Four Student Veterans Earn SDMAC Scholarships

Four Cal State San Marcos student veterans have received 2018-2019 San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC) Military Veteran Student of the Year Academic Scholarships.

The recipients are:

• David Falconer, who served in the Marines as a computer network administrator. He is pursuing a bachelor’s in computer science and engineering.
• Alexandria Harding, who served in the Navy as an electronics technician. She is pursuing a bachelor’s in biology and aspires to have a career in the medical field.
• Michael Jones, who served in the Navy as a sonar technician. He is pursuing a bachelor’s in computer science.
• Daniel Vandiver, who served in the Marines as an aviation mechanic. He is pursuing a bachelor’s in computer science and aspires to work as a software engineer for flight operations.

Each student will receive $2,500 to help them earn degrees in STEM fields.

“CSUSM is extremely proud of these distinguished veterans for receiving the SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year Academic Scholarships,” said Patricia Reily, director of Veterans Services at CSUSM. “We look forward to seeing them graduate and pursue meaningful careers in the STEM fields.”

CSUSM in national rankings

• CSUSM has been ranked among the top universities in the nation for creating opportunities for students to improve their lives and the lives of their families. CSUSM was listed 52^nd out of nearly 1,400 universities in the Social Mobility Index (SMI) developed by PayScale and CollegeNET. The SMI measures the extent to which a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged students at lower tuition.

• CSUSM was ranked 45^th among Western colleges in Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck” listing and 90^th for “Master’s Universities.” That’s five places higher on the West list and 54 spots higher on the Master’s list compared to last year. More than 200 universities were ranked on the West list and nearly 700 on the Master’s list.
• CSUSM was ranked 45^th in Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine’s list of “Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics 2018” for total bachelor’s degrees granted.

Undergrad research conference

CSUSM was selected to host the 2019 Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research. The event, held in November each year, includes schools from throughout Southern California. The 2019 event will be the first held in San Diego County.

The conference aims to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of the best research, scholarship and creative work of undergraduates in the region.

Kang’s book receives more honors

History professor S. Deborah Kang, who received two prestigious awards in the spring for her book, “The INS on the Line: Making Immigration Law on the U.S.-Mexico Border, 1917-1954,” has received four additional honors: She won the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Book Prize; the Americo Paredes Book Award for Best Nonfiction Book on Chicano/a, Mexican American, and/or Latino/a Studies; the W. Turrentine Jackson Award from the Western History Association; and she was named a finalist for the Weber-Clements Book Prize.

Earlier this year, Kang received the Henry Adams Prize from the Society on History in the Federal Government and the Theodore Saloutos Book Award from the Immigration and Ethnic History Society.

Extended Learning dean receives Chancellor’s Award

Mike Schroder, dean of Extended Learning and associate vice president of International Programs, was recognized by the California State University system with the 2018-19 Chancellor’s Award for Administrator Excellence and Innovation through the Edward M. McAleer Jr. Excellence and Innovation Awards program, which honors outstanding contributions in support of CSU Continuing and Extended Education.

The chancellor’s award was presented on Oct. 10 at a CSU systemwide conference for Extended Learning.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314