The Los Angeles County Commission for Women honored Joyce Feucht-Haviar, university senior international officer and dean of the Tseng College for Graduate, International and Midcareer Education at California State University, Northridge, as a recipient of the 28^th Annual Women of the Year Award today, in the category of education.

Each year the award salutes women from across Los Angeles County for their work to bring about social and economic change as well as for excellence in the categories of education, health and law/public safety.

Tseng College’s Dean Joyce Feucht-Haviar is the recipient of the 28th Annual Woman of the Year Award.

“There is a remarkable array of women in influential roles in education in Los Angeles,” Feucht-Haviar noted. “Some are changing lives in classrooms at all levels from early childhood to the highest levels of university education.  Others are changing expanding educational opportunities at all levels and impacting the future of institutions and Los Angeles in leadership and management roles in schools, colleges, universities, and the many community organizations that are helping to define the future of Los Angeles.

“I consider myself to be privileged indeed to be in a role and at an institution that allows me to envision a different future and then work with dedicated faculty and administrative colleagues to craft the innovative educational options that can make those envisioned possibilities a reality,” she said.  “As I reflect on today’s celebration of the accomplishments of women in our region, I have a special appreciation for the many women in senior roles in the faculty and administration at CSUN whose work is honored along with mine today – because what I have done would not have been possible without them.”

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Commission for Women selected Feucht-Haviar for the honor in education. Veda E. Ward, president of the Commission for Women and a professor at CSUN, praised Feucht-Haviar for her contributions toward improving the regional economy and the quality of life for many working adults through the exceptional and innovative CSUN educational opportunities available on a global scale for career professionals, recognizing that the majority of students in these programs are women who will become tomorrow’s leaders. The Commission for Women also saluted all honorees for serving as outstanding role models and demonstrating outstanding performance in their professions.  The event was held at the Millennium Biltmore in downtown Los Angeles.

The SS12 Audio Alert System team, from left: Matt Newbill, Joshua Licudo, Ismael Gonzalez, Chris Cederstrom and Kyeong Hoon Jung.

The challenge: Develop an app that could turn cellphones into emergency alert systems for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. A team of computer science students from California State University, Northridge had only a couple weeks to create the software and were up against teams from USC and UCLA.

Not only did they meet the challenge, but they took top honors last week with an Android app, SS12 Audio Alert System, at the SS12: Code for a Cause competition held at CSUN’s 28th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference in San Diego. The SS12 Audio Alert System is now available for free at Google Play, Google’s app store.

“I was just blown away by what they did,” said CSUN computer science professor Adam Kaplan, who served as an impromptu coach for the team of five students, most of whom he met for the first time a few weeks ago. “It was an incredible piece of work. They put together an app in a very short period of time that not only does what they were asked to do, but does it so well that it’s now available in the app store for free for anyone who needs it.”

The SS12 Code for a Cause competition is sponsored by Project Possibility, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating open source software for persons with disabilities and educating students about accessibility and universal design concepts. For years, Project Possibility organized competitions on individual campuses. Two years ago, they took the competition to the next level, inviting campus winners to face off against each other during a contest held at the CSUN conference, which is internationally known for exploring new ways technology can help persons with disabilities.

This year’s teams could choose from nine different projects, including developing an app that could turn mobile devices into emergency alert systems for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The app the CSUN team created can correctly interpret audio disturbances such as sirens, smoke alarms, car horns and crying children and translate those sounds into flashing lights, vibrations and texts on a mobile device that can capture the attention of someone who would not be able to hear them.

“When I think about what we did, it’s just awesome,” said sophomore Matt Newbill. “Most people don’t think about the needs of persons with disabilities when

they’re developing a product. I have to confess, I didn’t before this competition. But now, that will always be in the back of my mind, no matter what I do.”

Senior Ismael Gonzalez said the contest was a wonderful opportunity to put into practice the skills he and his teammates have learned in the classroom, while at the same time providing a product people need.

“It feels good,” Gonzalez said about the win. “We created something for people who are deaf and hard of hearing who may not hear an alarm or a cry if there’s something wrong, particularly if they happen to be in their offices or some other location where they are alone and an alarm goes off.”

Gonzalez and Newbill said the team, which also included Kyeong Hoon Jung, Chris Cederstrom, and Joshua Licudo, didn’t really know each other until they joined for the competition.

“But we just clicked,” Newbill said. “We all had a role to play in the development of the app and we worked so well together. It was amazing.”

Kaplan said the seamless cohesiveness and calm, confident demeanor of the team caught the attention of the competition’s judges, who included Sina Bahram, a researcher at North Carolina State University and a White House Champion for Change for STEM Equality for Americans with Disabilities; Peter Korn, an accessibility principal with Oracle, the computer technology corporation; and Elle Waters, a senior accessibility strategist with Simply Accessible, which works with businesses to make them and their products more user friendly for persons with disabilities.

“Our students did a really nice and elegant presentation,” Kaplan said. “They just blew everybody away with their professionalism, and their app performed beautifully.”

For more information about or to download the app, visit its site on Google play.

Alumna Olympia LePoint ’98 (Mathematics) discusses how her academic struggles and eventual success at California State University, Northridge helped her achieve her dream job as a rocket scientist. Now a business leader and author of “Mathaphobia: How You Can Overcome Your Math Fears and Become a Rocket Scientist,” Olympia encourages students to embrace math and science.

“CSUN Notable Alumni” is a video series produced by the Career Center in partnership with the California State University, Northridge Alumni Association.

Alan Guei (center, second row) is surrounded by the filmmakers and the students he helped. Photo courtesy of ESPN.

They say the backbone of any basketball squad is its backcourt, the two guards who are in charge of protecting the ball. At CSUN, the men’s basketball team has one of the strongest backbones in the country—and that only partially has to do with what they do on the court.

Scholar-athlete Josh Greene has drawn attention for his prowess on the court and in the classroom. His teammate, Allan Guei, is just as phenomenal, as evidenced by the new documentary, “Free Throw.”

