Individuals can enjoy free food and music while networking in a relaxed, informal setting with local industry partners, CSTEM faculty and military-connected students.

CSUSM represents the highest per capita concentration of student veterans in the CSU system, housing nearly 500 veterans and serving more than 1,800 military-connected students who make up 11% of the university’s student body.

CSUSM also earned the 2026-2027 Military Friendly School designation, receiving a Gold Award for its work on behalf of military-connected students and their families.

Media Contact

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

CSUSM Giving Day is for everyone who loves CSUSM to join together in support of the university and maximize their impact through a matching gift for 24 hours, from midnight-11:59 p.m.

Last year’s Giving Day raised $828,397 from 2,444 gifts in just 24 hours. The total raised was $80,000 more than the record set in the previous year.

Every gift impacts the students as they strive toward their goal of a CSUSM degree. The more support from alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends, the more students' lives are changed and impacted.

Every gift counts toward the university’s “Blueprint for the Future” fundraising campaign, the largest in CSUSM’s history.

Find more information on the Giving Day FAQ webpage.

Media Contact

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

The event will feature a formal ceremony, a moderated student veteran panel and Q&A, and a catered reception. It is open to all CSUSM students, faculty, staff and community members.

CSUSM represents the highest per capita concentration of student veterans in the CSU system, housing nearly 500 veterans and serving more than 1,800 military-connected students who make up 11% of the university’s student body.

CSUSM also earned the 2026-2027 Military Friendly School designation, receiving a Gold Award for its work on behalf of military-connected students and their families.

Media Contact

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

Patel, who represents the 76th Assembly District that includes San Marcos, presented a $1 million check to ASI during an event on campus Thursday. CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt was in attendance, along with multiple ASI leaders.

The ASI Cougar Pantry provides CSUSM students experiencing food insecurity with access to nutritious food and other essential resources. The state investment will help strengthen the pantry’s infrastructure, expand its capacity and allow it to better meet the needs of students across the campus community.

“Cal State San Marcos students are working hard to build their futures, and hunger should never stand in the way of that,” Patel said. “The ASI Cougar Pantry is a lifeline for students who may be balancing classes, work, rising living costs and other responsibilities. As chair of the Assembly Education Committee, I’m proud to support this investment right here in our community so more students have the resources and stability they need to stay focused, succeed and reach graduation.”

The $1 million in funding will add capacity to the pantry, which has seen higher traffic since the August opening of Black Oak Hall, an affordable student housing project that added 555 new beds to the campus footprint. The money will improve critical back-of-house infrastructure, including commercial refrigeration and freezer systems, food storage and handling equipment, shelving, operational equipment, and essential supplies needed to safely receive, store and distribute a greater volume and variety of food.

The ASI Cougar Pantry serves more than 300 students per day and distributes more than 11,000 pounds of food per week.

“As a second-year student at CSUSM, visiting the ASI Cougar Pantry has been something I have looked forward to every week since my very first week on campus,” said Tristan Bugnot, ASI president. “Not only have I personally experienced the relief of knowing where my next meal will come from, but I have also been able to focus on what matters most: being a student. Now, as president, having the opportunity to volunteer at the pantry has given me an even greater appreciation for the dedication, compassion and hard work that our ASI Cougar Pantry team puts in every single day to support our students.

“This incredible $1 million donation is more than just a financial contribution; it is an investment in our students, their futures and their ability to succeed.”

In response to a survey showing that more than half of CSUSM students faced food insecurity, ASI passed a resolution 10 years ago in support of creating a food pantry on campus. Weekly food distribution began in 2017, followed the next year by the opening of a physical space.

Since 2017, the ASI Cougar Pantry has supplied free fresh produce, pantry staples and essential groceries to students on a weekly basis through its main pantry, and more recently through additional satellite refrigerators across campus.

“Our ASI Cougar Pantry is a critical link in our students’ pathway to achieving social mobility; we know that students cannot thrive academically when their basic needs are unmet,” said Annie Macias, ASI’s executive director. “By serving so many students each day, the Cougar Pantry provides the nourishment, stability and dignity they need to stay focused on their education and build a brighter future.”

CSUSM beat five other nominees, including San Diego Community College District, San Diego State and three private developers.

Black Oak Hall and Kwíila Dining opened in August. The seven-story Black Oak Hall features 555 beds – 390 of which are considered affordable thanks to funding from the Higher Education Student Housing Grant program established by Senate Bill 169. Just steps away, the 10,000-square-foot Kwíila Dining serves a variety of locally sourced foods and allows students to foster connection outside of class.

Circulate Planning & Policy celebrated the winners of the 2026 Momentum Awards on Oct. 23 at NOVA SD in downtown San Diego. The annual awards celebrate leaders and projects advancing safer streets, public transit and sustainable growth across San Diego and California.

Media Contact

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

Huerta, best known as the co-founder of the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s, inspired generations of CSUSM students, faculty and staff with her passionate advocacy for the rights and dignity of migrant laborers and all immigrants.

“Dolores Huerta’s contributions remind us that the farmworker movement was built through the courage, sacrifice and collective action of countless individuals and families,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “Farmworkers helped shape California’s economy and our understanding of civil rights, and their legacy remains deeply connected to Cal State San Marcos and the communities we serve.”

It was Huerta who coined the phrase “Si se puede,” which translates to “Yes, we can” and used to occupy a prominent place on the stairs leading to the plaza outside the University Student Union. The saying has become an indelible one for countless CSUSM students, more than half of whom are the first in their families to graduate from college.

Huerta visited CSUSM at least three times during her life: in 1997 for the dedication of the former Chavez Plaza, in 2006 for a speech to students about civil rights and in 2015 for an Arts and Lectures presentation about fighting for social justice in a global economy. The last of those visits attracted about 1,000 people and was organized by sociology professor Xuan Santos.

To honor Huerta and her influence on the campus, CSUSM in 2020 named after her the Extended Learning Building office of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which helps students from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds succeed in a university setting. The recognition took the physical form of a brushed aluminum plaque calling Huerta a “human rights activist,” featuring a photo of her on one of her campus visits and proclaiming that “because of Ms. Huerta’s advocacy, numerous California laws have aimed to improve the working conditions of farmworkers, affording rights and protections to immigrants.”

CSUSM also contributed to a memory book that the California State University gave to Huerta as part of a larger systemwide tribute.

“As an undergraduate at Cal State Northridge in the 1970s, I was encouraged by Dolores Huerta, who was emblematic of the civil rights struggles of the day,” Minerva Gonzalez, the longtime director of CAMP at CSUSM, said after the dedication in 2020. “She inspired me and countless college students to be involved in the farmworker movement. The historical impact of her efforts helped to create CAMP and is ever present in its programming. CAMP students are taught about their cultural legacy and understand the importance of having a voice and creating a CAMP family to support one another.

“Dolores Huerta will always be front and center of what we do.”

A year after the CAMP dedication, Huerta was further honored when Ann Hunter-Welborn, a staunch supporter of CSUSM since its founding, and her husband, David Welborn, donated $26,000 to the university to establish the Dolores Huerta endowed scholarship. Each year, one CAMP student receives a $1,000 scholarship to assist them in their education.

Huerta led strikes and boycotts in the 1960s and ’70s that unionized many California table-grape growers. In the process, she changed laws and the lives of thousands of migrant laborers while also being arrested 22 times. She was an ally of leaders like former California Gov. Jerry Brown, former New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and President Barack Obama, who awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, in 2012.

“Dolores Huerta was an inspirational human being and woman,” CSUSM history professor Carmen Nava said. “She loved students; she gave of herself by loving other people, and it came across when you talked with her. She was not about self-aggrandizement, about being famous or wearing fancy clothes – she was about making connections and helping other people.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, communications specialist

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

CSUSM invites all members of the campus community to participate in the following events.

Native Night by the Nest: Celebrating One Year of Community

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6-8 p.m., USU Ballroom

Kick off Native American Heritage Month and experience Native art, music and food as the American Indian Student Center celebrates its first anniversary. The event will include a welcome and blessing, mural presentation, bird singing, shared community meal, bracelet making, photo booth and giveaways.

Veterans Day: Tukwut Talks With Chris Devers

Tuesday, Nov. 10, noon-1 p.m., American Indian Student Center (USU 3400B)

Screening of ‘Maara’yam: The Yuhaaviatam Story’

Thursday, Nov. 12, 6-8 p.m., USU Ballroom

Join a viewing of this documentary, which tells the story of the Maara'yam (Serrano) people of Southern California.

Tukwut Talks With Chris Eyre

Thursday, Dec. 3, noon-1 p.m., American Indian Student Center (USU 3400B)

Join a talk with the Native film director and producer, whose work includes the TV show “Dark Winds.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, assistant director of editorial and external affairs

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

Born in Cupertino, the very heart of Silicon Valley, to a father who worked for a global electronics giant, he was a software wizard by his teenage years, to the extent that he taught teachers in high school how to use technology. By his freshman year at Cal State San Marcos, his programming skills were so strong that he was serving as a teaching assistant for computer science courses that he hadn’t even taken yet.

When van de Ven secured a job fresh out of college with Calsense, a Carlsbad company that produces smart irrigation products, he was motivated more by software than sustainability. He derived significant satisfaction from seeing customers use devices that he had helped design and build.

Not until he had worked at Calsense for several years did van de Ven experience his eureka moment. He knew computer science and computer engineering like the back of his hand. What he didn’t know as much about was water.

“I had an epiphany that we save billions of gallons of water every year, and it completely changed my whole mindset in terms of what we do and why we do it,” van de Ven said. “All of the sudden, I don’t just get pride from people using the product. Now I get pride that we are helping to conserve this incredibly precious resource.”

