Pre-doctoral students named Sally Casanova Scholars

July 14, 2025

The California Pre-Doctoral Program is one of the most prestigious and competitive scholarships in the CSU system, with only 75 students selected each year across all campuses. Sally Casanova Scholars engage in educational activities that they plan with their faculty mentor to support their academic and professional development as future Ph.D. applicants. 

This year, three of Sonoma State’s outstanding students have been awarded this distinction:

• Edgar Munoz Corona, a Geography, Environment, and Planning major working with Dr. James Mestaz.
• Kevin Witt, a double major in Geology and Biochemistry, conducting research with Dr. Monica Lares.
• Gabriel Tsuruta, a Psychology major working under the mentorship of Dr. Teresa Nguyen.

In addition, two students received honorable mentions: Kierran Chiddix and Quinn Han.

Thanks to Dr. Brantley Bryant and Emily Hostutler for their invaluable support in mentoring students and reviewing multiple drafts of their scholarship essays.