Cole Christie ’15 (Business Management) has been teaching English in a rural town in Malaysia since January. As a participant in the Fulbright Student Scholar program — a U.S. government-sponsored initiative to support mutual cultural understanding between the U.S. and more than 160 participating countries — Christie chose Malaysia because of its rich and diverse environment and culture. He said his biggest challenge has been adjusting to the different structure of Southeast Asia’s education system while teaching, but he enjoys exploring and learning from the cultural immersion. Christie recently shared some reflections on his experiences:

After the lengthy application process and the even lengthier wait after graduation, I finally made it to Malaysia. I was placed on the island of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. My town is called Bau and it is pretty rural. A 40-minute drive on a two-lane highway weaving around hills and through the jungle will take you into a big city. Bau has about 40,000 residents spaced over a huge area. My school is called SMK Lake, a public secondary school, equivalent to a U.S. high school. It is named after the lake in our town, Tasik Biru, which literally translates to blue or green lake, depending on if you are translating it into Bahasa Melayu or the local dialect, Bidayuh. SMK Lake hosts 2,000 students, mostly Bidayuh, which is a localized tribe on the island of Borneo. I also have some Iban students, which are part of the largest tribe here in Sarawak, and some Malay students as well as some Chinese and Chinese-Malay students.

Here is my typical Wednesday — although in Malaysia, one must be very flexible because things change and they often change very last minute. But more consistent than not, this is an average Wednesday: I wake up at about 6 a.m. and get ready for school. I leave my house and walk a little less than 10 minutes to end up in the teachers’ room of my school. My walk to school is something I will forever attempt to match in my future. As I am walking from my neighborhood to my school, I am first greeted with sharp limestone cliffs strangled by jungle and by the morning clouds. As I get a little closer, I am greeted by some neighborhood dogs — some claimed and taken care of, while others are wanderers.

After that, my school becomes visible, almost matching the beauty of the mountain backdrop. It is fairly basic, but very colorful — well, as colorful as something can be in a tropical environment. The constant rain is only replaced with very powerful sun rays, so of course paint does not last very long, since I am one degree north of the equator.

The first portion of my school that I see is the hostel students’ area. There are about 900 students who live at my school and go home every other weekend. They live here for a number of reasons — ranging from financial constraints, lack of transportation from the villages, parents wanting the students to focus more on their studies, etc.

To get to the teachers’ room and the classrooms, I pass by one girls’ hostel where almost every morning, a group of girls waves to me [and calls out], “good morning, Mr. Cole.” Sometimes I sing them a song, and the entire hostel comes to the windows to sing along as I walk by — this is one of my favorite ways to start off my mornings.

Next, I go to my teachers’ room, put some things down at my desk and head to my first class. I am barraged with the phrase “what’s up, Mr. Cole,” because I recently taught them this phrase. I hear it probably 15 times on the way to class. I enter the class, and the students stand in unison and say, “what’s up, Mr. Cole.” I tell them two or three sentences about my morning, and then tell them to sit down. This is a double period class, so it lasts for an hour and 20 minutes.

Today, I did a project with them where they had to create a treasure map with specific directions. It was mostly for speaking practice and ordinal phrase practice. I leave the classroom, and they all stand up again in unison and say, “thank you, Mr. Cole.” I’m headed back to the teachers’ room after I spend at least a minute staring at the mountains, cliffs and jungle that my school so abruptly interrupts.

I chat with some teachers, who are mostly speaking Bidayuh, and try and pick up some other conversations as I am preparing for my next class. Then, I have three more classes. After classes, Wednesday is Co-Co day. That means this is the day the students participate in their extracurricular activities. The have to choose a club such as math club, chess club or English club; one sport and one “uniform body.” I am helping with one of the uniform bodies, scouts. This day, I taught them how to tie a couple of knots, and I have talked to them about some of my scouting experience. Then, I go on to the softball team. The girls’ softball team at my school is one of the best in the state, so I just attend practice to enjoy their company and keep them motivated.

There are quite a bit of extracurricular activities for schools here in Malaysia. I have already participated in quite a few, but this past weekend’s Uniform Bodies Camp was my favorite so far. About 200 students camped out on the field of my school in tents and shelters they had built.

On Friday, the beginning of camp, I got to school and saw 10 students — almost all armed with machetes and knives — coming out of the rainforest with vines and 20-foot-long, thin trees. They were gathering materials to make the shelters. During the camp, the students got to zipline from the third floor of one of the classrooms to the field, go on a hike through the jungle to collect plants for cooking later in the day and play a lot of games.

The students collected firewood, bamboo to cook in, “pitcher plants” to cook rice inside, and wood to build a kitchen and to present their dinners. Ten different teams competed against each other for the best dinner. Here, the students started their own fires, made tables to eat on and cook with, cooked Ayam Pansoh — a very traditional meal with jungle greens and chicken cooked inside bamboo — cooked fish, sausage, chicken and vegetables, and made drinks like tea and coffee. They cooked rice inside pitcher plants and much more. They did all of this armed with uncooked food, some machetes, knives and some matches. It was awesome to see the students work together and have such practical skills.

Then, I got to play some games with them once dinner was finished. Later in the evening, when the students had to go to sleep, is when the party for the teachers began. Blasting music, karaoke, some dancing and of course more eating took place into the early hours of the morning.

Highlights:

I really enjoy being where I am. The town of Bau is a beautiful and quiet place. It is so green because of all the rain, and it has so much to offer. The people are very friendly and have been so welcoming. I am constantly told to call if I need anything.

If I go to a food stall, people invite me to their table to talk. Then, they pay for my meal and say, “see you soon.”

Being in a small town is very interesting because of the ways everything and everyone is connected. If I go on a jog, people know where I run and for how long. This isn’t an exaggeration. I get texts from my teachers, saying they saw me running or that they saw my car parked at the grocery store.

I love my students and it is very fulfilling, to say the least. They are so appreciative of me and my presence that I almost find it difficult to keep up with the expectation — but I am trying. I do miss home, but they keep me pretty busy here, so it makes being away from home a lot easier.

Kristen L. Walker

Every time you make a Google search, post on Facebook, play Candy Crush, send a tweet or take a photo on Snapchat, you are leaving a piece of yourself — information about who you are, your habits, your tastes, your family, your friends — behind, whether you want to or not.

It is that unintentional “surrender” of information that has California State University, Northridge marketing professor Kristen L. Walker concerned.

In an article in the most recent edition of the American Marketing Association’s Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, “Surrendering Information Through the Looking Glass: Transparency, Trust, and Protection,” Walker pointed out that consumers only have faith that online providers will respect their privacy in an age where technology is constantly evolving, information is a commodity and marketers and others are hungry for any tidbit they can get to help them build as detailed a profile as possible of those consumers.

“Very few people, when they sign up for social media or buy an app, actually read the policy agreements,” Walker said. “They just click ‘agree,’ and trust that the vendor will protect them and their data. But when you sign up, you are opening a door. To borrow from Lewis Carroll, it’s like going through the looking glass, and who knows what’s on the other side.”

Walker acknowledges that the rapid development of information technology has changed the world. Not only is the internet used to communicate, the online world has become an arena for transactions, analysis and an endless variety of multifaceted interactions.

“Information is a product and a byproduct of many of these innovative exchanges; a product that is gathered, stored, packaged and sold,” she said. “Firms purportedly use ‘big data’ to personalize services and products as a means of improving customer satisfaction and increasing customer lifetime value, sometimes without much forethought. Society’s increasing reliance on technology creates a data-rich environment that is inextricably intertwined with marketing and public policy issues of transparency, trust and consumer protection.

“To put it simply, technology is evolving so fast and it’s becoming so much a part of our lives that we — including many of the creators of the new technology — are making assumptions about our privacy, when we really should be taking a moment to think about the consequences,” Walker said.

She said she doesn’t have the answers to the privacy questions her paper is raises, but she hopes the paper will get people, particularly marketers and public policy makers, to think about the ethical and security issues surrounding society’s increasing reliance on technology.

“It’s not really about privacy,” she said. “It’s about what information we share, and what information we surrender because we really don’t have a choice.

“Free exchanges of information come with costs, resulting in socially transmitted data (technology’s STDs),” she continued. “The phenomenon of surrendering to technology challenges consumers’ ability to focus on details and actively protect themselves online. Consumers are not sharing information online, but rather surrendering information — providing information to an infinite amount of parties without clear understanding and with few conditions, or protections. This is an ethical problem for individuals and society.”

To illustrate her point, Walker developed the Sharing-Surrender Information Matrix (SSIM). It addresses the roles of “mutual benefits, mutual commitments, trust, and social and information linkages that are necessary to understand in the increasing information and digital age,” she said.

There are four “quadrants” in Walker’s SSIM matrix: conditional sharing of information, unconditional sharing, conditional surrendering of information and unconditional surrendering.

An example of conditional sharing is when a consumer updates her status on a social media website and places restrictions on access to that information via privacy settings on the site that limit who can see her posts. The consumer has the ability to verify the privacy settings and view any and all parties who access the post.

Unconditional sharing of information might occur when a consumer purchases an app for her smart device, and hurriedly clicks “agree” to the privacy policy and terms of service without reading them. There is no way to determine the veracity of the agreement, nor is the consumer able to view any of the parties who received her information from the vendor or where it is shared, stored, bought or sold.

