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.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

As chair, Cherry directs the council, which recommends administrative policy and regulations to govern the division. He also sponsors legislative proposals for the NCAA Convention and reviews committee recommendations.

"It's been an honor to represent CSUSM Athletics and the CCAA on the Management Council for the past three years," Cherry said. “The topics we discuss span a wide range of issues affecting college athletics and the hundreds of thousands of current NCAA student-athletes. We can't lose sight of the student-athletes who are at the heart of all our deliberations, and it's from that lens that we seek to make decisions that benefit them and ensure a positive overall student-athlete experience going forward.”

Last fall, Cherry was also awarded the NCAA Division II Faculty Athletics Association Faculty of the Year Award for 2025. He has been a faculty athletics representative for CSUSM since 2004.

"The political and legal landscape is changing rapidly, and so too is higher education more broadly," Cherry said. “I know it's the intent of all the dedicated professionals at the NCAA national office to lead rather than to respond, even in the midst of a shifting landscape. And while I certainly don't have the answers, I have every confidence that the many people involved in decision-making, across the association, are trying their best to make sense of it all.”

Media Contact

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

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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Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

She wasn't sure if her project would become a children's book, an animated series or something else entirely.

"I was thrilled to be accepted," Robinson says. “As a writer and illustrator, my business is different than the others. I came in knowing how to tell a story. REP taught me how to run a business, from unit pricing and supply chains to profit margins and trademark protection.”

Andreina Leal-Carrillo had a different reason for joining REP. Her business, The Repair Tech Inc., a heating, air conditioning and appliance services company, had already been running for 12 years. She could see where she wanted to take it. What she needed were the tools to get there and a way to show her business partner that expansion was worth pursuing. 

"I wanted to take it to the next level," Leal-Carrillo says. "I was hoping for affirmation that it was possible and for my business partner to believe in my vision as well.”

Today, both women give back as mentors to fellow REP participants, drawing on their own experiences to help the next cohort of entrepreneurs thrive.

Supporting entrepreneurs through every step 

Offered through CSUSM’s Innovation Hub, REP is a 10-month experience designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs from low-to-moderate income communities as they navigate the realities of starting and growing a small business. 

“At CSUSM, we see entrepreneurship as a pathway to opportunity,” said Paola Ometto REP faculty liaison and a management professor in the College of Business Administration. “REP connects entrepreneurs to the tools, networks and support they need to grow, strengthening both their businesses and the communities they serve.” 

Made possible in part through funding from Wells Fargo, REP begins with six weeks of business training covering the tools, concepts and principles relevant to launching and growing a successful venture. It is followed by a community connection event, where participants meet with community partners offering legal, financial and business support services. 

In later phases, CSUSM business students work alongside participants as part of a senior experience project, lending their skills in branding, marketing and operations. 

For Robinson, the students researched crowdfunding platforms and successful campaigns for other picture books.  

For Leal-Carrillo, a highlight of REP was mindset coaching, which helped her and her business partner align on a shared vision for growth.  

"Whether you're just starting out or your business has been running for a while, this program helps you see where your company is going and how you can take it further," Leal-Carrillo said. “It's so fun to come back to REP events and see other businesses thrive.”

Bringing the community together 

On April 18, REP will host its Community Connect Event at the CSUSM Innovation Hub, where the current cohort of delegates will have the opportunity to meet with local organizations offering services and resources tailored to small business owners.

“I am honored to represent Wells Fargo in sponsoring this impactful initiative,” said Laura MacKinnon Chapman, senior social impact & sustainability specialist for Wells Fargo. “Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Whether they’re just getting started, looking to expand or need coaching to sustain, our initiatives, funding and grant programs help provide small business owners with the resources they need — because we know that when they thrive, communities thrive, too.”

Operation HOPE will be among those in attendance, bringing its expertise and resources directly to the entrepreneurs in the room. 

“At Operation HOPE, our mission is to expand access to opportunity through financial education and empowerment,” said Monica Carlos, financial wellbeing coach, Operation HOPE Powered by Wells Fargo. “We’re honored to support REP, as their commitment to entrepreneurship aligns with our belief that financial literacy is the foundation for building sustainable businesses and stronger communities.”

The event reflects what REP does throughout the entire program: create moments where the right people and the right resources find each other, so that every entrepreneur has a chance to make their mark.

Every contribution to CSUSM brings the university closer to its Blueprint for the Future campaign goal to raise $200 million in philanthropy and research funding.

About REP 

REP is part of the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative network, a model founded at the University of Notre Dame and now supported by 42 partner organizations across the United States and internationally. 

To learn more about the program or get involved as a guest speaker, community resource or participant, visit the Resilient Entrepreneur Program at the CSUSM Innovation Hub. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The program, which will be among the only ones of its kind in San Diego County, is on track to start in spring 2027. It reflects CSUSM’s growing focus on sustainability and the continued demand for double-digit job growth requiring sustainability expertise. 

The specialization in strategic sustainability will prepare students to lead in an era when business success increasingly depends on environmental, social and governance responsibility. This concentration will integrate core business disciplines with sustainability expertise, equipping graduates to align organizational performance with societal well-being and environmental stewardship.

A 2024 feasibility study conducted by MBA students at CSUSM revealed strong regional demand for sustainability-focused business education. Research and employer interviews confirmed that industries from tech to life sciences are actively seeking sustainability-trained leaders.

The SMBA program offers an accelerated MBA designed for recent graduates of all majors. Besides strategic sustainability, the other three specializations are business analytics, international business and supply chain management.

Media Contact

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

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

Paulin won the award from a pool of nearly 1,000 current or former college students. He was recognized at the 27th annual J. Fred Landers Awards Banquet held in Nashville, Tenn.

Paulin is a native of Christchurch City, New Zealand who graduated from CSUSM last May with a degree in global business. He received the award for his work running a business selling educational resources to Wisconsin families. Through the Southwestern Advantage sales and leadership program, he met with about 2,000 families, and his business produced over $115,000 in revenue.

Nashville-based Southwestern Advantage has operated a sales and leadership program for college and university students from around the world since 1868. The entrepreneurial program offers students the opportunity to learn how to run a business, gain valuable soft skills and help offset their educational expenses.

Media Contact

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

The Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building (CLIMB) hosted the students from Ohio as part of its signature In the Executive’s Chair (ITEC) series. Rajnandini “Raj” Pillai, director of CLIMB and a professor of management, explained that the course brings students into direct conversation with influential leaders and creates meaningful opportunities for interaction with peers worldwide.

“CLIMB always believes in collaborating with other entities on campus as well as other universities, both domestic and international, especially when it pertains to our speaker series for the community or our signature In the Executive’s Chair class,” Pillai said.

The Nov. 4 visit included a joint class session featuring Jordan Marks, San Diego County assessor, as well as an informal conversation and lunch on campus. The Ohio University students spent the afternoon exchanging insights with CSUSM students about academics, career plans and student life.

CLIMB was established in 2004 by CSUSM’s College of Business Administration, with the mission of fostering the development of effective leaders at the individual, team, organizational and community levels. The center focuses on promoting innovative leadership and research through educational programs and mentoring opportunities.

The ITEC series brings high-level leaders from diverse industries to speak with students about topics such as communication, decision-making, ethics and professional development. Previous cohorts have included international participants, such as master’s students from Sweden who joined ITEC via Zoom.

Ohio University students also visited CLIMB over the summer. During this visit, the Raymond A. Lancaster Executive Leadership Fellow, Dan Squiller, said the experience exceeded expectations.

“The feedback from our students was uniformly positive,” Squiller said. “This first engagement and eating lunch on a sun-soaked CSUSM campus was the perfect way to kick off their week of sessions in San Diego. So, thank you for orchestrating our inclusion, handling the logistics and making us feel so welcome.”

Pillai said she hopes to continue the partnership and host the leadership fellows annually, noting that opportunities like these enrich the classroom experience and strengthen CLIMB’s commitment to developing leaders through connection, conversation and community.

CSUSM students also reflected on the value of the exchange.

“Talking with the Ohio University students during class was a really interesting experience because it showed me how, even though we go to different schools, we share a lot of the same goals and challenges,” Lysandra Lyman said. “The main difference I noticed was in the size and culture of their school, which gave them different kinds of opportunities. But overall, it made me realize how much we all relate to each other when it comes to learning, growing and preparing for the future.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Developing an alias is standard for all counselors at Resident Oncology Camp. It offers privacy while counselors work with children who have had their lives upended by cancer.

Consunji picked Mushu as a nod to her Asian heritage, but the choice carries deeper significance.

“He is so bold, fierce and just really supportive,” Consunji said. “He knows when to come in and help Mulan out and is just an underdog. I chose the name because of all of that, but it really has taught me so much more. Each year, I'm able to set my personal life aside and just be there for the kids. Mushu has provided me so much grit, motivation, protection and strength.”

Resident Oncology Camp, part of the nonprofit Oncology and Kids, was developed for children affected by cancer to create memories, forge friendships and build the resiliency needed to heal. It’s a mission that resonates with Consunji. Not only is she a cancer survivor herself, she attended Resident Oncology Camp from the time she was 7 until she turned 18.

Giving back to the camp that did so much for her is why Consunji takes a week off every summer from her job as a marketing specialist in the University Communications office.

“It’s really special,” she said. “Many of the counselors were once campers, and they truly want to bring back the magic that they felt as campers.”

Consunji was diagnosed with cancer when she was just 2 years old. She wasn’t able to articulate the pain she was experiencing, but she was constantly crying and her stomach was hard as a rock. Doctors initially couldn’t find anything wrong, but when the pain persisted, her parents took her back to the hospital and doctors discovered a tumor on one of her ovaries.

Although Consunji’s cancer has a high survival rate, having one of her ovaries removed took an emotional toll on her family, and the repercussions are still felt more than two decades later.

“At a young age, the doctors were like, ‘Hey, she's not going to be able to have kids, she's going to have complications,’ ” Consunji said. “Now that I'm in my 30s, as I'm thinking about family and the future, it's not the normal options.”

Consunji had another cancer scare as an undergraduate student studying business administration at CSUSM (she’ll become a double alumna in December when she completes her MBA).

When she was 21, Consunji started experiencing severe stomach pain. Doctors thought it might be a virus, but the pain persisted and her stomach started hardening, exactly what she had experienced as a toddler. A trip to the emergency room uncovered a large cyst on Consunji’s remaining ovary. Though it was benign, it required removal of the ovary and caused Consunji to miss most of the semester.

“I kept my cancer and the cyst such a secret before I finally started to tell my close friends,” she said. “I had so many low moments during that time of just anxiety and depression going through another major surgery.”

Consunji confided in a friend she knew from Resident Oncology Camp about the emotional difficulties she was experiencing after having her second ovary removed. The friend told Consunji how she returned to the camp as a counselor and how helpful it had been, inspiring Consunji to give it a try.

Nearly 10 years after that conversation, Consunji continues to return to the camp each summer. It’s free for campers thanks to donor support and grants, and Consunji is grateful that it continues to give children affected by cancer the same joy that it brought her.

“Camp helped me navigate all of those feelings,” she said. “It helped me to feel OK in my own skin and celebrate that I have another chance at life. It also provided me a lot of humility and acceptance because you realize it’s not just you and that there are people who have it worse than you. It helps you appreciate life a little bit more.”

Oncology and Kids has provided free, year-round programs for people ages 4 to 25 affected by cancer since 1983. Visit the Oncology and Kids website to learn more about its programs and support of children and families affected by cancer.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

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

Vodraska became the first CSUSM surfer to win back‑to‑back individual national titles and only the second college men’s shortboard competitor to do so in the past two decades. He is also the first repeat champion in the division since 2017. 

“Winning the NSSA national championship two years in a row feels like a massive accomplishment,” Vodraska said. “I’m super proud to see all the hard work and time I put into surfing really pay off when it matters the most.” 

After winning the 2024 title, the first in program history, Vodraska posted a strong 2024-25 regular season, reaching multiple finals and recording two runner‑up finishes. 

Vodraska advanced through the early rounds at Salt Creek with consistent performances. In the final, he faced the top three ranked surfers from the regular season: Jordy Collins from Western University, Hudson Sanders from Point Loma Nazarene University and David O’Keefe also from Point Loma. 

Vodraska posted the highest single wave score with an 8.33 (out of 10) and backed it up with a 6.0 for a winning total of 14.33. Collins followed with 13.26, Sanders with 11.93 and O’Keefe with 5.70. 

“I knew he was both motivated and capable, but the college men’s field is deep,” said Amber Puha, the faculty adviser of the surf club and the chair of CSUSM’s math department. “Everyone on our team knew Tanner would have to bring his ‘A’ game, too — and he did!” 

Now entering his final year at CSUSM, Vodraska also serves as president of the surf team. 

“I want to motivate this team and push them to do better and better in their everyday lives,” Vodraska said. “I also hope to bring the school a surf team that won’t be forgotten.” 

Vodraska said the CSUSM surf program has played a major role in his college experience. 

“Being part of the CSUSM surf team has brought me support that I’ve never felt before from my teammates,” Vodraska said. “This team has given me memories and good times in college that I’ll always carry with me.” 

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

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

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. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

But on May 16, Heppner will walk the commencement stage at Cal State San Marcos, the proud recipient of a bachelor’s degree in business administration. 

“I owe my family my life for the work they put in to help me become who I am today,” Heppner said. 

Heppner, who also was diagnosed with ADHD, said middle school and high school were a time of discovery – learning how he functions best and how to navigate the world around him.

Certain sounds that most people naturally tune out can be overwhelming, and he's particularly sensitive to specific foods and textures. Condiments like ketchup and ranch dressing cause him to gag and make himself vomit. 

