Today Winter 2011

Expanded degree program may ease nursing shortfall

Cal State L.A. has been selected by the California State University Board of Trustees to begin planning for a joint Doctor of Nursing Practice pilot program to launch as early as fall 2012.

The addition of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program will enable Cal State L.A. and its partnering universities, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach, to start addressing California’s pressing need for nurses and nursing faculty. A key challenge in addressing the state’s shortfall in nursing has been the limited number of slots available for students in programs, which is directly tied to a limited number of individuals qualified to serve as nursing faculty, industry leaders say.

“Cal State L.A. has many qualities that will contribute to the richness of a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. We have a long history in graduate education and advanced practice, and subsequently have accumulated knowledge and experience in this area,” said Cynthia Hughes, director of CSULA’s School of Nursing. “We have a wonderfully diverse and motivated student body from which to draw and ultimately contribute to enriching the diversity of professional nursing at the advanced practice level.”

Cal State L.A. is one of many campuses in the California State University system that is responsible for awarding 60 percent of the bachelor’s level nursing degrees and many master’s degrees in the state. The CSU was restricted from offering the tertiary level degree until recently, however, when the state adopted AB 867 (2010).

“We bring to the table an extensive network of established clinical and educational resources, and a significant number of successful alumni who are widely respected in the community and would support this endeavor fully,” Hughes said.

Students 'battle brains,' the clock in collegiate competition

Equipped with their programming skills and mental endurance, three teams of Cal State L.A’s computer science students took on the challenge of solving eight complex computer problems within a grueling five-hour limit last fall.

The test of reasoning and computing skills was part of the 35th Annual Association for Computing Machinery’s “Battle of the Brains” competition. Two of Cal State L.A.’s teams finished 16th and 36th overall—ranking them among the top 12 percent and 50 percent of the region—in a competition that drew 72 teams from roughly two dozen universities. A third CSULA team received honorable mention.

“Congratulations to our students for this impressive feat to go head-to-head with [some of] the best collegiate programmers in Southern California regional schools,” said Computer Science Professor Raj Pamula, who also coached the teams. “This is the most prestigious computer programming competition of its kind.”

Problems in the competition cover a wide range of application areas, including business data processing, engineering, text handling and process optimization, among other areas, Pamula explained.

“The competition itself was an intense five-hour ‘programmathon,’ the most intense single programming session with a race against the clock,” said student Rafael Sanchez, who was on a team that placed 36th. “The programming problems were hard, but the time constraint made it nightmarish.”

Also participating in the competitions were students Sanmit Narvekar and Alfonso Ortega, who took 16th place; Sanchez’s teammates Yin Yin Chen and Alberto Gutierrez; and Michael Hsu and Mark Buising.

EPIC rallies to support others in need

Cal State L.A. students, faculty and staff joined together last year to help 65 needy families through its annualEducational Participation in Communities (EPIC) Toy and Food Drive.

Collections from the campus community throughout the holiday season resulted in gift boxes for 109 adults and 205 children in the cities of Commerce, El Monte and Los Angeles.

“The EPIC office would like o thank the entire Cal State L.A. campus for their donations, help and support,” EPIC Community Service Learning Coordinator Ann Hong said. “We especially wouldn’t have been successful without the help of our student volunteers.”

More than 80 Cal State L.A. students volunteered. (Did you participate in EPIC when you were on campus? Tell us your story online at www.facebook.com/csulaTODAY)

The EPIC program at Cal State L.A. promotes community service learning by creating opportunities for University students to implement classroom theory in real-life situations. For more than 40 years, EPIC has placed students in a wide range of agencies serving communities throughout the Los Angeles area.

Governor’s budget calls for deep cuts

Facing an estimated $28 billion budget deficit, Governor Jerry Brown released in January a 2011-12 state budget proposal that calls for a $500 million reduction in state support for the California State University (CSU).

The proposed $2.2 billion in state support for the CSU is equivalent to 1999-2000 funding levels, even though the university system currently serves nearly 70,000 more students.

“While we understand the administration has limited options, higher education is the state’s main economic driver, and we cannot improve our economy without an educated workforce,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed in a released statement. “The magnitude of the budget reductions in one year will have serious impacts on the state’s economy, limit access for students seeking entrance into our universities, and restrict classes and service for our current students.”

