T H E M AGA Z I N E O F C A L I F O R N I A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y, F U L L E R T O N
SUMMER 2013
The High Impact of Experiential Learning
President’s Viewpoint During Commencement 2013 this past May, Cal State Fullerton celebrated 10,436 graduates and graduation candidates, as well as their families and friends. A time for new beginnings, Commencement brought to campus two prominent alumni from the Class of 1995 as featured speakers: Emmy Awardwinning producer Marc Cherry, creator and executive producer of “Desperate Housewives,” who is now producing “Devious Maids” for Lifetime; and Orange County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Guerrero Macias, a former public defender appointed to her judgeship last year by Gov. Jerry Brown. Like half of our undergraduate alumni, Judge Macias was the first in her family to attend college. It was good to hear the words of wit and wisdom they shared with this year’s graduating class. I’m so proud to call them fellow Titans. Also this spring, after six months of diligent work by the steering committee, its working groups and universitywide collaboration, the University’s new strategic plan was unveiled. This visionary plan focuses on all that we wish to accomplish in the next five years. The plan lays out goals, objectives and strategies that range from increasing graduation rates and educating students for a global society, to recruiting and retaining a high-quality and diverse faculty and staff, to increasing revenue through fundraising, entrepreneurial activities, grants and contracts. Implementation of the plan will follow as the campus community continues to collaborate and prioritize, following the University’s aspirations to be a model public comprehensive institution of the nation. One of the plan’s objectives is to increase by 25 percent the number of CSUF students participating in innovative instructional experiences that prepare them for their careers in a complex, diverse and interconnected world. Those high-impact student experiences are the focus of Titan’s cover story, in which students and faculty members share their views on the vital importance of hands-on learning. Elsewhere in this issue, you will find a Titan Pride story featuring our new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs José L. Cruz, as well as a story focusing on several dedicated faculty members who are also leaders in their professional fields. Thank you, as always, for your support and involvement in the University. It is my privilege to serve as your president.
COVER STORY
14 The High Impact of Experiential Learning Experiential learning
– also known as high- impact practices – is receiving keen attention among educators nationwide, including those at Cal State Fullerton, who want to prepare and graduate successful students.
2 News Briefs 3 Philanthropic Foundation 5 Titan Athletics 7 Alumni Association
TITAN Titan is the magazine of California State University, Fullerton, published by University Advancement for alumni, friends and the University community. We welcome your observations, news and comments.
Mildred García President California State University, Fullerton TITAN
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In This Issue TITAN PRIDE
8 José L. Cruz IN FOCUS
10 Real-World Experience 20 Milestones: In Living Color
COVER Sophomore physics major Daniel Vander-Hyde
24 Class Notes
has spent a year conducting research alongside Joshua Smith, assistant professor of physics
27 Spotlight: Nhu-Ngoc Thuy Ong ’99, ’01
and director of CSUF’s new Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center.
28 Titan Profile: Glen Creason ’78
EDITOR Cathi Douglas ’80 ART DIREC TOR Howard Chang ’00 PRODUC TION PL ANNER Andrea Kelligrew ’99 SENIOR DIREC TOR, DESIGN Mishu Vu
WRITERS Debra Cano Ramos ’84; Mimi Ko Cruz ’91; Michael Mahi ’83; Pamela McLaren ’79; Valerie Orleans ’80 CONTRIBUTORS Matt Gush ’12; Alex Gallardo; Katie McGill; Patrick O’Donnell; Kathy Pomykata ’80
Image by Matt Gush ’12
PRESIDENT Dr. Mildred García VICE PRESIDENT, UNIVERSIT Y ADVANCEMENT Gregory J. Saks A SSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Jeffrey D. Cook
TITAN ADVISORY BOARD Sherry Angel ’78; Elaine Beno ’83; Laura Bleiberg; Jeff Brody; David Ferrell ’78; Janine Fiddelke Arp ’80; Bryan Fisher ’92; Dianna Lopez Fisher; Jimmy Hsieh ’10; Cynthia Ragland ’93; Bobbi Rice ’82; Joan Rubio; Paula Selleck; Steve Scauzillo ’81, ’05; Andi Stein; Kelly Teenor ’86, ’96; Anne Valdespino; Greg Young ’90
University Operator 657-278-2011 I Titan Magazine 657-278-4850 I P.O. Box 6826, Fullerton, CA 92834-6826 I TITANmagazine@fullerton.edu I fullerton.edu I © 2013 California State University, Fullerton. Nonprofit standard postage paid at Santa Ana, CA. I Report address errors to uarecords@fullerton.edu or 657-278-7917.
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News Briefs COMMENCEMENT 2013 DRAWS MORE THAN 55,000 ATTENDEES Nearly 10,500 grads and candidates for graduation were eligible to participate in Cal State Fullerton’s May 25-26 commencement ceremonies, with attendees numbering more than 55,000 during the weekend festivities. Keynote speakers for the universitywide ceremonies were both Titan alumni: Emmy Award-winning producer and “Desperate Housewives” creator Marc Cherry ’95 (B.A. theatre arts) and Orange County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Guerrero Macias ’95 (B.A. psychology and ethnic studies-Chicano studies).
UNIVERSITY SALUTES FACULTY LEADERSHIP Kari A. Knutson Miller, chair and professor of child and adolescent studies, was honored May 16 with the University’s Faculty Leadership in Collegial Governance Award. The award recognizes “significant contributions to collegial governance consistent with the University’s mission and goals, as well as the mission of the California State University system.”
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PRESIDENT GARCÍA GARNERS HONORS President Mildred García has received the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation’s Woman of the Year Award. García was among five “extraordinary women” who received the award at the foundation’s 35th National Latina Conference. In April, García was among “four extraordinary women leaders” in Orange County honored by Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. “Dr. García’s strong commitment to building multicultural alliances and coalitions has strengthened opportunities for students, institutions and communities at large,” said Sanchez. Honored with her was CSUF graduate Arianna P. Barrios ’92 (B.A. communications-public relations), owner of Barrios & Associates and president of the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees.
Latina magazine’s April 15 issue included the CSUF president on its list of “25 Influential Latinos You’ve Probably Never Heard Of,” which showcases CEOs, authors, lawyers, media figures and a Nobel Prize honoree. “García is living the American Dream as the first Latina to hold the post of president at Cal State Fullerton in the country’s largest state university system. Her mission is to stress the importance of education ...” the article states. García is among the women featured in Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine’s “Top 25 Women in Higher Education.” She was also one of 11 women honored by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus at the first “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” awards ceremony.
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Philanthropic Foundation RAYTHEON GIFT TO SUPPORT ENGINEERING STUDENTS
News Briefs
The College of Engineering and Computer Science received a $104,000 gift from Raytheon Co. to benefit future engineering students. Half will fund a program pairing company engineers as mentors with students to design, build and test a working prototype for Raytheon’s intelligent transportation systems technology patent. The balance will fund a program to promote women in engineering careers, scholarships and other endeavors. CLAYES HOSPITALITY CENTER NAMED FOR DONORS
Marilyn Duff, a longtime CSUF Art Alliance member, made a generous gift to the Music and Art departments to support scholarships, programs and projects. In her honor, the campus gallery next to the Begovich Gallery has been named the Marilyn and Cline Duff Gallery, and the beverage area at the Clayes Performing Arts Center has been named the Marilyn and Cline Duff Hospitality Center. Cline Duff is Marilyn Duff’s late husband. NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO PHILANTHROPIC BOARD
Paul Carter, Dan Black and Roger Kotch have been named to the CSUF Philanthropic Foundation Board of Directors, and Wylie Aitken has been reappointed. Carter ’92 (B.A. political science) earned a J.D., with honors, from Drake University Law School in 1995. He is a past president of the Alumni Association. Dan Black ’67 (B.A. physics) is founder of the international nutritional-supplement company ProThera and a member of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dean’s Advisory Board. Roger Kotch is chief financial officer of In-N-Out Burger Corp. and a longtime supporter who has served on several boards and committees. Reappointed was Wylie Aitken, a nationally recognized trial lawyer and founding partner of Aitken Aitken Cohn. He attended CSUF prior to graduating from Marquette University in 1965 and supports several areas of the University. GIFTS AND GRANTS SUPPORT UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
A $426,000 gift from the estate of Anne Kruzic ’94 (B.A. music), will endow scholarships in the colleges of the Arts and Education. n Dan Black ’67 pledged $125,000 to the Dan Black Physics Scholarships in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. n The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics received a gift of $100,000 from Frank Greinke. n The Packard Foundation awarded $75,000 to the College of Education to support a project to train teachers to teach in transitional kindergarten classrooms. n Boeing awarded $70,000 to support scholarships and expand student research projects in the colleges of Engineering and Computer Science and MCBE. n Caecilia Gotama ’82, ’86 (B.S., M.S. engineering-mechanical) has pledged upward of $50,000 in cash and in-kind support for communications workshops for engineering students. n The College of Communications was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to fund a visiting business journalism professor.
