This interdisciplinary minor will explore the scientific, psychological and philosophical dimensions of mindfulness and its impact on well-being.

A total of 17 units are required for the minor in mindfulness:

• PSYC 100 – Introduction to Psychology (3 units)
• KINE 150 – Foundations in Mindfulness (1 unit)
• KINE 310 – Social and Emotional Health (3 units)
• PSYC 344 – Positive Psychology (3 units)
• SOC 425 – Sociological Mindfulness (4 units)
• UNIV 495C – University Internship (3 units) 

With a focus on mindfulness, well-being and contemplative practices, this interdisciplinary minor aims to provide students with both theoretical foundations and practical methods. The minor requires completing an internship, which overlaps with the student fellowship requirement.

For more information, please contact Ranjeeta Basu at rbasu@csusm.edu. 

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Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
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The paper details findings that suggest complex interactions among visual feedback, hand dominance, age and tremor dynamics in Parkinson’s disease. The paper was co-authored by Ana Carolina Brisola Brizzi, Shirley Ferreira Campos, Melina Paula Sales, Fabrício Duarte de Almeida, Wellington Pedroso, and Rodrigo Cunha de Mello Pedreiro. 

Pinto Neto has written and published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers.

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Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Robinson is an assistant professor of nursing at CSUSM specializing in hospice and palliative care. She has been a board-certified member since 2011. Her scholarship promotes comprehensive care for critically ill patients and their families.

Kohlbry, a professor emerita, is a former director of university relations and research at the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care. She also has significant experience in curriculum development and putting palliative care education into practice across academic fields.

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Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Young also recently co-authored an open-access publication titled “Social Work on Mars: A Narrative Foresight Analysis.” The paper, co-authored by Jonathan B. Singer, explores how social work might change if people were to live on Mars in the future and how technology and ethics can shape or create stories about the future.

Young, who has been at CSUSM since 2015, received his Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University and has a variety of work experience from nonprofit administration to mental health. His research focuses on comprehending and incorporating new media literacies into social work education.

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Eric Breier, assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The event included remarks from, among others, President Ellen Neufeldt, Provost Carl Kemnitz, Vice President of Student Affairs Viridiana Diaz and Tristan Bugnot, the president and CEO for Associated Students, Inc.

“At Cal State San Marcos, we understand that the student experience stretches far beyond the classroom,” Diaz told attendees, which included family members of new students. “Students are the heartbeat of the Division of Student Affairs. Our professional staff is committed to offering intentional learning and development opportunities that stimulate self-discovery and personal growth, and I have no doubt that you’ll find that CSUSM will play such an impactful role in your lives.

“This is truly a place that not only helps students change the trajectory of their own lives, but also has a positive ripple effect on their families, friends and communities.”

As is tradition at New Student and Family Convocation, each student received a challenge coin from a family member or friend.

“We’re excited and appreciative that our kids are coming into their own and finding their niche, and the challenge coin ceremony is symbolic of that,” said Tony Reece, a family ambassador whose daughter Marisa transferred to CSUSM last year.

Relive some of the highlights from the two ceremonies in the New Student and Family Convocation photo slideshow.

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Eric Breier, Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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Perron is leading a three-year, $1,085,815 project supported by the Laboratory for Physical Sciences, targeting one of the most demanding areas in modern science: quantum information science and technology (QIST).  

The effort builds on a previous Department of Energy RENEW award that equipped CSU undergraduate faculty to integrate quantum concepts into their courses. Now Perron is tackling the next barrier: getting students hands-on experience with the technology itself. 

"Most undergraduate QIST education is theoretical or textbook-focused," Perron said. "While simulations and cloud-accessible systems are valuable, the quantum sector also needs scientists and engineers with hands-on experience operating these systems. Because quantum technology is expensive and typically limited to research and industry settings, most students don't have access to that kind of training." 

Perron’s team is developing a curriculum that teaches core QIST lab competencies without requiring access to a full quantum system. The model will draw on data from quantum industry stakeholders to define workforce needs, then design and test the curriculum at CSUSM and partner institutions, measuring its effectiveness from the perspectives of students, faculty and potential employers. 

While Perron’s project focuses on preparing students for emerging careers in quantum science, other newly funded CSUSM projects are reimagining how students engage with mathematics and biology from the start of their academic journeys. 

"It's exciting to see our faculty leading nationally competitive projects that connect research and teaching in powerful ways," said Charles De Leone, dean of graduate studies and research. "These grants reflect what's possible at an institution like ours, where faculty are deeply invested in student success and bring that commitment into cutting-edge work." 

Additional projects funded this academic year include: 

• Rethinking the gateway to calculus 
  A $173,098 grant from the National Science Foundation supports a collaborative project led by mathematics professor Kimberly Ayers, in partnership with Florida International University, Clark College and the University of Virginia. The project introduces a more interactive model for teaching introductory calculus, a course that serves as a gateway to most STEM majors but has some of the highest failure and withdrawal rates nationally in undergraduate education. 
  Rather than lecture-centered instruction, students work in small groups to solve problems and explain their thinking out loud, building procedural skills alongside the mathematical confidence that research shows is essential to staying in STEM. The collaboration across four institutions allows the team to test the approach across different student populations and refine what works.
• Putting field research into the biology curriculum 
  Funded with a $499,970 grant from the National Science Foundation, a project led by biology professors Mallory Rice, George Vourlitis and Jane Kim will embed hands-on, community-driven scientific research directly into biology courses at CSUSM. Students will investigate biological questions about how urban development is affecting wildlife and natural resources across North San Diego County.
• Building the region’s behavioral and mental health workforce 
  CSUSM received a $450,000 grant from the County of San Diego to help strengthen the region’s health and human services workforce through a partnership with the county’s Health and Human Services Agency and San Diego State University.
• Preparing future public health leaders 
  Kim Pulvers, a professor of psychology, and Richard Armenta, an associate professor of kinesiology, received a competitive renewal award for the Research & Action for Community Health (REACH): CSUSM/UCSD Smoke and Vape Free Scholars Program in partnership with UC San Diego. The program trains undergraduate and master’s students to address tobacco-related health disparities through research, community engagement and public health workforce development. Since the program’s launch in 2022, scholars have presented their work more than 30 times, published nine papers and gone on to graduate programs and health-related careers. This $1,331,620 grant is funded by the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program. 

“What’s especially meaningful about these projects is the way they connect research, teaching and workforce preparation,” De Leone said. 

Research funding is an integral part of CSUSM’s “Blueprint for the Future” fundraising campaign, helping advance the university’s $200 million goal through both philanthropy and grants. 

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Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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Helmantoler had planned to major in speech-language pathology, but a part-time job leading art classes for children shifted her direction entirely. 

“I realized I loved working with a group of kids and creating that classroom environment,” said Helmantoler, president of the Future Educators Association (FEA), an organization for aspiring teachers at Cal State San Marcos. 

This week, Helmantoler will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, and this fall she will begin a multiple subject credential program to teach transitional kindergarten. 

Her involvement in FEA has been supported by Project R.I.S.E. (short for Recruiting Inclusive, Supportive Educators), a CSUSM initiative aimed at strengthening Southern California’s educator pipeline.   

Jared Leeds is on a similar path, one he has envisioned since childhood. 

“I remember playing teacher when I was in kindergarten,” said Leeds, who is pursuing a single-subject credential in English and plans to teach literature to middle and high school students. 

“It’s an interest that has always stayed with me. There’s something profound about building trust with students and knowing you can make an impact, whether it’s big or small. It’s a fulfilling career path.” 

Project R.I.S.E. also has shaped Leeds’ experience. Through program events, he connected with high school students exploring teaching, as well as educators who shared their perspectives and career journeys. 

The initiative is generously funded by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, which provided an initial $40,000 grant to launch Project R.I.S.E. last year and has since committed an additional $120,000 to expand the program. 

“Supporting future educators is an investment in the future of our communities,” said Kristin Crellin, senior vice president at SchoolsFirst FCU and a CSUSM Foundation Board director. “Programs like Project R.I.S.E. create pathways for students to become teachers who will make a lasting difference for generations to come.” 

With this investment, Project R.I.S.E. hosted 400 high school students and their teachers at the Future Educators Summit, offering 14 sessions ranging from student panels and campus tours to hands-on classroom activities. It also organized mock interviews with school administrators for CSUSM students and launched its first College and Career Readiness Summit, bringing together regional educators to co-develop pathways that better support students from high school through college and into careers in education. 

“SchoolsFirst FCU makes this work possible,” said Cassiopeia Guthrie, Project R.I.S.E. faculty fellow and Distinguished Teacher in Residence. “It allows us to create opportunities for students at every stage, from bringing high school students to campus to helping credential candidates cover essential costs like testing and certification fees, while helping build a more diverse educator workforce.” 

Support from SchoolsFirst FCU helps students like Helmantoler and Leeds become educators who will shape and inspire the next generation. It also contributes to CSUSM’s Blueprint for the Future fundraising campaign to raise $200 million in philanthropy and research funding.  

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Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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Honorees were nominated by faculty or staff and endorsed by their college’s dean. Here is a closer look at each award recipient:

Alexis Medina, human development

President’s Outstanding Graduate Award

Dean’s Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services

Medina was lauded as an exceptional scholar, mentor and advocate whose achievements reflect the highest ideals of CSUSM and the CSU’s mission of social mobility.

His academic excellence culminated in a 3.97 grade-point average and summa cum laude distinction. But it was his hands-on commitment to advancing student success for others that most distinguishes him.

Across more than 1,200 hours of community-engaged service, Medina has worked directly with K-12 students in under-resourced schools, providing individualized academic support, facilitating small-group instruction and mentoring young learners as they navigate their own educational journeys. In dual immersion classrooms, he leverages his bilingualism, supporting Spanish-speaking students in developing both academic confidence and a sense of belonging in spaces where they are often marginalized. He intentionally creates inclusive learning environments that affirm students’ identities, reinforce their capabilities and encourage persistence in the face of challenges.

Beyond the classroom, Medina extends this impact by guiding high school students, including first-generation and multilingual learners, through college and career exploration, helping them envision pathways that may have once felt out of reach.

Wendy Hardy, linguistics

Dean’s Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Hardy, who also has a minor in French and American Indian studies, was praised for leaving a lasting impact academically and culturally across the campus community.

Hardy’s work demonstrates the transformative power of language to build understanding, preserve culture and advance justice. Graduating with a 3.958 grade-point average, she displays academic excellence that's matched by the depth of her applied work, from contributing to the Kawaiisu Language Documentation Project in support of Indigenous language revitalization to advancing research on linguistic justice through faculty-led scholarship. She is also a gifted educator, serving as a teaching assistant in French, teaching at the San Marcos Senior Center, and bringing creativity and care to tutoring and mentoring.

As founder and inaugural president of the Linguistics Collective, president of the French Club and a leader on the CHABSS Dean’s Student Advisory Council, Hardy has created spaces for belonging, professional growth and community that will endure well beyond her time at CSUSM.

Casey Budlong, business administration marketing

Gerevas Family Dean’s Award, College of Business Administration

Budlong has made a difference across many student groups on campus, and she was hailed as a purpose-driven student leader whose academic excellence and professional growth reflect the very best of CoBA.

Graduating with a 3.915 grade-point average, Budlong has distinguished herself as a top-performing marketing student with a strong foundation in both the analytical and creative dimensions of the field. Business professor Kristin Stewart said from her experience working with Budlong through a Professional Sales Center social media micro-internship, along with consistent feedback from her professors, she is repeatedly described as reliable, independent and collaborative. Budlong also was lauded for consistently taking initiative and producing work that is both thoughtful and results-driven.

Beyond the classroom, Budlong has made a meaningful impact on campus and in the broader community through leadership and service, including supporting environmental efforts through the Surfrider Foundation and serving as a volunteer board member for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America San Diego Chapter.

Isabel Serrano, biochemistry

Dean’s Award, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Graduating with a 3.95 grade-point average in a demanding major, Serrano has distinguished herself through academic excellence and the depth and impact of her research.

In the lab, Serrano has made meaningful contributions to the field, developing novel compounds with potential applications in areas like medical imaging and next-generation technology. Her work has led to a peer-reviewed publication and a patent contribution through her internship with Novartis.

Serrano was lauded for how she brings others along with her. As the founding president of Out in STEM and a leader in multiple student organizations, she has created opportunities for her peers to connect and see themselves in STEM fields. She has helped raise funds so fellow students could attend conferences, mentored first-generation students and built communities where people feel like they belong. Outside of campus, she has carried that same commitment into her community, using her bilingual skills to advocate for others. Serrano’s journey is already opening doors for those around her.

Callie Steppat, biological sciences

Dean’s Award, Graduate Studies and Research

Steppat is completing a master’s degree with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and will continue her education in a Ph.D. program at Cornell.

In the lab, Steppat has built an extraordinary track record by finishing her degree in one year, an unprecedented achievement in the program. She has led five research projects, contributed to six peer-reviewed manuscripts and introduced entirely new lines of inquiry that will continue shaping the lab’s work long after she leaves, according to biology professor Dennis Kolosov.

Kolosov praised Steppat for being an outstanding teacher and mentor, someone who creates supportive, inclusive spaces where students feel comfortable asking questions and building confidence in science. She has co-mentored undergraduate and graduate students in the lab and the classroom, truly embodying the teacher-scholar model, helping lead them to conference presentations and publications.

Outside the university, she volunteers in her community through beach cleanups, supporting dental care for underserved populations and working with veterans in need.

Nayelie Ortiz, sociology

Dean of Students’ Outstanding Leadership Award

Ortiz has built a strong academic record, but Interim Dean of Students Norma Larios said what stands out most is how Ortiz has used her time at CSUSM to lift up those around her.

Since her first year, Ortiz has been deeply involved with the COMPASS Center, supporting undocumented, mixed-status and immigration-impacted students through mentorship, advocacy and day-to-day care. She has helped students navigate challenges and persist to graduation, often stepping in during moments of real crisis to make sure no one feels alone. Whether organizing support for a peer in need or simply showing up consistently with empathy and encouragement, Ortiz leads in a way that is both powerful and personal.

That commitment to others extends far beyond campus. Ortiz mentors first-generation students, coaches youth soccer and volunteers in community safety patrols to support families in her hometown. Even while facing personal challenges, including the impact of devastating fires affecting her own community, she has remained focused on showing up for others.

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It wasn’t until she had a conversation with Robert Iafe, one of her biochemistry and chemistry professors, that she gained the confidence to pursue it.

“He was the first professor where I actually went to his office hours and we talked human to human instead of purely professional,” Newell said. “We talked about issues I had going on in my life at the time, struggles with self-doubt and feeling like maybe I want to do medicine but I'm not sure if I can. And he was really supportive of me. I felt like if Dr. Iafe believes in me, then why don’t I believe in myself?

“My conversations with him played a formative role in me changing the trajectory to end up where I am now.”

That would be UC San Diego, where Newell is a first-year medical student. And now that she’s in medical school, Newell is working to help other undergraduate students understand that they belong in the medical field.

It’s what led Newell back to CSUSM on April 18 to participate in the university’s second annual North County Aspiring Medical Professionals Conference (NCAMP). The conference, a one-day event for CSUSM and community college students, is supported by a grant through the California Medicine Scholars Program. CSUSM is a partner in the grant, which is led locally by UCSD.

“The purpose of the conference is to help students learn about the different steps that are needed on their pathway to medical school,” said Richard Armenta, who is the associate director of the Center for Training, Research and Educational Excellence (CTREE) and leads CSUSM’s efforts on the grant. “We have workshops on applying to medical school, transferring to four-year universities and just helping students think about the different things they need to do to be successful in getting into medical school.