The proposed $500 million reduction in state support for the CSU is also a “best case” scenario, assuming a voter-approved extension of temporary tax increases due to expire at the end of the fiscal year.

Stay up-to-date with the budget online at CSU Budget Central.

CSULA Alumni Association

Jorge Ramirez ’04

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy and prosperous new year!

Thank you for generously contributing to the CSULA Alumni Association through your membership dues, scholarship donations and involvement. I am personally grateful to each and every one of you.

On behalf of the Association and the University, thank you for all that you do to support your alma mater!

With warmest wishes,
Jorge Ramirez ’04
President, CSULA Alumni Association

Calling all recruiters and service providers

April 13 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. | April 14 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Eagles Nest Gym | P.E. Building

GRADFAIR ’11 is a “one-stop shopping and recruitment fair” for graduating students. This event gives organizations and companies a unique opportunity to:

• Reach over 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students in a fun and festive environment.
• Educate candidates about your company or organization’s culture, employment opportunities and job responsibilities.
• Identify prime candidates.

For more information and to reserve a space for GRADFAIR ’11, please contact
James Cuaresma at (323) 343-ALUM(2586) or [email protected].

'Mentoring for Success' event builds community, involvement

More than 100 participants, eager to garner advice and career lessons, gathered at Cal State L.A. on Nov. 17 for an end-of-the-year Alumni Mentoring event.

The program, titled “Mentoring for Success,” featured two professional speakers: Ron Roberts, Jr. ’91, a contract diversity specialist for Union Bank, N.A., and Kelly Bishop, the live center director for Kaplan Medical, Pasadena. Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and accessible, the speakers drew upon personal experiences to illustrate the importance of mentoring relationships in their professional successes.

While many of the event participants were already enrolled in the Alumni Mentoring Program, several of those who were not lined up to register afterward. One mentor,Alvan R. Topalian ’67,’87, remarked: “Mentoring gives me the chance to share my experiences, provide hope to the mentee, and introduce new options to the mentee when they are competing for the best possible job.”

Through the Alumni Mentoring Program, the Association strives to positively influence the educational and professional pursuits of our alumni and students. The Association is committed to investing the resources necessary to expand this valuable program—and we all look forward to your support and involvement!

If you have not yet registered to serve as a Mentor/Mentee, or can recommend a fellow alumnus for the program, please contact Maria Ubago ’98,’06 at (323) 343-4945 or[email protected]. You may also sign-up online athttp://alumni.calstatela.edu/mentoringprogram/mentor_signup.htm.

Get 'logged in' to YOUR alumni community

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To get news, events, new membership benefits, share photos and connect with fellow alumni members, join the official CSULA Alumni Association Facebook Page! To connect, click here.

Alumni Spotlight: James Davis ’76

Balancing ‘heart, mind’, Davis inspires educational, leadership change

Cal State L.A. alumnus James Davis ’76 MA.

Learning is rarely restricted to the confines of the classroom, and it certainly swept beyond campus walls, and into city blocks and homes in the case of Cal State L.A. distinguished alumnus James Davis ’76 MA.

An educator for more than 20 years in Los Angeles, with the most formative years of his professional journey spent in inner-city schools, Davis imparted—and has learned—innumerable lessons from students, parents, community members and colleagues. Together, Davis said, they challenged, inspired, and presented him with essential lessons for leadership.

“Change does not come from working in a process of problem-solving, but in a process of possibility-making,” said Davis, who was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus for the Charter College of Education by the CSULA Alumni Association in October.

Working as a teacher, counselor and administrator throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District, and an administrator and superintendent in the La Cañada Unified School District, Davis confronted many obstacles, turning them into opportunities.

In Los Angeles, he saw several of the district’s schools through integration and busing as well as gang prevention and abatement. He opened new schools, invigorated students’ enthusiasm for learning, and built communities’ confidence in the future, “owning” at least three of the blocks around his campuses to protect them from graffiti.

“It’s incredible to see the changes you can make in peoples’ lives,” he added. “As a science teacher, I took kids out of the city for the first time in their lives, I watched [and guided] a school from chaos to some sort of normalcy, and I watched La Cañada go from saying we are the best, to actually being among the best, ranking in the top 20 of districts in the nation.”