For more information, please visit foundation.fullerton.edu.
Professor Sora Park Tanjasiri, right, is congratulated after being named Outstanding Professor.
TANJASIRI AWARDED TOP FACULTY HONOR Lauded for her exemplary teaching, scholarship and community outreach, Professor of Health Science Sora Park Tanjasiri has been named Cal State Fullerton’s 2012-13 Outstanding Professor. President Mildred García presented the University’s highest faculty honor on May 16. “Her students consistently rate her as among the best teachers in her college; her colleagues find her so impressive, they constantly and effortlessly find themselves raving about her because of her commitment to student success through her mentorship and guidance,” García said. “I am flabbergasted. I’m the luckiest person in the world to work here with this community, the students, the faculty, the leadership who support the amazingly impactful, collaborative, interdisciplinary collegial work we do,” Tanjasiri said. The California Wellness Foundation named her a 2013 “Champion of Health Professions Diversity.” CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
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CAMPUS EARNS SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS
ALUMNI ANNOUNCE OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDS
Calendar
The Cal State Fullerton Alumni Association named James Wu and Alejandro Gonzalez as, respectively, this year’s Outstanding Senior and Outstanding Graduate awardees. Wu, who graduated with his B.S. in kinesiology and minor in speech communication, was founding president of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity colony and vice president of the Order of Omega Greek Life Honor Society. Gonzalez, who earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership, developed a partnership with Enhancing Post Baccalaureate Opportunities at Cal State Fullerton for Hispanic Students (EPOCHS).
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In the just-completed assessment of its sustainability efforts – in operations, administration, curriculum and research – Cal State Fullerton has achieved a silver rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. It was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education with participation from the higher education community. The silver rating – the second tier of the four-tier rating system – reflects the campus’s efforts to become a more green, sustainable institution and places it among such institutions as UCLA, Loyola Marymount University and several of its CSU peers. Cal State Fullerton also has been honored with two Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Best Practice Awards sponsored by the University of California/California State University and IOU Energy Efficiency Partnership. The campus has been recognized for best overall sustainable design for its third phase of student housing, the first housing complex in California to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The University’s campuswide lighting project also was honored. The University’s efficiency efforts continue to reduce the campus’s carbon footprint and maintenance costs, and have saved approximately 4 million kilowatt hours of energy, say campus officials.
CHANCELLOR VISITS CSUF California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White visited Cal State Fullerton May 16 as part of his statewide tour of the 23-campus system. The enthusiasm for White’s visit was echoed throughout the day as he answered questions, attended an Academic Senate meeting and witnessed the surprise announcement of the University’s top honors for three members of the faculty. In meetings with faculty and staff members and with groups of students, White emphasized the mission and role of the CSU as the engine of economic recovery. “The CSU offers 23 economic change agents throughout the state,” he said. “We are the bright lights for the state’s economy, creating hope and opportunity for the future.”
TASTE INTERNATIONAL FOOD, ECLECTIC WINES AT VINTAGE57
A premiere wine and food tasting event, Vintage57, on Saturday, August 24, is an award-winning evening sponsored by the Cal State Fullerton Alumni Association, featuring international cuisine and eclectic wines at Golleher Alumni House. Sommelier Diana DeLuca creates the evening’s wine and food pairings. A silent auction benefits Alumni Association student scholarships. Sponsorships and auction donations are welcome. Reserve your seat or table today. Please call 657-CSU-ALUM or email alumnirelations@fullerton.edu for more information. fullerton.edu/alumni/vintage57 SAT/
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CONCERT UNDER THE STARS RETURNS
A beloved Titan tradition, Concert Under the Stars, returns this fall on September 21. Please check the Cal State Fullerton website at fullerton.edu later this summer for details. SAT/
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CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON FALLS JUST SHORT OF GOAL
Cal State Fullerton finished its 2013 season with 51 wins, a Big West Championship and an NCAA Regional title. Individual players were honored with national awards, and several were drafted by professional teams. The Titans fell short of their 17th College World Series appearance after losing to UCLA in two Super Regional games at Goodwin Field June 7-8. CSUF NAMES MEN’S, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES
In April, Dedrique Taylor was named head men’s basketball coach and Daron Park was named head women’s basketball coach. Taylor spent the past seven seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State, including the last three seasons as the program’s associate head coach, helping the Sun Devils to four, 20-win seasons and four trips to the postseason. Park spent the 2012-13 season as associate head coach with the women’s program at USC following stops at California, Louisiana Tech, Maryland and Utah. MEN’S GOLF EARNS ALL-BIG WEST HONORS
Men’s golf head coach Jason Drotter was named 2013 Coach of the Year after guiding his team to its first conference championship in school history. The golf program is in its fourth year of competition after being reinstated in 2009. The Titans and Pacific shared the Big West title after both teams tied at the conference championship tournament. Senior Dakota Duerr and junior Mark Anguiano were voted to the All-Big West First Team. Duerr also was named the 2012-13 Cal State Fullerton Male Scholar Athlete. ATHLETICS NEWS ROUNDUP
Women’s tennis head coach Bill Reynolds was named 2013 Big West Co-Coach of the Year after concluding his 24-year career with the Titans. n The women’s basketball team capped off its 2012-13 season with a Cinderella run through the Big West tournament, making it to the semifinals against No. 1-seed Pacific. The Titan women finished the season with an overall record of 11-21. n Baseball player Nick Hurtado passed away in March after a battle with cancer. For more information, please visit fullertontitans.com.
The University’s new strategic plan sets the priorities to govern Cal State Fullerton decision-making for the next five years. In her convocation address last September, President Mildred García said that completing the plan was the first order of University business. In October, García announced the appointment of Jolene Koester, president emeritus of Cal State Northridge, as facilitator for the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, co-chaired by Robert W. Mead, associate professor of economics, and Jennifer Faust, associate vice president for academic affairs. More than 400 faculty and staff members attended the first campuswide strategic planning meeting later that month. Over the next six months, the committee made presentations and gathered input. The plan’s goals are to: n Develop and maintain a curricular and co-curricular environment that prepares students for participation in a global society and is responsive to workforce needs. n Improve student persistence, increase graduation rates universitywide and narrow the achievement gap for underrepresented students. n Recruit and retain a high-quality and diverse faculty and staff. n Increase revenue through fundraising, entrepreneurial activities, grants and contracts. Following unveiling of the plan April 12, García said implementation was a shared responsibility: “We are committed to putting the strategic plan into action with each division, college and department working together to meet our collective goals.” The aim is for Cal State Fullerton to “become a model public comprehensive University, nationally recognized for exceptional programs that prepare our diverse student body for academic and professional success.” CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
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News Briefs
STRATEGIC PLAN SETS UNIVERSITY PRIORITIES
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YOUTH PROJECT GETS $1.3 MILLION GRANT Cal State Fullerton has been awarded a $1.3-million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a “Healthy Asian and Pacific Islander Youth” project, a partnership effort with the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance and Magnolia High School in
Anaheim in which CSUF students mentor, tutor and provide health awareness education at least twice weekly to Asian American and Pacific Islander students at Magnolia. Tu-Uyen N. Nguyen, associate professor of Asian American studies, is the grant’s principal investigator.
