Hoping to tear down misconceptions that college is beyond the reach of deaf students, California State University, Northridge seniors Jaspreet Ghotra and John Pak made university history this year as elected members of CSUN’s student government, Associated Students.

This is the first time that two Deaf senators have served together in the CSUN Associated Student governing body, and the first time since 1990 that a deaf student has served in student government.

“Last year, a friend of mine who was a senator urged me to run,” said Ghotra. “I was actually really scared because everyone is hearing and I would be the only Deaf candidate running, and [I wondered] would they even accept me? I met the other candidates, who were so open-minded and accommodating that I fell in love with it. I felt really supported with AS and I also saw how AS supports students rights and solves issues for students on campus.”

Pak said he too was drawn to the advocacy done through the student government.

“I’ve been coming to CSUN since my freshman year and I’ve been heavily involved with different organizations, but I always felt like there was something missing,” he said. “Jaspreet knew I was interested and motivated so she told me about applying to be a senator for the College of Education. I wanted to advocate for the college on the school level and the state level.”

David Crandall, general manager for Associated Students, said Ghotra and Pak were valued members of the student government.

“CSUN is a very special place in part because of our culture, which embraces and accommodates deaf and hard-of-hearing students, faculty and staff,” said Crandall. “I realized, when I looked at Jaspreet and John, that the CSUN Associated Students was probably the only college or university student government in the United States, and maybe in the world, except for Gallaudet and Rochester, where there were two student senators who were deaf or hard-of-hearing.”

Ghotra, a graduating senior who is originally from Portland, Ore., said she felt there were few educational choices for a Deaf community member in her hometown. While attending community college and trying to figure out her options, she met a friend who told her about CSUN.

“I was shocked, because I thought there were only two options for me – Rochester and Gallaudet,” she said. “Those were the only ones that I had heard of. CSUN was a perfect place for me as a deaf student. I changed my major from interior design to deaf studies because I love the education that is offered here.”

Pak, a senior graduating in the fall of 2015, agreed.

“In high school I was a straight-A student, but I didn’t really have future aspirations for college,” he said. “I didn’t think it was for me. I couldn’t do that. But my teacher, who is a CSUN alumnus, said that I was bright and smart enough to go to college and that I should check out CSUN.”

Pak is a deaf studies major with emphasis on cultural studies and a minor in psychology.

CSUN’s Department of Deaf Studies is designed specifically to educate our society about the value of human diversity centered on Deaf people and their lived experiences, explained Flavia Fleischer, chair of CSUN’s Department of Deaf Studies. Objectives of the program are to provide students with a deeper understanding of the Deaf community, and of themselves, so that they gain self-confidence and make an impact on the world.

“Deaf people have very limited opportunities to advance their education and often lack the appropriate and necessary support and resources to successfully navigate through education,” said Fleischer. “As a result, many deaf students drop out of college during their first two years.”

Ghotra and Pak have devoted their undergraduate education to changing prevalent perceptions about deaf and hard-of-hearing people, both within the Deaf community and with the population at large. As student senators, they had the opportunity to advocate for the Deaf community.

“Young deaf people feel like we can’t do things because we are deaf and that’s something you just accept growing up. As a result, you ignore things on a bigger scale because you feel like it has nothing to do with you,” said Pak. “There are huge gaps [in equity]. We try to make things equitable for everyone and bring all demographics together to pull everyone up at the same time. That’s definitely our goal.”

Ghotra concurs.

“I wanted to show the Deaf community, and the general population, that I am a deaf individual and I am capable. The only person that can stop me is myself,” she said. “[Being in AS,] helped me to think outside of my own box and know that I really can do this. Before I graduate I really want to tell people that deaf students can be involved just as much as hearing people – you have a voice and you can fight so just do it!”

Fleischer noted that Ghotra and Pak’s election as AS senators “indicates our students’ commitment to ensuring that diverse student groups are included in student representation.”

Jim Macaluso, associate director of CSUN’s National Center on Deafness, agreed.

“Both student ambassadors consistently demonstrate service to the campus community on behalf of all deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals,” he said. “Such persistent commitment and energy, over and above academic rigors, while maintaining unwavering civility is a rarity to behold.”

Although John and Jaspreet will soon embark on new adventures, the education they have received at CSUN has inspired them to continue their work in advocacy.

“The norm out there right now are that [deaf] students feel like they can’t go to school, work, college or anything and they just accept that. I want to let K-12 students know that there are opportunities for them in education,” said Ghotra. “We are learning from Professor Fleischer to come at education in a positive way to try and make things equitable.”

“You can’t really educate through criticism, you’ve got to educate through love,” said Pak. “I want to lift the community as a whole and show deaf people that there really is nothing stopping you but yourself. You just have to be persistent and resilient in the hearing world. I can tell them that I’ve been in those same shoes, when I felt like I couldn’t do things because I was deaf. Now I know that I can do it. There’s nothing really to lose, only things to gain, by being involved.”

CSUN Provost Harry Hellenbrand talking to a guest at a recent campus retirement party. Photo by Luis Garcia.

At the end of the day, what matters most to Harry Hellenbrand are the students.

After more than a decade as California State University, Northridge’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, Hellenbrand is retiring from his current role at the end of June and returning to teaching and writing.

“It’ll be different,” Hellenbrand said about his decision to teach American literature and basic writing courses at CSUN next year. “But change is good. The one thing I won’t miss will be all the meetings.”