That epiphany played a sizable role in transforming a career into something more like a calling. After more than a decade as an engineer for Calsense, van de Ven was elevated to president in 2016 and CEO in 2020. After another decade leading the company during a period of substantial growth, this past spring he chose to make the transition to becoming chair of its board of directors and chief technology officer. While he now ensures that Calsense remains on the cutting edge of innovation, two external hires he brought on last year will guide the day-to-day operations of the business.

Calsense, which was founded amid a drought 40 years ago and remains in its original office space in a Carlsbad business park, sells irrigation equipment, with its niche in the municipal and industrial space. Its customers include cities like San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Irvine, Long Beach and San Ramon; universities such as CSUSM, San Diego State and the University of Texas at Austin; and theme parks like SeaWorld San Diego, Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Farther afield, it even manages landscaping for the National Mall in Washington, Yellowstone National Park and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

“It’s really exciting to see the breadth of customers that we have,” van de Ven said.

Though Calsense measures its clients in the hundreds, the company’s environmental impact is nonetheless massive, with annual savings of billions of gallons of water. Calsense has worked with CSUSM since 2006, two years after van de Ven graduated from the university, and it helps the university save between 30 and 50 million gallons of water per year.

How does Calsense accomplish this? It has a few dozen controllers spread across CSUSM’s campus, and each day they send alerts regarding any issues to be addressed, such as leaks or power outages. The system also is weather-based, meaning that the controllers receive information from online forecasts and their own sensors, and adjust the watering schedule accordingly.

“I’m psyched about not just what we’ve done, but also where we’re going,” van de Ven said. “We have a lot of new, exciting things we’re working on, including re-envisioning the user experience for how people engage with the products.”

As befits his background and skills, van de Ven set out as a computer science student at CSUSM, but he switched his major to business soon after taking a class taught by David Bennett, a highly successful corporate executive who turned to teaching later in life. Bennett educated van de Ven on the tenets of leadership – how to be someone who people want to follow – and also inspired him to think about how, as his career unfolded, to seek to give back to others.

Van de Ven heeded that guidance in a major way. He has forged extensive ties to CSUSM’s College of Business Administration, from serving as a guest speaker in the In the Executive’s Chair and MBA Meet the Leaders program to assisting with CoBA outreach and supporting the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building (CLIMB).

“A.J. is passionate about his alma mater, especially CoBA,” said Raj Pillai, the executive director of CLIMB. “It is particularly gratifying to see it come back full circle: When he was a student, he took the In the Executive’s Chair class, and now he is inspiring the next generation of students. He is a wonderful role model for our future alumni.”

Van de Ven’s mentorship of students extends beyond the classroom. Almost a decade ago, he launched an internship program to bolster Calsense’s marketing efforts, and since then he has hired several CSUSM interns who went on to become full-time employees.

The most notable of them is Julia Teske, who started as an intern in August 2018, graduated from CSUSM with a degree in environmental studies that December, then remained with the company on a full-time basis as a marketing associate. Eight years later, Teske has been promoted four times, and her current title (as of February) is product manager. She’s also pursuing an executive MBA degree from a university in Minnesota.

“Really, where I’m at is because of A.J. taking a chance on me when I was still in school, and then as I stayed with the company, giving me more and more opportunities that pushed me out of my comfort zone without throwing me to the wolves,” Teske said. “It has been this beautiful balance of believing in me and pushing me just enough. He’s been such a foundation for my career arc so far.”

A novel way that van de Ven establishes connections with Calsense’s 33 employees is through his personal passion for Legos. He dabbled in the bricks as a child, but it became an obsession soon after he bought his first home, in San Marcos, about 20 years ago. His collection started with a series of Christmas-themed sets and grew exponentially from there.

It now stands at an astonishing 1.2 million bricks. The Legos occupy an entire room in his house – he lives in Olivenhain these days – featuring hundreds of tackle boxes for organization, life-sized bricks as décor and a sprawling stand-up desk for assembly. He has passed the love down to his two children – Lauren, 13, and Landon, 9 – and he believes that the shared hobby has deepened their bond considerably.

Collecting Legos also helps van de Ven manage his ADHD effectively without relying on medication.

“Growing up, I realized that the thing that grounded me the best when I got overly symptomatic was organizing,” he said. “And I discovered that not just the act of building Legos but taking them apart and sorting them by color and piece completely calmed me within minutes.”

To that end, van de Ven stores Lego sets under the desk of his office to bring out when the stress of his job feels overwhelming. Those are in addition to the four large, brightly colored luxury Lego cars on display in his office, the Lego painting on his wall and the Calsense logo (made of Legos, of course) on a bookshelf that was a gift from a CSUSM Senior Experience team that worked with the company following a logo redesign.

So when Calsense hires a new worker, what better way to welcome them than with a Lego set customized to their interests?

“We want to get to know our new hires on a personal level because we feel that that will help them be more effective,” van de Ven said. “It can be hard to break the ice with team members, and Legos are a really cool way to get the conversation started.”

If you’re wondering, yes, it is a personal pain point for van de Ven that Legoland California in Carlsbad – Calsense’s backyard – is not a client of the company. But that also helps explain why Calsense is so successful. Legoland values its longtime irrigation system in the same way that Calsense’s loyal customers value theirs.

In the end, van de Ven and his clients are all striving for the same objective – to borrow a Calsense marketing slogan, they want smart solutions for a thirsty world.

“Our industry isn’t sexy,” he said. “It’s not AI, it’s not robotics, it’s not solar-powered vehicles. But those industries consume. We save.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, communications specialist

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

The event is Oct. 27 from 4-7 p.m. at Forum Plaza. It will include a keynote speaker, survivor testimonies and poetry while also creating a space for social change.

The event will conclude with a candlelight vigil in honor of those harmed due to dating and domestic violence.

Learn more at CSUSM’s Survivor Advocacy Services webpage.

Media Contact

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

Cal State San Marcos' Arts and Lectures series is hosting a one-person play, “Pride: Mortal BEINGS part 1,” written and performed by Terrell Donnell Sledge, a San Diego actor, writer, director, advocate, empowerment coach and CSUSM theater lecturer.

The story is about the fall of Lucifer, told from Lucifer’s perspective, examining questions about free will, loyalty, forgiveness and redemption.

The event is Nov. 17 from 6-8 p.m. in Arts Building 111. It is free for CSUSM students. Tickets cost $5 for faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for community members.

Visit the webpage for tickets.

Media Contact

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

Cal State San Marcos’ Arts and Lecture series will host a discussion about the making of the Disney live-action film “Moana” through the perspectives of the Oceanic Cultural Trust, which is a group created by the film company to serve as cultural consultants on Oceanic language and performing arts.

CSUSM faculty member Grant Muagutui’a was the lead cultural consultant for the film. He and others involved in the making of the film will discuss their contributions to the movie. 

Members of the Oceanic Cultural Trust and actors from the film will engage attendees with behind-the-scenes stories and live-action musical and dance performances exclusively for CSUSM. 

The event is Nov. 16 from 6-8 p.m. in the USU Ballroom. It is free for CSUSM students. Tickets cost $5 for faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for community members. 

Visit the webpage for tickets. 

Media Contact

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

They used poetry and other types of creative writing as a way to help restore the voices of a couple dozen incarcerated women who had experienced trauma and hopelessness. They called the organization Poetic Justice.

In the dozen years since, Poetic Justice has expanded to several other states – including California, where it has a large presence – as well as Mexico. Last year, it served almost 900 people in women’s prisons, jails and juvenile facilities.

Now, one of Poetic Justice’s signature initiatives has come to Cal State San Marcos.

This semester, the twice-annual Context Exhibit Series on the third floor of Kellogg Library is a display titled “Voices on the Inside.” It’s a series of photographs – many of them outsized – in which women incarcerated in state prisons have been given a chance to direct their own self-portrait in collaboration with Lisa Loftus, a photographer for Poetic Justice. The portraits are inspired by a poem that the women wrote, giving them agency over their narratives.

“The Context Exhibit Series is a space for us to uplift and showcase our communities, specifically focusing on communities that do not have the spaces or platforms to do so,” said Irma Ramos Arreaga, CSUSM’s outreach and inclusion librarian. "I hope our students, staff and faculty are able to walk through the exhibit and learn from all the powerful voices showcased in the exhibition this semester."

On Thursday, the library will host two events in conjunction with Voices on the Inside. At noon in the second-floor Makery, there will be a workshop and discussion exploring the use of poetry and photography as a form of rehabilitation and healing. Then, at 5 p.m., a guided gallery walk-through will take place on the third floor, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A on the fifth-floor Kellogg Reading Room.

The panel will feature Poetic Justice leaders and six women (some included in the exhibit) who experienced the carceral system before being paroled.

Both the workshop and the panel require an RSVP.

Voices on the Inside is the brainchild of Loftus, a fashion photographer who started with Poetic Justice as a volunteer writing partner, and Katie Turner, the director of the organization’s California program since 2019. During the pandemic, Turner and Loftus would daydream about creating an annual opportunity for people in women’s prisons across the country, and in the Tijuana program, to collaborate with Loftus and the nonprofit’s poetry facilitators to develop self-portrait photos and poems.

“It was important to those first participants that their individual voices be heard through their poetry and that the outsized proportionality of their photographs represent the outsized problem of mass incarceration,” Turner said.

Four years ago, Turner applied for and received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to show Voices on the Inside for the first time. It debuted at San Diego’s downtown library before being shown at San Diego State. The exhibit came to CSUSM thanks to a friendship between Loftus and CSUSM sociology lecturer Mary Roche, who connected Loftus with Arreaga.

