Every year, up to four California State University, Northridge students receive funds from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to live and study in China for an entire year. The awards, funded by the Chinese government, cover all tuition and living expenses, allowing CSUN graduate and undergraduate students from any discipline the opportunity to experience a year in China. The deadline to apply for 2013-2014 awards is March 12.

Thirty-three CSUN students have received these prestigious awards in the past 12 years, the largest number from any school in California, according to Justine Zhixin Su, Ph.D., a CSUN professor of educational leadership and director of CSUN’s China Institute.

Andrew Javidi (middle) with fellow students in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.

In 1999, one of Su’s former colleagues in the Chinese National Ministry of Education in Beijing came to Southern California to lead the Education Office in the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles. He informed Su about the China Scholarship Council program and helped CSUN with the early process of receiving awards for its students, who have studied at many of the top Chinese universities through this program.

Studying in China furthers students’ understanding of Chinese culture, language and traditions as well as their knowledge in whatever specialized area they are pursuing.  “All CSC Award recipients from CSUN consider the study program an amazing, life-changing experience that opens up opportunities for their personal enlightenment, global friendship and success in their academic studies and career development,” said Su.

“We hope that more CSUN students will participate in this wonderful program!” Su continued. “The most important requirement for the full scholarship is a passion to learn with an open mind.”

Andrew Javidi, who graduated from CSUN in 2012 with a bachelor’s in political science, is now pursuing graduate work at Renmin University of China in Beijing. He has improved his Mandarin through intensive language classes, viewed international affairs through a Chinese lens and has been able to experience a crucial time of change in China firsthand. “Living in Beijing during a time of political change (a new leadership was announced and inaugurated over the past few months) has been exciting to experience from within the country,” he said. “The experiences and knowledge I’ve gained over the past five months alone will serve me well in my future career.”

Areeya Tivasuradej (bottom row, second from left) with fellow students.

Javidi calls the China Scholarship the experience of a lifetime to live in what will arguably be the most important country of the next century.

Areeya Tivasuradej, who graduated from CSUN with a bachelor’s degree in geography in 2010, received two years of funding to study at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, Sichuan’s capital and a new economic hub of western China. Tivasuradej took Chinese language courses, worked on geographic information systems (GIS) projects with fellow students, co-taught some classes and also volunteered with a local environmental non-profit. “I gained new perspectives toward life, education, and the world that no college class could ever offer,” she said.

Dale Chang studied in China for two years and has stayed on to teach English.

Dale Chang, who received a teaching credential from CSUN in 2010, studied at Central China Normal University in Wuhan from 2010 to 2012 with CSC funding. He has since stayed on in China to teach English. Chang plans to eventually return to teach in Los Angeles and looks forward to sharing his experiences in China with his future students in Southern California.

“I would definitely encourage anybody interested to apply for this program,” he said. “The opportunity to live and study in China is truly an amazing experience.”

For more: Learn more about the China Scholarship Council and how to apply from CSUN’s China Institute.

CSUN Professor Emeritus Paul Lee and his wife, Amy, have endowed the Paul and Amy Lee Scholarship Endowment in Physics and Astronomy.

California State University, Northridge Professor Emeritus Paul Lee and his wife, Amy, have pledged $100,000 to the university to establish the Paul and Amy Lee Scholarship Endowment in Physics and Astronomy, adding to the 10 awards and scholarships already available to CSUN students in the field. Starting in the 2013-2014 academic year, the endowment will fund an annual scholarship of at least $3,000 for a student from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Paul Lee joined CSUN’s Department of Physics and Astronomy in 1975, after completing his graduate work and a fellowship at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. Lee’s research focused on nuclear and intermediate energy physics during the first decades of his career, but gradually his interests turned to the physics of medical imagery. He went on to conduct research in that arena for more than 20 years, developing ways to improve and quantify x-ray MRI and ultrasound images.

Amy Lee is a professor of biochemistry, serving as the associate director for basic research at the University of Southern California’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Tuition assistance that Paul Lee received while at the California Institute of Technology made his academic career possible. “When I was a student, I got help from CalTech,” he said. “They gave scholarships. Nowadays, students have a hard time. Tuition is rising all the time, so I felt that we should do something. That’s the motivation.”

Your donations can make a difference: Help other students by contributing to CSUN student scholarships.

Mary C. Schaffer

Mary C. Schaffer, professor of cinema and television arts at California State University, Northridge, has been elected president of the Broadcast Education Association, an international organization representing educators and industry professionals in telecommunications and electronic media.