Hellenbrand came to CSUN as provost in 2004, and briefly served as interim president in 2012, prior to the appointment of the university’s current president, Dianne F. Harrison. During his tenure, he garnered the respect and admiration of the entire campus community.

“Harry has provided 11 years of extraordinary service to the university and our students, faculty and staff,” Harrison said. “He has been considered a ‘provost among provosts’ within the CSU and nationally.”

Film professor Nate Thomas, president of CSUN’s faculty union, said Hellenbrand’s leadership will be missed.

“Harry has always been faculty centered and student centered,” Thomas said. “As provost, he always had an open-door policy, and he did what he could to empower and support the faculty. He truly has respect for all segments of our campus, and that was reflected in how he treated everyone.”

As provost and vice president for academic affairs, nearly all academic matters fell under Hellenbrand’s purview. Organized into nine colleges with more than 50 academic departments, the academic affairs division also includes the Delmar T. Oviatt Library and six administrative offices: Educational Opportunity Program, Department of Academic Resources and Planning, Office of Faculty Affairs, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, Office of Institutional Research, and Undergraduate Studies.

As he considers his own future on the campus, Hellenbrand said he is looking forward to being in the classroom again.

Hellenbrand said he recognizes that young people today are actually more engaged than they are usually given credit for, and he is looking forward to “understanding what is important to them, and get who they are.”

According to 2015 California State University, Northridge graduation speaker Robert Townsend, one out of every 20 college graduates in the United States is a product of the California State University system. CSUN added to that count over the May 16, 2015 weekend when it hosted six commencement ceremonies for over 10,658 students eligible to go from Matador students to alumni.

The graduation season got off to a rocky start at CSUN when the Honors Convocation was cancelled due to inclement weather, and a power outage later hit the campus. However, those speed bumps smoothed out and the procession continued to Friday night’s Graduate Student Ceremony Graduate students, where 2,423 Masters and 55 Doctoral candidates from all colleges and programs (except College of Social & Behavioral Sciences) were honored.

Saturday, May 16 saw both the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication and College of Health and Human Development fete their students and send them off to their next challenges in life. Mike Curb had 1,535 students eligible to cross the stage; Health and Human Development had 1,606.

Sunday, May 17 saw the graduation ceremonies of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, split in two, and Michael D. Eisner College of Education. The morning CSBS event involved 1,331 students from students from the departments of Africana Studies, anthropology, geography, history, psychology and Urban Studies & Planning, as well as Eisner and deaf studies students; the evening service had the other half of the CSBS department — 1,458 eligible students from the departments of political science (which includes public administration public sector management, public policy and programs), sociology, and social work.

Monday, May 18 finished the CSUN commencement rounds as the 1,459 eligible-to-graduate students from the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics crossed Oviatt Lawn and picked up their diplomas. The last graduation of the 2014-15 academic year involved the group of 1,607 eligible College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Science and Mathematics, and College of Humanities students who crossed the stage and became Matadors for life.

Three California State University, Northridge students have received recognition for their professional achievements from the National Association for Music Education.

Three California State University, Northridge students have received recognition for their professional achievements from the National Association for Music Education.

Recent music education graduates Kelvin Flores and Kelly Brooks and graduate student Kelly McCarley, now a student in CSUN’s credential program, are all recipients of the association’s 2015 Professional Achievement Recognition, which honors individual collegiate members of the association for their commitment to education.

Music professor Mary Schliff, coordinator of CSUN’s music education program, said the honor recognizes the students’ passion about becoming music teachers and leaders in their fields.

“They are dedicated and committed to music education,” Schliff said. “Our music program thrives because of this same passion, dedication and commitment from our faculty.”

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is among the world’s largest arts education organizations. It is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state and national level; provides resources for teachers, parents and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers.

Since 1907, the association has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. NAfME’s activities and resources have contributed to the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.

CSUN’s Department of Music, housed in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication, has been hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top music schools in the world. Few institutions can boast such highly recognized music industry, music therapy, music education, media/film composition, jazz, and vocal and instrumental performance programs. Graduates of the program quickly find opportunities in Los Angeles’ bustling music industry and film business. Performance majors go on to perform with major orchestras and opera companies, while music education graduates hold key positions in arts programs across the state.

On Saturday, May 9, nearly 200 Matadors celebrated the first day of their lives as California State University, Northridge graduates as their families and friends cheered them on at the 2015 Black Graduation Celebration on the Oviatt Library Lawn. The African-American community at CSUN including faculty, staff and alumni attended the ceremony to create an intimate and personal graduation experience. CSUN hosted four cultural celebrations, including the Black Graduation Celebration, Rainbow Graduation Celebration, Veteran Graduation Celebration and the Aztlan Graduation Celebration, to recognize the diversity of our students and commemorate them on a successful academic journey.

California State University, Northridge President Dianne F. Harrison announced today the appointment of Dr. Yi Li as CSUN’s provost and vice president for academic affairs beginning July 20, 2015. Li brings more than three decades of higher education leadership, including award-winning research, scholarship and a particular specialty in increasing gender and ethnic diversity of STEM programs.

Li comes to CSUN from Wright State University, where he has served as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics since 2011. He previously served as professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Iowa, associate professor of mathematics at the University of Rochester, and instructor at the University of Chicago. As provost, Li will be CSUN’s chief academic officer.

