Smittcamp Family Honors College

06/04/2026

⭐️Introducing the ⭐️

Elyse Mar is an incoming freshman from Clovis High School in Clovis, CA. She is majoring in Biochemistry and plans to attend medical school to pursue a career as a physician.
In high school, Elyse was involved in NHS, CSF, and clubs such as The Future of Medicine and Key Club. She also has experience volunteering with both Community Regional Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente. Elyse enjoys contributing to the community through volunteer work in addition to hobbies like watching movies, baking, and spending time with her friends.

06/03/2026

⭐️Introducing the ⭐️

Vicky Ly attended University High School in Fresno, CA. During high school, she volunteered at the Fresno VA Medical Center, assisting veterans with appointments, mentoring new volunteers, and supporting administrative operations. She also participated in the UCLA Emerging Scientist Program, where she presented research on the correlation between psychosocial implications of Acne Vulgaris on self esteem in adolescents. In addition, Vicky helped to coordinate the mental-health advocacy project “Breaking the Silence: A Journey in Asian Mental Health Awareness” in efforts to reduce cultural stigma in Asian communities globally. She hopes to further this initiative in the future.

Vicky plans to major in Biology and pursue a career as a pediatrician and future medical school professor. Welcome, Vicky!

05/20/2026

Congratulations to Allison Vang and the first cohort of students graduating with a degree in Asian American Studies at Fresno State!

This milestone reflects the impact and importance of creating academic spaces that center diverse histories, lived experiences, and community voices. As the first university in the San Joaquin Valley to offer this degree program, Fresno State continues expanding opportunities for students and strengthening representation in higher education.

We celebrate Allison and the inaugural graduating class for helping to shape this important chapter at Fresno State.

Read more via KVPR: https://www.kvpr.org/education/2026-05-08/fresno-state-welcomes-its-first-asian-american-studies-graduates

05/15/2026

Historic night at California State University, Fresno for graduating senior Camalah Saleh — who became the university’s 2026 Undergraduate President’s Medalist after already making history as the first student ever selected as a Dean’s Medalist in more than one college.

A double major in political science and communication with a 4.0 GPA, Camalah earned FOUR medals:

🏅 President’s Medalist
🏅 College of Arts and Humanities Dean’s Medalist
🏅 College of Social Sciences Dean’s Medalist
🏅 Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Medalist

From student government leadership and public service internships to national academic recognition and advocacy work, Camalah has exemplified excellence, leadership and impact at every level. 💫🐾

05/15/2026

Four years have gone by in the blink of an eye! You all have achieved so much in the time that you've been here. Congratulations to the Class of 2026! 🎓

05/08/2026

Many of our scholars presented their original research at the 47th Annual Central California Research Symposium at Fresno State! Congratulations to the following scholars for earning special awards for their presentations!

Outstanding Oral Presentation Winner: Noah Reed Miranda, Faculty Mentor, Dr. Sean Gordon, “Cannibalizing Poe: The “Pure Potential” of White Monstrosity in Edgar Allan Poe and Monica Ojeda” (pictured above)

Outstanding Oral Presentation Winner: Christian RJ Castillo, Faculty Mentor, Dr. Pei-Chun Ho “Improved Probe Design and Analysis Method for Reliable Thermopower Measurements”

ACS Outstanding Poster Presentation Winner: Eliana Kahn, Faculty Mentor, Dr. Krish Krishnan, “Temperature-Dependent Dynamics of the Kalata B1 Peptide using Experimental and Computational Approaches”

Honorable Mention Oral Presentation: Eduardo Garcia, Faculty Mentor, Dr. David Lent, “Neuroprotective Effects of Creatine in a Drosophila melanogaster Model of Parkinson’s Disease with Alpha-Synuclein Overexpression”

Honorable Mention Oral Presentation: Johnathan Andrade Antonio, Faculty Mentor, Dr. PeiChun Ho, “Analysis of Temperature (T) and Resistance (R) Data of Cel-xPrxOs4Sb12 (0≤ x ≤ 0.25)”

05/07/2026

Summer is the time for internships and opportunities for students like Kelsey Lieng, who will be working with the City of Aliso Viejo’s Recreation & Community Services Department as a Recreation Leader.

Kelsey will play an important role in supporting the city’s summer day camp programs, planning activities and assisting with daily operations to create a safe, engaging, and enriching environment for children in the community.

Kelsey is currently a sophomore at Fresno State majoring in Liberal Studies and is on track to complete her teaching credential by Spring 2028. Her hands-on experience this summer reflects her continued commitment to working with children and preparing for a future as an elementary school educator. 🌟

05/06/2026

Join us in congratulating our graduating Smittcamp scholars who have been named Undergraduate Dean’s Medalists!

Mallory Sutherland is the Jordan College of Agricultural Science and Technology Dean’s Medalist. She is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Agricultural Business. Following graduation, Mallory will pursue her Master of Business Administration (MBA) on a full-tuition scholarship at the University of California, Davis, where she will focus on the Food and Ag Industry Immersion Program. After graduate school, she hopes to return to the Valley to build a career that supports agricultural advocacy and innovation.

Emily Gonzalez is the Kremen School of Education and Human Development Dean’s Medalist. She is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Liberal Studies. After graduating with her bachelor's degree and Multiple Subject/TK teaching credential, Emily plans on becoming an elementary school teacher with the Fresno Unified School District. She will also pursue her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Fresno State in the future, working towards creating positive and engaging learning environments for all students.

Camalah Saleh is the first Fresno State student ever to be named a deans’ medalist for the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Social Sciences, and the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. She is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Communication. Camalah will be attending Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, where she will pursue a master’s degree in Global Affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar. Her academic and professional achievements have distinguished her as Fresno State’s first Schwarzman Scholar and one of only 150 students worldwide selected to begin the program this fall. After graduation, Camalah will pursue a master’s degree in global affairs with a goal of becoming an immigration attorney.

Read more on Fresno State Today! https://today.fresnostate.edu/fresno-state-announces-2026-undergraduate-deans-medalists/

05/04/2026

05/04/2026

Last Friday’s awards banquet at Fort Washington Country Club was full of good food, laughter, and anticipation for the bright futures of our graduating scholars. Class of 2026, as you prepare to embark on your next adventure, whether that be post-graduate studies or professional pursuits, take pride in all that you have accomplished during your time at Fresno State. We are so proud of you! 🎓🐾