“We want students to be able to be here and know that we have the resources and support for them to become medical students and future doctors.”

The conference this year drew about 80 participants, primarily from CSUSM, Palomar College and MiraCosta College. In addition to hearing from Newell and other medical students, participants got firsthand experience with clinical skills, including ultrasounds and medical evaluations.

“I think they really enjoyed it, especially the interactive session,” said Newell, who graduated from CSUSM in 2021. “I didn't use an ultrasound until I got to medical school, so a lot of them had never used it before and never seen it before. They got to see their blood vessels and the inside of their eye. It's very illuminating for them. Especially as undergrads, I remember you feel so far removed from that kind of thing unless you have a special job, which is hard to get. So it was nice to give them that perspective of the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Newell was joined at the conference by two fellow CSUSM alumni who are in medical school at UCSD: Vince Adair and Austin Powell. Seeing people from a similar background is an important part of showing current CSUSM and community college students that they, too, can successfully navigate the path to medical school.

“It took me until almost the end of undergrad to build up my confidence and say, ‘Yes, I want to pursue medical school. I want to be a physician. And I believe that I can do it,’ ” Newell said. “I feel like if there had been something like NCAMP back then, I could have gone and actually mingled with medical students and realized, ‘Oh, they’re just regular people. They don't have some special thing that I don't have.’ I think that could have helped build my confidence earlier.”

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Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The two studies are:

• "Health Risks and Cross-Border Environmental Exposure: A Binational Study of the San Diego-Tijuana-Rosarito Pacific Ocean Coastline," published in Environmental Challenges. This study examines health risks along the coastline shared by the United States and Mexico, and was a collaborative effort with community-based organizations on both sides of the border (One Coastal Community) and the Socio-Environmental Tijuana River Project that Calderón Villarreal directs. The research focuses on the unique environmental health challenges along this shared coastline and the associated health risks. The study is particularly relevant due to the current environmental crisis surrounding the binational Tijuana River, which impacts communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
• "Considering Water, Sanitation and Hygiene as a Valuable Component of Harm Reduction," published in the Harm Reduction Journal. This paper advocates for integrating water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services into harm reduction frameworks to support marginalized populations. It’s the summary of Calderón Villarreal’s contribution in the intersection between environmental health and substance use, based on her research conducted among U.S.-Mexico border communities.

Calderón Villarreal is a medical doctor whose work focuses on the intersection of environmental health and social equity in the binational region that includes San Diego. After earning her undergraduate and master’s degrees from institutions in Mexico, she finished her Ph.D. at the UC San Diego-San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health.

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The program began as an idea from Marilyn Huerta, the college's marketing, communications and engagement specialist. Huerta envisioned creating a student-led leadership and communications team to highlight the work and impact of CEHHS programs. She helped develop the program and guided the launch of its first group of student ambassadors.

The inaugural team includes four students who are helping expand the college’s visibility while building professional skills that will support their future careers.

Ariana Saenz hosts the college’s new podcast series, “CEHHS Unplugged,” in which she interviews health and education professionals about their backgrounds, programs they teach, career pathways and words of wisdom.

“Through the ‘CEHHS Unplugged’ podcast and the ambassador program, I’m proud to help amplify student voices and showcase the incredible community within our college,” Saenz said.

Daniel Lopez launched the CEHHS Student & Success Story Series, producing written profiles that showcase the journeys and accomplishments of CEHHS students and alumni.

Serving as the team’s lead ambassador, Natalya Taseveki helps coordinate student engagement efforts and supports events and activities across the college, including programming connected to Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs, kinesiology, human development, social work, education, nursing, speech-language pathology and public health.

The team’s digital presence is led by Audrie Smith, who started the college’s TikTok account and helps manage CEHHS social media platforms, sharing content that highlights events, fundraisers, student life and college achievements.

The ambassadors support a wide range of initiatives across the college. They assist the CEHHS dean, Jennifer Ostergren, during events honoring students who earned dean’s list recognition and participate in outreach and recruitment activities such as Cougar Blue Day and Discover CSUSM.

They also contribute to campuswide efforts such as Giving Day and Cougar Crowdfunding. Last semester, they hosted a student engagement “Giving Tree” event to encourage philanthropy and community support.

Beyond large events, the ambassadors attend student organization meetings and departmental activities to photograph and document student experiences across CEHHS. The team collaborates with the college’s Committee for Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity (CIDE) to support outreach and networking opportunities for students.

Participation in the program also emphasizes professional development. Through the CSUSM Career Center, the ambassadors are building career portfolios, strengthening résumé and interview skills, participating in workshops and attending the university’s Etiquette Dinner experience.

In addition, they remain active across campus through initiatives with Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) and the university’s Orientation Team.

Huerta continues to mentor and supervise the team members as they develop leadership and communication skills while serving as ambassadors for the college.

College leaders hope the program will continue to grow in the coming years, giving more students opportunities to gain real-world experience while helping share the stories and impact of CEHHS programs.

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Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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The expo will take place on Friday, Feb. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Kellogg Library.

The event will feature two primary speakers – kinesiology professor Paul Stuhr and management professor Paola Ometto – who were recommended by the Faculty Center Advisory Council.

Stuhr will deliver the “Joy of Teaching” keynote with the theme “One Blueprint for Belonging: Designing Intentional Conditions for Community.” Stuhr describes the presentation as follows:

"Belonging is not something we add to our classrooms as an afterthought; it is something we create through the conditions we design. Small, intentional shifts in instruction can create moments, or pockets of joy and collective effervescence, where students feel seen, connected and ready to learn. In this keynote, I share one way to intentionally shape the conditions in which community can emerge. I’m not suggesting ‘this is the way’ to build belonging, but rather one blueprint grounded in a model called adventure-based learning."

Ometto will open the research plenary session with a presentation titled "Is Entrepreneurship the Same Everywhere? Rethinking Entrepreneurship in Marginalized Contexts.” She will cover how entrepreneurs from marginalized communities experience distinct entrepreneurial pathways, emphasizing how they craft identity narratives to respond to social perceptions and sustain their ventures.

In addition to the featured speakers, the expo will include a conference panel and roundtable sessions for faculty-to-faculty learning and celebration of the work that takes place in the classroom every day.

View the full program and register for the Teaching & Learning Expo on the Faculty Center website.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

But before putting the finishing touches on your list of New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look back at some of the most-talked-about stories of 2025.

Hunter Industries Gives Transformational $10M Donation for ISE Building

In September, CSUSM announced a transformational $10 million philanthropic investment from Hunter Industries, one of the largest gifts in university history. The donation is supporting the construction of CSUSM’s new Hunter Hall of Science and Engineering, a cornerstone of the university’s commitment to preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Perfect Chemistry: Campus Wedding 16 Years in the Making

If getting married at one’s place of employment seems unconventional, it shouldn’t to those who know biology professor Elinne Becket and chemistry professor Robert Iafe. The passion they have for their students is the same passion they have for the university, so it makes sense that the tied the knot on campus at the McMahan House on campus.

CSUSM Kicks Off Historic $200 Million Fundraising Campaign

Through the largest fundraising campaign in university history, CSUSM is aiming to raise $200 million to support student success and power the region’s future. The university officially launched its “Blueprint for the Future” campaign on Sept. 19. It’s an effort that combines philanthropy with grants and research funding. The campaign’s theme reflects both the physical growth on campus and the forward momentum building at CSUSM. 

Professor Elevates Samoan Language, Culture as Consultant for "Moana 2"

Professor Grant Muāgututiʻa never could have dreamed that linguistics would take him to the shores of Oʻahu as he rubbed elbows with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other stars of the Disney glitterati before the world premiere of the animated film “Moana 2” in 2024. Indeed, Muāgututiʻa was more than a little caught off guard when the filmmaking team behind the sequel to the wildly popular movie “Moana” from 2016 contacted him out of the blue two years ago.

Construction of New Wellness and Rec Center Underway

CSUSM held a Construction Kickoff on Nov. 12 to celebrate construction being underway for the Student Wellness and Recreation Center (SWRC), which is expected to open by summer 2027. CSUSM is partnering with Sea Breeze Properties – developers of North City, which includes CSUSM’s North Commons, The QUAD and the Extended Learning Building – on the SWRC, which will be the latest addition to campus life.

Faith, Resilience Help Athlete Through Life-Threatening Crisis

It all started with a headache. A seemingly normal ailment, but Malachi Wright doesn’t get headaches. And he definitely doesn’t get headaches that force him to leave work early or have him confined to the couch and throwing up for three straight days. That's when his mom, Ivonne Mancilla, knew this was something more. Wright spent the next 40 days in the hospital, undergoing three brain surgeries with no idea what the future would bring. But Wright defied all odds. 

Alumna Finds Purpose in Advocacy for Native Children and Families

As Maya Goodblanket reflects on her time as a student, she vividly remembers the day she found the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at Cal State San Marcos. Little did she know that she was meeting mentors that day who would help her achieve the career she has today. Goodblanket, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, serves as an Indian Child Welfare Act court advocate for the Valley Center-based Indian Health Council, which provides health and wellness services for American Indian communities in north San Diego County. 

Ask the Expert: A Scientific Perspective on the L.A. Fires

When the hills above Los Angeles exploded in flames early last month, Matt Rahn snapped into action. Rahn, though, isn’t a firefighter who was called into duty to help battle what became one of the biggest and most destructive fires in California history. Rather, he’s a wildfire researcher at Cal State San Marcos who, in 2019, created a unique degree program called Wildfire Science and the Urban Interface. He’s also the executive director of the Wildfire Conservancy, a nonprofit research foundation dedicated to serving the state’s firefighters and protecting its communities.

Cougar Care Network Marks 10 Years as a Campus Hub for Connection

Built on listening first and guiding without judgment, the Cougar Care Network enters its second decade as a trusted stop for students seeking practical help, community and a path forward. The Cougar Care Network (CCN) launched in fall 2015 as part of Cal State San Marcos’ Early Support Initiative within the Student Outreach and Referral (SOAR) program. 

Chronic Illness a Journey of Strength, Self-Discovery ... and Salt

The first time Emmi van Zoest rode in an ambulance was in May 2024. She was in the middle of her 10:30 a.m. Communication 200 class when she realized her vision and hearing were failing. She couldn't keep her legs or arms straight and she couldn’t speak. The full memory is hazy, but she found herself sitting outside of Crash’s Market in the University Student Union with a handful of salt packets and on a Facetime call with her parents, who live in Tennessee. This experience didn’t come out of nowhere. She has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a chronic condition that she has lived with since her junior year of high school.  

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The funding is half of a $900,000 grant that the county was awarded from Health Career Connection (HCC), a national nonprofit working to expand opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds and inspire a new generation of health leaders. The grant is designed to facilitate collaboration between the county’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) and partner organizations including CSUSM and San Diego State, which received the other $450,000.

The new HCC grant funds will support the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership, a county academic-practice partnership with SDSU and its expansion to include CSUSM. It also complements existing HHSA initiatives to drive meaningful progress in workforce development across the region. 

CSUSM and the College of Education, Health and Human Services (CEHHS) will utilize the money to achieve three primary outcomes:

• the creation of the CSUSM Center for Health Workforce Solutions;
• under that center, the creation of a Live Well San Diego/CSUSM Academic Health Department;
• continued collaborations in North County around the behavioral and mental health workforce, including an annual symposium and associated strategic action groups.

“This grant will be transformative for our students and the region in addressing behavioral and mental health workforce shortages,” said Jennifer Ostergren, dean of CEHHS. “It reflects our ongoing commitment to collaborate with community partners to support the needs of the region.”

The grant-funded initiative will work in tandem with CSUSM’s new Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs, an accelerated, three-year bachelor’s program for students interested in preparing for mental and behavioral health professional opportunities. SWIFT was created from a historic $10 million grant to CSUSM from Price Philanthropies Foundation last year.

San Diego County faces a worsening health and human services workforce shortage due to workers getting older and retiring or leaving for other jobs. According to a 2022 San Diego Workforce Partnership report, the region needs to double its behavioral health workforce by 2027. Beyond behavioral health, there is a persistent demand for other licensed professionals, including nurses, therapists and social workers. 

A national model in academic-practice partnership, the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership was the first of its kind in California when it launched in 2022.  

“It’s incredibly meaningful to give students with intellectual disabilities an inclusive college experience,” Brooks said. “My greatest hope was to obtain funding to expand our cohort size and ensure the long-term sustainability of this program. These grants make that vision a reality.” 

Funding at this level is highly competitive nationwide, yet faculty and staff at CSUSM like Brooks continue to stand out, securing awards that support innovative projects and create transformational experiences for students. 

“Our faculty and staff are pursuing some of the most-sought-after grants in the nation, alongside leading institutions,” said Charles De Leone, dean of graduate studies and research. “It’s exciting to see their ideas recognized and to watch how their work enriches our students’ experiences, strengthens our campus and serves our broader community.” 

Examples of projects funded this academic year include: 

• Supporting chemistry and biochemistry students: A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation will fund student scholarships in chemistry and biochemistry as well as a Vertical Mentoring Learning Community (VMLC). Led by Robert Iafe, Afra Panahi and Aswad Allen, the program blends mentoring, research opportunities and priority enrollment for up to 30 students each year, with eight first-year students eligible for renewable $15,000 scholarships.
• Making exercise more accessible: Kinesiology professor Todd Astorino received a $442,590 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore how reduced exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) – two short 20-second sprints within a 10-minute workout – can improve health and make exercise more attainable for inactive adults.
• Expanding mobile making in local schools: Funded by the National Science Foundation, this project led by Edward Price, April Nelson and Sinem Siyahhan of the Center for Research and Engagement in STEM Education (CRESE) expands the university’s Mobile Making program. Through after-school “making” clubs across North County, undergraduate STEM ambassadors bring hands-on activities and equipment to schools, libraries and community centers.
• Helping students with intellectual disabilities experience college: Brooks and psychology professor Allison Jobin received $2.5 million in grants to expand Aspiring Scholars with full-time staff, a dedicated campus space and additional peer mentors.
• Adding water refill stations: A grant from CalRecycle will enable CSUSM to reach its goal to have a water refill station on every floor of every building. Led by Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, director of sustainability and climate justice, in partnership with Facilities Development & Management, this grant will fund 10 new water refill stations and replace five older stations across campus. The project’s progress will be measured through station usage, recycling volumes and waste audits. 

“Each of these projects reflect the spirit of innovation and collaboration at CSUSM,” De Leone said. “They also give students meaningful opportunities to engage in hands-on research that prepares them for their future careers.” 

Research funding is an integral part of CSUSM’s “Blueprint for the Future” campaign, helping advance the university’s $200 million goal through both philanthropy and grants.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

“We never heard about people going to college,” said Barrera, who earned a bachelor's degree in human development in 2018 and a master's in public health in 2024. “If it weren’t for Upward Bound, I wouldn’t have known it was a possibility for me.”

Through Upward Bound, a program that helps low-income and first-generation high school students prepare for college, Barrera received academic support, mentoring and help with applications.  

When Barrera arrived at Cal State San Marcos, she discovered a community that was both welcoming and unfamiliar.

“I met an international student for the first time," she said. "Back home, everyone is Hispanic. It was so interesting to be in a place that celebrated diversity. The campus and the student life centers showed me that there’s a place for everyone.” 

After earning her bachelor’s, Barrera began working in health-related fields and discovered a passion for research. Returning to CSUSM for her master's helped her refine that passion and find belonging.

“That’s when I really felt seen as a Mexican-American researcher,” Barrera said.

Receiving a scholarship from the CSUSM Alumni Association was another milestone.

