College of Science & Engineering

Angela Tafur, First Kirkeberg Scholar, Leads with Purpose

Yasmine M. Khan — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:26:20 +0000

Angela Tafur, First Kirkeberg Scholar, Leads with Purpose

Author: Jim Muyo, University Development

September 30, 2025

Angela Tafur, a geography major inspired by her Peruvian heritage, is the inaugural recipient of the Max Kirkeberg Scholarship and is expanding access to outdoor education and environmental justice at San Francisco State University

Fueled by the deep roots of her Peruvian parents who emigrated to the Bay Area and who taught her the value of connectedness to the environment, Angela Tafur is on a clear path to making her dream of community service a reality.

A native of Hayward who grew up in Castro Valley and is now a geography major at SFSU, Angela knew even before she went to college that she wanted to devote her professional energies to improving communities. As the first recipient of the Max Kirkeberg Scholarship, she is well on her way to making her mark in the lives of others, connecting them to and drawing strength and connectedness from the environment.

“I believe my deep interest in ecosystems was shaped early on by my parents’ influence,” says Angela. “As Peruvians, their connection to the natural world is rooted in a culture where nature and daily life are deeply intertwined — especially given Peru's diverse geography and rich array of ecosystems.

“My father is from the northern Peruvian Amazon, from a small town called Huambo, located about two hours from the culturally significant Andean town of Chachapoyas. Growing up, he would often share his extensive knowledge of local birds and plants with me, sparking my curiosity and appreciation for biodiversity,” Angela says. “He always referred to other living beings as if they were relatives or other people. My perspective and passion for the environment has been shaped by the traditional ways of life that my dad lived through and that long defined this region.”

"Growing up in the Bay Area, I carried with me stories from my family that instilled a deep connection to nature.”
—Angela Tafur

Anegla’s mother grew up in the bustling capital of Lima, but became familiar with many Peruvian cultural nature stories and medicinal plant knowledge that she passed on to Angela.

“Growing up in the Bay Area, I carried with me stories from my family that instilled a deep connection to nature,” says Angela. “However, I quickly realized that the way people engaged with the outdoors in California — through camping, summer camps, or scouting — was very different from my family's perception or experiences with nature. As immigrants, neither of my parents were familiar with these modes of outdoor recreation.”

Angela recalls a special moment outdoors with her father that instilled a deep connection to nature. “I’ll never forget the moment my father tearfully hugged a redwood tree in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, in awe of its beauty and gratitude for its existence amidst historic loggings in the area,” she says. “Experiences like this made me reflect on how culture, background, and access shape our relationships with nature and the area that we visit or reside in.”

Angela Tafur with her parents, Jose and Carmen Tafur

“I believe my deep interest in ecosystems was shaped early on by my parents’ influence. As Peruvians, their connection to the natural world is rooted in a culture where nature and daily life are deeply intertwined — especially given Peru's diverse geography and rich array of ecosystems.”
—Angela Tafur

Angela is focused on expanding environmental knowledge and increasing access to outdoor spaces. She describes these as a personal and professional calling. “I’ve experienced firsthand how nature can be a source of profound healing — helping me navigate my disability (PTSD), process trauma, and build an intimate, restorative relationship with the world around me. Spending time in outdoor spaces has also allowed me to explore and connect with my mestiza identity and indigenous Peruvian ancestry. As I have learned about the complex histories of the natural spaces I visit, I continue to reflect on how colonialism has distanced me from my ancestral language, Quechua, and from ways of life connected with nature. Being in these landscapes feels like coming back home.”

Angela is currently the president of the Sierra Nevada Alliance of Gators (SNAG), a student organization that builds community through nature and advocates for continued access to SFSU’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus (SNFC), where she fundraises efforts to help students overcome financial barriers to attend. She also works as an outdoor trip leader and is a student manager for the Gator Outdoor Adventure (GOA) program, a branch of Campus Recreation at the Mashouf Wellness Center that provides accessible hiking, backpacking, camping, and climbing trips for students, faculty, and alumni. Notably, the “Gator Wild” program led by GOA was Angela’s first experience with camping and backpacking, as well as her introduction to the SNFC, a research and education field station dedicated to building inclusive community around teaching and learning in the natural sciences, land management, art, music, and culture, offering workshops, classes, and a home base for research at nearby field sites. SNFC’s reach extends beyond the SFSU community, serving as a research and education resource for the local communities of the northern Sierra Nevada, the general public of California, and beyond.