“Dr. Li possesses a great passion for higher education and overall student success,” Harrison said. “He is a consummate academician and scholar, with a proven track record of high-impact research. He is an analytical thinker, data driven and shares CSUN’s strong commitment to diversity. His experience and leadership will enrich our campus community.”

A leader in innovative practices to increase diversity in the STEM student pipeline, Li’s work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the departmental 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, the departmental 2006 Programs that Make a Difference Award by the American Mathematical Society, a 2008 Sloan Foundation Special Recognition and the departmental 2008 Exemplary Program Award from the American Mathematical Society.

Li has dedicated more than two decades of research to the study of nonlinear problems involving elliptic and parabolic equations/systems and their application in mathematical physics, geometry, biomedical engineering, and medical research. He has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers with more than 1,200 Science Citation Index citations by more than 500 authors. His research has received more than $4.8 million in research and education grant funding, and he regularly speaks nationally and internationally at conferences. Li holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree from Xi’an Jiaotong University.

“CSUN has a well-deserved international reputation for excellence,” Li said. “I am honored to join together with CSUN’s outstanding faculty and staff to continue to equip students for future success. Higher education has changed my life, and that drives me to provide the same life-changing opportunities for others.”

Li succeeds Harry Hellenbrand, who is returning to the classroom after 11 years as CSUN’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. Hellenbrand also will teach and take on special projects for the president in his new role.

California State University, Northridge’s Master of Arts in Education program was nationally ranked in the top 25 by GraduatePrograms.com — surpassing University of Virginia and Auburn University in the online guide to graduate school education. Also on the list were universities such as Harvard, Northwestern and UCLA.

“CSUN has a lot to be proud about when it comes to our master’s in education,” said Assistant Vice President of CSUN Graduate Studies Maggie Shiffrar. “Education has long been a strength on this campus as a graduate program. It’s great to see that strength recognized nationally.”

CSUN’s master’s in education program prides itself in its practical philosophy. The program teaches its students to put theory into practice, helping their graduate students use the theories they are taught and apply them to classroom teaching.

“You can have all the book smarts in the world, but if it’s not applicable to the real world, then your degree’s not worth much,” Shiffrar said.

“The beauty of our education process is that it is neither just practice nor just theory — it’s both,” she said. “You’re learning how to teach, you’re learning what the research is and you’re learning the interface between the two. That is a very powerful approach.”

The Michael D. Eisner College of Education focuses its master’s program on this philosophy, earning the top-25 ranking through student and graduate polls.

“GraduatePrograms.com is a company that ranks programs online,” Shiffrar said. “The website weighs heavily on what the students and graduates say. What it tells us is that our college of education is doing a good job satisfying the needs of our students.”

With this ranking, Shiffrar said, she is certain that CSUN’s master’s in education program will be even more competitive and coveted by graduate applicants who seek a practical approach, thoughtful curriculum, recognition of diversity and cost.

“We know what the world looks like outside of the university,” she said. “Our college of education has been very thoughtful in creating an inclusive and diverse institution at all levels — there is diversity in ethnicity, sociocultural backgrounds, language and gender. Our classrooms reflect the real world. Our faculty represents the real world. We give our students the tools they need to succeed in the real world. With this ranking, we’re running with the big dogs.”

To view the master’s in education rankings on GraduatePrograms.com, visit http://www.graduateprograms.com/top-education-programs/.

Four California State University, Northridge students have received scholarships from the United States Department of State to study overseas.

Freshman Sabree Edwards, of Northridge, and seniors Christina Jones, of Moreno Valley, and Kathleen Tuntisukharom, of Chatsworth, each received a $5,000 Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship. Edwards will be studying in China this fall, while Jones will be studying in Japan and Tuntisukharom will be studying in South Korea. Junior Stacey Martinez, of Van Nuys, received a $2,500 Gilman scholarship to study in South Korea.

The four CSUN students are among 860 American undergraduate students from 332 colleges and universities across the country who were selected to receive a Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship. The scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

“We are really proud of our students,” said Marta Lopez, director of international programs in CSUN’s International and Exchange Student Center. “These scholarships are going to provide these students opportunities to explore new cultures and gain a new understanding of the international aspects of academic life and life in general. In turn, they will serve as ambassadors for CSUN.”

Edwards, who has not yet declared his major, will take part in a Chinese language program. Jones, an art major, will explore 20^th century art in Japan. Martinez, a marketing major, will study Korean culture and language in South Korea. Joining her in South Korea will be Tunitsukharom, a political science major who plans to explore the country’s language, culture and politics.

Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply to their study abroad or internship program costs. The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go. The scholarship is named for former New York Congressman Benjamin Gilman, who retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chairing the House Foreign Relations Committee.

“Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates,”
Gilman once said. “Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternative views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator, in the international community.”

CSUN’s International and Exchange Student Center promotes the development of individuals to enable them to pursue a challenging variety of roles and leadership opportunities, function in a wide range of environments and appreciate the great diversity of individual differences while pursuing their academic goals. It prepares students for an international, multicultural society and promotes an understanding and appreciation of the people, natural environment, cultures, economies and diversity of the world.

California State University, Northridge honored more than 500 staff members for their years of service and outstanding contributions to the university at the 49th annual Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Awards on June 2.

“It’s a pleasure to be here today to recognize colleagues who have reached milestones with the university and to celebrate with those who have distinguished themselves by their outstanding contributions,” said President Dianne F. Harrison to attendees. “Today we are here to celebrate sustained, loyal dedication to our university.”

