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Family Weekend 2025

The College of Arts and Sciences will present at the following Family Weekend sessions.

On Friday, February 21, the College will be hosting department showcases, faculty presentations, a multi-disciplinary panel on AI, and the Dean's Reception and Student Showcase.

Join us on Saturday, February 22, for a session on students discovering their  interests and passions.

Friday, February 21

Department Showcases

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Open House
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
SCDI 2114 (O-Chem Lab)
Take a faculty-led tour of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry including faculty labs and resources. Guests will get to hear from Chemistry and Biochemistry Chair Korin Wheeler and Professor Paul Abbyad.

Department of Theatre and Dance Tour
12 - 12:30 p.m.
Louis B. Mayer Theatre
Join the Theatre and Dance department for a tour of their facilities. Tour stops include Mayer Theatre—SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s largest performance facility; the Rehearsal Hall, scene and costume shops, backstage dressing and makeup rooms, the Green Room, Fess Parker Studio Theatre, and the Dance Studios. Meet in front of Mayer Theatre.

The Imaginarium (AR/VR) Open House
12 - 3:30 p.m.
Heafey Hall 237
The Imaginarium staff will provide a guided tour of the equipment, facilities, and resources within the Imaginarium, specifically featuring student projects in research and practice in the areas of virtual reality, mixed reality, 3D modeling, digital art, and visualization.

 

"Back to the Classroom" Faculty Presentations

The Science of Happiness and Our Social Brains: What Neuroscience Teaches Us About the Surprising Choices We (and the People We Love, Live With, Work With) Keep Making
1-2 p.m.
Williman Room, Benson Memorial Center

A person in black clothing against a black background.
Sunwolf, Professor, Department of Communication
Dr. SunWolf was a long-time trial attorney who left to get her MA and PhD studying social behaviors. She is now an award-winning interdisciplinary scholar who came to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ in 1998 and created the course COMM 110: The Science of Happiness.

 

Improving Memory at Any Age
1-2 p.m.
California Mission Room, Benson Memorial Center

Patricia Simone
Patti Simone, Professor, Department of Psychology
Memory evolves naturally as we age, but there are ways to keep it sharp and resilient. This talk explores the science of memory, factors like stress and sleep that influence it, and actionable strategies to enhance recall at any age. Discover how to nurture your cognitive abilities and build a stronger memory with practical tools and insights. Join us to demystify the aging brain and unlock your memory’s full potential!

 

Ask Me Anything (About Emerging Technologies)

2:30-3:30 p.m.
Recital Hall, Music and Dance Building

Join a dynamic panel of experts from Business, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and the Ethics Center, as they tackle your burning questions about the latest advancements in AI, robotics, VR, and beyond. How will technological changes affect the workplace, impact career paths, and alter the development of industries? This “Ask-Me-Anything” format will provide plenty of opportunity to have your questions answered. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, professional, or simply curious, this session is your chance to gain insights and perspectives directly from thought leaders in the field.

Brian Green, David Jeong, Ram Bala, Maria Kyranini
Brian Green (Moderator/Host), David Jeong, Ram Bala, Maria Kyranini

  • Markkula Center for Applied Ethics - Brian Patrick Green, Ph.D., Director, Technology Ethics.
  • College of Arts and Sciences - David Jeong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Faculty Director, The Imaginarium.
  • Leavey School of Business - Ram Bala, Ph.D., Associate Professor, AI and Analytics, Department of Information Systems and Analytics - (2025) - via LinkedIn.
  • School of Engineering - Maria Kyrarini, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and David Packard Jr. Faculty Fellow, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering - .
This event will be   »

 

Group gathered with a student and poster

Dean's Reception and Student Showcase

4:30-5:30 p.m.
Vari Hall Foyer
Featuring the students listed below.

Hear from Dean Daniel Press and learn about the exciting achievements of our students as they share their work from the arts, natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Besides individual and group work, students will also share faculty-mentored research and creative projects.

Saturday, February 22

Discovery in the College: Arts, Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences

9:30-10:30 a.m.
Williman Room, Benson Memorial Center
How do you discover your interests and passions in the College outside of the classroom? Join us in small group conversations to learn more about career opportunities and internship experiences throughout the academic year and summer months. Our student ambassadors will share tips. We are eager to hear about your interests and can’t wait to tell you about the possibilities and support the College can offer!

Dean's Reception and Student Showcase

Featured Students

The following students will be at the Dean's Reception and Student Showcase. Stop by to see their exciting work.

Melina Flaum ’27 - Art and Art History

Melina Flaum headshot

Major: Studio Art

Title: Exploring Different Mediums

Hometown: Boulder, Colorado

Plans: As of right now I am uncertain about my future plans, but throughout my life I have focused mainly on art, diversity, and an interest in marketing! I've had a previous job for a social media intern, and would be interested in pursuing that further later on or being in creative careers such as an art director in advertising.

