Forever Pioneer Week Celebrates the Best of Cal State East Bay

Like many university events this fall, when Cal State East Bay’s Forever Pioneer Week returns for its seventh year it will be a hybrid celebration.

The weeklong festivities, open to both alumni and the university community, will feature both in-person and virtual events celebrating all that Cal State East Bay has to offer. The celebration runs Oct. 19-23 with most of the virtual events scheduled for the weekdays and the marquee in-person activities planned for the weekend.

“This year’s celebration is extra special for a number of reasons, but chief among them is the return to in-person events for Homecoming weekend,” said Travis Nelson, Director of Alumni Engagement. “This year also marks the first year of what we hope will be a continued collaboration to showcase the best of who we are as a University not only to our alumni and students, but also to our prospective students and their families by hosting their annual Preview Day event on the same Saturday as our alumni celebration. This is going to give attendees of Homecoming weekend the unique opportunity to meet and interact with students who are considering applying to Cal State East Bay, and our hope is that those interactions with proud alumni can make a difference in students choosing to attend.” 

Here are some of the highlights:

• CSUEB Homecoming, Saturday Oct. 23: For the first time, Alumni Engagement has partnered with the Office of Student Outreach on an event that will cater to both alumni and prospective students. It will include musical performances, a community market, a car show, campus tours and a meet and greet with President Sandeen. (In-person)
• Distinguished Alumni Awards, Friday, Oct. 22: Our four newest award recipients — Amy Schioldager, Roberto Hernandez, Jr., Yvette Radford and Christie Carnahan — will be honored at an outdoor ceremony. (In-person)
• Golden Grad Celebration, Saturday, Oct. 23: A reunion and induction ceremony honoring alumni who have marked the 50th anniversary of their graduation from the university. This year we are celebrating our first 10 years of graduates from Cal State East Bay who graduated between 1961-1971, and many of them haven’t visited campus for 30 or more years. (In-person)
• Forever Pioneer Happy Hour, Thursday, Oct. 21: Join fellow Pioneers at Alameda’s Karibu by Wachira Wine Bar for an evening of networking and fellowship. (In-person)
• East Bay Innovation Talks: Venture Capital 101, Wednesday, Oct. 20:  Learn from the experience of our alumni guest how innovation is powered financially and how you can structure your startup to stand a better chance of getting the capital you need to make your idea a success! (Virtual)
• Class Pass: Managing Wildfires, Tuesday, Oct. 19: Dr. Tony Marks-Block, an assistant professor of Anthropology, Geography, and Environmental Studies, will cover the importance of cultural burns and how they can help California manage wildfires.

See the full list of events.