Through the Individualized Education Program in middle school and high school, Heppner had classes with peers who also were on the spectrum. Though attending speech therapy wasn’t always easy, he said it helped change his perspective. 

“It really made me stop caring about what people think,” he said. “I’m going in there and still socializing with people when I come out, and I’m still just like everybody else.” 

Learning social cues was one of the biggest challenges for Heppner. 

“I’d be in public and there’d be a larger set lady and out loud I’d be like, ‘Oh my gosh, that lady’s butt is huge,’ ” Heppner said.  

While he can laugh about incidents like that now, he didn’t understand at the time how his words might be construed. 

Heppner’s mom quit her full-time office job to educate herself on Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, and other family members also pitched in to support Heppner. His mom helped him to recognize and understand behavior through using picture association and studying patterns. Eye contact, listening and comprehension are skills that Heppner had to learn.  

“Eventually I just kind of overcame the hurdle,” he said. “Now I’m running the race.” 

As Heppner got older, he found himself becoming more independent and confident. He attended Mt. San Jacinto College before transferring to CSUSM, drawn to its location and strong business program.  

Heppner has known since he was 12 years old that he wanted to pursue business. He still remembers telling his dad about Nintendo and Electronic Arts’ new game drops, encouraging his dad to invest.  

“He made money off it,” Heppner said. “I’ve always loved the aspect of business.” 

Heppner felt at home at CSUSM through Campus Recreation activities and the College of Business Administration. He also credits professors like Olaf Hansen, Jeffrey Kohles, Mark Monahan, Shane Thompson and Michael Winter for helping to make his time at CSUSM memorable.  

“They’re here to teach, to actually help people,” he said. “That’s the best kind of professor you could have.” 

Heppner has been working at Costco while attending school, and he’s looking toward getting his MBA at CSUSM Temecula. 

While having autism and ADHD have caused challenges, Heppner hopes that he can use his experiences to be a voice for others with similar struggles.  

“They have to have hope,” Heppner said. “That’s my goal – telling my story and inspiring people in general.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

In August 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lizarraga was coming from Rosarito, Mexico, where she lived with her parents and two younger brothers, to Cal State San Marcos' University Village Apartments.

Born in the United States and raised in Mexico, Lizarraga has always prioritized her education. In high school, she crossed the border every day to attend high school in Chula Vista, drawn to the learning environment and opportunities in the U.S. It meant early mornings and long days, but she remained committed, and that drive continued when she enrolled at CSUSM.

Lizarraga embraced life on campus, even in a time when many classes were still virtual. But her college experience soon expanded beyond academics. At 19, she became the legal guardian of her younger brother, Evaristo, to help him pursue a high school education in the U.S., an opportunity she knew could open doors for him just as it had for her. A few years later, she welcomed her youngest brother, Esteban, who is now thriving as a high school junior at San Marcos High.

In a few weeks, Evaristo and Esteban will join their parents at Mangrum Track & Field to watch their sister cross the CSUSM commencement stage and become the first family member to earn a college degree.

“I feel like my professors and the friends I have made at school have all helped me so much,” said Lizarraga, who is double majoring in finance and political science. “I really felt that this is my community, and I felt so supported by everyone. All of that has made my journey here so much easier.”

It hasn’t always been an easy journey. Lizarraga was working three jobs before an internship with the San Diego Diplomacy Council ended. She still works at a local restaurant and on campus for Associated Students, Inc., as the vice president of finance and operations where she manages a $2.1 million student-driven budget and leads initiatives that directly support students.

Caring for her brothers, working multiple jobs and studying doesn’t leave much free time, but Lizarraga is grateful to mentors like Ashley Fennell, ASI’s associate executive director, for providing a strong support system.

“She’s been a caring supervisor who looks out for me not just as a student, but as a person,” Lizarraga said. 

As Lizarraga’s undergraduate career winds down, she is looking ahead to the next chapter. She has been accepted to several master's programs in finance and hopes to stay close to San Marcos to continue supporting her family while advancing her academic and career goals.

As the first in her family to graduate from college, she’s proud to be setting an example and grateful for the support that helped her get to this point.

“I’m deeply grateful to my family and to everyone who supported me along the way,” Lizarraga said. “I truly couldn’t have done it without them. This is just the beginning.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Cal State San Marcos student-athlete Rasha Badrani won in a time of 52.92 seconds, a 0.28-second edge against her closest competitor, Peace Nwaelehia of West Texas A&M. 

Badrani said she has been running track since junior high school, but the championship was the culmination of years of hard work.  

“I just went out there telling myself that I was the strongest one out there and I know I can finish,” Badrani said.  

It’s this mindset that her coach said makes her a winner. 

“She has an intrinsic motivation that I’ve never seen before," said Anthony Heredia, assistant coach of sprints and hurdles. “Rasha is always one who will do the things no matter who is watching. She has an insanely strong will, and I think that’s what carries in her races. When she wants something, she is going to take it. And she’s not going to let anyone else dictate that.” 

Badrani, a 2022 graduate of San Pasqual High School in Escondido, is a junior at CSUSM majoring in business administration management.  

Badrani’s win is the first NCAA national championship for CSUSM's track and field program. She is also the second athlete from CSUSM to win an NCAA national title. The first was Jaime Jacob, who won the 2019 women's golf individual championship. 

Badrani said next she wants to win the same race in the outdoor championships at the end of May. 

Media Contact

Jerry McCormick, Director of Strategic Comms

jmccormick@csusm.edu

Fast forward a few years, and Martinez – now president of Associated Students, Inc., at Cal State San Marcos – spoke on a panel of students and alumni at the 2025 National Social Mobility Symposium held Feb. 20-21 in the University Student Union Ballroom.

Martinez spoke alongside Hunter Brody Chanove and Ashley Bonilla, both CSUSM alumni, and Myles Villafranca, a graduate student at Clayton State University in Georgia. Brody Chanove works in product marketing management at Viasat, and Bonilla is an evaluation consultant for Intention 2 Impact, a social impact consulting firm. 

Education has always been important to the Martinez family. Martinez has four sisters, including two with CSUSM connections. One of his younger sisters is a first-year student, while his older sister, Yulisa, was the first in their family to graduate from college. Yulisa graduated in 2017 and majored in liberal studies. She returned to CSUSM to get a master's in education and now teaches second grade at nearby Twin Oaks Elementary School. 

Yulisa’s journey to a degree provided inspiration for her younger brother.

“I always knew I wanted to continue my education,” Martinez said. “My parents never finished college, and it’s something that they wish they could have continued if they had more time and more resources. They saw what education did for peers who did finish and they always let us know that you can finish your degree and have financially stable lives, because education is a gateway to being financially stable and to have prosperity in life.” 

After seeing his sister thrive at CSUSM, Martinez realized how he could thrive as well. 

“Because she came to CSUSM, it allowed me to see myself here, too,” Martinez said. “Being a part of my community has been something that I always strive to do, something that's super important to me. As I look into my future, that's something I want to do, and I definitely saw that in my sister.”

While attending CSUSM, Yulisa was involved in several organizations around campus. Similar to her brother, she volunteered with ASI. 

Martinez joined ASI last year, though it wasn't the first way he got involved on campus. He worked for the Office of Inclusive Excellence as a student assistant. He also had a job where he gave out reminders on wearing masks on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Between those two experiences, Martinez felt compelled to get even more involved. 

“I wanted to make more of an impact on campus and voice student concerns, but also be a voice that I didn't see represented on campus,” Martinez said. “After seeing the work that impacts students, I wanted to do something that was forward facing with students. I knew that ASI was a prominent student group on campus that allowed me to talk to different administrators and with different student leaders. I knew that was something I wanted to do to close the communication gap between administrators and students.”

From October 2023 to May 2024, Martinez was the diversity, equity and inclusion representative for the ASI board of directors. He then was elected president and began the role last August. 

Martinez is set to graduate in May with a degree in business administration marketing. He's applying to schools to pursue his MBA, and he aspires to work in higher education or local government.

“Because of my education, I am now more confident,” Martinez said during the Social Mobility Symposium panel. “Coming into higher education, confidence was put on a pedestal for me, showing that I can be a leader and share my knowledge with others. I’ve been able to see the impact of Cal State San Marcos and the impact of education and how it has so much influence on a person’s life.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

This is the 10th year that AACSB’s Influential Leaders member spotlight program highlights the value that business schools bring to business and society.

Van de Ven, who graduated from CSUSM in 2004, is the CEO of Calsense, an irrigation smart system provider. Calsense has designed irrigation control systems for a diverse array of applications for over 30 years. While working there, van de Ven has driven significant impact through innovative ventures like Irrigation Managementas a Service (IMaaS), which has expanded access to smart irrigation technology. 

Van de Ven has proven how he is deeply committed to water conservation and sustainability. With the introduction of IMaaS, the company was able to address financial barriers faced by organizations when adopting smart irrigation technology. Because of his efforts, different organizations such as school districts and universities can access these solutions without having to face financial difficulties. In addition to his work at Calsense, van de Ven has volunteered as a chairperson for ECOLIFE Conservation, contributing to projects

that protect wildlife and support underserved communities. 

“Van de Ven’s work demonstrates how business schools can fuel solution-minded leaders to create new business ventures and solve complex challenges,” said Lily Bi, AACSB president and CEO. “Through entrepreneurial approaches and visionary thinking, van de Ven is creating meaningful change in the world.”

AACSB’s Influential Leaders have all earned an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree from one of the more than 950 AACSB-accredited business schools worldwide.

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. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

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. She noticed that there was a growing demand for more plant-based options, and she wanted to create a product that would avoid a laundry list of unfamiliar ingredients. 

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. 

“I remember a classmate saying, ‘I do not drink flavored milk, no matter what kind of milk it is, but I would buy this one,’ ” said Finestone, then known by her maiden name of Mandim. 

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. 

“What she is doing in starting up a food business is extremely difficult,” said Dick Lansing, who worked with Finestone as part of the College of Business Administration’s Career Mentor Program. “There are all sorts of hurdles and problems and costs that you need to go through and take into consideration. 

“I generally don't recommend anybody go into the food business, as an individual person, unless they have a lot of money they want to lose. But she had a plan, which was really good and really smart.” 

Today, Finestone’s signature almond milk is available at nine farmers markets throughout San Diego County and three in Los Angeles. She has gone from grinding almonds in her kitchen to using a commercial space in Vista, where she produces 10 different flavors and three seasonal offerings. The chocolate and strawberry flavors that she shared in class are among the most popular – and the recipe hasn’t changed much since then.  

“I can’t pick a favorite, but I associate each flavor with a memory,” Finestone said. “When I think of strawberry, I think of the student who complimented me in class because I couldn’t believe that she liked it so much.” 

Finestone takes pride in using only real ingredients in her almond milk; it contains no additives, fillers or preservatives. She sources her almonds from a farm in California’s Central Valley, where 80% of all almonds in the United States are harvested. 

Mulk has become so successful that Finestone has employees to cover the numerous farmers markets, though she still can be found each Sunday at the Leucadia Farmers Market.  

“My husband tries to get me to stay home and rest on Sundays, but I just love it,” she said. “There’s just something about the community and relationships you build with other vendors. I love the friendships you make, not just with your customers but with fellow business owners.” 

Finestone never intended to be an entrepreneur. It took a one-way ticket around the world for her to discover this path. 

Finestone grew up in South Africa, where she earned a bachelor’s in fine arts from Witwatersrand College and then graduated from Inscape Design College. She had a well-established career in interior design, even winning an interior designer of the year award for Virgin Airlines’ launch in South Africa. 

When Finestone’s parents moved to Australia, where her sister had landed a job, Finestone decided to move with them. But she quickly learned that Australia wasn’t where she wanted to live long term. Instead, she packed her belongings to find someplace that felt like home. It began a journey that took her from Melbourne to Sydney and then on to Chile, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, India and Thailand. 

With visits to more than 30 countries over her lifetime, Finestone credits the globe-trotting experiences for shaping her as a businessperson. In fact, it was a trip to India that inspired one of Mulk’s most popular flavors. The company’s golden almond milk is blended with turmeric, cinnamon and ginger, a nod to the Indian drink masala haldi doodh, which translates to “golden milk.”  

“I remember drinking it at Indian street markets, and it was delicious,” Finestone said. “I knew I wanted to create a version of it for Mulk.” 

After nine months of traveling, Finestone returned to Australia to see her family. She didn’t stay long, taking an offer to visit a friend in Los Angeles. This trip was different from the others, though. It was her first time in the United States, and she fell in love with Southern California. 

Finestone found herself with new opportunities, and she leaned into her passion for cooking, which had been a constant in her life since she was 6 years old and honing her skills with her mother and grandmother. Her talents led to a job as a chef for Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer. 

But Finestone yearned for something else. She started studying business leadership and management at Santa Monica College and landed internships in public relations and marketing. She always thought her time in the U.S. would be temporary, that she would eventually return to Australia to be closer to her family. Then she met her future husband, Adam. 

One of Finestone’s internships was located next to the packing and shipping company owned by Adam’s parents. She frequented the store to mail packages, becoming such a regular that Adam’s parents invited her to a Christmas party where she met their son, who was visiting from San Diego. 

Finestone eventually moved south to be closer to Adam and continued to pursue her business degree, first at Palomar College and then at CSUSM. 

“I liked the idea of having a degree that would support any industry,” Finestone said. 

Finestone also had support from Adam, whom she credits for inspiring the name of her almond milk business. 

“My husband makes fun of me when I say ‘milk.’ It sounds like I’m saying ‘mulk’ because of my South African accent,” Finestone said. “The name just stuck, and I felt like it was fitting for my business.” 

