Funding and Scholarships

This scholarship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students whose graduate student thesis focus on the intersection of race, gender and sexuality. The scholarship was established as part of the Queer Ethnic Studies Initiative in the College of Ethnic Studies and is funded by generous donations from faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the College.

Alumni Connell Persico and Clay Heironimus established the C&C Fellowship in Queer Ethnic Studies Endowment. The endowment will initially support two to four annual fellowship awards for undergraduate students in the College of Ethnic Studies with a minor or major in Queer Ethnic Studies. The fellows must be actively engaged in community work, with a focus on empowering and advancing queer people of color and an equitable LGBTQ community.

The Robert A. Corrigan Visiting Professorship in Social Justice was established by SF State alumni George and Judy Marcus in honor of Robert A. Corrigan’s twenty-four years of leadership as SF State’s 12th president. Corrigan Visiting Professors are firmly engaged in cutting edge academic, educational and community initiatives that promote social justice and advance the aspirations of people of African American/Black ancestry.

Dr. Wei Ming Dariotis established the Critical Mixed Race Studies Scholarship Fund to support scholarship awards for promising undergraduate and graduate students in the field of Critical Mixed Raced Studies.

The Richard and Mildred Loving Scholarship Award in Critical Mixed Race Studies for undergraduate students honors the couple for their landmark decision in Richard Perry Loving, Mildred Jeter Loving v. Virginia, where the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Virginia's anti-miscegenation law and ended all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States.

The Dr. Maria P. P. Root Scholarship Award in Critical Mixed Race Studies for graduate students honors Dr. Root's contributions to field of Critical Mixed Race Studies and her publishing the first contemporary work on mixed race people.

The James Akira Hirabayashi Person for All Seasons Scholarship Endowment honors Dr. James Akira Hirabayashi (10/31/1926 to 5/23/2012), the founding dean of the College of Ethnic Studies. Dr. Hirabayashi subsequently served as the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and retired as a Professor Emeritus. He was awarded the prestigious SF State Presidential Medal by President Robert Corrigan in 2009. His courage, intellectual integrity, and ability to communicate across various communities made him a man for all seasons. Hirabayashi's career accomplishments are balanced by wide community service, quiet strength, and generosity. He taught and mentored hundreds of people over decades from all disciplines—not just a professor but as a guitarist, jeweler, Asian American Theater Company actor, softball pitcher, Mongolian griddle gourmet cook, husband, and father.

The James Akira Hirabayashi Person for All Seasons Scholarship Endowment supports two annual scholarship awards of $1,000 for upper division undergraduate and graduate students who seek to be persons for all seasons and are considering a career that is interdisciplinary and in public service.

The College of Ethnic Studies extends its gratitude to SF State Alumna Juanita Tamayo Lott and to everyone who participated in the matching gift challenge in Spring 2018. With your generosity, we successfully met the goal to permanently endow the James Hirabayashi Person for All Seasons Scholarship.

The scholarship honors Jacques E. Johnet who received a master's degree in German from SF State in 1969. The scholarship recognizes the academic achievements of Native American students at SF State and assists them financially in the pursuit of their education. The scholarship is awarded to aid in the academic achievements of Native American students, especially Cheyenne, enrolled full-time in undergraduate or graduate study at SFSU

Mark B. Kertz was born October 17, 1948 in San Mateo—the youngest child of Ethel and Herbert Kertz. He had a lifelong thirst for knowledge and the spirit of an explorer. After graduating from Woodside High School, Mark obtained a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Chinese Area Studies (1971) and a Master of Arts in History from what was known then as San Francisco State College. He selected San Francisco State College because it was, at that time, the only university in the Bay Area that offered an interdisciplinary major in “Chinese Area Studies.” Mark returned to San Francisco State for a Master of Arts in History after having already received a Master of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis with an emphasis in Asian Studies (another interdisciplinary program).

Mark was a loving husband to Minnie Loo and devoted father to Adam Kertz. Sadly, he was diagnosed with Pick's disease and passed away in 2013. Mark is remembered for his intellect, integrity, humor, humility and keen sense of aesthetics.