Asked what Voices on the Inside means to her, Turner borrowed the words of one of the exhibit’s participants, who was found eligible for parole after 18 years (after being incarcerated since she was 17) due largely to her rehabilitative efforts with organizations like Poetic Justice.

As the woman said: “I believe that the outside community has been allowed to forget the incarcerated population because they are not faced with our faces or our stories. They are able to dehumanize us and look at us as numbers or a bunch of criminals with nothing to offer.

“For me, Voices on the Inside is a way to stand apart from that misconception and to show the world that I have a voice, I have hope and I have the power to change the world. At the exhibit, people who have an open mind or an interest or curiosity will be exposed to these pieces, and I believe that once they see us, they can’t unsee us. That alone will change their perception, and then everyone they talk to about us will create a domino effect that could tumble into Sacramento’s legislative door.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, communications specialist

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

A message will be sent at 10:10 a.m. advising the campus community to “drop, cover and hold on.” The drill will be broadcast via outdoor speakers, digital signage, text and email.

The ShakeOut is a chance to learn how to protect yourself and prepare your workspace and home for potential earthquake hazards. The goal is to prevent a major earthquake from becoming a catastrophe for individuals.

Individuals in an office or classroom are advised to “drop, cover and hold on” under any available large object that will provide protection from falling debris.

Campus community members are encouraged to participate wherever they are on campus at that time. Post a photo with #CSUSMShakes to be entered into a drawing for a CSUSM gift card.

Media Contact

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

Those who choose to enter the opportunity drawing will have a chance to win a $25 gift card or the grand prize of an iPad.

The data collected from the CSU AI Survey will guide institutional research and contribute to the development of resources and policies. 

To participate in the survey, click the link. The deadline to participate is Oct. 19

Media Contact

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

Employees can submit their office’s intent to participate by Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. Entrants can decorate their department’s main door while ensuring that accessibility isn’t hindered by the display and avoiding open flames or pyrotechnics.

Judging will begin on Oct. 30 at 9 a.m. Entries will be judged based on craftsmanship, theme, creativity and visual impressions.

Register your office’s participation here today.

For more information about the contest, visit the website.

Media Contact

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

Upcoming civic engagement events include:

• Oct. 7: National Voter Education Week Ballot Prep Party, noon-2 p.m., USU 2310 meeting rooms
• Oct. 13: Voter registration tabling, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Kellogg Plaza
• Oct. 20: Voter registration tabling, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Kellogg Plaza
• Oct. 27: Voter registration tabling, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., USU Arcade

The Department of Civic Engagement provides opportunities for students to develop civic knowledge and participate in democratic engagement. Students gain confidence through initiatives such as Democracy in Action, Speaking of Democracy, days of service, voter engagement and the Town Hall Meeting.

Visit the Department of Civic Engagement website to learn more.

Media Contact

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

The award honors faculty members, including lecturers, who have mentored a considerable number of students and influenced the environment of the department, college, or university to increase the number and diversity of students engaged in research and creative activities.

Nominations may be submitted by faculty, staff, students, or community partners. Self-nominations are also welcome.

To submit a nomination, submit a letter describing how the nominee represents the intent of the award, such as scholarship, community building and mentoring effectiveness.

The nomination letter should be sent via email to ogsr@csusm.edu. Include the nominee’s name and the award title in the subject line.

Nomination letters are due by 5 p.m. on Oct. 22.

Media Contact

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

The free program is available to CSUSM students enrolled in classes at any of these locations: San Marcos, Temecula, or CSUSM at Southwestern College in Chula Vista. It's intended only for academic purposes, such as classes, labs and research projects.

Through the program, approved students can use the dedicated pedestrian lanes at three major ports of entry, making their daily commutes more predictable during the school year.

To qualify for CAP, students must meet all the following criteria: 

• Be currently enrolled at CSUSM, including through CSUSM at Southwestern College.
• Have verified enrollment for the academic year in which they are traveling (approval lasts 12 months, so students need to renew their information with CAP each year).
• Be crossing the border specifically for academic purposes, including in-person classes, research or service projects.
• Carry valid, up-to-date travel and immigration documents.

CBP determines eligibility and approval; CSUSM does not influence the process, and CAP participation is not guaranteed. 

To learn more about the program, visit the CAP website. 

Media Contact

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

CSUSM was ranked No. 20 overall in “Regional Universities (West),” a three-spot improvement over its position last year. The university is No. 11 in “Top Public Schools - Regional Universities (West),” two spots higher than last year.

CSUSM also landed in the top 10 in “Top Performers in Social Mobility - Regional Universities (West),” coming in at No. 8 and climbing eight spots. CSUSM is proud to be a national leader in social mobility, ensuring that students have opportunities that transform their lives and the lives of their families and communities.

Another improvement came in the category of “Best Value Schools - Regional Universities (West)” (up 13 spots to No. 27).

In a category that’s new to the rankings this year, CSUSM placed No. 6 in “Best Value Schools for In-State Students - Regional Universities (West).”

In other category rankings, CSUSM was:

• tied for No. 82 in “Undergraduate Engineering Programs (No Doctorate)”
• tied for No. 195 in “Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs (No Doctorate)”
• tied for No. 255 in “Undergraduate Psychology Programs”
• tied for No. 276 in “Undergraduate Computer Science Programs”
• tied for No. 390 in “Undergraduate Business Programs” 

In rankings released earlier this month, CSUSM was 64th in the nation out of more than 1,500 colleges in Washington Monthly’s “2026 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars,” up from a No. 73 ranking last year.

And last month, CSUSM placed 31st in the country in SmartAsset’s 2026 study of America’s Best Value Public Universities.

Media Contact

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

As President Ellen Neufeldt explained, however, there was a good reason for the break. She effectively took Report to the Community off campus for a road show last year.

Neufeldt and other university officials traveled to Chula Vista for a leadership listening session. They drove north to Temecula for a community breakfast to talk about CSUSM’s growth in Southwest Riverside County.

Perhaps most significantly, they ventured to nearby Carlsbad for the official launch of the university’s second comprehensive fundraising campaign, the $200 million “Blueprint for the Future.”

On Thursday, though, Report to the Community was back on familiar ground – at the Sports Center, where more than 350 business, education, government and nonprofit leaders from North County and beyond gathered to hear Neufeldt’s annual address, her eighth since being hired as CSUSM’s president in 2019.

There was much to discuss. Last month, CSUSM kicked off the academic year with about 17,600 students, the most in its 36-year history. Those students were greeted by the new sight of the university’s fourth housing facility, Black Oak Hall, and its second dining facility, Kwiila Dining.

Even more physical transformation is on the horizon. Looming at the top of campus is the construction of Hunter Hall of Science and Engineering, which will open next fall. And across Barham Drive in North City, work continues on Discovery Hall and Wellness Center, which will add 900 beds to CSUSM’s rapidly growing housing inventory while giving the university its first dedicated space for recreation and wellness.

“As I begin my eighth year as president, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting,” Neufeldt said, adding that she recently stayed up one night with her dog, Bailey, to watch past editions of Report to the Community.

“As I looked back, something became clear: The Power of Us is a powerful thing. It was amazing to see all that we’ve planned together come to life.”

Neufeldt proceeded to spotlight some of the ways that the Power of CSUSM, the name of CSUSM’s strategic plan (launched in 2022), is manifesting itself four years later.

As part of its extensive support of military-supported students, CSUSM has launched a Veteran to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) pathway that allows military expertise and training to translate into transferable credits. The university next plans to bring programs onto bases at Camp Pendleton and Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

When Hunter Hall opens next year, CSUSM will become the only public university in the region to offer majors in industrial and systems engineering, supported by a $3 million federal grant that Neufeldt announced during her speech.

Meanwhile, the Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast Track (SWIFT) Health Programs, born of a $10 million gift from Price Philanthropies, began its second year with a 97% retention rate in its initial cohort. The accelerated degree program was designed to help students earn bachelor’s degrees in three years and address surging regional demand for mental health services.

All of this fits into a larger narrative of CSUSM striving to be a national leader in social mobility under Neufeldt. Toward that end, last fall the university ranked No. 1 in the Social Mobility Index from CollegeNET (out of more than 1,400 schools) for the second time in three years. And CSUSM recently launched the CSU National Center for Social Mobility on campus.

“These examples all come together in what we’ve been working toward as a community: serving our students and meeting the needs of our region,” Neufeldt said. “The focus has always been on the social mobility of our students. We’ve never lost sight of that.”

In other highlights from Neufeldt’s speech:

• Just one year after its kickoff, the “Blueprint for the Future” campaign already has raised $178 million, putting CSUSM 89% of the way toward its goal.
• Neufeldt presented a special challenge coin display (a nod to the coins that are given to parents of new students at the start of the school year) to San Marcos’ outgoing mayor, Rebecca Jones, who received the first CSUSM Community Partner of the Year Award on behalf of the city during Neufeldt’s first Report to the Community in 2020.
• In the last few years, CSUSM has more than doubled its number of memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreements with school districts for guaranteed admission to 27. Those MOUs also extend to tribal nations, including one signed last week with the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians.
• Associated Students, Inc., has secured a $1 million state grant with the help of Assemblymember Darshana Patel to expand the ASI Cougar Pantry, which assists students struggling with food insecurity.
• CSUSM has started three other new academic programs: a master’s in clinical counseling, a doctorate in nursing practice (its first stand-alone doctorate) and a bachelor’s in clinical laboratory science. Neufeldt said two other doctorate programs are in the works.

