Entertainers, healers, advocates among 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees
Six outstanding alumni will be honored at SFSU’s 32nd annual celebration on Friday, Nov. 6
Over the past 32 years, San Francisco State University has honored more than 150 outstanding Gators at our annual Alumni Hall of Fame celebration. Past inductees have included artists, activists, scientists, politicians, business leaders and more. This year, six more distinguished alumni will join the Hall of Fame.
The 2026 inductees include a mental health advocate, a “Sesame Street” puppeteer, San Francisco’s fire chief, an Academy Award-winning documentary film producer and two nurses and friends who founded a nonprofit benefiting Black women and girls in Oakland.
SFSU President Lynn Mahoney and the University community will honor the newest inductees at a celebration and dinner Friday, Nov. 6, at the InterContinental San Francisco. The Alumni Hall of Fame celebration is the University’s second largest event of the year (behind Commencement) and one Mahoney looks forward to annually.
“This event is imbued with Gator spirit, and I relish my role in inducting these distinguished alumni into the SFSU Alumni Hall of Fame,” Mahoney said. “Each of these alums, when they graduated from SFSU, possessed the same promise as our current students. It’s wonderful to see their full-circle journey and celebrate the contributions they’ve made to their communities.”
Meet our 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees:
Juan Acosta
B.S., Psychology, 2019
Juan Acosta is a first-generation Mexican immigrant and nationally recognized mental health and LGBTQ+ activist, content creator and public speaker whose advocacy began locally at age 13.
At 21, Acosta drafted a historic LGBTQ+ proclamation for his hometown of Woodland. Since earning his degree, he has held leadership positions in the nonprofit sector, managed mental health programs and led initiatives focused on advancing community well-being. He works in philanthropy, overseeing statewide initiatives and collaborating with diverse partners to drive meaningful and lasting impact across California.
He has served on various national mental health committees. His speaking engagements have included United Nations Side Events and the first-ever Youth Mental Health Action Forum at the White House, where he spoke alongside First Lady Jill Biden, Selena Gomez and former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
In 2024, Acosta was invited to the inaugural White House Creator Mental Health Summit. He also co-authored The New York Times bestseller “Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community” with musician and actress Lady Gaga and other Born This Way Foundation reporters.
As a content creator, Acosta partners regularly with organizations and brands whose missions align with his work. His advocacy and storytelling have been featured by DoSomething, MTV, Yahoo, LGBTQ Nation, Out Magazine and others.
His work has earned recognition across the mental health, LGBTQ+ and life sciences communities. In 2023, he was named to STAT News’ STATUS List for his influential work in life sciences. That same year, he was included in The Advocate’s annual “30 Under 30” list. In 2024, Acosta was recognized as a Young Innovator in Behavioral Health by Behavioral Health Tech, Hopelab, Pivotal Ventures, Resonance Philanthropies and Manatt.
Acosta was recognized as a Pride Honoree by the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus in 2025 for his efforts to advance representation and inspire the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. He was also named to the 2025 NextGen Collective 30 Under 30 list.
Dr. Shelitha R. Campbell
M.S., Nursing, 2003
Dr. Shelitha R. Campbell is a nurse leader, educator, scholar, clinician, entrepreneur and community leader whose career reflects nearly three decades of advancing health equity, strengthening communities and preparing the next generation of nurses.
A family nurse practitioner (FNP), the Oakland native practices at Roots Community Health and in private practice. She is also an associate professor in the FNP program at Samuel Merritt University, where she promotes workforce diversity, student success, community engagement and health equity. She is a published scholar and experienced presenter and speaker.
Campbell is founder and CEO of C.A.R.E., LLC, a health equity leadership and education practice. C.A.R.E. brings together health care professionals, community members, advocates, policymakers and people with lived experiences to address systemic disparities, promote healing and improve population health.