For conditional surrendering of information, Walker cites the example of a high school student who, disregarding warnings about sharing certain information, sends a suggestive photo of herself with her boyfriend. She sends it via a social media application on which the image “disappears” after a few seconds. Although the app informs her when an image has been copied, her boyfriend uses another app to save a screenshot of the image. Despite her faith in her app and her boyfriend, the image is later posted on a website. She was not able to view any of the parties who had the potential to receive her information from the initial app, or whether they shared, stored, bought or sold her information.

Unconditional surrender occurs, for instance, when a person visiting an office building shows his or her driver’s license to enter. The visitor is not informed and has no idea that the building’s security team runs the license number through complex software that provides them with a brief history of personal information, including social media posts. Unaware of the search, the visitor is not able to view any of the parties who may have access to this information.

Walker pointed out that Article 2 of the Code of Conduct of the United States Fighting Force clearly states that military personnel “will never surrender of [their] own free will.” If in command, they will “never surrender the members” of their command “while they still have the means to resist.” And if they become prisoners of war, military personnel will “keep faith with [their] fellow prisoners … will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to [their] comrades.”

“As a society, we clearly position surrendering as an undesirable scenario,” Walker said. “Why then are we allowing our citizens to surrender so much information?”

More than 200 devoted alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of the university heard firsthand how their generosity has made a life-changing difference for California State University, Northridge scholarship recipients at the recent President’s Associates and Heritage Society Donor Appreciation Luncheon, which took place on June 7.

CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison welcomed the donors to CSUN and shared how alumni giving and other philanthropic support have enabled the university to help more students reach their goals. She noted that CSUN’s alumni giving numbers have grown steadily since 2012, rising from 12^th in the CSU to second in the system.

“Today is a great time to laud all the wonderful work that our donors do for us and that enable us to do for our students,” Harrison said. “Some of you give because you think of your own college journey and want to make it a little bit easier for today’s students. There are fees to be paid. There are books to buy. There is housing and food to purchase. Whatever reason you have for giving back, I hope your dedication will continue because as we have grown, our needs have grown.”

CSUN’s President’s Associates and Heritage Society organizations aim to raise money for the campus through alumni and donor contributions on an annual basis and through planned gifts to the university. Vice President for University Advancement and President of the CSUN Foundation Robert D. Gunsalus began the program by expressing appreciation for all those in attendance.

“For both groups represented here today, thank you on behalf of all the students and faculty and alumni who have benefited from your generosity over the years,” Gunsalus said.

The program featured recent alumni, who spoke about how they benefited from financial assistance and wanted to do the same for future generations of Matadors. Also in attendance was Cherry Hendricks, vice president for the President’s Associates, who spoke about the pride she feels being involved with the campus again.

“My journey, like many others, began after being introduced to CSUN again after many years of being off campus,” she said. “I graduated in 1969 when it was San Fernando Valley State College. I live in Northridge — I’ve driven by time after time after time, watched things happen, but had never gone on campus. I was raising a family, running a business, did not get involved. After being given a campus tour, boy did my eyes get big. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and I could not be prouder to be a CSUN graduate.”

Raymond Calnan ’03 (Finance) of the Heritage Society also spoke about his contributions and why he decided to give back.

“It’s so important, and I think that’s why my wife and I decided to give back, because CSUN gave us so much,” Calnan said. “It really launched our careers and launched our lives together, and we want to see other students have that opportunity.”

The work that President’s Associates and Heritage Society members already had accomplished meant opportunities for students who would never have dreamed of attending a four-year institution such as CSUN, let alone graduating from one.

Armine Tadevosyan ’15 (Theatre) spoke about how her scholarship set her on a career path that she would not have been able to forge by herself.

“Not only did the scholarship help financially, but knowing that the committee believed in me inspired me to do my best. It was a tough semester, but I made it,” Tadevosyan recalled. “I’m honored to be here with you today, not just because I received a scholarship that made my final semester and graduation possible, but because I’m proud to say that each of us in this room has made a commitment to give to students at CSUN.”

Recent graduate Joshua Khabushani ’16 (Philosophy) spoke about receiving the Sidney A. Luckenbach Memorial Award, a scholarship established by the family and friends of former CSUN philosophy professor, Sidney Luckenbach Sr., and how it has inspired him to pursue a future that he once thought was impossible.

“If professor Luckenbach were to be present in this room today, I’d want him to know that by creating the scholarship, he invoked in me an unabashed fearlessness and sense of hope. His gift validates what I was unable to independently affirm within myself,” Khabushani said. “What’s more, this award has given me the confidence that will lead me to a promising future — but also, and perhaps even more importantly, create a life of meaning by making our world a more empathetic and inviting place to live.”

California State University, Northridge’s student leadership is extending beyond its campus, with Gov. Jerry Brown appointing former Associated Students (AS) President Jorge Reyes Salinas a student trustee for the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees, and AS Attorney General Christian Rubalcava to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).

Former CSUN AS President and new CSU Student Trustee Jorge Reyes Salinas. Photo provided by Jorge Reyes Salinas.

As the new student trustee, Reyes Salinas will work alongside board members from all 23 CSU campuses for the next two years; his second year will give him voting power. Reyes Salinas also has been elected as the new California State Student Association’s vice president. He will be helping to create transparency and open communication among the CSU’s AS organizations.

Twenty-year-old Sylmar resident and business management major Rubalcava will start his new position on the CSAC with three years of public service as a member of his community’s Neighborhood Council in addition to being appointed AS’ new Attorney General.

Rubalcava said he feels that his position on the CSAC will help him reach out and make more students aware of state financial aid benefits.

“Personally, without financial aid, I wouldn’t be as successful at CSUN as I am now,” he said. “I want to partner the commission with officials from [different California] areas to get the information out. It all starts in high school. I want the students to believe that they can go to college, no matter their financial background.”

Twenty-three-year-old Chatsworth resident Reyes Salinas migrated to the United States from Lima, Peru, when he was 10 years old. He is a second-year graduate student in communications, recently completing his undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism at CSUN. He served as the 2015-2016 AS president. During his tenure, he advocated for more on-campus resources, such as a food pantry for students, more transportation routes to the campus from the LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and a safe space for undocumented students coming to the university.

He said he plans to continue such advocacy while on the CSU Board of Trustees, pointing to the need to

CSUN AS Attorney General Christian Rubalcava is the California Student Aid Commission’s new board member. Photo provided by Christian Rubalcava.

make education resources more accessible to CSU students across the state.

“I think education is important. It is a social tool,” he said. “I didn’t know how to maneuver around and utilize the resources available to me until I got involved with the campus student government. When I got involved, I learned so much. As a student, I was very lucky at CSUN to have access to all these resources. I understand students don’t always know how to gain access to them. Seeing how I can help them find and utilize their campus’s resources is important to me.”

Reyes Salinas noted that he was inspired to apply for the student trustee position by former 2014 AS Vice President Talar Alexanian, who was the first CSUN student to hold the CSU student trustee position.

“I learned from what she was doing,” he said. “She taught me that whatever work you put in, you will get back. I had that vision into giving students resources. I was about to learn a lot about communication and the value of transparency while working with her and while being the AS president.”

Reyes Salinas joins CSUN computer science professor Steven Stepanek and Debra Farar, an alumna with her master of arts degree in education, on the CSU Board of Trustees.

Reyes Salinas noted that his goal is to be more hands on and to utilize the lessons he learned as CSUN’s AS president to promote open communication in the CSU system.

“My goals as AS president were to be honest and transparent with my constituents,” he said. “I’m honored to be able to represent the CSU students for the next two years.”

Rubalcava said he was also inspired to run for state positions by his AS president, Reyes Salinas.

“I ran in AS elections when I was a freshman. I didn’t win, but Jorge was kind enough to welcome me with open arms,” he said. “He made me the lower division senator [in AS]. Now he is [one of] the CSU student trustees, and I’m in a state position, too. Northridge is well-represented.”

California State University, Northridge holds this year’s record for the largest increase in research publications rates in North America, according to a listing of top tier peer-reviewed journals selected by the journal Nature.

The list, created by Nature Index, is made by analyzing research institutions in North America and their research output percentages from 2012 to 2015. Articles in chemistry, life sciences, physical sciences, and earth and environmental sciences published in journals chosen by Nature were the markers.

CSUN Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics Jerry Stinner said being listed among the top 25 Rising Stars is a great honor for the university.

“What a tremendous validation of everything we’ve been trying to accomplish in the college, in all five departments,” he said.  “To say that I’m proud of the faculty is a complete understatement. For Nature to recognize the incredible achievements and hard work of my faculty is beyond anything I could have wished for. The external recognition by a premier science journal is simply incredible.”

CSUN held the highest percent increase in publication rate at more than 190 percent, followed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U. S. Geological Survey, Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University. CSUN is the only public institution of higher education in California listed.

The college includes the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Geological Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics and Astronomy. Stinner noted that research by faculty in all of the departments contributed to the listing.

CSUN biology professor Jonathan Kelber makes cancer cell samples to analyze in his lab. Photo by Lee Choo.

CSUN biology professor and cancer researcher Steven Oppenheimer, who has taught at CSUN for more than 45 years, said the listing had him “just flabbergasted.”

“This is a blockbuster,” he said. “I think this is the most important research advance for CSUN in the history of CSUN. In my 45 years here, I’ve never seen anything like this — ever. It shows that of all organizations in the country, CSUN made the greatest advance in research from 2012 to 2015 ­— more than Stanford, more than Harvard, more than anywhere! This is unbelievable. It is simply amazing. It’s a reflection of the great work that is being done here.”

Fellow cancer researcher Jonathan Kelber, a CSUN assistant professor of biology, added that the listing is a major bonus for the university because of Nature’s high profile.