Before Neufeldt’s speech, Patricia Prado-Olmos, CSUSM’s chief community engagement officer, presented the Community Partner of the Year Award to Mark Sanchez, superintendent and president of Southwestern College. Sanchez was honored for his role in forging a partnership through which CSUSM brings bachelor’s degree programs directly to students in the Chula Vista area, while Southwestern provides classroom and office space at no cost and collaborates with CSUSM on student recruitment.

After handing out the award, Prado-Olmos got a surprise with the announcement that the honor will now be called the Dr. Patricia Prado-Olmos Community Partner of the Year Award. Prado-Olmos revealed in May that she will be retiring at the end of the current academic year.

Another award annually bestowed at Report to the Community is the Fran Aleshire Leadership Award, which goes to an outstanding alumnus of the Leadership North County program founded by Aleshire in the 1980s. Cathy Baur, CSUSM’s former vice president of University Advancement and the 2024 recipient of the award, gave the honor to Rosemary Eshelman, who has served North County students, families and communities for more than two decades through the Carlsbad Unified School District and Carlsbad Youth Enrichment Services.

The emcee of the event was Brett Ringler, assistant vice president of clinic operations and medicine specialties for Scripps Health, vice chair of the CSUSM University Council and an executive in residence in the College of Business Administration.

Report to the Community is hosted each year by University Council, a citizen advisory board consisting of community leaders interested in the development and welfare of the university. 

North City served as the presidential sponsor of Report to the Community. The signature sponsors were the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, Lifeline Community Services, Pechanga Resort Casino and TrueCare.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, communications specialist

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

Frank is a goldendoodle who’s the university’s first therapy and facility dog. Frank partners with students, faculty, staff and campus programs to create meaningful moments of connection – whether supporting mindfulness practices, helping students navigate stressful moments, visiting classrooms and campus events, or simply providing a welcoming place to pause and reset.

Frank is available on Mondays from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in front of Kellogg Library, on Tuesdays from noon- 1 p.m. at the Veterans Center and Thursdays from 11: 45 a.m.-1 p.m. on the third floor of the library.

He is here for you to de-stress, so come visit him when you need a boost, have an exam or are just dealing with the stressors of life.

You can learn more about Frank at the Mindful CSUSM website or follow him on Instagram and TikTok.

Media Contact

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

The recognition reflects a lifetime of service and leadership shaped by Epstein’s own military experience and his dedication to creating opportunities for those who have served.

At CSUSM, Epstein’s support for veterans has been transformational. During the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, which ended in 2018, the Epstein Family Foundation made a $1 million gift to expand the Veterans Center, now the Epstein Family Veterans Center. With one in nine CSUSM students being military-connected, it has since become a home base for thousands of students, providing academic support, career resources and community.

“Dan Epstein’s commitment to veterans is deeply woven into the fabric of CSUSM,” President Ellen Neufeldt said. “What distinguishes Dan is the way he leads with humility, compassion and a genuine belief in others. His generosity has created opportunities for military-connected students, while his time, perspective and leadership have strengthened CSUSM’s connection to the military community. We are grateful for his partnership and the lasting difference he has made for our students and our region.”

Epstein’s involvement with CSUSM extends well beyond philanthropy. As a member of the CSUSM Foundation Board and the President’s Military Advisory Council, he works alongside university leaders and community partners to expand educational access for those who have served.

He has advocated for meeting military-connected students where they are, whether through programs offered on military installations, accelerated pathways that recognize military training and experience, or innovative approaches that make higher education more accessible and relevant to the realities of military life.

Epstein and his wife, Phyllis, also established a $10 million matching gift challenge during CSUSM's current Blueprint for the Future campaign. The match drew additional giving from across the university, expanding support for students including recipients of the SDMAC Foundation Veteran Merit Scholarship.

For Epstein, the cause is personal. He often has said that helping veterans complete their education and transition to civilian life is among the most meaningful ways he can give back.

The award also connects Epstein to another longtime CSUSM advocate for veterans. Maj. Gen. Tony Jackson, a former chair of the CSUSM Foundation Board, received the SDMAC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. Together, the two recognitions reflect CSUSM’s longstanding connection to San Diego’s military community and its commitment to supporting veterans and military families.

SWIFT’s mission is to develop a new generation of mental and behavioral health professionals by offering expedited bachelor's degrees that prioritize dual enrollment, community service and practical experience. 

SWIFT’s accomplishments include:

• successfully completing its first year with an 89% retention rate, as 33 of 37 students are continuing in the program;
• the three-year accelerated program receiving 131 applications, representing a 162% increase from last year;
• successfully hosting the CSUSM REP4 Summit this summer, bringing together SWIFT and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) students for an engaging experience focused on connection, learning and community.

Media Contact

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

Through the Mobile Wellness Initiative, Cal State San Marcos is helping bridge that gap while preparing students to become the next generation of community-centered health professionals. Thanks to new support from the Henry L. Guenther Foundation, the university is poised to expand that impact even farther.

The grant of $480,000 will enable CSUSM and the partnering departments and schools in the College of Education, Health and Human Services to enhance its Mobile Wellness Initiative, an interdisciplinary program that partners with Neighborhood Healthcare and other community organizations to bring health screenings, education and wellness resources directly to underserved communities throughout North County.

The initiative embodies CSUSM's commitment to community engagement by connecting student learning with meaningful service. Through hands-on experiences in real-world settings, students gain valuable professional skills while helping improve access to care for individuals and families who often face significant barriers to health services.

"At CSUSM, we believe that learning and community service go hand in hand," said Rachael Dombrowski, an associate professor of public health and a leader of the initiative. "This support allows us to deepen our impact in the community while providing students with invaluable experiences that prepare them to become collaborative, community-centered health professionals."

A key component of the grant is the purchase of a fully equipped mobile wellness van, which will significantly increase the program's capacity to serve communities throughout the region. The van will transport supplies for outreach events, including tents, tables, educational materials and screening equipment, while also providing a private and confidential space for wellness services and consultations.

As the only student-run mobile health program in North County, the Mobile Wellness Initiative brings together students and faculty from nursing, social work, public health, kinesiology, speech-language pathology and human development. Working across disciplines, participants address health needs through a holistic approach that reflects the complexity of community health challenges.

“The Mobile Wellness Initiative prepares our students to engage across various disciplines to help meet the health needs of our neighboring communities,” said Matt Mincey, a nursing lecturer and the founding director of the initiative. “Our nursing and other CEHHS students will have more opportunities to engage with community partners and collaborating disciplines in the healthcare field, all while gaining patient care experience in our mobile classroom.”

In partnership with Neighborhood Healthcare, a federally qualified health center serving communities across San Diego and Riverside counties, students help connect residents to preventive health services and critical community resources. Outreach efforts focus on underserved populations, including individuals who are uninsured or underinsured, as well as people experiencing homelessness, migrants, refugees and others with limited access to healthcare.

Many of the individuals served through the initiative face an increased risk of chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. By bringing screenings, education and support directly into neighborhoods, the program removes transportation barriers and helps identify health concerns before they become more serious.

For students, the benefits extend beyond the classroom. The initiative offers opportunities to work alongside healthcare professionals, collaborate across disciplines and develop the cultural responsiveness and community engagement skills that are increasingly essential in today's healthcare workforce.

The grant also will support personnel, travel expenses, outreach supplies and a community health assessment that will help guide future programming and ensure that resources are directed where they are needed most.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Lien joins CSUSM from the University of Northern Colorado, where he has served as associate vice president for enrollment management since 2021. He brings more than 15 years of experience in enrollment management and admissions across public and private higher education institutions.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to higher education because of its ability to change the trajectory of a student, a family and a community,” Lien said. “That is what makes CSUSM so special. I’m incredibly excited to join President Neufeldt and a university so deeply committed to student success and creating real opportunity for so many students. I look forward to helping build on that impact.”

At the University of Northern Colorado, Lien leads a 100-person enrollment division encompassing admissions, financial aid, the registrar, bursar operations and extended campus programs serving undergraduate, graduate and international students. He also co-chairs the university’s strategic enrollment management plan, working across across all campus divisions to align recruitment, affordability and retention strategies.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Pete to CSUSM and are confident that his combination of strategic enrollment leadership, commitment to access and student success, and collaborative approach will serve our university exceptionally well,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “Pete brings a deep understanding of the enrollment landscape and a proven record of bringing people and data together to advance institutional goals. At a time when higher education is navigating significant changes in demographics, student needs and the competitive landscape, Pete’s leadership will be instrumental in building on our enrollment momentum and ensuring that CSUSM remains a place where students can see a path to achieving their dreams.”

During his tenure at UNC, Lien helped establish enrollment analytics, forecasting and financial aid optimization processes that contributed to a 3.4% increase in overall undergraduate headcount. He implemented the university’s first-year admissions guarantee, launched the UNC Tuition Promise to expand access for Colorado students with significant financial need and helped advance enrollment strategies that contributed to UNC becoming the newest Hispanic-Serving Institution in Colorado.

Before joining UNC, Lien served as director of recruitment at the University of Idaho. Earlier in his career, he held progressively responsible admissions and enrollment positions at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where he began his career in higher education. His experience includes developing access initiatives for first-generation college-bound students, working with community and school partners, and collaborating with faculty and academic departments to support student recruitment and success.

In his new role, Lien will oversee CSUSM’s Enrollment Management Services division and lead enrollment strategy, working closely with Neufeldt, university leadership, academic colleges and student support units to advance the university’s strategic enrollment plan and priorities.

Lien holds a master’s degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in higher education from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a bachelor’s in political science and history from Concordia College. He was named the 2023 Educator of the Year by the Greeley Dream Team, a Colorado organization focused on supporting students through education and career pathways.