Schaffer, who oversees the university’s multimedia option, will be officially sworn in at the organization’s meeting next month.

“It is an honor to have been elected president of this international organization that represents faculty who teach film, television, communications and journalism,” Schaffer said. “I am humbled by the support of my colleagues and look forward to working with the BEA board and staff in continuing the work to advance the association’s goal of providing forums for scholarly research and dialog in all aspects of the electronic media.”

Schaffer, who joined CSUN’s faculty in 2000, teaches courses that cover all aspects of multimedia production and design. Her research includes new media, digital literacy and the uses of technology by active retired adults.

The Broadcast Education Association was established in 1955, originally as the Association of Professional Broadcast Education. Its more than 1,600 members share a diversity of interests involving all aspects of telecommunications and electronic media.

Cal State Northridge’s Department of Cinema and Television Arts has an international reputation for producing dedicated and talented entertainment industry professionals who recognize the value of hard work as they learn and continue to perfect their crafts. The department’s alumni work in all aspects of entertainment media, from writing, producing and directing to manning cameras and having the final say in what project is made.

With funds from the Suzan Jean Lebowitz Scholar program, Silvia Juarez Viveros, shown here at her undergraduate commencement from CSUN, is conducting graduate-level nutrition research in local schools.

Silvia Juarez Viveros, a California State University, Northridge, graduate student pursuing a master’s in nutrition and food science, has been named the inaugural Suzan Jean Lebowitz Scholar.

Juaraez Viveros, who earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition at CSUN, is using the funds to conduct field research on nutrition education in local elementary schools.

For her project, Juaraez Viveros has been teaching garden and nutrition lessons to parents of children at Van Nuys elementary schools. She will then be studying how the classes impacted the family’s diets. If effective, the program will be studied further and implemented in more schools.

Juaraez Viveros is excited at the opportunity to continue working with community members and impact health, especially childhood obesity. “I really look forward to putting all my energy and best efforts into each lesson and interaction with the parents. I know this will be essential to making the most positive impact in their lives and helping them lead healthier lifestyles,” she said.

The Suzan Jean Lebowitz Scholar program is funded by a generous endowment from Marty and Joanie Lebowitz ’75 (Home Economics). Named in honor of their daughter, who passed away at just two years old, the program provides funds for research in nutrition, a topic close to the Lebowitzes’ hearts, since Joanie studied it while earning her second bachelor’s degree at CSUN.

Marty and Joanie Lebowitz, photographed on the CSUN campus, have endowed the Suzan Jean Lebowitz Scholar program to fund research in nutrition. Photo by Lee Choo.

When her daughter passed away, Joanie Lebowitz began taking college courses, first at Santa Monica College and then at CSUN. “Cal State Northridge gave me a lot of comfort during a time of grieving, and they really helped me move forward,” she said. “The endowment is a way of honoring Suzan and giving back to Cal State Northridge, who gave a lot to me.”

The Lebowitzes decided to fund nutrition research in honor of their daughter, furthering CSUN’s ability to attract and support talented graduate students while also furthering nutrition’s crucial role in public health. “I think there are so many health problems that are going to solved with good nutrition,” said Joanie Lebowitz.

“Words can’t describe how thankful I am to Marty and Joanie Lebowitz for their generosity and kindness,” said Juaraez Viveros. “It’s a huge honor to be the recipient of this research grant because it comes from individuals who also have a passion for improving the lives of others.”

For the Lebowitzes, the ability to determine exactly how their gift would be used was crucial. “We were given the choice of directing our contribution in a way that gave us even greater pleasure than simply giving a general donation, so we picked nutrition, which is very dear to our hearts,” said Marty Lebowitz.

Joanie Lebowitz echoed his sentiments when asked about her advice to anyone else considering a gift to the university. “Give sincerely from your heart with lots of love,” she said. “Pick out something, a real worthy cause, and go for it!”

For more: Help other students by contributing to CSUN student scholarships.

Given the growth of digital information and personal technology, what will libraries look like twenty years from now? Mark Stover, dean of the Delmar T. Oviatt Library at California State University, Northridge, envisions the role of the library not contracting, but rather expanding to meet the unique needs of scholars and the surrounding community.

Produced by University Advancement, the “Think CSUN” video series features faculty experts at Cal State Northridge. We asked these campus thought leaders to speak clearly, candidly and off-the-cuff on contemporary issues in their fields of expertise.

In celebration of International Water Day, California State University, Northridge’s Institute for Sustainability will host its annual Water Day event on Wed., March 20, in the University Student Union’s Northridge Center.