SCIENTIST RECEIVES FIRST SHIELDS AWARD
ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS CELEBRATE The Cal State Fullerton Alumni Association awarded 2013-14 scholarships to students selected by the Cal State Fullerton Alumni Association Board of Directors for their records of service and educational performance. From left are: Elaine Chang, Cristina Belencaia, Alyssa Bormann, Gracia Manopo, Emilee Marshall, David Eng and Kimberley Luong. Not pictured is Julie Hofstra. This year’s scholarships were made possible through support from alumni donations and proceeds earned through alumni fundraising events.
For her excellence in research, mentorship to her students and commitment to the educational mission of Cal State Fullerton, scientist Maria C. Linder is the inaugural recipient of the L. Donald Shields Excellence in Scholarship and Creativity Award. Linder, professor of chemistry and biochemistry whose research focuses on mechanisms of copper transport, has received more than $12 million in competitive grants for her research efforts, including funding for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program, which she directs. Under the program, undergraduates, along with students from nearby colleges and high schools, conduct high-level research projects with CSUF faculty members. The award is named for CSUF’s second president, who served from 1970-80.
TAKE TUFFY HOME Join as a member of the Alumni Association today and receive a FREE Tuffy bobblehead! You have seen your favorite mascot on Facebook in the weekly “Tuffy Tuesday” post. Now you can have one of your very own!
For just $45 annually, membership in the Alumni Association keeps you connected with your University and offers you numerous members-only privileges: • Discounts at restaurants and services • Buy-one-get-one-free athletics tickets • Online career tools • Access to all 23 CSU libraries • Special discounts on networking events and much more! Sign up today by calling 657-CSU-ALUM, or join online at fullerton.edu/alumni. Use promotion code 13TSU when joining online. *Tuffy Bobbleheads will begin shipping in September 2013.
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Alumni Association
Alumni Attitudes Survey respondents said they were interested in more networking and familyoriented programs, such as this spring’s Business Finance Alumni Chapter’s Alumni vs. Students Softball Game.
ALUMNI ATTITUDES SURVEY SHOWS ASSOCIATION ON TRACK
Thank you for sharing your input through the 2012 Alumni Attitudes Survey. In this survey, you gave a thumbs-up to the performance of alumni communications and news provided through Titan Magazine, the @Fullerton newsletter and both the University and Alumni websites. Since 2008, we have ramped up our benefits communication through special sections in @Fullerton, redesigned membership packaging and brochures and increased our social media postings sharing benefits of membership. We will continue to share information with our members and alumni community to help you take advantage of association benefits. Recent survey feedback indicates that you value the additional career assistance the association is providing, such as online career tools for members through the portal, our extensive alumni community through the Cal State Fullerton Alumni LinkedIn Group, as well as networking opportunities offered through alumni mixers, chapter events and professional speakers. Titan alumni participating in the 2012 Alumni Attitudes Survey are telling us they want: n More events, such as family-oriented programs, continued education and travel n More opportunity to network in off-campus Orange County locations n Better understanding and access to information about CSUF’s nationally ranked and noteworthy programs Our social media efforts have exploded since 2008, and your participation has been the key to our success. The association has active and engaged Titans on Facebook (5,426), LinkedIn (5,923), Twitter (1,453) and Flickr who all want to hear about what’s happening at CSUF. Thank you for staying connected and contributing through comments, photos and postings to our Titan community. The association will continue to provide quality programming and services and looks forward to incorporating more alumni input. Thank you for your continued support.
Since joining the faculty in 2003, Sean Walker, associate professor and vice chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, has taught 11 different classes ranging from large, lower-division general education courses to upperdivision and graduate courses. In addition, he has developed and co-taught workshops and other courses. He has helped colleagues introduce technology into their classrooms, mentored and advised students, and worked to coordinate supplemental instruction programs to help students who require additional help with their science classes. Acknowledging Walker’s record of excellence in teaching and his commitment to CSUF’s educational mission, the University honored him with the Carol Barnes Excellence in Teaching Award. President Mildred García made the presentation before a packed room of attendees that included CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. The award, established in 2006, is named for Carol Barnes, professor emeritus of elementary and bilingual education, and honors faculty members who demonstrate academic rigor in teaching consistent with the University’s mission and that of the California State University. “As an instructor, I constantly try to discover new ways to get students excited about science, which makes course material more interesting to them and enhances their learning experience,” Walker said. Walker was elected chair of the Academic Senate for the coming school year.
For more information, please visit fullerton.edu/alumni. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
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TEACHING AWARD HONORS WALKER
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Provost José L. Cruz converses with Irene Matz, College of Communications associate dean and associate professor of human communication studies, and Joshua Yang, associate professor of health science.
Provost Sees
Titan Pride As a Foundation for Work José L. Cruz Acknowledges Challenges But Looks
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Toward a Bright Future
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Stories about individuals or programs that characterize the proud Titan tradition.
Story by Valerie Orleans ’80 / Images by Matt Gush ’12
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Titan Pride
osé L. Cruz, provost and vice president for academic affairs, is proud to be a Titan. “Over the past three months, I’ve learned much about this great University, its people, its ways and its traditions. I understand what my colleagues mean when they say that ‘learning is preeminent’ on this campus, and I understand what it means to revel in Titan Pride.” Prior to arriving on campus, Cruz served as vice president of higher education policy and practice at The Education Trust, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. While there, he was involved in separate efforts to regulate for-profit colleges, protect the federal Pell Grant program, and advocate for improvements in degree completion rates through the adoption and implementation of equityminded policies and practices across all sectors of higher education. “Although the proportion of Americans with a four-year degree is at an all-time high, we’re not improving fast enough to keep pace with the country’s demands,” he said. “It’s estimated that by 2018, we’ll be short about three million college-educated workers.” And there are significant gaps between traditionally underserved students and their peers. “By age 24, you’re seven times more likely to have earned a bachelor’s degree if your parents are wealthy than if they are poor,” he said. “And the gap in college attainment between white students and students of color is actually bigger now than it was in the 1970s.” Our nation enrolls 49 million students in its K-12 public schools – 22 million of whom come from low-income families and 20 million of whom are black, Latino or American Indian. “We must better serve all of our students, including the traditionally underserved, if we are to once again lead the world in educational attainment and fulfill our twin promises of opportunity and social mobility for all those that work hard and play by the rules,” Cruz said. There are, unquestionably, challenges ahead. But Cruz’s experience as a teacher-scholar, department chair, dean and vice president at the University of Puerto Rico, and the lessons learned as the director of the national Access to Success Initiative, which involved 22 systems of public higher education comprising 312 campuses, makes him well-suited for his new role at Cal State Fullerton. “Our institution is well-positioned to become a national model comprehensive university,” he said. “Through universitywide conversation we have developed a five-year strategic plan that will help us organize our work to bridge the gap between our current reality and our very ambitious aspirations.” The father of five and grandfather of two is pleased to have his family finally join him in Southern California this summer. And he continues to cultivate relationships with members of the campus community, develop operational plans and build the foundation for the work ahead. “To those who doubt that public institutions can expand access, improve quality, increase degree completion rates and keep costs affordable, I say ‘Come to Cal State Fullerton. We’ll show you the way.’” n
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Working As Professionals, Faculty
Real-WorldExperience By Michael Mahi ’83 / Images by Matt Gush ’12 and Patrick O’Donnell
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The work of art professor Cliff Cramp ’92, ’98 goes beyond the classroom. He includes LucasFilms, 20th Century Fox, United Artists and Disney Entertainment among his clients.