Lien will begin his new role at CSUSM on Nov. 1.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, assistant director of editorial and external affairs

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

Kicking off the month with HSI Week Sept. 14-18, the rest of the month will include a broader lineup of events hosted by the Latinx Center. Together, these programs recognize CSUSM’s identity and responsibilities as an HSI while creating opportunities to celebrate culture, strengthen community, promote inclusive excellence and advance student success.

Everyone is invited to participate in CSUSM Latine Heritage Month events.

CSUSM’s Inaugural HSI Week

5th Annual Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Summit

Sept. 14, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., USU Ballroom

This year’s summit marks five years of bringing together students, faculty, staff, administrators and community partners to learn from one another, build connections and strengthen efforts that promote student success. The theme of this year’s summit is “Seeds of Servingness: Growing Together.” Nationally renowned scholar and educator Dr. Daniel G. Solórzano will deliver the keynote address. The summit will officially launch CSUSM’s first-ever HSI Week, taking place Sept. 14-18, featuring educational, cultural, and community-building events. The week invites students and employees to explore what it means for CSUSM to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

2026 Latine Heritage Month Theme: Floreciendo Juntos (Blooming Together)

Week 1 theme: El Jardin de Comunidad (The Garden of Community)

Floreciendo Juntos: Latine Heritage Month Celebration

Sept. 15, 5-8 p.m., Forum Plaza

Floreciendo Juntos serves as the official kickoff to Latine Heritage Month, bringing together students, campus partners and the broader community in celebration of the diverse cultures, histories and traditions of Latin America. The celebration features interactive cultural activities facilitated by Latine student organizations, cultural food, entertainment and community-building opportunities that promote belonging, cross-cultural learning and meaningful engagement.

Reflejos de Nuestra Gente: Latinx Center

Mural Unveiling

Sept. 16, 5-7 p.m., USU 3200

Join the Latinx Center for the unveiling of Reflejos de Nuestra Gente, a new community mural created by CSUSM alumna and muralist Sandra Carmona and inspired by student voices. Gather with students, campus and community partners for the unveiling, refreshments and a community mixer. RSVP: Latinx Center Mural Unveiling: Reflejos de Nuestra Gente – Fill out form

The Milpa Project Showcase

Sept. 17, noon-1 p.m., Community Ethnobotany Garden

Join biology professor Erika Diaz Almeyda to celebrate and learn more about the Milpa Project. Located in CSUSM’s Community Ethnobotany Garden, the project centers on milpa, a Mesoamerican agricultural practice in which crops such as corn, beans and squash are grown together. A brief presentation will introduce the project and its cultural, ecological and community significance, followed by reflections from students involved in the project and Milpa Comunidad. Come connect, learn, and celebrate the students and community members who bring the milpa to life.

Beyond the Bachelor’s: Exploring Graduate School at CSUSM 

Sept. 17, 6-7:30 p.m., USU Ballroom C 
 

Hosted by: Career Center, Office of Inclusive Excellence, Office of Graduate Studies & Research, Alumni Engagement 

This special event highlights alumni experiences and pathways to graduate education. Join us for a special edition of Life After Graduation, featuring CSUSM alumni who continued their educational journey through graduate programs at CSUSM. Hear firsthand why they chose graduate school, how they selected their programs, what helped them navigate the transition and what they wish they had known before applying. Attendees will also learn about graduate education opportunities at CSUSM and how pursuing an advanced degree can support their academic, professional and career goals.

Conchas y Comunidad

Sept. 18, 10-11 a.m., Founders Plaza

Students, faculty and staff are invited to join us for conchas, conversation and connection. Stop by, meet someone new, and enjoy a little time in community. Attendees can also meet members of MEChA de CSUSM and learn more about the student organization.

Week 2 theme: En Pantalla: Latine Representation in the Arts and Media

Canta, Mami!

Sept. 21, noon-1 p.m., USU 3200

Celebrate the voices that move us at Canta, Mami, an exploration of queer Latina artists in music, from icons like Chavela Vargas to today’s stars like Young Miko. Enjoy food, learn how these artists have shaped culture and representation across generations, then make your own ribbon creation while their music plays.

The Latine Lens: Framing Our Stories

Sept. 24,noon-1 p.m., USU 3200

Explore how Latine artists use visual art, music, photography and media to tell their stories, celebrate culture and challenge stereotypes. Then create a magazine-style collage that brings your own identity, community and vision of Latinidad to life.

Week 3 theme: Haciendo Historia: Making History through Latine Leadership

Abriendo Caminos: Creating space for Latine Leadership at CSUSM

Oct. 1, noon-1 p.m., USU 3200

Join first-generation Latine staff leaders at CSUSM for an open conversation about navigating new spaces, finding your voice and creating opportunities for those who come next. Come connect, ask questions and hear real stories about the many paths to leadership.

Week 4 theme: Hecho en Casa: Honoring Families in our Community

Cena familiar

Oct. 6, 6-8 p.m., USU 3200

Celebrate familia, comunidad and culture at Cena Familiar. Students are invited to bring their families and loved ones to campus for a special evening of food, connection and celebration. Gather around the table, meet other members of the CSUSM community and enjoy a warm night centered on the people who support and inspire us.

Entre Familia: Family Collage Boards

Oct. 8, noon- 1 p.m., USU 3200

Students are invited to create a collage celebrating the people, traditions, memories and values that make their families unique. Use drawings, words, magazine cutouts and stickers to reflect on what you love doing together, a tradition you cherish or something that makes you proud. Materials and prompts will be provided.

Week 5 theme: “Latina Foreva”

Cafecito con Pan: Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Viridiana Diaz

Oct. 13, noon-1 p.m., USU 3200

Join the Latinx Center for a special Cafecito con Pan featuring Dr. Viridiana Diaz, vice president for Student Affairs, as part of our “Latina Foreva” Week celebration! Diaz will share her personal and professional journey, her path through higher education and the experiences that shaped her leadership. Come enjoy cafecito, pan dulce and conversation with one of our campus leaders.

Chingona Fest in collaboration with the Women and Gender Equity Center

Oct. 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Forum Plaza

Chingona Fest is back with a vibrant tianguis (flea market) theme. In collaboration with the Women and Gender Equity Center, join us for a lively celebration of cultura, creativity and community. Swap clothes, make your own bouquet, create Latine-inspired crafts and enjoy free specialty coffee drinks from Tocho Café, a local Latina-owned coffee truck.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The rankings focus on college access for less-wealthy students and affordability after financial aid. They use factors such as Pell Grant enrollment and expected access based on admissions, test scores and family income.

CSUSM is also 23rd out of 215 colleges in the magazine’s “2026 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars: West” and 50th out of 100 colleges in its list of “America’s Best Four-Year Hispanic-Serving Colleges.”

Last month, CSUSM placed 31^st in the country in SmartAsset’s 2026 study of America’s Best Value Public Universities.

Media Contact

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

Fisher joins CSUSM at an important moment in the university’s fundraising efforts, as it advances its ambitious “Blueprint for the Future” fundraising campaign. The $200 million campaign has reached 87% of its goal, reflecting the extraordinary momentum of faculty and staff grants, as well as the generosity of CSUSM’s alumni, donors and community partners, positioning the university for an exciting next chapter of growth and impact. 

Fisher joins CSUSM from the University of Arizona, where she served in various development roles since 2019. Most recently, she spent nearly four years as vice president of development, leading centralized and college-embedded advancement teams supporting a broad portfolio of academic and university programs. She brings more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning higher education philanthropy, nonprofit management and community service. 

“I am overjoyed by the opportunity to join President Neufeldt and the CSUSM team,” Fisher said. “As a first-generation college student myself, student success and social mobility connect deeply to every chapter of my life, and it will be an honor to lead advancement at this amazing university.” 

As VP of development at Arizona, Fisher partnered with donors, faculty and university leaders to advance philanthropic initiatives supporting student success, research innovation and community engagement. She led development teams across multiple colleges and university programs, while cultivating and stewarding a portfolio of major and principal gift donors. She also played an integral role in planning and executing the university’s current multibillion-dollar fundraising campaign. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Andy to CSUSM at such an important time in the university’s history,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “Her experience as a successful advancement leader, combined with her background as a nonprofit CEO and her deep commitment to student success, makes her an exceptional addition to our leadership team. Andy understands the transformative power of education personally and professionally, and I look forward to partnering with her as we continue building the philanthropic support necessary to advance our university’s vision and create even greater opportunities for our students.” 

Before her career in higher education philanthropy, Fisher spent nearly 25 years in the nonprofit sector, culminating in her role as CEO of the Centre County Youth Service Bureau in central Pennsylvania. She led an organization with more than 90 employees and 14 programs serving children, youth and families across eight sites. During her tenure, she helped expand the organization’s private giving and donor retention efforts and worked closely with community organizations, government leaders and elected officials on issues affecting children and families. 

Fisher said her experience working directly with families and communities continues to shape her approach to philanthropy. 

“I know firsthand the difference that opportunity and support can make in a person’s life,” Fisher said. “I am especially drawn to CSUSM because of its extraordinary commitment to social mobility and its focus on helping students achieve their dreams. I look forward to building strong relationships with our alumni, donors, Foundation Board, campus community and regional partners to help advance that mission.” 

In her new role, Fisher will lead CSUSM’s University Advancement division, including development, alumni engagement, events and conference services, government relations and advancement operations. She will work closely with Neufeldt, university leadership and the CSUSM Foundation Board to strengthen philanthropic partnerships and support the university’s strategic priorities. 

Fisher holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Shippensburg University and a bachelor’s in administration of justice from Penn State University. She began her career in human services after being hired in 1994 to implement a federally funded residential program for homeless youth. 

