CoSE

Denny Luther ’65: “SF State Did Me Right”

Yasmine M. Khan — Wed, 21 May 2025 18:07:32 +0000

Denny Luther ’65: “SF State Did Me Right”

Author: Jim Muyo, University Development

May 21, 2025

Photo Credit: courtesy of the SFSU College of Science & Engineering. Dennis and Barbara Luther at a student research showcase.

With a life that has spanned continents, Dennis “Denny” Luther (B.A., Business Administration, ’65) helps students chart their own paths through his family's philanthropic support

From humble beginnings in Placerville, Calif., to the glitz of San Francisco, a two-year stint in the Army in Alaska in the ’60s, living in a van while touring throughout Europe in the ’70s, and finally landing back in San Francisco, the global trek of Dennis “Denny” Luther ’65 is as impressive as his career trajectory and as noble as his desire to help students secure an SFSU education.

Mind you, Denny’s is no ordinary story. Rather, it’s one filled with calculated choices. His decision to attend SFSU ultimately led to a successful career as a computer programmer who, along with his business partner, built, grew, and sold their company. Denny will be the first to tell you that he wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. In fact, he had doubts that he would even be successful in college and beyond. That success, though, is well proven, and Denny is happy to share the fruits of that success by lending a helping hand to students in need.

Despite his claim that he was not a great student, Denny applied to and was accepted at San Jose State, Fresno State, and SF State. “I picked San Francisco. That’s where the Giants and Niners were and that’s where you could see a good Broadway play,” he says with a laugh.

Turned out to be a great decision. Focusing his studies on business and inspired by his success in classes in Statistics and Programming, Denny graduated with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Quantitative Management. From SFSU, Denny was off to his Army stint where he served as editor of the base newspaper in Alaska. He returned to California and was hired as a salesman for Univac as business computing gained wider acceptance.

Sales, however, were not Denny’s strength. Discouraged, he was about to quit Univac, but his manager saw something in him that stood out and Denny was moved over to support businesses that bought or leased Univac computers. This gave Denny the chance to develop his programming skills to the point where he was teaching companies with computers how to program them to maximize their efficiency. Soon, however, the appeal of travelling across Europe captured his attention, so Denny gave up his Univac job.

After living in a van as he traversed through London, Amsterdam, France, Germany, Spain, and Morocco, Denny returned to San Francisco and connected with an SFSU fraternity brother, Tom Luther (no relation), and tended bar in his restaurant a few nights a week. In the upper floors of the building that housed the restaurant, Denny’s future business partner and former IBM salesman Jack Baird was making a living as a computer programming consultant, focusing on getting doctors, dentists, medical groups, and hospitals to sign up for medical and dental billing services. The benefit for the businesses was that with the computerized billing systems, they would get paid in just a week instead of the traditional 30 to 45 days.

Dennis and Barbara Luther

Dennis and Barbara Luther at a student research showcase

Denny and Baird teamed up and gained more clients to handle electronic billing to Medicare, Medi-Cal, and other large insurers. Their business, Data Systems Group, caught on, and was purchased by Bluebird, which has since been acquired by Experian Healthcare.

As Denny says, “My party line is I woke up on January 1, 2013 with money in the bank and time on my hands.” As part of the sale, Denny set up a donor advised fund (DAF). A devout Christian, Denny and his wife Barbara share a passion for tithing and they have chosen, through their DAF, to set up a scholarship for SFSU undergraduate students who are majoring in Computer Science, are the first generation in their family to go to college, and who have demonstrated financial need.

“It breaks my heart,” Denny said when asked about his motivation for setting up the scholarship. “College is so damned expensive, and you can’t go there on your own. I’m hoping that this will help them through school and they’ll have a college degree and one thing will lead to another, and then to another.”

Much like one thing led to another and another for Denny, he’s hoping that recipients of the Luther Family Scholarship will find the financial support he and Barbara offer impactful to put them on the course to life-changing learning experiences.

“It breaks my heart. College is so damned expensive, and you can’t go there on your own. I’m hoping that this will help them through school and they’ll have a college degree and one thing will lead to another, and then to another."

—Dennis Luther (B.A., Business Administration, ’65)

Denny is grateful that he attended SFSU, something he calls a wonderful experience. “I still have friends from State. I wasn’t sure that I had the wherewithal to be a college student, but then in my sophomore year I got a B in biology and said, ‘Well, I can do this!’”

