Latinx Community Reception for New Faculty and Staff

On Thursday, October 2nd 2025, the Office of HSI Affairs partnered with the Latinx Resource Centerto combined two signature events on campus; the Latinx Community Social and the Pachanga. Throuhgout the last few years, the Latinx Community Social has served as an opporutnity for the Latinx community to welcome new faculty and staff to the SDSU familia. Meanwhile, the Pachanga has served as an oppotunity to celebrate Latinx culture and its impact on the San Diego State campus. Though distinct in origin, both events share a powerful purpose: honoring our cultura, fostering community connections, and creating space for visibility and celebration.

This year we honored the following new faculty and staff:

• Dra. Jessica Chavez
• Laura Angel-Zavala 
• Sarah Polance
• Cristian McGough  
• Josh Trinidad
• Zhenqiang Zhao
• Gustavo Guajardo
• Laken Moreno
• Mehmet Dogan
• Kelly Penny
• Elena Blanco-Suarez
• Carina Carreño
• Wiston Rodriguez
• Dr. Francisco Valle

We hope to see you at the next one!