Fisher’s appointment marks the next chapter in CSUSM’s efforts to build upon its strong foundation of philanthropic and community support and expand opportunities for students and the region. She will begin her new role at CSUSM later this month. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

President Ellen Neufeldt expressed excitement and optimism about the new academic year during her annual convocation address to faculty and staff last Thursday.

Neufeldt highlighted many of the university’s achievements over the past year, including progress on CSUSM’s fundraising campaign “Blueprint for the Future,” the largest capital campaign in university history.

“One year ago, we were preparing to publicly launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our university’s history,” Neufeldt said. “Today, our ‘Blueprint for the Future’ campaign has reached over $173 million toward our $200 million goal. That’s 87% of our goal!”

Neufeldt also highlighted some of the gifts that have been received this year, including:

• $10 million from Hunter Industries and the Hunter family toward the naming of the Hunter Hall of Science and Engineering;
• $3 million toward the CSU National Center for Social Mobility at CSUSM; and
• $1 million from the Prebys Foundation to provide stipends for students to pursue research opportunities and strengthen the region’s STEM workforce.

New Housing, Dining Facilities Open

Celebration was in the air on Aug. 3, as hundreds gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of Black Oak Hall and Kwíila Dining.

Black Oak Hall is CSUSM’s fourth housing community, and Kwíila Dining is the university’s second dining facility. Kwíila, the Luiseño word for “acorn,” was chosen to honor the local tribal heritage and the land on which CSUSM resides.

Located at 303 Campus View Drive, the seven-story Black Oak Hall features 555 beds – 390 of which are considered affordable thanks to funding from the Higher Education Student Housing Grant program established by Senate Bill 169. Just steps away, the 10,000-square-foot Kwíila Dining serves a variety of locally sourced foods and allows students to foster connection outside of class.

New Coffee Spot

El Kafecito, a local coffee shop with multiple locations, opened its sixth spot on Aug. 24 in the space vacated by Campus Coffee, whose owners retired after more than 20 years.

El Kafecito is owned by Rodrigo Rodriguez, a former CSUSM soccer player. A Valley Center native, Rodriguez started the company with a small, drive-through coffee hut in Vista in 2021, when he was just 21 years old.

El Kafecito specializes in Mexican and Hispanic-inspired flavors that, Rodriguez said, “bring something unique to the traditional coffee experience.” Its signature flavors include dulce de leche, horchata, mazapán, café de la olla, tres leches and Mexican mocha, though it also offers traditional favorites such as vanilla, caramel and mocha. El Kafecito also serves pastries and other food items.

CSUSM Named to Best Colleges List

CSUSM was named to the “Best Colleges in America 2026” list by Money magazine. The university received a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

The list, which includes 735 colleges, showcases the country’s top values, based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries and more.

Weeks of Welcome

The annual Weeks of Welcome, which started Aug. 28, 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 and Lectures Fall Series

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

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

Summer Highlights

• CSUSM hosted “The Power of Us” Southwest Riverside County Community Breakfast on June 30, bringing together local business, government, education and community leaders to explore how partnerships are shaping the region’s educational and economic future.
• Howard Chan, the learning experience designer for the Innovation Hub, was recognized as one of the San Diego Business Journal's Asian American Pacific Islander Leaders of Influence for 2026.
• The Safety, Health and Sustainability department was recognized by a national organization for its program that allows students to borrow lab coats for academic use.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The event, which was sponsored by North City, 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, who 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

Under the leadership of Chair Simon Kuo, retired vice president of corporate quality at Viasat, and Vice Chair Kristin Crellin, senior vice president at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, the Foundation Board advances philanthropic investments that support student success and academic excellence. 

The new directors join the board at a time of significant progress at CSUSM. The university is ranked No. 1 in the nation on the CollegeNET Social Mobility Index and is expecting a record 17,500 students this year. This momentum extends to Blueprint for the Future, CSUSM’s comprehensive campaign to advance student success, research and the university’s impact across the region. To date, the campaign has reached 86% of its $200 million goal in philanthropic and research funding. 

“I am pleased to welcome this new cohort of directors to the CSUSM Foundation Board,” Kuo said. “As CSUSM continues to evolve, their experience and leadership will help us harness the power of philanthropy to change the trajectory of students’ lives. I look forward to working with our new directors as we build on this progress and continue advancing the goals of Blueprint for the Future.” 

The Foundation Board’s newly elected directors are: 

Barbara Fischer  

Fischer is an attorney at Fischer & Ritchey LLP, a law firm that focuses on estate planning, business formation and planning, nonprofit formation, operations and compliance, and charitable and gift planning. She earned a master’s degree in legislative affairs at George Washington University and worked for two U.S. senators and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative assistant. She then obtained a law degree from California Western School of Law and is a partner with her daughter in their law practice. 

Kevin Harkenrider  

Harkenrider retired from Viasat in August after a 19-year career with the company, most recently serving as executive vice president and chief corporate officer. Previous roles with Viasat included chief operating officer, president of commercial networks and president of satellite services. His background spans more than 40 years in diverse industries such as shipbuilding, information technology, electronics manufacturing and telecommunications. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. 

Greg Hunter 

Hunter is the CEO of Hunter Industries, an irrigation manufacturing company founded in San Marcos in 1982. A mechanical engineering graduate of Cornell University, he has spent his career helping advance innovative irrigation and outdoor solutions while continuing his family’s legacy of leadership at Hunter Industries. He also has a strong commitment to community service, having served for more than a decade on the Board of Managers of the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA in San Diego, including four years as chairman. A lifelong learner, he enjoys challenging himself academically and has been taking advanced mathematics courses at CSUSM. 

The Foundation Board’s newly appointed directors are: 

Rebeca Perren 

The new faculty representative, Perren is a CSUSM marketing professor whose work focuses on business education, emerging technology, consumer behavior and marketplace equity. An award-winning educator and researcher, she has led community-engaged student initiatives, including an internship program and a student-run digital marketing agency serving regional nonprofits. Nationally, she serves on the American Marketing Association Foundation Board of Advisors, which she will chair in 2027-28, and is an inaugural member of the PhD Project Advisory Council, advancing diversity and representation in business education. 

Rae Lynch (’27) 

A student representative, Lynch is a CSUSM senior majoring in communication with a minor in biological sciences. Passionate about science and healthcare, she plans to pursue a career in sales or marketing within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries. As an intern with CSUSM University Communications, she supports social media management and contributes stories to the CSUSM NewsCenter. She is also a member of the Student Philanthropy Council. 

Ashley Ortiz (’27) 

A student representative, Ortiz is a CSUSM senior studying global supply chain management. She hopes to pursue a career in procurement, production, logistics or demand planning, where she can leverage data, collaboration and strategic decision-making to improve business operations. She also serves as the director of student outreach for the Global Supply Chain Management Society and is a member of the Student Philanthropy Council.  

Julianna Hunt (’28) 

A student representative and shadow director, Hunt is a CSUSM junior pursuing studies in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (CHABSS). Following graduation, she plans to attend law school, with the goal of building a career in corporate law. She serves as a community adviser with CSUSM Housing and as a student assistant for the CSUSM Innovation Hub. She is also a member of the Student Philanthropy Council and the Delta Zeta sorority. 

About the California State University San Marcos Foundation Board 

The California State University San Marcos Foundation Board is composed of community leaders and philanthropists who cultivate and encourage charitable investment in the university, build meaningful regional relationships and encourage a culture of philanthropy. All gifts to the university are accepted and administered by the California State University San Marcos Foundation, an official 501(c)(3) auxiliary organization of CSUSM.  

This season boasts a diverse selection of eight events as the university hosts renowned guest speakers and performances.

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

Movement Mystics: Alchemy, Resilience and Transformation

Sept. 18, 7 p.m., Arts Building 111

This captivating dance performance celebrates the richness of Brazilian culture through timeless feminine stories and symbols. Inspired by Brazil's many dance traditions, it explores themes of strength, transformation and the wisdom carried within the body.

Drawing from world mythology, Yoruba beliefs, Jungian psychology, Clarissa Pinkola Estés' “Wild Woman” archetype and the vibrant rhythms of Brazil, the performance uses movement to honor the past, express the present and connect with something deeper.

More than a celebration of culture, this work is a personal journey. It explores how dance can help us navigate life's biggest challenges and reconnect with our inner strength.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

CHABSS Networking Night: Transformative Leadership and Social Change

Oct. 7, 5 p.m., USU Ballroom

Join CSUSM students, alumni, artists and community leaders for an evening of ideas, creativity and connection. The event will highlight how leadership emerges through the arts, media, public service and civic engagement.

Enjoy appetizers, drinks, live music and an inspiring panel of alumni and community leaders sharing how their work creates meaningful social impact. The evening will conclude with structured networking designed to foster meaningful conversations, explore career paths and build lasting connections.

Whether you’re seeking mentorship, expanding your professional network or discovering new opportunities, this event offers an engaging space to learn, connect and be inspired by those shaping the future of our communities.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: Free

Community: Free

‘The Canary Code’: Designing Workplaces Where Different Minds Thrive

Oct. 12, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

Our ability to thrive in the workplace is highly dependent on how we relate to one another. Ludmila Praslova, author of “The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity and Intersectional Belonging at Work,” shares insights on how we can prioritize neuroinclusivity in the workplace to foster connection and a sense of belonging.

Praslova draws from her perspective as a first-generation academic and a neurodivergent woman. She is a professor of industrial-organizational psychology at Vanguard University in Orange County and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Psychology Today and Forbes.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

‘You’re No Indian’

Oct. 26, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

Come attend a screening of “You’re No Indian,” which is not just a film – it’s a call to action. At the heart of this 2025 documentary lies a battle for identity and justice, where militias storm casinos, graves are pillaged for DNA evidence and even proven lineage cannot save individuals from disenrollment.