Not only could he do it, but Denny did it very well. And, today he stands by the words on the customized donor brick he placed outside of the Nassar Family Gym: “Denny Luther ’65, SF State Did Me Right.”

Donate to the College of Science & Engineering

For more information, contact:

David Fierberg, MNA, CFRE

Executive Director of Development

dfierberg@sfsu.edu

(415) 405-3966

Scholarship awardees amongst the outstanding graduates honored at 2024 Commencement

Yasmine M. Khan — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:43:45 +0000

Scholarship awardees amongst the outstanding graduates honored at 2024 Commencement

Author: Strategic Marketing and Communications

May 7, 2024

Photo Credit: Kevin Perez

Four of the graduates were awardees of donor-funded scholarships while studying at San Francisco State University

A dozen outstanding graduates were honored during San Francisco State University’s 123^rdCommencement ceremony, held at Oracle Park on May 24. They represented their more than 7,300 graduating peers in the Class of 2024.

As part of a longstanding tradition, each of the University’s six academic colleges selected an undergraduate and a graduate student to represent their classmates and wear their college’s academic hood during the ceremony. Additionally, two of the hood recipients, one undergraduate and one graduate student, delivered a Commencement address. Four of the students were awardees of donor-funded scholarships while studying at San Francisco State University: Jazz Monique Hudson, Zen Lewis, Su Ilayada Ozcan, and Monique Scott. Click on each of the students' names below to learn more about them.

Jazz Monique Hudson

Zen Lewis

Su Ilayada Ozcan

Monique Scott

Jazz Monique Hudson: Undergraduate Hood Recipient

B.A., Africana Studies
College of Ethnic Studies

Jazz Monique Hudson, an Oakland native with over 15 years of expertise in youth development, educational arts, social justice and organizational change, epitomizes resilience and commitment to societal transformation. Despite the challenges she faced early in her life as a former foster youth and teenage mother, Hudson has overcome them and is now dedicating her life to being an advocate, artist and educator.

For example, Hudson was involved with organizations like the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, Black Youth Project 100 (where she was a founding member) and the Guardian Scholars Program. She was also a program director and founding member of the EMERGE Reentry Program, which focuses on supporting young women of color reintegrating into society after incarceration and academic pushout. Additionally, Hudson was a victim advocate for the San Francisco District Attorney and has had residencies, workshops and performances at universities like UC Berkeley and Princeton.

While studying at SF State, Jazz was awarded the Sylvan and Donna Kline Guardian Scholars Memorial Scholarship, a named scholarship to honor the memory of Joanne Rae Kline, the daughter of Sylvan and Donna Kline, who empowered others through her advocacy of education. The endowed scholarship strengthens and permanently supports SF State’s Guardian Scholars Program, which empowers college students who are transitioning out of the foster care system.

Serendipitously, her son’s 17th birthday coincides with the SF State 2024 Commencement, which Hudson says is a reminder of the strength and resilience found in the journey of motherhood. After graduation, she plans to pursue SF State’s Pre-Health Professions Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program, which will help her take the next step toward pursuing a career in health care as an osteopathic doctor specializing in allergy and immunology.

Zen Lewis: Undergraduate Hood Recipient

B.A., International Relations/Political Science
College of Liberal & Creative Arts

In 2019, Zen Lewis’ journey to SF State began with her emigration from Serbia with the vision of achieving the American dream. As an 18-year-old in a new country with no financial support, she faced daunting challenges with housing and food insecurity, while attempting to find full-time employment with limited English fluency and work experience.

Today, Lewis is graduating with a double major in International Relations and Political Science with the highest honors, accompanied by Sigma Iota Rho and Pi Sigma Alpha societal honors. She represents the will and determination of young immigrant women who hail from war-torn nations to forge a new path, both for themselves and their home countries, so that those wars never occur again.

Lewis is a force of nature who speaks three languages, works full time in the wedding industry and serves as managing editor of the International Relations Journal. While earning the Migration and Refugee Studies certificate, she has demonstrated an exemplary work ethic, enthusiasm for global politics and resilience in the face of obstacles.

As president of the International Relations Student Association, Lewis has been a driving force, encouraging her fellow students and others in her community to get involved in domestic and international politics. She has represented SF State at Model United Nations and Model European Union conferences, where she received the Outstanding Head of Government Award.