Starting any business comes with challenges, and the food industry is notoriously difficult for budding entrepreneurs. It wasn’t just Lansing, a College of Business Administration advisory council member, who warned Finestone about how grueling it could be.  

As Finestone grappled with whether to start a business or find a corporate job, she reached out a week after graduation to Jim Hamerly, then the college’s dean. 

“I certainly shared some of my concerns and skepticism with Melissa about starting a food business,” Hamerly said. “She told me, ‘Well, I'm manufacturing it in my kitchen at home and I'm crushing my own almonds.’ And I'm thinking, ‘Oh my.’ ” 

Hamerly knew that could be problematic for adhering to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines and that a commercial kitchen would be needed. At the time, Hamerly was helping his brother with a soup stock business, which required Hamerly to learn about packaging and manufacturing fluids. He shared what he learned with Finestone, even connecting her with his brother. 

Both Hamerly and Lansing were impressed with Finestone’s drive to launch her business. She decided after meeting with them that she would start small and serve her milk at a few local farmers markets. It was familiar territory to Finestone, who worked as a food service vendor for Bitchin’ Sauce, an almond dip company, while attending CSUSM. 

“I knew the lay of the land,” Finestone said. “I was able to create connections with other farmers market vendors and get ideas for my business.”  

When Finestone was just starting out, Hamerly was a regular visitor to her booth at Poway’s farmers market on Saturday mornings to support her and purchase Mulk products.  

“She's really good with people,” Hamerly said. “I used to sit on the sidelines and watch her sell to people as they came through the farmers market. A lot of CSUSM students start businesses, but she's really got a great head for business. She gets it.” 

Six years after launching Mulk, Finestone is familiar with the landmines that come with owning a business. But the happiness that radiates from her customers keeps her going. She is continuing to grow the business, with hopes of one day having Mulk available in Whole Foods. 

Finestone still thinks often about the day that her classmates tried her almond milk for the first time. She smiles when she recalls their reaction, and the memory never ceases to fuel her motivation for the future. 

“I have had lots of challenges,” Finestone said. “But I believe in my product and I see people’s faces when they find something they like. And when customers keep coming back, it just tells me that I'm actually fulfilling some sort of need. That's really what keeps me going.”  

Melissa Finestone 

Major at CSUSM: Global business management 

Graduation year: 2017 

Company: The Mulk Co. 

Website: themulkco.com 

Founded: 2018 

Number of employees: 3 

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

“Rank on a scale of 1 to 10 how passionate you are about this idea because it needs to be 11. Don't be scared of starting a business. It might fail, but it also might set you up for your next success. I've come across entrepreneurs who have started one product, realized there were a lot of roadblocks with the product and then they switch and start doing something else. And then they actually move forward with that one.” 

 What’s the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

“Employees and when your equipment breaks. I use industrial equipment and I'm not an engineer. So if something goes wrong, it's really stuck.” 

 Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently? 

“It would have been so cool if I was studying business while I was starting a business. Because I think I would learn a lot of principles and it would have helped getting feedback from professors.”  

 What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? 

“Resourcefulness, passion and a high learning curve.” 

Media Contact

Bri Phillips, Communications Specialist

bphillips@csusm.edu

That was the situation Elijah Schneider found himself in as a freshman at Cal State San Marcos when he attended a Thanksgiving celebration in the fall of 2015. One of the guests that day – Schneider remembers him being a neighbor or a distant family friend – was a business owner who was soliciting opinions about his company’s Instagram channel.  

Though firmly in its core demographic, Schneider was no big afficionado of Instagram – he estimates that he had posted fewer than 20 times in about a decade of having an account. He was (and is), however, very opinionated. So while fellow attendees declined the invitation to weigh in, Schneider didn’t hold back. 

He told the man that his company’s feed looked ugly, that the images resembled generic stock photography and that he should replace whatever marketing agency handled his social media. A few days later, Schneider followed up with a phone call in which he proposed a rather bold suggestion for who should be the replacement. 

As Schneider recalls it: “I was like, ‘Hey, you’re getting ripped off. You told me you’re paying this agency 10 grand month or something. How about you pay me 1,500 bucks a month? I will learn, I will become obsessed with this. Give me three months. If it doesn’t work, get rid of me.’ ” 

To Schneider’s surprise, the man agreed to the gambit. Schneider had promised that he would devote 10 hours a week to the enterprise, but he grew so fixated that he doubled it. After a few months, the company’s Instagram following had swelled by a factor of eight, and the man was so pleased that he wanted more services.  

“Do you know how to do paid ads?” he asked Schneider. 

“No, but I’ll figure it out,” Schneider replied, with a degree of self-assurance that would become his trademark.  

He did indeed, to the tune of quintupling a $1,000 investment in paid ads after taking a few courses on YouTube and LinkedIn. By the end of his freshman year, Schneider was managing tens of thousands of advertising dollars, being connected to a second client and hiring his first employee – all while living in The QUAD housing facility and taking classes toward his major in business administration. 

As a teenager in his dorm room, Schneider founded a digital marketing agency that he first called Mercury Media before changing the name to Modifly in 2017. He continued to build the company during his five years at CSUSM – eventually moving into an office at Union Cowork across the street from campus in North City – before graduating in 2020.  

Today, Modifly occupies a sleek, modern, 8,000-square-foot space in a high rise in downtown San Diego, a short walk from where Schneider lives with his wife, Sarah, an OR nurse at UC San Diego whom he met at CSUSM. Two years ago, Schneider sold a majority stake in his nascent business to a parent company called CourtAvenue, helping his team grow to 30 employees spread across four cities, including Mexico City. Modifly’s current and former clients include such brands as Mercedes-Benz, Nordstrom and UGG boots.   

Asked about his unorthodox path to becoming an entrepreneur, the now 27-year-old Schneider said: “Because I didn’t have the baggage of working for other companies, I hadn’t developed bad habits. I had to develop perspective, which allowed me to – with no experience – test things and see what’s working and what’s not. Not having a traditional background is fantastic in terms of the progression of the business because we do things differently. Every time somebody joins the company from another agency, they’re like, ‘It’s not supposed to work like this.’ And I’m like, ‘I know, it’s great.’ ” 

How does Schneider do things differently? He conducts a performance evaluation called a 360 review in which every employee of the company evaluates everyone else, meaning that the CEO (Schneider) can get critiqued by a lower-level worker who was just hired.  

“It’s not about age or experience,” Schneider said. “Everyone’s perspective is critical.” 

How does he do things differently? Even as the young leader of a young business, he’s not afraid to call established companies out on what he sees as flawed marketing strategies and to propose solutions that constitute much more than tinkering around the edges.  

Take Poo-Pourri, which devises and sells fragrant sprays for toilets. The company approached Modifly after its previous marketing partner didn’t work out. After a deep dive into customer feedback, Schneider proposed a complete overhaul of its approach, mostly notably removing the “Poo” and broadening to other types of sprays. Now rebranded as ~Pourri, the company peddles fragrances that reduce odors from not only the bathroom, but also pets, cars, shoes, baby diapers, even marijuana. 

“Digital media and digital marketing are constantly changing – every hour, it feels like,” Schneider said. “It’s a giant puzzle, and if you have to navigate that as a brand, it can become really confusing. I love this business because it pushes me to think outside the box to solve problems.” 

Schneider’s righthand man almost since the outset of his entrepreneurial journey has been Brandon Biancalani. They met at orientation before their first year at CSUSM – Schneider an incoming freshman from San Diego, Biancalani from San Clemente. They soon learned that they would be living a couple rooms down from each other on the same floor of The QUAD (Schneider’s future wife lived a few rooms down in the other direction).  

Biancalani initially was struck by Schneider’s outspokenness – a sharp contrast to his introversion – but while other residents of the dorm were distracted by partying or other teenage concerns, he and Schneider bonded over long, late-night conversations about life goals. Having entered CSUSM as a kinesiology student, Biancalani quickly realized it wasn’t for him, and when Schneider dangled an opportunity in the summer of 2016 to be Employee No. 2 for Modifly (then Mercury Media), Biancalani jumped at it.  

They moved into an apartment south of campus and lived together for the next 3½ years before graduating in the same class. Biancalani, who’s also married to a fellow CSUSM alumna, is now the head of paid media for Modifly.  

“We had this feeling early on that we could be really successful with this,” Biancalani said. “Even when we didn’t have an office, we’d meet at a coffee shop, just a couple kids figuring stuff out. And then it started turning into something big really fast.” 

Biancalani says their business partnership works so well because he’s a detail-oriented, data-crunching specialist while Schneider is a big-picture visionary.  

“Elijah has done so many personality quizzes that land him in that ‘thought leader’ category,” he said. “If something new pops up, he’s probably three steps ahead and already is best buddies with the person who owns the company. His superpower is that he can predict things and be on the cutting edge and be fearless in voicing that early. And he’s right 99% of the time.” 

After Schneider sold his majority stake in Modifly in 2022, he turned over day-to-day operations to a new president, Nico Coetzee, who’s been in the marketing business since Schneider was an infant. Now that he has built a stable company, Schneider is relentlessly focused on its growth. He travels frequently to meet potential clients, speak at conferences and generally proselytize on behalf of Modifly.  

Given that he stumbled upon his career in the most accidental way imaginable – giving offhand advice to someone at a family gathering – even Schneider is often amazed by the passion he feels for it.  

“I pour myself into this job because I can and because I want to,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like work; it’s my favorite thing. There are definitely days where I’m like, ‘I just want to go home, I’m done.’ But 99 out of 100 days, I love what I do.” 

Elijah Schneider 

Major at CSUSM: Business administration 

Graduation year: 2020 

Company: Modifly 

Website: wemodifly.com 

Founded: 2016 

Number of employees: 30 

Talking Business With Elijah Schneider

What's the best advice you received about starting a business? 

Surround yourself with the right people. You are a product of your environment, and if you have morally good people around you, then every piece of advice you're receiving is typically to your benefit. People over everything – that's the biggest thing.  

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

If you have an idea for a business, just do it. Don't overthink it. Just put it in the market. Also, make sure you give yourself permission to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. 

What's the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

For me, it was age and experience. I didn't really have a good mentor system around me. The people I could turn to for advice, I kind of had to build that as we went.  

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?  

I would have evaluated myself more. I am good at some things, I am great at others and I am horrendous at others. I wish I had been able to take a step back and evaluate myself in a way where I could place levers of accountability to fill the holes.  

What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur?  

First and foremost is awareness. You have to be aware of yourself, your environment, your strengths and weaknesses. Number two is vision. As an entrepreneur, if you cannot bring people together to accomplish something, whether it's a task or solving a specific problem, you're not going to do well. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

CLIMB, which stands for the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building, was established by the College of Business Administration in 2004 with the goal of serving “the leadership development needs of the surrounding community through innovative research and collaboration with various internal and external constituencies.”

Raj Pillai, a professor of management and the executive director of CLIMB, co-hosted a special session of the signature “In the Executive’s Chair” program featuring alumni Quynh Pham, Jimmy Thai and A.J. van de Ven on Oct. 22.

“Each one of these individuals embodies the principles of CLIMB,” Pillai told a group of about 80 students who attended the event in Markstein Hall.

Pham, a 2016 graduate, is the director of coaching for Leaderology, which provides customized executive coaching and leadership development. Thai, who earned his MBA in 2000, is the president and co-founder of the Build a School Foundation, a nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for poor children. Van de Ven, who was named CLIMB’s 2023 Outstanding Business Leader, is the CEO and president of Calsense, which creates sophisticated smart irrigation solutions built on a foundation of technology, education and partnership.

Pillai and co-host David Berry, a lecturer in the management department, asked the panelists a series of questions designed to help students as they prepare to navigate the transition to the professional world. Three teams of students concluded the session by asking the panelists additional questions.

Three more “In the Executive’s Chair” events are scheduled for November. The sessions are open to all CSUSM students, alumni and community members. Learn more at the “In the Executive’s Chair” website.

Media Contact

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

Ortiz still gets nostalgic recalling childhood trips to Rite Aid to grab Thrifty’s ice cream with her parents. Her go-to flavor was chocolate, and it brought her comfort every time she ate it.  

Ortiz cherished the little things. Going for chocolate ice cream with her mom and dad may have seemed ordinary to others. But for her, growing up in a low-income family, it was always a special moment. 

 “Ice cream was always a reward,” Ortiz said. “I had to do something good to get it. Every time I had ice cream, it was always that sense of accomplishing something, even if it was something small.” 

 Now, as a business owner, Ortiz looks for special moments like these through customers at her own ice cream shop. Entrepreneurship was never something on her radar, but that changed at Cal State San Marcos. It was a combination of fond memories of eating ice cream with her family and realizing that ice cream shops have the happiest clientele. 

 “No one goes to an ice cream shop angry, right?” Ortiz said. “Customers are either really happy because they're with family or friends or they've had a really bad day and they want a pick-me-up.”  

 Since graduating from CSUSM in 2018 with a degree in marketing, Ortiz has launched a successful ice cream business, Cali Cream, with her husband, Ken Schulenburg. Ortiz has helped craft 55 different flavors, including her childhood favorite, chocolate. 

 Quality is paramount. Cali Cream ice cream is made with 16% butterfat, compared with an average of 12% for most ice cream companies.  

 “We get it shipped from the farm to us within seven days,” Ortiz said. “It's only seven days from cow to cone.”  

 Since opening steps from Moonlight Beach in Encinitas in 2016, Cali Cream has expanded to include a bakery and a second ice cream location in San Diego’s downtown Gaslamp Quarter. Cali Cream also has been featured at special events like Comic-Con International and concerts at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.  