More than 10,000 people have been disenrolled from their tribes in recent years, eviscerated from their communities and families. Research confirms disenrollment’s relationship to tribal gaming and even the corruption of tribal politicians. Not only does it result in financial ruin for the disenrolled, but immeasurable psychological harm when they are now told “you’re no Indian.”

This film exposes the dark intersection of power, greed and cultural erasure. It’s a powerful stand for those whose voices have been silenced, urging viewers to join a growing movement for truth and accountability.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

The Power of Transformation: From Gang Life to Community Leadership

Nov. 3, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

Luis J. Rodriguez – an award-winning poet, acclaimed author and community activist – draws from his own life and shares how he overcame gang involvement to become a leading voice for hope, healing and social justice. His inspiring story reminds us that people can change, communities can heal and everyone deserves the chance to build a better future.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Pasifika in Entertainment: Navigating Culture, Language and Performing Arts in Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’

Nov. 16, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

The release of Disney’s live-action “Moana” film this summer involved local expertise and talent from CSUSM and the surrounding area. Attendees will learn about the making of the film through the perspectives of the Oceanic Cultural Trust, a group created by the film company to serve as cultural consultants on Oceanic language and performing arts. 

CSUSM professor Grant Muāgututi'a served as the lead cultural consultant for the film. His work focuses on the need for Oceanic language conservation efforts through mainstream popular media, independent documentary film, community partnership programming and higher education institutions both locally and abroad. He and others involved in the film will reflect on their roles in making the live-action film. 

Members of the Oceanic Cultural Trust and actors from the film will engage the audience with behind-the-scenes stories and live musical and dance performances to inspire everyone to reimagine how grassroots cultural arts education can shape more inclusive experiences of higher education and impact popular media representations.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Capturing Complexity: Theater as a Means of Self-Exploration and Reconciliation

Nov. 17, 6 p.m., Arts 111

Join us for a staged-reading presentation of “Pride: Mortal BEINGS part 1,” a one-person play written and performed by Terrell Donnell Sledge, a San Diego actor, writer, director, advocate, empowerment coach and CSUSM theatre arts lecturer. The story is an alternative telling of the fall of Lucifer – from Lucifer's perspective – hinging on the questions of free will, love, loyalty, suffering, suicide, forgiveness and redemption.

After the performance, Sledge will be joined by Stephanie Sledge – an artist, associate clinical social worker and CSUSM alumna – for a conversation about narrative representation and creative expression for self-exploration and healing. Stephanie will interview Terrell about the process of writing the play as a form of self-preservation when he was navigating academic environments prone to stereotyping and erasure of Black male identity. Guests will depart with the building blocks for harnessing their own creativity as a therapeutic tool.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Serenades, Fantasies and Songs: Camarada With Aaron Humble, Tenor

Nov. 19, noon, Arts 111

Camarada, a resident ensemble at The Conrad in La Jolla, will present a unique concert spotlighting the remarkable tenor of CSUSM professor Aaron Humble. This diverse and engaging program takes audiences on a journey through the history of music, spanning from the Baroque era to the 20th century.

The instrumental portion includes works by Baroque master Telemann, Romantic composer Robert Fuchs and contemporary composer Ian Clarke. Vocal selections will highlight lyrical and expressive works by Benjamin Britten, Italian opera composers Gaetano Donizetti and Ruggero Leoncavallo, and an exquisite French masterpiece by Georges Hüe. Performers include Beth Ross Buckley, flute; David Buckley, violin; Travis Maril, viola; and Dana Burnett, piano.

Join us for an inspiring midday concert as we explore the world of vocal chamber music and more.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and administered by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, the initiative brings together San Diego State University, CSUSM and education and workforce partners throughout San Diego County. SDSU serves as the lead institution, with CSUSM receiving a funded subaward to lead implementation efforts serving North County.

Through the initiative, the CSUSM Career Center will expand career navigation, workforce-readiness programming, employer engagement and work-based learning opportunities for eligible in-school youth ages 14-21. The program will prioritize young people who face barriers to education and employment, including low-income students, students with disabilities, former foster youth, English learners, justice-involved youth and students experiencing housing or food insecurity.

CSUSM participants will receive individualized career support while gaining access to career exploration, skill development, mentoring, internships and other work-based learning experiences. Eligible participants also will be able to earn $30 per hour while completing certain approved workforce-development activities, helping reduce the financial barriers that can prevent students from participating in career-building experiences.

The initiative will build upon CSUSM's existing Career Center infrastructure and partnerships across North County, including relationships with employers, community colleges, K-12 partners and campus programs serving students with barriers. CSUSM also will integrate existing campus resources and supportive services to help participants address challenges that could interfere with their educational and career goals.

“This investment gives us an opportunity to go beyond simply connecting students to jobs and provide the kind of comprehensive support that can change a student's career trajectory,” said Yasmine Farley, director of the CSUSM Career Center. “We're able to combine career guidance, paid skill development, work-based learning and supportive services while leveraging the partnerships that already exist throughout CSUSM and North County. Most importantly, we're directing those resources toward young people who may otherwise face significant barriers to accessing these opportunities.”

The regional partnership also includes the San Diego Community College District, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, San Diego Unified School District and Southwestern College, creating a coordinated approach that reaches students across K-12, community college and university settings rather than limiting services to four-year university students.

For CSUSM, the grant also represents an investment in the university's role as a workforce and economic development partner for North San Diego County. By connecting students with employers and educational pathways throughout the region, the initiative aims to strengthen the transition from education to meaningful employment while developing skills needed in an increasingly technology- and AI-integrated workforce.

To learn more or see if you qualify for the program, contact the Career Center at careers@csusm.edu.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

SmartAsset, a financial technology company, evaluated more than 500 public colleges and universities in the United States to identify the best values. Schools with an average cost of attendance below the median for similar institutions were assigned composite scores based on graduation rates and median earnings 10 years after first enrollment. The 50 highest-scoring schools were named America’s best-value public universities.

CSUSM was one of 13 California universities to make the list, which was topped by the University of Florida at No. 1.

Earlier this summer, CSUSM received 4.5 out of a possible five stars on Money magazine's list of “Best Colleges in America" for 2026.

Media Contact

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

Since 2004, Campus Coffee had been a beloved CSUSM cafe and eatery, serving warm cups of joe and sweet treats on the plaza outside Science Hall 1 – on the opposite side of campus and two big flights of stairs away from Starbucks and other food and drink vendors. It was a place where the owners greeted you with a smile and often knew your name – and your coffee order.

Now, about six months after those owners (Tim and Sandra Sabbatini) decided to retire, a new establishment will inherit the legacy of Campus Coffee.

This month, the prime real estate will be taken over by El Kafecito, a local coffee shop that already has locations in San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, Valley Center and San Diego. Its sixth spot is scheduled for a soft opening on Aug. 24, with the full launch on Aug. 31, the first day of the new school year.

El Kafecito is owned by Rodrigo Rodriguez, a CSUSM alumnus and former Cougars soccer player. A Valley Center native, Rodriguez started the company with a small, drive-through coffee hut in Vista in 2021, when he was just 21 years old. His entrepreneurial spirit was inspired by working alongside his parents in their family business.

“I remember stopping at Campus Coffee before a long lecture or between classes, so I understand how something as simple as a good cup of coffee can become part of students’ daily routine,” Rodriguez said. “Being able to return to CSUSM, this time as a local business owner, feels like a full-circle moment.”

El Kafecito specializes in Mexican and Hispanic-inspired flavors that, Rodriguez said, “bring something unique to the traditional coffee experience.” Its signature flavors include dulce de leche, horchata, mazapán, café de la olla, tres leches and Mexican mocha, though it also offers traditional favorites such as vanilla, caramel and mocha.

El Kafecito also serves pastries and other food items, with customer favorites including churro cupcakes, Mexican-inspired cinnamon rolls and stuffed conchas.

“Our goal is to create a place where everyone can find something they enjoy while introducing CSUSM to flavors that represent my culture and the community,” Rodriguez said.

The selection of El Kafecito to replace Campus Coffee stemmed from the work of the CSUSM Corporation in collaboration with the Student Culinary Council (SCC), a body created last spring to strengthen the connection between students and campus dining. Responding to students’ expressed desire for a new coffee stand on the far end of campus, the SCC helped identify potential vendors, participated in interviews and evaluated each candidate based on its vision, quality and alignment with campus culture.

“What makes this selection so special is that Rodrigo is a CSUSM alumnus who is passionate to serve the campus community,” said Anthony Romero, who leads the SCC. “His commitment to quality coffee, building community and creating meaningful connections makes Rodrigo and El Kafecito the clear choice for the new coffee stand at CSUSM.”

Rodriguez, who now lives in San Marcos and spends his days shuttling between locations, said he can’t wait to get started.

“My goal is not simply to sell coffee on campus,” he said. “I want to build a connection with the CSUSM community and make El Kafecito feel like it belongs to the students, faculty, staff and Cougar family. As a former student and student-athlete, I’m excited about the opportunity to give back to a campus that was an important part of my own journey.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Black Oak Hall is CSUSM’s fourth housing community, and Kwíila Dining is the university’s second dining facility. Kwíila, the Luiseño word for “acorn,” was chosen to honor the local tribal heritage and the land on which CSUSM resides.

More than 200 people – including local and state dignitaries, CSUSM Foundation Board members, students, faculty, staff, and construction officials – attended the ceremony.

Located at 303 Campus View Drive, the seven-story Black Oak Hall features 555 beds – 390 of which are considered affordable thanks to funding from the Higher Education Student Housing Grant program established by Senate Bill 169. Just steps away, the 10,000-square-foot Kwíila Dining will serve a variety of locally sourced foods and allow students to foster connection outside of class. 

