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CONTACT:
 | CAL STATE L.A. NAMES FORMER U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AGING TO ROYBAL ENDOWED CHAIR Los Angeles, CA - California State University, Los Angeles, President James M. Rosser today announced the appointment of former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging, Jeanette C. Takamura, to the Edward R. Roybal Endowed Chair in Gerontology and Public Service. During Takamura's tenure as Assistant Secretary, Congress reauthorized the Older Americans Act and established the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Under Takamura's leadership, federal Older Americans Act programs and services also received the largest funding increases since 1972. Older Americans Act services include home-delivered meals, transportation, ombudsman, research and demonstration programs, and other support assistance for older persons and their families. The Edward R. Roybal Endowed Chair was established to honor the leadership and advocacy of former U.S. Congressman Edward Roybal, who received the Presidential Citizen's Medal for his exemplary service and visionary leadership in education, public health, human service, and civil rights. His accomplishments over 50 years of public service continue to have an impact on the lives of all Americans. In her capacity as Roybal Endowed Chair, Dr. Takamura will be working with Congressman Roybal; Roybal Institute Director Jorge Lambrinos; Dr. James J. Kelly, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services; and Cal State L.A. faculty, staff, and students at the Institute. "I welcome Dr. Takamura's appointment as the Roybal Endowed Chair. She brings to Cal State L.A. and the Roybal Institute not only proven leadership and activism in the field of aging but also a clear understanding of the role of the university in translating research and academic learning into practice at the community level," Congressman Roybal said. President Rosser stated, "We are pleased to welcome former Assistant Secretary Jeanette Takamura to Cal State L.A. as we strive to prepare students for professional leadership to meet the many needs of a rapidly growing aging population in California and the nation. She brings with her first-hand knowledge of international, national, state, and local aging and health policies, programs, and services." Said Takamura, "I am particularly impressed with the spirit of professional collaboration and collegiality, the rich diversity and the seriousness of purpose, and the level of energy and enthusiasm displayed by the student body, the faculty, and the administration at Cal State L.A. I am especially pleased with the University's interest in preparing students to meet the needs of older Americans and of our aging baby boomer population in an increasingly global context." Prior to her appointment as Assistant Secretary, Takamura was Deputy Director of Health at the state Department of Health in Hawaii. For eight years, she was Director of the Hawaii Executive Office on Aging. She is a member of the national board of the Older Women's League and the Center for Strategic and International Studies Global Aging Commission. Takamura has served on numerous international, national and state committees, boards and expert panels. Takamura's doctorate in social policy is from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She received her master's degree in social work and bachelor's degree in political science and sociology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
California State University, Los Angeles is a comprehensive university at the heart of a major metropolitan city. Cal State L.A.'s 175-acre hilltop campus is located five miles east of Los Angeles' civic and cultural center. For more than 50 years, Cal State L.A. has been a leader in providing quality higher education, enriched by the successful interaction of a faculty of internationally-recognized scholars and artists, and more than 19,000 students with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds that accurately reflect the city's dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges-Arts and Letters, Business and Economics, the Charter College of Education, Engineering and Technology, Health and Human Services, and Natural and Social Sciences-offer programs in more than 50 academic and professional fields throughout four quarters per year. Approximately 4,000 students receive degrees each year. Nearly one-quarter of the University's students are engaged in post-baccalaureate study in programs leading to master's and doctoral degrees, programs for teaching, service and specialist credentials, and other programs that prepare students for professional advancement. Cal State L.A.'s College of Health and Human Services is committed to educating and preparing human services professionals to become innovative practitioners and leaders within an interdisciplinary and multiple framework that respects and promotes the integration of teaching, research, policy, and public service within multicultural urban settings. The Edward R. Roybal Endowed Chair in Gerontology and Public Service, established May 1985, was the first university endowed chair named for a Hispanic American and the first devoted to gerontology in the California State University system. It is affiliated with the Roybal Institute for Applied Gerontology, housed in Cal State L.A.'s College of Health and Human Services. The Institute's purpose is to improve the quality of care and delivery of services to older persons through the interdisciplinary education and training of professionals, paraprofessionals, family members, community agency personnel, and volunteers. The Institute emphasizes development and promotion of programs to serve culturally diverse groups. It works to develop partnerships between the University and the community that promote the well-being of older adults and to establish scholarships for students planning to enter health and human service careers with a specialization in aging.
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