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Stories that take a close look at an issue, trend or subject that affects the University and the community beyond.
TOOLS TO SUCCEED In 2000, a studio fire destroyed more than 10 years of Cliff Cramp’s art. The fire pushed him to switch from traditional illustration to digital painting. The benefactors of that decision are the hundreds of students that Cramp ’92, ’98 (M.A., M.F.A.) has taught, as well as the many clients he serves as a freelancer in the entertainment industry. Cramp is area coordinator for the illustration program and instructs traditional and digital media. His clients have included LucasFilms, 20th Century Fox, United Artists and Disney Entertainment. So when he started working at Cal State Fullerton in 2000, he knew he wanted to remain active in the entertainment industry. “It’s important for your students to know that you are bringing real-world experiences into the classroom,” he said. “Really everything that I do professionally is relevant to the classroom because I am training professionals.” Cramp is able to invite industry leaders to class or team up with studios like DreamWorks so students can meet and be critiqued by working artists. He brings in his own studio contracts and explains the art of negotiation, including pricing freelance jobs. He teaches new illustration technologies, styles, concepts and trends he has experienced. His professional work is invaluable when it comes to helping students hone their own craft. “The students see that you are working in the industry and that you understand how things work,” he said. “You’re giving them the tools to succeed.”
BRINGING TEXTBOOKS TO LIFE
Bring Lessons to Life
Dennis Gaschen believes in a good mix of textbook and real-life experience. A lecturer since 1994, Gaschen ’80 (M.A. communications) has been actively involved in the public relations field for more than 30 years and believes life experiences enhance course work. “What you bring to the classroom are your experiences that hopefully bring the textbook to life.’’ In 2010, Gaschen was selected to the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows, the profession’s highest honor. Among his clients are nonprofit organizations, hospitals and public agencies. The practical, work-related experience Gaschen shares include the ways he pitches stories to the media, how he networks
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In Focus
ringing current, cutting-edge industry information into the classroom, a significant number of Cal State Fullerton faculty members work in their professions while teaching at the University. Here’s a look at several CSUF faculty members who hone their expertise on the front lines, and enhance student learning through sharing their firsthand experiences and leveraging their network of professional contacts.
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with other professionals and the experiences of other professional mentors, who help student teams with their capstone public relations projects. Having the opportunity to share his experiences in the classroom is something that he never considered would develop into a career. “I never thought that I could teach. …It is a wonderful blessing,” Gaschen said. “It’s made me a better professional.”
WORDS INTO PRACTICE Nursing came to Katherine Tong at an early age. When the assistant professor was a child, her mother gave her a toy blood pressure kit – determining her life’s work. Over the past 26 years, Tong has worked as a nurse and board-certified nurse practitioner and is in her seventh year at CSUF teaching courses and labs in health assessment and concepts using evidence-based practices. She also works two half-days a week in a family practice, where she sees pediatric and women’s health patients. She says the experience helps keep her current in the fast-changing world of medicine. “I love doing what I do,” Tong said. Like many of the nursing faculty who keep their skills current, Tong is able to pass her vast experience along to her students, enhancing what they learn in class and giving them the benefit of her hands-on experiences. “If you can put into practice what you are saying to them, then it validates what you are teaching,”’ she said. When Tong is working with students in a lab she is able to illustrate the lessons through her past cases, such as determining a woman was pregnant when she insisted she wasn’t. “She broke
down crying because culturally it was taboo for her to be pregnant,” Tong said. “Thank God I didn’t just send her home.” Tong says the best part of teaching in the nursing program is that many of the students are working in the medical field, and they are able to share their own experiences and put into practice what is being taught. “I used to do a straight lecture when I first started out,” Tong said. “Now we have a discussion and share experiences, cases. The students love it.”
WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE Lecturer Stan Breckenridge is a recording artist, composer, performer and author, holding a doctorate in musicology. Now Breckenridge ’75 (B.A. music) is a Fulbright Scholar lecturing and performing in Poland. So when he stands in front of a class to discuss musical history, performance and composition, students know he brings a wealth of professional experience to back up what he is teaching. “In general, students want to know if we as teachers practice what we preach,” Breckenridge said. “Students are indeed impressed by their professor’s attainment of a doctorate degree.
Assistant Professor Katherine Tong shares real-world experiences with her nursing students.
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Communications lecturer Dennis Gaschen ’80, a public relations professional, represents Medieval Times, among other clients.
Lecturer Stan Breckenridge ’75 loves to share his experiences as a musician and performer with students.
A host of CSUF faculty members are leaders in their professions. Here is a sampling: n
Mark Boster, communications lecturer, is the Communications Department’s 2013 Distinguished Communicator and a Pulitzer Prize winner. Boster, a photojournalist for more than three decades, has been a Los Angeles Times staff photographer since 1983.
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Bill Cunliffe, music professor and performer, in 2010 won a Grammy for his arrangement of “West Side Story Medley.” Cunliffe was nominated in 2012 for Best Instrumental Composition, “Overture, Waltz and Rondo.”
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Ken Ravizza, professor emeritus of kinesiology, is an authority on performance enhancement, stress management skills and coping strategies. As a consultant, Ravizza has worked with Olympians, Major League Baseball teams including the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and professional athletes and teams.
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Wayne Pinnell, accounting lecturer in the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, is managing partner of Haskell & White LLP, one of the largest locally owned CPA firms in Southern California.
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Al Gorski, who teaches courses in risk management at Mihaylo College, is the chief risk officer with the Orange County Transportation Authority.
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Jule Selbo, chair and associate professor of radio-TV-film, writes screenplays professionally and completed a low-budget horror film last fall.
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Ari Posner, assistant professor of radio-TV-film, took a leave of absence last fall to work on the Toronto writing staffs of two Nickelodeon shows.
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In Focus
Still, adding the ability to not only sing and play an instrument, but also to do so at the performance level, is even more stimulating.” For Breckenridge, the process of preparing for a performance is akin to the preparation he makes to teach. Students have the added bonus of being able to purchase one of his eight albums or see him perform. “Because of these accomplishments, students seem self-assured in my ability to furnish them with applicable skills and knowledge,” he said. Enriching students’ lives and discovering new talent are among the many elements he loves about teaching. He is working with a young violinist and vocalist in Poland that he discovered in one of his music workshops. They have released an album and have performed in two concerts with more to come. “To be able to share my experiences, inspire and motivate and, subsequently, witness the growth of young people is what I love most about teaching,” Breckenridge said. n
More Faculty Leaders in Their Professions
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Hands-On Experiences Benefit Students and the University
The High Impact of
Experiential
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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
By Cathi Douglas ’80 / Images by Matt Gush ’12
Learning
Sophomore physics major Daniel Vander-Hyde, 19, of La Habra is performing research this summer at the University of Pisa in Italy, thanks to his yearlong research experience with physicist Joshua Smith. Smith, assistant professor of physics and director of CSUF’s new Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center, involves What are high-impact practices? undergraduates like Vander-Hyde in research into gravitationaln First-year seminars and experiences wave detection. Such research is n Core curriculum important because ripples of space-time curvature and black n Learning communities holes would confirm Albert n Writing-intensive courses Einstein’s 1916 General Theory n Collaborative projects of Relativity and open new ways n Undergraduate research of exploring the universe. n Diversity and global learning Smith believes undern Internships graduate research is particularly n Capstone courses and projects vital to students’ scientific n Service-learning experience. “In the classroom, students are exposed to things already understood. Far fewer students are exposed to the mysteries of science,” Smith explained. “Research exposes you to the big open questions that are out there, what pushes forward human understanding.” For his part, Vander-Hyde said he not only values the laboratory experience, but writing and presenting scientific papers and interaction
Sophomore Derek Bosman works on Titan VI, a Formula SAE race car that the Titan Motorsports team is preparing to enter a worldwide competition. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
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Cover Story
xperiential learning – also known as high-impact practices in higher education circles – is receiving keen attention among educators nationwide, including those at Cal State Fullerton, who want to prepare and graduate successful students. These kinds of hands-on practices – including study abroad, service-learning, internships, community engagement, undergraduate research and other outside-the-classroom, innovative instructional experiences – have long been benefits of a Cal State Fullerton education. Still, one of the objectives of the University’s recently adopted strategic plan is to increase by 25 percent the number of CSUF students participating in these types of experiences. Another objective is to ensure that 75 percent of CSUF students participate in at least two of these high-impact practices before graduation. Both of these address one of President Mildred García’s top priorities: To improve the University’s sixyear graduation rate and become a national model public comprehensive institution when it comes to student learning, retention and graduation. Here, students and faculty members share their views on the vital importance of hands-on learning experiences and their value both prior to and following graduation.