She is also co-founder and CEO of A Sista’s Touch (AST), a nonprofit she established with her friend, sorority sister and fellow SFSU alumna Dr. Jaliza Johnson to serve Black women and girls. AST’s signature community program, A Sista’s Always Prepared: Puberty to Queen, educates young girls and prepares them to build confidence during a critical developmental phase while elevating self-esteem, agency and prevention education. AST’s community advocacy activity, We Run Oakland, increases awareness of human trafficking through a co-hosted annual 5K, building community around a silent epidemic.
A community advocate and humanitarian, Campbell has served on several nonprofit and professional boards, including Residue, which she co-founded with her husband; Friends of MISSSEY; Bay Area Black Nurses Association; and Nyame Dua Foundation, Inc.
Her numerous honors for leadership, advocacy and service include the 2026 American Association of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Outstanding Contributions for California; the DNPs of Color McCamey-DeWitty Founders Lifetime Achievement Award; Samuel Merritt University’s Health Impact Award; the Bay Area Black Nurses Association Flo Stroud Trailblazer Award; the Alameda County Outstanding Black Achievers award by Supervisor Lena Tam; and the Humanitarian Award from Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.
Campbell also holds a B.S. in Nursing from the University of San Francisco and a Doctor of Nursing Practice with an emphasis in Executive Leadership from Loyola University New Orleans.
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
B.A., Special Major (Child Development Through the Arts), 1987
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is a children’s and family entertainer, puppeteer, voice actor, artist, writer, comedian and creator who has dedicated her career to championing the arts through performance, outreach and education.
She is best known for playing fairy-in-training Abby Cadabby on “Sesame Street,” a role that has earned her three Emmy Awards and eight Emmy nominations. As Abby, she has performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center Honors and alongside the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
While at SFSU, Carrara-Rudolph designed her own major, setting her on a path toward children’s entertainment. She taught children’s theater, led parks and recreation programs, performed with the Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble and worked at Disney World before getting her start as a television puppeteer on ABC’s “Muppets Tonight” in 1996.
She went on to appear in numerous children’s programs, including Disney’s “Johnny & the Sprites,” Nickelodeon’s “The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss” and “T.U.F.F. Puppy,” The Learning Channel’s “Animal Jam” and “The Muppets Mayhem.” She also appeared in the film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” In 2006, she landed her signature role as Abby Cadabby.
Off-screen, Carrara-Rudolph has created and performed original stage productions, including Disney’s “Wahoo Wagon,” a sold-out New York City cabaret residency and the off-Broadway musical “Wake Up Your Weird.” She has also collaborated with her Emmy-winning husband, Paul Rudolph, on songs for “Sesame Street.”
Her work as Abby earned her Children’s and Family Emmy Awards for Outstanding Puppetry Performer in 2023 and 2026. She also received a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Experience as part of the NBC Olympics host team at the Paris Olympics. Her honors include a UNIMA-USA Citation of Excellence, an Annie nomination for voice acting on the PBS show “Splash and Bubbles” and two Behind the Voice Actors Awards for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series for “Sesame Street” in 2013 and 2015.
She also co-founded Humor with a Heart, a production company that uses live shows, educational experiences, workshops and creative outreach to help people find their voice and heal through the arts.
Dean Crispen
B.S., Business Administration, 1997
Dean Crispen has dedicated more than 30 years of his professional life to serving the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD). A San Francisco native, he was appointed the city’s 27th fire chief in 2025 after rising through the ranks from firefighter EMT to captain and battalion chief. Throughout his career, he has served at some of San Francisco’s busiest fire stations, including assignments in Chinatown, North Beach, SoMa and downtown.
Crispen has been recognized three times for bravery for rescuing victims trapped inside burning structures, and he received a commendation for rescuing a man experiencing a heart attack while off duty. He has responded to more than 50 major incidents as an incident commander and joined relief efforts in New York City following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He is highly trained and certified in hazardous materials, heavy rescue, confined-space rescue, scuba and surf rescue, fire investigation and prevention, and wildland firefighting.
The son of a retired captain in the SFFD Arson Division, Crispen continued a family tradition of public service. He completed his degree at SFSU while working for SFFD and credits his college experience with developing critical-thinking skills that have served him throughout his career. He was also highly involved in developing SFFD’s Racial Equity Action Plan and gives back to his community by volunteering annually with the Local 798 toy program. He is the proud father of two sons.