Harrison recognized Barbara Hlinka, associate director of the Office of Institutional Research, with the Presidential Award. The award honors an individual who has left an “indelible positive mark” on the university, contributes to improved processes and demonstrates alignment with the mission, vision, values and goals of the university.

Hlinka has been the “unsung hero” of the Office of Institutional Research since the late 1990s. She works collaboratively with a wide array of departments to provide accurate and timely data that informs the campus of “where we have been and how we should move forward,” said Harrison. Although never in the spotlight, Hlinka’s nominators say she makes a positive difference on campus every day.

The Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award went to Franklin Ellis, coordinator of residential student success and leadership in the Department of Residential Life, who has been applauded for demonstrating respect for all people. The award is reserved for employees who practice, promote and value efforts to support diversity, inclusion and respect for everyone’s values and opinions.

The CSUN Merit Award recipients were Ken Rappe, executive assistant to the dean of the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics; Kathleen Pohl, the dean’s assistant in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Griselda Corona ’09 (Liberal Studies) the administrative coordinator in the Department of Chicana/o Studies; Ryan Conlogue, help center lead in the Division of Information Technology; Michelle Kilmnick ’99 (Communication Studies) academic personnel and compensation analyst in the Office of Faculty Affairs; and Emil Henry’97 (Computer Science) manager of technical services in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

The CSUN Alumni Relations Award went to Daniela Cross ’08 (Recreation and Tourism Management), M.S. ’10 (Recreation and Tourism Management)

assistant to the general manager of Associated Students, who has helped build bridges with former student government officers. This award is given to an employee who develops initiatives and or enhances existing programs that encourage successful collaborative relationships with alumni and a greater alumni connectedness that results in achievement of university goals and objectives.

The Jolene Koester Team Award, which recognizes outstanding team achievements and is presented annually to a team that has collaborated effectively on a project, process or other significant initiative that has brought positive changes, was awarded to the MyCSUNtablet Initiative. It was launched in fall 2013 as a partnership between the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Information Technology with the intent of increasing student engagement and learning and decreasing the cost of instructional materials. Since adoption, the tablets have transformed classrooms into active learning spaces.

Harrison also presented certificates to the 20 participants in the inaugural CSUN Shine from Within Program. A highlight of the awards celebration was the recognition of employees who have served CSUN for 40 years.

“These four people were hired in 1975 and have provided loyal, dedicated and continuous service for the last four decades,” said Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Harry Hellenbrand, who presented framed Matadors jerseys with their name and number “40” to the recipients. The honorees were Cynthia Demuth, admissions and records; Selma Mayhew, admissions and records; Georgia Reed, office of human resources; and Cindy Trigg’04 (Chicana/o Studies) the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics.

CSUN staff also received recognition for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service. For a complete list of the honorees, please visit the Office of Human Resources.

The air is filled with the smell of gas, hot metal, cleaning solution and new rubber tires. Sparks fly, as blocks of metal are molded into solenoids, shafts, gears and carbon fiber wheels. In this state-of-the-art California State University, Northridge mechanical engineering classroom, students work tirelessly on the latest model for this year’s Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) race car design project.

The goal is to design, fabricate, assemble, and test a race car built from the ground up, and for almost a decade now, CSUN has consistently been ranked within the top 20 to top 10 of schools competing in the competition.

“It’s not just a project to graduate, or simply to say you completed a project,” said Jorge Molina, one of this year’s race car team members. “It’s the most intensive project in our four years here, not to mention that we’re competing with schools from around the world.”

This year’s competition will host 224 different universities such as Texas A&M, MIT, USC, Cal Polytechnic State University and Universities from Brazil, Canada, Japan, India and Mexico. The competition will take place at the Lincoln Airpark, in Lincoln, Neb., this week.

With one year to complete the car, supervised by mechanical engineering professor Stewart Prince and sponsored by companies such as Boeing and Disney Imagineering, the team, comprised of underclassmen volunteers and senior engineering students (working for a grade), started in July 2014, before the fall semester began.

“Each year, the car is different,” said Molina. “We saw last year’s car and thought, instead of throwing everything away, let’s take bits from it. It’s a very similar design but with smaller packaging, and an aero component.”

Adding an “aero package” means the team adds “wings” to the car. “Think about what an airplane wing does,” said Jonathan Baumgarten, the team’s captain. “It picks up air resistance so the plane can be on top of the air. What we’re adding to the car does the exact opposite — picture flipping the airplane wing. It changes the airflow on the car, helping us go faster and take turns more quickly.

“Lots of teams have had aero components for years, but we haven’t,” he continued. “This year it got a lot more restrictive as far as rules for building the car, and a lot teams had to completely redesign their car. Since we had never done it before, we saw it as an excellent opportunity to step in for the first time.”

Students design all the components of the race car, and present their initial designs and trade studies at a preliminary design review.

Subsequently, the design is finalized in the critical design review.

Once the manufacturing steps are planned, a review of manufacturing processes is held. Then, the various components are manufactured and the race car is assembled. Finally, the car is tested at local facilities before being shipped to the competition.

By entering the competition and working in the mechanical engineering department, many students receive job opportunities at companies leading the way in mechanical engineering, with starting salaries between $80,000 to 100,000 a year.

