College Highlights
Society of Public Health Education Annual Conference
Dr. Kelsi Perttula took eight students: David B., Ian C., Celdrick V., Requia B., Nairobi W., Salome G., Madison G., and Arya B. to the Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE) annual conference. There were inspirational speakers from all over the country discussing the unprecedented challenges facing public health.
51ÁÔÆæ Health Policy Conference
Dr. Kristina Warton and ten Health Sciences and Public Health students: Kevin Celedonio, Toney Chaplin, David Brown, Andrea Gomez, Ana Lee, Yani Castro, Kenzie Maderazo, Alice Nguyen, Sidney Pixley, and Sabrina Rodriguez participated in the 51ÁÔÆæ Health Policy Conference on April 13-15 this year in Sacramento, CA.
The conference, which was organized by CSU-LA, hosted CSU students from campuses across the state for a multi-day event at the Capitol focused on health policy at the state level. The conference provided opportunities for students and faculty alike to engage with policymakers, attend legislative hearings, visit the Capitol, and explore health policy careers. The program focuses on California health policy, legislation, and public health administration.
OSCAR Research Symposium Gold Poster Winners
Congratulations to A'Niya Bankston (not pictured), B.S. in Health Sciences graduating senior, and Yaniria (Yani) Castro, a sophomore, B.S. in Health Sciences, for winning the Gold Poster Award at the 2026 OSCAR Student Showcase on April 17th.A'Niya and Yani's poster and project titled, "Balancing Access and Adequacy: Medicaid Audio-Only Telehealth Policies and Prenatal Care Access by Trimester at Federally Qualified Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic," investigated the possibilities and limitations of telehealth technologies for prenatal care at different stages of pregnancy under the mentorship of Dr. Kristina Wharton, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health.
CSSJ Attends United Soccer Coaches Convention
Dr. Matthew Atencio, Co-Director of the Center for Sport and Social Justice (CSSJ), recently attended the United Soccer Coaches Organization Convention in Philadelphia, PA, from January 14th to 17th, 2026. This convention brings together 7,000 coaches and academics from around the world. Dr. Atencio presented theories and data pertaining to youth sports equity gaps in the Bay Area.Center for Sport and Social Justice student researchers Claire Copeland and Eren George have led the data collection portion of this study and co-led the presentation of youth soccer equity gaps found across six Bay Area counties.
CSU East Bay & San Bernardino Present at IMSH
Nursing faculty, Drs. Kate Shade, Maria Cho, Canyon Steinzig, and Samantha Juan presented at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) on “Creating a Simulation-Based Signature Assignment to Assess AACN Competencies in One of the Four Spheres of Care as a Learning Lab.” The session was well attended and positively received by an international audience of nursing and simulation educators.
Kinesiology Faculty Presents Research in France
Dr. Matthew Atencio, Co-Director of the Center for Sport and Social Justice, recently visited France to present his research findings on the FIFA 2026 World Cup’s social impact in the Bay Area.Dr. Atencio presented his work to colleagues at the University of Paris-Saclay, University of Toulon, and the University of Toulouse from December 7th to 13th, 2025. Dr. Atencio also made a clothing donation to a Parisian refugee soccer program and one of its leaders, Dr. Julien Puech, on behalf of one of the CSSJ’s community partners, Street Soccer USA.
CSU East Bay Launches Bachelor of Social Work Program
The College of Health's Department of Social Work has officially launched its Bachelor of Social Work Program! The BSW program was made possible by the Social Work Education Capacity Expansion Grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. This program focuses on educating and serving communities in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
Think by the Bay Awarded Department of Education Grant
Think by the Bay has been awarded a $2.3 million five-year grant through the U.S. Department of Education's Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) program.