FALL2019 RISING TOGETHER CAL STATE EAST BAY CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL COMPREHENSIVE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN magazine is published by the Office of University Communications and Marketing, a department of the Division of University Advancement. President Leroy M. Morishita University Advancement Bill Johnson, Vice President Lori Bachand, Associate Vice President, University Communications & Marketing Holly Stanco, Associate Vice President, Development Richard Watters ’13, Executive Director, Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving Editor Natalie Feulner Graphic Designers Kent Kavasch Gus Yoo Contributing Writers Elias Barboza Natalie Feulner Dan Fost Ilene Lelchuk Photography Garvin Tso ’07 Contributing Copyeditor Melanie Blake Inquiries Send your letter to the editor, submit a class note or update your address/subscription preferences, including the option to receive Cal State East Bay magazine electronically, by contacting:
[email protected] Or mail to: Cal State East Bay SA 4800 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd. Hayward, CA 94542 * Please note: Letters will be printed at the discretion of Cal State East Bay and may be edited for publication. COVER: Pablo Villaseñor is a junior at Cal State East Bay and a communications major expected to graduate in the spring of 2021. Born and raised in San Leandro, Villaseñor chose Cal State East Bay for its high-quality education and proximity to his home and family. As an on-campus student employee and member of Sigma Delta Upsilon, a local fraternity, he embodies the university’s commitment to student success and experiential learning. GARVIN TSO & GARY CRABBE / ENLIGHTENED IMAGES; ENLIGHTPHOTO.COM FEATURES 8 Rising in the East 18 Mapping a Genome 22 Becoming Dr. Yang 26 Humanizing History 30 A Marketplace for Businesses 34 Distinguished Alumni DEPARTMENTS 04 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 05 UNIVERSITY NEWS 34 ALUMNI 40 CLASS NOTES 47 PARTING SHOT Fetid adder’s tongue or slink pod (pictured here) is one of the many plants faculty and students at Cal State East Bay’s new Green Biome Institute will be sequencing in the next year.