But according to Baumgarten, the “best part of the project is seeing it through, beginning to end.

“It’s not just designing a car,” he explained. “There’s a business and marketing side of it that we are judged on, to see if companies could use it as a viable plan for mass production. So, we apply all the knowledge we learn from curriculum, from manufacture and design, and then you get to actually make something. What you learn is that you can design anything — but manufacturing it is another story, so you learn a lot. And at the end of the day, it’s a race car, so it makes all of it really fun.”

For more information on CSUN’s Department of Mechanical Engineering please visit http://www.csun.edu/engineering-computer-science/mechanical-engineering. For more information on CSUN’s latest race car visit http://www.ecs.csun.edu/sae/, https://www.facebook.com/CSUNFSAEand for SAE’s competition, please visit http://students.sae.org/cds/formulaseries/west/

Many of the hopes and dreams of California State University, Northridge’s Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing gelled June 4 in one well-aimed squirtgun shot.

“Gaaaaaaaaah! That’s cold!” wailed Katherine Ayala, a graduating senior from the R.U.T.H. (Resilience, Unity, Transformation, Hope) YouthBuild program in Canoga Park. The teen laughed, picked up her own squirtgun and retaliated against her friend and fellow senior, Josh Guzman.

The pair were part of a group of 16 at-risk teens and four CSUN students that traveled to Castaic Lake with the university’s student-run Outdoor Adventures program for a day of kayaking, paddleboarding and fun in the sun.

CSUN’s College of Health and Human Development (HHD) runs the Boating Instruction and Safety Center on the lower portion of the man-made lake, part of a state park. The idyllic location on the park’s “Paradise Cove” boasts a sandy beach, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), wakeboarding and more.

“Welcome to Castaic!” exclaimed Erin Eiholzer, boating center manager, welcoming the teens and CSUN students to the lakeshore. “We don’t have anything here that will hurt you. We don’t have sharks. Unless you saw Dinocroc (a 2004 horror flick), which was filmed here. We do have fish in the lake, and there are bees in the grass — so please wear your shoes when you’re walking back and forth.”

Eiholzer polled the group about their level of swimming experience and time in the outdoors. One teen said he’d never been on a large body of water (lake, ocean, river) before the June 4 adventure.

Eiholzer and her staff of lifeguards, all CSUN students, taught the teens how to properly don a lifejacket, carry a kayak paddle and sit on the watercraft.

“We are not rocking the boat today,” she said, grinning. “We are not capsizing or tipping the boats. Also, if you’re using the SUP, make sure you feel comfortable falling into the water — because you will fall in a lot!”

The graduating seniors were only too happy to fall in the water, which measured at a comfortable 72 degrees, a little warmer than the air temperature just before lunchtime. It was tough to tell who was having more fun — the teenagers or their young leaders from CSUN. The sounds of laughter, splashing and cheering echoed across the lake.

Part of CSUN’s Department of Recreation and Tourism Management, the boating center opened in 1976 and serves nearly 11,000 people annually with community service programs and activities, as well as classes for college credit and noncredit. In addition to boating, water safety education and wakeboarding, the center offers water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing and nature walks.

As part of the university’s Neighborhood Partners in Action (NPA) program with Canoga Park, the college has worked for several years to send CSUN undergraduates and graduate students into the Canoga Park community to lend expertise, manpower and energy — and to learn by doing. The program teams students, faculty and staff with more than 30 community agencies to improve the lives of San Fernando Valley families.

In fall 2012, CSUN launched the NPA program with Canoga Park, a community of about 60,000 in the northwest corner of the Valley, through the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing.

“If you want to assist a community in moving itself forward, the chances of helping an open community are greater,” said program coordinator Craig Finney. “Canoga Park was opening their doors. … As [outgoing Provost] Harry Hellenbrand puts it, ‘We need to be stewards of place.’”

Canoga Park is a culturally diverse community, heavily Latino and economically challenged in some areas, Finney said.

“We go to each agency and ask them, ‘What is it you need? What kind of resources do you have? Where would you like to go?’” Finney said. “We’re not trying to go in and ‘fix’ Canoga Park. We’re letting Canoga Park figure out what it needs to grow. We’re a neighbor, long term. At the end, we’re trying to increase quality of life, and we’re also giving CSUN students and staff opportunities for community service.”

R.U.T.H. YouthBuild is just one NPA partner agency. The organization provides a high school education, job training, counseling and leadership development to teens and young adults in Canoga Park. The young people that YouthBuild serves have faced barriers and challenges including growing up in the foster care system and single-parent homes, and struggling with addiction, domestic violence, trying to move on from gang involvement, and living as undocumented teens. They come to YouthBuild because they are ready to turn their life around, said Michelle Miranda, founder and executive director.

During the academic year, CSUN students provide math and science tutoring to YouthBuild participants, with the help of the organization’s credentialed staff. Many of those teachers received their credentials at CSUN, Miranda said.

“Our young people also can make visits to CSUN, to see what college life is like and that it is attainable,” Miranda said. “A lot of them see the barriers before them, and this really bridges that gap — especially when they see familiar faces.”

Finney and professor Connie White have provided strategies that have helped the YouthBuild staff in meeting the diverse needs of their students, Miranda said. Mentors from CSUN’S MOSAIC program (through the Department of Sociology) work with the high school students throughout the academic year to set goals and provide encouragement and support.