“The money was helpful, but more importantly, being selected was super validating,” she said.

Today, Barrera works at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., and hopes to pursue a doctorate in public health. As an employee benefit, she was able to create a will and decided to include a $10,000 scholarship for public health students at CSUSM.

“Making a will was so easy, a lot easier than I thought, and I’m extremely grateful to be in this position to give back,” Barrera said.

Supporting students like her and the public health field is at the heart of Barrera's motivation to give. Asked what she’d tell future recipients of her scholarship, she doesn’t hesitate.

“You received this scholarship for a reason," she said. "There are people out there who see your potential and have invested in it. Lean into that and trust your capabilities to do incredible things. Keep going!”

How You Can Support Future Students in Your Estate Plan

Barrera’s story is a powerful example of how anyone, at any age, can help future students thrive.

Gifts in estate plans – through wills, trusts or retirement accounts – can be changed by the donor at any time, and there are many possible planned giving options to suit your needs. Gifts at all levels make a difference for students.

“I want young people to know it’s easier than they think,” Barrera said. “Even with modest assets, you can still set up a planned gift. You don’t have to wait until later in life.”

To learn more about planned gifts, contact P. Vien Walker, director of planned giving, at 760-750-8138 or vwalker@csusm.edu, or visit plannedgiving.csusm.edu.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

“From a young age, I helped my family assimilate into our new environment, filling in gaps wherever I was needed as a first-generation Mexican American.” said Chambers, now a Master of Social Work (MSW) student at Cal State San Marcos. “I became their translator, doctor, lawyer and social worker. These experiences shaped why I want to do this work.”

She carried that sense of purpose into every role she has served – including preschool teacher, nanny and YMCA educator – and she saw firsthand how communication gaps between parents and schools can affect a child’s success. 

“That made me want to be part of the solution,” she said. “I want to help families and children feel supported.”

Now in graduate school – something that once felt out of reach as the first in her family to attend college – Chambers recently took part in an innovative Interprofessional Education (IPE) event hosted by the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care, which is part of a larger palliative care initiative funded by the Hearst Foundations.

Palliative care brings together a team of health professionals to provide holistic treatment for individuals with serious illnesses. IPE focuses on training students to work together in this collaborative model.

Designed by CSUSM faculty from multiple disciplines, CSUSM’s IPE program places students from nursing, kinesiology, speech-language pathology and social work together to analyze a case study and develop a comprehensive plan of care. The goal is to help students think collaboratively while gaining an authentic understanding of what teamwork looks like in real clinical settings.

“Graduate school can feel siloed since we focus on our own programs,” Chambers said. “This event brings students from multiple disciplines together under one roof to learn from each other and realize how much stronger we are when we collaborate.”

In this year’s exercise, Chambers’ team worked on a family-centered case study involving a medically complex 8-year-old boy living with his grandparents. 

“These cases remind us that families don’t exist in isolation,” she said. “When a child is struggling, it’s not just on the grandparents or the teacher. There’s a whole network of people who can help. Our job is to strengthen that network.”

“Students will be expected to collaborate with other professions when they enter practice,” said Katie Robinson, assistant professor of nursing. “But as with every other practice competency, we have to teach them why, show them how and guide them through practicing it themselves. And now that we've worked out such an effective IPE model, it's exciting to think about expanding across the campus – and beyond.”

Since spring 2023, the institute has hosted five immersive IPE days, with participation now reaching 150–200 students across the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

“Alumni from previous events have shared how this event helped shape their transition into the workforce,” said Lorene Ibbestson, a social work lecturer. “It gave them confidence in their professional abilities and a deeper appreciation for how collaboration across disciplines can create meaningful change.”

Now, thanks to a generous $200,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations, CSUSM’s IPE program will continue to grow, with plans to:

• launch a new IPE event in spring 2026 focused on health policy, including students from psychology, sociology and political science;
• build a similar IPE model at Fresno State and ultimately other CSU campuses;
• explore cross-campus collaborations with UC San Diego medical students and Clinical Pastoral Education programs.

For students like Chambers, these simulated experiences are invaluable in helping them prepare for meaningful careers.  

For CSUSM, the Hearst Foundations’ generous support not only strengthens IPE but also moves the university closer to its “Blueprint for the Future” campaign goal to raise $200 million in philanthropy and research funding.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Alexus was in and out of the foster care system from the time she was 2 years old. She has lived in countless states and attended 17 different schools. However, with the help of Cal State San Marcos’ ACE Scholars Services program, she is graduating this winter with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a minor in dance.

“ACE has had a really big impact on me,” Alexus said, “and for that I'm very grateful.”

Alexus always knew she wanted to pursue higher education because she believed it would help her avoid the challenges that her mother faced.

Pregnant at 15 years old, Alexus’ mother struggled to raise a child. After her mom was kicked out of Alexus’ grandmother’s house, Alexus was sent to New York to live with her great-grandfather. Her mother booked a return flight to California, and Alexus’ childhood was on a new course.

Growing up, Alexus experienced the hardships of persistent custody battles and court-mandated counseling therapy. She was constantly moving among different households and family members.

Alexus is 29 years old and the oldest of six siblings (the youngest is 15). She was 16 when her siblings entered the foster care system for the first time. She hoped to shield them from the reality of foster care.

But Alexus and her siblings were apart for almost a year, which was one of the hardest times of her life. Alexus and her siblings have always had a strong bond, celebrating every holiday together at their grandparents’ house as children.

“I love my siblings, and I just want to be the best big sister they could have. If they ever need anything, they can call me,” Alexus said.

As complicated as Alexus’ life was, additional struggles began to arise when she became an adult. After she moved out of her mom’s house at 19, trying to complete her degree while managing two jobs to afford her rent became a strenuous task.

Alexus was attending Riverside Community College when she learned about ACE Scholars Services. It’s a program that would soon change her life for the better.

ACE Scholars Services helps former foster youth pursue higher education by providing services and support systems. ACE knows that helping foster youth earn a degree provides them with the tools and self-determination they need to succeed in life. That has been the case for Alexus.

Alexus worked the overnight shift at the Ontario airport, ending her shift at 7 a.m., then driving from Rancho Cucamonga for her hour-plus commute to campus. When she hadn’t slept all night, ACE provided her a space to get rest during the day. When she didn’t have enough money to afford food or school supplies, ACE was there. When her car broke down, ACE was there.  

In October 2024, Alexus lost her job and was evicted, marking the start of a difficult time. But ACE was once again there to help.

“The support that I get from ACE, everything that I've been able to get through in my life is because ACE has always helped me, especially Leigh,” Alexus said.

Leigh Quijada has been the director of ACE Scholars Services for the last two years after previously working with the program for 13 years as a counselor. She has played a huge role in Alexus’ life by not only guiding her but helping her get through every obstacle she has faced. “Persistent” and “resilient” are the two words Quijada uses to describe Alexus.

“I think Alexus might be the only student I’ve had who has been through it all and overcome everything," Quijada said.

Quijada has been there for Alexus since the start of her journey at CSUSM and has watched her grow. When Alexus was put on academic probation last year because she had to prioritize going to work to pay her bills over attending class, Quijada did everything in her power to help Alexus get re-enrolled.

“She is probably one of the biggest people in my life,” Alexus said. “I wouldn’t be getting my bachelor's without Leigh; she’s definitely my rock.”

After the difficult years Alexus endured as a foster child, she is graduating this winter and moving to Texas to begin a master’s program in kinesiology. She has played sports since she was young and hopes to continue her love for that field as an athletic trainer for professional athletes.

“People don't know what I've been through to get to this point,” Alexus said. “It's going to be a very big accomplishment.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

She encouraged them to tinker, build, explore and let curiosity lead the way.

It might have looked like fun and games from the outside, but for Fuller, the experience was a deliberate lesson in rediscovering something that many adults forget.

“In our adult lives, we lose touch with play,” Fuller said. “But rediscovering it isn’t just about having fun – it’s a way to connect, build trust and spark creativity.”

For Fuller’s human development students – most of whom are preparing for careers as counselors, educators or community advocates – the exercise carried a deeper meaning. Play, she explained, is a bridge to empathy and understanding, essential tools for working with people who are coping with stress, trauma or isolation.

“Play builds trust, opens pathways for expression and helps people feel safe,” Fuller said. “It reminds us that learning and healing don’t always have to be serious. Sometimes they can be spontaneous.”

Among those who found the experience unexpectedly refreshing was Daniel Lopez, a human development major and student ambassador for the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

“Sometimes we get so focused on grades and deadlines that we forget how to just explore and enjoy the process,” Lopez said. “This experience reminded me that play isn’t just for kids – it’s a mindset that helps us stay creative, connect with others and bring joy into the work we’ll be doing in our future careers.”

Fuller’s playful experiment also reflects the broader mission of CEHHS, which emphasizes holistic, human-centered approaches to learning and practice.

In the end, the lesson was simple but profound: There’s room and real need for play in the serious work of helping others.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Diagnosed with hepatitis C, very unusual for a child that young, Jaenisch had been told by doctors that if he didn’t get a liver transplant, he wouldn’t live past 30. That disturbing prediction had hung over his adolescence and early adulthood like a black cloud, casting a pall over every doctor’s appointment and health episode.  

Now here it was, 2016, the year when Jaenisch turned 30, and the doctor’s assessment was feeling eerily prescient. He had not been able to procure a new liver, and his condition was deteriorating rapidly. To borrow his gallows humor, he was as “yellow as a Simpsons character” because of jaundice. He collectively spent more than six weeks in the hospital as a result of various complications from end-stage liver disease.  

“Every single day that year, I had a 30 to 60 percent chance of dying,” Jaenisch said.  

That he didn’t die, that he received a liver transplant on Dec. 3 (only a few months before his 31^st birthday), Jaenisch considers to be nothing short of a miracle. Given the gift of fresh life in his fourth decade, he elected to devote it to ensuring that no one else has to go through the ordeal that he did. 

Three years later, Jaenisch returned to Cal State San Marcos – the university where he had earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences in 2008 – to pursue a master’s in public health. He now works as the director of education and outreach for Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute, a Carlsbad nonprofit whose mission is to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals like the ones that helped keep him alive while he waited for the miracle liver.  

More significantly, Jaenisch is a tireless patient advocate, dedicating countless hours to multiple organizations that share a goal of ending the scourge of hep C. He has transformed adversity into community impact, leveraging his CSUSM education to improve lives and strengthen public health across the state.  

“Richard is truly a special person,” said Carrie Frenette, the executive director of global medical affairs for Gilead Sciences and Jaenisch’s liver doctor for nine years starting in 2012.  

“I can’t think of anyone else who has so much expertise and understanding in their medical problems, advocates for themselves and then goes on to advocate for others. Honestly, it made it so easy to care for him, and it made it mean even more when he got his transplant and was healthy again.” 

'I don’t know how you are still alive...’ 

It all started with brown pee. 

Jaenisch was a normal suburban kid growing up in Rancho Bernardo. When he was 12, his parents signed him up for a summer tennis camp. It was a sweltering day and he didn’t drink a lot of water; when he returned home and went to the bathroom, his urine was dark.  

His father took him to Rady Children’s Hospital, where he was put through a battery of tests on his kidneys, spleen and liver. The diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) stunned them, as did the subsequent wallop of bad news: After the rest of the family was tested, it was discovered that he contracted the infection at birth from his mother, who also was found to have HCV.   

Nothing, though, could have prepared Jaenisch for the haunting prognostication of liver transplant or death.  

“That shook me to my core,” he said. “My childhood was fundamentally changed. And my mom heard that, too, because she was in the room. It’s awkward hearing your own future from your child’s diagnosis. We shared a very odd relationship in that way.” 

At the time, in the late 1990s, there was no cure for HCV, only experimental treatments with low success rates and punishing side effects. Jaenisch’s mom started the drugs – interferon and ribavirin – almost immediately, but as a child, Jaenisch wasn’t eligible. The primary impact of HCV on his teenage years was that he was forced to cease participation in all sports and PE classes (because the disease can be transmitted through blood) and he began to suffer from a type of brain fog named hepatic encephalopathy (HE).   

After graduating from Rancho Bernardo High School, he attended Palomar College for two years, then transferred to CSUSM. There, he threw himself into classes in economics, history and political science – not only to satiate his hunger for knowledge but also to distract himself from the fear that constantly lingered at the back of his mind.  

“I wanted to live as much of my life as I could before everything hit the fan,” Jaenisch said. “Because I knew what was coming. When someone gives you a death sentence, you remember it, to say the least.” 

Jaenisch graduated from CSUSM in December 2008. Only a few weeks later, the trouble started. He attempted to begin the same treatment program his mom had undergone, but because of denials by his mom's employer, he wasn’t able to do so for about nine months.  

Once the snags finally had been resolved, the 12-week regimen of interferon and ribavirin didn’t work. He experienced all the negative effects of the drugs – in his case, painful inflammation and wild emotional swings – without any decrease in his body’s viral load. A second round at double the dosage early in 2010 similarly yielded no response.  

By this point, more than a decade after his HCV first had been discovered, Jaenisch had descended to the most serious stage on the scale that measures liver fibrosis, or scarring. F0 equates to no fibrosis, F1 is mild, F2 is moderate, and so on. He was at F4, which indicates the presence of cirrhosis, a condition in which the liver is extensively scarred and permanently damaged.   

Jaenisch had reached the dreaded end-stage liver disease, which essentially meant that the ticking of his clock was only accelerating. All the while, he was encountering roadblocks in his career. He had hoped to enter the niche field of traffic economics, but graduating into the Great Recession scuttled that plan. For a time, he held a job in tech support that he found unfulfilling. 

The work that did bring Jaenisch joy was for a group that offered before- and after-school services for elementary and middle schools in the Poway district of his youth. He envisioned a long-term future in that field but was stymied by both the ailing economy (which led to layoffs) and his illness (he claims he was a victim of disability discrimination but chose to spend his remaining time trying to get better rather than pursue a case.)   

While he tried to piece together enough work to retain his vital health insurance, Jaenisch’s health continued to deteriorate. In 2014, two years into her stint as his liver doctor, Frenette proffered a grim evaluation. 

“She said, ‘I don’t know how you are still alive with this liver,’ ” Jaenisch recalled. “She showed me pictures and was like, ‘Your liver is an old shoe. It is not doing what it’s supposed to do. But you’re still functioning.’ ” 

Every moment of optimism, it seemed, was followed by a stroke of misfortune. He began taking a new drug called Sovaldi (a direct-acting antiviral, or DAA) that was considered a game-changer for HCV patients in that it had an 86% cure rate in six months. Sure enough, Jaenisch’s viral load was approaching zero and his liver was curing. But then he contracted a C. diff bacterial infection (the suspect: spoiled food from a restaurant), which caused acute liver failure and brought his HVC roaring back.  

He later tried another second-generation DAA – Harvoni – that sounded promising but failed in the last week of treatment. As his liver continued to deteriorate, in 2016 he became too sick for treatment and, following a now-common hospitalization, an ER physician gave him outdated medical advice, which resulted in a case of sepsis that nearly killed him. 

End-stage liver disease is typically a rapid descent lasting as little as two years. For Jaenisch, it was an eight-year slog, from age 22 to 30.  

“He was in and out of the hospital multiple times, and he nearly didn’t make it to transplant multiple times,” Frenette said. “I can’t imagine anyone going through it with the courage and strength that he did.” 

Even after the liver transplant, Jaenisch wasn’t out of the woods. The operation addressed the issue of the failing liver, but it didn’t eradicate the HCV (the virus lives in the bloodstream). Frenette advised a treatment plan of Sovaldi, Zepatier and ribavirin, and that pharmaceutical concoction proved to be a magical formula.  