“From my understanding, the list is generated from looking over publications in certain journals. That’s a really important caveat,” he said. “Nature Index identifies certain journals to watch that have big impacts in science. What they’re doing is not looking at all publications. [Nature Index] preselects which journals they are looking at. Many of these journals are high profile. They are banking on these journals [to be] predictive of current or past success of institutions. In that regard, it’s more exciting … I think it is encouraging.”

CSUN anthropology professor Hélène Rougier’s recent article on the origins of Eastern European Neandertals received the university’s highest score in outreach, called an altemetric score, according to Nature Index.

Rougier, whose department is in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, expressed gratitude for the listing and said the work of CSUN’s researchers speaks for itself.

CSUN anthropology professor Hélène Rougier (center) identifies human skeletal remains among the collections from the Goyet cave in Belgium with colleagues from her project team, paleoanthropologist Dr. Isabelle Crevecoeur from Bordeaux University (right) and archeozoologist Cédric Beauval from Archéosphère in France (left). Photo provided by Hèléne Rougier.

“I’m very thankful that people are interested in this work,” she said. “I’m sure it’s going to help to present and share this kind of research with a larger audience. CSUN has been supportive of my work. I’m very glad for CSUN, because we try to do research and I really feel support from the university.”

Kelber noted that Stinner provided him with exceptional support when coming to the university, which led the professor and his team of students to find causes of certain forms of cancer in their research, he said.

“Jerry Stinner, our dean, has been really giving faculty the resources — space and financial — to get research programs started up,” he said. “Our lab wouldn’t have been successful in getting the grants that we have or the research we did unless we had startup funds to buy the equipment. It is a big part, having a dean who has placed a huge priority on scholarship. He wants us to be engaged in the highest level of scholarship possible and has supported us for it.”

CSUN’s place on the Nature list is also thanks to support from CSUN’s leaders, including Stinner and biology department chair Larry Allen, Oppenheimer added.

“The way in which Jerry Stinner, Larry Allen and others have done this is by hiring scores of top faculty, first-choice faculty, for over a decade and supporting them with the best support anywhere,” he said. “This support starts with the president and the provost and the dean and the chair of biology. [CSUs] are not generally known for massive ​​quantities of research, but this [ranking] shows that here we are. Cal State Northridge — the greatest increase in top papers of any other place in North America. It is simply amazing.”

Allen reiterated that the work of the college for the past decade toward supporting its faculty has contributed to having CSUN on the listing.

“But most importantly,” he said, “it reflects the success of our undergraduate and graduate-based research model in producing both great science and invaluable training opportunities for our students.”

California State University, Northridge President Dianne F. Harrison last week greeted new faculty members and staff — and welcomed back thousands of those returning to campus — at her annual fall welcome address, the university’s own version of the State of the Union, which took place Aug. 25 at CSUN’s Valley Performing Arts Center.

Harrison struck a proud and determined tone for the 2016-17 academic year that began Aug. 27, sharing a wide variety of the hundreds of CSUN accomplishments and milestones that occurred during the past academic year, linking these initiatives and programs to student success.

“Universities like CSUN are the key to giving students and the greater community the educational and the intellectual resources needed to shape a society that is educated, that is tolerant and well-equipped to thrive in a world that seems increasingly fast-paced and changing,” Harrison told the faculty, staff and leadership. “So I thank you in advance for working with me to raise the bar for the university, so that we can give our students the high-quality education they need to succeed.”

With the start of fall classes, the university welcomed approximately 40,100 students for the new academic year, one of the nation’s largest student bodies. This follows a May 2016 graduating class of 11,120, the biggest in CSUN’s history.

Harrison’s speech, titled Raising the Bar Higher to Lift Our Students, outlined the university’s seven priorities — from student success to using athletics as a tool for student, community and regional engagement — with particular focus throughout on student success and boosting graduation rates.

In one of many campus highlights and examples of academic success, Harrison praised CSUN’s accelerated embrace of diversity and inclusion to provide students with a 21st-century education. This includes cultivating the first two cohorts of students in the university’s BUILD PODER undergraduate research training program, supported by a $22-million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health — the largest grant in CSUN history. The program aims to increase diversity in biomedical research fields.

The president noted that diversity and inclusion will be added as a university planning priority, and she welcomed the campus’ first chief diversity officer, Raji Rhys, who started her post in April.

“While other campuses may be, unintentionally, willing to overlook the catalytic power of their student diversity, at CSUN, we will intentionally and systematically put it to use as a positive force for change in every aspect of what we do,” Harrison said. “In fact, there are colleagues all over campus already doing so.

“The will to live our values of collaboration, inclusion and diversity is widespread,” she said. “What other campuses may lack, we have in abundance — leaders for change, who are intrinsically motivated to leverage our collective diversity as a tool to achieve what we all care about most: empowering students to thrive in an interconnected, rapidly changing, culturally complex landscape.”

The president shared graduation goals for the year 2025, set forth by the California State University (CSU) chancellor’s office and the CSU board of trustees. For example, CSUN aims to increase the four-year graduation rate for students who start as freshmen to 30 percent and the two-year graduation rate for transfer students to 43 percent by 2025.

“We know that many of our students of opportunity are challenged to complete their education in what is considered the ‘traditional’ amount of time it takes to graduate,” Harrison said. “Two-thirds of our students need to work to support themselves and, in many cases, their families. But we should not assume that at least a third and more of our students cannot rise to achieve these goals.

“Until and unless the state reinvests in the CSU, the burden will fall on students and we need to do all we can to help students graduate, graduate sooner and in larger numbers,” she said. “And not by lessening quality or lowering standards.”

Of the many challenges facing today’s students, the president also called attention to hunger and homelessness, which afflict approximately one in 10 CSU students system-wide, according to recent studies.

“CSUN is not standing still on this issue,” Harrison said. “This fall, we’re opening an expanded food pantry on campus,” and the university will work with Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s office and other city and county resources to refer homeless students for temporary housing, she noted.

Throughout her remarks and in conclusion, Harrison highlighted and acknowledged the dedication of faculty and staff to CSUN’s students.

“Thank you for the work that you have done, and the important work that you will do for our students,” Harrison said. “The time is now to test our assumptions through data based on outcomes, to challenge ourselves, to innovate and to raise the bar. Our students are counting on us, and I know that together — we can do this.”

Philosophy professor Adam Swenson, president of the Faculty Senate, opened and concluded the program by welcoming new faculty members, staff and leadership, including Farrell Webb, the new dean of the College of Health and Human Development. Sevag Alexanian, president of Associated Students, also gave greetings on behalf of CSUN’s students.

“Serving all of us students is no easy task,” Alexanian said. “The faculty and staff serve as the oil to the machine, making sure that we as students are succeeding. It always makes me feel proud to know that CSUN is not like other CSU campuses. Here at CSUN, we have a unique system where students’ voices are truly heard and taken into account.”

For the full text or to watch a video of President Harrison’s address, go to http://www.csun.edu/president/2016-fifth-annual-welcome-address

Mark and Terri LIsagor

California State University, Northridge nutrition professor Terri Lisagor and her husband, Mark, will celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary this year. Their marriage is filled with respect and admiration for each other and is marked by a mutual commitment, forged while they were college sweethearts five decades ago, to leave the world a better place than they found it.

To that end, the pair has arranged a planned gift to CSUN that will ultimately leave $1 million to establish an endowed scholarship for students in the Resilient Scholars Program, which serves students who were formerly in the foster youth system, and another endowment that will support faculty research, travel, and professional development in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.  The endowments will provide future students and faculty members opportunities the Lisagors only dreamed of during their undergraduate days.

“Back when we were undergraduates, tuition was only $80 per quarter. The costs students have to bear are so much more today,” Terri Lisagor said. “Mark and I believe that cost shouldn’t be an insurmountable barrier to higher education for students, and we hope that this will help a few resilient scholars who have overcome extraordinary circumstances.”

As a long-time member of the faculty, Lisagor has seen the lasting ripple effects of her colleagues, and also understands the importance of research, service and preparation. “Scholarship takes time,” Lisagor said. “I feel that I was born to teach, and service is just a natural extension of what we do. But finding time to do serious scholarship, particularly with everything else we do as faculty, can be challenging. It would be great if this helps make it easier for future colleagues.”

Lisagor grew up in the San Fernando Valley. She graduated from high school in 1966, determined to go to college despite her family’s lack of support for her higher education aspirations. She enrolled at UCLA with dreams of becoming a teacher. Terri worked full time to pay for her education, taking a full load of courses each quarter to ensure that she graduated in the prescribed four years.

She met Mark Lisagor in a freshman math class. He too was working full time to pay for his education.

“We went out for a few dates whenever we both could get time off from work,” she said. “It had only been a couple months when Mark said, ‘I think we should get married.’ I said ‘Okay. So, how do you pronounce your last name?’ Fortunately for us, it worked out.”

Lisagor is pronounced “Liss’-uh-Gor.”

Terri Lisagor giving a demonstration on dental hygiene in Guatemala in 2013. Photo courtesy of Terri Lisagor.

Among the things that drew the couple together was their shared passion for making the world a better place. While in college, they were actively involved in the anti-war movement, as well as other social causes. They lived on an American Indian reservation in the Southwest for two years, while Mark served as a dentist in the Indian Health Service. Their daughter, Kimberly, now an environmental activist and journalist, was born on the Navajo reservation. Their son, Adam, is a filmmaker in Los Angeles. Mark and Terri have two grandsons, and a granddaughter on the way.

Mark established a pediatric dental practice in Camarillo and Oxnard. Terri, using her background in elementary education, established an innovative preventative dental health education program for the families in his practice.