Other CSUN participants have included professor Veda Ward, whose recreation and tourism management class visited with the students. The undergraduates sparked hope and excitement in the teens about their potential to attend college in the future, Miranda said.

“I really appreciate President [Dianne F.] Harrison’s initiative to focus a lot of CSUN’s work on specific communities,” she said. “We’re establishing a good, solid foundation so we can serve the community for years to come.”

The seniors from R.U.T.H. YouthBuild will graduate from the organization’s charter high school on June 22, in a commencement celebration at the Hilton in Woodland Hills. The students come from all over the San Fernando Valley, some from as far as Sun Valley, said Vanessa Solache, mentor director for the program, who chaperoned the class trip.

As NPA participants — on the CSUN campus, across Canoga Park and in the great outdoors — look to the future, they are developing plans to touch even more families and students through the university and its agency partners, Finney said. And the future is bright.

“We can have CSUN students come and inspire young people who’ve had the flame go out,” Miranda said. “The community comes in and gives them time, inspires them and gives them hope. I can’t put a dollar amount on that. We have exceeded our expectations.”

For more on the aquatic center at Castaic Lake, visit the website.

Cole Christie

Cole Christie isn’t exactly sure what he will encounter when his plane lands next January in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but he does know that his life will be changed forever.

The recent California State University, Northridge graduate has been awarded a Fulbright Student Scholarship. He leaves in January 2016 to spend a year working as an English teaching assistant in Malaysia.

“I know I’ll spend my first few weeks in the nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, getting acclimated, and then after that, who knows?” Christie said. “It’s exciting, and I am so looking forward to it.”

In addition to teaching English, Christie will work with secondary education students to help them develop leadership skills and their ability to work with others. He will be in Malaysia for a year.

Christie, who graduated last month with a bachelor’s degree in management and a minor in geography, said he had always wanted to study overseas, but was so involved on campus — from working with CSUN’s student Outdoor Adventures program and mentoring fellow students to helping train orientation leaders and leading team-building efforts for students and staff — he was afraid he would lose his “momentum” if he took a semester abroad.

He was working at student orientation last year when he heard a staff member with CSUN’s International and Exchange Student Center talk about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

“What I heard intrigued me,” Christie recalled.

Christie said he was interested in visiting Southeast Asia, but didn’t know where. He was researching countries when he stumbled upon Malaysia.

“It’s got three distinct cultures — Malay, Chinese and Indian,” he said. “Its population is so distinct, yet the country thrives. The country has a lot of strong values, and it’s been independent only about 60 years.

“I’ve always been in a place where I’ve been very comfortable,” Christie said. “I’ve never done anything out of my comfort zone. This Fulbright is different. I hope it helps me to realize how much I don’t know. I am also looking forward to observing another culture and bringing that back with me to use in a future business venture and help me in understanding people. Everything is socially based now. It’s important to know how to talk and work with people, with a strong and respectful understanding of their differences.”

Marta Lopez, director of CSUN’s international programs, said Christie’s appetite for knowledge and self-sufficiency have led to a passion for teaching. His extensive campus involvement and mentorship and volunteer efforts on and off campus have demonstrated strong leadership skills and a “strong desire to enrich the life experiences of others.”

“For this, the CSUN community is grateful, and we know that his experience in Malaysia will be very unique and enriching for Cole and those whose lives he will positively affect,” Lopez said.

The Fulbright Program is the leading international exchange program sponsored by the United State government. It is designed to provide students and professionals with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research worldwide. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides fellowships for U.S. graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study abroad for one academic year.

“CSUN encourages all undergraduate and graduate students to consider participating in the program to advance their understanding of other cultures and to further their study and research endeavors,” Lopez said.

The Fulbright Program’s goal is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating government and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

Industry professionals invited to CSUN offer student portfolio critiques. Pictured here from left to right, student Ray Boykins, Award winning artist storyboard artist Craig Kemplin, Disney animator Andreas Wessel-Therhorn, Sebastian Duran, Matthew McFarlane, Sony artist Denise Koyoma.

California State University, Northridge has been recognized as one of the top schools in the country for animation by “Animation Career Review,” a comprehensive online source for aspiring animators, game developers and digital art and design.

CSUN was ranked No. 15 among the 50 best public schools in the country and No. 17 among the top 25 public and private universities in the West Coast. Other schools on the lists included the University of Southern California (USC), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California State University, Fullerton, and California State University, Long Beach.

Ranking criteria included a university’s academic reputation and admission selectivity; depth and breadth of the program and faculty; value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness; and geographic location.

The Department of Art, housed in CSUN’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communications, offers both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in visual arts with a concentration in animation. Many of the department’s faculty have worked as industry professionals and teach a variety of courses offering training in two-dimensional and three-dimensional animation design, as well as video game and visual effects animation.

Robert St. Pierre, assistant professor of art and a professional industry veteran of more than two decades, said the program is competitive because of its robust curricula taught by faculty with professional industry experience, whom have standing relationships within the industry.

“We have high expectations of what our students need to accomplish in preparation for the industry and the rigorous assignments are beneficial to them,” St. Pierre said. “We know what kind of skillsets and portfolios the industry expects and that is the benchmark we use to prepare our students.”

St. Pierre said that CSUN’s proximity to studios in Los Angeles, which is the national and international epicenter for animation, gives the university’s faculty and students a strategic advantage. The program offers real-world experience through internships and assignments that specifically and accurately prepare students for the reality of what they’re going to face.