“I’ve experienced firsthand how nature can be a source of profound healing — helping me navigate my disability (PTSD), process trauma, and build an intimate, restorative relationship with the world around me. Spending time in outdoor spaces has also allowed me to explore and connect with my mestiza identity and indigenous Peruvian ancestry.”
—Angela Tafur

With transportation being a challenge for SFSU students to access the field campus and other outdoor spaces, Angela utilized her roles within SNAG and GOA to organize various low- and no-cost trips and public transit trips to SNFC and various National Park sites, California State Park sites, and regional parks; showing students that accessing the outdoors without a car is not only possible but empowering. “Having seen and experienced the transformative impact of outdoor programs firsthand, I now want to help others find that connection,” Angela said.

“I consider the work that I do a daily offering for the earth and environment around me. In highland Quechua cultures of Peru, making offerings to the Earth, known as Pachamama, is a deeply rooted indigenous tradition. It is more than just a career, it is a service I have dedicated myself to being a part of the interconnected, beautiful world that gives all of us water, sun, fire, earth, food, air. The least I can do is to give back for how the earth continues to take care of me, mirroring reciprocal and balanced relationships found across nature,” Angela says.

Prior to attending SFSU, Angela saw her interest in the environment flourish under the tutelage of a familiar SFSU face. “At Chabot College, my passion for geography was sparked by a professor — an SFSU geography and earth science alumnus (Suzanne Maher, ’09, ‘16) — who encouraged me to pursue the field,” said Angela. “From the moment I began applying to universities, I knew giving back to my community would be central to my path. That’s why I chose SFSU — to serve the Bay Area community that shaped me. I graduated with honors (from Chabot) and delivered the keynote speech at Latino Graduation Night, a defining moment as I transitioned to SFSU to earn my B.A. in geography.”

“From the moment I began applying to universities, I knew giving back to my community would be central to my path. That’s why I chose SFSU — to serve the Bay Area community that shaped me.”
—Angela Tafur

The Kirkeberg Scholarship, established by retired SFSU professor Max Kirkeberg and his husband, Gabriel Proo, is awarded annually to an SFSU School of the Environment undergraduate or graduate student whose studies and goals align with dedication to the lived and changing environment of the Bay Area.

Kirkeberg was born in Stanton, Iowa (“the Swedish capital of Iowa”), the only child of high school teachers. He made his way to San Francisco in 1965 as he was working on his Ph.D. thesis. He joined SFSU as a professor of Urban Geography and ultimately received tenure and emeritus tenure status. His most well-known class was Geography 454: "San Francisco on Foot,” which he taught for 30 years. He loved every day as a teacher.

Upon retirement, Kirkeberg continued teaching the class as a lecturer and offered it through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. He documented the urban geography of the San Francisco Bay Area in almost 60,000 slides taken over 50 years. His images of streets, architecture, development, landscapes, culture, and geographical highlights provide an encompassing picture of the diverse neighborhoods that make up San Francisco, as well as the features and regions beyond it in the greater Bay Area. The collection is available through DIVA, an open digital collections archive built and managed by Academic Technology at SFSU.

Kirkeberg was also the founder and leader of the St. Francis Lutheran Church and SFSU Geography Department AIDS Walk team, which ran from the 1980s to the 2020s, raising more than a million dollars for AIDS research and care, and often competing with the largest corporate teams for the top fundraising totals each year.

Learn more about supporting SFSU scholarships

For more information about donating to the College of Science & Engineering, contact:

Holly Fincke

Senior Director of Development

College of Science & Engineering

hollyfincke@sfsu.edu

(415) 338-7118

Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.: Inspiring Discovery, Innovation, and Opportunity

Yasmine M. Khan — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:20:14 +0000

Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.: Inspiring Discovery, Innovation, and Opportunity

Author: Yasmine M. Khan, University Development

September 30, 2025

From founding biotech companies to endowing transformative research awards, Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D., has advanced science, entrepreneurship, and education at SFSU — including a pivotal gift to the new Science & Engineering Innovation Center

In early September, SFSU hosted the Fong Research Award Symposium to highlight the Kenneth S. Fong Translational Research Award, which funds cross-disciplinary faculty projects advancing real-world solutions. When Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., Clinical/Biomedical Science, ’71; M.A., Microbiology, ’74), Ph.D., reflects on his remarkable career in biotechnology, he traces it back to a single class at San Francisco State University.

