School of Communication FY25-26 Report

College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts

School of Communication Fiscal Year 2025-2026

Message from Leadership

Dear Donor, The School of Communication is deeply grateful for the philanthropic support that continues to expand opportunities for students.

This year, donor funding helped send undergraduate and graduate students to the National Communication Association and Western States Communication Association conferences, providing valuable professional development experiences. More than $50,000 in scholarships was awarded to 24 students, directly supporting their academic success.

Philanthropic support also advanced research and community engagement. The Center for Communication, Health, and the Public Good partnered with the b-present Foundation to host a workshop supporting young adults with cancer, while the School launched the inaugural Berman Institute Distinguished Lecture.

The Forensics Team qualified for national and international championships, competing in Athens, Greece, and earning more than 300 awards. The School also surpassed 1,100 majors and ranked among SDSU’s most popular majors.

Your generosity continues to enrich student learning, scholarship, and public impact.

Heather E. Canary, Ph.D. Professor and Director School of Communication

Philanthropy

Propelling the SDSU Community Forward The Sanford I. Berman Institute for Effective Communication and General Semantics The Sanford I. Berman Institute for Effective Communication and General Semantics supported research, community engagement, and student development while enhancing the visibility of the SDSU School of Communication.

During FY25-26, the fund supported two graduate Berman Fellows who assisted faculty with communityengaged research through the Center for Communication, Health, and the Public Good and the Institute for Dialogue and Social Justice. Fellows gained experience in research, event planning, community outreach, and professional networking.

The fund also supported the Berman Institute Distinguished Lecture, featuring Dr. Walid Afifi of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Afifi presented a public lecture, “My Life Will Always Be Uncertain: Overcoming the Freeze Response to Chronic Uncertainty,” and led a research methods workshop for graduate students. These opportunities connected communication research with students, faculty, and community members while advancing the school’s mission of scholarship and public engagement.

Dr. Walid Afifi, 2025 Berman Institute Distinguished Lecturer

Student Spotlight

Thriving in the Aztec Experience Evan Harold, Class of 2026 Class Level: Graduate Student College: College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Major: Health Communication My name is Evan Harold, and I am a 2026 graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in Health Communication and a minor in General Biology.

During my time at SDSU, I was part of various organizations, including the Pre-Physician Assistant Student Association, Flying Samaritans, and Volunteers Around the World Global Health Alliances. Similarly, I had the privilege of tutoring likeminded SDSU students by serving as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant for Organismal Biology and an intern for Human Anatomy.

Within the School of Communication, I worked under the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) and had the opportunity this past February to present two research papers at the WSCA conference hosted here in San Diego.

In the future, I aspire to become a healthcare professional so I can blend my interests in communication and biology to actively and systematically improve patient outcomes to the best of my ability.

I want to give a special shout-out to the professors who contributed greatly to my accomplishments, including Dr. Canary and Dr. Czech from the School of Communication, and Dr. Norgaard-Sumnicht and Dr. Sbeglia from the Department of Biology.

“

I aspire to become a healthcare professional so I can blend my interests in communication and biology to actively and systematically improve patient outcomes to the best of my ability.

”

Student Spotlight

Aliyah Blasband, Class of 2026 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Major: Communication The SDSU School of Communication gave me far more than a degree. It gave me a rigorous academic foundation, meaningful research experience, and a community of faculty genuinely invested in their students’ success.

What sets this program apart is its commitment to offering undergraduates opportunities that many students do not encounter until graduate school.

During my time at SDSU, I had the opportunity to participate in many incredible programs, including serving on the planning team for the Western States Communication Association’s annual convention and participating in the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP). Through RAP, I conducted original research alongside Dr. Katrina Pariera.

With the guidance of Dr. Rachael Record, I also submitted a paper to an academic conference and strengthened my graduate school applications.

The support I received from the School of Communication extended beyond the classroom as well.

The faculty here do not just teach; they mentor. They exemplify educators who shape not only how you think, but also who you become, and they genuinely care about every student they work with.

The opportunities here are exceptional, and the faculty who guide students through them are even more so.

Points of Pride

Celebrating Shared Success Current Rankings No. 1 Best College for Health Communication in the U.S. No. 34 Best College for Speech Communication and Rhetoric in the U.S. No. 10 Top School for Health Communication No. 5 Best College for Communication in California Statistics of Interest Communication was the seventh most popular degree earned by SDSU undergraduate students in 2026, with 340 bachelor’s degrees in Communication conferred.

The School of Communication enrolls more than 1,000 undergraduate Communication majors, a 30% increase over the past five years.

This past year, faculty published 10 academic journal articles with current and former students, reflecting our strong commitment to research mentoring for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Recent Highlights We hosted the first Berman Institute Distinguished Lecturer in October 2025: Dr. Walid Afifi of UC Santa Barbara. His campus visit included a live-streamed public lecture on chronic uncertainty, a reception for faculty and donors, and a research methods workshop for graduate students and faculty the following day.

The School of Communication served as the local host institution for the 2026 Western States Communication Association annual conference at the Westin Gaslamp hotel in San Diego. Dr. Heather Canary taught a special topics class on communication in event planning and management, with her team of undergraduate students staffing the conference registration desk, serving as ushers, and assisting with local activities for conference participants. Faculty and graduate students were also key contributors to conference planning and activities.

In February 2026, the Center for Communication, Health, and the Public Good hosted a workshop on supporting young adults with cancer. This interactive afternoon included patients, providers, faculty, and students, and was co-hosted by the local nonprofit organization b-present Foundation.

The workshop exemplified the Center’s, School’s, and SDSU’s commitments to connecting research to the communities that can benefit most. We look forward to making this an annual event.

Top Ranked

No. 1 for health communication and No. 34 for speech communication and rhetoric in the U.S.

Faculty and Staff Achievements

Michael Rapp, M.A. Title: Lecturer, Basic Course Director, School of Communication College: College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Achievement: Honored by the National Communication Association Basic Course Division with the Don Yoder Distinguished Faculty Award in 2025.

This lifetime achievement award recognizes faculty who have spent 15 or more years teaching the basic communication course, which is COMM 1003 at SDSU. “That's a tremendous, kind of lights-you-up, feel-good moment of watching students progressively get better and better, [and] grow as speakers, as students, as people,” Rapp said. “That's what teaching is about.”

Rapp said that “teaching is all about students” and making sure they leave the class with skills they didn’t have before.

“That's the fun part for me: building relationships, mentoring, teaching and then watching them actually learn, get better and progress,” he said.

“

That's a tremendous, kind of lights-you-up, feel-good moment of watching students progressively get better and better, [and] grow as speakers, as students, as people ...

”

Faculty and Staff Achievements

Godfried Asante, Ph.D. Title: Associate Professor, School of Communication College: College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Achievement: Recipient of the SDSU Faculty Diversity Excellence Award, announced by the SDSU Senate Faculty Honors and Awards Committee.

He shared the following: This recognition means a great deal to me, especially because it reflects work that I care deeply about: supporting students and contributing to a more inclusive and thoughtful academic community.

I am thankful to be part of an institution that values and uplifts this work.

“

This recognition means a great deal to me, especially because it reflects work that I care deeply about: supporting students and contributing to a more inclusive and thoughtful academic community.

”

Thank you for your generous support.

University Relations and Development San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-8045 sdsu.edu | give.sdsu.edu