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Source: SDSU News Center
January 10, 2018 (San Diego) -- There’s a lot happening at San Diego State, which recently celebrated its 120th anniversary.
Here are some of the top news stories to watch for from SDSU in the New Year.
In 2018, the university hopes to expand its campus in Mission Valley, including a new stadium for the Aztecs, professional soccer and other sports as well as classrooms, research buildings, a river park, housing for students and workers, retail stores, hotels and a conference center.
The original SDSU campus is getting a new Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences building set to open this year, where researchers will work on solving some of society’s greatest challenges, including climate change, water quality and medical issues. The new complex will also include the campus’s first MRI imaging machine to help researchers study the brain to seek solutions to conditions such as Alzheimer’s and autism.
The top job on campus is open and the big question is: who will fill it? The search is underway for a new college president, following the departure of Elliott Hirshman. SDSU has only had only 10 presidents since 1898; students and faculty are eagerly awaiting the announcement of number 11.
San Diego State also has a new drone lab that opened last year, and seeks to partner in 2018 with industry in the San Diego area to become a regional asset researching issues such as drone safety protocols and more.
Campus researchers are also investigating innovative ideas for cleaning up polluted waterways including the San Diego River through Mission Valley. Plus Dr. Jean Twenge in the Psychology Department plans to publish major research papers this year on the iGEN, the first generation spending their entire adolescences in the age of the smartphone.
An entrepreneurship program is working on projects in 2018 including an app to help homeless people living in vans, a transportation option for children in our region, a program for teachers to grade papers with artificial intelligence, and a skateboard tool to fix skateboards on the go.
In sports, keep an eye on former Aztec Xander Schauffele, who was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and is ranked 25th worldwide after wins at the PGA Tour Championship and other major tournaments. Also watch Jenavee Peres, a slugger who has shattered many batting records and became the fourth Aztec to be named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American. She was named Mountain West Player of the Year with a .454 batting average, 16 home runs and whopping .840 slugging percentage.
SDSU is also active in a cross-border wellness project, a student-run business delivering produce to “food deserts” where access to healthy fruits and vegetables is limited, the university also plans major arts events, including performances with the San Diego Symphony and a collaboration with the San Diego Opera.
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