007, Iglehart is best known for his role as The Genie in “Aladdin,” for which he earned a Tony and a Drama Desk Award.
Alumna, Kori Barton and her husband, Sammy Barton, published the children’s book, "C is for Concord: An A to Z Journey through Concord, California." Kori, raised in Concord, brought her passion for art to life with vibrant illustrations, while Sammy’s love for poetry shaped the narrative. The book highlights well-known spots like Mt. Diablo and Buchanan Airport and uncovers hidden gems like the local elk herd.
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Last spring, Model UN of the Far West convened hundreds of students from 22 universities across the western US representing 72 countries. Among these would-be foreign service officers were 20 Cal State East Bay students from Professor Maria Ortuoste’s class, “Global Governance and the United Nations.” Cal State East Bay delegates represented Fiji, the UK and Vietnam, and were selected to form a three-person leadership team to manage the much-coveted General Assembly First Committee.
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With her scientific gumption, the help of her student research teams and her success in bringing her research into the classroom to improve comprehension, Professor Divya Sitaraman was invited to join a consortium of universities and research institutes that will receive $33 million in NIH funding to map the mouse brain. Her team will partner with the Allen Institute, leaders in the field of brain research, to analyze and interpret its data sets for insight.
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Cal State East Bay Professor of Public Health Michael Schmeltz was selected for one of the nation’s most prestigious fellowships in health policy. Schmeltz is among seven named to the 2024-25 class of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows at the National Academy of Medicine. Schmeltz will spend a year in Washington, D.C., where he will meet with national health and health policy leaders and get experience in the federal policy-making process.
Read the StoryFrom politics and mental health to black holes and AI technology, Cal State East Bay's diverse scholars are regularly called on for media interviews. Here's a sample of the myriad stories and news to which our faculty and staff frequently lend their expertise, some of which feature what's happening on campus.
Indigenous to the East Bay region, chosen by our students, revered by our tribal communities, and reflecting the pioneering spirit of our students and community, the Peregrine Falcon exemplifies a bold, fearless approach to life and a bird’s eye view of what the future can hold.