Dr. Jaliza Johnson
MBA, 2005
B.S. and M.S., Nursing, 2016
Dr. Jaliza Johnson began her professional life in business as a sales and marketing executive before finding her lifelong passion in nursing and becoming a respected nurse leader.
She rose quickly through the ranks at Stanford Health Care (SHC), starting as an intern, then becoming a nursing assistant and clinical nurse before eventually becoming a director at SHC’s Center for Education, Research and Professional Development. She has worked in blood and marrow transplantation, inpatient clinical trials, and nursing education and professional development.
Johnson is a member of and holds leadership roles in several professional nursing organizations, including the National Black Nurses Association, where she is a lifetime member and membership chair for the Silicon Valley chapter. She is also a member of the American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International Alpha Alpha Lambda at Large chapter, DNPs of Color, the Association for Nursing Professional Development and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. She is a mentor and nurse leadership development committee member for the Association of California Nurse Leaders.
Mentoring new nurses is a passion of Johnson’s, and she published her first article on the subject in the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing in 2024. She co-chairs the Black Employees & Allies Employee Resource Group at SHC and promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within the nursing profession. She became a fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing in December 2025 and the National Black Nurses Association’s Minority Nurse Leadership Fellowship Program in 2026. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Her commitment to community service led her to co-found A Sista’s Touch with her friend, sorority sister and fellow inductee Shelitha Campbell in 2017. She continues to advance its mission through three programs: the annual We Run Oakland for Our Children 5K run, which raises awareness of human trafficking; A Sista’s Always Prepared: Puberty to Queen, which provides girls ages 8 – 12 with education and support around puberty and hygiene; and Loving Me First, which promotes self-confidence, health and wellness among high school girls.
Johnson has received a Humanitarian Award from the Southwest Region of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., and a Community Recognition Award during the Second Annual BEAM Equity Awards at SHC. She says her most rewarding accomplishments are the roles of wife and mother.
She also holds an undergraduate degree in Business from CSU, Hayward (East Bay), an MBA from SFSU, a B.S. and M.S. in Nursing from SFSU and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of California, San Francisco. She is the first person in her family to receive a doctorate.
Conall Jones
B.A., Cinema, 2005
Conall Jones is an Academy Award-winning documentary producer whose work spans feature films, shorts, series and investigative journalism. Throughout his career, he has been drawn to stories that challenge assumptions, build empathy and inspire audiences to see people and issues differently.
Two years into his studies at SFSU, Jones had yet to find a clear direction and struggled academically. That changed when he took “Documentary 101” with Professor Greta Snider and discovered a way to combine his curiosity about people, interest in social issues and desire to tell stories. His first short film, “Ringo,” shot on 16-millimeter and edited by hand in his kitchen, screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and won the Audience Award at the 2005 CSU Media Arts Festival.
After graduating in 2005, Jones interned at the Sundance Institute and read scripts at Sony before working in film production in Prague, South Korea and Berlin, including with acclaimed filmmaker Wim Wenders. He later moved to New York City, where he produced documentaries for Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore. His work has since appeared on Netflix, The New Yorker, Vice, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, NBC, A&E and other major outlets, with films premiering at Cannes, Toronto, the Berlinale and festivals around the world.
In 2022, Jones produced Joshua Seftel’s “Stranger at the Gate,” executive produced by Malala Yousafzai. The short documentary, which explores Islamophobia and the possibility of transformation, was nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2025, Jones produced “All the Empty Rooms,” which follows journalist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp as they document the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. The film screened at the Cannes Film Festival, was acquired by Netflix and won the 2026 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film. At the Oscars, Jones gave his speaking time to Gloria Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter was killed in the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Jones credits SFSU with shaping his approach to filmmaking, particularly the University’s emphasis on social justice and storytelling as a tool for social change — principles that continue to guide his work.
Tickets for the Alumni Hall of Fame celebration can be purchased online. Check out all of our past Alumni Hall of Fame inductees online.
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