 “I don't know if there was ever a moment where the lightbulb went off,” Ortiz said, “but I think there are times where you're in a place in your life where you just say, ‘Hey, I want to do something different.’ ”  

 Ortiz came to CSUSM looking for a change, intending to create a better life for her daughter, Leslie. 

 When she was 16, Ortiz learned that she was pregnant. Telling her parents was difficult, and she didn’t want them to be disappointed in her or think it would keep her from having a successful future.  

 “It was extremely hard,” she said. “You never want to disappoint your parents. And you never want to do anything that they think might hold you back. Sometimes kids make mistakes. I've learned from it, but I think I've turned it around. I also believe that there are certain things that just kind of happen for a reason, and I feel like she's my biggest motivator. We’ve grown up together.” 

 Leslie was born prematurely, weighing just 4 pounds. Ortiz was facing adult responsibilities at a young age, but Leslie was a constant source of inspiration and motivation.  

 “At that time, it was so difficult to try to navigate everything,” Ortiz said. “But I ended up just striving forward again. I'm not going to be a statistic. I'm not going to let something like that hold me back. I needed to give my family – and I needed to give my daughter – a good example.”  

 When Ortiz was introduced to Rebeca Perren, a CSUSM marketing professor and former faculty mentor in the College of Business Administration’s mentorship program, she was clear that going back to school at age 30 was all for Leslie. And Perren was excited by the possibility of helping Latina students because when she was a student, she rarely saw people like her in the classroom. 

 “I wanted to help students who were like me,” Perren said. “And just by chance, Juliana was the student who was assigned to me. I got to know Juliana and her story, not just as a first-generation college student, but as a mother. She had a teenage daughter and she wanted to get her degree before her daughter went off to college. I had children myself, and we connected on so many different levels.” 

 Perren and Ortiz would meet to discuss class assignments and the struggles of being Latina in higher education. Ortiz saw that Perren regularly met with other business students, and she suggested that they all come together and start gathering as a group.  

 Perren invited Josefina Espino and Chris Santos to join, and they all bonded instantly. They met twice a month, usually at the campus Starbucks, and talked about how they pictured their lives after college.  

 The mentor group evolved into CoBA’s Latino Business Student Association, with Perren serving as the faculty adviser for seven years. Espino remembers when Ortiz revealed to the group that she was interested in entrepreneurship and wanted to start an ice cream business. Ortiz and Espino even used her business idea for a research project in a marketing class taught by professor Kristin Stewart.  

 Starting a path to entrepreneurship was exciting, but also nerve-racking for Ortiz. She didn’t know how she would balance being a student and mother while quitting her job as a marketing coordinator at Pacific Records, Inc. in San Diego.  

 “I remember one of the most important conversations I had to have with Juliana was about being generous to herself,” Perren said. “She, of course, had so much to offer, and one of the most difficult decisions she had to make was investing in herself. She is such a generous and loyal person. It felt difficult to let go of some of her commitments and give back to herself.”  

 Now, as an entrepreneur, Ortiz shows her generosity in the creative ways she connects with her customers and employees. When a customer comes into Cali Cream and talks about an ice cream flavor that holds significance for them, Ortiz goes out of her way to make it.  

 “Ice cream is such an emotional product,” Ortiz said. “We've made special request ice cream orders, because maybe it's a birthday present or it’s their parents' favorite. It’s so cool because I get to be the decision-maker. I can say yes or no, but if someone were to ask any other ice cream company, the answer is always going to be no. But my goal is to always make people happy.” 

 One of the most rewarding parts of Ortiz’s job is supporting her employees through college. It’s her way of giving back. A photo wall in the Encinitas location displays the logos of the colleges that her employees are attending. Ortiz even established a rule that if an employee performs well during the summer, they are guaranteed a job when they come home from college.  

 “I remember going to Cali Cream and seeing that the tip jar said ‘college fund’ on it,” Perren said. “It’s really awesome to see how college is built into the company culture. It's great when you see our alumni not only make a difference in their own life, but also how she can inspire and create social mobility in her family and in our community.”  

Juliana Ortiz 

Major at CSUSM: Business marketing  

Graduation year: 2018 

Company: Cali Cream 

Website: calicreamicecream.com 

Founded: 2016 

Number of employees: 35-80 (depending on the season) 

Talking Business With Juliana Ortiz

What’s the best advice you received about starting a business? 

Do what feels right for you and don’t be afraid to take risks. Not every risk is going to be successful, but there's certain risks that are very rewarding. I think if you do your work and research time, then it minimizes the damage.  

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

I would say go for it. I think you never want to regret not making a decision because of the fear of failure.  

What’s the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

The greatest challenge for me was trying to understand the process for getting health permits. 

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently? 

For us, it's a weather-based ice business. I have to look at weather for the next week and for the next couple of days to see how it impacts our business. That’s something that most people don't think about.  

I would also make sure to work with a team and ensure that if there's a new product, we have to educate them. If your team's not good and if they're not educated, it falls back on you. They also don't want to be put in a position where they don't know how to communicate to their guests. 

What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? 

With changes in just about anything, whether it’s regulation or COVID, you have to be able to adapt and you have to be able to transition. 

Media Contact

Bri Phillips, Communications Specialist

bphillips@csusm.edu

Last month, Cal State San Marcos’ Career Center partnered with the College of Business Administration and College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to take students to tour Callaway Golf headquarters in Carlsbad. Callaway doesn’t offer public tours, creating a unique opportunity. 

In addition to touring headquarters, students heard from professionals who shared advice and their experiences in the professional environment. Students also got exclusive early access to Callaway’s internship applications.

“It was truly an eye-opening experience that exposed me to real-world insight and industry knowledge,” said Gia Poston, a fourth-year business marketing major. “It opened my eyes to what strong company culture looks like and it also provided me with networking opportunities with professionals.”

Callaway Golf is the world's largest manufacturer of golf clubs. It also produces additional golf equipment, clothing and golf accessories. 

 “My experience visiting Callaway was excellent,” said Hanna Silva Gomez, a third-year computer engineering student. “Through this experience I was able to learn a great amount of industry insights as well as getting the opportunity to hear about the journeys of certain Callaway team members that ultimately led them to join Callaway. 

“For me, the most fascinating part of the visit was getting to know about all the possibilities within various fields ranging from engineering to business. It was incredibly insightful to hear about the processes Callaway follows and how it all comes together to deliver an exceptional end result.” 

Other students who attended agreed about the benefits of the visit. 

“Hosting events like these opens the door for CSUSM students to engage in networking as well as learning industry insights, Silva Gomez said. “Events like this encourage students like me to develop skills by learning about innovative approaches used in the industry. 

“Familiarizing ourselves with the company allows us to learn about company culture and get to know about possible internship opportunities or programs offered by the company, which ultimately can allow us to stand out as a candidate in the near future.”

Greg Zamora, a third-year finance student, shared the same perspective.

“From this experience, I gained plenty of inspiration and career insights learning about the intern program and the career paths of speakers,” he said. “I also gained a deeper understanding of Callaway Golf itself as a company, specifically how it operates globally with its variety of golf lines.”

The Career Center is planning to host more events like this in the future and represent a variety of careers and potential internships.

“As a Career Center, our goal is to create meaningful opportunities for students to engage with industry leaders and gain real-world insights," said Yasmine Farley, the director of CSUSM's Career Center. "The visit to Callaway Golf exemplifies the power of partnerships in bridging the gap between academic learning and professional success. I look forward to organizing more opportunities like this for our CSUSM students.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

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

The MBA program has achieved the highest enrollment in its history with 112 students. That’s almost double the total from last fall and two dozen more than the previous highest total, 88 in 2019.

The number is so big that, for the first time ever, the Specialized MBA (SMBA) program has been divided into two cohorts, with 28 in the afternoon and 36 in the evening. There are 48 students in the Fully Employed MBA (FEMBA) program.

The SMBA is an accelerated 12-month program offering specializations in business analytics, international business and supply chain management. It recently has been updated with courses in cutting-edge areas such as machine learning and sustainable business practices.

The FEMBA is an 18-month program designed for experienced working professionals, with classes offered outside of normal business hours and a hybrid learning format.

Leaders of the MBA program attribute the enrollment growth to multiple factors, including new features, improved student outreach and engagement, openness to all majors, and program reputation. In 2021, the College of Business Administration achieved accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), in the process joining the top 5% of business schools in the world.

"Our MBA program is all about opening doors for people from every background and major,” said Stephen Vandereb, associate director of MBA programs. “We’re proud to offer a flexible, affordable education that really meets the needs of today’s students. With a cutting-edge curriculum, strong career support and the credibility of AACSB accreditation, we’re not just preparing our graduates for the job market — we’re equipping them to lead and make a real impact in the world.”

Media Contact

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

College of Business Administration

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences 2

College of Education, Health and Human Services

College of Education, Health and Human Services 2

College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

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

Jocelyne Dates, master’s biological sciences 

President’s Outstanding Graduate 

Dean’s Award, Graduate Studies

Dates' work ethic in the laboratory has inspired her peers and instructors, and her research will leave a lasting impact. Dates has mastered and established techniques that require the manual dexterity of a neurosurgeon while participating in the lab. She has impressively designed the lab logo and built custom-made research equipment, which increased data acquisition rate for an intricate bioassay from 50% to 100%.   

Dates has taken the role of a mentor to multiple undergraduate and graduate students and creates a nurturing learning environment. In her role as a Summer Scholars mentor, she provided guidance to 13 undergraduate students and one graduate student, which resulted in a total of 25 conference presentations and several publications prepared.  

Dates’ outstanding scholarship and research contributions are the pinnacle of excellence. Her hard work has led her to be accepted into 12 Ph.D. programs (she’ll attend Vanderbilt this fall) and she has secured over $1 million in external fellowship funding to date. Dates will graduate with four manuscripts and one invited book chapter while having delivered 10 conference presentations and co-authored another 15 conference contributions as a mentor.   

Megan Hosfield, sociology 

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

Hosfield has sought out all the opportunities available to her on campus. After she successfully completed Jonathan Trinidad’s statistics course, she volunteered to audit his class. Trinidad quickly saw her deep understanding of the course, and he recruited her as a paid teaching assistant. In this role, Hosfield actively engages with students and provides them with clear explanation and personalized assistance during class and office hours. She has become a role model to students in lower and higher division statistics courses by leading by example and being responsible and reliable. 

In addition to her remarkable work as student teaching assistant, Hosfield leaves an impact on her peers. While in Marisa Salina’s large lecture sociology 311 class, Hosfield shared her own experiences with the intersections of various systems of oppression. It was a powerful experience for Hosfield’s classmates about inequities within public health and social services.

Hosfield’s hard work has led her to be accepted into eight Ph.D. programs in sociology and public health. She plans to study how people with mental health and substance abuse issues begin to rehabilitate socially.

 Jack Norwood, business administration, management 

Gerevas Family Dean’s Award, College of Business Administration 

Norwood works as a programming specialist for Associated Students, Inc., at the Temecula campus where he helps students by developing and managing student-focused programs and initiatives. In this role, he also works with other university student affairs departments and organizations in support of Temecula students.   

Norwood has volunteered his time as an ambassador for the Temecula campus. He has participated in an Extended Learning marketing campaign, outreach events to prospective students, and represented the campus on efforts with community partners and Mt. San Jacinto College. Norwood has also represented the Temecula campus as part of the Business Organization for Student Success, the ASI Student Advocacy Committee, the Extended Learning Student Fee Advisory Committee, and has been the university representative for the Temecula Student of the Month. 

Beyond the university, Norwood has participated in community service activities. He has been a site lead for the Cesar Chavez Day of Service for two years. Beyond his leadership, Norwood explicitly defines the day of service to the volunteers and its comprehensive benefit to the communities served. 

Miranda Grzywaczewski, kinesiology

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

Grzywaczewski has shown a consistent and unwavering commitment to the CEHHS mission and vision as well as consistent engagement in community service and leadership activities. Through class discussion and peer assignments, she leads by example with her outside-the-box thinking. The effort and hard work she put into her coursework shows in her 3.94 CSUSM GPA, as she is one of the top-performing kinesiology students. 

Grzywaczewski possesses a certification to do vascular stiffness measurements, which makes her one of four students to achieve this status. This process takes over 30 clinical screenings to perfect these vascular analysis skills.

Grzywaczewski also serves as the CEHHS representative for Associated Students, Inc., where she holds office hours and encourages student engagement. She has a clear passion for service and care toward others. 

Patricia Tulloch, biological sciences

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

Tulloch has pushed through barriers and has emerged as a motivated leader who is dedicated to helping underserved communities. She leaves a positive impact while conducting biomedical research as a teaching assistant and working to make a difference in her local and international community. 

Tulloch has been a dedicated researcher in biology professor Julie Jameson's lab for three years. She always brings a positive attitude to the lab, and she was excited to learn about mouse surgery, anesthesia delivery and dissection. Tulloch has shared her findings at the University of Irvine Immunology Fair and received funding to present at the American Association of Immunologists meeting in Chicago. She is committed to the study of skin diseases, diabetic wounds and psoriasis and she is a co-author on a manuscript that is soon to be published.  

In addition to her work in the lab, Tulloch is a dedicated teaching assistant for Molecular Medicine, BIO 456. In this role, Tulloch demonstrates a natural ability to guide students through a team-based learning strategy while they work on case studies focused on medical therapeutics. 

Nick Melanese, business administration, marketing 

Dean’s Award, Dean of Students 

Melanese was recruited to the men’s cross country and track and field team where he became CSUSM’s record holder for the 800 meters, a multi-time California Collegiate Athletic Association champion and an NCAA qualifier.   

