Each year, the San Diego State Alumni Association recognizes outstanding faculty and alumni and honors them for their contributions to teaching, research and community service.
Dipak Gupta, College of Arts and Letters, is a professor of political science and holds the Fred J. Hansen Chair of Peace Studies. He has received more than $2 million in funding and has written nine books on terrorism, political instability and public policy, of which “Analyzing Public Policy” is required reading in universities around the world. He is an Albert W. Johnson Lecturer, the highest distinction bestowed by SDSU for research and scholarship.
Kathleen Krentler, College of Business Administration, has written extensively on the role of Internet-savvy individuals in consumer decision making. A Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Marketing Science, she is director of both undergraduate programs and assessment for SDSU’s College of Business Administration. In the latter role, she leads efforts to meet the demanding assessment requirements for the college’s reaccreditation.
Nancy Farnan, College of Education, is a professor of teacher education, whose scholarship centers on teaching writing and language arts to young people. She co-developed and taught in the City Heights Writers’ Institute and co-directed the Partnership in Reading Video Project. In 2003, she accepted the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Preparation on behalf of SDSU’s School of Teacher Education, of which she is director.
Eugene Olevsky, College of Engineering, is director of the SDSU-UCSD joint doctoral program in engineering sciences and expert in powder sintering. Research from his Powder Technology Lab is applied to fuel and solar cells, hydrogen storage and nanotechnology. He has received a National Science Foundation Career Award, a TRW Excellence in Teaching Award and the Albert W. Johnson Research Lectureship, the highest research honor bestowed by SDSU.
Loring Jones, College of Health and Human Services, is a professor of social work whose $3 million in research funding focuses on factors impacting child welfare. He is a consultant and board member for public and nonprofit agencies and has developed an international reputation through conference presentations across the globe. He participates in the School of Social Work’s summer internship in Bangkok, Thailand.
Jeanne Nichols, College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, is a professor of exercise and nutritional sciences with a long history of involving students in her applied research focusing on bone health in aging populations and teenage girls. She and her team were the first to report exercise-related disorders in high school athletes. Since 1985, she has been affiliated with the SDSU Adult Fitness Program, now the Center for Optimal Health and Performance.
James Sallis, College of Sciences, applies behavioral science to physical activity, healthy eating and smoking prevention. A professor of psychology and the author of more than 375 peer-reviewed publications, he developed the SPARK physical education program used in more than 2000 schools. He directs Active Living Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2007, the Society of Behavioral Medicine named him Distinguished Scientist, its highest honor.
Pamela Jackson, Library and Information Access, has used social networking to reach students in creative and effective ways. She established a YouTube channel to distribute multimedia productions, including her library video tour, and in Second Life, she created the 3-D virtual SDSU Library. Her work distinguishes SDSU as a leading provider of information services beyond the library’s physical walls.
Juan-Carlos Ramirez-Pimienta, Imperial Valley Campus, is an expert in Mexican and border literature and cultural studies. Among the most incisive contemporary researchers into the corrido, a popular and influential Mexican ballad form, he is particularly well-known for his work on narcocorridos (drug-trafficking ballads). At Imperial Valley Campus, he coordinates the Spanish program, and also served on the organizing committee of the International Conference on Immigrant Rights.