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with other scientists. “This research has opened me up to meeting more people in and beyond the department,” he noted. “It has a lot of value to any student.” Senior computer engineering major Noah Gampe, 24, of Bellflower will intern this summer at Emulex Corp. in Costa Mesa because of what he calls “life-changing” research with Kiran George, assistant professor of computer engineering. “Being a research assistant is totally different than being in class, because there is no syllabus; there are no study groups, and no one to hold your hand,” Gampe said. “The whole point of research is to try to think about the unknown, something, somewhere that has no textbooks, tutorials or guidelines.” George agrees, noting that in the laboratory students “get to dirty their hands by working on real-world problems instead of just learning from textbooks.” He and his students use a supercomputing cluster, or group of high-performing
“
Students deserve to be engaged in their learning, and research shows that when they experience high-impact opportunities, they are more likely to graduate and have more meaningful college experiences. Cal State Fullerton has a long history of doing this through engagement with faculty, opportunities to participate in research, service-learning and internships, and a whole host of activities that complement and reinforce classroom learning.” Berenecea Johnson Eanes
Vice President for Student Affairs
machines capable of high-end processing, to conduct technological and scientific research for real-world projects focusing on advancing digital receiver technology. “Undergraduate research gives students a context to what they’re doing and why they’re learning what they are,” he added. “When they work on research, they connect the dots.”
FIELD RESEARCH For senior biological science major Nicole Tronske, 22, of Chino Hills, her independent field research into the density and habitat distributions of two different oyster species has allowed her to develop on-the-spot critical thinking, teamwork and troubleshooting skills, in addition to exposing her firsthand to science. “I truly found what I love to do,” Tronske said. “It was critical to do undergraduate research if I really wanted to continue as a graduate student in marine biology, but now I ultimately want
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to do research for the rest of my life.” Tronske is a scholar in the Southern California Ecosystems Research Program co-directed by Bill Hoese, associate professor of biological science. “The goal of the University is to train students to become productive members of society,” Hoese said. “In field research, these students pursue new knowledge, learn what it means to conduct a good experiment and communicate the results. There are all sorts of short- and long-term benefits to the University. These are a community of scholars who work together, study together, use each other as a resource.” Another SCERP scholar, Cristy Rice, 29, of Alta Loma, is a junior biological science major studying the morphology of pipefish, a little-known species whose males carry offspring. “Doing fieldwork has been a tremendous experience that has solidified my desire to do that kind of work as a marine biologist researcher,” Rice said. “During field research, you are forced to problem-solve, to troubleshoot in situations rather than having time to think about it. You have to take all the knowledge you’ve learned and utilize it. You can only apply so much in the classroom.”
COLLABORATIVE ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECTS Archana McEligot, professor of health science, was awarded two grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the growing problem of childhood obesity, particularly in
FRESHMAN PROGRAMS The Freshman Programs experience is one of the reasons freshman biological science major Christy Martinez, 18, of Hawthorne chose to come to Cal State Fullerton last fall. “I was already nervous about college,” Martinez recalled, and participating in the yearlong program – featuring the University 100 course, a homeaway-from-home Lava Lounge
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underrepresented communities. One of the grants has led McEligot, together with community organizations, to develop Comidas y Comunidades Saludables, which trains a diverse workforce to address obesity in the Hispanic immigrant population. Through their CCS projects, not only do students build relationships throughout the community, but they apply the knowledge they’ve gained in class and see its relevance, McEligot said. “It brings in new thoughts and new ideas,” she noted. Under the CCS program, junior health science major Crystal Mendoza, 22, of Anaheim teaches hip-hop dance for fitness and health to students at Santa Ana elementary and junior high schools. Mendoza is pleased that the children wrote in journals that, at the end of the eight-week class, they felt and ate healthier and were losing weight. “I like it because it’s hands-on,” Mendoza said of her internship with THINK Together’s Active Learning, which has led to a paid position with the organization. “You learn in health science classes about the childhood obesity rate, but I see how I can do something about it rather than just writing papers or giving speeches. I’m able to work with children and actually manage their weight.”
Joshua Smith, left, director of the new Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center, works with students like Fabian Magana on gravitational-wave research to expand knowledge of the universe.
specifically for Freshman Programs students, mentoring, tutoring and guidance – helped her make the adjustment to college. “I really struggled in the first semester,” Martinez said. “I didn’t know how to register for classes or how to get my work done, but the staff is always there to help. Tutoring through the program helped in my struggle with math and physics. University 100 helped me out, providing a lot of skills, such as how to study, time management and working with a budget,” she added. Joel Aposta, a freshman studying mechanical engineering, agreed that Freshman Programs has provided him with a support system of friends, mentors and advisers. “It’s forced me to become more mature, and taught me that no one in college is going to hand you anything – you must be independent,” said Aposta, 19, of Orange. Nancy Page Fernandez, director of freshman programs, noted that University 100 is the gold standard of first-year seminars, providing students with the academic and practical skills they need to succeed in college. “The students are so involved mentally, physically and socially in learning that they are learning at maximum capacity. They develop relationships and make connections between classes.”
Nicole Tronske, assisted by Kyle Rida, conducts independent field research into the density and habitat distributions of two different oyster species as a scholar in the Southern California Ecosystems Research Program.
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STUDY ABROAD Tara Rowlodge, 24, of Yosemite said studying for a year in Korea changed both her perspective and her career goals. The human services major wanted to become a marriage and family therapist, but now plans to return to Korea to teach English. Studying abroad was the best decision she ever made. “It challenges your view of yourself and the world,” Rowlodge said. “The biggest learning experience is learning about yourself.” Lay Tuan Tan, director of international programs, agrees that global studies are a life-changing experience for students. “Being open-minded, culturally sensitive, learning about the interdependent global community, applying problem-solving and critical thinking skills – these are all part of global learning,” Tan
“
High-impact practices have been proven to benefit all students and to disproportionately benefit those students that have traditionally been underserved by our K-12 schools. And that is why these programs are so central to our ability to meet our strategic goal of improving student persistence, increasing graduation rates and narrowing achievement gaps. By providing each of our students with the opportunities they need to succeed, we are not only contributing to their individual lives, we are addressing the workforce and societal needs of our community and advancing our nation’s goal to once again lead the world in educational attainment.” José L. Cruz Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
said. “It’s important for the University because our University mission statement refers to promoting a global outlook and global learning. I think all our students should become global citizens and learn to analyze issues on a global scale.”