The event, which is free and open to the campus community, will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. with the goal of familiarizing attendees with water-related issues. Wednesday’s activities will focus on the health and environmental problems associated with bottled water and the need for access to fresh water in developing countries.

“The Institute hosts Water Day annually to educate students about local and global issues related to water,” said Sarah Johnson, administrative coordinator for the institute. “We plan to engage students in activities and dialogue so they can think critically about this vital and scarce resource.”

The day will feature three sessions. The first will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and include an interactive activity in which participants are given five water types to sample and record their taste findings. After the taste test, there will be a screening of the film “Tapped,” a documentary that shows the environmental and health effects of bottled water. A panel with faculty members Yann Schrodi (Chemistry), Erica Wohldman (Psychology) and Michael Alvord (Environmental and Occupational Health) will discuss some of the issues raised in the film and the water taste test results.

The Thirst Project, a nonprofit organization led by college students that works to create awareness and solutions to water issues, will present at the second session from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. The group will discuss the issues associated with minimal access to fresh water and how their initiative is working to provide water to thousands in developing nations. There will also be a screening of the 2012 film “Running Dry,” which chronicles the issues of the global lack of access to fresh water.

From 7 to 9 p.m. the institute will host a screening of the documentary “Over Troubled Waters,” a film about pollution in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

CSUN’s Institute for Sustainability promotes, facilitates and develops educational research and university and community programs related to sustainability. It serves as an umbrella organization across the university on issues related to sustainability and is connecting the campus with efforts in the community. For more information, contact the Institute for Sustainability at (818) 677-7710, email sustainability@csun.edu or visit the institute’s website.

When Carly Marino ’06 (Kinesiology), M.S. ’08 (Kinesiology) was a student at California State University, Northridge, she appreciated the importance of mentors and professionals in guiding her career. She said the faculty provided great education and insight but she had questions for professionals working in her field of interest.

That’s why Marino, now a regional physical activity specialist with the state’s Department of Public Health Network for a Healthy California, participated in the College of Health and Human Development’s annual Professor for a Day program. She was one of 15 guest lecturers to participate in the event on Thursday, March 14.

“When I was in your shoes,” she told the students in her class. “I was always trying to figure it all out, and I just wanted someone to answer my questions.”

The guest lecturers were a mix of alumni and community leaders who donned the title of “professor” and shared useful advice and personal stories about how they have achieved success in their profession. They represented a cross-section of the college’s nine departments and lectured on a range of topics, including child and adolescent development; radiography; nursing; speech and language development; women’s health; organizational health services; nutrition; kinesiology; leadership in recreation; meetings and conventions; the fashion industry; and health administration.

“Programs like this (Professor for a Day) offer an opportunity for students to have candid conversations with professionals about real life experiences in careers,” said Marino about the program.

Sylvia Alva, dean of the College of Health and Human Development, said the Professor for A Day program is a “great example of how CSUN shines.”

“The guest professors were impressed by our students and the quality of their questions, and our students were able to benefit from the knowledge and experience of many of our alumni and supporters,” Alva said. “As leaders and mentors in their fields, our alumni bring a wealth of professional knowledge and career advice to the classroom.”

Karen Embrey ’04 (Nursing), clinical director of the USC Keck School of Medicine nurse anesthesia program, recommended that students commit to being “lifelong learners.”

“Have a vision for yourself,” Embrey said. “The secret to success is making little steps everyday towards your goal.”

Houman Salem ’94 (History), founder of Argyle Partners, a global management consulting firm to the fashion, apparel and retail industry, told students in a apparel design and merchandising class to stay “flexible and nimble” with their careers.

“The successful ones (students) will be able to adapt to different environments,” Salem said.

Edward Daco, a student in the college’s nursing program, said the Professor for a Day program is “extremely helpful.”

“It has really helped me see nursing from different perspectives and specialties,” he said.

In an effort to address black male enrollment and graduation rates, California State University, Northridge will host the first Men of Color Enquiry and Student Poster Session.

Frank Harris

The event, co-sponsored by the Department of Pan African Studies and the DuBois-Hamer Institute for Academic Achievement, will take place on Thursday, March 28 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the University Student Union, Northridge Center.  The keynote speaker is Frank Harris III M.A. ’99 (Speech Communications), an associate professor at San Diego State University, co-director of the Minority Male Community College Collaborative and co-author of “College Men and Masculinities: Theory, Research and Implications for Practice.”