Melanese was elected as a Leadership Council Member for track and field, where he oversees and facilitates conflict management, team-bonding, apparel and social media during council meetings. He has also been awarded the Elite 13 Award, which recognizes the athletic and academic achievement of a student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average in their sport.

In addition to Melanese’s athletic achievements, he joined the University Student Union team as a video production student assistant in 2021. Melanese’s creativity and dedication to the USU’s mission and values were quickly recognized, which led him to transition to becoming the USU’s marketing coordinator. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Some of the common answers – astronaut, musician, veterinarian – never crossed Ludwig’s mind. And it’s safe to say that her answer probably didn’t cross the mind of her classmates. She wanted to work at McDonald’s because of her love for their chicken nuggets. 

At 16, the moment Ludwig was legally allowed to work, she turned that dream into a reality and worked at McDonald’s for nearly two years.

Ludwig likes to say that her dreams haven’t changed much since then because, years later, her career path is still centered around her passion for food.  

Ludwig is graduating from Cal State San Marcos this spring with a bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. A first-generation student, she has flourished academically while simultaneously growing her popular foodie TikTok account @eatsbynat to nearly 270,000 followers.

Ludwig grew up in Hampshire, Ill., a small rural town of about 7,600 people an hour northwest of Chicago. She and her twin sister Nicole always had their hearts set on one day moving to California. Their father grew up in Huntington Beach and always talked highly about living on the West Coast. 

After both sisters completed their associate degrees at Elgin Community College near their hometown, Ludwig and Nicole began researching California universities to see if it was possible to make the move. The first university to show up in their search? Cal State San Marcos.

Ludwig took it as a sign. Over the next four months, she and Nicole applied to CSUSM, flew to California for four days and found an apartment. They didn’t even get a chance to tour campus, but they were ready for a new start.

“After getting my associate's degree in Illinois, I had no idea what I wanted to do, absolutely no clue,” said Ludwig, whose sister received her bachelor’s from CSUSM in media studies in fall 2022. “We weren't sure if we could afford it, but everything worked out and we just took a leap of faith.”

The move paid off for Ludwig, who discovered that she has a knack for social media marketing when her videos started to gain traction in 2021. 

“It’s a gift to wake up every day wanting to do it,” Ludwig said. “For school, you have a deadline. But nobody's next to you telling you you must post today. You have to think of new ideas. You have to brainstorm. You have to come up with all these concepts. Consistency is the most important thing and loving what you do. If you don't love what you're posting, you don't love your niche or your content, you're not going to stay consistent.”

Ludwig and her sister both successfully post food reviews on TikTok (@nicole.ludwig). Ludwig’s content ranges from eating at local restaurants in San Diego to franchise bakeries like Crumbl Cookies. While she isn’t afraid to try new things, her favorite foods to review are desserts. 

“I joke and I say like 90% of my diet is sweets but in reality, it really is,” Ludwig said. “I love cookies. I love ice cream. Sweets are my main thing, and I love posting it because I just love to eat them.”

Ludwig doesn’t just introduce viewers to new food stops and products. Her videos deliver a bigger message. 

When Ludwig was in the sixth grade, she was hospitalized with an eating disorder. Her family has helped her develop a healthy relationship with food, and she wants to do the same for her viewers.

“It's been a roller coaster ride, but I'm glad I can use my platform to share my story,” Ludwig said. “I get comments all the time saying that ‘Watching you eat this food makes me want to eat it, too.’ This is really one of the main reasons I wanted to start my account because I just want to help other people.”

The work Ludwig has put into her social media accounts has also been used on collaborative research projects with her professors. She is currently working with CSUSM marketing professor Vassilis Dalakas and Western Kentucky University professor Joanna Melancon on how sounds in TikTok videos can impact shopping behavior. 

“I made the video they are using for the experiment,” Ludwig said. “The goal is to compare and see if people purchase a product depending on a happy or sad song.” 

Ludwig was recently recognized as the Outstanding Student for Marketing at the College of Business Administration Dean’s Breakfast for her ability to continuously go above and beyond both inside and outside the classroom. 

Ludwig plans to continue growing her social media platforms after she graduates and work with Nicole and her brother on their start-up marketing agency, Digital Direct Marketing. 

“CSUSM has helped me become who I am and grow my interests not only in social media, but business as well,” Ludwig said. “I'm so thankful for this school because it has helped me in ways that I couldn't even imagine. I wouldn't be where I am today without the opportunity to come to CSUSM or come to California.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Carrasco has been surrounded by entrepreneurs for multiple years, as her mother and aunt have a business in which they create and sell rim dip, a paste usually created with tamarind and chamoy that are then used to cover the rims of beers and other beverages. Carrasaco’s mom and aunt developed their own recipe for these rim dips in 2020. While Carrasco wasn't involved in the process, she used it as inspiration for her own business, Hot Summer Gummies (@hotsummergummies on Instagram). 

“Where I live, tamarindo gummies are very popular,” said Carrasco, who is from Imperial Valley. “Personally, I don’t really like those ones, but my mom’s recipe was really good, so I pitched ideas.” 

Carrasco’s mom was on board with the new idea. Together they picked up different kinds of candy, developed logos and packaging, and then Carrasco started selling the new gummies at her community college sporting events while attending Imperial Valley College. 

“A lot of people really liked them, and I was selling out every time I went to the games,” Carrasco said. “I pitched the gummies to the owners of the stores that had rim dip in them. They loved the idea and gave me space to put them in their stores.”

Carrasco said her goal going forward is to expand her business into San Diego, or even sell the gummies on campus.

Carrasco is on the right track to help her business progress. Last fall, she was the winner of the Innovation Hub’s Quick Pitch competition, which closely resembles the hit TV show “Shark Tank” in which competitors pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges. Carrasco received $1,000 for her winning pitch. 

“I was in shock,” Carrasco said. “I had a big smile on my face, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, no way.’ ”

Carrasco put the prize money into her savings, with plans to utilize it for her business.  

Not only did winning the Quick Pitch provide funds to help grow the business, but it also equipped her with lifelong lessons. 

“I remember sitting down at the competition and I almost walked out because I was so nervous,” Carrasco said. “But I said, ‘We’re just going to do it.’ 

“It really showed me what I was capable of and helped me step out of my comfort zone – and it made me feel that what I'm doing is good. I got really good feedback. I brought gummies with me and went home empty-handed at the end of the night because I sold them all. It just gave me a lot of confidence.”

Carrasco is using this newfound confidence while working toward her degree at CSUSM. She will graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor's degree in marketing. While she has thoughts of continuing with the business, her dream is to be a social media coordinator for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

“I’m very open-minded,” Carrasco said. “I’ll just see what happens.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The event, hosted by San Diego State, is a pitch competition based on identifying a significant problem related to the impact of water on the region. Competitors then present an innovative solution to the problem.

CSUSM’s winning team included biotechnology master’s student Kanav Aggarwal and undergraduates Ashley Gamez (marketing) and Bella Bowman (digital art).  

Aggarwal is the inventor of ChloroBoost and presented the pitch during the competition. The team won $2,000 for the most innovative solution of the competition and second place overall. 

ChloroBoost focuses on conserving water in agriculture, an industry in which 40% of water usage occurs. ChloroBoost improves water retention in soil. Farmers put biofertilizer in their fields, let it dry and then can grow their crops like usual. Doing this can reduce wastewater by half, ultimately improving soil quality.

The CSUSM team was among nine teams from five Southern California colleges and universities that competed for a total of $40,000 in cash prizes. The team won a total of $9,500 for its presentation. 

The team ended its competition presentation by proposing a two-year plan, including testing and studies, that would end with a regional launch in December 2025. 

Media Contact

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

The event is a part of CoBA’s Business Professional Development program, which develops students' personal and professional success skills. An expected 144 sophomores and juniors as well as industry professionals are expected to attend. 

Students will have the opportunity to develop connections and engage in one-on-one conversations to hone in their networking skills. The event will also help students explore different industries and business functions.

 Students who are pursuing degrees in the following will be present: accounting, business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, global business, global supply chain management, human resources management, management and organizations, management information systems, marketing and undeclared business majors. 

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 2023.

President’s Outstanding Graduate Drawn to Special Path

When Aidelen Montoya transferred to CSUSM as a business major, her parents were fully behind this path because it offered her stability. But her passion for art history kept nagging at her. She considered a double major, but her gut told her something else. Montoya chose to create her own special major in museum studies, studio art and art history. 

“I wasn't that happy, to be honest,” said Montoya, the recipient of the 2023 Cal State San Marcos President’s Outstanding Graduate Award. “So when I found this special major, I shifted it to what I really wanted to focus on, which was museums and art history. I felt so much happier.”   

Alumna Paves Way as Palomar's First Latina President

Star Rivera-Lacey has grown from poverty in childhood to earning a Ph.D. and today serving as the first Latina superintendent/president of Palomar College. Rivera-Lacey’s ability to remain optimistic during challenging times helped her become the first in her family to graduate from college when she received a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies at CSUSM.

Poet Laureate Blends Personal Experience With Observations

Jason Magabo Perez, an associate professor and program director of ethnic studies at CSUSM, was named poet laureate of the city of San Diego. His two-year appointment will include holding workshops, representing the city in civic cultural events and writing poetry. 

Biochemistry Student Receives Prestigious Pfizer Fellowship

Biochemistry student Diana Llamas received the Pfizer La Jolla Academic Industrial Relations Diversity Research Fellowship in Chemistry. She is one of just four people in the western region selected, joining awardees from Arizona State, UC Davis and UC Riverside. Llamas is using the $20,000 award to research synthesizing novel benzotriazole compounds as potential antifungal agents using gold catalysis.

Cochlear Implants Help Transform Track Standout’s Life

Born with mild to profound hearing loss, cochlear implants have changed track student-athlete Ripley Brant’s life. “It doesn't sound completely normal right away,” Brant said. “I just remember everyone sounding like Mickey Mouse for probably that first day. But it was still really cool to have that set up. I remember just smiling a whole bunch.” 

Black Student Center is Home Away From Court for Basketball Star

There are two places where Dynnah Buckner has found the most sanctuary during her decorated career at CSUSM. The first is the basketball court and the second is the Black Student Center. “I am extremely grateful for the Black Student Center,” Buckner said. “It has been life-changing for me, honestly.” 

Former ASI President Now Working on Music's Biggest Stage

Kenny Tran, Associated Students, Inc. president during the 2019-20 school year, is now partnerships coordinator for the Recording Academy, the Los Angeles-based company that stages the Grammy Awards.“Being in ASI, going from a volunteer to president, really transformed my college experience,” Tran said. “The way I lead now is directly attributable to my experience as a leader at CSUSM.”

Student Pursues Dream on 'American Idol'

Tori Green always made time to watch “American Idol” with her mother when she was a child, and she always had the dream of one day auditioning. The  biological sciences student made that dream become a reality and traveled to Las Vegas to sing before celebrity judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie for a chance to compete on “American Idol.”

University Ties Run Deep For Trustees' Award Recipient

When Yesenia Mora was about to graduate from high school, there was no question that she would attend Cal State San Marcos. Mora has been visiting campus from before she could even remember. In September, she was honored with the California State University’s highest recognition of student accomplishment as the university’s 2023 Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement recipient. 

The Indomitable Will to Live

There is a plethora of stories written all over the country every spring about resiliency and overcoming massive barriers to success, particularly around the subject of graduation. And then there’s the story of Juan Alva. And the simple but powerful motto he has lived by – you don’t know how tough you are until being tough is the only option you have.

CSUSM Wins National Diversity Award for 10th Straight Year

CSUSM received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. This marks the 10^th consecutive year that CSUSM has been named a HEED Award recipient. The university is one of only 21 schools that have won the award, which was instituted in 2012, at least 10 years in a row.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

After graduating from the university in December 2013, Anderson was scheduled to walk the following spring, but her husband’s military assignment to Japan combined with the Cocos Fire to scuttle her plan.

Anderson will have not one, not two, but three chances to rectify that disappointment in the near future. All three of her children followed in her footsteps and are on track to join her as CSUSM alumni within the next 18 months.

Ian Anderson, the middle child at 22, is a senior who will graduate with an electrical engineering degree in May.

Mason Anderson, the oldest at 23, is a second-semester junior who’s set to earn a degree in management information systems in December 2024.

And Miah Anderson, the youngest at 20, is in her first semester at CSUSM after transferring from Vanguard University. A kinesiology major, she’s due to graduate in May 2025.

“It feels surreal,” Bridget said. “I am so incredibly proud of my kids. I can’t believe that they’re all going to the same university that I went to.”

Bridget enrolled at CSUSM in 2009, when all three of her children were in elementary school and she finally had time to devote to her education. But the challenges were many. Soon after she started, the family moved from Camp Pendleton to Murrieta, and not only did she have to make the hour-long commute to San Marcos, but she had to squeeze all her classes into the periods between when she dropped the kids off in the morning and picked them up in the afternoon.

“It was a lot,” she said. “Sometimes I was on campus every day, Monday through Friday, because I didn't have the option of taking an evening class. There were many late nights and sleepless nights.”

Making the situation even more trying was that Bridget’s husband, Jason, served multiple Marine deployments in the Middle East, leaving her as the sole parent and without a ready outlet to vent her frustrations and emotional struggles. If she felt overtaxed, however, she did an exemplary job of shielding it from her kids.

“She’s such a strong woman,” Miah said. “She put on a brave face, and I never really felt when she was stressed out. I felt just like a normal kid.”

Bridget earned a degree in liberal studies with a focus on elementary education. After teaching for a few years, she decided to change her career path during the pandemic, taking advantage of the explosion of online learning to pursue a master’s in social work from Arizona State. She finished the program in August 2022, and after serving as a social work intern in the Borrego Springs school district, she accepted a job last summer as a behavioral health clinician with Indian Health Council. She now does therapy for members of the nine federally recognized American Indian tribes in the North County region.

