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Graduate students make up about 11% of the student population across 57 master’s degree and Ph.D. programs and 30 graduate certificates offered at South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University. Each graduate student is immersed in research and scholarship with the support of their advisor and the Graduate School staff. 

April 7-11 is Graduate Student Appreciation Week, a great opportunity to highlight a few graduate students at SDSU and the work they are accomplishing. 

HarliAnn Baas, Joy Okolo and Carl Wagner each have a unique story and path leading to SDSU. Their research, passions and goals are made possible with the academic and personal support offered at State. 

From clinical mental health counseling, to computer science and English, SDSU offers opportunities for students to achieve their goals both in and outside of the classroom. 

HarliAnn Baas 

Baas, originally from Alexandria, Minnesota, is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling and human resource development with a specialization in clinical mental health counseling, and her advisor is associate professor William Briddick. 

Baas earned her undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in mental health services from SDSU in 2023. Already considering graduate programs at that point, she decided to take time off to work in an inpatient facility, and that ignited her passion for counseling. 

“The time that I spent with clients and the stories I was told only pushed me to grow my skills. Being the best version of myself for my work seems to be a theme pushing myself further into the field. This led me back to SDSU, where I remain today.â€� 

Baas holds an on-campus position through the SDSU Foundation as its loyalty and pipeline giving graduate assistant, and as an undergraduate she was involved in a variety of clubs and leadership positions and presented research at a regional conference. 

Baas was recently initiated into the new Chi Sigma Iota chapter at SDSU, becoming its president, planning professional development opportunities for her colleagues, and engaging more with grant writing. 

Some highlights of her education through SDSU have been the hands-on support of professors in the development of professional skills, integration of material, and understanding of the counseling profession. 

“Many surprises come with graduate school, but the professional and personal relationships I have built with my colleagues have made an immeasurable positive impact on my experience.â€� 

She plans to return to her previous employer for an internship, where she wants to develop new training, grow her knowledge base and develop skills in therapeutic models for clients. 

Her advice to prospective graduate students it to understand their passion. “Nobody can drive you to pursue a degree outside of yourself. Know your strengths and be open to criticism from others; oftentimes it is given with the hope of your growth.â€� 

Joy Okolo 

Okolo, originally from Enugu, Nigeria, is pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science at SDSU, and her advisor is assistant professor Jun Huang. 

She also serves as a graduate assistant at the SDSU Foundation, where she applies her technical skills to real-world data management challenges. 

“SDSU stood out to me because of its strong focus on applied research in areas like machine learning, data science, mobile networks and mobile computing,â€� Okolo said. “SDSU was the perfect pick because it offered me the chance to engage in multidisciplinary research with renowned faculty members that matched my research objectives.â€� 

Her Ph.D. research focuses on federated learning in mobile edge computing — a computing approach that allows machine learning models to be trained across multiple devices without centralizing data. This enhances privacy, security and real-time decision-making, making it particularly important in environments where data confidentiality and low-latency processing are critical. 

“I’m not just exploring theoretical concepts — I’m working on solutions that can make real-world machine learning deployments more secure, scalable and efficient,â€� she said. “I have a goal to become a leading researcher and industry expert in machine learning, mobile edge computing and cybersecurity, especially in fintech and data security. I intend to take a position that would enable me to develop and apply privacy-preserving artificial intelligence solutions, enhance financial security frameworks and facilitate large-scale automation in data-intensive industries.â€� 

Okolo’s research also applies to health care, retail, the Internet of Things and cybersecurity, promoting privacy-first, AI-driven automation. 

Okolo said she is passionate about mentoring future researchers and contributing to academia and industry collaborations. “In the end, I want to work in a position that can help me to bridge the gap between the academic world and the real-life usage of AI and cybersecurity solutions for various industries.â€� 

Her advice to prospective graduate students is to understand their reasons for pursuing a graduate degree, embrace research and innovation, and to take care of themselves. 

Carl Wagner 

Wagner, originally from Mobile, Alabama, is pursuing a master’s in English with an emphasis in literature and serves as a graduate teaching assistant for the English department, teaching two sections of composition while studying for his own degree. His advisor is Paul Baggett, associate professor and graduate coordinator of English and interdisciplinary studies. 

Wagner said he joined the Marine Corps and spent four years as a radio operator before he received his undergraduate degree in 2023 from the University of South Alabama, majoring in English with a minor in political science. Then he transitioned to South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University. 

“My first two semesters, I was an online student and stayed back home in Alabama,â€� Wagner said. “I had an instructor who would meet with me regularly and make sure that I was not only understanding the topics at hand but also progressing in the class. It was at this time I knew I made the right decision to attend SDSU over the other universities I got accepted into.â€� 

Wagner said he decided to pursue a master’s in English mostly because he likes to read and discuss literature. But on a deeper level, he believes in the importance of literary and humanities studies. His advice to someone considering pursuing a master’s degree is to “just do it!â€� 

“The highlight of my time at SDSU has been watching students come into the classroom the first week of the semester terrified that they are going to be bad writers and walking out the last week as a more rounded writer than they thought possible,â€� he added. 

After graduation, Wagner hopes to become an English instructor. “I would love to continue to teach writing/composition, but I also am working on a couple of syllabi for classes focused on science fiction and fantasy.