Cal State Northridge joins universities across the country trying to find ways to bridge the gap between higher education and black male students. A report published last year by the University of Pennsylvania documents the “crisis” facing black men in higher education. According to the report, the relative number of black men entering college hasn’t improved since 1976, and only 33 percent of black male college students graduate within six years.

“It is suggested in the literature that institutions of higher learning in the U.S. have not effectively enrolled, engaged and/or advanced black males,” said Cedric Hackett ’95 (Sociology/Counseling), M.A. ’00 (Educational Psychology and Counseling), a Department of Pan African Studies professor and one of the organizers of the Men of Color event. “We hope to develop some programs and strategies to change the numbers.”

Cedric Hackett

He said the event also will begin a dialogue around other issues, including absentee fatherhood, fashion and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

According to CSUN’s Office of Institutional Research, as of spring 2013 the undergraduate enrollment of African-American males made up only 5.3 percent of male students enrolled at CSUN compared to 34.3 percent Latino males and 27.8 percent white males. The six year graduation rate for first-time African-American men who entered in fall 2006 was only 23 percent in comparison to 33 percent for American Indian, 47 percent for Asian American, 36 percent Latino, 43 percent Pacific Islander and 53 percent for white male students.

“The value of education among black males, which was once held at a premium during the late 60s, 70s and 80s has drastically taken a decline in the 90s and into the 21st century,” said Christopher Holmes ’72 (Psychology), staff psychologist with University Counseling Services and head of the campus’ Black Male Initiative, a group of volunteers made up of CSUN black faculty, staff and alumni. He said his group and others are working to turn these numbers around.

Thursday’s event will include a question and answer session and culminate with the student research poster session. Hackett, who also heads a project called “Creating Black Male Intellectual Space,” an experiential learning program designed to promote academic achievement in African-American males at CSUN, said the material from the poster session will be used to educate the campus community about the issue.

Sally A. Spencer, an associate professor in the Department of Special Education, talks about TeachLIvE.

Teaching is as rewarding a profession as they come. But teachers sometimes need a little more practice in the classroom before they’re polished enough to get apples from students. That’s where the California State University, Northridge’s TeachLivE system comes in.

Imagine a flight simulator, except the cockpit is a classroom and instead of navigating flight plans, it’s a lesson plan. That’s the gist of TeachLivE, a virtual reality simulator that allows CSUN teaching students to put in practice what they learned — without having to worry about using impressionable (or irascible) students as subjects.

“The system is a virtual classroom,” said Sally A. Spencer, an associate professor in CSUN’s Department of Special Education. “It has five avatars, each of whom represent unique personalities in the classroom. It is controlled by a combination of artificial intelligence and a live person, and allows teachers to get in front of these five kids and practice their skills.”

The teachers navigate around stools that are digitally marked to represent desks and have actual conversations with “kids” who answer them in a variety of ways, from a grunt to fully formed thoughts.  CSUN student Amanda Schramling, a member of the Special Education Credential Program, found the program helped ease the nerves and focused the soon-to-be teacher on her lesson plan instead of wondering what might happen next.

“I think it’s great for new students,” Schramling said. “You’re able to practice, practice, practice and you’re not harming children or messing up any sort of curriculum that they may be getting.”

Read More: CSUN Education Students Practice Teaching with Avatars in Virtual Classroom (Digital Stories)

The students at CHIME Institute’s Schwarzenegger Community School, which has extensive ties to California State University, Northridge, invite their friends and neighbors to join them on a “California Adventure” at the school’s annual carnival on Saturday, April 13.

The carnival will feature a ferris wheel, midway games, music and performances by the school’s children and parents. The carnival is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the school located at 19722 Collier St. in Woodland Hills.

“The carnival provides us a wonderful opportunity to meet our neighbors, celebrate what we do and have some old-fashioned fun,” said Jennifer Lockwood, principal of the school.

Admission is $7. Most of the activity and food tickets will be available for 50 cents each. Proceeds from the carnival will support the school’s art, music and library programs.

For more information about the carnival, call the school at (818) 346-5100.

The CHIME Institute’s Schwarzenegger Community School is an independent school that provides free public education for children in kindergarten through eighth grade through affiliation with the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school serves as a demonstration and teacher-training site for CSUN’s Michael D. Eisner College of Education.

The school is part of the CHIME Institute, a national leader in developing and implementing model educational programs and dynamic research and training environments to disseminate best practices in inclusive education. The institute’s research and training center is housed in the Eisner College of Education. The CHIME Institute also offers an infant/toddler program and preschool/kindergarten program that is located at CSUN. CHIME has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national model for full inclusion of students with disabilities and for providing a blueprint for local schools across the country.