“Free Throw” highlights the then-Compton High senior Guei as he’s invited to participate in a free throw competition at his school. The organizer of the event, Court Crandall, is a screenwriter who asked friends and associates for donations to create a fund for kids at the school. Crandall’s son, Chase, played high school basketball in affluent Manhattan Beach, and knew the kids at Compton High had the ability to go to college but not the funds. Crandall raised $40,000 and  decided to host a competition—a free throw contest with the seven entrants chosen randomly—to find a recipient of the funds.

Guei was one of those  chosen. Some grumbled it was unfair. After all, he had received a full scholarship to CSUN. But when Guei threw the winning shot, what he did next silenced his detractors and caught everyone’s attention. He gave the $40,000 to the other kids who participated, including one who couldn’t shoot because of a pregnancy.

“I mean, if I already ate and somebody’s starving next to me,” Guei told ESPN, “I’m not going to eat again, right? People I’ve never met in my life find me and go, ‘I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of what you did. Friend me. Call me.’ I’ve never had that kind of thing in my life.”

Read more: Guei Made Sure That Everybody Won [ESPN]

Cheryl Spector

California State University, Northridge English professor Cheryl Spector has received national recognition for her work on behalf of the university’s first-year college students.

Spector, director of CSUN’s Academic First Year Experiences, was given the Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award last month by the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina.

The award, now in its 24th year, honors college faculty, administrators, staff and students for outstanding work on behalf of first-year students and for the impact their efforts have on the students and culture of their institutions.

“When you consider that CSUN welcomes about 5,000 new freshmen every fall, you know that this award actually recognizes our campus for partnership and collaboration in support of student success,” said Spector. “It’s great to see all these efforts recognized formally at the national level.”

Spector was one of 10 educators from around the country recognized for their work on behalf of first-year college students.

CSUN’s Academic First Year Experiences provides an opportunity for faculty, staff and first-year students, including freshmen and new transfer students, to link curricular learning with co-curricular learning in ways that help new students make a successful transition to the university.

Among its programs are the Freshman Common Reading Program, in which new students are invited to read a common book and discuss it as part of a campus-wide community of readers; the Freshman Connection, learning communities for first-semester freshmen; University 100, a three-unit, letter-graded general education class for freshmen designed to help them develop their own plans for personal, academic and career success; and the Freshman Celebration, an annual fall exhibit of academic projects completed by students enrolled in University 100 and other Freshman Connection classes, as well as a year-round series of workshops offering professional development to faculty and staff who work extensively with CSUN freshmen.

Michael Acevedo (right) at the 2013 USHA National Collegiate Championships.

Although it isn’t featured on the nightly sports shows, handball in its different variations is one of the most popular sports in the world. California State University, Northridge multimedia student Michael Acevedo learned the game from his father, and began playing handball at age 19 as a way to spend more time with him. Little did he know that the game he played for fun and some bonding time would eventually make him a national champion.

The San Fernando resident won the Division 1 C title at the 61st annual United States Handball Association’s (USHA) National Collegiate Championships last month, beating out competitors who came as far away as Ireland. Acevedo, who plays the single-player variation of handball, beat representatives from the State University of New York, Stony Brook, Florida University, and University of Texas, Austin to capture the crown.

Acedvedo told the San Fernando Valley Sun that he hopes at least two things will come from his victory — a greater appreciation and participation of handball around the CSUN community, and that his little brother will be inspired to believe that he can do anything he wants to in life.

Read More: CSUN Student Wins National Collegiate Handball Championship [The Sun]

Supporters and friends of California State University, Northridge and its Alumni Association will celebrate the accomplishments of three of the university’s most illustrious alumni at a special gala next month.

Rebecca Mieliwocki

The 2013 recipients of Cal State Northridge’s Distinguished Alumni Award represent the fields of education, banking and design: National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki; George S. Leis, regional president for the central coast for Union Bank; and Ravi K. Sawhney, president and chief executive officer of RKS, an innovative, award-winning design firm based in Thousand Oaks.

The trio will be honored at a special dinner on Saturday, April 13, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards program at 7:30 p.m.

This year’s honorees join a notable group of past recipients that includes former Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle, Curb Records Chairman and former California Lt. Governor Mike Curb, CBS executive Michael Klausman, actors Teri Garr, Joan Chen and Cheech Marin, astronaut Scott Horowitz, Oscar-nominated producer Don Hahn and opera singer Carol Vaness.

“There’s no better way to judge a university’s quality than to see how successful its alumni have become,” said D.G. “Gray” Mounger, assistant vice president for alumni relations at CSUN. “The alumni who have been singled out over the years to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award embody what CSUN does best—educate the thinkers, leaders and innovators who not only positively impact their chosen professions, but all of us. Moreover, they make us proud to be Matadors.”

George S. Leis

Rebecca Mieliwocki teaches seventh grade English at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank. She was the 2005 California League of Middle Schools Educator of the Year for Southern California. Last year, she was recognized by President Barack Obama as the 62nd National Teacher of the Year in a ceremony at the White House along with all 2012 state Teachers of the Year. She has a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from California Polytechnic State University and earned a credential in secondary English education from CSUN in 2001.

George S. Leis served as president and chief executive officer of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust (SBB&T) beginning in 2007. Following the acquisition of SBB&T by Union Bank, he was named regional president for the central coast. Prior to SBB&T, he was the managing director for investments at Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management. He served as senior vice president and director of private client services at

Wells Fargo and senior vice president and manager for Bank of America Private Bank. He is an active member of the community, serving on the Santa Barbara Symphony Board of Directors, the Channel Islands YMCA Board of Directors and the United Way of Santa Barbara Board of Directors among others. Leis is also a member of CSUN’s Foundation Board and has served on several university committees, including the advisory committee that recommended the appointment of Dianne F. Harrison as CSUN’s new president. He earned his bachelor’s degree in geography from CSUN in 1981.