Davis notes that his accomplishments are the result of many lessons early on in his career. By watching “brilliant, passionate principals,” focused on a mission of change, reform schools, he learned to lead with “heart and mind.” And from the former School of Education Dean and Professor Raymond Terrell (at CSULA from 1973-1992), he discovered how to empathize and put himself in the shoes of those he hoped to lead.

“He really changed my life,” Davis said of Terrell. “He was able to build an understanding for me of what it was like to be poor and living in a large city. Being poor in Xenia, Ohio, where I grew up, is different than being poor in central Los Angeles. …That itself was worth the cost of a master’s degree.”

Continuing to build upon his accomplishments, Davis has for the last 13 years run theDavis Group Ltd., a leadership development and coaching firm in which he coaches leaders and executives from the nonprofit, private and public sectors. He founded the company after waking up one morning to realize that he wanted to pursue other interests, he said.

“My dad worked hard every day of his life and always said, ‘When I retire, I am going to do this.’ But he never got the chance,” Davis explained, adding that he refused to live in the same reality.

“I want kids to explore their passions,” he continued. “And I think if adults would begin to explore their passions a bit more, we would be in a very different place.”

2010s

• Linda Cota-Kumagai (’10), director of Hanai Outreach Services, has been recognized by “Cambridge Who's Who” for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in foster care and adoption services.

2000s

• Michael Hoffner (’08) was one of four students awarded a $2,500 scholarship from the Airports Council International-North America. He is currently pursuing a master’s in public administration at CSULA.
• Tarren Lopez (’06) earned her juris doctor from Case Western School of Law.
• Janet Miller (’07), the resident director for the Phantom Projects Theatre Group at La Mirada Theatre, was nominated for the 2009/2010 LA Stage Ovation award.
• Anna Osipova (’06 MA), a doctoral candidate in the CSULA-UCLA Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education, has been awarded a prestigious and competitive graduate student research award from the National Council for Exceptional Children.
• Richard Quinto (’06), an electrical systems design engineer for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector, was recently honored with the Luminary Award presented at the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC).

1990s

• Daniel Patrick Callaghan III (’93) was appointed as the vice president and corporate controller for Coupons.com.
• Chan Minh Dinh (’99) was ordained as a priest in Rome in December.
• Rollin Johnson (’90) was appointed as controller of Pacific Capital Bancorp.
• Aydee Lopez Martinez (’99) painted the “Heart of CSUDH” as one of four commemorative art pieces celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cal State Dominguez Hills. Martinez’s work has been shown throughout Southern California, New York and Mexico.
• Gary Powers, Jr. (’91) was named the museum director for the Military Aviation Museum.
• Gerald Shaw (’94 MA) was named the interim principal of Cobalt Middle School in Victorville.
• Joe Shaw (’94), an entrepreneur and small business owner, was elected to the Huntington Beach City Council.

1980s

• Blake Goetz (’80) retired from his post as chief of the Palm Springs Fire Department.
• 
  Thomas Honles (’87 Civil Engineering) is a structural engineer and is the project manager for the recently-awarded Adelanto Solar Power Project, a 10 megawatt, $48 million solar photovoltaic project for the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power.
• Russell M. Kimura (’81), a longtime ranger who has 25 years of experience working with nature, was named park superintendent for Placerita Canyon Nature Center.

• Thelma Reyna (’86), a part-time professor at Cal State L.A., was named a finalist in the 2010 National Best Book Awards (Short Stories Literature category) by USA Book News for The Heavens Weep for us and Other Stories. A poetry book, Breath & Bone, was a semifinalist in the 2010 New American Voices Chapbook Competition.
• Barry Rondinella (’87) was appointed as the new director of operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). He oversees the new airport response coordination center, along with the daily activities of LAX’s airside and landside operations.
• Leeanna Rossi (’89, ’92 MA) has been a criminal justice instructor at Western New Mexico University for the last 9 years.
• Colleen Stone (’81) was named as the new CEO for the American Red Cross’ Illinois Capital Area Chapter in Springfield. She has been working with the chapter for the last eight years.
• George I. Zuluaga (’88) recently joined NUA Advisors, LLC, an investment advisory firm specializing in non-traditional investing within retirement accounts.