The department hosts a career day once a year inviting industry professionals to review students’ portfolios and lead panel discussions, providing students with tremendous career insight.

The Animation Student League of Northridge (ASLN), which is CSUN’s animation club, invites a minimum of four guests to the campus multiple times a year from major studios such as Disney and Pixar. The club also performs community outreach services to local high schools, offering peer education, and connects with students who are considering CSUN for a career in animation.

St. Pierre attributed many of the program’s recent advancements in large part due to Mark Farquhar, animation professor of seven years and the department’s animation area coordinator of five years. Farquhar, who worked for more than 20 years as a professional feature character animator for companies like Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Bros. and Pixar, helped to grow the department by implementing a more rigorous curriculum, improving its relationships with studios and building access to equipment and software. He also played a role in acquiring grants that help create pathways for high school and community college students to Tier 1 schools.

Farquhar said he became a professor because he enjoyed the mentoring aspect of the field, as it is a mentoring-heavy industry. Having taught at different institutions, including community college, Farquhar was most excited to teach at a university like CSUN because of the students.

“When I came to CSUN the students really impressed me with their attitude and their interest in learning,” Farquhar said. “They want to learn, they don’t have an over-entitlement that you get in some places. They’re here for the right reasons.”

Farquhar said attitude is as important as skills in succeeding in the industry.

“There’s a lot of talented people and you have to be able to work with people, and being able to navigate the work environment is a huge thing,” he said. “With creative production, collaborating, incorporating other people’s ideas and trying to work as a team — those skills are super important.”

Due to the breadth and competitiveness of the program, both Farquhar and St. Pierre said they expect CSUN’s rankings to rise.

“The animation department is growing and I can’t tell you how excited I am,” St. Pierre said. “We are aiming for number one, just give us a few years.”

From salt marshes to Catalina Island, deep-sea fishing and day trips to the Aquarium of the Pacific, California State University, Northridge’s biology department is continually coming up with new and innovative ways to allow their undergraduate and graduate students take what they’ve learned in the classroom into the marine world.

CSUN biology professor Mark Steele said he was first attracted to teaching at the university because of the quality of work CSUN marine biology graduate students produced.

“We do a great job training master’s students,” said Steele. “If they want to pursue Ph.D.s, they pretty much go wherever they want (after graduation). We do research-based learning, so the goal is to get their work published — and most of them end up doing so in multiple peer-reviewed journals. We also have trained our students to go on to agencies like California Fish and Wildlife, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and fisheries.

“The university really supports hands-on learning,” said Steele. “So the way that plays out in the biology department is that we are able to offer courses that have really intensive lab components, where people actually learn the techniques and get to be a part of research opportunities — at both undergraduate and graduate levels.”

Steele said he likes to get his students in or close to the water, as much as he can.

“During the course of a semester-long class, I probably have my marine ecology class somewhere near or in the ocean, maybe 12 to 15 times,” he said. “I also take my undergraduates in my marine ecology class out to Catalina Island, and they get to snorkel and experience marine ecology firsthand. For a lot of them, it’s a life-changing experience. My favorite part is having them see something new and think about life in a different way. I find that really rewarding.”

This hands-on intensive approach has been an integral part of the marine program, since it’s foundation.

“I’ve been doing this sort of field research and exercises for 25 years,” said Michael Franklin, a professor in CSUN’s biology department. “I started as an undergrad and graduate at CSUN, and I had the opportunity to be a part of the CSUN community when marine biology was getting its feet wet — to use that particular pun. Not every oceanographic institute has these types of opportunities.”

One of these “opportunities” is the department’s use the of the RV Yellowfin boat. Shared with a consortium of California State Universities — including Long Beach, Fullerton and Los Angeles — and docked at the Southern California Marine Institute, the vessel gives undergraduate and graduate classes the opportunity to fish, and explore benthic (ocean floor) and pelagic (water columns) marine communities.

“It’s hard to really understand it when you’re only looking at preserved specimens in jars, in the classroom,” said master’s of science candidate, and Franklin’s teaching assistant, Stephanie Benseman. “When you see it in a jar, it’s not as spectacular as when it’s alive. So when the students see the specimens put into the tanks, they can see them move and swim around — and they are as beautiful and as natural as they are in real life.

“Not only do we see what we catch, but we also get to see dolphins and whales and sea lions in their natural habitat, which is crucial to getting these students to understand what we’re learning in the classroom,” Benseman said.

The department also offers a class for non-bio majors. The class “Life in the Sea” is an opportunity cinema television arts major Hali Stafford has taken full advantage of.

“I’ve always had a passion for marine bio — it was going to be my original major, but I switched at the last minute,” Stafford said.

After a semester of only studying film, Stafford missed the world of marine biology and started asking how she could combine her two passions.

“I want to bring film into marine biology,” Stafford said. “This class allows me to network and see what I need to do to get into the marine bio world, and it’s really exciting because now I have a way of combining my two passions — and I look forward to doing that for the rest of my life.”

This summer, Stafford will be working with master’s of science candidate Stacey Virtue-Hilborn as a volunteer on her research project involving sea grass.

Virtue-Hilborn said she was amazed at how supportive the department was upon her arrival at CSUN.