Ravi K. Sawhney

Ravi K. Sawhney is an internationally acclaimed industrial designer. His company, RKS, has won dozens of awards, including five Industrial Design Excellence Awards from the Industrial Design Society of America. He graduated from CSUN with a bachelor’s degree in art three dimension in 1978 and began his career as an instructor of industrial design at the university. He moved on to a job at Xerox, where he worked on several projects, including those involving first-generation touch screens. Sawhney also co-founded RKS Guitars with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason. The company designs and manufactures unique open-architecture guitars. In 2005, one of these guitars graced the cover of BusinessWeek, one of only two products to ever be put on the magazine’s cover. The other was an iPod.

Tickets for CSUN’s Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner are $150 per person. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the Alumni Association’s website at https://www.csunalumni.com/.

Campanella Foundation Scholarship recipients (from L-R): Karissa Smith, Samuel Rabizadeh, Rebecca Douglas, Breanna Langel, Janaya Pfeifer and Pamela Liang. Pictured in the center is Campanella Foundation’s Joni Campanella Roan. Photo by Krishna Narayanamurti.

The Roy and Roxie Campanella Foundation has found great promise in the students of California State University, Northridge’s Department of Physical Therapy. The organization, begun by the late Los Angeles Dodgers great and his wife, provides financial assistance to students studying physical therapy around the nation. CSUN has been administering the Roy and Roxie Campanella Physical Therapy Scholarship Endowment since 2010. This year’s scholarship recipients are first- and second-year graduate physical therapy students whose leadership activities, evaluations and personal experiences (as well as an above-3.2 GPA) made them Roy and Roxie Campanella Foundation Scholarship winners.

Rebecca Douglass
Since Douglass arrived on the CSUN campus, she’s been elected president of the Physical Therapy Club, where she been instrumental in developing events for the Department of Physical Therapy to help the campus and local communities. Douglass has also given presentations to the 2012 CSUN Pre-Health Conference and undergraduate CSUN kinesiology students. She has also attended multiple professional development conferences including those held by the California Physical Therapy Association and the National Physical Therapy Association. She calls the award an “honor” and noted how it will help her achieve her life goal — improving people’s physical and functional independence through physical therapy.

Breanna Langel
“The Campanella scholarship represents and promotes that which is most important to me,” said second-year physical therapy graduate student Breanna Langel, “being an active member of a global community and providing exceptional care as a physical therapist.” Langel, a political science undergraduate, is a person who just wants to change the world. That’s why, as someone with such a global focus, receiving this award meant a great deal to her. In turn, she wants to ensure her promise of changing the world — one patient at a time.

Pamela Liang
As part of her CSUN experience, Pamela Liang has discovered that learning about physical therapy is more than what is found in the classroom. As vice president of CSUN’s Physical Therapy Club, she has made outreach a part of her PT lifestyle. From organizing events to volunteering, she learned the value of what she can provide to her community. Liang even made her education international, using her Japanese-speaking skills to help the department work with visiting students from Japan. Upon receiving the award, Liang immediately called her mom, who was “so proud of me and couldn’t be happier,” she said.

Janaya Pfeifer
Janaya Pfeifer has always tried to have a positive impact in her community. She has been incredibly civic-minded, something she learned while in high school by joining various community service groups and projects. Now as her class treasurer and new Campanella award recipient, she can focus solely on her work.

“I am excited to make physical therapy my career,” Pfeifer said, “and to continue to serve my community.”

Samuel Rabizadeh
There are times when one’s education and personal lives begin to mesh together. When Samuel Rabizadeh’s uncle had a stroke, he knew he had to use the knowledge he gained by studying in CSUN’s Doctorate in Physical Therapy program. Rabizadeh even had experience working with persons with disabilities because of volunteer opportunities he had before. He used his experience, time and persistence to help his uncle recover and knows that his studies have been worth it. Receiving the Campanella scholarship allows him to continue that path toward making it in the world of physical therapy.

“I am very grateful, humbled and appreciative,” Rabizadeh said, “to everybody who has supported me through my struggles and accomplishments. I am sure that with the confidence from this scholarship, and from hard work, that I will be in a good position to succeed in the future.”

Karissa Smith
Sometimes, to learn how the body reacts to movement, you have to be a specialist in moving. That’s one of the ways Karissa Smith did it, studying dance in the Department of Kinesiology as an undergraduate at CSUN. She’s taking that knowledge and applying it to her graduate studies. Smith has also volunteered at CSUN’s Pre-Health Conference and assisted a group of Japanese physical therapy students who visited campus. As for the scholarship, Smith is grateful for the accolade and understands that it will help her grow as a physical therapist.

“I am honored to have been chosen as a recipient,” Smith said, “and will continue to seek out opportunities to share my growing knowledge about the field of physical therapy with the community and prospective students. This scholarship will help me succeed as a knowledgeable and caring professional, and for that I am grateful.”

The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) is one of the foremost organizations today highlighting top university talent in the fields of radio, film, telecommunications and electronic arts. Its yearly Festival of Media Arts brings the best students in those fields to congratulate them with honors at a ceremony in Las Vegas. It was there that four California State University, Northridge students—Jonathan Park (Cinema and Television Arts), Blake Gaytan (Film Production), Kristina Ivanova (TV Production) and Cutler Gray (Film Production)—took home the 2013 Best in Festival award in the video competition. Along with a plaque commemorating the award, the group captured a $1,000 prize.

The video, posted below, was created for CSUN’s Career Center and focuses on the career of CSUN alumnus Mark Langill, currently the team historian for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The CSUN production team followed Langill around historic Dodger Stadium, an endeavor Park said was a “once in a lifetime experience.”

“Mark was more than willing to have us and show us around,” Park said. “He gave us a tour of the stadium, access to the press box and access to the field. He also showed us his office space, but he was keen to point out that the whole stadium is his office since it is alive and rich with history.”

That history is evident in the video, as the team caught Langill performing his day-to-day activities and running into Dodgers luminaries like Tommy Lasorda. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at Langill’s life and how the five-time author of books on Dodgers lore uses the experience gained at CSUN as a journalism student to chronicle the history of one of the preeminent sports teams in all of America.