The Mark B. Kertz & Minnie Loo Scholarship Endowment in Asian American Studies recognizes and assists undergraduate and graduate students in Asian American Studies who are pursuing a broad interdisciplinary scope of study, have an interest in pursuing a future career in public service, and have a commitment to advancing inclusion for Asian Americans and increasing awareness of the Chinese American experience.

Philip M. Klasky (November 20, 1953 – April 12, 2022) was a beloved teacher, a lifelong activist, and an alumnus of San Francisco State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies in 1994 and his master’s degree in geography and human environmental studies in 1997 from San Francisco State. From 2003 to 2020, he was a faculty member in American Indian Studies and Race and Resistance Studies.

The Philip M. Klasky Climate Justice Scholarship was established in memory of Philip M. Klasky to continue his legacy of supporting student activists who have a commitment to climate justice and community involvement.

A noted authority on ethnic studies in higher education and a popular figure on the SF State campus and around the Bay Area, died June 29, 1999. Dr. McGee had been dean of S.F. State's College of Ethnic Studies since 1980. He was awarded the prestigious SF State Presidential Medal for Service by President Corrigan in 1999. The D. Phillip McGee Memorial Scholarship Fund awards $1,000 to students who are in their junior or senior year at San Francisco State University at the time of the award. Students applying must have financial need as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid and minimum GPA of 3.0. Preference will be given to economically disadvantaged students who are committed to helping others with  similar backgrounds.

The Betty Parent Achievement Award recognizes Dr. Elizabeth "Betty" Parent’s  achievements and ongoing inspiration. Dr. Parent was the first Alaska Native woman to earn a Ph.D. and the first Alaska Native woman to obtain tenure as a full professor. She is also the first full professor in American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University. Her tenure at SF State established a precedent of excellence in teaching, research, and community service that many American Indians seek to emulate. Dr. Parent was in inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017 for her achievement in educational leadership and advocacy for Native people.

The Betty Parent Achievement Award honors outstanding undergraduate and graduate students at San Francisco State University who are committed to working with and/or in an American Indian tribal community, nation, and/or organization. The award provides honorees with funds for purchasing books for their academic endeavors.

The Edward Said Scholarship was established by SF State Alumnus Allam El Qadah in honor of Professor Edward Wadie Said, a Palestinian American literary theorist and public intellectual who helped found the critical-theory field of Post-colonialism and was a champion of justice for and in Palestine. The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduates students of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas  (AMED) Studies who demonstrate an outstanding academic record and community service that exemplifies  what Professor Edward Said stood for.

Mr. Paul Pando Whang’s wife, Ruth Whang, and his three children, Gail, Denise and Ron Whang, are establishing the Paul Whang Memorial Fellowship Endowment in his memory.  Paul Whang was one of the University’s first Korean American graduates.  Born and raised in San Francisco, Paul Whang was the son of a minister, Whang San Sun, at the Korean Methodist Church on Powell Street.

He graduated from the University, then known as San Francisco State in 1939 with a baccalaureate degree in Physical Education and a Junior High School Teaching Credential. At a time when racial discriminatory practices were the norm,  Paul Whang faced setbacks in his dreams of becoming a teacher. After service in the US Navy and many other jobs, he passed the Civil Service Exam and began a career at the Chinese Playground in San Francisco. For over 30 years, he served the youth of San Francisco's Chinatown as Director at the Chinese Playground and the Chinese Recreation Center. With immigrant parents working long hours and youth gangs rampant in Chinatown, Paul Whang served as a surrogate parent to many youths, visiting their homes and encouraging them to stay in school.

In honor of Paul Whang’s dedication to helping youth, the Paul Whang Memorial Fellowship Endowment shall encourage and provide support to college students interested in working with low-income youth in Asian American communities. 

The Jolivétte Family Empowerment Scholarship Fund established in memory of Annetta Donan Foster Jolivétte, Kenneth Louis Jolivétte, Sr., Joelle Jolivétte González, Gertie Lee Fontenot Jolivétte Wilson, and Isabella Americus Williams. The scholarship fund provides financial assistance to promising students in the College of Ethnic Studies who are committed to advancing social justice and have career goals of serving youth from diverse and underserved communities.