Motivated by an increased curiosity about nutrition, she enrolled at CSUN, eventually earning a master’s in food science and nutrition in 1990, and a doctorate in education from Pepperdine University in 2004.

While completing her master’s, Lisagor was invited to join the faculty in CSUN’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences as a lecturer in food science and nutrition. Once she earned her doctorate, she was hired as a tenure-track faculty member. Now a full professor and past chair of the department, she said she is delighted to continue to work with students, faculty, administration and staff throughout CSUN.

Despite their professional obligations, the Lisagors continue to carve out time to volunteer. For the past several decades, Mark has worked with Global Dental Relief, leading teams of volunteers to provide free dental care for impoverished children around the world, including in Nepal, India and Guatemala. Lisagor often joins him on these trips, and frequently has included CSUN nutrition students on their teams to Guatemala to teach about nutrition and oral hygiene.

“We love giving back,” she said. “That’s part of why we decided to make this planned gift — it just seems natural. CSUN has been so important in my life, and this gift is a good fit for us. It matches our philosophy of giving back.”

Below is a video of one of a trip Lisagor took with CSUN students in 2013 to teach rural Guatemala families about oral hygiene:

Photo courtesy of Nicole Walker.

California State University, Northridge alumna Nicole Walker ’06 (Urban Studies and Planning), M.P.P. ’12 (Public Policy) always had a passion for the environment as well as serving the community. Soon after graduating from CSUN with her bachelor’s degree, she realized that environmentalism, policy-making and serving communities in need are closely connected, so Walker decided to get more involved in politics.

In 2012, she earned her master’s degree from CSUN. Another four years later, she reached what she called one of the most memorable highlights of her career and became a California delegate for the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in late July in Philadelphia.

“It was a hailing experience,” she said.

Between jet lag, early mornings, speaker sessions and meetings, Walker said the DNC was one of the most intense experiences of her life. It was also historic, as Walker took part in the first U.S. convention where a woman was nominated as a major party’s candidate for president.

Witnessing the diversity within the California delegation was one of the highlights of the convention, Walker said.

“The amazing thing about our delegation as well as our representatives in Sacramento is that it is very diverse,” she said. “When I was looking around the room, I saw every imaginable group represented. That was a really wonderful moment.”

Walker’s first political involvement was her 2011 position as chamber president at the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce in Riverside, where her main objective was to help disadvantaged communities.

“As I started exposing myself more to being a chamber president — going to different meetings with [county] supervisors and [city] council members in Riverside — I started to become more familiar with politics,” she said. “I thought, ‘Okay, maybe I can [do politics],’ especially environmental or economic policy, which are very close to my heart and go hand-in-hand [with serving] disadvantaged communities.”

After she completed her master’s degree in public policy at CSUN, Walker scored a job at the British Consulate General in Los Angeles as a business development associate. Her duties included assisting U.S. companies in setting up their European headquarters in the United Kingdom as well as assisting British companies in understanding and marketing their products and services to the Western U.S. market.

“[The British] had a policy called the Green Deal that I was directly working with, in terms of helping U.S. companies go to Britain and take advantage of providing their company’s green technology and products to help make houses and buildings more energy efficient,” she said.

Green technology was a defining factor in Walker’s job, and she supported the use of alternative renewable energies as well as other sustainable and environmental technologies, including solar power in Great Britain.

After gaining extensive experience in international business development at the British Consulate General, Walker went to work for the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2014 as an environmental health specialist in the district’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety Division.

For the past two years, Walker has demonstrated her political ambitions and motivations in numerous ways. In 2014, she became a fellow at the New Leaders Council in Orange County, which supports young, progressive political entrepreneurs to become elected officials. In 2015, she participated in the New American Leadership Project, which teaches first- and second-generation Americans how to run for office.

Walker said one of her primary inspirations has been her son, a first-generation U.S. citizen on his father’s side.

“I wanted to make sure that I would have the tricks of the trade and know the tools, in order to be effective and be a change-maker for him and kids that are like him,” Walker said.

In 2016, she graduated from the Emerge California program.

“Emerge California is an amazing program,” she said. “It teaches women of all races and sexual orientations how to run for office.”

After participating in all these projects, one of Walker’s friends encouraged her to run for DNC delegate to open doors for future elected positions. She took his advice.

“It was wonderful being a part of the DNC as a [Bernie] Sanders delegate because we were a part of history,” she said. “Although my candidate was not the nominee, it was amazing to see the first woman presidential nominee for a major party. Shirley Chisholm started the process in 1972, and Hillary Clinton brought it to the forefront.”

Before launching her busy career in the public arena, Walker said she developed fond memories at CSUN and values the knowledge and foundation she built at the university — particularly in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

“CSUN had a major positive impact on my career,” she said. “It gave me top-notch academic as well as real-world experience, [so] I am able to thrive in any career field that I have found myself in.”

California State University, Northridge academic and administrative leaders gathered Aug. 22 to prepare for the 2016-17 academic year — focused clearly on student success and boosting graduation rates. More than 100 leaders, including department chairs, deans of CSUN’s nine colleges and library, and administrators, met in Cypress Hall for their annual retreat.

“We are the pipeline for the future,” said CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison, kicking off the retreat. “We want to make sure our graduates are prepared for success. And you are the keys to making that happen.”

In her address, the president shared graduation goals for the year 2025, set forth by the California State University (CSU) chancellor’s office and the CSU board of trustees. For example, CSUN aims to increase the four-year graduation rate for students who start as freshmen from its current 13 percent (a number Harrison called “dismal”) to 30 percent by 2025.

“We know that two-thirds of our students must work at least one job to afford their education and support their families,” Harrison said. “We have said that our students are not the traditional four-year students, but we should not assume that one-third or more of our students cannot rise to meet these goals and complete their studies in four years, or two years for transfer students. We need to reset our mindsets about what is possible for our students.”

As they prepare schedules, faculty staffing and classes for the fall semester (which began Aug. 27), department chairs were urged by the president to consider redesigning courses in the future, as well as working with faculty to close achievement gaps for underrepresented minority students. In the 2025 graduation goals, CSUN aims to cut the achievement gap for those underrepresented students from the current 11 percent to zero.

The retreat’s sessions included breakout groups focusing on undergraduate and graduate policies, accessing data, and faculty and staff rights. Faculty members from across the university also had the opportunity to meet new Dean of the College of Health and Human Development Farrell J. Webb, as well as a number of new department chairs.

Keynote speaker Marcela Cuellar, an assistant professor of education at UC Davis, spoke to the group about the rapid growth and potential of minority-serving institutions — particularly Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) like CSUN and those that serve students of Asian-American, Native American and Pacific Islander heritage — in California and across the nation. “HSIs have doubled from 1994 until now, and they represent 13 percent of all higher education institutions in the U.S.,” Cuellar said.

Chief Anne Glavin of CSUN’s Department of Police Services (DPS) spoke to the leaders about the importance of preparing themselves and their students for an “active shooter” emergency on campus. She showed a short video simulating such an event at CSUN, recently filmed on campus and produced by students and staff in the Department of Cinema and Television Arts and DPS. She urged all faculty to show the video in their classes and discuss it with students. The video and discussion guide are available on the DPS web page.

“We need to help students understand the survival mindset that we’re trying to get across,” Glavin said. “This video is going to give our students a greater sense of confidence that they can survive if, God forbid, something like this should happen at CSUN.”

In the afternoon, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Yi Li wrapped up the all-day retreat with a discussion with the faculty members and leadership. He also emphasized student success and increasing graduation rates, as well as the campus priorities of supporting research and diversity.

“CSUN is important because our students reflect the demographics of our community and the future demographics of our nation,” Li said. “This is going to be another busy year, but this is a great opportunity for us, with the focus on student success, research and diversity.”

Photo courtesy of http://amplosangeles.org/

Cameron Mooney ’13 (Music Therapy) has been a busy man since graduating from California State University, Northridge. From Malibu to South Los Angeles, Mooney works in three to four different cities in the LA area on a typical workday, serving populations from young children to adults in rehabilitation, with five different programs and nonprofit initiatives.

Mooney’s latest passion involves his work at the  Dee Dee Jackson Foundation — in addition to his involvement in CSUN’s music therapy clinic twice a week and serving as program director for the nonprofit organization AMP Los Angeles, an after-school mentor program he helped to found with a friend.

The Dee Dee Jackson Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by the Jackson brothers Tariano (“Taj”), Taryll and Tito (“TJ”) as a tribute to the charity work of their mother, who passed away in 1994. The foundation supports individuals who suffer from grief and loss by connecting them with music.

Mooney has been working with the foundation since April, developing new approaches to help children and young adolescents process grief and loss. The goal is to create a program that can be replicated and handed on to fellow music therapists in different settings.

“Grief and loss are very personal, so the challenge is trying to figure out what the right balance and the right pace is to help these kids work through their grief,” Mooney said. “You have to make sure to establish appropriate relationships with them and to not assume anything about them.”

The foundation supports the Watts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club in Los Angeles, helping children and teenagers express themselves and process grief and loss through songwriting and connecting to music.

“Music is powerful and personal, and people connect to it really well. We help them to make this connection more powerful and to use it for something that they typically wouldn’t,” Mooney said. “We’re already seeing amazing reactions to the music. You can see that [the children and teenagers] already make connections between their situation and the stories that we’re listening to in other music.”

​Henri Hebert, interim executive director of the Dee Dee Jackson Foundation praised Mooney for his dedication to help children and his ambition as music therapist.