1970s

• Charles Calderon (’72), the California State Legislature majority leader, was honored with the “2010 Legislator of the Year Award” by the Armenian National Committee of the American-Western region.
• Yulanda N. Davis-Quarrie (’78 MS) was named president of the Verdugo Hills Hospital Foundation.
• Pamela Duffy (’70) has been named by the Daily Journal as being one of “California’s Top 100 Attorneys of 2010.” Duffy is a partner with Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP in San Francisco.
• Anthony Fellow (’70) was re-elected in November for his sixth term as a director to the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District Board. He also serves as the Upper District’s representative on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
• John Kelleher (’71), a more than 30-year career veteran in the field of fundraising, was honored as the outstanding professional of the year by the Association of Fundraising Professional/Greater San Fernando Valley Chapter.
• Manuel Mollinedo (’70 ’73 ’77 MS), a 1998 CSULA Distinguished Alumnus, was named as the director of the Honolulu Zoo. Before accepting his new post, Mollinedo served as the director of the Los Angeles and San Francisco zoos.
• Stephen E. Pickett (’75) was appointed as the executive vice president of external relations at Southern California Edison, where he will lead regulatory affairs and operations, public affairs, corporate communications and environmental policy. He previously served as senior vice president and general counsel for the corporation.
• Raynele Schneider (’72) participated in an art exhibit for the first time, showing her paper collage artwork at the Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts.
• Kathleen Schrader (’79) was appointed dean of academic affairs of the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, an institution offering degrees in prenatal and perinatal psychology and somatic psychology.
• Peter Schwab (’70 MS) retired from his post as the chairman and chief executive officer for Wells Fargo Capital Finance. He has more than 39 years of experience in the asset-based lending industry.

1960s

• Gary Best (’61), a professor emeritus of education for the Charter College of Education, has published a book, Belle of the Brawl: Letters Home From a B-17 Bombardier, which captures the experiences of a WWII bombardier and friend through an account of letters written home, pictures and other memorabilia from the war.
• Rodney Englert (’67) has published a book, Blood Secrets: Chronicles of Crime Scene Reconstructionist, which presents case studies for understanding the principles and behavior of blood.
• Peter Haslund (’62), a professor emeritus of political science from Santa Barbara Community College (SBCC), was elected president of the SBCC District Board of Trustees for the 2011 calendar year.
• Colleen Riley (’69 MA), the former women’s basketball coach at Fullerton College who amassed 540 wins for her team over three decades, has had the College’s court named in her honor. The Colleen Riley dedication ceremony took place in November.
• Walter E. Williams (’65), a distinguished professor of economics at George Mason University and a nationally syndicated columnist, recently published Up from the Projects: An Autobiography. In the book, Williams recalls some of the highlights, turning points and obstacles he encountered and overcame during his life.

In Memoriam

• Geraldine Dimondstein, an emerita professor of art, was a noted educator, social activist and longtime docent at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. During her 17 years on campus, she was primarily involved in teaching art education classes for elementary teaching candidates.
• Flossie Jane Duncan (’60, ’72 MA) worked for more than 30 years as a public school educator in the Los Angeles and Pasadena Unified School Districts. She was a charter member of the Pasadena Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
• Glen Howard GoodKnight II (’68), an elementary teacher in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years, founded the Mythopoeic Society while still a student at Cal State L.A.. The society is devoted to the serious study of Tolkien and other fantasy and mythological literature, and also led to the development of an annual conference, known as Mythcon, that was held for the 41st time last year.
• Judd Michael Hammack was a popular professor and well-published scholar who assisted many students in his 30 years working in the Department of Economics and Statistics. The emeritus professor of economics was also an avid collector of contemporary art and amassed a significant collection of paintings, sculptures and works on paper throughout his life.
• Louis A. Hansen, an emeritus professor of music and former chairman of the department, who worked on campus for more than two decades, died in November.
• Arthur A. Harshbarger (’58 MA) served as a Naval Aviator during WWII, accumulating 3915 hours of flight time during operation in the South Pacific. His military service was followed by 32 years in the Whittier Union High School District as a well-liked teacher, counselor and coordinator who inspired many students.
• Holman 'Ace' Hudson (’04), an Iraq War veteran who worked with an advanced team that was tasked with tracking down Saddam Hussein, received many honors for his service, including the National Defense Service Medal, the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. He also established a successful career in acquisitions and procurements, working for Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Northrop Grumman and his own firm, Source Integrations.