Lewis won the David Jenkins Scholarship for Political Activism for her impactful advocacy of student rights in a political uprising. She used her senior thesis to expand the discussion and analysis of new regime changes, using Serbia as a case study. Off campus, she has organized pop-up events for local artists and fundraisers for nonprofits.

After graduation, Lewis plans to seek a full-time position in San Francisco municipal government and pursue a law degree.

Su Ilayada Ozcan: Graduate Hood Recipient

M.S., Chemistry (Biochemistry)
College of Science & Engineering

Su Ozcan wants to develop new treatments without side effects. It’s a passion that stems from her early exposure to her grandfather’s battle with cancer. As an undergraduate in Turkey, she explored innovative therapies and gained two years of professional experience working with pharmaceutical companies. With women being relegated to the background and the value placed on science decreasing in her country, Ozcan decided to leave Turkey and pursue her academic goals in the United States.

As an international student at SF State, Ozcan focused on groundbreaking research in enzymology and medicinal chemistry to develop a novel side effect-free treatment for tuberculosis. She published these discoveries in scientific journals. She demonstrated her commitment to making a positive impact beyond the lab by serving as a teaching associate for two years. Accolades for her academic performance and commitment to science include the Henry Bertin Jr. Scholarship, the Agents of Change Build Merck Scholarship, the Bill Plachy TA (teaching assistant) Award and the CSU Trustees Award.

After SF State, Ozcan’s next step is to begin a Chemistry Ph.D. program at the University of Southern California, where she’s already been offered a graduate fellowship. Looking ahead, Ozcan is excited to continue her quest to develop new therapeutics and treatment strategies that will make an impact. She is eager to translate her academic research into practical applications and hopes to eventually establish a pharmaceutical company. Beyond medicine, she aspires to continue being a teacher and create educational opportunities for underprivileged children. She also hopes to provide financial and moral support for others, especially women in science.

Monique Scott: Graduate Hood Recipient

MPH
College of Health & Social Sciences

Monique Scott decided to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at SF State after seeing structural and systemic health disparities affect her community. She began her career as a social worker, caregiver and care coordinator, assisting people navigating governmental and nonprofit assistance programs and managing medical conditions.

During the pandemic, she became a resource navigator and case manager for individuals exposed to COVID-19. Seeing how disparities impacted marginalized residents, she wanted to make a larger impact. She became interested in the social determinants of health and how prevention programs could more effectively help communities.

At SF State, she explored her passion for research with the Health Equity Institute. Her assessment of participation of food establishments in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) in urban university settings significantly influenced a statewide campaign to enhance access to SNAP benefits at CSU campuses.

She also published research on navigating nutrition inequities among pregnant and postpartum mothers and children in BIPOC communities. The Oakland native’s projects also included studies on how urban agriculture can use mutual aid practices and how built environment contributes to the adverse health outcomes of environmental injustices.

While at SF State, she was a Climate Action Fellow, a Graduate Equity Fellow and a President’s Leadership Fellow. She was also awarded the Vincent Costantino University Scholarship. She authored, published and presented her research at multiple local and national conferences. She also participated in the University’s Earth Week 2024.

After graduation, she will continue learning and applying her skills in research, writing and coordination to address health equity in the Bay Area. She plans to continue participating in strategies for community and policy-level interventions for marginalized communities of color. She is grateful for the SF State connections that contributed to her accomplishments.

Learn more about supporting SF State scholarships

Rising star: University researcher Berenice Baca achieves firsts in sea star research

Yasmine M. Khan — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 19:59:15 +0000

Rising star: University researcher Berenice Baca achieves firsts in sea star research

Author: Kanaga Rajan

July 9, 2024

Photo Credit: Berenice Baca

With faculty support, a scholarship award-winning student expands class project into a graduate research project

It’s not often that one gets to throw starfish a birthday party. Some species — like the six-rayed sea star Leptasterias — are notoriously difficult to keep alive in the lab, making even first birthdays a rarity. So when San Francisco State University researcher Berenice Baca achieved the seemingly impossible feat of raising Leptasterias specimens for an entire year, her lab made sure to celebrate.

Baca is among the first in her field to successfully rear Leptasterias embryos to reach the one-year milestone in the lab. And to think, this project started in an undergraduate class with San Francisco State Biology Professor Sarah Cohen.

