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San Diego State University

_University
image =

The San Diego State University seal

name = San Diego State Universitymotto = Minds that move the world established = 1897 type = Public president= Steven L. Weber city = San Diego state = California country = USA students=undergrad = 27,345 postgrad = 6,331 staff= 1,684 campus = Urban endowment= ~$99.6 million (permanent)mascot = Aztec Warrior affiliations= California State University system colors= Red and Black www.sdsu.edu

San Diego State University athletics http://www.goaztecs.com

San Diego State University (SDSU), founded in 1897, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area (generally the City and County of San Diego), and is part of the California State University system. It is the third-oldest university in the California State University system, and one of the oldest universities in California. SDSU has a student body of more than 33,000 and an alumni base of more than 200,000.

The Carnegie Foundation has designated the SDSU a "Research University with high research activity." SDSU is the only California State University campus with this classification, which places it among the top 200 higher education institutions in the country conducting research (Carnegie Foundation link).

San Diego State University awards bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees (Ph.D. and Ed.D) in a total of 151 fields. SDSU is the largest university in San Diego and the third largest in California. It offers the most doctoral degrees of any campus of the California State University system, currently in sixteen (16) academic and research disciplines.

San Diego State University is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and recently (July 2006) became a member of Oak Ridge Associated Universities, a national organization of universities that promotes science and technology education and research.

History and Important Facts

With more than a century of achievement in education, research and service, and with an enrollment of more than 33,000 students, San Diego State University (SDSU) has grown into the largest institution of higher education in the southern California region and one of the largest in California.

Renowned for its academic excellence, the university is home to many top-ranked academic programs. One in seven (7) San Diegans with a college degree attended SDSU, making SDSU a primary educator of the region's work force, as well as a leader in expanding access to higher education. Committed to serving the diverse San Diego region, SDSU ranks among the top ten (10) universities nationwide in terms of ethnic and racial diversity among its student body, as well as the number of bachelor's degrees conferred upon minority students.

Increasingly recognized for innovative research, SDSU has achieved the prestigious "Research University" status granted by the Carnegie Foundation. SDSU faculty consistently attract hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars annually in grants and contracts for research and program administration, and SDSU's research and graduate degree programs lead all other campuses of the California State University system. Private giving to SDSU is also rising dramatically, reaching record levels in recent fiscal year. Because state funds provide only about one-third of the SDSU's annual operating requirements, with tuition and fees not adding much more, the support of alumni, friends and community partners is providing a crucial margin of excellence at SDSU, enabling the university to fulfill its mission and expand its service to the San Diego region and beyond.

In what could be considered an honor (depending on one's viewpoint), San Diego State University was listed as the fifth most popular "party school" in the May 2006 issue of Playboy. SDSU ranked behind the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the University of California, Santa Barbara, Arizona State University and Indiana University, Bloomington and ahead of Florida State University, Ohio University, the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee and Canada's McGill University in Montreal. Playboy's Top Ten Party Schools has been released by the magazine twice. In 1987, the top pick went to California State University, Chico, and in 2002, Arizona State (currently 3rd) received top billing.

Endowment

San Diego State University's permanent financial endowment is presently valued at $99.6 million U.S. dollars (USD) as of the end of the 2004-2005 academic year.

San Diego State University received a then-record $149 million USD in external funding during the 2003-2004 academic year for research purposes and other related matters, and also an additional $63 million USD in donations and other charitable giving. For the 2004-2005 academic year, the amount increased to new record level, over $157 million USD in external funding, as well as an additional $57 million USD in donations and charitable giving.

The primary philanthropic arm of San Diego State University is The Campanile Foundation, controlled by the University Advancement division of the university. The San Diego State University Research Foundation, an auxiliary corporation owned and controlled by the university, is the manager and administrator of all philanthropic funds and external funding for the university and its affiliated and auxiliary foundations and corporations.

An auxiliary to The Campanile Foundation is the Aztec Athletic Association, which primarily raises funds for the student athletes in the San Diego State University athletics programs (see discussion of Athletics below).

In addition to its permanent endowment, San Diego State University raises over $55 million U.S. dollars per year (approximately) in philanthropic gifts to support its research and academic affairs.