“My passion for science began at San Francisco State University in 1970, when I took a molecular biology course taught by Dr. Sarane Bowen,” Fong recalls. “That class sparked my fascination with DNA and RNA and their essential roles in the life of cells.”

That spark led Fong to pursue a Ph.D. at Indiana University and postdoctoral research at UCLA and the National Institutes of Health. In 1984, he founded Clontech Laboratories. “What began in the classroom at SFSU became the foundation for a company that grew to nearly 400 employees over 15 years,” he says. Clontech rose to become one of the largest biomedical tool companies founded by an Asian American in the U.S. before its acquisition by Becton Dickinson in 1999. Fong later launched Kenson Ventures, LLC, a Silicon Valley–based venture capital firm that has invested in and mentored numerous biotech companies through IPOs and acquisitions.

Reflecting on his career, Fong says, “I have come to value sustainability and continuity — principles that guide both my professional endeavors and my contributions to the scientific community.” These principles, together with his gratitude for the opportunities afforded by his education in the U.S. as an immigrant from Hong Kong, continue to inspire his deep connection to SFSU. Over the years, he has given generously of his time, expertise, and philanthropy.

“My passion for science began at San Francisco State University in 1970, when I took a molecular biology course taught by Dr. Sarane Bowen. That class sparked my fascination with DNA and RNA and their essential roles in the life of cells.”
—Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.

In 2014, he endowed the Kenneth S. Fong Translational Research Award at SFSU, designed to support faculty and student collaborations and innovation in perpetuity. “By generating discoveries that can attract funding from NIH, NSF, and other sources,” Fong says, “the program creates a self-sustaining cycle of research, innovation, and impact.”

Since its launch, the award has funded 11 interdisciplinary projects, engaging 27 faculty and 75 students. These projects have spanned fields as diverse as biomedical engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science — from robotic exoskeletons for stroke rehabilitation, to breast cancer treatments using diverse ancestry cell lines, to advances in prosthetic arm technology. Collectively, the research has secured more than $21 million in additional funding from national agencies including the NIH, NSF, NASA, and the Department of Defense.

For SFSU student research assistant Charlie Vidal Sanchez (B.S., Civil Engineering, ’20; M.S., Structural & Earthquake Engineering, ’21), the support was life-changing. “It was at SFSU that I saw all the doors open for me where they were once closed, potential seen in me when there was once none, and where I took advantage of every opportunity I could,” he says. With the confidence and experience gained from his participation in Fong-supported research, Charlie went on to win first place in the CSU Research Competition, earn a master’s degree through SFSU’s accelerated program, and launch his own construction company.

“It was at SFSU that I saw all the doors open for me where they were once closed, potential seen in me when there was once none, and where I took advantage of every opportunity I could.”
—Charlie Vidal Sanchez (B.S., Civil Engineering, ’20; M.S., Structural & Earthquake Engineering, ’21), who assisted with Fong-awarded research as an SFSU student

Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.

Dr. Fong speaks at the Ken Fong Research Award Symposium

Above: Research presentations at the Kenneth S. Fong Translational Research Award Symposium

Fong’s impact also extends into the heart of campus innovation. Most recently, he became the largest individual donor to the new Science & Engineering Innovation Center (SEIC), playing a pivotal role in creating the 125,000-square-foot hub that “puts science on display” with state-of-the-art labs, classrooms, and collaboration. Opened in 2024, SEIC is home to the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the School of Engineering. The building serves more than 7,000 students in the College of Science & Engineering with studio labs, robotics facilities, makerspaces, energy systems labs, and a student success center. Through Fong’s philanthropy, SEIC empowers faculty, trains students, and advances biotechnology and research at SFSU — aligning with his goal of cultivating a new generation of entrepreneurs and visionary researchers.