It's a particularly meaningful role for Bridget, who is half Navajo and was born and raised in Flagstaff, Ariz., just southwest of the enormous Navajo Nation that encompasses parts of three states. Her mother grew up in Navajo Nation and was sent to Indian boarding school, and Bridget remembers going to powwows and visiting relatives on the reservation.

“We were always involved,” she said.

Her children had a different experience, though, as the itinerant nature of military life caused the family’s ties to American Indian culture to unravel. Bridget made a concerted effort to reconnect with her roots at CSUSM by taking several courses taught by Joely Proudfit, the chair of American Indian studies and the director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) at the university.

Now Bridget is encouraging her kids to tap into their heritage as well. Along with their mom, all three of the siblings this fall attended a community welcome for the CICSC, where they spoke with Proudfit and Ilianna Ramirez, the new American Indian student success coordinator. They also either have joined or shown interest in joining the American Indian Student Alliance (AISA).

“I identify as a Native American, but it’s not anything I’ve put a lot of effort into being connected to,” Ian said. “That’s something I’m trying to change.”

Said Miah: “AISA is a really good community to be aligned with because they’re so accepting. They understand that everyone comes from a different background and that being connected with your culture is important. They try to create a comfortable and safe space for students to come into.”

While they go through the process of securing their American Indian census numbers, Mason, Ian and Miah are enjoying their time as students at CSUSM. Mason is a Marine Corps reservist who aims to enter the field of cybersecurity. Ian is part of the university’s first cohort of electrical engineering students (president of the electrical engineering club, to boot), and he plans to pursue a master’s in the discipline. Miah, who transferred to CSUSM because she liked its size and sense of community, wants to become a physical therapist.

All three are commuting from the family home in Murrieta, though Bridget jokes that she wishes they would carpool more. Their divergent schedules mean that their on-campus interactions sometimes consist of little more than high-fiving each other on the way to or from the parking lot.

“But all being at CSUSM does bring us closer together,” Mason said. “When we’re home now, we know what each other are going through, and we can see each other thrive in different ways. We’re all going to be doing our own thing soon, so it’s nice to be able to soak in our last hurrah as siblings living together and going to college together.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

A few months earlier, Tran had been living at home in Mira Mesa, trying  to find a job after graduating from Cal State San Marcos the previous spring. Now here he was, dressed to the nines and walking a red carpet outside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in April 2022, with the South Korean boy band BTS in front of him and, whoa, was that Dua Lipa who just walked by?

At the star-studded Grammy Awards, the biggest night in music, Tran might have felt like an imposter. But he belonged, having been hired that February by the Recording Academy, the Los Angeles-based company that stages the Grammys and supports musical artists year-round.

“It was so surreal,” Tran said. “It was a great experience, and being thrown into any environment for the first time is the best way to learn. You have to be quick on your feet and adjust.”

Putting to good use both his CSUSM marketing degree and his stint as president of Associated Students, Inc., during the 2019-20 school year, Tran is partnerships coordinator for the Recording Academy. In that role, he works with businesses that have interest in teaming up with the academy. At the 2022 Grammys, for instance, he sat in a suite with representatives from Hilton and Roblox, the online game platform.

“My team likes to think about true partnerships,” Tran said. “Not just a sponsorship or throwing a logo on, but trying to come up with something meaningful and innovative.”

Tran first got a taste for live music events, and for ASI, during his first two years at CSUSM. As a member of the campus activities board, he was part of the team that inaugurated Festival 78 on campus. That sampling of student government made him want more, and by his senior year he was elected president.

It was already going to be a momentous year with the summer hiring of new university president Ellen Neufeldt. Then, in March 2020, soon after Tran returned from Sacramento for a trip to lobby for financial aid reform, a virus called COVID-19 reared its ugly head.

The nascent virus meant that he couldn’t check off all his goals, but he’s still proud about what he and his fellow ASI executives did accomplish, including advancing student holistic wellness as an institutional priority and helping make the distribution of COVID relief funds more equitable.

“Being in ASI, going from a volunteer to president, really transformed my college experience,” Tran said. “The way I lead now is directly attributable to my experience as a leader at CSUSM.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Fall enrollment is up 3% compared to last year, including a record 2,766 first-year students.

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

“We’re not simply kicking off a new year; we’re building on the momentum we’ve set in motion with the launch of our strategic plan: the Power of CSUSM and the Power of Us,” Neufeldt said.

Neufeldt praised the efforts of employees and departments across campus for the work they put in regarding enrollment.

“For 34 years, we at CSUSM have stood as a beacon of opportunity, fostering success within our region and beyond,” she said. “Our success is measured by our 67,000 proud alumni – eight in 10 remaining in our region to live, work and give back.”

New affordable housing/dining complex 

Parking lots O, K and N are scheduled to close in late December or early January when construction begins on a new affordable housing and dining complex that is scheduled for grand opening in 2026.

The design schematics for the new housing complex were approved in May at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting, paving the way to move forward with the project.

Parking lots O, K and N will be closed after finals in December. Parking Structure 2, located across Barham Drive next to North Commons, will allow overnight student parking, and there will be an additional 84 parking spots available to students. 

Weeks of Welcome

The annual Weeks of Welcome, which started Aug. 27, 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 six events.

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

Record-breaking fundraising dinner 

The inaugural CSUSM Blue & Silver Fundraising Dinner held on June 9 was a resounding success, breaking previous university fundraising event records by raising over $1 million for social mobility and student success programs and initiatives.  

CSUSM named to best colleges list 

CSUSM was named to the “Best Colleges in America 2023” list by Money magazine. CSUSM received a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 in the new system developed this year by Money. Out of more than 700 colleges and universities evaluated, only 34 received 5 stars and CSUSM was one of just 189 that were awarded 4.5 stars.

Summer snippets

• Political science professor Xiaoye She is part of a new online journal with a mission of creating a more global California by showcasing the scholarship and work of faculty, students and staff of the California State University system.
• CSUSM has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund a novel project to offer mindfulness training to STEM students who are preparing for graduate school. The grant of about $80,000 covers a term of one year and started on Aug. 1.
• CSUSM’s College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) collaborated with the Migrant Education Program in Los Angeles to host the inaugural Migrant Scholars Summer Institute (MSSI) from July 6-14. Nearly 40 high school students who identify as Latinx and first generation attended the residential experience at CSUSM. 
• Neufeldt pledged to take the next step in climate action by signing the Second Nature Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitment on Aug. 17. The signing was followed by a tree-planting ceremony in front of the University Bookstore as a symbol of the university’s dedication to sustainability efforts on campus.  
• CSUSM has received a $300,000 grant from the largest private foundation in San Diego County to partner with a local health care provider to offer free services to underserved communities through a mobile health clinic.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Students were paired with one another and met weekly to discuss the readings, exercises and reflections provided in the coursework on compassionate leadership. The program was developed by Cal State East Bay faculty member Dan Martin, CEO of Brightsity and a collaborating scientist at Stanford University's Center for Compassion, Altruism Research and Education.

“The Compassionate Leadership certification taught me to be more mindful of others and myself,” student Jennifer Martinez said in a video to provide feedback on the program.

“This course helped me in so many ways, and I could see the content merge directly from the course into my personal life,” student Allison Marcure added. “I have grown tremendously with the help of this course, becoming more compassionate and more self-confident in myself as a leader.”

Pillai, a professor of management and executive director of the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building, worked with MBA alumnus Jimmy Thai and his wife, Lily, who donated $10,000 last spring to support business students for engaging in a Compassionate Leadership Experience (CLE) through Senior Experience projects and the Compassionate Leadership Certificate. 

The goal of the program is to develop compassionate student leaders who work on projects that assist underserved communities. The CLE targets short-term community projects for underserved populations. Students have worked on projects for the charity Wounded Warrior Homes and the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos. 

“The course helped me think more consciously about compassion and empathy as I transition into leadership roles post-graduation,” graduating student Jezreel Scannel said. “I really appreciate this opportunity.”

Pillai hopes that, based on student feedback, the certificate program can be offered to students each semester. 

“As we emerge from COVID, compassion and empathy are becoming important characteristics for leaders as they deal with challenges of motivating and retaining their people,” Pillai said. “I am hoping that my students learn some compassionate leadership skills that they can take to the workplace.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Lafenhagen’s pitch for her startup Craft-Your-Bra earned her second place in the social enterprise track. The prize money will help her to pursue her dream of launching of her business.

Hosted by San Jose State University, the competition consisted of 36 student teams from 18 of the 23 CSU campuses. These entrepreneurial student teams pitched their businesses to a panel of judges who evaluated them on their desirability, feasibility and viability.

Craft-Your-Bra was established in memory of Lafenhagen’s grandmother, a breast cancer survivor. Lafenhagen created a modular bra system that will help women overcome the struggle of having different breast sizes. She focuses on increasing body positivity and breast cancer awareness while providing an innovative product that will improve the lives of many women.

By launching Craft-Your-Bra, Lafenhagen hopes to “break the cycle of the one-size-fits-all mindset by redefining the possibilities for bra customization and by providing a sustainable, eco-conscious solution for everyone to be able to craft their perfect bra.”

While at CSUSM, Lafenhagen pursued her degree in business administration and was the president of the Entrepreneurship Society. She has received support from many mentors from CSUSM College of Business Administration and CSUSM Innovation Hub in her entrepreneurship journey. She plans to officially launch her business by the end of the year and the prize money will help make her goals possible.

This year’s Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition concluded with 15 student teams taking home a total of $200,000 in prize money. This is just the beginning of the five-year commitment by Sunstone Management to sponsor the event with a grand total of $1 million in prize money coming from the Sunstone Community Fund.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The CSUSM team of Thomas Handzel, Miguel Lopez, Fares Alhabardi and Alin Hanna competed in the event that’s hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy and took place May 7-9 in Washington, D.C. They are a multidisciplinary group of upperclassmen majoring in electrical engineering, software engineering, physics and business.

Their faculty mentor is Hamed Nademi, an assistant professor of electrical engineering. Nademi has been working on wave energy converter applications since 2020 and has built the Marine Energy team at CSUSM. He runs a Sustainable and Interactive Technologies & Energy (SITE) lab focusing on renewable energy integration, microgrids, transportation electrification and marine power grids.

The same student quartet also was selected as one of 20 teams nationwide in the 2024 MECC. They are among only three groups from California State University.

The CSUSM team focuses on exploring the feasibility of supplying power from wave energy to the Poseidon desalination plant in Carlsbad. Using a prototype made with a 3D printer, the students conducted tests in the kinesiology department’s surf pool, which has the capability to generate wave profiles with various speeds. The experiments allowed the team to ascertain the functional behavior of the wave energy converter to refine the design variables, values and dimensions. 

The team’s next step is to build a metal-based prototype with a generator and power electronics converters to generate DC and/or AC power for non-grid or grid-connected applications. It will receive a $20,000 grant from the Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the 2024 competition.

The team also includes three senior students (Miguel Molina, Jessi Angeles and Victor Gomez) who are part of the first cohort to graduate from CSUSM's electrical engineering program. They have been working on hardware development of a power electronics converter to provide electricity from ocean waves compatible with a wall power outlet.

Media Contact

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

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

Aidelen Montoya, special major in studio art, museum studies, and theory 

President’s Outstanding Graduate 

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

Montoya’s degree program only scratches the surface of her interdisciplinary and community-engaged accomplishments. She was selected as one of nine students of color in the Planet Mentorship pilot in which she conducted research resulting in a beaded data visualization that addresses environmental issues through a social justice lens.  

Nominating professor Lucy HG Solomon noted that the quality of this presentation led to her inviting Montoya to join a prestigious residency on Volcan Mountain where they held a public exhibition of her work.  

Montoya integrates themes of climate justice into her art. Through her research and creative activities, she crosses boundaries between physical sciences and the arts with a mind for practical situations such as improving museum sustainability and K-12 education. 

Kianni Albrecht, Master of Social Work 

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

Albrecht has dedicated her career to serving the veteran community. She grew up in a military family and was able to see firsthand the necessity of trauma-informed and culturally sensitive mental health services. She interned at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare Systems where she served veterans who have been impacted by the vulnerabilities of marginalized and systemic disparities.  

To address this issue on a larger scale, Albrecht and her father have coordinated presentations at local, national and global conferences, which provide both a social worker perspective and the veteran’s perspective to help reduce stigma and encourage awareness of mental health resources for the treatment of PTSD.  

Albrecht pursued many leadership opportunities during her time at CSUSM, including vice president of the Social Work Coalition and representing the university at the National Association of Social Workers-CA Lobby Days where she spoke with policymakers to advocate for legislation that aligns with the values of the social work profession.  

Serena Farrell, biological sciences 

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

A first-generation college student, Farrell has overcome every hurdle in her path as she worked to earn money to support her education, ran long distance on both the cross country and track teams, engaged in research that earned recognition at CSUSM and nationally, and served in countless leadership roles, including as the CTSEM representative to ASI.  

At CSUSM, Farrell not only found mentors, but she also worked hard to find every opportunity she could to reach back and be that positive voice for others. Farrell has provided CSUSM’s student body with career-advancing workshops, opportunities and panels. In the last year, Farrell has helped organize a career panel and a Women in STEM panel.  

Farrell is also a URISE scholar in the Center for Training, Research, and Educational Excellence where she has further demonstrated her commitment to her education and research while mentoring the next generation of scientists from historically underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. 

Learn more about Farrell here.