In September 2017, 18 years after the fateful diagnosis, Jaenisch was cured. 

“Honestly, I cried,” Frenette said. “He had been through so much, and to finally get rid of this awful virus that he had lived with his entire life and had caused his liver to fail … I don’t have words.” 

‘I have to be more than a self-advocate' 

It was during one of his dozens of hospital stays that Jaenisch decided on the next course of his life, provided he would live long enough to choose.  

In the fall of 2014, he had been admitted to Sharp Memorial Hospital after the HCV returned via his C. diff infection. His medical team was struggling to lower his levels of bilirubin, a substance found in bile that was causing jaundice, the yellowing of the skin now so familiar to Jaenisch. He knew that ultraviolet rays help break down bilirubin, so he convinced the nurses to bring him outside for an hour a day at peak sun. As he had theorized, his bilirubin numbers declined. 

“It was at that point where I was like, ‘I have to be more than a self-advocate. If I can survive through transplant, I need to go to a Master of Public Health program,’ ” Jaenisch said. “I realized that that path would help me better understand how to become an advocate not only for myself but also for others.” 

His commitment would be nurtured in an environment like CSUSM, as he was accepted into its accelerated MPH program. His time back at the university overlapped with the pandemic, which he took advantage of by choosing as his thesis topic the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 tests.  

“He was very inquisitive and passionate,” said Asherlev Santos, an associate professor of public health and Jaenisch’s thesis adviser. “Sometimes that passion was more visible than the evidence of the inquiry, but all came from a place of helping others in some sort of need. He used his personal and professional experience to spur on what he did for his MPH degree.” 

His master’s allowed him to land his job at Open Biopharma, but it’s passion that mostly fuels Jaenisch in his advocacy connected to HCV. In 2016, while his body was still racked with the disease, he traveled to Sacramento with an organization known as CalHEP to talk to state legislators and raise awareness about viral hepatitis.  

The next year, when Congress was preparing to vote on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Jaenisch enlisted in the fight. He told his story of overcoming HCV in half a dozen TV interviews, worked at a call center, wrote letters – he did so much that the American Liver Foundation named him its liver champion of the year.  

“I wanted to preserve the things that help people get access to health care,” he said. “Because to me, it saved my life.” 

He also has volunteered for state and local groups such as End the Epidemics, the California Department of Public Health and the Eliminate Hepatitis C San Diego County Initiative. Their shared objective (in line with a goal established by the World Health Organization) is to eliminate hep C by 2030, which means a reduction of new infections by 90% and deaths by 65%. 

And the barriers are much lower than they used to be. Jaenisch says his family spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on treatment and other expenses to keep him alive. Today, treatment could run as cheap as a few hundred dollars, and that’s for more effective drugs, too.  

“I was raised in a middle-class suburban household, and I wouldn’t have known I had hep C if I didn’t pee a brown color,” Jaenisch said. “I’ve always maintained that I think we’re missing a lot of people, and I keep trying to push for us to find them and knock this virus out. We’re taking a lot of steps, and eventually we’ll get there.” 

Thanks to Jaenisch’s focus on access and innovation, those steps are becoming strides – toward a healthier, more equitable future for all. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Signed into law on June 27, Assembly Bill 121 (AB 121) established the Student Teacher Stipend Program, which provides $10,000 stipends to eligible student teachers who complete at least 500 hours of student teaching. The program, which will go into effect for student teachers in the 2026-27 academic year, is designed to support future educators and strengthen the state’s teacher pipeline.

The initiative is funded through the California General Fund, with $300 million allocated for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Beginning in 2026-27, up to $100 million annually may be made available, depending on future state budget appropriations.

The stipends will be available to local educational agencies (LEAs) – including school districts, charter schools and county offices of education – that host student teachers, teacher residents or apprentices. Intern credential holders are not eligible.

The program is non-competitive, meaning all eligible LEAs that apply will receive funding, subject to availability. LEAs apply through a streamlined online process managed by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). In addition to supporting student teachers, LEAs may use stipend awards to offset wages for apprentices or support residents not funded through other residency programs.

LEAs can apply through the CTC’s online portal. Each eligible student teacher receives a stipend of $10,000, paid during the year they complete 500 hours of student teaching. For more information, the commission has established a specific email box for questions: STSP@ctc.ca.gov. You also can contact Moses Ochanji, director of Cal State San Marcos' School of Education, at mochanji@csusm.edu.

This stipend program represents a significant investment in California’s future educators and aligns with CSUSM's commitment to supporting students pursuing careers in education.

That's when his mom, Ivonne Mancilla, knew this was something more.  

It was the summer of 2023. Wright – who had just completed his second year at Cal State San Marcos, where he plays for the men’s soccer team – was experiencing pain like he had never felt before. 

“He has a high pain tolerance,” Mancilla said. “I started noticing how much he was sleeping and how he was walking very fragile. I realized it wasn’t a normal headache.” 

On the third day of the headache, Mancilla took Wright to urgent care. Doctors treated it as a migraine, giving him some medication and sending him home. But the pain continued to be unbearable. Wright told his mom that he felt like he was dying.  

On day four, Wright went to the emergency room. It saved his life.  

Wright spent the next 40 days in the hospital, undergoing three brain surgeries with no idea what the future would bring. No certainty if he could return to school, let alone soccer, his passion from the time he was a young child. 

But Wright defied all odds. 

“I hope to get my story out to people so that they can see anything is possible,” Wright said. “I am trying to bring people inspiration and give glory to God. That was my thing in the hospital, having faith and staying faithful to God, knowing that I'll be OK and he's got me.” 

Wright was guided by his faith throughout his hospital stay. He and his mom prayed throughout the journey, and she kept a bible verse at the edge of her son’s bed that they read every day as he fought for his life. It’s Psalm 30:2: 

Lord my god, I called to you for help, and you healed me. 

Those prayers began virtually the moment Wright arrived at the emergency room. A CT scan showed that his brain was filling with fluid, and an MRI revealed a cyst in the third ventricle of his brain. 

When a neurosurgeon came to review Wright’s scans, she was horrified. No one had informed her of his highly critical state. He was dying. 

“They said his brain was like a balloon and that it could burst at any moment,” Mancilla said. “I had to sign a paper giving them permission to go in and drain his brain immediately because he could have brain damage or die.”  

There was not space available or time to get Wright into an operating room. Instead, ICU nurses rushed into his room to assist the neurosurgeon, who numbed and drilled a hole in Wright’s head to drain the fluid.  

Doctors initially wanted to place a permanent shunt in Wright’s brain. Mancilla was a fierce advocate for Wright throughout his hospital stay, earning the nickname “Bulldog” from nurses. She was resistant to the shunt, worried it would affect Wright's ability to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter. After she expressed her concerns, the lead neurosurgeon opted for a temporary shunt instead.  

Wright was in and out of consciousness for much of his time in the hospital, but a strong support system – including his mom, his aunt Vanessa, members of the family’s church, and coaches and teammates from CSUSM’s soccer team – played a crucial role in helping him through the process. 

The constant stream of visitors led Mancilla to discover the positive impact that Wright has had on so many people. His manager at Casero Taqueria, where he still works, reached out to Mancilla asking for permission to start a GoFundMe. The community raised $14,000, the exact amount needed to cover the family’s maximum out-of-pocket medical costs. 

“I didn't realize how many people Malachi has impacted,” Mancilla said. “Sometimes as a parent, you don't get to see all that until these types of things happen. Sometimes we focus a little too much on what they're doing wrong and not on all the other good things that they're doing that maybe they don't tell you about. 

“I told him, ‘This is all because of the seeds that you've planted out in the world, and this is how it's all coming back to you. So continue to be who you are.’ I am so proud of that. I was such a proud parent.” 

Wright endured three brain surgeries during his hospital stay. The first removed the majority of the cyst, the second cleared residuals of the cyst and the third addressed blood clots.  

It was a physically and mentally draining process. After the first surgery, Wright was temporarily paralyzed on his left side. He couldn’t sleep and was in constant agony. 

“It was the worst pain I felt in my life. It was excruciating,” Wright said. “It was really hard. I was confused, wondering where I was. It was a lot of scary stuff.” 

It wasn’t until Wright’s 35th day in the hospital that Mancilla felt like her son would be OK. His pain levels were reduced and he could walk again. But the biggest sign to Mancilla that Wright was doing better? He asked for his phone, which he hadn’t been able to use for most of his hospital stint. 

Though Wright’s pain was finally under control, other challenges remained once he left the hospital. He underwent cognitive, physical and speech therapy. Doctors expected the recovery process to take two years, but Mancilla knew her son had the fortitude for a quicker recovery. She could see that Wright was capable of more than he was initially allowed to do in the rehabilitation process, and her tireless advocacy paid off. 

Wright returned to CSUSM in the fall of 2023, just months after his hospital release. He eased back in by taking one class before increasing his load to three courses in spring 2024. He is grateful for the support he received throughout this time from coaches, teammates and athletic department staff, also noting the important role that CSUSM’s Disability Support Services played in helping him return to the classroom.  

 A little more than a year after his three surgeries, Wright was back as a full-time student and soccer player. Wright didn’t just settle into classes, he thrived in them. He received a 4.0 grade-point average, making him the highest academic performer on the soccer team.  

“Not only did he heal perfectly, he's a better version of himself,” Mancilla said. “He turned something that caused him so much pain into good. He continues to make good choices for himself. He uses that painful experience and turns it into good.” 

That includes his efforts on the soccer field. Returning to the sport he loves was an impressive milestone for Wright, especially because it was considered virtually impossible just months earlier.  

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the 2024 season came in a match against Biola University. As the first half was winding down, Wright scored his first goal since the health scare. Mancilla, who never misses a game, ran down to the field. Coaches welcomed and hugged Mancilla as she rejoiced over the milestone.  

“It was a great, raw moment of emotion, love and gratitude,” said Ron Pulvers, CSUSM’s men’s soccer coach. “An experience I will never forget. 

“Malachi is a tireless worker in all aspects of life. He lives our core value of unconditional gratitude at the highest levels and lives his life with unequalled faith.” 

Wright is back on the field this fall as he continues work toward a bachelor’s degree in human development. He is scheduled to graduate in fall 2026, with an ambition of becoming a firefighter. 

While his time spent in the hospital was scary, the support he received helped him overcome adversity and his faith helped him remain positive. He now uses his experience to encourage others and push himself to perform the best he can.  

“People meet Jesus at the end of the rope. And that was the end of my rope,” Wright said. “Going through this whole experience with my brain really changed my perspective on life and it changed my character as a man.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

“Become an Arts Teacher Day” will take place on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Arts Building on campus. The free event will bring together students and community members to participate in arts activities and listen to guest educators speak about arts teaching. They also will learn more about the steps needed to apply to the multiple subject credential program.

The workshop is part of the Arts Credential Pathway Project, a collaboration among CSUSM’s School of Arts, School of Education and Center ARTES. Founded in 2023, the project was developed to address the shortage of visual and performing arts teachers in California, and to provide an arts credential pathway at CSUSM that can be duplicated on other campuses. CSUSM professors in music; dance; art, media and design; and education have worked for multiple years to build and implement arts credential opportunities for CSUSM students.

Students wanting to pursue this pathway though CSUSM can apply to the School of Education’s multiple subject credential program. Once accepted, students who want to teach in the arts can apply to the CREATE Teacher Residency Program. The program supplies a stipend and financial support, hands-on experience, arts mentorship, a consistent cohort of peers, professional development and networking, priority job interviews, and more.

To learn more, students can contact their art discipline’s Arts Credential Pathway Project representative or visit the teaching credential program website.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

The grant funding will build on the early success of the Aspiring Scholars program, which was launched in 2023 by CSUSM education professor Rebecca Brooks. Now in its third year, the program has grown from four students to 19, offering them an opportunity to learn and grow in the CSUSM community while earning a certificate in higher education academic and career studies.

The largest of the grants is $2.44 million over five years from the Transition and Post-Secondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) in the U.S. Department of Education. Brooks is the principal investigator, with psychology professor Allison Jobin as the co-PI.

The pair also secured grants of $75,000 from the California Center for Inclusive College and $50,000 from the CSU Commission on Professional and Continuing Education.

“Seeing my dream for this program, and for our students, come to life through the collaborative efforts of our incredible CSUSM community has meant the world to me,” Brooks said.

The new funding will enable Aspiring Scholars to hire its first full-time staff members, secure dedicated campus space, increase its support and training to peer mentors and professors, enhance student support, and obtain essential materials for daily operations, program orientations and events.

The program is built on four core pillars:

• Academics: College courses aligned with students’ interests and career goals
• Internships: Career development and employment readiness
• Life skills: Fostering independence and self-advocacy
• Campus life and student engagement: Supporting full participation in campus life

This semester, Aspiring Scholars welcomed its third cohort of 10 students, raising the total to 19. The program has collaborated with nearly 70 faculty members, and the number of peer mentors (CSUSM students who provide essential one-on-one support) has increased from a dozen in 2023 to an average of 60 per semester.

The program recently launched on-campus internships for students. Among the internship sites are the Kellogg Library, Cougar Pantry, Center for Children and Families, Campus Recreation, Innovation Hub, and Office of Recruitment & Outreach.

Additionally, Aspiring Scholars has been recognized as a Comprehensive Transition Postsecondary (CTP) Program, allowing participants to apply for federal student aid.

“Our ultimate goal is to build a sustainable, long-term program that continues to evolve and thrive,” Brooks said.  

The application period for the fall 2026 cohort opened Oct. 1 and will close Nov. 30. The first class will graduate in May 2027.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

A proud alumna of Cal State San Marcos and its School of Education, Guthrie serves as a Distinguished Teacher in Residence (DTiR) – a unique program that brings experienced educators into the university to teach, mentor and lead. DTiRs play a vital role in preparing the next generation of teachers by bridging theory and practice, offering students real-world insights and guidance rooted in classroom experience.

In her role, Guthrie designs and teaches a wide range of undergraduate, credential and graduate-level courses. Her leadership extends beyond instruction, as she co-chairs the school’s Community Governance and DTiR committees and serves on the Education Recruitment Committee.

“It has been an honor to come full circle by returning to teach in the School of Education," Guthrie said. “The faculty at CSUSM do an incredible job of preparing and inspiring future educators to create meaningful learning environments across our region. The opportunity to bring my classroom and real-world experience back to support our TK–12 candidates fills me with both joy and a deep sense of purpose.”

Last year, Guthrie was honored with the College of Education, Health and Human Services Outstanding Alumni Award, a recognition of her impact on education and her continued dedication to CSUSM’s mission.

Now, she’s taking on a new challenge as the faculty fellow for Project R.I.S.E. (Recruiting Inclusive, Supportive Educators), leading strategic programming and planning to support sustained outreach across partner school districts. Her work will lay the foundation for a future Project R.I.S.E. Center, envisioned as a regional hub to strengthen recruitment and pipeline development for aspiring educators.

“Cassiopeia brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking and heart to everything she does,” said Moses Ochanji, director of the School of Education. “Her leadership in Project R.I.S.E. will help us build lasting partnerships and expand opportunities for future teachers.”

Guthrie’s journey began with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State, followed by a teaching credential at CSUSM and an MBA from a private university. She is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership through the joint doctoral program between CSUSM and UC San Diego, with a research focus on how political rhetoric affects teachers’ emotional responses in polarized times.

Her resume includes roles such as a curriculum and educational technology specialist, marketing communications officer, and arts integration fellow with CSUSM’s Center ARTES. She also has served as a journalist and theater critic, earning multiple San Diego Press Club awards and contributing to outlets such as San Diego Magazine and San Diego Story.

