Laura Shinn worked at San Diego State University for seven years, and during her time at SDSU, she was a valued member of our university community and an important and influential person both on and off-campus. Laura was ambitious, talented, compassionate, and had a sincerely positive outlook on life that was always evident in her interactions with others. In a recent feature, she shared that her favorite part about working at SDSU was the students, who she believed gave our work purpose. Her loss leaves a huge void in our university community. But you do not have to look far to see her legacy and the lasting impact she made at SDSU.

As the director of planning for Planning, Design and Construction, Laura spent the past seven years enhancing our campus experience through the planning, programming, and design phases of major and minor capital projects, always with an emphasis on sustainable development. She lent her expertise to major university projects such as the Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex, Huāxyacac Hall, the Tula Hall and Tenochca Tower community space replacement, the in-progress Don Powell Theatre renovation and the new Prebys Stage, and the Aztec Recreation Center (ARC) expansion and renovation, among countless others. She was also a critical part of the team supporting the planning and ongoing development of SDSU Mission Valley. Laura was instrumental in the formation of and support for President Adela de la Torre’s new Space and Facilities Advisory Committee, the solicitation of capital and deferred maintenance funding from the California State University (CSU) system, and she provided critical guidance in the analysis of all space and physical distancing requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those who had the privilege to know and work with Laura understood her unwavering commitment to sustainability, which was evident in both her work and how she chose to live her life. It was in large part due to Laura’s hard work that SDSU Mission Valley was awarded the Circulate San Diego Mobility Certification for its transit-oriented, sustainable, smart growth and nominated for a Circulate San Diego Momentum Award, acknowledging success in designing streets that encourage biking and walking.

The Laura Shinn Memorial Fund for Sustainable Growth will support the development of bicycle facilities at SDSU Mission Valley. Laura’s leadership and vision for sustainable growth was critical to the university’s efforts in planning SDSU Mission Valley as a pedestrian friendly, multi-modal development with a network of multimodal transportation options and amenities.

We miss Laura. We remember Laura. We are better for having known Laura Shinn.