Andrea Hu ’25

Andrea Hu headshot

Majors: Art History, French and Francophone Studies; Minor: Graphic Design

Title: KAWAII + KOWAI: The Cute and the Uncanny in Superflat Isolated Child Figures

Hometown: Hong Kong

Plans: After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in the art industry, focusing on museum work and curatorial research. I'm applying for long-term internships at institutions like MoMA and the Met while also exploring opportunities abroad, particularly in Hong Kong and London.

Lauren Fuller ’25

Lauren Fuller headshot

Major: Biology; Minor: Biotechnology

Title: Identifying and Linking Embiopteran Gregarine Parasites to Behavior

Hometown: Pearland, Texas

Plans: After graduating SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, I will be going to dental school. I have been accepted into Texas A&M Dental School in Dallas and am awaiting a decision on UT Health Dental School in Houston. I am excited to take what I have learned at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ back to my homestate as I learn to be a competent and compassionate dentist.

Josephine Hernandez Mena ’25

Joey Hernandez Mena headshot

Major: Biology; Minors: Biotechnology, Philosophy

Title: Using Trace DNA Samples to Unlock SF Bay Area Bird Mysteries and Answer Fundamental Ecological Questions

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

Plans: Masters in Molecular Biology, Biology, or Biotechnology and career in west coast biotechnology.

Nneka Onyewuenyi ’26

Nneka Onyewuenyi

Major: Biology; Minor: Urban Education

Title: Unpacking “Diversity” in Children’s Literature: Themes of Culturally Relevant and Affirming Stories

Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Plans: Matriculate into medical school and pursue a career in pediatrics.

 

Stella Cortese ’26

Stella Cortese headshot

Majors: Child Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Title: Unpacking “Diversity” in Children’s Literature: Themes of Culturally Relevant and Affirming Stories

Hometown: Rolling Hills Estates, California

Plans: After SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, I aspire to apply my passion for social justice and inclusivity in a role where I can support children, women, and families.

Kate Miller ’27

Kate Miller headshot

Majors: Child Studies, French and Francophone Studies

Title: Unpacking “Diversity” in Children’s Literature: Themes of Culturally Relevant and Affirming Stories

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Plans: I am looking forward to exploring grad school options for either teaching or library sciences.

Ashna Nayak ’27

Ashna Nayak headshot

Majors: Child Studies, Psychology

Title: Unpacking “Diversity” in Children’s Literature: Themes of Culturally Relevant and Affirming Stories

Hometown: Folsom, California

Plans: After SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, my goal is to pursue a career in clinical psychology, specializing in working with children. I plan to apply to doctoral programs in psychology, where I can gain the necessary training, research experience, and clinical expertise to support children's emotional and psychological well-being.

Emma Williams ’26

Emma Williams headshot

Majors: Child Studies, Psychology

Title: Unpacking “Diversity” in Children’s Literature: Themes of Culturally Relevant and Affirming Stories

Hometown: Palo Alto, California

Plans: I am exploring graduate school and career paths that support children and families.

 

Katerina Gill ’25

Katerina Gill headshot

Major: Classics

Title: Roman Votive Inscriptions

Hometown: Cave Creek, Arizona

Plans: I am applying to law schools.

 

Caitlin Gronowski ’25

Caitlin Gronowski headshot

Majors: History, Classics

Title: Lingua Vitae: Learning Latin in VR

Hometown: Alamo, California

Plans: After graduating from SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ I will attend law school beginning in the fall of 2025. I have completed my applications and I am waiting to hear back from schools now.

Lillian Henderson ’25

Lillian Henderson headshot

Majors: Classics, Political Science

Title: Research intern on Biola University Arval Brethren Inscriptions

Hometown: Sacramento, California

Plans: Law School, become a lawyer with a focus on either criminal, environmental, or international law.

 

Cindy Zhu ’25

Cindy Zhu

Majors: Communication, Psychology; Minor: Gerontology

Title: Senior Portfolio

Hometown: Nanjing, China and Pleasanton, California

Plans: I am going to USC for grad school!! Go Trojans!

 

Isabel Espinoza ’25

Isabel Espinoza headshot

Major: English; Minor: Creative Writing

Title: Ni de aquí, Ni de allá: Not from here, Not from there

Hometown: Aviso, California

Plans: I would like to receive more work experience. I don't have a job or internship lined up after I graduate, but I am applying for jobs within the arts, non-profit industry, or student succession in higher education.

Samuel Cao ’25

Samuel Cao headshot

Majors: History, English, Religious Studies

Title: California's Bracero Program: Racializing and Legalizing Mexican Transportation

and

Title: Reframing José Rizal: Secular Martyrdom in Colonial Spanish and Post-Colonial American-Phillippines Narratives

Hometown: El Monte, California

Plans: I will be attending SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½'s Law School as an L1.

Ruby Gutierrez ’25

Ruby Gutierrez headshot

Majors: Ethnic Studies, English; Minors: Creative Writing, Urban Education

Title: Decolonial and Transformative Pedagogies: Creative Writing as a Tool for Liberation

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Plans: I have applied to graduate programs in Education and Public Administration, with the end goal of returning to Los Angeles to work in policy and advocacy for marginalized communities. Ultimately, I hope to create systemic change by ensuring that youth of color have access to inclusive and empowering educational opportunities.