“Cameron brings incredible enthusiasm, compassion and experience, [and] goes above and beyond in preparing to make each session a success,” Herbert added. “The results of his efforts and work with the children participating in the program can be seen by their engagement. The children are focused and happily participating in every activity.”

Mooney has been working with children with special needs — particularly those on the autism spectrum — since he was 18 years old. Even though he wanted to continue, his passion for music led him to pursue a major in media composition when he came to CSUN.

“I didn’t know there was a way to bring those two things together, but then I heard about music therapy and that CSUN had a program for it,” he said. “I reached out and met with professor [and Department of Music Therapy Chair Ronald] Borzcon, and after that one meeting with him I was convinced that this was what I should do. The next day, I switched my major.”

The demanding curriculum of the music therapy major requires students to be proficient in playing guitar, piano and singing, while being comfortable with other instruments as well. As a passionate musician, Mooney handled all the requirements and still enjoys discovering new instruments and practices.

“I still take my time to learn and explore new instruments so that I can try new things in sessions,” Mooney said.

During his two years in CSUN’s music therapy program, Mooney worked in four different music therapy settings as required in the major’s curriculum. He said the hands-on experience connected him with professional music therapists and exposed him to real-world work situations.

“CSUN is unique and prepares you very well out in the field,” he said. “On top of that, the professors are really great and the teaching standard is really high.”

Borczon also made a significant impact on his life, Mooney said.

“He expects his students to understand what they’re doing,” he said. “He was really good at explaining good and poor techniques [as well as] good reinforcement. If I hadn’t worked with him, I wouldn’t have gotten into a lot of the work I do now in the rehab setting and at the Dee Dee Jackson Foundation.”

Borczon, who still works with Mooney at CSUN’s music therapy clinic, recalled how the ambitious music therapy student made an immediate impression.

“He worked with me at a couple of rehab centers in Malibu,” Borczon said. “The creative music experience that we brought to the clients were genuinely from him. He did not copy them — and that really impressed me. He took his own ideas and made them into a music intervention for people with drug and alcohol problems.”

Borczon praised Mooney’s creativity and inquisitiveness as student, and his leadership skills in professional settings.

“His creativeness is really what stands out for me about him,” Borczon said. “He is a role model in his leadership ability and [in the ways] he takes charge and really sets things in motion.”

There is much more work to be done, Mooney said.

“I want to continue to expose myself to as many new challenges as possible,” Mooney said, adding that his work can be challenging but rewarding when he sees the positive impact he has made on his clients — especially children.

After rekindling hope for numerous grieving children, Mooney’s own life was recently energized with the birth of his daughter in early 2016. Despite his busy schedule as a music therapist, he said he can’t wait to teach her to play the piano and ukulele.

Cameron Mooney with his music group at the Watts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club in Los Angeles. Photo Courtesy of the Dee Dee Jackson Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Aishwarya Iyler.

It’s Wednesday night, and Aishwarya Iyer is excited to begin her night shift at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena. She has spent a week sitting in front of her computer in a small cubicle, where she has evaluated and analyzed data for several hours a day. She submits the coordinates of this night’s target planet to the 13,802-foot-high summit telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and selects the instrument of choice offered by the telescope facility to study the atmosphere of this planet.

Iyer, a graduate student in California State University, Northridge’s physics program, started working for JPL in summer 2014 as an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Over the past year, she had the opportunity to lead an entire study on exoplanets — planets outside Earth’s solar system. She’s passionate about the research she has been conducting at JPL, and one of her favorite parts of the job is the occasional late-night observation run that provides an opportunity to observe planets physically, she said.

“Those are the most fun days of the semester,” Iyer said. “When we’re done with all the legwork, and you can actually get to the science aspect of it.”

Most of Iyer’s work involves days of programming and evaluating huge data sets to obtain quality results from reducing data acquired during the observation runs. Her current work focuses on characterizing the atmospheric properties of 19 “hot Jupiters” previously observed by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Hot Jupiters are 1,500-degree-Fahrenheit exoplanets that have masses similar to that of Jupiter but are much closer to their parent star than our Jupiter to the sun. Iyer’s task was to classify these 19 planets to find common atmospheric features, unique to the class of hot Jupiters.

Iyer explained that a majority of these planets exhibit the presence of water vapor within their atmospheres. Previous studies however have resulted in a variety of analysis and interpretation methods. Iyer’s work was motivated by the need for standardizing this data to look for patterns. The results of the study show that water is ubiquitous in the atmospheres of hot Jupiters and that about half of the atmosphere of any hot Jupiter is blocked by clouds, haze or aerosols, thus preventing scientists from detecting the true water content.

“There’s still so much we don’t know and to know even just a little bit more than yesterday about the universe, is really one of the encouraging reasons to do research.” Iyer said.

Her study was published in the June 1 issue of The Astrophysical Journal in the June 1 issue. The results of the study could have implications on future studies of hot Jupiter atmospheres as well as for using the next generation of space observatories such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Iyer graduated from UCSD in 2015 and moved to CSUN to pursue her master’s in physics.

“The generic norm is that people do their undergraduate [in physics] and directly go to the Ph.D. programs,” Iyer explained. “But I thought, it’s best to go through a master’s program to solidify your understanding of the core concepts, which will allow you to become a stronger candidate for a Ph.D program — that’s why I was really inclined toward taking this path.”

Iyer said she particularly values working with professors Wladimir Lyra and Farisa Morales, both faculty in CSUN’s Department of Physics. Lyra and Morales have become key mentors, she said.

“CSUN has such a wonderful physics program, which has been an important part of my whole journey,” she added. “I wouldn’t have had the courage to jump on a Ph.D. program right away, and this program is something I definitely needed.”

Iler also advocates to encourage more female students and under-represented minority students to not shy away from physics or astronomy classes.

“It is our duty as members of the academic community to build one another and provide support whenever necessary,” she said. “We must keep reminding ourselves that it is okay to struggle while solving some physics problems but when it comes to the big picture, we must realize that getting an opportunity to study any part of our magnificent universe is truly a privilege.”

Currently, Iyer is applying to various Ph.D. programs for next year and said she is very excited to get started.

“I believe that it’s very important to do what you love, and I can’t wait to work on more exciting science,” she said.

California State University, Northridge’s Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics celebrated its 25th anniversary by adding a dash of Broadway to nutrition education on Sept. 15 at Sequoia Hall. The celebration was hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Obba Babatundé.

Licensed Physical Therapist and Registered Dietitian Marilyn Magaram attended CSUN in the early 1980s and received her master’s degree in food science, nutrition and dietetics in home economics in 1984. The program was later renamed Family and Consumer Sciences. Magaram remained active in the department, teaching nutrition and food science courses until she passed away in 1989.

Located in Sequoia Hall, the Marilyn Magaram Center (MMC) was established in 1991 and has been providing CSUN students with research, education and internship opportunities in food science, nutrition and dietetics ever since. The center has created more than 250 products, collaborated with more than 500 community partners, provided more than 5,000 research and internship opportunities, and reached more than 500,000 community members in its 25-year history, said Annette Besnilian, director of the MMC.

“A mere seed was planted here 25 years ago,” she said. “Like the sunflower directing itself to sunlight, the Marilyn Magaram Center has directed itself toward the light of greatness. Our goal is to continue growing toward a bright future and to continue to be the recognized center of excellence in food science, nutrition and dietetics, serving the global community.”

Attendees at the event enjoyed cooking demonstrations by Diane Worthington, hosted by CSUN alumna Barbara Fairchild ’72 (Journalism) — former editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit Magazine and past recipient of CSUN’s Distinguished Alumni Award — and alumna Paulette Lambert ’75 (Home Economics), the director of nutrition for the California Health and Longevity Institute at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village. 

The celebration also offered visitors numerous food samples and interactive activities in nutrition education, such as research lab tours and taste tests. During the second half of the event, CSUN students and faculty, along with students from Gault Elementary School, delighted the crowd with theater, dance and music performances.

Gault Elementary School is one of the MMC’s partner schools, where the center’s gardening student interns regularly visit to teach children the benefits of a healthy lifestyle by exposing them to self-grown produce. Anatola Avenue Elementary School and Calahan Street Elementary School also participate in the program.

Closer to the end of the celebration, Broadway performers Helen Butleroff Leahy, Laurie Gamache, Roumel Reaux and Jimmy Spadola offered a special performance highlighting the center’s 25 years of excellence.

CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison concluded the night, thanking the Magaram family, particularly Sally and Phil Magaram, for their steadfast support.

“We are so proud of the center and the work of Marilyn Magaram, who promoted a healthy lifestyle and the university’s commitment to serving the community,” she said.

Before Harrison left the stage, Wendy Wachtell, president of the Joseph Drown Foundation, presented a $250,000 donation in honor of Marilyn Magaram and the center.

California State University, Northridge officials broke ground on a new Associated Students Sustainability Center on Sept. 19. Campus leadership, the Institute for Sustainability, Associated Students (AS), the center’s partners in architecture, construction and consulting, as well as other CSUN stakeholders celebrated at the AS Recycling Yard next to the University Student Union, where the center will be built.

The Center will be a multi-functional space serving as an expanded collections station for campus recyclables, the administrative hub of AS’ sustainability programs and services, and as the administrative offices of the Institute for Sustainability.

“What we really hope is that it will become the focal point for the university community for educational programs and services related to the environment and sustainability,” said David Crandall, general manager of Associated Students.

At 8,000 square feet and a cost of approximately $4.7 million, the building will be a model of sustainable technology and practices.