Whether she’s leading professional development, designing equity-focused curriculum or mentoring future educators, Guthrie’s work reflects CSUSM’s commitment to innovation and developing creative solutions in partnership with the community.

Support leaders like Cassiopeia Guthrie and programs like DTiR, Project R.I.S.E. and Center ARTES by contributing to CSUSM’s “Blueprint for the Future” fundraising campaign. Your gift helps us innovate in education, accelerate student success and cultivate lasting impact across our region. Learn more and give today.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Led by kinesiology instructor Megan Paterson, the lab sessions gave students the opportunity to explore osmosis and biomechanics through real-world applications. In one experiment, students soaked eggs in vinegar to dissolve the shells, then placed them in various saltwater solutions and beverages of their choice – with most opting for sodas or sports drinks. By weighing the eggs before and after, they estimated how much water was absorbed, offering insight into osmosis and the salt content of everyday drinks.

“This kind of hands-on learning helps students connect theory to practice,” Paterson said. “It’s one thing to read about osmosis; it’s another to see it happen right in front of you.”

In the afternoon sessions taught by Joseph Lawrence, students dissected chicken legs to compare the large muscles of the thigh with the smaller ones in the calf. They then conducted a bone-breaking experiment, measuring the length and diameter of chicken femurs and tibias and calculating the force required to break them.

The lab also incorporated CSUSM’s Anatomage Tables, allowing students to explore human anatomy in 3D and reinforce their understanding through digital dissection.

Inside kinesiology health labs like this, students combine classic techniques with cutting-edge tools, gaining real-world skills that go far beyond textbooks. The experience helps them build a strong foundation for careers in health and human movement. And they’re doing it with purpose.

“These labs weren’t just about science,” Lawrence said. “They were about reinforcing confidence, curiosity and community.”

These immersive experiences reflect CSUSM’s “Blueprint for the Future,” the name of its recently launched $200 million fundraising campaign. You can support the campaign and fuel more hands-on learning experiences like this. Learn more and give today.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Martinez Mendez contended with social anxiety herself as a teen, and she was eager to ensure that her younger siblings knew there were resources and support systems to help if they faced similar challenges.

“I was like their second mother, especially with my sister,” Martinez Mendez said. “It made me think, ‘How can I implement and help with mental health and related issues?’ Because growing up, I never really had the support system.”

Martinez Mendez arrived at Cal State San Marcos initially planning to major in psychology and work toward becoming a clinical psychologist or family therapist. But working at Student Health & Counseling Services (SHCS) inspired her to pursue a slightly different path.

Martinez Mendez spent two years during her undergraduate studies working in CSUSM’s HOPE & Wellness Center as a peer educator. The experience was life-changing, inspiring Martinez Mendez to pursue a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at CSUSM after she graduated last May as a double major in child and adolescent development and Spanish.

“I realized that I love doing more community outreach than working one on one,” she said.

The HOPE & Wellness Center is among several groups on campus devoted to providing mental health services for CSUSM students. Last year, the university received a $250,000 grant from the Conrad Prebys Foundation to advance those services, part of a larger $6 million investment by the Prebys Foundation in grants to 23 local organizations. 

The Prebys Foundation’s funding helped CSUSM launch a mental health intervention program called the Community of Care that brings together the Cougar Care Network, SHCS and the Crisis Response Team. The grant also served as a catalyst for additional philanthropic support, including funding from the San Diego Foundation’s mental health program for MSW interns and a matching contribution from the Epstein Family Foundation.

 The Community of Care’s efforts to decrease mental health challenges and crises for students include the following strategies: 

• Providing counseling through SHCS for students seeking mental health support. 
• Providing basic needs resources and expanding mental health referral support through Cougar Care Network and its mobile Care Cart. 
• Providing response to time-sensitive mental health crises on campus. 

Martinez Mendez is part of those efforts as a MSW graduate assistant this year for the HOPE & Wellness Center. She works closely with Cathy Nguyen, the coordinator of health promotion and a senior health educator, and Rosa Hunt, a health educator.

Martinez Mendez became more interested in social work through her undergraduate work with psychology professor Aleksandria Grabow. It was Grabow who taught her about the many different areas that social work touches. A self-described introvert, Martinez Mendez also credits psychology professor Kimberly Vanderbilt for helping her grow and become more comfortable working with families.

As a MSW student, Martinez Mendez attends classes two days a week while working 20 hours a week at schools in San Marcos Unified School District to earn her pupil personnel services credential, which authorizes individuals to work as school counselors, school psychologists or school social workers.

It’s all part of her goal of becoming a school social worker or therapist to continue advocating for mental health for school-aged children.

Visit the Student Health & Counseling Services website to learn about free mental health first aid trainings. SHCS will host the “Suicide Awareness Walk and Candlelight Vigil”  on Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. Learn more about other upcoming events to support mental health on the SHCS events calendar.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The initiative – led by Laura Coca, director of clinical education – is designed to give students hands-on experience while providing much-needed speech-language pathology (SLP) services to the local community.

“This project is a win-win,” Coca said. “Our students get to apply what they’re learning in a real-world setting, and Interfaith gains access to services that support families and caregivers in meaningful ways.”

Through the partnership, students will collaborate with community members and allied health professionals, offering screenings, support and educational resources. The goal is to strengthen student learning while promoting community well-being.

Alison Scheer-Cohen, chair of the SLP department, said the initiative reflects the department’s commitment to community-engaged scholarship.

“We’re proud to be part of a university that values service and connection,” Scheer-Cohen said. “This partnership bridges academic knowledge with practical service, and it’s a great example of how our students are making a difference even before they graduate.”

The collaboration with Interfaith is expected to enhance access to care for underserved populations while giving students a deeper understanding of the social and cultural factors that shape health outcomes.

“This is about more than clinical skills,” Coca said. “It’s about empathy, communication and building trust with the people we serve.”

The department plans to share outcomes from the project with the campus community, highlighting how engaged scholarship can create lasting impact.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

For the 2025-26 academic year, the MSW program has secured or is finalizing six major grants totaling more than $3.5 million. The funding will provide 125 full tuition and fee scholarships or training stipends, covering 60% of the program’s 210 students. Many recipients will receive additional financial support for living expenses, making graduate education more accessible than ever.

“This support is about more than just lowering financial barriers – it’s about assisting students to graduate without the heavy burden of debt, so they can build their lives and careers in the very communities they’re dedicated to serving,” said Blake Beecher, chair of the social work department.

In addition to the grant-funded scholarships and stipends, the MSW program also entered a new partnership with the San Diego Pay It Forward Loan Program this fall. This program offers zero-interest, no-fee loans to CSUSM MSW students, with loan forgiveness after five years of service in public behavioral health settings. Graduates who remain in these roles also earn retention-based loan credits, further incentivizing long-term community impact.

Another area in which the MSW program is supporting students is through employment-based internships. Due to a change in the most recent social work accreditation standards, the MSW program has developed a process in which select students can complete their required internships in qualifying employment settings. This year, 33 MSW students have been approved to participate in the employment-based internship program.

"This is a game-changer for social mobility," said Jennifer Ostergren, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services. "Our MSW students are not only gaining access to graduate education, but they’re also being positioned to thrive in the workforce and make lasting contributions to the health and well-being of our region."

The MSW program also continues to deepen its community engagement. Students complete 16 to 20 hours per week in field internships across San Diego and Riverside counties, with expansion underway in Orange, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. These placements allow students to work with diverse populations and provide essential services in real-world settings.

During the 2024-25 academic year, MSW students contributed more than 70,000 hours of pro bono social work services to local organizations and agencies serving at-risk populations.

"Our students are embedded in the community in meaningful ways," Beecher said. "They’re not just learning - they’re leading, advocating, and making a difference in people’s lives."

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Project R.I.S.E. will focus on multiple priorities, from building pathways into teaching through future educator summits to hosting workshops that will connect high school, community college and university students interested in education. The project also will support the Emerging Leaders Academy, which will prepare teachers for equity-based leadership roles in partnership with local districts and remove financial barriers by expanding a  fund that helps credential candidates cover essential costs like testing and certification fees.

Cassiopeia Guthrie, a member of the Distinguished Teachers in Residence program in the School of Education, is leading the project activities as the Project R.I.S.E. faculty fellow. She will coordinate programming and planning, helping to create sustained outreach and support across partner districts. That role also will lay the groundwork for a future Project R.I.S.E. center, envisioned as a hub to strengthen regional recruitment and pipeline development for aspiring educators.

Moses Ochanji, director of the School of Education, said the initiative is rooted in opportunity and equity.

“By opening doors early, supporting students along the way and removing financial barriers, we are ensuring that students in as early as high school grades see teaching as a viable and welcoming profession and also that our schools will be led by educators who reflect and understand the communities they serve,” Ochanji said.

“The School of Education is grateful for the partnership with SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union in working to remove barriers before they become roadblocks.”

Jennifer Ostergren, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services, called the partnership with SchoolsFirst a timely investment.

“This is more than a grant,” Ostergren said. “It is a commitment to building pathways for the next generation of teachers and leaders.”

The announcement comes at a critical time as California continues to face teacher shortages, particularly in high-need communities. With Project R.I.S.E., CSUSM is positioning itself at the forefront of solutions by engaging students early, supporting them through credentialing and preparing them for impactful careers in education.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

SWIFT, short for Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track, is backed by a $10 million grant from Price Philanthropies Foundation. The initiative enables eligible students, including those who earned college credits in high school, to complete a bachelor’s degree in three years while gaining the skills and experience needed to address the region’s growing demand for behavioral health and social service professionals.

“This program is about more than speed – it’s about support, belonging and ensuring that students have the tools to succeed from day one,” said Martha Garcia, senior director of SWIFT. “SWIFT Summer Start creates a community of scholars who are ready to thrive academically, socially and personally.”

During the summer, students enrolled in First-Year Seminar with professor Russ Neuhart, with some also taking credit-bearing math and English courses. Outside the classroom, the program partnered with CSUSM’s Office of First-Year & University Programs to offer activities and workshops designed to build community, strengthen academic skills and familiarize students with campus resources.

Students said they appreciated that the program enabled them to acclimate to the campus, connect with their success coaches and create friendships with peers. 

The inaugural SWIFT Summer Start cohort has been joined this fall by additional students admitted directly to the three-year degree pathway. Forty students in total will pursue degrees in either public health or human development (with a concentration in counseling), each receiving a $4,500 annual scholarship.

“SWIFT reflects CSUSM’s deep commitment to meeting the workforce needs of our region while expanding access and opportunity for our students,” said Jennifer Ostergren, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services. “Through its accelerated format, hands-on learning and strong support network, SWIFT prepares graduates to make an immediate and meaningful impact in their communities.”

During the program, students will participate in three summers of experiential learning and internships, earning professional certifications and gaining paid work experience that positions them to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.

CSUSM’s innovative approach to launching SWIFT earned recognition at the recent “Devvies” awards, which honor standout higher education marketing and communication initiatives.

“This is just the beginning,” Garcia said. “We’re building a model for how higher education can respond quickly and effectively to both student needs and workforce demands.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

First-year and transfer students got a head start on the semester last Saturday during New Student and Family Convocation, an annual event to welcome new students into the Cougar family.

The event included remarks from, among others, President Ellen Neufeldt, Provost Carl Kemnitz and Illeana Carmona Chavez, the chair and chief of staff for Associated Students, Inc.

Relive some of the highlights from the two ceremonies in the New Student and Family Convocation photo slideshow.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The grants come from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The faculty members involved from CSUSM include assistant biology professor Mallory Rice, associate biology professor Jane Kim, biology professor George Vourlitis, kinesiology professor Todd Astorino and assistant math professor Kim Ayers.

Rice is the principal investigator (with Kim and Vourlitis as co-PIs) of a three-year, $499,970 grant from the NSF’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program). The project aims to increase student success by ensuring that every CSUSM biology student participates in multiple research experiences while enrolled in their lower- and upper-division courses. Research projects will investigate how urban development impacts wildlife and natural resources in North San Diego County.

The grant will be supported by the CSUSM-based National Latino Research Center, with Konane Martinez (faculty director of the NLRC and chair of the anthropology department) serving in a senior personnel role.

Astorino received a $442,590 Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) from the NIH. He will conduct a randomized controlled trial with 60 inactive adults, who will complete 24 sessions of reduced exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT), a variation of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that requires only two 20-second sprints within a 10-minute session. Astorino then will compare the resultant changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), substrate metabolism and psychological response to a non-exercising control group.

The trial will expand work in the field showing that REHIT increases CRF and other health-related outcomes, but that has been criticized due to its small sample size, serving to question the broad application of REHIT in adults.

Ayers received a $173,098 grant from the NSF in collaboration with Florida International University and the University of Virginia. The three universities will adapt and implement the Modeling Practices in Calculus (MPC) approach, which has been shown to significantly improve learning and success for a broad collection of introductory calculus students. At the core of MPC is the opportunity for students to work cooperatively and discuss key mathematical ideas in a face-to-face, small-group setting. After adoption and implementation, CSUSM and its partners will identify three additional sites that will join the project in its second year. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

What she found was a close-knit campus community, opportunities to grow as a leader and the unexpected start of a career she hadn’t planned. 

Debber graduated from CSUSM in 2016 with a degree in kinesiology. Today, she leads the team at Lilo, a 22-seat fine-dining restaurant known for its immersive tasting experience and coastal cuisine. Just 10 weeks after opening, the restaurant earned a prestigious Michelin star. 

“I didn’t even know hospitality could be a real career when I started,” Debber said. “But I quickly fell in love with it. That passion and the people I’ve met through this industry have made all the difference.” 

Debber planned to major in nursing at CSUSM, but after not being admitted into the highly competitive program, she shifted to kinesiology and fully embraced the opportunities the university offered. 

She spent four years on CSUSM’s women’s club lacrosse team, a sport she’d never played before college, and served on the campus orientation team. She said those experiences shaped her into the leader she is today. 

“I didn’t like not being good at something, so I worked hard at lacrosse,” Debber said. “That same hunger carried into management. I wanted to be better, and I was willing to put in the work.” 

Orientation team training helped her connect with people from all walks of life, a skill that now serves her well in the hospitality industry.  

“We spent a lot of time learning about different communities on campus and how to support them,” Debber said. “That still sticks with me. Now I manage a diverse team, and that kind of awareness is essential. I received good training from being on the orientation team. They would bring in a lot of different leaders on campus to teach you about their area, and that was beneficial.” 

After graduation, Debber faced a decision: return home to Fresno to save up for grad school or stay in San Diego and work. She chose to stay and unknowingly launched a career in hospitality.  

“My initial entry into hospitality was with the intention of going back to school for kinesiology or for health science,” Debber said. “But I decided that I really had a knack for hospitality. I didn't even know that that was a career option.” 

Her first role was as a host at Campfire in Carlsbad, where she helped open the restaurant in 2016. She worked her way up through various roles, eventually helping to open Jeune et Jolie as a bartender and rising to general manager. 

“I think a lot of people really struggled when I first started working in hospitality,” Debber said. “I had a lot of people telling me it's not really a sustainable career. I felt like I had a lot of societal pressure to move into a different direction.”  

However, Debber found a sense of purpose and community working in the restaurant industry. Now as general manager of a Michelin-starred restaurant at Lilo, she’s focused less on accolades and more on people. 

“I think the Michelin star is just a byproduct of all the hard work we put in,” Debber said. “What’s most important to me is that we’re providing a unique experience for people, that our books are full every night, and that our team is genuinely happy with what they do. 