INTERNSHIPS For Eric Don, 21, of Buena Park, last summer’s internship in the sales department of ABC-7 prepared him for his ultimate career goal of becoming a management consultant. During the summer, he gained experience in every facet of sales, from analysis of Nielsen ratings to market research, promotions and experience on-set and in-studio. “Internships are important. You can’t replicate that TITAN
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Health science major Crystal Mendoza teaches hip-hop dance for fitness and health to students at Santa Ana’s Walker Elementary School. Her internship has led to a paid position.
professional experience in the classroom,” the senior business administration major said. “One of the issues is pressure – the real-world experience puts a good pressure on students to perform at a high standard. Another is networking – there is no better way to network with people who share their experiences and ultimately may leverage their connections to help you.”
CAPSTONE COURSES AND PROJECTS His love for the automotive industry drove mechanical engineering major Derek Bosman, 20, of Escondido to join the 2012-13 College of Engineering and Computer Science student team building Titan VI, a Formula-SAE race car displayed at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in April. The team is presently preparing to compete this summer at the 2013 Formula SAE at Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, Neb. The collegiate student design competition is organized by SAE International (formerly Society of Automotive Engineers) and attracts more than 80 teams from universities worldwide. The CSUF team has about 30 participants, including members from the college’s Society of Automotive Engineers and American Society of Mechanical Engineers student chapters. Bosman said his two-year participation in the program provides hands-on opportunities to apply the theories he’s learned in the classroom. “You know instantly what you need to work on, and what you don’t know,”
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Above, Eliot Horner and Michael Gustafson are members of Titan Motorsports, the student team building Titan VI, a Formula SAE race car. They will participate this summer in a collegiate student design competition that attracts more than 80 teams from universities worldwide.
he said. “It’s taught me a lot about the ways I can improve both academically and professionally.” John Chi, 42, of Alhambra is a graduate student in CSUF’s Program for Applied Biotechnology Studies. Chi participated in the recent Center for Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition, which required teams of students to develop and present business plans before a panel of judges, competing for prize money and connections to venture capital firms for
businesses they hope to launch. He worked with three other students from diverse majors on developing Synova Life Sciences, an innovative new scientific company. “I really can’t imagine a better place to cut our teeth in preparing and presenting our business plan,” Chi said of the competition. “I’m pretty comfortable in a lab or in a technical position or in my current job, but this totally pushed me out of my comfort zone.” John Bradley Jackson, the center director and CSUF lecturer in management, said that the business plan competition, like other special projects requiring teamwork and business development, challenges students to take concepts and redefine them in real terms. “I’m a huge believer in applied learning,” Jackson said. “It’s one thing to hear a lecture or read a book, but to take that content and do something meaningful with it… that’s a high-impact learning experience.” n
The Lava Lounge is a home-away-from-home for Freshman Programs students to relax between classes, receive tutoring or advisement, and make friends.
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CSUF
IN LIVING COLOR
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Newer Buildings Transform the University
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f you haven’t been to the campus of Cal State Fullerton in the past few years, we’ve changed! You’ve read in previous issues of Titan Magazine about the construction of parking structures, Mihaylo Hall, the Clayes Performing Arts Center, residence halls and more. Here’s your chance to see some of our most recent campus developments. While this is not a comprehensive list, our map will give you some idea of the scope and content of our most recent campus additions. Visit us soon and see for yourself. Until then, enjoy your “visit” here in these pages.
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Milestones
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
Stories that highlight a landmark issue, program or individual in the life of the university.
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1 COLLEGE PARK BUILDING
4 THE GASTRONOME
Formerly a corporate office building, the College Park Building houses the office of CSUF President Mildred García, as well as University Extended Education, the offices of the colleges of Communications and Education, and classrooms.
2 STEVEN G. MIHAYLO HALL
Steven G. Mihaylo Hall is fully dedicated to the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, which is recognized as a “best business school” in national reports. Named for alumnus Steven G. Mihaylo ’69, who donated nearly $35 million, it has numerous state-of-the art classrooms, lecture halls, study areas and even a Starbucks.
The Gastronome dining facility provides students with a wide variety of healthy eating options and is a hub for bringing students together.
5 POLLAK LIBRARY
The intellectual heart of the University, the Pollak Library is divided into the south and north wings. The Chicano/a Resource Center and the University Honors and Scholars Center are on the first floor of the north wing.
6 PARKING STRUCTURES
3 DAN BLACK HALL
Named for donor Dan Black ’67 (B.A. physics), Dan Black Hall houses more than 50 research laboratories. Students in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics pursue their studies here.
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Adjacent to the 57 Freeway, the Eastside Parking Structure has the capacity for 1,500 vehicles. A Visitor Information Center is on the perimeter. On the northwest side of campus, the State College Parking Structure can accommodate 1,513 vehicles. On the southwest corner of campus, the Nutwood Parking Structure accommodates 2,500 vehicles.
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Milestones
7 FULLERTON ARBORETUM VISITOR CENTER / ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND NIKKEI HERITAGE MUSEUM
The Fullerton Arboretum complex comprises a visitor center, conference center and museum honoring the agricultural legacy of Orange County and the Japanese-American, or Nikkei, community’s contributions.
10 CLAYES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
8 COBB RESIDENCE HALLS AND STUDENT HOUSING PHASES II AND III
Named after alumnus and donor Joseph A.W. Clayes III, the center houses the Music and Theatre and Dance departments in the College of the Arts. Opened in January 2006, the center includes the Meng Concert Hall, Young Theatre and Hallberg Theatre, as well as a scene shop, costume shop, dance studios, faculty offices and other ancillary support spaces.
Cal State Fullerton is now home to about 2,000 students living in three phases of student housing. The newest residence halls opened in 2011.
11 9 CHILDREN’S CENTER
The Children’s Center serves children whose parents are primarily students at the University.
STUDENT RECREATION CENTER
Among the amenities at the state-of-the-art Student Recreation Center are a multi-court gymnasium, a cardio/weight room, an outdoor swimming pool, multimedia cardio room, cycling room and an indoor track. One of its most prominent features is a 30-foot rock-climbing wall, right off the center’s entrance.
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To submit news about yourself, please email titanmagazine@fullerton.edu.
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Class Notes 70s
BRUCE BROMAGE ’75, ’76
(B.A., M.A. psychology) is senior vice president of business development and operations at Liquidmetal Technologies. Bromage previously served eight years as an executive vice president and general manager at NASDAQ-listed Symmetricom, a worldwide leader in precision time and frequency technologies. GERARD GOEDHART ’76 (B.A. economics)
was elected to the La Palma City Council in November 2012. Goedhart previously served on the Signal Hill City Council from 1982-1998. JEFF HUBER ’78 (M.A. English) has retired
as head diving coach at Indiana University. Huber had been at Indiana for 24 years, was a 12-time U.S. National Coach of the Year and had served as a coach for the United States at three of the last four Olympic games. STEVE MATTER ’74 (B.A. marketing) is
senior vice president and director of insurance at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. Matter’s Amazon No. 1 bestseller, “Get Noticed & Get Hired” teaches people how to stand out on paper and in person in their job search.
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A Superior Investment $1
CA
$5.15
For every $1 invested by the state in CSUF, it returns $5.15 to the state’s economy.
fullerton.edu/advocacy/TitanMag JOHN ORSBUN ’73 (B.A. communications)
has retired to Maui, Hawaii, after a career in the aerospace and technology industries. Orsbun has written two Kindle novels: “Short Shrift,” a zany send-up of the cast and crew of a traveling carnival in the South; and “Bardok and the Forest of Fier,” a fantasy adventure story for teenagers. BARRY ROSENFELD ’73
(B.A. political science) has been appointed to the Love of Learning Selection Committee by the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi for 2012-14.