Images

Image:Sdsumain.jpg|A landmark architecture featured in the school logoImage:SDSU-library-image.jpg|The SDSU Campus with the library (known as the "Infodome") in the foregroundImage:Pedestrian Bridge.jpg|Pedestrian bridge connecting various dorms and parking structures to campus

Academic and Research Affairs

San Diego State University is the leader in the California State University system in awarding Ph.D. or Ed.D degrees, currently awarding such degrees in 16 academic disciplines. As a result of recent statutory changes (SB 974), SDSU intends to expand the scope and number of doctoral degree programs that it offers its graduate students Link.
*San Diego State University, Division of Graduate and Research Affairs
*Choosing graduate education and research at SDSU
*SDSU Graduate and Professional Degrees listing

Research Institutes and Centers
*American Language Institute
*Center for Advanced Water Technologies
*California Institute for Transportation Safety (CITS)
*Center for Bio/Pharmaceutical and Biodevice Development at SDSU
*Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education
*Center for International Business Education & Research
*The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology
*Coastal and Marine Institute
*Computational Science Research Center
*Entrepreneurial Management Center
*Facility for Applied Manufacturing Enterprise
*Interwork Institute
*International Security and Conflict Resolution Program (ISCOR)
*Institute for Public Health
*June Burnett Institute
*Pacific Estuarine Research Laboratory (PERL)
*The SDSU Global Change Research GroupResearch Consortium
*California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2)
**Official Site
**Membership Page
*California Space Grant Consortium
**Official Site
**Membership Page
*Southern California Earthquake Center
**Official SCEC site
*Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research & Policy (SCERP)Renowned Facilities
*The SDSU Campus Library - The Infodome
*Chemical Sciences Laboratory
*Coastal Waters Laboratory
*Facility for Applied Manufacturing Enterprise
*SDSU Biological Field Stations
**Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve TRNERR
*SDSU BioScience Center (currently under construction download plans and brochure)
*SDSU Michrochemical Core Facility
*Social Science Research Laboratory (SSRL)
*The Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation Center for Earth Systems Analysis Research (CESAR)
*SDSU Center for Information Technology and Infrastructure (CITI)
**The SDSU Visualization Center
*The Department of English and Comparative Literature
**literature.sdsu.edu.Observatory
* Mount Laguna Observatory
** An astronomical observatory owned by SDSU and operating concurrently with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
*Official Site of the SDSU Astronomy Department
** SDSU is the only institution in the California State University system that offers a complete academic program in Astronomy, including the awarding of graduate degrees.

Media, Newspapers and Magazines

SDSU Media and Publications
*San Diego State University Press
** The oldest university press in the California State University system with noted specializations in Border Studies, Critical Theory, Latin American Studies, and Cultural Studies.
*Hyperbole Books
** Hyperbole Books
*KPBS Public Broadcasting TV/FM
** Television, digital television, and FM radio for the San Diego community
**Official site of KPBS
** An affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network
** "A Broadcasting Service of San Diego State University"
*KCR (AM)
** Student-run broadcast station
*360 Magazine
** The quarterly SDSU alumni and San Diego community magazine

Official SDSU Campus Newspapers
*The SDSU News & Media webpage
*SDSUniverse news service
** News and information for the SDSU community
*The Daily Aztec Newspaper - Serving the SDSU Community
** The largest daily collegiate newspaper in California, publishing daily since 1960.

Other
*The Koala at SDSU
**The Koala is a student-run humor publication at San Diego State University.

Athletics

The official SDSU Athletics website is GoAztecs.com

SDSU Aztecs

The university has organized facilities for baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, tennis, softball, rowing (crew), water polo, swimming, and women's volleyball. It competes in NCAA Division I (I-A for football). Its primary conference is the Mountain West Conference; its women's water polo team participates in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and its men's soccer team participates as an Associate Member of the Pacific Ten Conference (the "Pac-10" Conference). Crew's championship regatta is the WIRA (Western International Rowing Association).

The school colors are scarlet and black, SDSU's athletic teams are nicknamed "Aztecs", and its current mascot is the Aztec Warrior, historically referred to as "Monty - Montezuma".

A detailed listing of the SDSU athletics facilities, including photographs and descriptions, is found here: SDSU Athletics Facilities.