“As a company, we really believe in making sure everyone’s time is well spent. That’s something I care deeply about in my role. So, for me, it’s less about the Michelin star and more about creating something meaningful.” 

Debber never could have predicted becoming the general manager of one of the most talked about restaurants in Southern California. But she credits every twist and turn along the way for helping her grow into the leader she is today. 

“I think the best things in my life have come from saying yes to something that scared me a little,” Debber said. “You don’t always have to know exactly where you’re going. Just be open, work hard and trust that it’ll lead somewhere great.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

“I became a hospital corpsman and was embedded in the Marines,” Jones said. “I worked in trauma bays and in field environments. I saw the best and worst of humanity. And through it all, I knew I was doing what I was meant to do – take care of people.”

Jones served for two decades, earning accolades, earning the respect of her peers and gaining the kind of experience that most civilians could only imagine. But when she retired from active duty, a different question emerged: What comes next?

“I wasn’t done serving,” she said. “I just needed to find a new way to do it.”

That calling led her to Cal State San Marcos, where she is part of the inaugural cohort of the university’s new Veterans Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program. The program is designed specifically for veterans who, like Jones, bring a wealth of medical experience and leadership into a second career as a registered nurse.

“This is just a different kind of uniform,” Jones said. “The mission is still the same: serve with compassion, leadership and integrity.”

A New Path Built for Veterans

Jones already had earned a master’s degree in forensic science and worked for the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office in her post-military career. But something was missing.

“I missed the connection with the patients,” she said. “There’s something sacred about caring for someone when they’re vulnerable. I needed to get back to that.”

She learned about the VBSN program at CSUSM after seeing a flyer. The program immediately piqued her interest, especially its focus on supporting veterans’ transition into health care.

“When I saw the VBSN flyer, I felt like it was calling me,” Jones said. “I realized I could bring everything I’d learned in the military – trauma care, leadership, the ability to stay calm in chaos – and use it to keep helping people.”

She applied and was accepted into the spring 2025 cohort. Now, in her second semester, she’s thriving.

For U.S. Army veteran Anthony Caesar Sapinoso, the journey to the VBSN program began in high school, when he enlisted through the Army's Future Soldiers program in 2016. He served as a 68 – an Army licensed vocational nurse – and always knew he wanted to build a career in health care.

“I saw that the Army would become my foothold and way to get not only a glimpse but actual experience in the field,” Sapinoso said.

While exploring nursing schools across California, Sapinoso found CSUSM’s VBSN program somewhat serendipitously.

“I started my search from the Bay Area, where I’m originally from, and branched out. After being rejected from several programs, I was elated when I got the acceptance letter from San Marcos,” he said. “The shorter timeline to licensure and graduation also made CSUSM’s program stand out.”

Purpose-Driven Support

Designed with veterans in mind, the VBSN program offers tailored advising, peer support and a clinical curriculum that values the lived experience of those who have served. Students complete rigorous hands-on training at hospitals and health care facilities throughout the region, preparing them to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam.

“Veterans possess qualities that make them exceptional nurses: leadership under pressure, teamwork and a deep understanding of trauma-informed care,” said Wendy Hansbrough, director of the School of Nursing. “The VBSN program honors their service and supports their transition into one of the most critical professions in our health care system.”

Jones says the support from faculty and peers has been key to her success.

“The transition from a corpsman to a student nurse is not always easy,” she said. “But this program was built for us. They know where we’re coming from and what we bring to the table.”

Sapinoso agrees. Now in his second semester, he admits that he felt some initial hesitation.

“I was unaware initially that most of my cohort already had a bachelor’s degree in another field, and I didn’t,” he said. “I felt some slight imposter syndrome, but that quickly disappeared once we started clinicals and skill tests. That’s where my military experience kicked in, and my confidence showed up.”

He credits the Army for shaping his holistic approach to patient care and cultural competency.

“Being in the Army was both a fun and hectic time where, despite everyone’s different backgrounds, we came together to make the best of any situation,” Sapinoso said. “That spirit of teamwork and care carries into everything I do now.”

Faculty like Matt Mincey, who teaches Fundamentals of Nursing, see the difference that veterans carry into the classroom and clinical rotations.

“Tara and her fellow veteran students bring a depth of life experience. The ability to remain calm under pressure is incredibly valuable in clinical settings,” Mincey said. “Our role as faculty is to honor that experience while challenging them to grow as professional nurses.”

A University Committed to Veterans

The VBSN program reflects CSUSM’s long-standing commitment to military-connected students.

“At CSUSM, we believe in the transformative power of education, especially when it supports students who have already given so much in service to others,” said Jennifer Ostergren, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services. “The VBSN program is a powerful example of what happens when we create purpose-driven pathways that honor lived experience and open doors to meaningful careers.”

Jones hopes to specialize in critical care nursing and eventually work in a VA or military-affiliated hospital. Sapinoso, too, remains open to the possibilities.

“Whether in the Army or as a nurse, I’ve always wanted to be of service to others,” he said.

Looking Ahead

With an ever-growing demand for nurses, particularly those with crisis leadership and cultural competency, CSUSM’s VBSN program addresses workforce needs while cultivating the next generation of health care leaders.

Interest in the program continues to grow through veteran word-of-mouth and university outreach. The School of Nursing is actively recruiting future cohorts and remains committed to expanding access to this unique and impactful academic pathway.

For students like Jones and Sapinoso, it’s more than just a degree – it’s a calling fulfilled.

To learn more about CSUSM’s Veterans BSN program, visit www.csusm.edu/nursing or email cehhs-ss@csusm.edu.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Though part of different colleges – Feairheller a kinesiology professor in the College of Education, Health and Human Services and Morris a computer engineering professor in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – they reconnected as members of the second cohort of Faculty Innovation Fellows in CSUSM’s Innovation Hub. The program fosters innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities for students, faculty, and community and industry partners.

While Feairheller and Morris were working on separate projects during the fellowship, their connection led to a new collaboration that has earned federal funding to advance their research.

The project, “AI-Driven Models for Disease Detection in Cardiovascular Health,”  was awarded a grant through the National Institutes of Health’s AIM-AHEAD Program for Artificial Intelligence Readiness (PAIR), which supports multidisciplinary teams focused on building capacity for AI/ML health equity research. Joining Feairheller and Morris on the project are computer science professors Ali Ahmadinia and Sreedevi Gutta.

“By getting the award from AIM-AHEAD, we now have data available to us that we previously didn't have,” Morris said. “That can be another resource for us to improve our models and better understand what additional data we’ll need when we do go to collect new information with Deb.”

Feairheller credited the innovation fellowship for providing the space to initiate those early discussions, which grew into a broader collaboration.

“I'm really excited that we have access to this extra data,” Feairheller said. “Through this grant program, they're going to help us in creating a project proposal that will build on the idea that they have and also help enable future research in cardiovascular health and women.”

Before joining CSUSM, Feairheller was at the University of New Hampshire where she focused on understudied populations affected by cardiovascular disease. Coming to CSUSM, she recognized the need for specific research in women. She is eager to use the AI modeling that Morris and his team will be doing to improve screening tools that could be used in her clinic to potentially enable more patients to be engaged in learning about their cardiovascular health.

Feairheller noted the importance of recognizing the difference in the hearts of men and women. She said there is limited published research on how a female heart responds to stressors, exercise and other activity.

“The clinical guidelines and the paradigms that physicians use to treat patients are following protocols that were derived on studies that were done primarily in men, so I really love that we're going to create these AI models,” she said. “And I really do hope that we can do something that is specific for females as well as for males because it might create ways that we can do screening that's very sex specific and could potentially save lives.”

The “AI-Driven Models for Disease Detection in Cardiovascular Health” project got jumpstarted with initial data that had already been collected by Feairheller in her previous research working with women, which Morris said allowed them to improve their grant proposal by creating models based on that data.

Both Feairheller and Morris emphasized the role the Faculty Innovation Fellows program played in bringing their collaboration to fruition, and they encourage other faculty to give the program a try.

“The fellowship really helped us learn about each other's research,” Morris said, “and it facilitated impactful conversations.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Keehr, who graduated in 2016, now works as a speech-language pathologist in the San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD). She has remained closely connected to CSUSM, regularly supervising SLP graduate students working as interns in the district. 

In somewhat of a full circle moment for Keehr, she now sends her daughter to the CSUSM SLP clinic where she once trained as a graduate student. 

Keehr’s daughter Lyra was born with Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects how a child grows and develops. It can cause learning difficulties, seizures, delayed speech, and unique physical features like coarse facial features or small hands and feet. 

Though Lyra will turn 3 years old in September, she weighs just 15 pounds and is still learning to walk independently. When Lyra's physical therapist recommended a walking device to improve her mobility, the SLP clinic was there to help. Lyra’s tiny frame meant a standard walking device wouldn’t work, and a custom-made one came with an exorbitant price tag. 

One of Keehr’s SMUSD coworkers suggested she talk to CSUSM about the possibility of developing something. 

Laura Coca, CSUSM’s director of clinical education for the SLP department and one of Keehr’s mentors while she was a student, reached out to engineering professor Reza Kamali, who is the faculty adviser for the university’s chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM), an assistive technology organization that matches students with people living with neglected disabilities.  

“It was such a wonderful opportunity for students to collaborate,” Coca said. “I cannot thank Reza and TOM enough. They were just so fast and so comprehensive.” 

Kamali and the TOM team had several meetings with Keehr and Lyra’s physical therapist. Less than four months later, they had created a lightweight walking device tailored for Lyra. 

“These experiences offered a unique opportunity for students to engage in community-based projects where they could see firsthand how their knowledge and skills could be applied to create meaningful change,” Kamali said. “Watching their product go from an idea to a tangible device used by a child in need was an emotional and inspiring moment for everyone involved.” 

Keehr said the additional support has helped Lyra in many ways, including socially, with play skills that she’s learning from the SLP clinic and in her general mobility. 

“I didn’t know what to expect, and that’s why I was pleasantly surprised,” Keehr said.“Since getting the trainer, she has been able to stand by herself for a few seconds. It’s definitely been helping with her development. 

"I'm just very grateful for both of those programs and what they're doing for the community. Trying to navigate the insurance world and all the paperwork and everything that comes with it, it's programs like the SLP clinic and TOM that make it just a little bit easier for families like ours. They’re people who have good hearts and just want to help their community. So I'm very grateful for making those connections and also being able to promote them to other families that I work with so that they can benefit from these services.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

College of Business Administration

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences 1

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences 2

College of Education, Health and Human Services 1

College of Education, Health and Human Services 2

College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

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Honorees were nominated by faculty or staff and endorsed by their college’s dean. Here is a closer look at each award recipient: 

Alexandria (Alli) Mulqueen, psychological science  

President’s Outstanding Graduate  

Dean’s Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences 

Mulqueen is engaged on campus and in the community, where she demonstrates unique commitment to her passion around disability inclusion, equity and justice. She serves as co-president of the Disability and Neurodiversity Alliance (also known as the CSUSM Best Buddies Chapter), which is aimed at empowering people to become advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to bringing awareness to the disability rights movement.  

As the only student organization on campus focusing on neurodiversity and disability justice, Mulqueen’s leadership has provided a voice and place for community building, belonging, learning and advocacy for students with disabilities and allies. 

Learn more about Mulqueen. 

Tyler Glasser, business administration 

Gerevas Family Dean’s Award, College of Business Administration 

Glasser was selected for his collective leadership contributions to the college and the student community, including helping to advance the Cougar Fund. Through his leadership and knowledge, the Cougar Fund has enhanced its investment strategy and rebalanced the holdings of the fund’s portfolio.  

The diversification has helped mitigate risk and established a foundation for the financial sustainability of the Cougar Fund. As important, the knowledge and techniques introduced by Glasser will move the Cougar Fund’s chief investment officer position forward, motivating future leadership to new levels of performance. It has also enhanced student hands-on learning, a cornerstone of CoBA degree programs, better preparing Cougar Fund students for their future investment careers.  

Nathan Lenski, master's, public health 

Dean’s Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services 

Lenski has consistently demonstrated exceptional research skills and a deep commitment to improving public health, particularly among vulnerable populations. Additionally, he has taken up the mantel of the department’s student organization, Graduate Organization of Public Health. He has accomplished this over the course of CSUSM’s accelerated Master of Public Health degree program while still employed full time for the County of San Luis Obispo.  

Lenski was lauded for his research capabilities and for being both intuitive and open to learning. His commitment to public health is not limited to his academic work but is also reflected in his actions. He seeks to leverage his research and leadership to create meaningful solutions. 

Maya Qaddourah, biochemistry  

Dean’s Award, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 

Qaddourah has shown a remarkable commitment to leading efforts to support and encourage her peers and her community at a time when her peers were consumed by isolation, fear and self-doubt with all that is happening in the world. She did this all while balancing a heavy academic load and performing at an exceptionally high level in the classroom, demonstrating a deep commitment to interdisciplinary biochemical research that resulted in working in multiple labs across campus and bringing her research to the point of publication, almost unheard of at the undergraduate level.  

She also served as a teaching assistant in several advanced courses where it is unusual to have even one of these experiences. Even with such extraordinary academic and research accomplishments, what set Qaddourah apart was her insight into the importance of community and sense of belonging and her exceptional persistence that led her to develop a personal mission of leaving an enduring impact that fosters inclusivity, innovation and career readiness in STEM at CSUSM. 

Kate Carlson, master’s, kinesiology 

Dean’s Award, Graduate Studies 

Carlson’s work ethic, attention to detail, professionalism, communication, reliability, leadership and organization skills are impressive to her peers and professors.  

These qualities were on full display during Carlson’s thesis defense on Feb. 20. Following the presentation, the committee unanimously agreed that it was the most exceptional master’s thesis project, defense and written document they had encountered in their academic careers. One committee member even noted that Carlson’s performance was on par with Ph.D. dissertation defenses from former students who now hold full or associate professor positions at top-tier research institutions. 

Miyah Walker, psychological sciences 

Dean of Students Leadership Award 

Walker’s ability to provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for residents, while promoting wellness, has been a hallmark of her time as a resident adviser. Additionally, she has demonstrated exceptional counseling, mentorship and facilitation skills, leading educational conversations that center on personal development, cultural understanding and co-curricular programming in a diverse learning environment. 

Walker is a rare student who has integrated her studies, co-curricular experiences and embodies a holistic student experience at CSUSM. She has taken what she has learned in psychology and applied it to her RA and peer educator roles. After graduation, in the near term, Miyah intends to become a registered behavioral technician to work with autistic children. Her long-term goal is to earn a doctoral degree and work in underserved communities as a psychologist. 

Learn more about Walker. 

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Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Hosted by Math and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI) and the CSUSM Noyce Teacher Scholars Program, the event reinforced the shared commitment to preparing and empowering STEM educators.

“The STEM Teacher Celebration had guest speakers who provided invaluable insights and teaching strategies that greatly benefited the teacher candidates,” student Sunny Naidu said. “The seasoned educators highlighted successful case studies and provided examples of how these strategies can be implemented in the classroom to foster collaboration, critical thinking and creativity among students.

“The interactive nature of the small-group presentations allowed the teacher candidates to ask questions, share their experiences and participate in discussions, leading to a rich exchange of ideas. Many teacher candidates left the celebration feeling inspired and equipped with new strategies that they could immediately apply in their future classrooms.”

Some 40 STEM teacher candidates, MSTI Cougar Mathematics and Science Teacher Scholarship Program recipients, Noyce Scholars, undergraduate Students of Promise, practicing STEM teachers, and faculty and administrators attended this year’s event at the McMahan House on campus.