Jennifer Figueroa, master’s psychological science 

Dean’s Award, Graduate Studies 

A first-generation Ecuadorian American college student from a low-income background, Figueroa has demonstrated outstanding achievements throughout her time at CSUSM. She has achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.82, successfully defended her master’s thesis and trained new members of her research team.  

During her time in the master’s program Figueroa has amassed several research achievements, including one first-author publication, three first-author conference presentations, and four co-author conference presentations. 

Nominating professor Haylee DeLuca Bishop noted that Figueroa’s achievements are outstanding for someone so early in their career and they reflect her initiative and intellectual curiosity.  

Rachel Jackson, business administration, management  

Gerevas Family Dean’s Award, College of Business Administration 

Jackson’s considerable contributions have been essential to the rebuilding of an active student community in CoBA and across CSUSM amid the return to an on-campus, post-pandemic environment. Her officer positions in CoBA Management Society alongside her membership in CoBA’s new Dean’s Student Advisory Council has helped build relationships with the external community for meaningful society-community events.  

Jackson assisted in a meeting with a Fortune 500 company, and the representatives specifically mentioned her as having a positive impact on their decision to move the new relationship forward which helped to create employment opportunities for CoBA students. 

Nominating professor Catalin Ratiu highlighted Jackson’s energy and charisma, noting that she has helped the college in many ways. Through her active participation and strong leadership, Jackson has contributed to creating a sense of belonging and support within the CoBA community.  

Ilianna Ramirez, psychological sciences 

Dean’s Award, Dean of Students 

Ramirez has made lasting contributions to student life at CSUSM through her many involvements, including the ASI Board of Directors, President of the American Indian Student Alliance, Arts & Lectures and her work with the Anti-Racism, Anti-Colonialism, Social Justice Committee. 

Ramirez took her experience one step further through an internship student teaching at her community college where she is creating a pathway for others and laying the foundation for her future career as a college professor. 

Ramirez has strived to help create a sense of belonging at CSUSM. She utilizes her ability to empathize with others who have experiences different from hers to create connections not only within the American Indian Student Alliance but also with other student life areas. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

The annual initiative recognizes notable alumni from AACSB-accredited business schools whose inspiring work serves as a model for the next generation of business leaders, and this year’s class features individuals defining what it means to be a societal impact leader.

Ahmadpour is president and managing director (Americas) for Isle Utilities, which aims to make a positive social, economic and environmental impact through the advancement of innovative technologies and related practices.

Ahmadpour is a consultancy executive specializing in emerging technologies and innovative best practices in the water sector. She has spent more than a decade furthering innovation in the water sector, fostering collaborations between a broad set of stakeholders, including water utilities, technology companies, regulators, associations and academia. Ahmadpour is focused on exploring how stakeholders can harness a culture of innovation by embracing new ideas and business opportunities and backing emerging technologies that deliver better outcomes than conventional solutions.

“Cristina Ahmadpour’s achievements demonstrate that success in business can also mean success for society. Her efforts to prioritize purpose, people and planet should inspire all of us to reorient our ideas about impactful leadership,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, AACSB president and CEO. “It is a privilege to amplify her efforts and the entire 2023 Class of Influential Leaders.”

Now in its eighth year, AACSB’s Influential Leaders spotlight program recognizes more than 275 business school graduates who have created lasting impact in business and society. All honorees have earned an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree from one of the more than 950 AACSB-accredited business schools worldwide.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

At its annual scholarships awards lunch on Jan. 11, North County Women in Networking (NCWIN) gave $3,000 scholarships to five female students: Selena Aguilar, a graduate student in the School of Education; Alexa Francisco, a graduate student in the School of Education; Wendy Nestoso, a junior business administration major; Emily White, a senior nursing major; and Jazmin Yanez, a junior sociology major.

The students were chosen by a NCWIN scholarship committee after it reviewed applications. The winners all attended the January event and shared their personal story with attendees.

NCWIN has been serving the community with scholarships for more than 25 years and has been a longtime partner of CSUSM. It’s a “member-based organization that empowers and supports female professionals and provides social engagement in a diverse and positive environment, as well as promoting philanthropy through service and scholarships.”

Media Contact

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

The Sound is a $17 million facility with a footprint of 9,500 square feet and capacity for 1,900 spectators. Open to all ages, it features a state-of-the-art sound system, multiple bars and a large lobby, among other amenities.

And The Sound owes at least part of its existence to a group of Cal State San Marcos business students who attended the university almost a decade ago.

Back in 2016, two groups of students in the College of Business Administration worked for months on a comprehensive study that proposed the transformation of a struggling off-track betting facility at the Del Mar Fairgrounds into the region’s newest concert venue.

One group was composed of five students who were finishing their MBA program; the other included five undergraduates (and one MBA advisory student) completing an assignment for Senior Experience, a longtime CoBA program matching teams of students with projects submitted by local businesses and organizations. Both groups were supervised by marketing lecturer Don Sciglimpaglia.

After reviewing the students’ analysis and agreeing with its findings, the organization that operates the fairgrounds consented in early 2017 to spending up to $250,000 to investigate potential funding sources for the renovation of the Surfside Race Place and hire an engineering firm to develop more detailed plans.

“The work they did was excellent,” Tim Fennell, CEO of the 22^nd District Agricultural Association, said at the time.

The association considered multiple options to remake the aging Surfside Race Place (built in 1991) – including a restaurant, movie theater and even a microbrewery – but settled on a concert venue based in no small part on the study by the CSUSM students.

The original plan was for the venue to open in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic and other obstacles delayed the unveiling by five years. Now The Sound is here, and the students who helped make it happen are thrilled.

Debbie Jo McCool, who led the five students from the Fully Employed Masters of Business Administration (FEMBA) team, said she missed out on getting tickets for the debut concert on Friday, but that she and her classmates hope to attend an upcoming show.

“It’s a dream come true for us,” said McCool, a management analyst for the City of Carlsbad. “Knowing that our team had the privilege of preparing a concert venue marketing analysis and the project came to fruition years later is fantastic. I’m confident that the entire FEMBA team is proud of being associated with this superb project, and we wish them the very best of success.”

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 2022.

CSUSM Ranks First in the Nation in Social Mobility

CSUSM ranks first nationally out of more than 1,400 schools measured in the ninth annual Social Mobility Index (SMI) by the online publication CollegeNET. CSUSM had been included in the top 5% of the index for each of the previous seven years, but this is the first time that it has topped the list. Seven other California State University schools ranked in the top 20.  

Beloved K-9 Police Dog Retiring After 7 Years of Service

Armor, CSUSM’s K-9 police dog for nearly seven years, retired after commencement ceremonies in May, shortly before turning 11 years old. Armor continues to live with Sgt. David Angulo, along with the new campus K-9, Hans. “Armor has been here longer than some staff members,” Angulo said.

Stone Co-Founder, Wife Give $1 Million in Support of Social Mobility

Steve Wagner, the president and co-founder of Stone Brewing, and his wife, Laura, gave $1 million to CSUSM to establish funding to support social mobility, one of the core tenets of the university’s new strategic plan. Wagner is the chair of the CSUSM Foundation Board, and he and Laura are among the university’s most ardent community champions. 

Student's Short Film Wins Emmy Awards for Impactful Message

Salma Rodriguez had trouble choosing a topic for her final project for her audio and videography class. Rodriguez’s classmates wanted to do their final project on something lighthearted, but she had something different in mind. The result was “Border Line Fears,” which received three student programming honors at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter Emmy Awards. 

Outstanding Grad Setting Example of Success for Son

Krystal Alvarez-Hernandez became pregnant as a junior in high school. She’s familiar with the statistic that only 2% of teenage mothers go on to earn a bachelor’s degree before age 30. The odds were overwhelmingly against her doing so. Yet in May, Alvarez Hernandez not only graduated from CSUSM with a degree in psychology, but did so as the most decorated graduate in the entire Class of 2022.

Showing Resilience on Path to Trustees' Award

School didn’t come easy to Johnathan Rodney. Diagnosed with ADHD in first grade, he was told to take medication every day with little explanation about his diagnosis. “It kept me from thinking that I could do well in school,” Rodney said. But Rodney persevered, and his hard work led to being honored as the university’s 2022 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement recipient.

CSUSM Wins Top Diversity Award for Ninth Straight Year

CSUSM received the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, for the ninth straight year. The HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Alumna Boosts Accounting Program with First Gift to CSUSM

Annie Norviel is emulating the many people who showed her kindness and compassion on her journey, and is giving back to others. The 2008 accounting alumna and CSUSM Foundation Board director made her first gift to the university a big one – a $50,000 endowed scholarship that will support accounting majors during their time in the program.  

Business Student's Passion Leads to Becoming Entrepreneur

Sophia Lombardi discovered her love for sewing and entrepreneurship during the pandemic. Little did she know, this would change her trajectory of finding her career path, becoming the basis for Lombardi’s sustainably made swimsuits and the creation of her business, Amalfi Swiim.

Bright Ideas: Under Neufeldt, Spirit of Innovation Is Shining at CSUSM

Dreaming up and researching innovative concepts is nothing new at CSUSM. Since the arrival of President Ellen Neufeldt in 2019, however, the power and spirit of innovation has been harnessed like never before.  The clearest physical manifestation of innovation at CSUSM, of course, is the Innovation Hub, a 2,800-square-foot space on the ground floor of the Extended Learning Building that officially opened to the public this spring. 

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Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

President Ellen Neufeldt joined CoBA Dean Ronald Ramirez, accounting professor Richard Hwang and members of the Du family in an Aug. 10 ceremony in the classroom.

“The Du family has deep ties to our university, and I’m so grateful for their continued support of our campus,” Neufeldt told attendees.

Through their family-owned company DDH Enterprise, Inc., the Du family have been supporters of CoBA since 2005. As part of the Markstein Hall building campaign, the Markstein Hall 344 conference room was named after the family patriarch, Xuong Du. The family has also made contributions in support of the CoBA Business Professional Development program and the accounting department.

Two family members are alumni of CSUSM – Kevin Du, the son of DDH CEO David Du, graduated in 2014, and Kevin’s wife, Trisha, was part of the Class of 2021.

“I know the Du family believes strongly in educational opportunity and helping the community, and their values certainly align with ours at CSUSM,” Neufeldt said. 

“Student success has always been a part of who we have been at CSUSM. Now, with the recent launch of our new strategic plan, we are doubling down with an ambitious mission to magnify opportunities even more for our students. The Du family’s generosity and partnership with CSUSM is helping us advance that mission.”

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Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Glen Brodowsky, professor of marketing; Rebeca Perren, associate professor of marketing; and Camille Schuster, professor emerita of marketing, teamed up to edit “Handbook of Research on Ethnic and Intra-cultural Marketing,” released by Edward Elgar Publishing.

Featuring contributions from a diverse group of marketing scholars, the book investigates “how markets are becoming increasingly similar across countries while simultaneously becoming more diverse and heterogeneous within countries” and examines “how we might better understand and serve new generations of consumers from a variety of generational, ethnic, and religiously diverse market segments.”

Chapter topics include investigating how hip-hop’s move into the mainstream raises questions about authenticity and cultural appropriation, addressing the role played by religion in consumer behavior, and mapping the diverse and complex markets of Latin America and Asia.

Media Contact

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

It was the latest of many ties that bind the co-founder of one of the most successful companies in craft beer to the university in the city where Stone Brewing was born in 1996, only seven years after CSUSM itself. 

Every year, Wagner would mentor a student from the business school, and generally he would derive as much from the experience as the aspiring business person would. He has continued the practice to the present, and he goes out of his way to maintain contact with the mentees. Over the holidays last year, he invited the entire group out for lunch.  

“We enjoy keeping in touch because I like following their journey and I think they like using me as a sounding board for advice,” Wagner said. “For many, getting a college education and a college degree has had a profound effect on them, their families and their social and economic impact in the community. It’s amazing and moving.” 

The increasing resonance of social mobility with Wagner over time dovetails perfectly with its importance to CSUSM as one of the institutional pillars for President Ellen Neufeldt, a nationally regarded expert in social mobility. CSUSM’s newly launched institutional strategic plan places student success at the center of the campus’ mission, with a vision to be a national leader in student social mobility. That synchronicity has led to a deepening of the relationship between the university and Wagner, one of its most ardent community champions. 

Wagner, chair of CSUSM’s Foundation Board, and his wife, Laura, have given the university $1 million to establish the Stone Brewing Fund for Social Mobility, which will provide foundational funding to improve college access and success for students via avenues such as Student Affairs initiatives, college faculty mentorship programs and community outreach.  

“We are so impressed with the growth of CSUSM and what it has accomplished over the years, and we wanted to help out in any way that we could,” Wagner said. “The social mobility piece is important to us because one of the best ways to solve the inequity or inequality in our society these days is to help people who may not normally have access to a college education to be able to get there and succeed. And it’s not just success for them – it’s success for their families and, in CSUSM’s case, with 80% of graduates staying in the area, it’s success for our region and companies like ours, families like ours.” 

The Wagners structured their gift so that it’s both an endowment that supports long-term priorities and a discretionary fund that can be used by Neufeldt for immediate needs – needs, for example, that were exposed by the pandemic.  

“This gift is transformational for us, our students and our community – it’s a tremendous investment in our collective future,” Neufeldt said. “I am grateful to Steve and Laura for their immense generosity and confidence in the mission of CSUSM. We are excited to leverage their investment to support and further enable the success of our students in earning degrees, leading to social mobility and economic prosperity for our entire region.” 

Wagner has made a deep impression on Jessica Berger in her first year at CSUSM since being hired as vice president of University Advancement last summer. 

