California State University San Marcos

One of the slowest creatures on Earth might be heading toward a scientific breakthrough at warp speed. Cal State San Marcos researchers and colleagues recently discovered a population of banana slugs at Palomar Mountain. Now they are trying to determine if they stumbled on a new species of the slug, or if it is an existing species far from its usual home.
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If you had a choice to climb the highest mountain in the lower United States or walk across a stage to get your college degree, which would you choose? For Cal State San Marcos alumnus Jaedon Spurlock, the decision was simple. During commencement weekend last month, he and his dad, Jared Spurlock, elected to skip the ceremony and instead climb Mount Whitney.
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Colin Dobbins is used to fighting for wins as a star lacrosse player for Cal State San Marcos. But a few months ago, the 22-year-old offensive midfielder was fighting to recover after a serious injury to his collarbone. Dobbins was participating in a game near the end of the season when tragedy struck, in this case literally.
Despite the physicality and even after two injuries, Dobbins said he wasn’t ready to give up. After all, he has been playing the sport since he was about 4 or 5 years old. But the path back to the field wasn’t easy.
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Alhelí Calderón Villarreal, an assistant professor in Cal State San Marcos’ public health department, is the author or co-author of two recent studies that have been published in research journals. Calderón Villarreal is a medical doctor whose work focuses on the intersection of environmental health and social equity in the binational region that includes San Diego.
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For many students, quantum physics education centers on theory, with few opportunities for hands-on experience. Cal State San Marcos physics professor Justin Perron aims to change that. Perron is leading a three-year, $1,085,815 project supported by the Laboratory for Physical Sciences, targeting one of the most demanding areas in modern science: quantum information science and technology (QIST).
The effort builds on a previous Department of Energy RENEW award that equipped CSU undergraduate faculty to integrate quantum concepts into their courses. Now Perron is tackling the next barrier: getting students hands-on experience with the technology itself.
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Alyssa Helmantoler’s involvement in Future Educators Association has been supported by Project R.I.S.E. (short for Recruiting Inclusive, Supportive Educators), a CSUSM initiative aimed at strengthening Southern California’s educator pipeline. Project R.I.S.E. also has shaped Jared Leeds’ experience through program events, where he explored teaching high school students and connected with educators.
The initiative is generously funded by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, which provided an initial $40,000 grant to launch Project R.I.S.E. last year and has since committed an additional $120,000 to expand the program.
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Take a look at the numbers from our graduated class of 2026. We are proud of each and every one of you all!

With five young grandchildren and five acres to tend, retirement for Major General Anthony “Tony” Jackson and his wife, Sue, has been a full-time endeavor.
Jackson first visited Cal State San Marcos in 2011, and one thing stood out to him immediately: a dedicated office for student veterans. This would motivate him to serve on the CSUSM Foundation Board for 13 years. Today, he and Sue continue to support student veterans through the Major General Anthony L. Jackson Veterans Endowed Scholarship.
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CSUSM’s spring commencement took place on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at Mangrum Track & Field on campus, with five different ceremonies stretched across the two days. A total of 4,352 students graduated as part of this year’s class. Spring commencement, with 3,312 graduates, follows on the heels of CSUSM holding its annual fall commencement in December, which included 1,040 graduates.
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Akayla Hackson has always had a knack for finding solutions to problems. So when Kelsey Forrester told Hackson about the most challenging part of her job at UC Santa Barbara, Hackson took action.
Hackson and Forrester have been close friends since their days as teammates on the Cal State San Marcos women’s basketball team from 2018-22. Forrester, now an assistant coach and director of basketball operation for the UCSB women, told Hackson how the hardest part of her job is coordinating meals for players when the team is on road trips. In coming up with an alternative for Forrester, Hackson launched MealOps, a business that aims to modernize team meal logistics by helping athletic programs efficiently coordinate, organize and execute large group orders.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wEZ9bB