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Hi Donovan,<br>
<br>
Do we have a written policy on how the valedictorian is selected? If
we don't have a policy, the voting among the honor students of the
departments may not be quite legitimate because some faculty members
could be biased toward a particular candidate who is less qualified
than the others.<br>
<br>
I suggest that our Constitution and Bylaws Committee look into this
and come up with a policy or revise the existing policy (if any) to
have a fair selection process.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
Ashkan<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/12/17 2:46 PM, Donovan Geiger
wrote:<br>
</div>
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<div>Hello Ashkan, <br>
<br>
</div>
I'm always interested to hear recommendations on ways to
increase participation in this voting process as it has been
a reoccurring issue. As for the faculty selecting the
candidate with the lowest GPA, I cannot comment on that. <br>
<br>
</div>
Best, <br>
</div>
Donovan <br>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:51 PM,
Ashkan Ashrafi <span dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:ashrafi@mail.sdsu.edu" target="_blank">ashrafi@mail.sdsu.edu</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
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<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"> Hi Donovan,<br>
<br>
It is interesting that the student with the lowest GPA
among others has been selected as the valedictorian by
the vote of less than 1/3 of the CoE faculty. This
raises a lot of question marks above the whole
process.<br>
<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
Ashkan<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="m_1757997921480475058moz-signature" cols="72">Ashkan Ashrafi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor
Director, Signal Processing Research Laboratory
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Dr., E-410A
San Diego, CA 92182-1309
Tel: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:%28619%29%20594-3703" value="+16195943703" target="_blank">(619)594-3703</a>
Fax: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:%28619%29%20594-2654" value="+16195942654" target="_blank">(619)594-2654</a>
email: <a moz-do-not-send="true" class="m_1757997921480475058moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ashrafi@mail.sdsu.edu" target="_blank">ashrafi@mail.sdsu.edu</a>
URL: <a moz-do-not-send="true" class="m_1757997921480475058moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://jason.sdsu.edu/%7Eashrafi" target="_blank">http://jason.sdsu.edu/~ashrafi</a>
</pre>
<div class="m_1757997921480475058moz-cite-prefix">On
4/12/17 1:33 PM, Donovan Geiger wrote:<br>
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<div>Hi Andy, <br>
<br>
</div>
This honor is the College Outstanding
Graduate, but we internally use the term
Valedictorian as a more recognizable label for
students and to differentiate it as a higher
honor than the Outstanding Graduates at the
departmental level.<br>
<br>
</div>
Thanks, <br>
</div>
Donovan <br>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Apr
12, 2017 at 12:58 PM, Andrew Szeto <span
dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:aszeto@mail.sdsu.edu"
target="_blank">aszeto@mail.sdsu.edu</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
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<div>Dear Donovan:<br>
<br>
</div>
Can you please clarify? To
most people, the honor of
being the Valedictorian is
different from being the
"Outstanding Engineering
Graduate." What exactly is
this honor? Thanks.<br>
<br>
</div>
Andy Szeto<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed,
Apr 12, 2017 at 12:41 PM,
Donovan Geiger <span
dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:dgeiger@mail.sdsu.edu"
target="_blank">dgeiger@mail.sdsu.edu</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
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<div>COE
Faculty: <br>
<br>
</div>
Please join me
in
congratulating
Victor Ortega
as our
Engineering
Class of 2017
Valedictorian!
<br>
<br>
</div>
The vote tally
was: <br>
<br>
</div>
10 Ortega<br>
</div>
6 West<br>
</div>
2 Reyes<br>
</div>
1 Akers<br>
<br>
</div>
Thank you, <br>
</div>
Donovan <br>
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<div
class="gmail_quote"><span>On
Mon, Apr 10,
2017 at 5:35
PM, Donovan
Geiger <span
dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:dgeiger@mail.sdsu.edu"
target="_blank">dgeiger@mail.sdsu.edu</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
</span>
<div>
<div
class="m_1757997921480475058m_4252802314814537380h5">
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class="gmail_quote"
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<div>Engineering
Faculty and
Staff: <br>
<br>
</div>
As the
departmental
outstanding
graduates have
been selected,
voting for
Engineering <span><span
class="m_1757997921480475058m_4252802314814537380m_-4917528076557377506m_-6157320070498995471gmail-m_1263097075174002923gmail-il">Valedictorian</span></span>
will now take
place. Please
select one and
email your
choice to me
by<b> <span
style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span
style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><u>12:00pm, Wednesday April,
12th.</u></span></span></b><br>
<br>
The candidates
are:<br>
</div>
<br>
______________________________<wbr>____________<br>
<br>
<b>Joseph
Akers<br>
Major GPA
3.93, SDSU GPA
3.95<br>
Environmental
Engineering<br>
<br>
</b>
<p
class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify"><span
style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(34,34,34);background:white
none repeat
scroll 0% 0%">I
am a Marine
Corps Veteran.