Ryan Fell ’25

Ryan Fell headshot

Major: Computer Science; Minor: Classics

Title: Lingua Vitae

Hometown: Los Alamitos, California

Plans: I'm looking to work as a Software Engineer once I graduate, specifically interested in either Data Science or Front-End Development.

Simon MacLean ’26

Simon MacLean headshot

Majors: Mathematics, Computer Science

Title: Shadow Graphs for Counting Graph Colorings

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Plans: I plan to apply to grad schools this year, hopefully get into a good program and become a math professor.

William Ren ’25

William Ren headshot

Major: Mathematics

Title: Expected length of the LCS of binary strings

Hometown: San Jose, California

Plans: Teach for America.

Claire Wen ’26

Yiran Wen headshot

Major: Computer Science; Minor: Mathematics

Title: Research on Expected Longest Common Subsequence of d Random Binary Strings

Hometown: Guangzhou, China

Plans: I plan to apply to graduate programs specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision.

 

Karina Martinez ’26

Karina Martinez

Majors: Neuroscience, Biology

Title: Using Trace DNA Samples to Unlock SF Bay Area Bird Mysteries and Answer Fundamental Ecological Questions

Hometown: San Jose, California

Plans: My future plans after SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ are to take a gap year to focus on my medical school applications. During this time, I plan to work in a clinical setting and deepen my understanding of the medical field.

 

Leo Illing ’25

Leo Illing headshot

Majors: Physics, Mathematics; Minor: Art History

Title: Digitally Controlled Optical Sampling in Dual-Comb Spectroscopy

Hometown: Portland, Oregon

Plans: I plan on furthering my education after graduation. I will either enter a Ph.D. Physics program in the US or a Masters of Physics in Germany.

Evan Fine ’25

Evan Fine headshot

Majors: Political Science, Music

Title: Creating Change and Sharing Music at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Hometown: Los Altos, California

Plans: I plan to attend law school and attain a JD to practice litigation in my community.

 

Grace Martinez ’26

Grace Martinez headshot

Majors: Political Science, History, Classics

Title: Latin Epigraphy in Italy

Hometown: Petaluma, California

Plans: I hope to work on Capitol Hill for a member of the House of Representatives. I also hope to go to law school a few years after graduation and return to the Hill as a lawyer.

Angela Dimaano ’25

Angela Dimaano headshot

Major: Public Health Science; Minors: Biology, Graphic Design

Title: Valeriote Goldman Public Health Leadership Reflection

Hometown: San Bruno, California

Plans: I'm currently waiting on decisions for a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology. After that, I hope to work as an Epidemiologist!

Neha Mann ’25

Neha Mann headshot

Major: Public Health Science; Minor: Biology

Title: Valeriote Goldman Public Health Internship Overview

Hometown: Fremont, California

Plans: I am hoping to work in the public health sector in areas that address health disparities, especially among BIPOC and LGBTQ+ populations. I am particularly interested in public health research, policy advocacy, and population health work. Further in the future, I am hoping to get a Masters in Public Health, potentially with a concentration in epidemiology.

Joseph Barton ’25

Joseph Barton headshot

Major: Religious Studies

Title: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Case for Martyrdom

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

Plans: I want to go to grad school for a Master's in Theological Studies. I want to become a college professor and teach Religious Studies.

 

Maya Diaz ’25

Maya Diaz headshot

Majors: Spanish Studies, Sociology; Minor: Urban Education

Title: Gen Z College Students

Hometown: San Jose, California

Plans: I have currently received offers to the Computer Science Master's program from the University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University. I have also applied to UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Cornell, which will release decisions in the coming weeks. I will graduate this March, and start my Master's this August/September in my new university. During this time gap, I am planning to do an internship.

Michelle Flores ’26

Michelle Flores headshot

Majors: Sociology, Psychology

Title: Gen Z Research Lab

Hometown: San Jose, California

Plans: I plan on attending grad school for either HR or I/O Psychology.

 

Sade Hashemi ’26

Sade Hashemi headshot

Major: Sociology

Title: Gen Z Research Project

Hometown: Saratoga, California

Plans: I plan to take a year off and assess my decisions after SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½.

 

Sydney Nguyen ’25

Sydney Nguyen headshot

Majors: Psychology, Sociology

Title: Qualitative research on college student experiences and social activism

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Plans: I plan to pursue a master's degree in psychopathology at Harvard and then hopefully stick around for PhD.

Amelia Ross ’25

Amelia Ross headshot

Major: Sociology

Title: Qualitative research on Gen Z college experiences and social activism

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Plans: To work in fashion or sports up in the Bay Area.

Kristin Hill ’25

Kristin Hill headshot

Majors: Theatre Arts, Communication

Title: Resonance: Storytelling through Voice and Movement

Hometown: San Jose, California

Plans: I will be taking the year after I graduate to work, audition, and perform in the Bay Area. In that time, I will be applying to graduate programs in Dance or Choreography in order to get my masters, with the ultimate goal of teaching at a collegiate level and choreographing professionally.