As a group, the four students produce 13 videos a semester aimed at CSUN students. Under the guidance of the Career Center’s Academic Multimedia Content Developer Richard Chambers and Assistant Director Jan Potzmann (as well as CTVA faculty member Mary Schaffer, who encouraged them to submit the video), the group notes that they were allowed to try things that some other supervisors might not have allowed.

“We really have some top-tier programs here, and they aren’t limited to the CTVA program,” Gray said. “From engineering to business to geography, CSUN can truly give its students a world-class education. Competing in these kinds of competitions is only valuable if we can actually share those experiences with our community and neighbors.”

Travis White

Giving back to the community is as natural to California State University, Northridge sophomore Travis White as breathing and eating.

In the two years that he has been at CSUN, White has collected more than 16,000 articles of clothing, food and other items to be donated to the needy. He has organized fundraisers for research to combat cancer and spearheaded efforts to educate his fellow students on what it truly means to be poor. In addition to his volunteer efforts on campus, the psychology major also volunteers in the community and serves as a mentor to high school students interested in going to college.

His efforts have been recognized by Campus Compact, a national coalition of nearly 1,200 college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the public purpose of higher education, which last month named White a 2013 Newman Civic Fellow. He was one of only 181 student leaders from across the county who Campus Compact officials said are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.

“These students represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders,” said Campus Compact President Maureen Curley. “They serve as national examples of the role that higher education can—and does—play in building stronger communities.”

Campus Compact officials noted that as the 2013 Newman Civic Fellows tackle community challenges, they provide fresh energy and perspective, inspire and mobilize others, and develop their own skills and potential.

White, 19, of Northridge, said he was honored to receive the fellowship.

“I’m still kind of speechless,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting something like this. What I do is just the way I grew up—when you see people in need, you help them. I grew up in Compton and you see a lot of families there who deal with poverty or bad life situations. It seems only natural to want to do something to help.”

Justin Weiss, activities coordinator of volunteer programs and services for Unified We Serve, CSUN’s community volunteer program, said White fits the ideal image of a Newman Civic Fellow.

“Travis is the epitome of what CSUN stands for in terms of the values and mission of the university,” Weiss said. “He goes above and beyond anything requested of him and he puts in an extra effort to make sure that the community’s needs are provided for.”

White has spent the past two years at CSUN actively looking for ways to bring students together to help those in need and make students aware of pertinent issues facing the community. He has spent his time as a leader with Unified We Serve to create innovative projects for his fellow students. His efforts have included helping to collect clothing, food, toys and books for the needy. He helped to create the university’s annual Zumbathon, which takes advantage of the popularity of Zumba, the new aerobics craze, to raise money for breast cancer research, as well as the Poverty Simulation, an annual event designed help CSUN students understand and appreciate what it means to live in poverty.

White also spends time volunteering at a local food bank, mentoring high school students and visiting homes in low-income neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley to assess the need for resources to be provided to families living below the poverty line.

Newman Civic Fellow awards are made in memory of Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, who dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform. At the core of Newman’s leadership was a belief in the power of individuals to make a difference and in the power of connection with others.

As the only national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact promotes public and community service that develops students’ citizenship skills, helps forge effective community/campus partnerships and provides resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum. Campus Compact’s membership includes public, private, two- and four-year institutions across the spectrum of higher education.

California State University, Northridge has more than 36,000 full- and part-time students and offers undergraduate degrees in 63 disciplines, graduate degrees in 57 fields, doctorates in education and physical therapy and a variety of credential and certificate programs.

Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university is home to dozens of nationally recognized programs where students gain valuable hands-on experience working alongside faculty and industry professionals, whether in the sciences, health care and engineering or education, political science, the arts and the social sciences. While regionally focused, the university’s faculty and administrators recognize the important role its students and alumni play in shaping the future of the state and the nation.

Robert Gunsalus

California State University, Northridge President Dianne F. Harrison has announced the appointment of Robert Gunsalus, a veteran university administrator with nearly 20 years of fundraising experience, as CSUN’s new vice president for university advancement. He assumes the position July 1.

Gunsalus is currently vice president for university relations at Santa Clara University in Northern California, where his responsibilities include alumni relations, fundraising, government relations and marketing and communications.

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Gunsalus to the campus community,” Harrison said. “Given my commitment to advance the university’s visibility, enhance engagement with students, staff, faculty, alumni and the community, and increase fundraising, I believe Dr. Gunsalus can provide the necessary leadership and expertise to achieve these goals.”

As CSUN’s vice president for university advancement, Gunsalus will be responsible for overseeing alumni relations, fundraising, government and community relations and marketing and communications. He also will serve as president of the California State University, Northridge Foundation.

“I am enthusiastic about joining the Northridge community and contributing to the momentum of the university,” Gunsalus said. “I look forward to supporting President Harrison’s leadership and helping CSUN shine.”

Gunsalus has been vice president for university relations at Santa Clara University since 2010. At Santa Clara, he led the institution’s fundraising, marketing and outreach efforts, nearly doubled the total gift commitments to the university from $23 million to $42 million and set records for the number of alumni donors.

Before going to Santa Clara, Gunsalus served as vice president for university advancement and executive director of the Advancement Foundation at Humboldt State University, where he helped to transform the institution’s advancement efforts. Prior to that, he served as associate vice president for university advancement at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and executive director of development at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Wash.

Gunsalus received his doctorate in political science, with minors in higher education administration and political theory, from Purdue University, a master’s in political science from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s degree in theology from Oklahoma Wesleyan University. He has served as an instructor at Humboldt State, Purdue, Oklahoma Wesleyan and Indiana Wesleyan universities.

The annual Honored Faculty Reception will take place on May 20 from 10 a.m. to noon in the University Student Union’s Grand Salon. A continental breakfast will be served at the event. The following faculty have earned awards in their respective categories. Emeritus professors and faculty completing milestone years of service will also be honored.

