Cal State East Bay’s Top 5 Stories of the Year

The year 2021 was one of transformation and change for Cal State East Bay and its three campuses. 

We began the year with a new leader — President Cathy Sandeen — and welcomed several other new faces in leadership positions as 2021 progressed. 

After most of our faculty, staff and students spent much of 2020 learning, teaching and working from home, we welcomed the opportunity to return in person again as the COVID-19 vaccines rolled out and our campuses opened back up for Fall Semester. 

Here are the top five stories of the year from the university’s news center and magazine publications:

1. A Presidential Homecoming: Cathy Sandeen, who grew up in the East Bay, became the university’s sixth president in January.
2. A Major League Pioneer: Alumnus Alex Vesia is the first former Pioneer in decades to reach the major leagues and the left-handed reliever helped the Los Angeles Dodgers reach the MLB playoffs this past fall. 
3. Announcing the Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients: The 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients included Christie Carnahan, Roberto Hernandez, Jr., Yvette Radford and Amy Schioldager.
4. Cal State East Bay Plans to Honor 2020 and 2021 Graduates with ‘Car-mencement’ ceremony: With pandemic restrictions still preventing large gatherings in the spring, the university came up with a creative idea to safely celebrate its graduates in person.   
5. Combating Climate Change: Extreme weather in 2021 put a greater focus on climate change. Here’s how Cal State East Bay students are taking local action against rising hazards.