An illustration by one of Gomez’ students in anticipation of the visit to CSUN.

Teacher Kaylie Gomez has big plans next week when she brings her third grade class from Wisdom Academy for Young Scientists in South Central Los Angeles to visit California State University, Northridge.

The students will tour the campus on April 17, meet with university dignitaries including CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison, Provost Harry Hellenbrand and Michael Spagna, dean of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, and sit in on lectures by biology professor MariaElena Zavala, sociology professor Herman DeBose and elementary education professor Nancy O’Rode.

More importantly, Gomez said, she hopes the visit to her alma mater will help her students realize that college truly is a possibility and something they can plan for.

“Many of them come from families where higher education is not a tradition,” she said. “It’s not that their parents don’t want them to go to college, but some of them don’t know what paths their kids should take to get them there.

“I talk to my kids all the time about college, and in particular CSUN and what a wonderful experience I had there,” Gomez said. “I want them to know that they can go to college like I did. I want them to understand that in addition to being a place to get an education, college can also be a warm, inviting community that can set you onto a path for success. It’s important that they realize that learning doesn’t stop after high school.”

Elementary education professor Joan Baca taught Gomez, who earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and her multiple subject teaching credential from CSUN in 2011..

“This is a very special project,” Baca said of the third graders’ field trip to CSUN. “Kaylie Gomez has been inspiring these children with the dream that college can be a reality for them. Her dream, as a way to fulfill theirs, was this trip to reinforce that CSUN and college can be a dream come true for their future.”

Baca pointed out that Wisdom academy is a charter school with only eight classrooms and is housed in a former church complex.

“These kids come from a very challenging environment, yet Kaylie is showing them that college can be a very real option,” she said.

An illustration by one of Gomez’ students in anticipation of the visit to CSUN.

The students’ day will start off at 9:30 a.m. with greetings from university administrators including Hellenbrand and Spagna. They will then attend a half-hour lecture by Zavala, followed by a half hour lecture by DeBose. They will visit the university’s Bianchi Planetarium, have lunch and then tour the campus, including visits to student housing, the Oviatt Library, the Student Recreation Center and the bookstore. The third graders will end their day with a meeting with Harrison.

“You know, we toss the word ‘community’ around a lot, but I’m not sure that my students actually understand what it means,” Gomez said. “I tell my students that when you walk about CSUN’s beautiful campus, see all the people—many of whom look just like them—and watch them interact, laugh, share and talk, you begin to see what community and life-long learning truly means. It doesn’t matter if they go to CSUN or some other university; what’s important to me is that my students have the opportunity to experience and form a real foundation for higher education communities that they may want to be a part of when they’re older.”

California State University, Northridge has more than 34,000 full- and part-time students and offers 66 bachelor’s and 53 master’s degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university is home to dozens of nationally recognized programs where students gain valuable hands-on experience working alongside faculty and industry professionals, whether in the sciences, health care and engineering or education, political science, the arts and the social sciences. While regionally focused, the university’s faculty and administrators recognize the important role its students and alumni play in shaping the future of the state and the nation.

CSUN is participating in the LEAP Employer-Educator Compact to make high-quality college education a shared national priority.

California State University, Northridge has announced its participation in a new national initiative called the LEAP Employer-Educator Compact. CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison has signed the compact—which was developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), and employers working with AAC&U colleges and universities across the country—to make high-quality college education a shared national priority.

“I am pleased to be part of this new national effort bringing employers and educators together to ensure that all of our students understand what it takes to succeed in today’s workplace,” said President Harrison, “and to partner on ways to provide students with more opportunities to apply their learning in real-world settings.”

The compact was launched yesterday at a forum in Washington, D.C., that featured remarks by U.S. Undersecretary of Education Martha Kanter. More than 250 college presidents and business and nonprofit leaders have signed on to the compact. They have pledged to work together to ensure that all college students—including those attending two- and four-year, public and private institutions—have access to a high-quality, liberal education that prepares them successfully for work, life and citizenship.

CSUN Partner Organizations include Boston Scientific; Child Development Institute; East, Mid and West Valley Family YMCAs; Mission Community Hospital; Network for a Healthy California; Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; St. Francis Medical Center; The Trust for Public Land–Los Angeles–Parks for People Program; and 24 Hour Fitness.

Participating campuses and employers will work together through 2014 to showcase employer support for the aims and outcomes of a broad education and to show how higher education is helping students connect college courses with work, citizenship and global challenges.