“To say that Steve leads by example would be an understatement,” Berger said. “His dedication to the success of our students today, through thoughtful mentorship and generous support, combined with his commitment to future generations of CSUSM students will have a lasting imprint. The magnitude of Steve’s gift underscores the tremendous impact that philanthropy will have in transforming lives.” 

Among the ways that the social mobility fund could be deployed in the short term are to enhance the critical financial stability for existing student programs, to expand success programs to serve more students, to develop a comprehensive data management and analysis process to track outcomes and student progress, and to create multiple success programs for underrepresented student populations. It also will support an experiential leadership conference and social mobility symposium. 

“We are truly excited about the establishment of the Stone Brewing Fund for Social Mobility,” said Gail Cole-Avent, CSUSM’s associate vice president of Student Life. “Within Student Life, our vision and work has focused on providing inclusive and high-impact programs that expose students to leadership development, mentorship opportunities and community connections. This investment will help us elevate those programs, which will have a positive impact on our students’ future success.” 

In many ways, Stone Brewing and CSUSM have grown up together as twin anchors of the North County region. Wagner saw the value of the local university almost from the day that he founded Stone with Greg Koch in a humble San Marcos industrial park, in the process launching a craft beer revolution. In the early years of the business, Wagner recalls, Stone would invite marketing professors to bring their classes to the brewery for a guest lecture by Koch (more the public face of the company) and a tour of the facility.  

Stone also undertook projects with CoBA’s Senior Experience program, enlisting business students to research possible expansion into Los Angeles; encouraged some of its employees to receive additional training through Extended Learning; and for more than a decade hosted on campus its annual anniversary beer festival, which raised funds for local nonprofit organizations.  

The Wagners have been donating to CSUSM for 17 years, but it wasn’t until Steve was invited to join the Foundation Board about a decade ago that they ramped up their philanthropy. One of their main areas of emphasis in giving is music, as they fund a music scholarship and School of Arts programming that focuses on underrepresented artists. That’s apt for Steve, given that he spent much of the 1980s as a working musician, playing bass for a Los Angeles-based band known as The Balancing Act, before he began the home brewing that led to the creation of Stone.  

Since taking over as Foundation Board chair last summer, Wagner has become even more involved in CSUSM’s annual Giving Day. Last Nov. 30, he and board director Nathaniel Keifer-Wheals funded 23 challenge gifts and bonuses, fueling a level of competition that helped the university break its Giving Day records by raising $457,193 in just 24 hours.  

“Giving Day has exceeded my wildest expectations with the way it has progressed so quickly,” Wagner said. “The university has done a great job of making it a really fun and competitive day, which drives the participation and the excitement.” 

In giving this latest donation, Steve and Laura Wagner are endorsing what they call the “incredible leadership” of Neufeldt, who has trumpeted social mobility as a core value since she arrived at CSUSM in 2019. Steve also is making a statement to would-be donors throughout the region, hoping to inspire them with the power of his example. 

“My friends have heard me talk about the university. They know that I’m passionate, and they know why I am,” he said. “I thought for a long time that CSUSM was a well-kept secret in our region, but that has really changed over the last 10 years or so. People are starting to understand the tremendous impact the university has, and I think it’s easier and easier to get people excited about it and hopefully to get people to contribute as well.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Last fall, a biotech startup came to him with an idea for a product that sounded to Luna like one of great timeliness and potential value: a face mask that, rather than passively protecting the user like the N95s we all have become accustomed to, would more actively guard against COVID-19 by dispensing a drug into the user’s system. Luna had done research on drug delivery vehicles on a microscopic scale, so he was the right person to determine for the company if their bright idea was feasible.  

During the fall 2021 semester, Luna applied for and received a CSUSM fellowship granting him a partial release from his teaching load to delve into the nitty-gritty of how a mask that’s essentially a self-contained nebulizer might operate, or whether it even could. In January, he began a two-year journey in which he is collaborating with student researchers to build prototypes and decipher thorny scientific puzzles. Depending on what he and the team discover, their research could serve as the launch point for a new device that could better protect people from diseases like COVID-19.  

“Some companies are trying to advance face masks through the technology route, like, ‘Let’s put a microphone in it, or a headphone,’ ” Luna said. “Well, we can also advance them through biotechnology. We can add something that protects you at the molecular level. I think getting this idea out there is something that could be great for humanity.” 

Dreaming up and researching innovative concepts is nothing new at CSUSM, of course. Since the arrival of President Ellen Neufeldt in 2019, however, the power and spirit of innovation at CSUSM has been harnessed like never before.  

“There are a lot of innovative things happening on campus, and there have been for a lot of years,” said Sam Clarke, a management professor and the founding faculty director of entrepreneurship, who handed off the role to business faculty colleague Mark Monahan this summer.  

“What the president has done is brought those to the forefront. We’ve seen them start to bubble up to the surface. Now it’s about: How can we leverage all these great things and, as a university, create a lot more value for those we interact with?” 

The clearest physical manifestation of innovation at CSUSM, of course, is the Innovation Hub, a 2,800-square-foot space on the ground floor of the Extended Learning Building that officially opened to the public this spring. Featuring movable tables and chairs, a giant video wall (composed of nine separate flat-screen TVs) and a makerspace with state-of-the-art equipment, the Innovation Hub is designed to host classes and public events and generally be just what its name suggests – the hub of all the innovative ideas springing up across campus.  

The Hub was built out thanks to a grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation in 2021, and the remainder of the $500,000 gift from the San Diego nonprofit this year is allowing CSUSM to bolster the larger innovation ecosystem surrounding the physical space. The main portion of the more recent donation is funding a program called the faculty innovation fellows. The inaugural cohort, which includes Luna, involves five faculty members (one from each of CSUSM’s four colleges, plus the university library) who were selected to lead an entrepreneurial project while also serving as an innovation ambassador to other faculty.  

Besides Luna’s face mask project, other areas of research for the fellows include mobile health clinics, climate science and social innovation. During their two-year tenure, each fellow is required to incorporate students and a community or industry partner into their work.  

“The idea of the Innovation Hub is that it is the nexus where faculty, students and industry all come together so that they can be creative,” said Scott Gross, CSUSM’s associate vice president of industry partnerships. “We know that each of the five fellows’ projects will help us realize our goal of that nexus of faculty, students and industry.” 

Working in concert with the faculty fellows at building on the culture of innovation at CSUSM are Clarke, the faculty director of entrepreneurship and Elinne Becket, a biology professor who was tapped last year to serve as faculty director of innovation. Both are ideal fits in their roles. Clarke is a management professor who specializes in entrepreneurship and has been involved in the founding of ventures in such fields as software, health benefits and consumer financing. Before joining academia in 2018, Becket was a scientist for an Orange County biotech, and at CSUSM she has helped prepare students for careers in the industry.  

Now, as faculty representatives to the Innovation Hub, both are applying their particular skills in different ways. Becket’s charge is to coax more ideas, technologies and patentable inventions out of classrooms and labs, and to support students and faculty who are interested in developing those things. Clarke’s objective is to take those ideas and provide an outlet through commercialization.   

“I always tell people, when you talk about starting a business, you have to have somebody who builds it and somebody who sells it,” Clarke said. “If you think about our roles, Elinne is looking at how we build stuff and I’m looking at how we sell stuff.” 

Said Becket: “My expertise has always been on the back end, and also in bringing people together. My goal is to interface with students, faculty and industry, to bring them together in innovative activities and get ideas germinating. With Sam, it’s a really complementary relationship with some overlap for sure, especially if it’s a pet project that I’m super excited about.” 

This spring, CSUSM hired Melvin Sen, a graduate student who’s pursuing a master’s degree in sociological practice, to serve as program specialist for the Innovation Hub and supplement the efforts of Clarke and Becket. Together with a student innovation team, the whole Hub group organized the inaugural CSUSM Startup Week in early May. The three-day event featured a seminar on such new technologies as cryptocurrency, blockchain and NFTs, as well as a student quick-pitch competition modeled after the popular reality show “Shark Tank.” The first edition of that contest, held last fall, produced a winner who has since started a company based on her idea.  

Beyond hosting events for the campus and the community (in April, for example, more than 100 entrepreneurs gathered in the Hub for a startup series held by Innovate 78, a partnership among various North County cities), Clarke envisions the Hub being open to students to use the makerspace to test and build on ideas first conjured in the classroom or lab, or even to serve as headquarters for student startups as they continue to get support and mentorship from the university.  

“It’s supposed to be flexible so that we can do as many things as we possibly can in the same space,” Clarke said. “The possibilities are really endless.” 

The current push for more innovation at CSUSM originated in 2018, when Charles De Leone, a longtime physics professor with a well-earned status as an innovative teacher and researcher on campus, was approached about the potential for a space devoted to innovation in the Extended Learning Building being built across Barham Drive.  

When Neufeldt came aboard in July 2019, the movement shifted into overdrive. During the early stages of her listening and learning tour, she met with De Leone and appointed him the original faculty director of innovation (the role he later ceded to Becket). Clarke was recruited as director of entrepreneurship. De Leone and Sharon Hamill, then the chair of the Academic Senate, convened a committee of faculty members that met almost weekly that fall and produced a report that would serve as the guiding document for innovation at CSUSM.  

“What it envisioned was an innovation ecosystem on our campus,” said De Leone, who’s now dean of the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. “This involved all the partners on our campus, and critically our community members, because the Innovation Hub should really act as a gateway by which our ideas can get out into the community and the community’s needs and ideas can get to us.” 

Critical to Neufeldt’s perspective on innovation is that it dovetails with her passion for, and CSUSM’s mission of, diversity and inclusion. Innovation should not be the dominion merely of science students in a lab, and entrepreneurship should not be the province merely of business students. Rather, both should be open to any student with an idea and the willingness to pursue it. And today’s students should be encouraged to try to devise innovative solutions to social dilemmas; for instance, the innovation challenge through the Hub this fall will be focused on housing insecurity. 

“The president brought a vision of how this could fundamentally alter our student’s view of themselves and what they’re capable of,” De Leone said. “She saw that when a student has an idea and they take charge of it and move it forward and make something happen with it, that gives them an incredibly powerful sense of agency that will likely stick with them for the rest of their lives.” 

Here’s a case in point. Close to two decades ago, De Leone had a physics student named Giancarlo Vallejo, a Peru native whose parents moved to the United States to give their children a better life. Like many CSUSM students, Vallejo’s road to a degree was circuitous and rutted with potholes. Between the start of his college career in 2001 and his graduation in 2018, he served six years in the Marines, slowly readjusted to civilian life, and spent some time working in Orange County. 

When Vallejo finally did graduate with a degree in biological sciences, he did so with an innovative spirit. In 2020, he founded a company, Proper Cell Biotechnologies, with a partial goal to research cures and vaccines related to COVID-19. It was his startup, in fact, that came to Luna last fall with the proposal for a mask that would dispense drugs to help ward off the disease.  

As Luna strives to determine whether he can help Vallejo turn his vision into reality, Luna is enlisting the service of several students who, as Luna and Vallejo were, are underrepresented minorities who might not be conditioned to think of themselves as innovative or entrepreneurial. 

“As first-generation students, they might be thinking, ‘What job can I even have?’ ” Luna said. “I want them to feel inspired, to shoot for the stars. I have this biotechnology class, and one of the exercises is to create your own company. I tell my students, ‘You can be the next person to create a startup.’  

“And with this mask, I tell them that this is something you can see. I love biology, but if it’s too molecular, sometimes it’s hard to see your result. With this, you can create something and you can actually hold it. That gets them really excited.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

But it’s safe to say Reese never once imagined that all those hours spent outdoors would lead to what has become his passion.

“I remember there was one farm still in my neighborhood growing up that had cows and little sheep and chickens,” Reese said, “but I never thought I was going to be farming growing up. It just kind of happened after I was 30.”

Today, Reese is a regenerative farmer working to fight injustices in the food system by growing healthy produce for people who otherwise might not have access.

Reese is a co-founder of Encinitas-based nonprofit Sea + Soil, which aims to “reconnect and regenerate ecosystems and community.” Among the programs under the Sea + Soil umbrella is 1000 Tiny Farms, which Reese pioneered to help explore how small patches of land could have a positive social, environmental and economic impact.

“We focus a lot on the nutrient density and nutritional value of the produce,” Reese said. “If we can grow food without a need for heavy chemical inputs, then the soil will be better, therefore the plants are better, therefore the humans are better. It's kind of like a slogan that many people have probably heard before – food as medicine.”

Reese’s interest in healthy food began while he was working at Stone Brewing in Escondido. He ate a salad there that proved life-changing.

“I never felt so good after eating a salad,” he said. “It was noticeably energizing. And they sourced from a local farm in Escondido at the time. It was just so fresh. When I played soccer at Cal State San Marcos, I noticed that when I was eating fresher vegetables, I just felt good and I had more energy. Before that it was mostly meat and carbs. When I started incorporating fresh veggies, it was a game-changer.”

Contributing to the greater good is part of Reese’s DNA, and he spent time working in solar energy and water reclamation before focusing his efforts on farming. He worked with the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, which helps “build a global community conscious of ecological farming and sustainability practices.”

While some may be surprised to learn that Reese earned his degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing, he says his CSUSM education plays a role in his work every day, from manufacturing to distribution to marketing. In fact, Reese hopes to partner with his alma mater on many aspects of farming. He has thriving farms in Cardiff and Valley Center that can always use volunteers to assist with the physical aspects, but he said there also is a need for expertise with the scientific aspects of farming, including soil testing, identifying biological organisms in the soil, plant tissue analysis, and more.

“I think it’s important to know where your food comes from,” Reese said. “Don’t be fooled by labeling. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors, and it helps to know where your food comes from.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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