Outstanding Faculty Awards


Julia Heinen (Music)
Paula Thomson (Kinesiology)

Distinguished Teaching, Counseling or Librarianship Awards
Rafi Efrat (Accounting and Information Systems)
Ellie Kazemi (Psychology)
Whitney Scott (Child and Adolescent Development)

Preeminent Scholarly Publication Award
Michael Bryson (English)

Exceptional Creative Accomplishments Award
Rick Mitchell (English)

Extraordinary Service Award
Janet Oh (Psychology)

Visionary Community Service-Learning Award
Frankline Augustin (Health Sciences)

Faculty Emeritus Status and Milestone Service

2013 Emeritus Faculty
Guillermo Bartelt (English)
James Chiu (Accounting and Information Systems)
Kwang-nan Chow (Mathematics)
M. Lawrence Clevenson (Mathematics)
Jean Daniels (Social Work)
Darrick Danta, posthumous (Geography)
Jorge Garcia (Chicana/o Studies)
Rie Rogers Mitchell (Educational Psychology and Counseling)
Philip Rusche (Educational Leadership and Policy)
Paul Skolnick (Psychology)
Cindy Stern (Philosophy)
William Toutant (Music)
Joel Zeitlin (Mathematics)

Faculty Completing 45 Years of Service
Jane Bayes (Political Science)
Ichiro Hashimoto (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

Faculty Completing 40 Years of Service
Dianne Philibosian (Recreation & Tourism Management)

Faculty Completing 35 Years of Service
Curt Dommeyer (Marketing)
Nagi El Naga (Electrical & Computer Engineering)
Kim Greenhalgh (Business Law)
Terry Hatkoff (Family and Consumer Sciences)
Rajabali Kiani-Aslani (Accounting and Information Systems)
David Rodriguez (Chicana/o Studies)
Gerald Simila (Geological Sciences)
Shirley Svorny (Economics)

Faculty Completing 30 Years of Service
Thomas Hatfield (Environmental & Occupational Health)
Julie Laity (Geography)
Richard Moore (Management)
Bonnie Paller (Philosophy)
Jon Sloan (Geological Sciences)

Faculty Completing 25 Years of Service
David Aks (Music)
Dorothy Barresi (English)
Quido Canzona (Manufacturing Systems Engineering & Management)
Robert Carpenter (Biology)
Brian Castronovo (Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures)
Anthony Costantini (Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures)
Frederick Elias (Psychology)
Nicholas Habib (Philosophy)
Michele Haney (Special Education)
David Klein (Mathematics)
David Kretschmer (Elementary Education)
Tom Lee (Economics)
Steven Loy, belated (Kinesiology)
Ignacio Osorno (Electrical & Computer Engineering)
Christine Roussos (Communicative Disorders & Science)
Siva Sankaran (Systems & Operations Management)
Mohamad Tabidian (Geological Sciences)
Mariaelena Zavala (Biology)

Colin Donahue

Colin Donahue, currently California State University, Northridge associate vice president of facilities development and operations, has been appointed the university’s new vice president for administration and finance. He assumes his new post July 1.

“In Mr. Donahue we found a strong internal candidate who is very familiar with the campus and its environment and culture of collaboration,” said CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison in an email to the campus community. “In addition, the interview process and his record of accomplishments demonstrated that he clearly possesses the vision and leadership skills necessary to move the university and the administration and finance division forward.”

She cited several of Donahue’s accomplishments during his tenure as associate vice president, including managing a successful $850 million capital development program; playing a lead role in developing the Envision 2035 campus master plan; leading the development of complex budgets and financial plans for several capital projects, including student housing, parking structures and the planning, design, construction and fiscal management of the Valley Performing Arts Center. She also lauded his commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency and innovation.

“The culture of multi-divisional collaboration we have built at CSUN has been the cornerstone of our success,” Donahue said. “I look forward to joining President Harrison’s leadership team and focusing the work of our administration and finance division around her overarching priority of student success.”

Donahue began working at CSUN in 1996 as manager of construction services. In 2000, he became director of facilities planning and in 2006 he was appointed associate vice president. Prior to his time at CSUN, Donahue worked for several construction management companies in the private sector in various project engineer and manager roles. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering technology from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s in public administration from CSUN.

Nine faculty members have been selected for the California State University, Northridge Research Fellows Program for the 2013-2014 academic year in support of their research and academic development in their fields of study. Top (left to right): Susan Auerbach, Maia Beruchashvili, Vibhav Durgesh, Martha Escobar, Ellen Jarosz. Bottom (feft to right): Steve Kutay, Alexandra Monchick, Scott Plunkett, Ben Yaspelkis.

Intersections between opera and film in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, marketplace offerings contributing to consumer well-being, and issues of equity and access within the social context of urban education: These topics and more will be further investigated by the nine faculty members selected for California State University, Northridge’s Research Fellows Program for the 2013-2014 academic year.

The program, founded in 2007, was created and funded collaboratively by the Office of the Provost, eight colleges and the Delmar T. Oviatt Library to offer faculty an opportunity to pursue compelling research or a creative activity.

Nine research fellowships were awarded based on what extent the proposed activity explores creative or original concepts; the likelihood of achievement of the stated outcomes in the proposed time frame; the benefits of the research or creative activity to society; the organization of the proposal; the ability to disseminate the results widely to advance understanding; and the contribution to the field of study or across other fields.

Research fellows are required to present their findings at a colloquium in the fall.

The selected research fellows and their respective projects are:

Susan Auerbach (Educational Leadership & Policy Studies) – Auerbach’s research topic is “Shaping a New Common Sense of Education Reform: Policy Discourse on ‘Parent Trigger’ Laws and Turnaround Schools.” Her research will address issues of equity and access within the social context of urban education and will build on her previous work on parent empowerment and school-community relations, extending it in new directions to critically examine the policy and media discourse on parent trigger laws and corporate reform in K-12 schools. She has been teaching at CSUN since 2003.

Maia Beruchashvili (Marketing) – Beruchashvili’s research program examines how marketplace offerings contribute to consumer well-being. In the context of weight loss and obesity, her research projects encompass social construction of emotion, overweight identity and consumer goals. She has been teaching at CSUN since fall 2007.

