Ding Ding TV Report – Kenneth S.Fong Translational Research Award Symposium

At the recognition ceremony held on September 5, 2025, San Francisco State University (SFSU) expressed heartfelt thanks to donor Ken Fong for his long-standing support of education and student success. This video captures remarks, guest speeches, and memorable interactions between faculty and students.

President Lynn Mahoney and College of Science & Engineering (CoSE) Dean Carmen Domingo invited the community to the Kenneth S. Fong Translational Research Award Symposium to showcase the impact of this award and honor this year’s recipients. Proposals required collaboration between faculty from at least two different departments with at least one from CoSE.

This year, two projects received awards up to $25,000. Honorees include four SFSU faculty and one postdoctoral fellow, who join over 20 recipients since 2015. Biology Professor Zheng-Hui He, Biology Postdoctoral Fellow Joseph Ramahi and Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Ray Esquerra are characterizing and enhancing bromoform production in seaweed as a promising strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emission. Engineering Assistant Professor Alyssa Kubota and Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Laura Epstein are improving alternative or augmented modes of communication (AAC) systems so end-users can learn and express socio-emotional concepts via these devices.

This donation will further strengthen support for students and research, helping more young people pursue their dreams in science and engineering. We invite you to watch and share in this commitment to education.