SJSU’s Third Annual Research Week Showcases Faculty and Student Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

San José State's third annual Research Week , running from April 21-26, promises to be a celebration of all the extraordinary research, scholarship and creative activity on offer at the university.

Even more significantly, this celebration comes on the heels of SJSU's recent designation as an R2 research university . Events will include the ever-popular Grad Slam, in which graduate students pitch their research projects to a live audience and a panel of judges; a Tuesday art lecture; a Celebration of Research; and the 20th annual College of Science Student Research Day, a Saturday bonanza of student research posters and projects.

"Research Week is a way for us to celebrate the outstanding scholarly contributions of our world-class faculty, staff and students," says Marc d'Alarcao, interim vice president for Research and Innovation, interim president of the Board of Directors of the SJSU Research Foundation, and dean of the College of Graduate Studies. "This is a time when we celebrate the part of our mission dedicated to creating new knowledge and disseminating those new ideas, technologies and inventions to the world. Our new R2 designation solidifies our place as Silicon Valley's public research university and Research Week allows us to celebrate the breadth of that achievement."

The week also celebrates several faculty research awards, including the two Early Career Investigator (ECI) award winners Gaojian Huang , assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, and Saugher Nojan, assistant professor of sociology, and the Industry-Sponsored Research award winner Anil R. Kumar, professor of industrial and systems engineering. Read more about the awardees below.

Check out one or all of the Research Week events:

April 21 - Innovation Showcase
Hosted by SpartUp, this event showcases some of the most innovative startups, projects and research opportunities in the San José State University ecosystem.

April 21 - BFA Graphic Design Showcase
SJSU BFA Graphic Design students will present their design projects, which will include book designs, posters, branding, fashion designs and packaging design.

April 21 - College of Engineering Showcase and Celebration
Join the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering as they celebrate student innovation, research and design. Find student presentations and projects, network with the next generation of Silicon Valley engineers and professionals and learn how industry support can lead to extraordinary possibilities.

April 22 - Earth Day Celebration
Hosted by the Environmental Resource Center, this event will celebrate our environment and the impactful efforts of our local community to protect it. The theme this year is "Our Power, Our Planet."

April 22 - Student RSCA Forum featuring the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)
Featuring the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and its students, this forum will offer a venue for students to share their research projects and progress.

April 22 - Grad Slam
A fast-paced competition where graduate students pitch their research, scholarship and creative activity in front of a live audience and a panel of judges. Students communicate their work in three minutes with just one slide. This event will be livestreamed.

April 22 - Tuesday Night Art Lecture Series featuring Jonathan Thai
Jonathan Thai is an award-winning designer, entrepreneur and Bay Area native who thrives at the intersection of creativity, business and innovation. As the founder of Hatch Duo, a leading industrial design and product development firm, Thai has shaped impactful designs for brands like Sonos, Logitech, Activision and Ubiquiti Networks. Hatch Duo also serves as a launchpad for ventures in industries like AI, health tech and consumer products, reflecting his passion for turning bold ideas into reality.

April 22 - EmpowerED Movie Screening: "The Children Could Fly"
Join us for a screening of "The Children Could Fly," a documentary that sets out to disrupt myths about schooling and Black children, and a dynamic discussion and Q & A session with documentary creator Tiffani Marie, Lalin St. Juste and Jewell Bachelor.

April 22-23 - Echoes of Expression: An Augmented Reality Art Exhibit
Welcome to a place where imagination and dreams come to life and echo through the virtual world. "Echoes of Expression" is an augmented reality art exhibition where SJSU students display work that evokes their individuality and creativity.

April 23 - Spartan Psychological Association Research Conference (SPARC)
The psychology department's annual student conference with researchers from SJSU and beyond, featuring individual talks, poster sessions and a keynote address to conclude.

April 23 - College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) Research Scavenger Hunt on the Green
Location: The "green" between MacQuarrie Hall and the Interdisciplinary Science Building off the Paseo de San Carlos. Complete and accurate scavenger hunt returns are eligible for one of ten $50 Amazon gift cards (need not be present to win).

April 23 - College of Social Sciences Symposium
This year's theme is "Building Bridges: The Critical Work of the Social Sciences." The event celebrating student and faculty research will include a gallery of student researchers with their posters and a faculty researcher panel with comments by a prominent community leader and alum.

