SDSU College of Sciences

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 Thomas B. Day Award for Excellence in Physics!

This endowment, created in memory of the late SDSU President Day, supports faculty and students financially as they progress in their academic and professional pursuits.

This year’s recipients are as follows:

Vincent Juliano, an undergraduate student whose work in condensed quantum matter focuses on the electrical manipulation of excitons in moiré semiconductor superlattices, an emerging area at the forefront of modern physics. Juliano has developed strong expertise in fabricating 2D semiconductor heterostructures and characterizing their optical properties. He has been accepted into multiple Ph.D. programs in physics.

Hugo Mixco, a graduate student whose research in quantum materials centers on the direct growth of moiré semiconductor superlattices on hexagonal boron nitride, a rapidly developing area in condensed matter physics. He has built strong expertise in chemical v***r deposition growth and optical spectroscopy, including Raman and photoluminescence techniques.

Matt Anderson, a professor of physics who offers clear explanations, demonstrates strong organization, and makes complex material accessible and engaging. His teaching methods actively involve students in the learning process and allow them to build conceptual understanding and confidence in communicating scientific ideas. Anderson developed the Learning Glass system, an instructional tool that has been adopted at SDSU and other institutions, and maintains an extensive library of instructional videos that offer valuable support for students outside of class.

Learn more about these SDSU physicists on our website, link in bio!

College of Sciences alumni ❤️🖤

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

Over the weekend, sciences undergraduates crossed the stage and turned their tassels.

Commencement 2026 🎓

Swipe for glimpses of this year’s doctoral and master’s degree graduates from the College of Sciences.

A scuba diving researcher, protector of wild animals and aspiring pediatrician. 🤿🐾🩺

Transfer students Isaac Torres, Cesar Daniel Edeza and Melissa Sicairos Bobadilla showcase the wide range of scientific careers awaiting SDSU’s class of 2026.

They got their start at Southwestern College before transferring to SDSU through the STEM Pathways program. Through hands-on research experiences on and off campus, they each gained the technical skills needed for their careers and made lasting connections with peers and mentors in their fields along the way.

Read all about these graduates on SDSU NewsCenter. Link in bio.

Congratulations to Choudhury Bhuyan for receiving SDSU’s 2026 Outstanding International Scholar Award!

Bhuyan is a postdoctoral research fellow in associate professor Sanjay Behura’s lab. The award honors his significant impact on our campus community, through cutting-edge research on quantum materials and photonics, mentorship of undergraduate and graduate researchers, and collaborative engagement in the broader research sphere.

Tuesday, April 28, marked a high point — both literally and figuratively — as a crane hoisted the final steel beam into place atop SDSU’s new Life Sciences Building, scheduled to open during the 2027–28 academic year.

A group representing the SDSU community, university supporters and construction partners gathered for a “topping-out ceremony,” a traditional construction milestone marking the placement of a building’s highest structural beam.

The beam was slowly lifted into place after being inscribed with signatures and notes from those in attendance. The remainder of construction will encase the beam and its signatures in perpetuity.

The milestone marks a major step toward completing a facility designed to transform life sciences education and research at SDSU.

Read more on SDSU NewsCenter. Link in bio.

What if a treatment for the deadliest type of breast cancer already exists? SDSU researchers believe they found one.

A team led by associate professor of biology Svasti Haricharan examined why some patients are resistant to treatment for estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer.

Their research led them to uncover a potential treatment that is readily available and could reduce mortality for this common cancer.

Learn more on SDSU NewsCenter. Link in Bio.

The SDSU greenhouse has been around since the 1960s and, today, houses more than 400 plant species, including rare and endangered varieties.

Meet botanist Bob Mangan (’77). For more than 45 years, he has helped sustain the greenhouse—where, in many ways, it’s Earth Day every day.

Read more in the latest edition of SDSU Magazine.

400 feet below the ocean’s surface, researchers glimpsed thousands of years into the past.

An interdisciplinary group of scientists, anthropologists, students and tribal partners spent a week at sea studying ancient Indigenous landscapes buried beneath the waters around Southern California’s Channel Islands.

The team included SDSU’s Jimmy Futty (’20, ’22), a geophysics Ph.D. student, and Jillian Maloney, associate professor of geological sciences, Amy Gusick from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, SDSU alumna Roslynn King (’22), biologists from UCSD and a large group of SDSU students.

The team worked around the clock to learn more about how the land evolved and how ancient people lived, all while making scientific discoveries, offering a hands-on learning opportunity for students and identifying culturally significant areas for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

Read more in the latest edition of SDSU Magazine.