“By generating discoveries that can attract funding from NIH, NSF, and other sources, the program creates a self-sustaining cycle of research, innovation, and impact.”
—Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D., about the Fong Research Award

From his beginnings as a curious biology student in the 1970s to his role today as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kenneth S. Fong’s legacy at SFSU is one of discovery and innovation. Through his generosity — grounded in gratitude and shaped by his own journey — he has built lasting infrastructure and opportunities, sustaining a cycle of exploration, learning, collaboration, and impact that will continue for generations.

Donate to the College of Science & Engineering

For more information about donating to the College of Science & Engineering, contact:

Holly Fincke

Senior Director of Development

College of Science & Engineering

hollyfincke@sfsu.edu

(415) 338-7118

College of Science & Engineering

Angela Tafur, First Kirkeberg Scholar, Leads with Purpose

Angela Tafur, First Kirkeberg Scholar, Leads with Purpose

Angela Tafur, a geography major inspired by her Peruvian heritage, is the inaugural recipient of the Max Kirkeberg Scholarship and is expanding access to outdoor education and environmental justice at San Francisco State University

"Growing up in the Bay Area, I carried with me stories from my family that instilled a deep connection to nature.”
—Angela Tafur

“From the moment I began applying to universities, I knew giving back to my community would be central to my path. That’s why I chose SFSU — to serve the Bay Area community that shaped me.”
—Angela Tafur

For more information about donating to the College of Science & Engineering, contact:

Holly Fincke

Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.: Inspiring Discovery, Innovation, and Opportunity

Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.: Inspiring Discovery, Innovation, and Opportunity

From founding biotech companies to endowing transformative research awards, Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D., has advanced science, entrepreneurship, and education at SFSU — including a pivotal gift to the new Science & Engineering Innovation Center

“My passion for science began at San Francisco State University in 1970, when I took a molecular biology course taught by Dr. Sarane Bowen. That class sparked my fascination with DNA and RNA and their essential roles in the life of cells.”
—Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.

“By generating discoveries that can attract funding from NIH, NSF, and other sources, the program creates a self-sustaining cycle of research, innovation, and impact.”
—Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D., about the Fong Research Award

For more information about donating to the College of Science & Engineering, contact:

Holly Fincke

College of Science & Engineering

Angela Tafur, First Kirkeberg Scholar, Leads with Purpose

Angela Tafur, First Kirkeberg Scholar, Leads with Purpose

Angela Tafur, a geography major inspired by her Peruvian heritage, is the inaugural recipient of the Max Kirkeberg Scholarship and is expanding access to outdoor education and environmental justice at San Francisco State University

"Growing up in the Bay Area, I carried with me stories from my family that instilled a deep connection to nature.” —Angela Tafur

“From the moment I began applying to universities, I knew giving back to my community would be central to my path. That’s why I chose SFSU — to serve the Bay Area community that shaped me.” —Angela Tafur

For more information about donating to the College of Science & Engineering, contact:

Holly Fincke

Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.: Inspiring Discovery, Innovation, and Opportunity

Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.: Inspiring Discovery, Innovation, and Opportunity

From founding biotech companies to endowing transformative research awards, Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D., has advanced science, entrepreneurship, and education at SFSU — including a pivotal gift to the new Science & Engineering Innovation Center

“My passion for science began at San Francisco State University in 1970, when I took a molecular biology course taught by Dr. Sarane Bowen. That class sparked my fascination with DNA and RNA and their essential roles in the life of cells.” —Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.

“By generating discoveries that can attract funding from NIH, NSF, and other sources, the program creates a self-sustaining cycle of research, innovation, and impact.” —Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D., about the Fong Research Award

For more information about donating to the College of Science & Engineering, contact:

Holly Fincke

"Growing up in the Bay Area, I carried with me stories from my family that instilled a deep connection to nature.”
—Angela Tafur

“From the moment I began applying to universities, I knew giving back to my community would be central to my path. That’s why I chose SFSU — to serve the Bay Area community that shaped me.”
—Angela Tafur

“My passion for science began at San Francisco State University in 1970, when I took a molecular biology course taught by Dr. Sarane Bowen. That class sparked my fascination with DNA and RNA and their essential roles in the life of cells.”
—Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.

“By generating discoveries that can attract funding from NIH, NSF, and other sources, the program creates a self-sustaining cycle of research, innovation, and impact.”
—Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D., about the Fong Research Award