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Shayle Matsuda

​San Francisco State University​
Trustee Emeritus Murray L. Galinson Scholar

Shayle Matsuda
As I strive for excellence as a scientist, I can inspire others to feel confident and comfortable in being who they are.

​​Shayle Matsuda's passion for life was sparked during his battle with cancer at age three, but it wasn't until he came out as a transgender adult that he felt what it was like to be truly alive. After graduating with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Shayle worked and volunteered with youth and outdoor education programs to help others overcome their own challenges.

Today, Shayle is a biology graduate student at San Francisco State University with a 4.0 GPA and mentors high school students underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math at the California Academy of Sciences. Previous volunteer work as a lead facilitator for an environmental fellowship program inspired him to create and host Science, Neat — a continuing public event for young scientists.

Shayle is a frequent public speaker in the science community, and blogs about the process of transitioning. Shayle plans to pursue a Ph.D. in evolutionary and marine biology, while continuing to mentor and inspire future generations of diverse scientists.