Football
* See SDSU Football

San Diego State Athletics have contributed richly to the National Football League (NFL). Distinguished NFL head coaches were proud members of the Aztec Football program:
*Joe Gibbs - Hall of Fame NFL head coach of the Washington Redskins, former Aztec player and assistant coach.
*John Madden - Hall of Fame AFL/NFL head coach of the Oakland Raiders, former Aztec assistant coach.
*Don Coryell - Hall of Fame NFL head coach of the San Diego Chargers, former Aztec head coach.
*Ted Tollner - former NFL offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers, former Aztec head coach.
*Herman Edwards - NFL head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, former Aztec player.
*John Fox - NFL head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

SDSU Aztecs

Some of the more famous SDSU students to later star in the NFL are:
*Marshall Faulk - 7-time Pro Bowl running back for the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.
*Brian Sipe - Famous NFL quarterback; part of the "Kardiac Kids" for the Cleveland Browns.
*Isaac Curtis - 4-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.
*See List of SDSU Football Players

The football team plays at Qualcomm Stadium (formerly known as "Jack Murphy" Stadium). See also The Q.

Basketball

The basketball teams play at Cox Arena (see also Cox Arena website) on the SDSU campus.

Baseball

The baseball team plays in Tony Gwynn Stadium on the SDSU campus, named after the most famous SDSU baseball and basketball player ever, the beloved Tony Gwynn.

Volleyball

The women's volleyball team plays in Peterson Gymnasium on the SDSU campus.

The men's volleyball team won the NCAA Championship in 1973, but the team has since been disbanded.

Other Sports

See SDSU Athletics Facilities

The softball team and the men's & women's tennis teams play at new stadiums recently opened on the SDSU campus.

The soccer and track teams perform at the remarkable SDSU Sports Deck on the SDSU campus.

Construction began in late 2005 on a new $12 million dollar aquatic sports complex, known as the "Aztec Aquaplex" (link), which will include an Olympic-size swimming pool, a separate recreational pool and beach, and a hydrotherapy spa. The Aztec Aquaplex will be ready for use in the Spring 2007 ahtletics season. This facility will be the home for the swimming and diving teams in addition to providing recreational use for all SDSU students and community members (link to SDSU Campus Recreation pool webpage).

In conjunction with the UCSD, the Associated Students organization of San Diego State University runs the Mission Bay Aquatic Center (MBAC) in Mission Bay, California, just a few miles west of the main campus. See also the MBAC homepage. The MBAC provides for all manner of outdoor activities and sports for SDSU students, administration, and faculty.

Traditions

* See SDSU Traditions
* The San Diego State Marching Aztecs, and Pep and Varsity Bands are often seen at many sporting events including Football, Basketball and even Volleyball.The University Bands
* San Diego State University is sometimes referred to as the "Montezuma Mesa" because of its location upon a hill overlooking Mission Valley.

Student Housing

Residence Halls

West Side
* Chapultapec Hall, "Chappy", 11 stories, houses 540 students
* University Towers, 9 stories, 560 students
**formerly known as "El Conquistador" or "El Conq"East Side
* Cuicacalli Suites, Tepyac & Tacuba Halls each 6 stories, houses 686 students total
* The Living Learning Center, "LLC"
** Maya, 3 stories, houses 200 students
** Olmeca, 3 stories, houses 200 students
* Tenochca Hall, 8 stories, houses 380 students
* Zura Hall, "The Zoo", 9 stories, houses 585 students

Apartments
*Villa Alvarado, "VA" Furnished
*Piedra del Sol, Unfurnished

Former Residence Halls
*Queztal (women only)Opened in 1937 as the first residence hall. It was next to present day Aztec Center where "The Paseo" development will occur.
*Templo del Sol, Zapotec, Toltec & Tarastec HallsThis complex was on the west side of the campus next to Tony Gwynn Stadium across from Chapultepec. Currently it is the site of a new Softball stadium and tennis court complex. They were the same red brick design and floorplan as Maya & Olmeca halls on the east side of campus.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni

Entertainment, Arts & Media
* Art Linkletter, veteran entertainer
* K.D. Aubert, supermodel, model, actress and Fantanas member
* Greg Bear, noted science fiction author
* Jesse Billauer, quadriplegic, motivational speaker, surfer
* Fred Dryer, actor-producer and former NFL player
* Julie Kavner, actress and voice of Marge Simpson, The Simpsons
* Kathleen Kennedy, film producer
* Ted Giannoulas, The San Diego Chicken
* Cleavon Little, actor
* George Lewis (Journalist), NBC Nightly News News Correspondent
* Gregory Peck, actor
* Marion Ross, TV actress
* J. Michael Straczynski, writer
* Joan D. Vinge, author
* Alison Waite, model
* Carl Weathers, Actor/former professional football player, Apollo Creed
* Raquel Welch, actress

Business & Finance
* Norm Fjeldheim, Chief Information Officer, Qualcomm
* Eric Fremont, Verizon Communications, Senior Vice President - Information Technology
* Sol Price, founder of Price Club (later merged with Costco)
* Ralph Rubio, founder, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill (f.k.a. Rubio's Fish Tacos)
* Jim Sinegal, Costco, Chief Executive Officer
* Brent Wilkes

Science
* Ellen Ochoa, NASA, First Latina Astronaut

Politics
* Dusty Foggo, former CIA official
* Bill Lowery (US politician), Lobbyist and former U.S. Congressman
* Jerry Sanders (politician), Mayor of San Diego and former Chief of Police

Athletics & Sports
* Marcelo Balboa, World Cup and MLS soccer star
* Bud Black, former Major League Baseball pitcher and current pitching coach
* Jim Campbell, former MLB pitcher
* Jeff DaVanon, MLB baseball player (Anaheim Angels)
* Herm Edwards, current Kansas City Chiefs head coach
* Marshall Faulk, current NFL star of the St. Louis Rams
* Mark Grace, retired Major League Baseball player and World Series Champion
* Tony Gwynn, future Baseball Hall of Famer (and current SDSU baseball Head Coach)
* Az-Zahir Hakim, current NFL wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints
* Armen Keteyian, Sports Journalist, HBO Sports, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
* Kirk Morrison, Oakland Raiders current starting linebacker.
* Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Green Bay Packers.
* Joe Gibbs, NFL head coach of the Washington Redskins
* Travis Lee, Major League Baseball player with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
* Kassim Osgood, San Diego Chargers receiver
* Jimmy Raye, played NFL american football
* Don Shaw, former MLB pitcher
* Dave Smith, former Major League Baseball pitcher
* Eric Wynalda, well-known World Cup and MLS soccer star, and current ABC broadcaster
* Jeanne Zelasko, Sports Journalist, Fox Sports

Faculty
* Marylin Chin, poet, SDSU professor
* Suzette Haden Elgin, science fiction author, retired SDSU professor
* Jerry Farber, author, SDSU professor
* Harold Jaffe, PhD, writer, editor, SDSU professor
* Larry McCaffery, writer, editor, post-modern literary critic, SDSU professor
* Khaleel Mohammed, PhD, SDSU professor of religious studies
* Vernor Vinge, PhD, Sci-Fi writer and visionary, retired SDSU professor of mathmatics

Branch Campuses

*Calexico, California branch campus (Imperial Valley)
** Upper Division, Teacher Certification, and Graduate classes only

Notes

* "Retire? Guess again, SDSU president says," San Diego Union Tribue, Mar. 12, 2006
** See also, 2004-2005 Annual Report on External Funding, California State University
* "College Endowments Rose in Last Year, But Giving to CSU System is Down" L. Petrillo, San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 4, 2005
** See also, 2003-2004 Annual Report on External Funding, California State University
* "San Diego State University Reports $55.2 Million in Philanthropic Gifts for 2004-05" Official SDSU Press Release, Oct. 7, 2005"
* 2004-2005 Annual Report on External Funding, California State University

External links

*San Diego State University Official Website
**"SDSUniverse" Campus Information Website
**SDSU Alumni Association
** Official CSUMentor information about San Diego State University CSUMentor SDSU webpage
*Official SDSU athletics site
**Aztec Talk
*The Daily Aztec student newspaper
*SDSU Month The yearly SDSU-sponsored event celebrating San Diego State University and its role in the community.
* Unofficial information sources:
** NBCSandiego.com Campus Connection
** San Diego State University at stateuniversity.com
* Location:
** Map, Location, and Directions
*** Official campus map (large GIF link)
** Google Local - aerial image & map
** Microsoft Live (beta) Local - aerial image & map



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