NORMAN THOMAS ’75, ’78 (B.A., M.A. art)
teaches a series of classes at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., and Portland Community College in Portland, Ore. Thomas has taught a variety of disciplines, including jewelry, ceramics, glass-blowing and design basics. JANIE YEO KIRK ’71 (B.A. speech communi-
cation) is West Virginia director of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association, which owns and operates Stratford Hall, at the Montross, Va., birthplace of Robert E. Lee. Kirk retired in 2006 after 18 years as administrative coordinator for CSUF’s Department of Biological Science.
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Class Notes
80s
JAMES BOYER ’83 (B.A. music-
music education) received the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association award. Boyer is a music teacher at Terra Cotta Middle School in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District. While at CSUF, Boyer played the tuba in the marching band. RICHARD DAVIS ’83 (B.A. economics),
chairman, president and CEO of U.S. Bancorp, was named one of the world’s top bosses in a survey reported in Forbes. Davis made the top 10. http://finance.yahoo.com/ news/worlds-favorite-bosses-113040917. html?page=all PAUL GILLEBAARD ’87 (B.S. mechanical
engineering) has written a novel, “Moon Hoax,” a historical fiction thriller based on the space race to the moon. The book focuses on America’s quest to prove to China that the U.S. won the space race of the 1960s. It is self-published by Gillebaard’s Dream Access Books. TODD ERIK HENRY ’87, ’88, ’91 (B.A. business
administration, M.P.A., M.A. political science) was elected president of Community Health Charities of Washington and Idaho and recently was elected president of Attention Deficit Disorder Resources. RICHARD HERNANDEZ ’81 (B.A. history)
is Toastmasters International’s District 49 governor, having the operational and administrative oversight of 66 clubs with approximately 1,200 members spanning the state of Hawaii. PEGGY HESKETH ’83 (B.A. communications)
has had her debut novel “Telling The Bees” published by Putnam. Hesketh teaches writing and rhetoric at the University of California, Irvine.
Living and Giving the American Dream Dan Black ’67 (B.A. physics) recalls “a fantastic undergraduate experience” at Cal State Fullerton, as well as personalized attention from professors that made challenging course work come alive. A successful entrepreneur who has bought and sold several thriving companies, Dan credits four physics professors with his attainment of the American Dream. “They gave me the confidence to know I could do anything – nothing was going to hold me back.” Dan believes in giving back to the University in many ways and to many programs. His student experience and his work as a longtime board member of both the CSUF Philanthropic Foundation and the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has led to a bequest to the University. Dan’s bequest makes him a member of the University’s Ontiveros Society, consisting of benefactors who have included CSUF in their estate plans for any form of planned gift. For more information about bequests and planned giving, contact Joan Rubio, Senior Director of Central Development, at 657-278-3947 or jubio@fullerton.edu.
fullerton.edu/PlannedGiving CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
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English, teaching credential) published “Chalkboard Champions: Twelve Remarkable Teachers Who Educated America’s Disenfranchised Students” (Wheatmark, 2012). The book provides biographical sketches of educators who worked with American Indians, African Americans, Latino Americans, newly arrived immigrants, orphans, the poor and the handicapped. The book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble online. MATT MCLAUGHLIN ’83 (B.A. communica-
tions) has written a book, “Fit at 50: Back From the Brink, Naturally,” a comprehensive guide to eating and exercise to help regain better health and physical balance.
fitatfif tybackfromthebrink.com
MIKE RITTER ’87 (B.A. chemistry) was named
emergency department medical director at Mission Hospital and CHOC Children’s Hospital at Mission. Ritter is the past chief of staff and has worked as an emergency physician and assistant director of the emergency room for the past 16 years.
In Memoriam
n TOM JANKIEWICZ ’89 (B.A. English), a screenwriter whose film credits include “Grosse Pointe Blank,” a 1997 action comedy, died Jan. 23. n GARY LYCAN ’69 (B.A. communications), a 40-year veteran of the Orange County Register newsroom who served on Titan Magazine’s advisory board, died April 9. He was 68. n RICHARD P. MCWILLIAM, ‘77 (B.A. business administration) co-founder and CEO of The Upper Deck Company, died Jan. 5. McWilliam was 59. He was credited with transforming the sports trading card business TITAN
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RICHARD VESELY ’80 (B.A. business adminis-
tration-finance) is director of customer development for the Colgate-Palmolive Co. Vesely has worked for Colgate for 32 years, and is based in New York City. LAURIE WATSON ’85 (B. A. liberal studies)
released her debut nonfiction book, “Wanting Sex Again – How to Rediscover Your Desire and Heal a Sexless Marriage,” published by Berkley Trade, Penguin (2012). Watson is a certified sex therapist, licensed marital counselor and blogger for Psychology Today online magazine.
90s
DANIELLE BISUTTI ’98 (B.A.
theatre arts) has been booked for a recurring role on the CBS hit drama series “NCIS.” Bisutti completed filming in Canada for Universal’s “Curse of Chucky,” the latest sequel in the “Child’s Play” horror franchise. NICOLE BLOCK ’99 (B.A. communications
radio/TV/film) is line producer for a new television series, “Chained to My Ex,” a reality show about divorced couples who live together. The program premiered on MSNBC in December.
by creating Upper Deck, which expanded into a major sports and entertainment company. n MOUGO NYAGGAH, associate professor of history, died on March 28 after suffering a heart attack. Nyaggah came to CSUF in 1973. He also was president of the Fullerton chapter of the California Faculty Association. n MARIBEL RAMOS ’13 (B.A. criminal justice), who died in May, was awarded a posthumous degree at Commencement 2013. n GERALD B. (JERRY) TANBERG , ’86 (B.S. computer science) died Oct. 13, 2012. Tanberg served in the U.S. Air Force and over the years worked in, and/or invested in, a number of businesses.
KENT ANDERSON BUTLER ’98 (M.F.A. art-
creative photography) is a Los Angeles-based artist working in a variety of media, including video installation, performance and photography. Butler has participated in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally, and recently was featured in a KCET article. kcet.org /ar ts /ar tbound /counties / riverside /kent-anderson-butler.html
JOHN L. CRESWELL ’93 (B.A. business
administration-accounting) is a senior managing director at Euclid Advisors, an investment management affiliate of Virtus Investment Partners. ELIZABETH G. MACIAS ’95 (B.A. psychology,
ethnic studies-Chicano studies) was appointed to an Orange County Superior Court judgeship by Gov. Jerry Brown. Macias had served as deputy federal public defender for the central district since 1999. She serves on the Latina Lawyers Bar Association board and was a keynote speaker at CSUF’s Commencement 2013. JOHN F. MIGLIAZZA ’92 (B.A. business
administration-management) is chief operating officer for JenaValve Technology Inc., an aortic valve systems manufacturer. Migilazza spent the past 12 years with Irvine-based Edwards Lifesciences, working primarily in heart valve research, engineering, manufacturing, commercial support and development. KEVIN TWER ’94 (B.A. communications-
journalism) is the senior vice president of Tustin-based HKA Inc. Public Relations. Twer and his team developed a holiday-themed video featuring President Mildred García and other prominent Orange County leaders promoting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_ embedded&v=bmFKsrz-2j8
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00s
KRISTI BARNARD ’06 (B.A.
JOE CALARCO ’09 (M.F.A. in theatre
arts-acting) is an ensemble member of the LA-based Coeurage Theatre Co. MICHAEL CUNNEEN ’03 (B.A. business admin-
istration) is a project manager with Partner Engineering and Science Inc. VALORIE CURRY ’09 (B.F.A. theatre arts)
is one of the lead actors in the cast of a new drama series on FOX starring Kevin Bacon, “The Following.” Curry also appears in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2.” CHRISTINE GELTZ ’04 (M.A. communications-
public relations) was named BKi director of marketing communications.
BILL MORDICH ’01 (B.A. communications-
public relations) was hired by Country Financial as a financial representative. Mordich has more than 15 years of investment experience and works with clients at the office in Fargo, N.D.