Through engaging roundtable discussions, participants explored practical strategies for implementing California mathematics and science curriculum frameworks. The event highlighted the importance of ongoing professional learning and support in advancing effective STEM teaching and learning.

“As a teacher candidate, I appreciated the roundtable discussions at the STEM Teacher Celebration,” student Courtney Wilson said. “It was a unique opportunity to hear real teachers share innovative and practical approaches to teaching – and the food was great, too!”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Reyes, a Northern California native, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health science from Sacramento State in 2023, but knew she wanted to continue her education to pursue a career in nursing. She applied to multiple California State University schools and stumbled upon CSUSM through the Cal State Apply website.  

Though she wasn’t familiar with CSUSM, she enjoyed her CSU experience at Sac State and liked what she saw when she visited Southern California over the summer.  

However, nursing was not always Reyes’ goal.  

“I was very anti-nursing for a long time,” Reyes said. “My mom is a labor and delivery nurse, so she was planting that seed in my head. But I was like, ‘No, I’m going to do my own thing.’ ”  

But the death of Reyes’ grandmother from COVID-19 complications in early 2020 changed her perspective. 

While Reyes was familiar with health care because of her mom and through volunteer work, she never had seen it the way she did during her grandmother’s time in the hospital. 

“I firsthand saw the nurses be that connection for us in a time where we couldn’t go into the hospital,” Reyes said. 

In a time when the world was shut down and her freshmen year at Sac State was online, the connection that the nurse made with her and her family provided inspiration.  

“Seeing the connection that the nurse was able to create and help us communicate with my grandma in her last days really left a lasting impact,” Reyes said. “It made me think, ‘I want to be that kind of person for someone.’ ” 

Once Reyes started pursuing nursing, she found herself liking it more than she imagined. Through the groups of people and professors she met, she found motivation that helped her find the career she wants to pursue.  

Armildre Baez, an alumna who graduated from the ABSN program, is one of the professors whom Reyes credits for her success at CSUSM.  

“I think the way she carries herself in the hospital reinforced our learning and was very supportive,” Reyes said. 

Through the imposter syndrome that Reyes sometimes felt, Baez was there to encourage her and her fellow classmates. Reyes still gets to see Baez during her internship work at Kaiser Permanente in San Marcos, where Baez works as a progressive care unit nurse. 

“What stands out most about Audrey as a nursing student is her unwavering dedication and genuine compassion for others,” Baez said. “Her intelligence was evident in the way she grasped complex concepts and applied them thoughtfully. I am confident that Audrey will be an amazing nurse one day and will make a meaningful impact in her patients' lives." 

Being away from home for the first time has been one of Reyes’ biggest challenges while attending CSUSM. 

“I never had the classic college experience of moving away and dorming,” Reyes said. “Through going to Cal State, I got that experience and was really lucky to meet some good people here.”  

As Reyes is preparing to walk across the commencement stage in May, she is most excited for the nursing pinning ceremony. Her parents are high school sweethearts from the Philippines, where they each got their college degrees. They moved to U.S. at different times in their 20s. 

“My mom is really excited about the nursing pinning because her mom was the one who pinned her,” said Reyes, whose mom will pin her. 

After graduation, Reyes anticipates remaining in a hospital setting in medical surgical or telemetry, with an eye on eventually working in pediatrics. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

At the time, there were four main buildings on campus with University Hall having just opened a couple of years before Charles graduated with her liberal studies degree.

So, it’s easy to imagine her shock at seeing campus for the first time since those commencement ceremonies when she arrived in the summer of 2023 to attend family orientation with her daughter, Kaiah, who was an incoming first-year student that fall.

“It was crazy,” Charles said. “I thought, ‘This was my little school, and it's just so beautiful.’ I was so proud of how far it's come. I almost got teary eyed. I feel like I was there at the beginning, and it's become this incredible university. Attending orientation, I don’t know why people in the area would want to go anywhere else. It’s so gorgeous and you have everything.”

Charles attended CSUSM with a single goal – becoming an elementary school teacher. And she credits the university for helping to prepare her for the career she’s enjoyed for more than two decades.

“Like with anything, once you actually get into teaching it can be so different than what you learned in school,” Charles said. “But CSUSM really does a great job of setting you up for success.

“It was helpful that so many of my professors had been in the classroom before. It wasn't someone just telling you what it was going to be like, it was based on real-life experience. That made a huge difference learning from people who actually know what you're going to be going through and what it’s like. They didn’t sugarcoat everything, which was good because they know that there are good things about teaching and there are challenging things about teaching.”

Charles was a first-generation college student, and she was focused from a young age on becoming a teacher (brief thoughts about becoming a nurse ended in fifth grade when she sliced open her hand and saw the blood). She always loved working with kids – even when she was one herself. In elementary school, she often helped in the kindergarten classes, loving every minute working with younger students.

An Escondido native, Charles taught in her hometown at Conway Elementary (now known as Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning) for three years before moving across town to help open Bernardo Elementary School in 2005. She has been at Bernardo ever since, teaching first grade throughout her career.

“I love what I do,” Charles said. “First grade is so much fun because a lot of these kids come in knowing letters and sounds, but they literally leave as readers. First grade is so foundational that just to see their growth is so rewarding.

“And we have great families at Bernardo. I love my team that I work with and we have an awesome principal. I couldn't work at a better school.”

Charles has similar feelings about CSUSM. She was about 7 months pregnant with her first child, Benjamin, when she received her teaching credential at commencement in 2001. A year later, she began teaching at Conway. She had three more children – Kaiah and sons Elijah and Josiah – with Kaiah following in her mom’s footsteps by attending CSUSM.

Like her mom, Kaiah is looking toward a career working with children. She is majoring in psychological science and works about 30 hours a week doing applied behavior analysis therapy to help young children with autism learn and develop skills.

“I love working with kids. I feel like I was born to do it,” said Kaiah, who likely will pursue her master’s with an eye on being a therapist.

It's gratifying for Charles to see how Kaiah is finding her place at CSUSM and looking forward to diving deeper into her major as she completes her general education courses.      

“I'm so happy she's there, and she's really happy that she's there, too,” Charles said. “Right from the time we got to orientation, it just felt like a family and a community.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

CSUSM and other recipients were celebrated at “The Devvies,” a North County awards luncheon that recognizes outstanding contributions to the region’s economic development. The San Diego North Economic Development Council solicits nominations for the awards and curates the event, which was presented by San Diego Gas & Electric and sponsored by the San Diego Foundation, U.S. Bank and MAAC.

SWIFT offers an accelerated three-year bachelor’s program through the College of Education, Health and Human Services for students interested in preparing for mental and behavioral health professional opportunities. The program emphasizes dual enrollment, community collaboration and real-world experience. In addition to a degree, students will graduate with the requirements to obtain in-demand professional certification.

The Summer Opportunity Workshops were hosted by the College of Business Administration last June, introducing more than 100 local high school students to higher education and business leadership during a free five-day workshop taught by CSUSM faculty. Workshop topics included financial literacy, entrepreneurship, AI and cybersecurity literacy, and supply chain.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

But before putting the finishing touches on your list of New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look back at some of the most-talked-about stories of 2024.

CSUSM Receives Two Gifts Totaling $20 Million, Largest in 35-Year History

In a historic moment, Cal State San Marcos received two philanthropic donations totaling $20 million – the largest gifts in its 35-year history. $10 million from Price Philanthropies Foundation will create a first-of-its-kind, three-year accelerated bachelor's degree and workforce pipeline for behavioral and mental health. The other $10 million came from Daniel J. Epstein – a director of the CSUSM Foundation Board – and his wife, Phyllis. Their contribution will serve as a unique dollar-for-dollar matching gift opportunity for all CSUSM donors to double their impact across campus.

Balancing Act: Master's Grad Perseveres Through Challenges

A master’s of biological sciences student, Jocelyne Dates was selected last spring as the recipient of the 2024 President's Outstanding Graduate Award, the highest honor a graduating student can receive. She also received the Dean’s Award for Graduate Studies, which recognizes the accomplishments of one master’s student. Jocelyne is continuing her education by pursuing her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt.

'I Just Want to Make Him Proud and My Life to Count'

Last spring, at 76 years old, Kathryn Cook walked across the graduation stage as the oldest graduate of Cal State San Marcos' class of 2024. Her path to this accomplishment was not one of a traditional four-year-and-done experience. In fact, it was 50 years in the making, with monumental life transitions and rocky hardships in between. The passing of Cook’s husband in 2019 led her to continue her education at CSUSM and graduate with a sociology degree.

From the Baseball Diamond to 'The Bachelorette'

Austin Ott had never watched an episode of “The Bachelorette” when he received a DM on Instagram from the show encouraging him to apply. While nervous, his communication and media studies degree from Cal State San Marcos gave him a foundation to build on. Ott’s first speech in COMM 100 gave him an idea of what being in the public eye might look like. “My time at Cal State San Marcos was probably the best years of my life,” said Ott, who graduated in 2019. “There’s nothing better than playing the game you love and being around your best friends.”

American Indian Student Follows Passion for Animals, Environment

Aiden Valverde, an American Indian Studies major from the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, has made significant contributions through his engagement with the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center. As an intern for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Valverde was able to connect more with his culture, and his passion for animals and the environment. “Aiden exemplifies everything we strive to achieve in American Indian Studies and at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center,” said Joely Proudfit, the department chair of American Indian Studies.

Computers a Lifelong Passion for Trustees' Award Winner

In 2009, Minh Tran’s family moved to Escondido from Vietnam, the only home that he, his parents and his two older siblings had ever known. Now, the fourth-year student who’s on track to graduate in May, was honored as CSUSM’s recipient of the 2024 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, the California State University’s highest recognition of student accomplishment. Students are selected based on academic achievements, financial need, excellence in community service and personal hardship. Awardees have all demonstrated inspirational resolve along the path to college success, and many are the first in their families to attend college.

Graduate Crafting Career on Helping Children

A child and adolescent development major at Cal State San Marcos, Tania Arceo spent the last year and a half working with Voices for Children, a nonprofit organization where volunteers are trained to become court-appointed special advocates. Volunteers like Arceo represent juvenile dependency cases in San Diego County. Since graduating last spring with her bachelor’s, Arceo has started her Master of Social Work program at CSUSM this fall. 

Alumnus Seeks Better Mental Health Through Better Cuts

John Edwards was only 12 years old when he taught himself how to cut his own hair. By the time Edwards enrolled at Cal State San Marcos as a transfer student returning to higher education in 2021, he was close to completing barber school. Now a licensed barber and a recent CSUSM graduate, he operates a small studio in San Diego, rotating about 25 clients through his single chair. Edwards studied psychology at CSUSM, and it was at the university that he dreamed up the idea of melding his longtime practice of barbering with his fledgling research on mental health treatment. 
 

CSUSM Earns Prestigious Seal for Serving Latinx Students

Cal State San Marcos has earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia, a national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment and more intentionally serve Latinx students. CSUSM is one of only 17 colleges and universities to earn the Seal of Excelencia in 2024. In 2018, Excelencia introduced the seal to certify colleges and universities for their efforts to become learning environments where Latinx, and all, students thrive. This year marks the organization’s 20th year of service to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.

Surfer Makes School History With National Title

Tanner Vodraska, a Cal State San Marcos business student, became the first surfer in university history to win an individual national title. The junior competed in the college men’s division of the 2024 National Scholastic Surfing Association interscholastic national championships at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point. Vodraska dominated the field. He posted a two-wave score of 17.5 points in the final, far outdistancing his closest competitor. “I feel really proud of myself because I set a goal to win the national title before I graduate, and I accomplished it,” Vodraska said.

Incredible Mulk: Class Project Becomes Thriving Business

Melissa Finestone remembers the assignment in her business marketing class that started it all. Each student was required to develop a business plan based on a product they conceived. Finestone decided to curate a product that combined her passion for cooking with a childhood love of chocolate milk. But Finestone wanted to develop a healthy alternative to other chocolate milks on the market. When Finestone couldn’t find a product on the market that met her requirements, she chose to make her own. Using her Vitamix blender to grind almonds in her kitchen at home, Finestone crafted samples of chocolate- and strawberry-flavored, plant-based almond milk. She served it to each student in the class while presenting her product. The overwhelming support from her peers inspired Finestone to launch The Mulk Co. in June 2018, only one year after she graduated from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor’s degree in global business management. 

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Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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Jonathan Jennings, one of those hundreds of fall 2024 graduates, likes to call himself a “nontraditional nontraditional” student. Not only is he 37 years old and pursuing his second degree, but unlike nearly all of the 50-odd students in his Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program cohort, he does not have an educational background in science.

Jennings, rather, graduated from UCLA 15 years ago with a degree in world arts and cultures, which is one of the only academic programs of its type in U.S. higher education. He describes it as a unorthodox fusion of dance and anthropology.

“I took everything from ballet to postmodern to African war dances to tai chi – you name it,” Jennings said. “If a culture moves in a certain way, I studied why they move that way, how it affects the way they interact with other people in their culture and how you can respectfully create your own work as an artist without disrespecting the culture.”

It's how Jennings applied his first bachelor’s and the path he took toward this second one, however, that elevates his story beyond a mere curiosity. After leaving UCLA, he fulfilled his lifelong ambition of becoming a professional dancer. One of his first jobs was as a performer on a Disney cruise ship for nine months, providing on-board entertainment through a medley of shows.

Jennings parlayed that opportunity into one that was significantly longer and somehow even more exotic. He worked for much of the next eight years as a dancer at Tokyo Disneyland. Assigned to the wildly popular, Tokyo-specific stage show “One Man’s Dream II: The Magic Lives On,” which featured humans performing alongside Mickey Mouse and many other classic Disney characters, Jennings danced five times a day, five days a week for a total of more than 8,000 shows.

“It made for a great icebreaker in the ABSN program,” he said. “Day one of orientation, tell us something interesting about yourself: ‘I used to perform with Mickey and his friends in a show called “One Man’s Dream II.” ’ It’s a unique experience. Not many people have gotten the opportunity to do that.”

During his tenure at the theme park, Jennings earned a promotion to line captain, a role that’s responsible for leading rehearsals on days when the director and production team aren’t available, as well as mitigating conflicts between cast members. Away from the job, he enjoyed the minor celebrity status that accompanied being a Disney performer in Japan, while finding time to travel to countries throughout Asia.

Asked if he still misses that chapter of his life, Jennings said: “Every day, though I think it’s mostly nostalgia now. I was young. I was making good money. The world was my oyster.”

Dancing is often a young person’s profession, and when Jennings reached his early 30s, he realized that he would need to discover his second act. In December 2019, he took part in the final staging ever of “One Man’s Dream,” returned to his hometown of Spring Valley and retired as a dancer.

As he began to contemplate what would come next, he thought about things that brought him joy. He thought about his love of babies, shaped by a formative experience helping to care for a newborn cousin who lived with his family when he was just 10 years old. He thought about his exposure to caretaking through poor health suffered by his stepfather and grandfather.

He thought, in other words, that nursing – especially pediatric nursing – might be a good fit. So early in the pandemic, he spent a year at Cuyamaca College knocking out the science prerequisites required for him to attend nursing school. Once those were complete, he applied to CSUSM and began studying in its ABSN program in spring 2023.

While he battled feelings of imposter syndrome in the classroom from his lack of science training, Jennings sought out any and all chances he could uncover to gain nursing-adjacent seasoning. One such opportunity came through CSUSM’s Mobile Wellness Initiative, which engages students from the seven disciplines of the College of Education, Health and Human Services (including nursing) in community-based health education and promotion events. Starting in February, Jennings volunteered for about seven events in the community, doing things like blood pressure screenings for adults and healthy eating activities for kids.