April 23 - SJSU Author, Artist and Inventor Celebration
A celebration to honor faculty and staff who published a book, exhibited a significant work of art or submitted a patent application in 2024.

April 24 - Digital Humanities Center Research Showcase
King Library's Digital Humanities Center is an incubator for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of community, ethics, and technology. Join us and meet SJSU faculty, students and staff who are creating innovative work and building networks of collaboration that reach far beyond the university.

April 24 - Celebration of Research
Celebrate the amazing research, scholarship and creative activity that takes place at SJSU! The Early Career Investigator Award winners and the Industry-Sponsored Research Award winner will be honored, and students will present over 80 posters characterizing inspiring and groundbreaking research.

April 25 - 20th Annual College of Science Student Research Day
Working directly with College of Science (COS) faculty, many undergraduate and graduate students are engaged in original research projects on a wide range of scientific topics. Since 2005, the student researchers have presented the results of their original work in the form of posters during the COS Student Research Day. Approximately 100 posters will be displayed and the student authors will be present to explain their results.

April 25 - First-Year Writing Program Digital Literacy Showcase
This is a one-day event during which students enrolled in First-Year Writing classes showcase their digital works-in-progress. Building on the program's commitment to process over product, we ask students to be prepared to talk to visitors about the thought, care and decision-making they've put into the projects. As visitors move from project to project, we hope they will discover (a) the amazing work first-year students are doing, and (b) that across students and projects, they are able to demonstrate the knowledge they're building in the writing classes.

April 26 - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Open House
Learn more about the amazing research being performed at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Open House! Student art will be available for sale and a touch tank will be featured. Support marine science research!

Learn more about Research Week events and how to register.

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Early Career Investigator Awards

Gaojian Huang

Gaojian Huang, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering , joined the department in August 2021. His research focuses on human-centered AI, designing adaptive systems that improve the accessibility and safety of technologies such as intelligent mobility platforms and self-driving vehicles. Since joining SJSU, Huang has published 14 journal articles, 32 conference papers, and brought in $467,200 in research funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Honda Research Institute USA.

As the director of the Behavior, Accessibility and Technology (BAT) Lab, he leads projects that develop AI-powered adaptive interfaces and cognitive state monitoring tools with the goal of improving real-time human-machine interaction. Huang's research program is deeply student-centered - his mentees have gone on to doctorate programs at top-tier institutions and industry positions at companies like Tesla, Amazon and Honda. Their achievements include campus-wide fellowships, top CSU research honors and national conference presentations. Huang's work exemplifies the power of inclusive research design and the transformative role of mentorship in advancing both scholarship and student success.

Saugher Nojan

Since joining San José State University in fall 2021, Saugher Nojan, assistant professor of sociology, has emerged as a rising research leader with a growing national reputation. Her interdisciplinary work examines complex social questions through a community-centered lens, and she has secured over $300,000 in competitive external research funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies and the Mozilla Foundation.

Nojan has published seven peer-reviewed journal articles - five of which were completed at SJSU - and her work continues to gain visibility across scholarly networks. Her research program doubles as a robust student training ground, offering hands-on research opportunities that enhance academic development and professional readiness for both undergraduate and graduate students. Through collaborative inquiry and the real-world application of her findings, Nojan advances scholarship that benefits students and communities alike. Her growing portfolio of publications and successful grant activity reflects a deep commitment to impactful, engaged research.

Industry-Sponsored Researcher Award

Anil R. Kumar

Anil R. Kumar, professor of industrial and systems engineering, is being recognized with the 2024 Industry-Sponsored Researcher Award for his innovative work on well-being and trust in automated mobility. A member of the SJSU faculty since 2015, Kumar investigates how human interaction with autonomous systems impacts emotional well-being, satisfaction and trust. His research bridges human factors engineering and psychological measurement, using tools such as eye tracking and galvanic skin response to assess human reactions to autonomous vehicles.

In partnership with industry sponsors, Kumar has helped design studies that yield real-world insights for the future of automated transportation. He has authored 14 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as "Human Factors," "Applied Ergonomics" and "Transportation Research Record," and regularly mentors students through experiential research. His work has also shaped multiple academic programs at SJSU, including a master's concentration in user experience and custom learning programs for industry leaders such as KLA and LAM Research. Kumar's collaborative, cross-sector approach highlights the value of academic-industry partnerships in advancing both research and workforce readiness.