KRISTIN PROCTOR ’05 (B.A. communications-
public relations) has been promoted to group supervisor at Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC. It’s the third promotion Proctor has received since joining the agency in December 2010. ROBANNE ROBIN ’00 (B.A. communications)
has written a book about her lifelong struggle with food. “Half My Size! One woman’s road to losing 150 pounds and getting her STRONG on!” is available on Amazon.com .
Class Notes • Spotlight
psychology) is the shelter director for Women’s CenterYouth & Family Services in San Joaquin County, overseeing the shelter programs for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and runaway and homeless youth.
Telling the Community Story
Spotlight
NHU-NGOC THUY ONG ’99, ’01 (B.A., M.A. psychology) considers the community
her classroom and Việt Tide Magazine her textbook. “People ask me, ‘Why aren’t you a professor?’ ” Ong said. “This,” she said recently, holding a copy of the weekly magazine that she edits and publishes, “is a chance to reach out to a larger mass. It’s in Vietnamese, so it reaches a more disadvantaged population.” A former CSUF President’s Scholar, Ong went on to earn a second master’s degree in social sciences in 2005 and a doctorate in political science in 2009, both from UC Irvine. Ong, formerly the editor of Viễn Đông Daily News until she acquired Việt Tide this year, described her publishing philosophy this way: “We try to promote dialogue with our stories. We present issues and all their sides in many articles, incorporating questions so that readers also will raise questions and think critically. I think this is really important for a community to grow intellectually and mature politically.” Ong was born in Saigon in 1977, the year her father was caught purchasing supplies for the family’s planned escape by boat and was imprisoned for five years in a “re-education camp.” Meanwhile, Ong’s mother made certain both she and her brother learned Vietnamese and English. In 1992 when Ong was 14, she and her family moved to Irvine, where an aunt lived and served as their American sponsor. Ong graduated with honors from Woodbridge High School and was offered merit scholarships to several universities. She chose Cal State Fullerton because “I knew it to be a teaching institution, where I would be in small classes taught by professors, not grad assistants,” she explained. “I’m so grateful for my experience at Fullerton. I was so well-prepared. By the time I got to UCI, I was ready to publish.” Being well-prepared is Ong’s message to her readers. It’s imperative that they become educated about global issues that affect them, and that will engage them in vigorous conversations, she said. n
Story by Mimi Ko Cruz ’91 /Photo by Matt Gush ’12 CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
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DAVID SANDERS ’07 (B.F.A. art-drawing and painting) has
authored “The Blood of the Shroud,” a novel available at Amazon.com. Inspired by the events of the fourth crusade, Sanders combines historical fact with fiction to offer a possible scenario for the disappearance of the Shroud of Christ from Constantinople. Sanders is now working on his second novel, set to release in late 2013. PATRICIA A. THOMAS ’05 (B.A. sociology and American
studies), is a former Cal State Fullerton President’s Scholar and holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in sociology from Duke University. Thomas is a postdoctoral scholar at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin and a published author with articles in several academic journals, such as the Journal of Health and Social Behavior and American Journal of Public Health. ROD YABUT ’01 (B.A. communications-advertising) is
the University of Southern California’s new interactive marketing manager. Yabut is responsible for advancing the university’s strategic vision online, which includes developing sustainable strategies for emerging media. HEATHER ZUHLKE ’00 (B.A. communications-radio/TV/
film) is a writer and co-executive producer of “Jane Wayne,” an hourlong police drama for the USA Network. Zuhlke also has been a writer on the police drama “Southland.”
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ADRIENNE CONANT DOUGHERTY ’11 (B.A.
psychology) received a $90,000 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship. Dougherty was a member of CSUF’s Minority Access to Research Careers and is pursuing her doctorate in social psychology. LISA JOHNSON ’12 (B.A. public administration) was
hired as a scheduler and legislative aide for Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita. Johnson most recently served as a field representative for former Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona. SHANNON YAMANAKA ’12 (B.A. communications-
advertising) is media manager at The Fender Music Foundation, a national charity associated with Fender Musical Instruments Corp. The organization donates thousands of instruments to music education programs nationwide through the support of instrument manufacturers, retailers and musicians. Yamanaka has rebranded the organization with various print materials, as well as designed advertisements to represent the foundation internationally.
TITAN
I SUMMER 2013
L.A.
Glen Creason ’78
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Story by Cathi Douglas ‘80 / Image by Matt Gush ‘12 For a brief video of Glen Creason ’78 discussing his work on the John Feathers collection, please go to http://youtu.be/bP-qcF0a48o.
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON I
TITAN
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Stories about interesting, prominent, successful or provocative faculty, students, alumni and friends of CSUF.
Unfolded
maps were everywhere – every kind of map, crowded on every surface. Where there would normally be cookbooks, beautiful atlases lined the cupboards; the den downstairs featured wall-to-wall street guides. “When I entered the kitchen and saw pristine Rennie and Thomas street guides, I was lightheaded,” he recalled. Later that night, he couldn’t sleep for excitement. Now, each day is like a treasure hunt as he and his staff and a team of volunteers sort and painstakingly archive the materials, which ultimately will be made available to libraries nationwide. It’s all part of a day’s work for Creason, who originally studied to become a librarian because of an active interest in the opposite sex. He was unemployed in the 1970s, living in South Gate and, too poor to buy anything, would spend free time at the local library. “There were two beautiful librarians working there, a blonde and a brunette,” he recalled. “It seemed like a good job where you were surrounded by women.” Graduating shortly before the passage of Prop. 13, which meant library layoffs rather than hires, Creason worked for two years as a librarian at the Herald Examiner. He was hired first as a children’s librarian in San Dimas and then by the Central Library’s history department in 1979. He learned about maps on the job. After decades as map librarian, Creason sees both his 2010 book and the 2008-2009 exhibit “L.A. Unfolded” as his legacy. He has spent hours in research with the late Huell Howser, whom he found as enthusiastic with the cameras off as when they are on. He has met Diane Keaton, George McGovern, Jodie Foster, August Wilson and Denzel Washington, among many others. And he continues to love answering patrons’ questions, which range from the bizarre to the fascinating. “Maps tell a story and can explain a lot,” he said. For instance, he added, maps tell why Los Angeles is a city spread apart and Boyle Heights is a cultural melting pot. “Maps answer all those questions, and tell what direction a city or country has gone. Pictorial maps draw tourists and show how a city wants to portray itself; in the 1950s, Los Angeles was portrayed as a Garden of Eden, when, in fact, there was a murder every day.” He doesn’t plan to retire for a while, since his daughter is headed back to college. “I like being a know-it-all,” he said. “I love answering questions.” n
Titan Profile
hen the position for map librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library opened up 24 years ago, Glen Creason ’78 (M.S. library science) was the only applicant. He had to be talked into applying, and knew so little about maps when he got the job that scale – the measurement on every map showing its ratio of distance – had to be explained to him. Today, Creason is a recognized map expert and author of the critically acclaimed book “Los Angeles in Maps.” He is supervising the Central Library’s archiving of a recently donated historic map collection that is considered a priceless find. Creason, who has worked at the library for a total of 32 years, said the worth of the 2012 donation of the John Feathers collection – a treasure trove of rare maps and archival materials discovered in a packed Mt. Washington cottage that was due to be demolished – is incalculable. It includes volumes of atlases, stacks of folding maps, street maps from throughout the nation and more, for a total of 220 cartons and 600 feet of library shelving. That’s two football fields of library shelves, not including foldout maps, which had been contained in the Oversees One of the Country’s Largest Map Collections 948-square-foot home. As the library’s map specialist, Creason received a vague telephone request to visit “a house full of maps” by real estate broker Matt Greenberg. Indeed, when he arrived,
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