I was living
in San Diego
since 2010 at
MCAS Miramar.
I chose the
major I wanted
about a year
before I left
the military.
During my
research, I
learned that
an ABET
accredited
school was
going to be as
important to
me as an
Environmental
Engineer as
learning how
to be an
Environmental
Engineer. I
found several
schools that
fit the bill
but after a
few searches
where google
filled in the
blank after
SDSU with
"best party
schools" I
knew that I
would at least
have a few
years of fun
if I couldn't
cut it. San
Diego State
actually
became my
favorite
choice really
quickly.
Everything
about it just
made sense
such as the
location and
the teacher
reviews. But
it was
February.
Admissions
were full and
I was going to
be stuck
waiting a year
or so to get a
spot. Looked
like I was
going to Ohio
State.</span></p>
<p
class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify"><span
style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(34,34,34);background:white
none repeat
scroll 0% 0%"><br>
</span></p>
<p
class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white
none repeat
scroll 0% 0%"><span
style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(34,34,34)">There
was a Marine
Corps Program
called the
Leadership
Scholar
Program that
allowed me to
get into SDSU
where my only
competition
for admission
was other
Marines. The
spots were
actually
filled but
through sheer
luck of
someone
dropping out
of going to
SDSU and with
my Marine
Corps
accomplishments, I was able to get a spot to start school in fall 2013.
I quickly
joined the
Student
Veterans
Organization
and even
helped start
their
intramural
sports teams.
I met some
good friends
through there
but decided to
try more
professional
organizations
like Engineers
Without
Borders and
American Water
Works
Association. </span></p>
<p
class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white
none repeat
scroll 0% 0%"><span
style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p>
<p
class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white
none repeat
scroll 0% 0%"><span
style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(34,34,34)">School was
challenging
but I
benefited
greatly from
the GI Bill
which paid for
my schooling
and gave me
the freedom to
keep my grades
up.
Unfortunately
for me, I had
to start with
classes like
Precalculus
and would be
playing catch
up to My Map.
Engineering
requires a
couple more
credits than
other degrees
so I would be
here for a few
summer
sessions as
well. There
were some
challenging
teachers, some
unorganized
ones and some
amazing ones
like Professor
Smith and
Professional
Mladenov.
Overall it was
a great
experience.</span></p>
<p
class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white
none repeat
scroll 0% 0%"><span
style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p>
<p
class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white
none repeat
scroll 0% 0%"><span
style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(34,34,34)">During
my time
at SDSU I have
become a Big
Brother
volunteer for
Bigs of San
Diego and I
have been the
recipient of
several
scholarships,
including the
Sinegal
Veterans
Scholarship. I
am currently
working with
SPAWAR because
of San Diego
State's
veteran's
programs in a
research
fellowship. I
can only look
back and thank
SDSU for the
experience
granted.</span></p>
<br>
______________________________<wbr>___________<br>
<b><br>
Victor Ortega<br>
Major GPA
3.81, SDSU GPA
3.91<br>
Aerospace
Engineering</b><br>
</div>
<div><br>
<span>Victor
Ortega
graduated <span
class="m_1757997921480475058m_4252802314814537380m_-4917528076557377506m_-6157320070498995471gmail-m_1263097075174002923gmail-il">valedictorian</span>
from Monte
Vista High
School in
Spring Valley
before being
admitted to
SDSU’s
Aerospace
Engineering
program in the
Fall of 2013.
He will be
earning his
B.S. in
Aerospace
Engineering
with a 3.919
cumulative GPA
this May. He
has shown a
dedication to
helping other
students
succeed
through being
one of the
first to
participate in
Monte Vista’s
peer tutoring
program as a
math tutor and
later working
as a college
advisor at an
inner city
high school in
City Heights.