• Viet H. Le (’00), the eldest of four siblings who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1990, was a lab worker for Gilead Sciences, a biomedical research firm.
• Sarah Winifred Utz, an emerita professor of nursing, was a well-respected teacher and student advocate, who developed the nursing education graduate option and helped to recruit students into it. In her 23 years on campus, she taught, served as the chair of graduate studies within the Department of Nursing and co-authored and directed a federally funded nursing training grant.
• Lee Jesse Wexler, an emeritus professor of art with nearly 30 years on campus, has paintings, sculptures and graphic designs in private and public collections throughout the United States. He was an active faculty member who was involved with the writing and review of coursework, and served as a mentor to many young people in their personal and professional lives.
• Don Lee White (’52) was a beloved music educator and master musician. He was the founding director of the Southern California Choir as well as many other musical groups.

Glory borne from ‘black and gold’ sweat, tears

Cal State L.A. welcomes four members to the Class of 2011 Hall of Famers

Cal State L.A. Hall of Fame Athletes from the Class of 2009 pose with President James M. Rosser and Director of Athletics Dan Bridges at the induction ceremony. From (l-r) Rosser, former All-American volleyball player Andrea Ferchaw, Colorado Rockies pitching coach and former CSULA pitcher Bob Apodaca, track and field national champion Petra Juraskova, and Bridges. In the collage, Ferchaw, Juraskova and Apodaca are shown during their competitive days.

Cal State L.A.’s Athletics Hall of Fame became a little “stronger and faster” with the addition to its roster of preeminent student-athletes, coaches, and Golden Eagle administrators and staff four individuals who have shone in competition and leadership.

Women’s track and field stars Nicole Duncan-Chance and Diana Williams Muhammad, former Director of Athletics Carol M. Dunn and former Faculty Athletics Representative Fleur Yano are the Class of 2011 inductees. Their admission into the Hall of Fame raises the elite membership to 109.

“This is another outstanding class to induct into the Athletics Hall of Fame,” Cal State L.A. Director of Athletics Dan Bridges said. “We’re very excited to honor these four individuals; they are all very deserving.”

Instituted in 1985 to recognize the outstanding achievements of individuals who participated as players, coaches, leaders and advisers in the University’s intercollegiate athletics, Cal State L.A.’s Athletics Hall of Fame includes many inspiring individuals. Among them are tennis legend Billie Jean King, two-time Olympic track and field gold medalist Mal Whitfield, actor Tommy “Tiny” Lister, current Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jay Gibbons, and former Major League Baseball pitcher and current Colorado Rockies Pitching Coach Bob Apodaca. (A complete list of inductees by sport is included in the sidebar).

“It is an honor to have all my hard work be recognized and appreciated,” Duncan-Chance said. “This is a legacy I will leave for my children; I hope that it will inspire them to succeed at whatever they aspire to become in life.”

Duncan-Chance, who was inducted into the NCAA Division II Track and Field Hall of Fame along with Lister in 2008, was a standout when she starred for three seasons at CSULA. She was the fourth athlete—regardless of gender— to win NCAA championships in the 100 and 200 meter dash and the long jump in the same year. (Lisa Dillard of NCAA Division III Christopher Newport, Chandra Sturrup of Division II Norfolk State and the great Jesse Owens at Ohio State were the first three to accomplish the 100-200-long jump trifecta.)

Duncan-Chance, the NCAA Division II Female Athlete of the Year in 2002, completed her Cal State L.A. career with eight individual NCAA championships and 14 All-America awards in indoor and outdoor track and field.

Not to be overshadowed, Muhammad holds Cal State L.A.’s record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.94 and is part of the 4x100 relay team that set the school standard with a time of 44.1. She earned five All-America awards while at Cal State L.A. and is in the University’s all-time top-10 competitors in three events.

A two-time Olympian (1980 and 1984), Muhammad also won the United States championship in the 100 meters in 1987, and was part of the gold-medal 4x100 relay team at the 1987 IAAF World Championships. She is currently the head coach of the Chicago State University women’s cross country and track and field teams.