Vibhav Durgesh (Mechanical Engineering) – Durgesh’s research will focus on the experimental study of fluid flow in an aneurysm, the abnormal ballooning or bulging of the wall of a weakened blood vessel. His research will aid in developing accurate simulation models of blood flow inside an aneurysm, which is a complex and widely studied fluid dynamics problem. He has been teaching at CSUN since fall 2012.

Martha Escobar (Chicana/o Studies) – Escobar’s research involves a book manuscript entitled “Criminalization of Latina Migrants and the Construction of Irrecuperability.” In the book, she maintains that imprisonment serves to construct migrants as socially irrecuperable under a hegemonic governing logic by which migrants marked as “criminal aliens” are deported and banned from returning to the United States. She has been teaching at CSUN since fall 2011.

Ellen Jarosz (Special Collections and Archives) and Steve Kutay (Digital Services) – Jarosz and Kutay’s research project involves the creation of the Guided Resource Inquiry (GRI) Tool—a learning tool that provides a means for teaching faculty to assemble content drawn from Oviatt Library primary sources as a comprehensive approach to coursework and information competency objectives. This content will form the context for assignments that are constructed using the Document-based Question (DBQ) format, which allows for knowledge synthesis through resource analysis, rather than pure memorization of texts. Jarosz is a librarian of special collections and archives librarian at the Oviatt Library and has been at CSUN since fall 2011. Kutay has been a Digital Services Librarian the Oviatt Library since fall 2011.

Alexandra Monchick (Music) – Monchick’s research focuses on completing her book, “Opera as Film.” She will examine how film, film theory and film music influenced opera during the beginning of the 20^th century. She has been at teaching at CSUN since 2011.

Scott Plunkett (Psychology) – Plunkett’s research involves making cross-cultural comparisons on parenting related to academics and mental health. The project includes combining data that has been collected in numerous states in the United States and many countries using the same parenting scales, academic outcomes and mental health outcomes. He has been teaching at CSUN since 1998.

Ben Yaspelkis (Kinesiology) – Yaspelkis’ research on diabetes is titled “Skeletal Muscle Insulin Resistance: The IKK pathway’s impact on insulin signaling” and will seek to resolve exactly how impairments in skeletal muscle insulin signaling are manifested and if the defects are reversible, either partially or entirely. The research will focus on inflammatory responses to nutrition and exercise and will add to his body of research on diabetes while seeking approaches to treatments that may improve the condition. He has been teaching at CSUN since 1996.

Looking back: California State University, Northridge staff celebrate their colleagues at last year’s Staff Service Awards and Recognition of Excellence Event. Photo by Lee Choo.

The 47th Annual CSUN Staff Service and Excellence Recognition Event will be held from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 30 in the Northridge Center Complex, University Student Union. This event celebrates staff and administrators who have achieved service milestones at five-year increments (5, 10, 15, etc.) as well as outstanding achievement. Service eligibility is based on continuous service, recognizing temporary or permanent employment status at half time base or greater. University, auxiliary and combined service years are recognized. A list of staff scheduled to be honored for their years of service is listed below.

The event also provides the university, through the ceremony, the opportunity to recognize both individual staff members and teams, for outstanding efforts made over the course of the calendar year. Those awards are specifically, the Presidential Award, Award of Merit, the Jolene Koester Team Award, and new this year: the Alumni Relations Award.

Invitations have been emailed to all service honorees and recognition of excellence nominees. If you have any questions about the Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Awards event, please contact Monique Villegas in the Office of Human Resources.