The administrative area will house seminar rooms, offices and workspaces, a pantry, restrooms, showers, and a 5,000-square-foot covered yard space. The yard’s roof will include approximately 100 solar panels that will provide enough energy to keep the administrative space completely off the grid, supporting CSUN’s initiative to become a carbon-neutral campus.

Solar hot water produced on the roof will provide hot water for the center’s sinks and showers, and used water will feed into a “gray water” collection tank that will irrigate drought-tolerant landscaping around the building. The air conditioning system will be connected to the building’s windows, maximizing natural ventilation to save power.

The center’s restrooms will include self-contained composting toilets, which can convert waste into clean compost and limit water use to as little as .2 liters per flush.

Architectural firm Gensler, construction firm Gilbane and sustainability consultants from Glumac created the center’s innovative design and engineering.

CSUN is a national leader in implementing and promoting sustainable practices, said CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison, who chairs the Second Nature Climate Leadership Steering Committee and made sustainability one of her top priorities when she arrived at the university in 2012.

The university has been awarded a gold rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), the highest rating in the CSU. The Student Recreation Center and Valley Performing Arts Center were awarded LEED Gold awards from the U.S. Green Building Council, and the campus is seeking Gold status for the new Extended University Commons building.

CSUN achieved a 22 percent reduction in water use — equivalent to 55 million gallons — in 2015, surpassing the CSU water reduction goal of 20 percent by 2020.

“The Sustainability Center that we celebrate today will play a major role in advancing our sustainability efforts on campus,” Harrison said. “To Associated Students, the students and the faculty and staff who have played a role in bringing this center from a mere idea in someone’s head to reality, I say thank you so much for your work in making CSUN a national leader and role model for sustainable practices and actions.”

Director of the Institute for Sustainability Helen Cox said she also appreciated the spirit of universitywide teamwork.

“This center brings all the different units of the university together in a great collaborative effort,” Cox said. “It’s been exciting to do something really transformative. The building is so cutting edge — it just proves you really can make net-zero [energy] happen.”

AS President Sevag Alexanian expressed pride in his fellow students’ hard work, turning a dream into a reality.

“We are standing here today and it goes to show that really, anything is possible,” Alexanian said.

California State University, Northridge’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics doubled down on the big announcements at the college’s 50^th anniversary gala celebration Thursday, Sept. 22.

The evening’s program concluded with the announcement of a $5 million gift from CSUN alumni Harvey ’70 (Business Administration) and Harriet Bookstein. CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison revealed that this gift and those from other supporters of the college put the college’s $25 million fundraising campaign over its goal, which launched two years ago with a lead gift of $10 million from CSUN alumnus David Nazarian.

“One of the true pleasures of being president of a university with the impact of CSUN is those moments when we see our great university make an even greater leap forward. This is one of those moments,” Harrison said. “Future generations of students will benefit from the investments made in the college.”

Pending California State University Board of Trustees’ approval, CSUN will rename Juniper Hall, which houses the Nazarian College, in honor of the Booksteins. Money from the Booksteins’ gift will be used to create the Bookstein Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Endowment to expand the activities of CSUN’s acclaimed VITA Clinic, which offers free tax-preparation assistance to low-income families and individuals; the Bookstein Leadership Endowment to support the college’s priorities, and the Bookstein Distinguished Chair in Real Estate Endowment in the real estate program of the Department of Business Law.

The fundraising campaign for CSUN’s business college launched in March 2014 when entrepreneur and philanthropist David Nazarian ’82 (Business Administration), founder and CEO of Nimes Capital, donated $10 million of his own money and pledged to help raise an additional $15 million for the college. The Booksteins’ $5 million gift helped the university reach the fundraising goal in only two years.

“CSUN’s College of Business and Economics, which I am honored to have named after me, is a tremendous training ground for the thousands of future business leaders that walk through its doors,” Nazarian said. “But it can be so much more. With new capital investments, we are looking forward to attracting the best professors and faculty members, and to strengthening the culture of personal excellence in all of its programs.”

Thanks to the evening’s sponsors, more than 85 students attended the event and witnessed firsthand the possibilities a CSUN business education can deliver in the form of the successful alumni in attendance.

“Being surrounded by the students at the Nazarian College definitely helped me through my own studies and business aspirations,” said recent Nazarian College graduate and entrepreneur Alan Campos ’16 (Business Law). “My classmates were motivated — you could feel the energy of their motivation. They wanted to do something after graduating, whether getting more education, starting their own business or trying to change the world.”

Throughout the evening, speakers highlighted how the Nazarian College has changed and is changing the face of business in Los Angeles and beyond.

“When I came to CSUN about three and a half years ago, I knew I was coming to an institution that was creating opportunity for an amazingly diverse and highly deserving student population,” said Dean of the Nazarian College Kenneth Lord. “What I did not fully appreciate then was that it was on the cusp of a thrilling potential to achieve recognition as one of the world’s great business schools.”

As part of the 50th anniversary gala, the college recognized its Fabulous 50 Business Alumni, an impressive list of Southern California, national and global business leaders. To learn more about the honorees, visit www.csun.edu/business50. CSUN Foundation Board Chariman Earl Enzer ’82 (Finance), an alumnus and financial services executive, spoke on behalf of the Fabulous 50 alumni.

“A brilliant example of CSUN fulfilling its mission and transforming lives is the fabulous five decades that the Nazarian College fulfilled the ambitions of the many thousands of alumni that the 50 of us are here tonight to represent,” Enzer said.

CNBC anchor and CSUN alumnus Bill Griffeth ’80 (Journalism) served as master of ceremonies for the evening. Thousands of alumni from around the world have viewed the live stream of the gift announcement on Facebook, and more than 100,000 engaged with the event through social media.

Sponsors for the gala include Y&S Nazarian Foundation, Ducera Partners, KPMG, The Sterling Group, Aristotle Capital Management, Bank of Hope, Ernst and Young, HCVT, OneSource by PCS, sbe, Stefan R. Bothe, Agora, CIM, Delta Dental, EastWest Bank, Epson, Farmers Insurance, PCS Energy, PennyMac, PerkinsCoie, UBS, The Bookstein Family Foundation, Maryam Maddahi, Jeff and Joni Marine, Sabrina Kay, Ronnie Haft, Jack Corwin, Bryan Ezralow, Tony and Jeanne Pritzker, The Ronald W. Burkle Foundation, Asset Campus Housing, B&B Premier Insurance Solutions, BB&T Insurance Services of California, Crescent Hotels and Resorts, Deloitte, Laramar, The Lincoln Motor Company Executive Business Program, Merck, MidFirst Bank, MGA Entertainment, MidFirst Bank, Moss-Adams LLP, Ninjio, Northern Trust, Oaktree, Premier Business Centers, PWC, Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, teamCFO, Venable LLP, Wells Fargo, Heather J. Briggs, Chuck and Kathy Friedlander, David Friedman, Sharon Nazarian, Shulamit Nazarian, Alan M. Schnaid, Lily and Allan Schweitzer, Natasha and Shawn Sedaghat, the Shahery Family Foundation, Allied Orion Group, Earl and Karen Enzer, Jack Suzar and Linda May, and Alex and Arda Yemenidjian.

A $5 million gift from accounting industry leader Harvey Bookstein and his wife, Harriet — both California State University, Northridge alumni and lifelong supporters of the university — has pushed CSUN over the top in a two-year campaign to raise $25 million for its college of business.

In recognition of the Booksteins’ commitment to CSUN, university officials plan to ask the California State University Board of Trustees to rename Juniper Hall, which houses the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, to Bookstein Hall in their honor.

While CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison (far left) and his wife Harriet look on, Harvey Bookstein tells the audience at the Nazarian College’s 50th anniversary celebration why the gift was made. Photo by Lee Choo.

“For years, Harvey and Harriet have invested their time, their energy and their resources to benefit CSUN’s business students,” CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison said. “This transformative gift is a legacy to their dedication to their alma mater and will benefit future generations of students.”

Harvey Bookstein said he couldn’t imagine not making the gift to CSUN.

“Every time you get near the students of CSUN and see how their eyes light up from the education they are getting, I don’t see how you couldn’t do something for the university,” he said. “To see how different the students are from when they first get onto the campus to when they graduate — to see how much they have learned and grown — it’s amazing. CSUN makes such a difference in not only the students’ lives, but in the lives of the people those students interact with and in the community.”

Harriet Bookstein echoed her husband’s sentiments.

“Harvey and I feel so fortunate that we are able to touch so many lives in a positive way,” she said. Calling CSUN a bright shining jewel, she went on to exclaim, “How wonderful is it to accomplish this in our lifetime, and to impact future generations.”

The Booksteins’ gift was announced by President Harrison on Sept. 22 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills at a gala celebration marking the Nazarian College’s 50^th anniversary.

A portion of their gift will be used to support the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. This program — which is led by Rafi Efrat, holder of the Bookstein Distinguished Chair in Accounting was created by a generous previous gift from the Booksteins — offers free tax-preparation assistance to low-income families and individuals. Their gift will also establish the Bookstein Distinguished Chair in Real Estate Endowment in the real estate program. The remaining portion of their gift will create the Bookstein Leadership Endowment to support the college’s highest strategic priorities.

The fundraising campaign for CSUN’s business college launched in March 2014 when entrepreneur and philanthropist David Nazarian, founder and CEO of Nimes Capital, donated $10 million of his own money and pledged to help raise an additional $15 million for the college. The Booksteins’ $5 million gift helped the university reach the fundraising goal in only two years.

Harriet and Harvey Bookstein at the 50th anniversary celebration for the Nazarian College. Photo by Lee Choo.