Dunn is being recognized for her remarkable leadership. As Cal State L.A.’s athletics director from 1988-2005, she saw a combined 78 appearances by CSULA teams in NCAA championships and 33 individual NCAA titles for student-athletes. She also made gender-equity in sports a top priority.

Dunn, a National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics “2001 Athletic Director of the Year,” served on the prestigious NCAA Council from 1995-2000. She was the women’s basketball head coach from 1981-85 and associate athletics director from 1982-88.

“When I received the call that I was going to be inducted into the Cal State L.A. Hall of Fame, I was honored and humbled to be included with this distinguished group,” Dunn said. “I had the opportunity to witness for myself the great talent of Diane [Muhammad] and Nicole [Duncan-Chance], and I worked with Fleur [Yano], whose skills were exceptional.”

As Cal State L.A.’s faculty athletics representative from 1987-96, Yano monitored the eligibility and academic progress of Golden Eagle student-athletes. She was elected to the Intercollegiate Athletics Board, a position held until her 1996 retirement.

Yano joined Cal State L.A.’s Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty in 1964, served on the Academic Senate and chaired the Educational Policy Committee during her tenure. She also was the resident director for the CSU study-abroad program in Sweden for one year, and the coordinator of the University’s China exchange program.

What are your resolutions for 2011?

Arnold Ruiz ’11
Television, Film, Media Studies


“Out of this year, I really want to just finally run that triathlon, get my internship and just get started with building my career—and hopefully graduate. So, we will see how all that works.”

Alicia Norwood ’12
Business


“My main goals this year are to take full-time classes and not get any of them cut, and make a lot of money on the side. …I am a business entrepreneur and I’m taking management classes and theme classes. It’s all fun. I love it here.”

Latece Johnson ’12
Sociology


“My goal for 2011 is to get a job; in this economy it has been really, really hard to accomplish. And I want to get my own place because I have a one-year-old son and he needs his own room because he is cluttering mine.”

Tyler Yoneda
Undecided


“I guess my goal this year is to figure out what I want to major in. …Maybe gain like 10 pounds of muscle or something too, that would be fun.”

Richard Sandoval ’12
Kinesiology


“I am studying to become a chiropractor. What I want to see happen in 2011 is more [of] me being able to pay for my whole schooling, and also to be able to kind of learn more about the field that I want to go into.”

Ashley Mark ’13
Communication Studies


“I’d like to actually get rid of all of my classes with straight A’s this year and hopefully start my volunteering at the hospital, and start my upper division course for my new major, which is communication disorders.”

• “[Cal State L.A.] was the best nine years of night school I ever spent in my life…How I treasured every professor in that political science department (1973 to 1981)! Go Diablos!”
  -Barbara Bert ’81
• “I picked up a copy [of the fall 2010 issue of Cal State L.A. TODAY] on campus today, when I joined the Alumni Association. I was a fellow student of [Tommy] Lister in ’81 and ’82, but I didn’t have a clue. I had my ’82 yearbook on campus, and thumbing through saw the picture and write-up of his winning title, as mentioned in the article. I took a photo of the cover next to the yearbook photo for a post on my blog about my trip to the campus.”
  -Kiril Kundurazieff ’82
• “I enjoyed reading about ‘Making a difference, one village at a time.’ I am a graduate of Cal State L.A. and I was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize, Central America, from 1981 to 1983.”
  -Christopher A. Cornell ’80
• “It would be refreshing and interesting if you would cover my era. I never thought of myself as an alumnus of your school, it does not bear the name of the school that I graduated from nor has any written communication in the past had the name of Cal State Los Angeles. If I can still remember correctly at one time I got an e-mail of an offer to get a new diploma, but it would not have the date of my graduation. ‘Big Deal.’ In my judgment, the school never had any feeling for the ‘old bunch’ nor did it ever reach out to the classes prior to your school being built.”
  -Kenneth Weber ’53
  Editor’s Note:
  Thank you for writing.
  The Cal State L.A. TODAY editorial board and staff do their best to bring well-rounded, captivating stories from today, yesteryear and before. To improve these efforts, however, we encourage you and other Cal State L.A. TODAY readers to submit story ideas and memories from your days on campus. Were there exceptional professors, programs or movements that we should reflect upon or highlight?
  Please, share story submissions through e-mail, [email protected], or by phone, (323) 343-3050.