As part of the compact initiative, nine of CSUN’s local employer partners signed the compact, underscoring their belief in the economic value of a liberal education and providing students with hands-on learning opportunities.

AAC&U is a national organization of colleges and universities of which CSUN is a long-standing member. President Harrison also is a member of a special presidential leadership group within AAC&U called the LEAP Presidents’ Trust. Trust members, and employers who work with them, are the initial signatories to this ongoing initiative to ensure that today’s students will be well prepared for economic, civic and global challenges.

“It is significant that several of CSUN’s employer partners have chosen to sign the compact,“ Harrison continued. “These partners, who provide our students with internships and community projects and employ our graduates, are joining with us to emphasize the value of a high-quality education. High-quality education for the 21st century extends beyond what students learn in their major fields.

“Too many students believe that the key to economic success is completion of a major whose title seems to promise a job,” said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider. “What the compact and the research on employer priorities show is that, whatever the choice of major, employers say that career success will require broad liberal learning, strong 21st century skills, and real-world experience and savvy. We want to make sure that students and their families hear this message from employers themselves.”

President Harrison agrees. “Whatever a student’s major, liberal education also encompasses a broad range of skills and knowledge. It means developing intellectual skills that support evidence-based reasoning and innovation, problem solving and communication skills, and critical thinking. It requires being able to apply knowledge and skills to complex problems in new settings and in a diverse and global workplace. We are also jointly committed to preparing students both for successful careers and for civic and social responsibility,” she said.

For more information about the LEAP Employer-Educator Compact, including a full list of signatories, please visit the AAC&U website.

Journalism professor Melissa Lalum working with a student on an iPad. Photo by Lee Choo.

California State University, Northridge President Dianne F. Harrison has announced the launch of myCSUNtablet Initiative to reduce the cost and increase the quality of learning materials for CSUN students.

The initiative includes courses in multiple disciplinary programs across the campus. It will formally begin this fall in biology, journalism, public health, physical therapy, kinesiology, liberal studies and engineering and computer science. As part of the initiative, participating students will be able to purchase iPads on a payment plan and gain immediate access to e-texts, apps and other e-learning materials for their classes.

“This partnership represents the university’s commitment to explore new technologies to improve student learning and success, as well as help reduce costs for students,” said Harrison. “I’m delighted by this partnership with Apple and look forward to evaluating the impact this effort will have on learning.”

Hilary J. Baker, CSUN’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer, said the use of the iPads in the classroom is all about enhancing the student experience—reducing the cost and increasing the quality of learning materials for students.

“The myCSUNtablet Initiative uses Apple iPad technology as the enabler to provide new forms of teaching and learning materials in a single portable device for students to use anytime and anywhere,” Baker said.

University officials noted the cost for the iPads being used in the myCSUNtablet Initiative is less than what it would cost the students to purchase the traditional textbooks and materials that would normally be used in their courses. Students who already have iPads meeting the minimum requirements are free to use their own equipment. The university is also offering several payment plan options to spread the cost of an iPad out over a sequence of courses for those students who may need assistance.

Students may choose to participate in the myCSUNtablet Initiative by selecting designated “myCSUNtablet” course sections in the schedule of classes for the fall 2013 semester. These selected courses will not require a textbook. Instead, the courses will use digital materials on the iPad, including e-texts, apps and other learning materials.

University officials said the initiative would be evaluated regularly to examine the impact of tablets on student-learning outcomes. Faculty taking part in the myCSUNtablet Initiative will also be encouraged to convene periodically, either within departments or across departments, to share thoughts, breakthroughs, new apps, lessons learned and evaluate student/learner outcomes.

More than 70 faculty members are supporting the initiative and all student professional advisors will be using the iPad to help students register for classes in the fall.

Students already using their personal iPads for classwork said using the tablet has enhanced their learning experiences and they look forward to taking classes using it as a primary tool for coursework.

“It’s definitely worth it to have an iPad,” said chemistry major Shawnita Preyer. “The portability of being able to go where you need to go and to take everything with you, that’s the best.”

Teewa Saks, who is getting her master’s in elementary education, agreed.

“It’s amazing how you can take pictures and make videos. There are so many ways you can be creative with it,” she added.

Journalism professor Melissa Lalum said she looked forward to the start of the initiative.

“I think it’s an incredible opportunity to harness the multiple uses of a tablet to create more student-centered learning opportunities,” she said.