“Harvey and Harriet Bookstein have repeatedly shown their commitment to a bright future for CSUN students,” said Kenneth R. Lord, dean of the Nazarian College. “Just as their past contributions have propelled CSUN to the ranks of the nation’s leading programs in taxation, this amazing gift will take the Nazarian College’s already acclaimed VITA program to new heights at the same time that it supports new and market-relevant initiatives in real estate and other strategic areas. I could not be more thrilled that the college’s new home will now bear the name of Bookstein Hall, a fitting tribute to two individuals who for years have stood among our most generous and engaged supporters.”

Robert Gunsalus, CSUN’s vice president for advancement and president of the CSUN Foundation, agreed.

“Harvey and Harriet’s support is at the crest of a wave of major investments in CSUN,” Gunsalus said. “They, along with a growing number of business and civic leaders, are seeing that through CSUN they can have a powerful, uplifting impact on the people and prosperity of Los Angeles and beyond.”

Harvey Bookstein, a certified public accountant who graduated from CSUN in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, has nearly 50 years of public accounting experience and specializes in providing tax, accounting and business consulting services to clients in the real estate and high-net-worth practice areas. He is recognized as one of California’s most respected certified public accountants. Bookstein is a senior partner of prestigious national CPA firm Armanino LLP, after merging his firm that he co-founded in 1975 — RBZ — last year. Armanino is California’s largest independent accounting and business consulting firm. He also specializes in financial issues relating to children, divorce and the development of strategies to pass family wealth from one generation to the next — including a method he developed and registered a trademark for called “Therapeutic Accounting®.” Bookstein authored a book, “Wake-Up Call,” where he describes his life experiences that led to the creation of “Therapeutic Accounting®.”

Harriet Bookstein is a successful business manager who works with high-profile leaders in the business and entertainment industries. Her clients range from performers to executives.

The Booksteins have been longtime supporters of CSUN and its David Nazarian College of Business and Economics. Several of the Booksteins’ children are also alumni of CSUN.

Over the years, Harvey Bookstein has guest lectured in dozens of classes and mentored hundreds of CSUN students. In 2005, he and his wife donated $1 million for the creation of the Harvey and Harriet Bookstein Chair in Taxation and the Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation. Among other things, the institute assists about 130 low-income taxpayers each year to resolve their disputes with the IRS — free of charge.

Active on several CSUN boards, Bookstein received CSUN’s prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009. He also received the Dorothea “Granny” Heitz Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership. Named in honor of the woman whose loyalty and school spirit made her a legendary figure on campus, the award is presented annually to alumni or friends who serve the university as outstanding volunteer role models and leaders. Earlier this year, Bookstein received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the university, in recognition of his successful career and legacy at CSUN.

For 47 years, the Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) at CSUN have changed thousands of students’ lives, the majority of whom are from historically underrepresented, disadvantaged and low-income backgrounds and often the first in their families to go to college.

CSUN community members celebrated National EOP Month with speeches, music, food and games Sept. 28 on the campus’ Bayramian Lawn. They also honored the legacy of the late José Luis Vargas ’74 (Sociology), M.A. ’75 (Educational Psychology and Counseling), who had directed the program from 1994 until he passed away March 19, after decades of involvement with the program.

“EOP has changed the lives of thousands of students who might not have thought college was for them,” said Shiva Parsa, interim director of EOP. “We are so proud of our students and the program. We will not only continue the legacy of José Luis Vargas, but we will evolve and build on the strong foundation he laid for us.”

EOP was officially founded in 1969 as a result of student activism, fighting against inequality and discrimination in higher education. CSUN, which has one of the oldest and most respected Educational Opportunity Programs in the CSU system, reached new heights during Vargas’ administration. He served as chair of the CSU EOP Statewide Directors, and worked closely with the CSU Chancellor’s office on policies to help historically low-income students from disadvantaged backgrounds. He often was called upon as a consultant on various issues, not only at CSUN but by EOP officials across the nation.

As a student, Vargas was part of the very first Summer Bridge Program, one of numerous transitional programs at CSUN. During his tenure as director, EOP’s transitional programs — which provide special orientation workshops, classes and tools that help students navigate the university — expanded to include more students and segments, including Transfer Bridge, Commuter Bridge and Fresh Start. The Resilient Scholars Program, which provides support to former foster youth, was launched, and Vargas was involved in the foundational work for CSUN’s new Dream Center.

EOP Academic Liaison Glenn Omatsu, who is also a professor of Asian-American studies, said Vargas created a culture of innovation that allowed for academic experimentation and growth. Omatsu, who started teaching Bridge classes in 1995, was the first to introduce student peer mentoring in his classes — now a core practice of EOP.

“[Vargas] always talked about how every moment is a mentoring moment,” Omatsu said. “Now we have a community of mentors who serve the students and each other.”

Junior Brittney Washington, a communication studies major who is an EOP Bridge mentor, said EOP created a place of belonging and helped solidify her place in college.

“EOP provided a family away from home,” Washington said. “I’m surrounded by people with similar experiences, and we can rely on each other for that support. A lot of us commute, so when we go back and forth from home, it can be hard to reach out for that support. It’s nice to have that community on campus.”

She said mentoring students is a way to give back to the program, but also enriches her experience as a student.

“I feel like I get more from the students I mentor than what I could possibly give them,” Washington said. “I learn so much from them, it’s a reciprocal process.”

Sophomore sociology major Ashley Moran, who is a first-generation college student, came to the university through the Summer Bridge Program in 2015. Moran said EOP expanded what she thought was possible in her life.

“None of my family went to college, so I didn’t have people to guide me through the college experience,” Moran said. “With EOP, I have role models and mentors all around me, people who have overcome [challenges] and are successful in college. In high school, they would tell me that I would just go to community college or start working, but here they tell me I can do whatever I want — that I could not only get my bachelor’s degree, but go on to get a master’s degree and even a Ph.D if I wanted. It gives me hope.”

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Yi Li spoke highly of Vargas, congratulated EOP on its long history and said he looked forward to a strong future for the program.

“The great support and the achievements of our students, staff and faculty at EOP are demonstrations of all the wonders that can happen when higher education can impact individuals one at a time,” Li said. “We are so proud of what you have done and very confident of what you will be doing in the years ahead.”

Mary-Anne Saffon-King was involved in a car accident in 2013. The crash left her in a coma for two days and then, when she awoke, seriously limited her mobility on the right side of her body. Three years later she is exercising, dancing and smiling at the San Fernando Recreation Park three mornings a week – without any physical sign of the injuries from her accident.

Saffon-King is one of the more than 250 participants of 3 Wins Fitness, which started as the 100 Citizens program in 2011, born from California State University, Northridge’s Department of Kinesiology — one of the nation’s largest kinesiology programs. The exercise program aimed to improve public health and fitness by offering free workout sessions to the local community at San Fernando Recreation Park. The initiative took off, soon expanding to three other parks throughout the San Fernando Valley and two additional parks in South Los Angeles.

Five years later, 3 Wins Fitness has expanded to CSUN’s sister CSU campuses in San Francisco, Stanislaus and Los Angeles, all of which have replicated the program. In 2013, the White House recognized the program through First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign.

The initiative’s recent name change to 3 Wins Fitness represents its three main beneficiaries, organizers said: students, the community and participants:

Win No. 1: Practical Experience for Students

3 Wins Fitness organizers aim to expand it statewide, to all 22 other CSU campuses across California, hoping to implement the program at 20 of the campuses by December, said Steven Loy, exercise physiologist and faculty advisor for 3 Wins Fitness. CSUN graduate students in kinesiology are spearheading the creation of sustainable infrastructure for the program at each campus.

Graduate students Jazmyn Jasso is the program director at Martin Luther King Park in South LA. In 2013, she became involved in 3 Wins Fitness during her junior year and was working toward a career in physical therapy — until she discovered the impact she could make on entire communities.

“Physical therapy is a little bit more intimate,” Jasso said. “In a community, I feel like you get to touch more lives — being out there, listening to stories, seeing struggles. The neighborhoods where people live really tell you about the struggles that they go through, and how resources are not really offered to reach those communities [that are] the most in need.”

Program coordinator and CSUN graduate student Esteban Campa oversees 3 Wins Fitness operations at all six parks in the LA area. He said his favorite part of the program is sharing his experiences with and mentoring younger CSUN students.

“I truly enjoy this program because I can help mentor and lead other students into a direction that can be beneficial professionally and personally,” he said.

Campa is one of the six graduate students expanding the program to other CSU campuses.

“It’s going to be very challenging,” said Campa, who is working with CSU Bakersfield and Chico State. “The program and its basic structure is easy and easy to run, but identifying the [students for] leadership positions is challenging because they are the ones who will make it live for coming semesters and years.”

Campa and Jasso, who is working with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and CSU San Bernardino, are collaborating with LACI@CSUN to develop a business plan for the statewide expansion.

Win No. 2: Affordability and Accessibility to Improve Community Health

According to the World Health Organization, inactivity is the fourth-leading cause of death and leads to health issues such as diabetes, coronary artery disease and obesity. Even though most people are aware of the benefits of regular workouts, many don’t have the resources or the money to be more active, said Loy.

“[People are being] told, ‘You need to exercise and you need to eat better, but there are no free programs for you. You’re going to have to pay for it,’” Loy said. “We can do it at no cost and bring in the parks, which are underutilized in terms of structured exercise — [and] change the culture of the community, as people see this is a park where it’s safe to exercise because there are other people exercising.”