As a
first-generation college student and son of immigrants who originally
attended
school in City
Heights. </span><span
style="font-family:"times new roman",serif;font-size:12pt">Since
2016, he has
been working
as an
undergraduate
research
assistant
looking at
resin
injection
methods of
repairing
internal
delamination
in carbon
fiber
laminates in
the Aerospace
Engineering
Department. He
has been
accepted to
the SDSU-UCSD
Joint Doctoral
Program in
Structural
Engineering
and awarded a
5-year
fellowship by
UCSD.</span><b><br>
</b><br>
______________________________<wbr>_________<br>
<b><br>
Karl Reyes<br>
Major GPA
3.87, SDSU GPA
3.93<br>
</b></div>
<div><b>Mechanical
Engineering <br>
</b></div>
<div><br>
Karl is a
senior
mechanical
engineering
student, and
will be
graduating in
May 2017. As a
student at
SDSU, he was a
member of
numerous
organizations,
including the
American
Society of
Mechanical
Engineers
(ASME),
Design/Build/Fly
(DBF), and Tau
Beta Pi – The
Engineering
Honor Society.
In Spring
2015, Karl
worked with a
team to design
and
manufacture a
wall-mounting
mechanism of
an all-terrain
vehicle for
the ASME
Student
Professional
Development
Conference
(SPDC) student
design
competition.
In Spring
2016, he
contributed to
the
manufacturing
of a prototype
aircraft as a
manufacturing
team member
for the
American
Institute of
Aeronautics
and
Astronautics
(AIAA)
Design/Build/Fly
competition.
Currently, he
is an officer
in Tau Beta Pi
California Xi.
Outside of his
extracurricular activities, Karl has also had internship experience with
Solar Turbines
Incorporated,
where he was a
Mechanical
Engineering
Intern in the
Combustion
Department. He
has accepted a
position with
Northrop
Grumman, and
will be
working as a
Mechanical
Engineer in
the Vehicle
Engineering
Department
after
graduating in
May.
<p>______________________________<wbr>___________<b><br>
<br>
Stephen West <br>
Major GPA
3.97, SDSU GPA
3.94</b><b><br>
Electrical
Engineering </b><br>
</p>
<div><span
style="font-size:12.8px">We
nominate
Stephen West
as our
outstanding
graduate for
his top 3.94
GPA that
includes 97
units taken at
SDSU. Faculty
who had the
privilege to
teach him in
EE430 and
other courses
recall West to
be a quiet
studious,
smart, and
respectful
student. He
has involved
in student
organizations
and
extracurricular activities.
<br>
</span></div>
<br>
______________________________<wbr>____________<br>
<br>
<br>
</div>
<div>Once
again, the
deadline to
vote is this
Wednesday,
April 12, at
noon. <br>
<br>
</div>
<div>Best
regards, <br>
<br
clear="all">
<div>
<div
class="m_1757997921480475058m_4252802314814537380m_-4917528076557377506m_-6157320070498995471gmail-m_1263097075174002923gmail_signature">
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<div dir="ltr">
<div><span
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="2"><span
style="color:rgb(7,55,99)"><b>Donovan Geiger, MBA</b></span><br
style="color:rgb(153,0,0)">
<span
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Student
Affairs</span>
Officer<br
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<span
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">College
of Engineering</span><br
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</font></span><span
style="color:rgb(102,51,0)"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font
size="2"><span
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">San Diego State University</span><br
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<span
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:%28619%29%20594-6079"
value="+16195946079"
target="_blank">619.594.6079</a></span></font></span><br>
<br
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</span><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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</blockquote>
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</div>
<br>
______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
Faculty mailing list<br>
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color="#888888"><br>
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<br>
-- <br>
<div
class="m_1757997921480475058m_4252802314814537380gmail_signature"
data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Andrew Y. J. Szeto, Ph.D., P.E.<br>
Professor and IEEE Fellow<br>
Dept. of Electrical &
Computer Engineering<br>
San Diego State University<br>
5500 Campanile Drive MC
1309<br>
San Diego, CA. 92182-1309<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:%28619%29%20594-5723" value="+16195945723" target="_blank">619-594-5723</a>
- voice <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:%28619%29%20594-2654"
value="+16195942654"
target="_blank">619-594-2654</a>
- FAX<br>
</div>
</font></span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
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</div>
</div>
</div>
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<pre>______________________________<wbr>_________________
Faculty mailing list
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="m_1757997921480475058moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Faculty@engineering.sdsu.edu" target="_blank">Faculty@engineering.sdsu.edu</a>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="m_1757997921480475058moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://engineering.sdsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/faculty" target="_blank">http://engineering.sdsu.edu/<wbr>mailman/listinfo/faculty</a>
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