Staff Completing 5 Years of Service
Louise Adams (Student Outreach & Recruitment – Testing)
Nicholas Alexander (Admissions and Records)
Sylvia Alva (Dean, College of Health and Human Development)
Claudia Alvarado (College of Science and Mathematics – Technology
Dorna Basiratmand (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)
L. Jason Beck (Student Outreach & Recruitment – Marketing & Communications)
Marie A Bonty (Office of Human Resources)
Gerry Calubag (Information Technology, Identity & Access Management)
Tim Carpenter (Information Technology, Systems)
Maria Castaneda (The University Corporation)
Stacey Chareune-Chen (Student Outreach & Recruitment)
Kailash Chase (Department of Police Services – Parking Services)
Wei Chen (The University Corporation)
Jaleh Chini (Financial Services – Accounts Payable)
Lisa Anne Cohen (Office of the Vice President, University Advancement)
Katherine Cortez (Purchasing & Contract Administration)
Rogelio Cortez (Physical Plant Management – Landscape and Grounds)
Annie Dang (Financial Services – Accounts Payable)
John Daum (Student Housing & Conference Services – Customer Service)
Melody DeVivero (Student Outreach & Recruitment – Marketing & Communications)
Rica Dineros (Information Technology, Operations)
Huyen-Tram Doan (Financial Services – Financial Systems)
Matthew Dunwoody (Department of Police Services)
Matthew Eickhoff (University Student Union)
Franklin Ellis (Student Housing & Conference Services – Residential Life)
Stephanie Ettling (Klotz Student Health Center)
Blasco Felipe (Department of Journalism)
Marc Felix (Department of Biology)
Thomas Finnerty  (Department of Police Services)
Robert Frausto (Department of Police Services – Transportation Services)
Nereida Garcia (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Health and Human Development)
Agustin Garibay (Student Development & International Programs – Matador Involvement Center)
Son Giang (College of Science and Mathematics – Technology)
Amina Gonzalez (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Science and Mathematics)
Antonio Gonzalez (Department of Liberal Studies Program)
Saul Gudino De La Torre (Admissions and Records)
LaTesha Hagler (Office of the Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science)
Karin Hassenrueck (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Lucy Hernandez (Office of the Dean, Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communicatio)n
Julie Hodge (Department of Environmental & Occupational Health)
Michael Jackson (Student Housing & Conference Services – Residential Life)
Brian Jauregui (Student Outreach & Recruitment)
Luella Jones (The University Corporation)
Lauren Julian (Department of Computer Science)
Mary Jumamil (The University Corporation)
Anita Kaiserman (Purchasing & Contract Administration)
Hillary Kaplowitz (Information Technology, Academic Technology)
Jaclyn Kietzman (Student Outreach & Recruitment)
Debbie Klevens (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Jesse Knepper (The Tseng College)
Sherry Lane (Office of Human Resources)
Danita Leese (Office of the Vice President & CIO, Information Technology)
Linda Leibovitch (Associated Students)
Judy Li (Student Outreach & Recruitment – Marketing & Communications)
Donald Lilly (Department of Modern & Classical Languages)
Anne Lloyd (Information Technology, Project Management)
Ramiro Lomeli (Physical Plant Management – Receiving)
Leigh Lopez (Information Technology, Information Security)
Sonya Manjikian (The Career Center)
Sasha Martinez (Student Outreach & Recruitment)
Surinder Matharu (Financial Aid & Scholarship Department)
Joel Monroy (Educational Opportunity Program)
Carisa Ashley Moore (Department of Psychology)
Maritza Navarro (Student Housing & Conference Services – Customer Service)
Tommie Norris (Department of Geography)
Mariel Noyes (Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies)
Angelique Odom (Athletics Administration)
Jennifer Orellana (Associated Students)
Arlene Palkay (Department of Elementary Education)
Ada Parsi (Student Housing & Conference Services)
Halimeh Pazeky (National Center on Deafness)
Sylvia Peatman (Student Resource Center / EOP; Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication)
Janet Prezia (Office of Human Resources)
Jill Price (Department of Music)
Ana Quiran (Academic Resources and Planning)
Heather Reece (Financial Services – Accounts Payable)
Alain Resurreccion (Financial Aid & Scholarship Department)
Carla Romero (Department of Communication Disorders & Science)
Luis Ruiz (Information Technology, Operations)
Elizabeth Samimi (Office of Human Resources)
Laura Santa Cruz (Financial Aid & Scholarship Department)
Rebecca Say (Department of Mathematics)
Reza Sayed (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Engineering and Computer Science)
Joseph Schwartz (Department of Cinema and Television Arts)
Kathryn Sharron (Information Technology, Business Consulting Services)
David Sigler (University Library – Special Collections & Archives)
William Silver (Klotz Student Health Center)
Jamie Skeggs (University Library – Finance & Personnel)
Anne Smith (The University Corporation)
Alba Sosa (University Library – Universal Design Center)
John Spangrude (Student Housing & Conference Services – Customer Service)
Donna Stone (Office of the Dean, Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication)
Oliver Tabamo (Information Technology, Systems)
Michael Tacsik (Department of Geological Science)
Rolando  Valiente (Associated Students)
Samuel Vanbuskirk (The University Corporation)
Frank Vincenti (Student Housing & Conference Services – Customer Service)
Corinne VonColln (Academic Resources and Planning)
Danielle Watson (The University Corporation)
Patrice Wheeler (Disability Resources and Educational Services)
LaFaye Wilson (The Tseng College)
Lih Wu (The Tseng College)

Staff Completing 10 Years of Service
Laila Asgari (Valley Performing Arts Center)
Magda Azouz (The Tseng College)
Leslie Babrowicz (Financial Services – University Cash Services)
Jeffrey Barrow (Department of Police Services – Parking Services)
Joy Bartley (Office of the Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Tanya Bermudez (Graduate Studies, Research & International Programs)
Sherrill Bunce (Office of Human Resources)
Joseph Burckert (Information Technology, Application Development)
Brenda Carter (Admissions and Records)
Lucille Castillo (Office of the Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Pedro Cesareo (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Doris Chaney (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Engineering and Computer Science)
Mindy Chi (Office of Human Resources)
Charity Chia (Student Outreach & Recruitment – Testing)
Ted Citizen (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Nyla Dalferes (The Career Center)
Richard-Edward deVere (Financial Services – University Cash Services)
Shally Dhiman (Undergraduate Studies)
Kari Dom (Office of Human Resources)
Jeffrey Fischer (Information Technology, Network Engineering)
Marlene Gale (Office of the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs)
Noreen Galvin (Office of the Dean, College of Humanities)
Karla Giron (Financial Services – University Cash Services)
Ilene Greenspan (Admissions and Records)
John Griffin (The University Corporation )
Francisco Gudani (Department of Police Services)
Tony Guerrero (Information Technology, Desktop Support)
Lincoln Harrison (Department of Journalism)
Mark Ho (Physical Plant Management)
Jody Holcomb (The Daily Sundial)
Anita Kapil (University Student Union)
Laura Kelly (KCSN Radio Station)
Richard Kennedy (Department of Police Services)
Armenka Khashmanyan (Financial Aid & Scholarship Department)
Timothy Killops (The University Corporation)
Michelle Kilmnick (Faculty Affairs)
Allen Le (Financial Services – Financial Systems)
Candice Liu (Michael D. Eisner College of Education – Credential Office)
Norma Loera (University Student Union)
Stacey Lord (The University Corporation)
Teresa Loren (The University Corporation)
Marine Lousparian (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Science and Mathematics)
Patricia Lyon (The Tseng College)
Edward Madrid (Environmental Health & Safety)
Timothy Mallow (Physical Plant Management – Automotive Shop)
Lynn Marks (Office of Human Resources)
Meishel Menachekanian (KCSN Radio Station)
Jose Menjivar (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Peggy Milkovich (Department of Police Services – Parking Services)
Amita Naganand (Academic Resources and Planning)
Brent Nelson (University Student Union)
Jenny Nguyen (Admissions and Records)
Becky O’Brien (Center of Achievement, CHHD)
Michele O’Neill (Information Technology, Database & Systems Management)
Barbara Pettit (Admissions and Records)
Dawn Poladian (University Advancement – Advancement Services)
Betti Priaulx (Office of the Dean, College of Humanities)
Marieanne Quiroz (Student Outreach & Recruitment – Marketing & Communications)
Craig Reader (University Advancement – Advancement Services)
Elizabeth Riegos (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Science and Mathematics)
Matthew Rinnert (University Advancement – University Development)
Paulette Robbins (Student Outreach & Recruitment)
Anne Robison (University Advancement – University Development)
Aileen Rolon (National Center on Deafness)
Nels Samuelson (Information Technology, Application Development)
Brett Sanders (Academic Services for Student Athletes)
Arturo Serrano (Student Housing & Conference Services – Customer Service)
Veronica Serrano (Klotz Student Health Center)
Pamela Simon (Office of the Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Kenneth Swanson (Information Technology, Help Center)
Susie Torres (Department of Journalism)
Christina Villalobos (Department of Police Services)
Cathy West (Michael D. Eisner College of Education – Credential Office)
Nathaniel Wilson (Facilities Planning)
Janice Woolsey (Department of Communication Disorders & Science)
Michael Zeigler (Department of Theatre)
Karen Ziegler (Admissions and Records)