Helena Noronha

California State University, Northridge has received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to spearhead a program designed to encourage undergraduate students from underrepresented communities throughout Southern California to pursue advanced degrees in the mathematical sciences.

CSUN math professor Helena Noronha will be working with colleagues at eight CSU campuses in the region to develop a program that will provide comprehensive training and research to undergraduate students. In addition to Northridge, the other CSU campuses participating in the project are Channel Islands, Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Polytechnic Pomona.

“By identifying talented and highly motivated students from minority groups, by addressing the critical choices they face and by providing a solid mathematical education to them, this project will make a significant contribution to increasing the quantity, quality and diversity of the mathematical science workforce,” Noronha said.

The program is similar to PUMP: Preparing Undergraduates through Mentoring towards Ph.Ds., which Noronha operated at Cal State Northridge from 2005 to 2010 with a grant she received from the NSF program Workforce in the Mathematical Sciences.

“Our program was a success, and we’re hoping that this new grant will help us spread that success,” she said. “We can share what works here at CSUN and learn from the successes on the other campuses. Each campus has its unique characteristics but, by working together, we can ensure that all our students truly have the skills they need to succeed in getting advanced degrees in the mathematical sciences.”

Noronha said the project is built around the ideas of encouraging and fostering undergraduate research, offering the students advanced coursework and seminars and giving them strong mentoring and other personalized support. Planned activities include summer institutes that complement course offerings and expand the students’ mathematical horizons and at least one year of research projects for junior and senior math majors.

“With these activities and the guidance of the faculty involved in the project, students will grow mathematically and develop their full intellectual potential,” Noronha said. “The project will provide them with a comprehensive education and training program that emphasizes the rigor of mathematical sciences and discovery.

“There are a lot of students out there who like math, enjoy math, but don’t want to pursue a career in academia so they don’t study the mathematical sciences,” she said.

“One of our major goals is to identify and prepare talented and motivated undergraduate students for careers in the mathematical sciences not just in academia, but as researchers for private industry and even with the government. One of the leading employers of people with Ph.Ds. in the mathematical sciences is the National Security Agency.”

Noronha said she believes that increasing the numbers and quality of minority students from the region entering Ph.D. math programs will encourage other students to pursue careers in mathematics or related fields.

“This project could alter the intellectual atmosphere among students at the participating institutions and could have beneficial repercussions beyond the time-frame of the grant itself,” she said.

The Oviatt Library student employee scholarship recipients, including Ashley English (center, with purple jacket), along with Marianne Afifi, associate dean (far left), and Mark Stover, dean of the library (far right). Photo by Oscar Kwok.

The Oviatt Library, heart of the California State University, Northridge campus, is home to thousands of volumes, priceless archives and innumerable resources for students, faculty and staff. However, one of the library’s greatest assets is its group of student employees. Every semester, more than 140 students work with full-time library staff to aid researchers, ensure collections are organized and keep the Oviatt running smoothly as an invaluable campus resource.

On April 17, library staff and donors gathered at a luncheon to honor student employees. Library officials presented 23 scholarships, totaling $22,000 in aid to deserving library student employees.

Virginia Elwood-Akers M.A. ’81 (Mass Communications), a retired university archivist who worked in the Oviatt Library for nearly 30 years, now funds one of the scholarships awarded at the event—the Virginia Elwood Scholarship—which this year was presented to Ashley English, a CSUN student who plans to graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in public health.

“I went to school on scholarships and working, so I know how important the scholarship can be,” said Elwood-Akers. “I hope that this little bit of money would keep Ashley going if she ever got discouraged. It took me eight years to get my B.A. I understand how hard it can be.”

English received the Virginia Elwood Scholarship as well as the Bonita J. Campbell Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Endowment Scholarship, one of the campus programs funded by a 2009 gift from professor emeritus Bonita J. Campbell of CSUN’s Department of Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management.

English was surprised and grateful for the awards. “I felt honored to be a recipient of the two scholarship awards,” she said. “By receiving these scholarships, I will be able to complete my education at CSUN and further continue my education by attending nursing school next year. I would like to thank the donors.”

English encouraged fellow students to apply for scholarships and be persistent.

“CSUN offers several scholarships for students,” she said. “The scholarships can be found on CSUN’s financial aid website, scholarship fliers around campus or at the Oviatt Library for student employees. I applied for a scholarship for the Oviatt Library last year and, unfortunately, did not receive one. However, this year I applied again and was a recipient of two.”