“Because of that study I started as an undergrad, I was able to grow [Leptasterias] up to a year, which is really exciting,” said Baca, who joined Cohen’s lab as an undergraduate researcher and is now an SF State master’s student. She’s been with this project for less than two years but she’s already shared her work at national and international conferences, won research awards, attended research workshops and worked with KQED to highlight these sea stars.

Baca’s work could help Leptasterias and other species feeling the impact of grave challenges. Sea stars face the constant threats of climate change and sea star wasting disease, a mysterious condition wiping out entire species. “We tend to notice or shift our attention towards certain species when it’s endangered or almost gone,” Baca explained. “We should try to address [these issues] now rather than wait until the species is almost completely gone.”

Berenice Baca

Happy birthday, dear Leptasterias…

Baca studies the developmental patterns of two species of Leptasterias sea stars (Leptasterias pusilla and Leptasterias aequalis). These species reproduce via brood-fostering, which is akin to a hen sitting on her eggs. While somewhat common among other animals, it’s a rare approach among marine species. In the wild, maternal sea stars protect 50 – 1,500 embryos on their underside until their young stars are ready to be independent. Baca successfully raised these embryos to a juvenile stage in the lab without maternal care (i.e., without brooding). As part of this project, she developed protocols for this process and gleaned unique insight about Leptasterias development.

“As I was starting this project, I realized there’s no information on this, which drove me a little crazy,” Baca said, noting that the knowledge gap fueled her curiosity and determination.

Her first step was to give the sea stars a laboratory home as cold as their native habitat. Baca first raised the stars at 9 to 10 degrees Celsius in a classroom cold room before moving them to a dedicated deli fridge set at 12 to 13 degrees Celsius. Next, she needed to ensure that the stars didn’t starve. This was quite the saga, Baca explains, because the stars kept losing interest in readily available fish food. It turned out Baca’s microscopic juvenile starfish — approximately 0.2 cm in size — required live sea snails, copepods and barnacles they could hunt.

“I ended up getting these microscopic snails that required really fine tweezers to get them out of barnacles. I was doing this at 5 in the morning or very late at night because I have to correlate [my work] with the tides,” she explained.

Juvenile Leptasterias less than 2 cm in size.

Sea star next to a finger for scale.

Sea star hunting a sea snail.

Comparable studies on Leptasterias failed to grow the early juveniles in the lab and only one known study was able to hatch these stars. Extending Leptasterias’ lifespan in the lab gave Baca the opportunity to document their development as early as eight hours to 31 days, allowing her to capture beautiful images of fertilized eggs and snapshots of intermediate stages. By day 44, her juvenile stars began taking on a familiar six-armed star shape, and by 10 months the stars were 1.3 cm or bigger and started exhibiting hallmark coloration and patterns. Sharing her work at conferences, she was heartened to hear other scientists share excitement for her work and give her words of encouragement.

Baca and the Cohen lab even worked with KQED to feature Leptasterias in a new episode of its science video series “Deep Look,” presented by PBS Digital Studios. Scroll to the end of this story to see the video, which has nearly a quarter-million views on YouTube.

Growing up alongside her stars

Coming to SF State, Baca knew she wanted to do research, but she’s still a bit awestruck by how her research experience has evolved. When she enrolled in Cohen’s “BIOL 586GW: Marine Ecology Laboratory — GWAR,” Baca wanted research experience, but she didn’t anticipate it would lead her to pursue a master’s degree.

“It’s really nice that Sarah [Cohen] is really good at figuring out your interest and connecting you with the right people,” Baca said, explaining that Cohen encouraged her to apply for grants and scholarships, participate in conferences and attend science workshops.

Baca’s honors included the Achievement Reward for College Scientists (ARCS), Step to College and University scholarships. “That really helps. Sometimes you feel lost and having that [support] really helps in initiating your own project or research. It actually makes you feel like a scientist.”

With daily lab work, field research and conferences, being a scientist has become a big part of her life. Baca, a first-generation student, previously maintained multiple jobs and worked full-time in the fields picking blueberries and grapes to support her University education. Growing up in a small town that lacked proper science education, she had an unsatisfied desire to learn more. It’s that natural and unwavering curiosity that’s driven her throughout her research, especially when it gets hard.

“I’m really thankful for the entire Cohen lab,” Baca said, adding that Cohen’s and her lab mates’ support and encouragement have been instrumental. “I believe without them I wouldn’t have anything.”

For more information about donating to the College of Science & Engineering, contact
Holly Fincke at hollyfincke@sfsu.edu