Staff Completing 15 Years of Service
Teodosio Abat (Physical Plant Management)
Mark Adamiak (Athletics – Facilities)
Elizabeth Adams (Undergraduate Studies)
Glenn Alejandro (Information Technology, Desktop Support)
Grove Anderson (Physical Plant Management – Distribution Center)
Bernadette Bohn (Department of Liberal Studies Program)
Janaki Bowerman (Department of Asian American Studies)
Cat Carrigan (Information Technology, Administrative & User Support Services)
John Darakjy (Financial Services – Financial & Tax Services)
Nancy Davidson (University Library – Access Services)
Scott Dunlap (The Tseng College)
Rick Evans (Executive Director, The University Corporation)
Brian Finck (The Career Center)
Mari Flores-Garcia (Department of Geological Science)
Carolina Franco-Ardaghi (Office of the Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science)
Veronica Grant (Office of the Vice President, University Advancement)
Joyce Innes (College of Engineering and Computer Science, Information systems)
Alice Lu (The Tseng College)
Wendy Massey (The University Corporation)
Vickie Metcalfe (Office of Human Resources)
Felicia Morariu (Academic Resources and Planning)
Jean Porter (Academic Resources and Planning)
Janice Potzmann (The Career Center)
Barbara Raymond (Financial Services – Finance & Trust Accounting)
Gloria Roberts (Graduate Studies, Research & International Programs)
Xochilt Rodriguez (Klotz Student Health Center)
Augusto Santos (Information Technology, Classroom & Media Services)
Victor Sarca (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Kimberly Siemen (Athletics Administration)
Anita Simon (Department of Pan African Studies)
Marlyn Smith (Student Housing & Conference Services – Business Administrative Services)
Constance Stratton (The University Corporation)
Armando Tellez (College of Engineering and Computer Science, Information systems)
Travis Thomas (Physical Plant Management – Receiving)
Scott VanScoy (Department of Police Services)
Renate Wigfall (Office of the Dean, College of Health and Human Development)
Editha Winterhalter (Academic Resources and Planning)
Deone Zell (Information Technology, Academic Technology)

Staff Completing 20 Years of Service
Steve Cantu (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Laura Castillo (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Doris Clark (Educational Opportunity Program)
Sherry Drainer (Physical Plant Management – Lock Shop)
Yanina Flores (Department of Chicana/o Studies)
Cesar Garcia (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Carmen Gonzalez (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Debra Hammond (University Student Union)
Rita Linton (Office of the Dean, College of Humanities)
Jean O’Sullivan (Office of the Dean, College of Health and Human Development)
Randy Reynaldo (Office of the President)
Thomas Van Arsdale (Associated Students)
Jerry White (Physical Plant Management – Building Maintenance Team)

Staff Completing 25 Years of Service
Ramon Alvarado (University Library – Circulation)
Estela Chacon (Michael D. Eisner College of Education – Credential Office)
Felicia Cousin (University Library – Interlibrary Loan)
Wes Dodrill (Physical Plant Management – Landscape and Grounds)
Patricia Faiman (Admissions and Records)
Jose Garcia (Student Housing & Conference Services – Customer Service)
Yvonne Geth (University Library – Technical Services)
German Gonzalez (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Betsy Jones (Department of Civil Engineering & Applied Mechanics)
Laiani Kiapos (Graduate Studies, Research & International Programs)
Donald Kurihara (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Brian McConville (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)
Diane Newns (Admissions and Records)
Karen Primm (Admissions and Records)
Stacey Schaaf (Student Services Center / EOP, College of Engineering and Computer Science)
Anthony Smith (Information Technology, Infrastructure Services)
Bill Sullivan (Physical Plant Management – Energy Management)
Emilia Tayahua (Klotz Student Health Center)
Cuong Vo (Physical Plant Management – Facility Services)

Staff Completing 30 Years of Service
Mary Ankeny (Undergraduate Studies)
Cecille Avila-Robison (Office of the Vice President, Student Affairs)
Kate Berggren (Information Technology, Academic Technology)
Sharlene Chacon (Student Housing & Conference Services – Customer Service)
Collin Chin (Information Technology, Database & Systems Management)
Steve Dan (Information Technology, Administrative & User Support Services)
Jennifer De La Torre (Associated Students)
Lourdes Europa (Klotz Student Health Center)
Kristal Gordon (Klotz Student Health Center)
Ronald Heeb (Information Technology, Database & Systems Management)
Darryl Johnson (Physical Plant Management)
Mark Loomis (Physical Plant Management – Mechanical Services)
Sati Manvi (Klotz Student Health Center)
Edward O’Brien (Office of the President)
Lance Rickman (Physical Plant Management – Lock Shop)
Kristine Tacsik (Department of Geography)
Michael Whitener (Physical Plant Management)

Staff Completing 35 Years of Service
Diane Hartjen (Associated Students – Accounting)

Staff Completing 40 Years of Service
Judith Friedman (Department of Psychology)
William Krohmer (Department of Biology)
Cynthia Rawitch (Vice Provost, Academic Affairs)