“There are so many opportunities for me as a graduate student,” she said. “Not only am I pretty much guaranteed to teach a class so I can make money while I’m also doing my research, but I had the opportunity to take my students on a field trip. They wanted to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific, and as a graduate student, I was able to go to the biology department and get them to fund the undergraduates’ trip. They consistently back you up in terms of what you want to teach and support for your own education. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience getting to pursue my master’s degree at this university.”

For more information on the biology department and its marine program, please visit http://www.csun.edu/science-mathematics/biology/marine-biology-semester.

Before 1993, the San Fernando Valley had no educational opportunities for nursing students. Fast-forward 22 years, and the California State University, Northridge nursing department has grown from its humble beginnings to offering a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.

According to Marianne Hattar-Pollara, chair of the CSUN nursing department, “In response to the market demands to offer the MSN degree at CSUN, and in response to the shortage of advanced practice nurses and nurse educators, the department had completed the development of the MSN curriculum, completed the review at the college and campus levels, and is planning to offer the MSN program in fall of 2017, pursuant to the CSU Chancellor’s office approval.”

Marty Highfield, who taught the CSUN nursing department’s very first class, remembers the early stages of the department before its evolution.

“In the beginning, there was a small RN-BSN (Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program with two full-time faculty members,” Highfield said. “When I came, we were part of the health and science department in old trailers, on the side of campus.”

With the community’s financial support, including from local community colleges, hospitals and businesses, the program expanded from its inception in 1985. Thirty years later, the department has risen to include some notable achievements, through the collaboration of faculty, staff and community members.

In 2005, Highfield became the only tenured faculty member and director of the department.

“My philosophy was that either the program was growing or coming to an end,” she said. She set out on an ambitious project to develop a new curriculum for the accelerated bachelor’s degree. “I hired one full-time instructor, and she and I put together the curriculum that launched in 2007. The reason we selected that accelerated version was because it was the fastest way to produce a bachelor’s degree nurse, and that’s what the market wanted.”

The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (A-BSN) is a much more labor-intensive program because students need the intensive clinical courses.

In 2011, Marianna Hattar-Pollara was hired as a professor and director of the nursing program. In order to increase the visibility of the nursing program at CSUN and to achieve the strategic vision for the program’s growth, Hattar-Pollara defended a campuswide proposal to separate the nursing program from the Department of Health Science – creating the Department of Nursing. She was elected as the chair of the department and subsequently defended a proposal for building a new space to house the fledgling department.

Since the creation of the department, the number of tenure-track faculty members tripled. By fall of 2013, the number of A-BSN students had increased by 50 percent. With that growth, the program also added 50 percent more clinical training sites. The RN-BSN enrollment also doubled through the creation of four collaborative pathways for RN-BSN students.

In fall 2013, the department completed the self-study for the Board of Registered Nursing’s (BRN) review and approval. Subsequently, the department received full board approval for the entire approval period.

By fall 2014, the department completed the self-study for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for accreditation and hosted the site visit for the CCNE’s appointed reviewers. Later, the department received full accreditation for the entire accreditation period.

The department also offers the Nurse Educator Certificate program to prepare nurse educators — with the financial help from a Song-Brown grant that was awarded to the department.

In preparation for the launching of the MSN program and the expected increase in student enrollment, the department defended proposals to expand the nursing skills and simulation labs. Work is underway to expand the functional capacity of both labs by 35 percent.

In addition, the department has created partnerships with clinical affiliates in the community, thus aiding the program to produce practice-ready nursing graduates. With this hands-on experience, MSN students are fully capable to enter the workforce after graduation.

“The nursing department is proud to meet the increasing need of CSUN’s community by offering an excellent academic program that is a match to the Ivy League academic excellence, but with a state budget,” Hattar-Pollara said. “Along with meeting state and national standards — including excellent pass rates, high employment of graduates and high student and employer satisfaction with the program — the department is also cognizant of the need to develop leadership among its graduates and has developed the chapter for the national nursing students’ association.”

“The board pass rates have been above national benchmark, and some classes have passed at 100 percent,” Highfield said. “The other benchmark is whether people get jobs, and we have had a very strong track record with that.”

Hattar-Pollara added that with the Nursing Alumni Association’s re-engagement, graduates are supported with resources to excel post-graduation. The department also emphasizes the success of underrepresented minority students with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Song-Brown grant.

Eighty percent of nurses accepted into the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles internship program in 2013 were CSUN graduates; 40 percent of accepted applicants in the Northridge Hospital and Medical Center Versant internship program in 2012 were CSUN graduates; and 70 percent of accepted applicants in the 2013 Cedars-Sinai internship program were products of this program.

“CSUN students are sought after, and a large percentage of clinical affiliate internship programs are made up of CSUN nursing graduates,” said Hattar-Pollara.

“Now, as the department of nursing has become a full-fledged department, with the critical mass of faculty, staff and infrastructure resources, we seek to give back to the community that helped launch the program,” said Hattar-Pollara.

“Many graduates of the program work locally in the greater Los Angeles area,” Highfield said. “At CSUN, we look to serve our community, and this is how this department does that.”

From the RS-BSN graduate pool, approximately 20-25 percent go on to earn graduate degrees as nurse practitioners, and in medical and law school. Many have gone on to study nursing education, public health, clinical nursing, administration and more.

“I’m very proud to have been a faculty member in the CSUN nursing department, and that we produce excellent BSN nurses,” Highfield said.

For more information on CSUN’s nursing programs, visit the department’s website at http://www.csun.edu/health-human-development/nursing.