Oviatt Library Scholarship Recipients

Marianne Afifi Scholarship
Tiffany Navales
Rachele Pedraza
Daniel Ramos
Paria Soroushi
Vince Morel Vilan
Gaja Yoon

Bonita J. Campbell WISE Endowment Scholarship
Ashley English

Mary & James Cleary Scholarship
Anuradha Krishnamurthy

Dr. Karin Duran Scholarship
Luisa Gonzalez

Virginia Elwood Scholarship
Ashley English

Ardis Flenniken Scholarship
Erika Panosian

Friends of the Library
Cristina Gutierrez

Bernice and Leonard Haber Scholarship
Juan Garcia

Richard and Diana Homer Scholarship
Edrina Younan

Anne and Dave Perkins Scholarship
Tiffany Argumedo
Jose Avendano
Zachary Burgenbauch
Mehrbanoo Farehi

Lois & Ralph Prator Scholarship
Rebecca Harris
Liliana Jimenez
Edras Lepe-Zapata

Ronald & Elizabeth-Ann Purcell Fellowship Scholarship
Carlos Vazquez

Cindy Ventuleth Scholarship
Jose Gonzalez

Leonard Mlodinow

Freud made famous the idea that the unconscious mind affects conscious behaviors. More than a century later, the psychiatric and science communities have only begun to scratch the surface of how much the unconscious mind affects our behavior.

California State University Northridge’s Richard Smith Lecture will explore this concept when Leonard Mlodinow discusses his new book, “Subliminal How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior,” on Monday, April 29.

Mlodinow’s talk, hosted by CSUN’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. in the Whitsett Room, in Sierra Hall Room 451, on the west side of the campus located at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

In his book, Mlodinow explores how the unconscious mind plays a commanding role in shaping our daily lives, from work and family relationships to financial decisions.

Mlodinow recived his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of California at Berkeley, was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Max-Planck-Institute fur Phsik and Astrophysik in Munich and now teaches at the California Institute of Technology.

He is the author of numerous academic papers on mathematical physics and quantum optics, and seven popular science books, his last four bestsellers. His book, “The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules our Lives,” was The New York Times editor’s choice, notable book of the year and was short listed for the Royal Society book award. “The Grand Design,” co-authored with Steven Hawking, was a bestseller and was made into a three-part documentary on the Discovery Channel. He is also the co-author, with Deepak Chopra, of “War of the World Views: Science and Spirituality,” and three other books. In addition, Mlodinow has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific America, Nature, Newsweek, Wired, The New York Review of Books, and other mass-market publications.

His numerous television appearances include “The Larry King Show,” “The Piers Morgan Show,” “The Stossel Show,” “Morning Joe,” “The Dylan Radigan Show,” and “Through the Wormhole.” He has also created several award winning video games–including one in conjunction with Steven Spielberg, and starring Robin Williams–and has written for network television, including the series “MacGyver,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the comedy “Night Court”.

The lecture is free and open to the public, however seating is limited. For more information about the lecture or to make a reservation, please call (818) 677-4030. For more information on the Richard W. Smith Series, visit the website www.csun.edu/csbs.

The African Studies Interdisciplinary Minor program will host its second annual African Studies Symposium, “African and Diaspora Discourses: Gender, Youth and Social Change,” tomorrow, April 30. The event will be held in the University Student Union’s Northridge Center from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with speakers and panels exploring the theme of the symposium.

The keynote speaker at the symposium will be Kathleen West, a lecturer in the Department of Preventative Medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine and a research scholar. West attended college in Michigan and Sierra Leone and continues her field work in medical anthropology, concentrating on the maternal, child and mental health issues in Sierra Leone region.

Tom Spencer-Walters, coordinator of the African Studies Interdisciplinary program and event coordinator, said West will discuss how African women are achieving personal and societal development through creative initiatives without the necessary administrative or political authority.

There will be four panels covering such topics as women, war and social transformation, hip-hop, social change, gender, youth and empowerment in rural and urban Africa and student research in African and diaspora studies. Speakers will include CSUN faculty from various disciplines and students in the minor program.

“The goal of the symposium is threefold: to recruit minors for the African Studies Interdisciplinary Minor; to contribute to the mission of a diversified education at CSUN; and thirdly, to expand students’ knowledge about Africa and its many diasporas while giving them the opportunity to utilize this knowledge in various capacities both here at CSUN and in the general community,” said Spencer-Walters.

The event is open to the campus and community. Spencer-Walter’s said last year’s symposium was a “resounding success” with standing-room only for each session. For more information or to RSVP, please email Tom Spencer-Walters.