The College of Ethnic Studies is proud to announce the establishment of the Kenneth P. Monteiro – Associated Students Scholarship Endowment in Ethnic Studies with a generous gift from the Associated Students of San Francisco State University. The scholarship endowment honors Dr. Kenneth P. Monteiro for his long-time commitment to mentoring student leaders at SF State and for his outstanding service and dedication to student advocacy and empowerment, especially for underserved communities.

The Kenneth P. Monteiro – Associated Students Scholarship Endowment in Ethnic Studies will recognize, and provide financial assistance to, students who are similarly committed to advancing and empowering our diverse communities. A scholarship of $1,500 will be awarded annually to students who excel in the application of both academics and activism for the advancement and empowerment of marginalized communities. Particular emphasis will be on work addressing the intersectionality between race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, and/or socioeconomic class. SF State upper division and graduate students in any major who have completed at least six units in the College of Ethnic Studies and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 (3.0 or higher preferred) are eligible to apply.

The Anantha Sudhakar Memorial Scholarship Endowment honors Associate Professor Emerita of Asian American Studies Anantha Sudhakar and her deep commitment and extraordinary dedication to social justice and the education of undergraduate and graduate students. The scholarship assists and recognizes students majoring or minoring in Asian American Studies or Queer Ethnic Studies, graduate students in Asian American Studies, and graduate students in Ethnic Studies, whose research sits at the intersection of race, gender and sexuality, for their:

• Commitment to social justice and ethnic studies
• Academic and/or creative interest in Asian American literature, art, and culture; the South Asian experience in the United States; or the intersection of Asian American Studies and art activism, gender studies, and/or queer theory with an intention to advance cross-racial activism and lift the voices of queer and womxn-identified communities
• Involvement in community organizing or activism whose goals are to create a just, equitable, and sustainable world for Asian Americans, South Asian Americans, and/or queer and womxn-identified communities engaged in activism in solidarity with indigenous peoples and communities of color in the United States

Jerry W. Varnado received a B.A. in Economics from San Francisco State University in 1969. As a student, he was involved with the Negro Students Association and co-founded the Black Student Union (BSU). In 1968, he and his fellow BSU leaders in coalition with the Third World Liberation Front, other students, faculty, and community members organized the nation’s longest student strike to protest the lack of access, misrepresentation, and the overall neglect of indigenous peoples and people of color within the University’s curriculum and programs. The activism of the strikers was the impetus for the founding of the College of Ethnic Studies in 1969.

The Jerry Wayne Varnado Ethnic Studies Scholarship recognizes and assists promising undergraduate students majoring or minoring in the College of Ethnic Studies with a scholarship award of $6,000 ($3,000 in fall and $3,000 in spring). Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and demonstrate: 1) an aspiration to be a productive member of society; 2) commitment to the values of social justice, diversity and inclusivity; and 3) participation in service or activities that advance these values.

The Student Activist and Advocate Endowed Scholarship established by The Lang-Monteiro Family honors the tradition of social justice centered, student empowerment, advocacy, activism and leadership exemplified at San Francisco State University. Perry L. Lang, D.Div. is a multi-faceted leader with experience as a journalist, non-profit manager, and interfaith spiritual leader. Kenneth P. Monteiro, Ph.D. is former dean of the College of Ethnic Studies and is currently Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies and Psychology. The Student Activist and Advocate Endowed Scholarship will recognize, and provide financial assistance to, students who are committed to developing their own leadership potential through engagement in social justice roles on campus and applying their skills and resources to addressing needs in their constituent communities.

Joseph L. White, Ph.D. (1932-2017) was a renowned psychologist and activist who revolutionized the way people of color are understood in psychology and who improved diversity on college campuses. He passed away on November 21, 2017.

Dr. White graduated from San Francisco State University in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, followed by a master’s degree in 1958. In 1961, he was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and developmental psychology from Michigan State University and one of five African Americans in the country to hold a doctorate in psychology. He returned to San Francisco State University in 1968 as a faculty member and an administrator.

The Meredith Morgan Eliassen Fellowship in Women Shaping California Communities was established to celebrate the contributions of women in California representing all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds who shape and enrich communities. The goal of the Fellowship is to build a learning community of scholars with mentors who use ethical mechanisms to surface the stories of women in California using critical thinking skills to show how they function in community building.