The CSUN students function as volunteers for the parks and are responsible for leading the programs, Loy explained. 3 Wins Fitness is in its sixth year of operation with no external funding, he said.

“It’s a student-empowered effort. All the growth that we have established is student driven,” Loy said. “They wanted to expand to more parks, and I said, ‘We need infrastructure’ — so they established the infrastructure. The students understand the value of delivering while they are in school, and want to be valuable while they are here.”

CSUN alumnus Ismael Aguila ’99 (Exercise Science), ’05 (Exercise Physiology) works as the director of recreation and community services at San Fernando Recreation Park.

“The options were very limited for people in this area to exercise,” said Aguila, who has supported 3 Wins Fitness since its inception. The only gyms in the area were pricey to join, he said.

Before 3 Wins Fitness, the park’s staff tried to offer low-cost fitness classes to community members — without success. The free and outdoor sessions now offered by CSUN students, who also assisted participants on a more personal level, immediately drew attention.

“Students can focus on beginners and correct their postures. The one-on-one really makes it special in a qualitative way,” Aguila said. “You see the passion of these students. They are not doing it for money. They really like what they are doing and learning, and get excited about the impact they are making.”

Many disadvantaged people in the community feel insecure about going to the gym or taking fitness courses, Aguila said. Participants in 3 Wins Fitness gain more confidence in their fitness level, without fear of judgment, and can try disciplines such as yoga, Pilates and Zumba as they develop more comfort.

“Our intention is to serve the unserved population,” Loy said. “This is a way we can do it and do it sustainably. It’s student-powered, coming from your own universities.”

Win No. 3: Achievement of Individual Fitness and Health Goals

Over its first five years, 3 Wins Fitness has created many success stories.

“I didn’t exercise for three years before I joined [the program],” said Carmen Guerrero, who found 3 Wins Fitness at the San Fernando Park in April. “Now I dance Zumba and enjoy life. My kids even ask me, ‘Mom, what’s happening?’”

Many other participants of the sessions at the San Fernando Park reported lower cholesterol or improved weight loss after joining the program.

“My cholesterol was really high, over 220,” said participant Maria Valdez. “After three months of exercising [with 3 Wins Fitness], I got it to 175.”

“I feel energetic at the end of every session,” added Maria Aceves, who has participated in the program since its beginning. “I’ve lost 35 pounds already. I’ll look like Jennifer Lopez soon.”

Saffon-King, who recovered her mobility after her car accident said 3 Wins Fitness helped her to regain physical and psychological strength.

“Everybody who knows me and what happened in the accident is amazed now,” she said. “These exercises help you to handle pain better. I still feel pain, but my attitude toward it and my movements are better.”

Over jumping jacks and weight training, Saffon-King, Aceves and Valdez have become close with the rest of their group. The social aspect of the program is one of its highlights, many said.

“We wake up in the morning and look forward to the session,” Saffon-King said. “If I can’t make it, I feel sad and lonely. When I’m here, I smile the whole time.”

Participants motivate one another and cheer for each other’s accomplishments. Regular social events such as potlucks strengthen the bonds between participants and instructors, and encourage new participants to get to know the team and program.

“I feel special [to] the teacher and to the friends I have made here,” Saffon-King added. “This means so much to me, and I am really grateful for the students who do so much for us.”

3 Wins Fitness is currently fundraising to cover the costs for the CSU expansion. Click here for more information on how to support the program.

CSUN held its fourth annual Art of Innovation Conference at California State University, Northridge’s Grand Salon in the University Student Union on Oct. 14. The College of Engineering and Computer Science and the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics sponsored the event and invited CSUN students, faculty, staff and other members of the local community to learn about current technology trends, 21st century entrepreneurship and the future of innovative thinking.

The conference was a featured event of InnovateLA, a two-week celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology in Los Angeles.

The keynote speaker was Adad M. Madni, former president, chief operating officer and chief technology officer of BEI Technologies Inc. As a major player in the development of multiple aerospace, military, commercial and transportation advancements, Madni talked about the technologies needed to address today’s challenges.

“These are not going to be solved by classical disciplines,” he said, emphasizing that true innovative approaches require diversity, collaboration and effective communication. “Challenges are not solved by individuals anymore, but by teams.”

Madni shared his predictions on the progression of wireless sensor networks, intelligent cars, telehealth, nanotechnology, clean technology and artificial intelligence. He referred to computer scientist Alan Kay, quoting his words, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

Following the keynote speech, experts in the fields of technology, entrepreneurship and startups explored various trends and innovation opportunities with three panel discussions: Intrapreneurship and Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship: Balancing Purpose with Profit, and The Future of Technology.

The panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of passion, ambition, curiosity and communication for entrepreneurs to be successful.

“No matter how well a product is built, without drive and passion, there is no development,” said panelist Doug Parker, a startup expert and engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne.

“I’d rather [work] with an OK engineer but great communicator than with a great engineer with poor communication skills,” added creative and innovation consultant Tim Leaker.

More than half of the attendees were CSUN students seeking professional advice for their careers. Juan Xing, an international student from China, said she was able to connect her chemistry background with her current studies as a graduate student in engineering management.

“It was great to see the opportunities out there and how to approach them,” she said. “I really learned a lot through the keynote speaker and the panelists.”

“You don’t meet these kinds of people everywhere,” added engineering management graduate student Aniket Kelwadkar. “I’m thankful that CSUN exposes students to those people — they’re a good benchmark. When [Madni] gave the speech, introducing all these technologies, I actually thought — ‘I can do that, too.’ It was a good feeling.”

California State University, Northridge’s Department of Deaf Studies, the Deaf Studies Association and the National Center on Deafness hosted the seventh annual Social Justice: BY, FOR, OF People conference on Oct. 28 at the University Student Union.

The daylong discussion on the Deaf experience centered on intersectionality — the complexities in experience faced by individuals who identify with more than one marginalized group — and was open to all CSUN students, faculty, staff and people from the community. Nearly 400 visitors attended the event.

Speakers covered topics including racism, sexism, the Deaf Chicana/o experience, the diversity of signing communities and signing communities in rural Mexico.

Nancy Mendoza, a senior in deaf studies, took her day off to attend the conference.

“Events like this are important because there are still so many misconceptions about not only the Deaf community, but also minority groups in general,” she said.

Mendoza said she aspires to work with Deaf Chicana/o children after graduation and was excited to hear speaker Rogelio Fernández, president of Council de Manos, a national organization that serves the Deaf Chicana/o population.

“Education is so important,” Mendoza said. “[Fernández and Council de Manos] do so much and provide role models for young Deaf individuals so they can think, ‘there are things I can do’ and ‘I can be more than just a Deaf child.’”

Other featured speakers were Renzenet Moges-Riede, a Deaf Eritrean-American linguistic anthropologist; Lynn “Lina” Hou, a theoretical linguistics, linguistic anthropology and deaf studies researcher, and keynote speaker Carla García-Fernández, equity consultant and co-founder of Teachers for Social Justice: Deaf Learners Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting teachers who work with Deaf and hard-of-hearing learners.

“I was always told to conform to the hearing world and to read and write clearly because speech is an important vehicle to make change in the world,” said Carla García-Fernández, who grew up in New Mexico as one of eight children.

She shared her own experience as a member of the Deaf and Chicana/o community, as well as her research on marginalized students of the Deaf and Chicana/o community. Fernández shared her observations on the segregation between white Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and Deaf and hard-of-hearing students of color, advocating for anti-bias education.

“Why are we ranking certain Deaf people over other Deaf people, when we’re all in need of equality?” she asked. “All students need to be instructed and all students need to be respected.”

During the event’s lunch break, attendees were encouraged to visit CSUN’s West Gallery – located on North University Drive between Lindley and Etiwanda Street – to view the Justice Can’t Wait art exhibition, featuring the works of Deaf artists of color.​

“With this exhibit, we wanted to show the talent of our Deaf people of color,” said CSUN deaf studies professor Lissa Stapleton, who co-curated the event. “We’re using art to educate others and keep it as open as possible for everyone.”

The free exhibit featured paintings, poetry, videos and other mediums of expression that illustrated different issues and perspectives of Deaf people of color.

“Deaf studies can be a very white field, and some voices can be left out,” Stapleton said. “This exhibit centers on Deaf people of color to highlight their experiences.”

Many art pieces featured themes of depression, resistance or social justice issues faced by the artists themselves. Another common theme was violence and police brutality. CSUN’s Deaf sorority, Alpha Sigma Theta, created an altar at the exhibit to honor the lives of violated and murdered Deaf people. Visitors were encouraged to take a blue and silver ribbon to show their solidarity with the Deaf victims.

William Garrow, CSUN deaf studies professor and an organizer of the social justice conference, explained that the event has grown since its first year, 2010, when the event originated as Stop Audism — later changing its name to Social Justice: BY, FOR, OF People in 2015. Audism is a term for the social construct oppressing Deaf people, which leads to a system of overprivilege for hearing people and underprivilege for Deaf people.

“The only way to liberate Deaf people from the bondage of audism is to liberate all people from various forms of oppression that are running rampant in our society,” Garrow said. “We cannot have liberation of one if we don’t have liberation for all.”

Garrow was the first hearing person to attend Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., which is the world’s only university designed for Deaf students. By including all marginalized communities in the discussion of the event, Garrow said he hoped to highlight the concept of intersectionality, which recognizes people’s membership in various groups and identities.

“This [conference] is a deaf-centric space, but it is a zone of resistance from all forms of oppression,” he said. “We are trying our best to [eradicate oppression] at all times, and this conference is one way.”