Top 16 FresnoStateNews.com stories of 2016

Peace Garden – Jane Addams statue	1. Fresno State rises through the ranks Academics at Fresno State are garnering national attention with the release of rankings from Washington Monthly Magazine and U.S. News and World Report.
Jordan Agricultural Research Center ribbon-cutting	2. Jordan Agricultural Research Center opens A 30,000-square-foot interdisciplinary agricultural research center, located on the campus farm at the corner of Barstow and Woodrow avenues, opened in May. It is the first of its kind in the California State University system.
Bulldog Stadium renovation	3. Bulldog Stadium renovation plans The Red Wave ramps up support for a renovation of Bulldog Stadium that will include a new façade, scoreboards and luxury seating.
Clothing Closet	4. Helping students succeed in and out of the classroom The University opened a professional Clothing Closet in April to help students obtain professional clothing for interviews, and expanded services to combat food insecurity with the Student Cupboard.
Brooks and Goodwin	5. Leading minds National thought leaders David Brooks and Doris Kearns Goodwin visited campus to give free community talks
Brooks and McCartney	6. Rocking out The Save Mart Center at Fresno State brought legendary artists Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks to Fresno for several sellout and near-sellout shows.
	7. Stronger Together The University announced several new partnerships to improve educational outcomes for students throughout the Valley, including the Central Valley Promise, 2+2+3 Pathway to Law School and Portuguese exchange program.
Nursing Student	8. The Road to Valley Health Nursing students use a mobile clinic to provide potentially lifesaving health screenings for people in underserved rural communities — free of charge.
Bulldog	9. New coaches and two new sports Fresno State grew its athletic leadership team with new football coach Jeff Tedford, a former Bulldog quarterback, and new softball coach Linda Garza, a Fresno native. Two new sports programs announced their coaches as women’s water polo coach Natalie Benson and wrestling coach Troy Steiner.
Dr. Joy Goto	10. Alzheimer’s breakthrough Pioneering research on fruit flies by Dr. Joy Goto, a Fresno State chemistry professor, played a key role in developing a new approach to understanding Alzheimer’s disease.
Kleenex	11. Meaningful move-in day With more than 5 million views, a new video from Kleenex featuring former foster care and once homeless students moving into the dorms at Fresno State gained national attention.
Students	12. Bold new direction Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro announced a new strategic plan and mission statement for the University: “To boldly educate and empower students for success.”
Veteran Education Program	13. Helping our heroes A new program to help veterans gain admission to Fresno State launched. Seven
Downtown and Visalia Center	14. Branching out into the community Two satellite campuses open in downtown Fresno and Visalia to expand the University’s impact on the region.
Water Technology	15. Advancing water research The International Center for Water Technology at Fresno State won a $5 million grant to promote water and energy innovation.
Community Service	16. 10 million hours of service During the past decade, Fresno State has provided 10,084,974 hours of community service to the Central Valley and beyond, in large part through the University’s commitment to learning by serving.