“Recognizing my own ignorance, the fact that I don't have health care experience, I wanted to expose myself to as many scenarios where health care is provided and communities to which is provided as possible,” he said. “It put a very human face on health care for me, in a way that's not in a hospital room where everything's beeping.”

Matt Mincey, a nursing lecturer who established the Mobile Wellness Initiative, has witnessed Jennings in action at several community health events and seen how the outsized personality and stage presence that Jennings brought to his dancing career translate to the field of nursing.

“One of the things that nursing students struggle with is confidence, especially when it comes to speaking with others,” Mincey said. “Most students find a way to break through that barrier, but it comes at different times for everyone. Jonathan just had this ability from the get-go. He is humble, but he is also confident in what he knows and he is eager to share with anyone who will listen.

“I am excited to see where he goes after graduation but already feel the loss in our operations that will be hard to replace.” 

For his final semester this fall, Jennings worked an externship in the cardiothoracic ICU at Rady Children’s Hospital (one of the top such units in the country) and also did clinical rotations in telehealth at UC San Diego and as a school nurse. He has interviewed for a full-time job at Rady and hopes to have received a job offer by early next year.

If he gets the position, he won’t be dressing up in costumes and dancing for patients. But he perceives almost daily the ways in which his previous life benefits him in his new life.

“Other than actual textbook content, I don't think there's a corner of nursing that my old career doesn't apply to, which was surprising to me,” he said. “It's being versed in a lot of soft skills that I didn't recognize were skills until I had to apply them in a field where that's not the dominant thing that we're using to create value. If something's going wrong and the doctor has to run out and get a new piece of equipment, I can stand in that room and hold the audience and distract them from pain or whatever they're feeling, as opposed to freezing and standing there awkwardly or leaving the room. I didn't see that as a marketable skill in nursing, but now I do.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Not when he graduated from high school and decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. Not when he exited several years later and found himself rudderless without the structure provided by the military. Not while he worked a series of odd jobs and dabbled in multiple blue-collar professions.

McCabe figured that he was destined to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both of whom were lifelong construction workers.

“I thought that I was going to do some kind of manual labor,” McCabe said. “I was like, ‘I can’t do college. I’m not smart enough.’ ”

That mentality prevailed until the end of 2021 when, feeling like he was out of viable options, McCabe elected to use his GI Bill benefits and enroll at Palomar College. Three years and a transfer to Cal State San Marcos later, he has arrived at the definitive conclusion that college is indeed for him.

A senior, McCabe is on track to graduate next spring with a degree in human development. His grade-point average at CSUSM is 3.9 – a vast improvement over the 1.7 he recorded in high school – and he has made the dean’s list every semester.

McCabe, though, has found his most meaning and purpose outside of the classroom. Continuing the work he started at Palomar, he was hired as a student assistant in the Epstein Family Veterans Center through the federal work-study program before being promoted to a School Certifying Official (SCO).

An SCO acts as the middleman between a university and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In that role, McCabe helps CSUSM student veterans or the dependents of veterans access the VA benefits that they’re entitled to, in the process working frequently with the offices of Financial Aid and Student Financial Services.

He also serves as a de facto academic adviser, assisting military-affiliated students with course selection and scheduling.

“This is the best job I've ever had, and I've had a lot of jobs,” he said. “I get to work with veterans all day. I get to work with veteran families. And I like working at a college.”

Christopher Ramirez, the interim assistant director of Veterans Services, met McCabe when the latter was a Palomar student expressing a desire to transfer to CSUSM. Impressed by McCabe’s passion for supporting fellow veterans, Ramirez tapped him for the work-study role, then bumped him up to SCO when his experience with Palomar’s veterans center allowed him to outshine his peers.

“To be successful as an SCO, you need to have a desire to help people, which Clay has,” Ramirez said. “He truly cares for people and goes above and beyond to help students, from talking to them about applying, to assisting them with signing up for classes, to discussing benefits with them.”

McCabe, 28, is the youngest of three boys in a family from Kansas City, Mo. After high school, he tried a local community college for a few weeks but disliked it so much that he dropped out in favor of the Marines in 2015.

He attended boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and underwent combat and job training at Camp Pendleton, where he learned how to be the crewman of an amphibious assault vehicle, 26-ton tanks that can carry 23 Marines and float in the water. He went on two deployments – neither to combat zones, to his great relief – and traveled to 10 different countries during his time in active duty.

“I got to see a lot of the world,” McCabe said. “I’ve been to the Arctic Circle. I’ve been past the equator. I’ve seen the Northern Lights. I got to go through the Suez Canal. I’ve done a lot.”

McCabe not only saw the world through the Marines, he also met his future wife in the military, at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. McCabe married his wife, Sydnee, in 2017, he retired from the Marines two years later, and Sydnee remained in until last February. The couple moved to Temecula in 2019, only a few months after McCabe’s exit, and his transition out the military was daunting.

There was a stint in HVAC school. There was a period working as a pipefitting apprentice on a huge construction site in Riverside. There was a dalliance with becoming a police officer or sheriff’s deputy. There were jobs with UPS, Home Depot and a fitness center.

What there wasn’t, however, was a clear sense of direction or mission. That came about when McCabe discovered higher education, and specifically CSUSM. And in two more developments that younger Clay couldn’t have imagined, he’s hoping to stay in the Veterans Center as a full-time SCO after graduation and begin a two-year Master of Sociological Practice program next fall.

Make that three developments: He and Sydnee had their first child, a daughter named Mia, in May.

“I get a huge dopamine rush whenever I am able to help people,” he said. “Whenever I talk to somebody in my job and they have no idea what they are entitled to, I'm like, ‘Yeah, you can use this. Your kids’ stuff can be completely paid for.’ And you just see in their face that this changes everything.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As part of a unique program in the College of Education, Health and Human Services at CSUSM – Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs – students at Rancho Buena Vista High School can earn college credit, giving them an early start toward a bachelor’s degree. Courses completed count toward two specialized undergraduate degrees in health and wellness designed to allow students to obtain a degree in as little as three years. 

One is in public health and the other in human development with a concentration in counseling.

“This program allows students to accelerate their career journey in mental and behavioral health through an innovative three-year degree pathway. Starting in high school, students begin earning college credit and will finish with a bachelor’s degree and embedded professional certificates to give them a competitive advantage in the workplace,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “CSUSM is focused on social mobility and empowering students to transform their lives, their families and their communities through the power of higher education. This program is our newest effort to fulfill this mission.”

To kick off the program, Neufeldt and other campus leaders from CSUSM and the Vista Unified School District will participate in a welcoming ceremony for the students on Friday at noon.

"We are thrilled to partner with Cal State San Marcos in order to expand educational pathways for students so that they reach for our vision to become resilient, agile learners and creative problem-solvers who navigate the world with confidence and kindness and eagerly embrace local and global challenges,” said Dr. Matt Doyle, superintendent of Vista Unified.

The degrees are focused on careers and preparing students for the workforce in health and wellness. In addition to a degree, students will graduate with the requirements to obtain in-demand professional certification. Public health students will complete the requirements for a Community Health Education Specialist (CHES) certificate to work as community health educators in various settings. Human development students will complete the requirements to become a wellness coach, which qualifies them in California to provide mental health and wellness support for children and young adults. These certificates set graduates up for advanced work and higher salaries after graduation.

The degrees are also designed to be highly supportive of students. For example, students can receive funding in the summer to complete internships that prepare them for careers in health and wellness when they graduate. Students also progress through their courses with a cohort of fellow students, within a supportive community of expert faculty. As part of this program, CSUSM also offers specialized career advising, employer networking and guest speakers to help students find a position and start their careers upon graduation.  

According to a recent San Diego Workforce Partnership report, the San Diego region needs an additional 18,500 behavioral health professionals to meet industry demands. The dual enrollment program will provide a direct pipeline to support the much-needed workforce.

What: Student welcoming ceremony
When: Friday, Sept. 6, noon-12:30 p.m.
Where: Rancho Buena Vista High School, 1601 Longhorn Drive, Vista, CA 92081
Parking: Available at the school 
More information: All visitors should check in at the front desk.

President Ellen Neufeldt expressed excitement and optimism during her annual convocation address to faculty and staff last Thursday.

“Our collective achievements continue to grow, and what I cherish most is how all our efforts are deeply tied to student success and social mobility,” Neufeldt said.

Neufeldt also highlighted the importance of the university’s fundraising efforts, which brought in $26.6 million in the last fiscal year, more than double the previous year’s record.

“As a university, we are always committed to opening doors and creating new opportunities for our students,” she said. “Our record-breaking fundraising activity this year is a testament to that commitment. …

“This just shows the strength of our community and commitment to supporting our important mission of student success and advancing economic and social mobility in our region.”

A year of generosity

The university celebrated a milestone in its fundraising efforts with a record $26 million raised for fiscal year 2023-24 – more than double the previous record of $12.5 million set a year earlier. 

Generous donors contributed a total of 5,290 gifts, highlighting the community’s commitment to programs that promote social and economic mobility and ensuring student success across the university’s diverse student population. 

CSUSM named to best colleges list 

CSUSM was named to the “Best Colleges in America 2024” list by Money magazine. CSUSM received a rating of 4 stars out of 5 in the new system developed this year by Money.

Weeks of Welcome

The annual Weeks of Welcome, which started Aug. 23, includes dozens of events for students to meet new people and kick off the academic year.

Visit the Weeks of Welcome calendar for a complete schedule.

Arts & Lectures for fall

The university’s longstanding Arts & Lectures series recently released its fall lineup. This season boasts a diverse selection of five events.

Attendees can reserve tickets online via the Arts & Lectures website.

Summer highlights  

• CSUSM hosted its first REP4 summit, a two-day event to gather fresh ideas from young students to improve equity and remove some of the barriers to college.  
• CSUSM, together with the Cyber Center of Excellence, National University and San Diego State University, was selected to receive $1 million in grant funding and wraparound support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish a San Diego Cyber Clinic. 
• On July 1, CSUSM was awarded a new grant from the Office of Naval Research for 5 years and up to $12.5 million dollars to broaden the scope of the program and further grow partnerships with the Navy bases and personnel. 
• The Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving team won two Global CASE Awards, just the second time in campus history that Cal State San Marcos has been bestowed the honor.  
• Business student Tanner Vodraska became the first surfer in university history to win an individual national title. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Belanger is a 2020 master’s graduate of CSUSM’s speech-language pathology (SLP) program, and she recently returned to campus as part of the university’s SLP summer clinic. A regional implementation lead for the state-funded Open Access project, she made a significant impact by mentoring students and introducing pediatric clients to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.

“CSUSM’s SLP program provided me with a solid foundation for a successful career,” Belanger said. “Returning to supervise this summer was my chance to give back to a program that helped shape me as a clinician. I was thrilled to enrich my supervisees’ experience and inspire their passion for the field.”

At the summer clinic, which operated for four hours each weekday morning through Aug. 9, Belanger and other supervisors helped 120 pediatric clients and 24 adults receive vital speech and language services at no cost. The program not only provided crucial support to the community, but it also served as a hands-on training opportunity for graduate students in the SLP program.

Adrienne Shah, a lecturer and supervisor at the clinic, highlighted the dual benefits of the program.

“Our students provided over 3,000 hours of free speech therapy this summer,” Shah said. “It was an incredible opportunity for them to build clinical skills while serving our community.”

Shah, who had a positive experience as a CSUSM student, was driven by a desire to support current students.

“I wanted them to recognize the value of their hard work and the difference they were making in people’s lives,” she said.

Sarah Alapizco, another clinical supervisor, emphasized the importance of building confidence among students.

“I aimed to build their confidence and show them that they had the skill set to implement successful therapy,” she said. “The summer clinic also fostered collaboration, helping students support each other and enhance their learning experience.”

The clinic’s impact extended beyond the academic and professional spheres. A mother of a young adult client shared her appreciation for the services.

“I was so happy that we found this clinic,” she said. “We had never been a part of a program like this, and my son had needed these services for a very long time. This was a special place, and I was excited to continue coming.”

Karen Delfau, visiting from France, brought her 10-year-old daughter, Augustine, to the clinic.

“I sought a range of speech and communication resources unavailable in my region,” Delfau said. “While visiting family this summer, I was pleased that Augustine could benefit from the program, and I hope to return next year.”

For more information about career opportunities in speech-language pathology or to learn about clinic services, visit CSUSM’s SLP department website.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Teachers, after all, love teaching aspiring teachers how to teach, and the notion of sacrificing that for a largely administrative post can be a hard sell for many.

But with the teaching industry still struggling to claw back lost numbers from the pandemic, the job is more essential than ever, and the School of Education thinks it has found the perfect person to lead the way.

Moses Ochanji, who’s entering his 21^st year as a professor at CSUSM, was officially appointed to a two-year term as the school’s director on Aug. 1. Ochanji has served as associate director for four years under two different directors, and he also has been the chair of the human development department.

“I have been looking in at this job for some years,” Ochanji said. “I know a little bit about what the job entails, and I thought it was time for me to raise my hand and do it.”

Ochanji has replaced Laurie Stowell, who became School of Education director in January 2021. Stowell, a professor at CSUSM since 1992, is entering the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP), which allows tenured faculty to continue teaching after retiring from service.

Stowell also will continue to run the San Marcos Writing Project, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year.

“I think it’s fabulous,” Stowell said of the leadership change. “I talked to him about the job. All of us in the school have thought Moses would be a great leader for a long time, and he’s also a wonderful science educator.”

As a professor of science education, Ochanji teaches science methods classes for prospective teachers. He also is the co-principal investigator on two grants in the science education arena: the Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI), a California State University-funded program to help recruit math and science teachers; and the Noyce Teacher Scholars program, a National Science Foundation grant that encourages talented STEM students and professionals to pursue teaching careers.

Ochanji and Stowell agree that recruitment is the biggest hurdle facing the School of Education and the teaching profession as a whole. Teachers left the field en masse during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the population has yet to recover.

At CSUSM this fall, there is the usual distribution of student teacher cohorts – three for the multiple-subject credential, two for single subject and one each for middle school and special education – but the numbers in each cohort are smaller.

“When people are leaving the profession, the word goes around,” Ochanji said. “So there are spillover effects. People hear about it and think, ‘Teaching is hard. I don’t want to go into teaching.’ And that discourages more.

“Then there’s this national narrative that teachers are not paid well. So it’s, ‘Why would I do something so difficult and not get paid well?’ Those are some of the challenges that we face with many young people.”

Both the state and CSUSM are taking action to stem, and even reverse, the tide. The state, for example, has removed the requirement that teachers must pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test, allowing the undergraduate degree to substitute as a measure of competency. California also offers residencies as a way to pay students while they are engaged in student teaching so they don’t need to hold down jobs on the side.  

At CSUSM, the School of Education is considering bringing back a part-time program or adding the option of a January start so that student teachers have more flexibility. The school has a recruitment committee and faculty recruitment fellow who is studying the challenges that the university is facing and how it can better reach prospective teachers.

Despite the enrollment decline, the School of Education has enjoyed some clear successes. Perhaps the best recent example is Project SUPPORT, a five-year, $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that ended last fall. The program greatly increased the number of bilingual teacher candidates to enter the School of Education, to the extent that in the last two years there was almost a full cohort of them (roughly 30 teachers).

“One thing that the CSU has pushed is to make teacher recruitment a university-wide event, not just a School of Education activity,” Ochanji said. “We’re all parents, and we want the people who leave our program to be good enough to teach our children. So we all have an interest in making sure that we have good teachers in the classroom helping our students.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306