2025 Steelhead Festival: Bella Represents SSU Biodiversity Outreach

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Back in March, Bella, an undergraduate researcher in the Zippay Lab, proudly represented 

Sonoma State University at the2025 Steelhead Festival at Lake Sonoma. 

This annual event celebrates the life cycle of steelhead trout and aims to educate the public about 

the freshwater and marine ecosystems these iconic fish depend on.

Aiyana Wins People's Choice at 5th Annual CSU-Wide Grad Slam

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We’re thrilled to share that Aiyana has been named the People’s Choice Award winner at the 5th

Annual CSU-Wide Grad Slam, held on Friday, May 9, 2025, and hosted by California State

University San Bernardino!

After earning first place at the Sonoma State University Grad Slam, Aiyana advanced to

represent SSU at the CSU-wide competition. This exciting event brought together graduate

student researchers from across 22-campuses of the California State University system, with two top

presenters from each campus.

Aiyana impressed judges and audiences alike in the initial preliminary round, where the top two

presenters out of 37 students advanced to the final round. Competing

among 12 finalists, Aiyana captivated viewers with her presentation—and ultimately earned the

People’s Choice Award, a reflection of her impact and connection with the audience.

Congratulations to Aiyana for this incredible achievement and for representing SSU with such

excellence and passion!

Aiyana Wins SSU Grad Slam '25 !

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We are excited to announce that Aiyana has taken 1st place in the SSU 2025 Grad Slam, held on

Friday, April 4, 2025! This fast-paced and exciting virtual event, hosted by the Office of Graduate

Studies, challenges graduate students to present their research, scholarship, and creativity in just

three minutes. Aiyana's exceptional presentation stood out among many talented participants,

earning her the top spot and a chance to represent Sonoma State University at the CSU-wide

Grad Slam competition.


On Friday, May 9, 2025, Aiyana will compete against graduate students from 22 other campuses

at the prestigious CSU-wide event, hosted by California State University, San Bernardino.

Winning the SSU Grad Slam not only earned Aiyana valuable prizes but also provided her with a

unique opportunity to enhance her professional presentation skills. We’re incredibly proud of her

accomplishment and can’t wait to cheer her on as she takes the next step in this exciting journey!