The project also reflects CSUSM's commitment to sustainability, from its LEED Gold certification ambition and renewable energy systems to the use of native landscaping and sustainable building materials. 

President Ellen Neufeldt said the project will serve CSUSM students – more than half of whom are the first in their families to attend college – while advancing the university's mission of social mobility. 

“When housing is affordable, close to campus and connected to a supportive community, students have more time to study, participate in campus life, build relationships with faculty and peers, and ultimately persist to graduation,” Neufeldt said during the ceremony. “That is why today's celebration matters.” 

In addition to Neufeldt, others who spoke were Tristan Bugnot, president of Associated Students, Inc.; Patrick Henning, chief deputy treasurer in the State Treasurer’s Office; San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones; Viridiana Diaz, CSUSM's vice president for Student Affairs; Richard King of project designer Gensler and Eric Halverson of builder McCarthy Building Companies; Deanne Ellison, associate vice president of business development and executive director of the CSUSM Corporation; and Travis Douglas, executive director of CSUSM Housing and Residential Education.

The emcee of the ceremony was Leon Wyden Jr., CSUSM's vice president of Finance and Administrative Services and chief financial officer.

During her speech, Jones issued a proclamation in support of the housing and dining project. After the ribbon-cutting, guests were invited into Kwíila Dining for the first meal, with food provided by Sodexo, the vendor for the facility. Students gave tours of the new dorm rooms in Black Oak Hall.

The project was funded in part by $91 million received from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature.

Construction on the site of a former parking lot for University Village Apartments, CSUSM’s original housing complex, began in 2024. Students will begin moving in later this month.

Bugnot said the new facility perfectly illustrates CSUSM's culture of care, which was a big part of the reason why he chose to attend the university over other institutions.

“As ASI president, I think a lot about what students need in order to thrive,” he said. “Students need access. Students need affordability. Students need spaces that make them feel seen and supported. Black Oak Hall and Kwíila Dining move us closer to that vision. We are creating something that you probably can’t get anywhere else in the world: the San Marcos experience.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

This spring, Clerihan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and she's planning to launch her own construction billing business in the community she now calls home. She credits her professors at CSUSM at Temecula for encouraging her to pursue her educational and entrepreneurial dreams.

“I was never that student who enjoyed school, but at CSUSM at Temecula, I found myself on the dean’s list and looking forward to going to class,” Clerihan said. “My parents were amazed by the change in me.” 

Her story was highlighted by CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt at “The Power of Us” Southwest Riverside County Community Breakfast on June 30. The event brought together local business, government, education and community leaders to explore how partnerships are shaping the region’s educational and economic future. 

Sponsored by the Pechanga Band of Indians, the event was emceed by CSUSM Foundation Board directors Alisha Wilkins and Esther Phahla, both Temecula residents and local business owners with deep ties to the region. 

Before Neufeldt took the stage, Riverside County Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington reflected on the partnership that has shaped CSUSM’s presence in Southwest Riverside County. 

“It started with a simple but ambitious idea: bringing expanded higher education opportunities closer to the families of Southwest Riverside County,” Washington said. “Cal State San Marcos has listened to our communities, understood our workforce needs and invested in programs that reflect our local priorities.”  

Meeting Students Where They Are 

CSUSM established its Temecula campus in 2008 and has expanded to include two locations, with programs in nursing, software engineering, teacher credentialing and business administration. That commitment received a major boost in 2024 when Riverside County invested $5.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to enhance technology, equipment and academic programs.  

Today, more than 20% of CSUSM’s nearly 17,000 students come from Riverside County. Students attend classes on the university’s main campus in San Marcos, at CSUSM’s Temecula locations, online or through a combination of locations. 

Expanding access to higher education is central to CSUSM’s mission of advancing social mobility. Last fall, the university again was recognized as the nation’s top university for social mobility by CollegeNET, reflecting its success in helping students improve their economic opportunities through earning a degree. 

“Beyond the ranking, social mobility is a student like Alyssa, who thought she would have to drop out and instead earned her business degree,” Neufeldt said. “It's a first-generation student becoming an engineer. A working parent becoming a nurse. A transfer student becoming a teacher. That's what social mobility looks like.” 

Collaborating Across the Region 

In her remarks, Neufeldt emphasized that expanding access to higher education requires collaboration among schools, colleges, employers and community partners. 

She highlighted the university's participation in Riverside County's Direct Admission initiative, the first countywide partnership of its kind with the California State University system, as well as CSUSM's Alliance partnerships with more than two dozen school districts and tribal nations. 

“The message to students is simple,” Neufeldt said. “You belong here. You can do this. College is not something that happens to other people. It is for you.” 

Aligning Education with Workforce Needs 

Neufeldt also showcased several programs developed in response to workforce needs identified by employers throughout Southwest Riverside County. 

Among them is an accelerated software engineering pathway created in partnership with MSJC, Temecula Valley Unified School District and Murrieta Valley Unified School District. The innovative model allows students to begin coursework in high school, earn college credit through MSJC and complete a CSUSM bachelor's degree on an accelerated timeline. The program is now expanding to include Lake Elsinore Unified School District. 

The university is also strengthening healthcare pathways. CSUSM produces more nurses than any other campus in the California State University system and has graduated nearly 4,000 nurses over the past decade. The university is developing a concurrent nursing agreement with MSJC that would allow students to earn their RN and BSN degrees simultaneously. 

“A skilled workforce is essential to the economic vitality of this region, and we are working conscientiously with our education partners and community leaders to create and deliver the right mix of programs that meet the needs of these communities,” said Godfrey Gibbison, CSUSM’s dean of Extended Learning and associate vice president for international programs.  

Additional programs under development include integrated studies, early childhood education and clinical laboratory science, a high-demand healthcare profession identified by regional employers as one of their most difficult positions to fill. 

“Every one of these programs starts with the same question,” Neufeldt said. “What does this region need? And how can we help meet that need?” 

Looking Ahead 

Neufeldt noted that CSUSM's work in Southwest Riverside County continues to evolve, with plans to further expand into MSJC University Center. 

"This gathering represents something that is a hallmark of Southwest Riverside County: the belief that progress happens through partnership," she said. "Real change happens when we work together." 

For students like Clerihan, those opportunities can be life-changing: a degree, a business and a future in the community she loves. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

A total of 4,352 students graduated as part of this year’s class. Spring commencement, with 3,312 graduates, follows on the heels of CSUSM holding its annual fall commencement in December. Those ceremonies drew 1,040 graduates.

CSUSM’s spring commencement took place on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at Mangrum Track & Field on campus, with five different ceremonies stretched across the two days.  

“Class of 2026, today you join a distinguished group of more than 75,000 CSUSM alumni,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “You are the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders who will bring to our communities and our world the ability to listen and understand multiple perspectives, to find creative solutions to the most pressing problems, and to help make our society a more just and equitable place for all. Something I say often is that our students are the change we so desperately need to see in the world. And now more than ever we need your passion, your intellect, your spirit of resilience.”

CSUSM’s commencement featured a notable guest this year as Adam Schiff, one of the two U.S. senators from California, addressed graduates and the assembled crowd Friday afternoon at the first of two ceremonies for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences.

In the Class of 2026, 52% of the graduates are the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree. More than 43% come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Here are some other facts:

• 87% are graduating from bachelor’s degree programs, while 13% are completing master's degree programs.
• 61% of graduates are women and 39% are male.
• The ages of those graduating with a bachelor's degree range from 20 to 68.

For the Class of 2026, the top 10 bachelor’s degree majors are:

• business administration (664)
• psychology (344)
• kinesiology (311)
• nursing (242)
• criminology and justice studies (227)
• sociology (211)
• computer science (201)
• biology (160)
• liberal studies (150)
• fine and creative arts (134)

CSUSM awarded one honorary degree during commencement, with Theresa Mendoza Rios accepting a Doctor of Fine Arts degree on behalf of her late husband, Dan Rios, who died in 2023 at age 84.

Rios was a photographer who worked for the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers from 1968 to 2001. By the time he retired, he had amassed a collection of about one million photo negatives that he stashed in more than 40,000 envelopes and almost 200 boxes.

Nearly two decades later, Rios was connected with the CSUSM library, and in 2018 he donated his life’s work to the library’s Special Collections department. The Dan Rios Papers, as the collection is called, consists of not only the vast cache of images, but also large- and medium-format prints, contact sheets and hundreds of letters that Rios received over the years from readers who were affected by his photos.

Before his death, the library hosted a ceremony to honor his legacy as a photographer who chronicled people and events in San Diego's North County for decades. Rios said of his collection: “I can’t even express my feelings because it’s so overwhelming that they’re going to find a use for my photos and help students and researchers and people who are interested in history.”

Visit the commencement live website to rewatch the 2025 commencement ceremonies.

Her aspiration was to build something lasting: a culture where community partnership would become so deeply embedded in CSUSM’s identity that it became a shared responsibility across the entire campus.

“I wanted to work myself out of a job,” Prado-Olmos said. “My marker was that community-engaged work would be so endemic across the institution that it would be a hallmark of who Cal State San Marcos is. We would hear about that as a hallmark in the community. And people on campus would be saying, ‘Well, of course, that’s what we do. That’s part of who we are.’

“We’re really at that point, and I think we’ve been at that point for a couple of years.”

CSUSM will continue to build on her legacy and its strong foundation in community engagement, with more information on next steps being shared in the new academic year.

As for Prado-Olmos, she has decided that she will retire at the end of the 2026-27 academic year and conclude her 30-year career at CSUSM, including the last six as chief community engagement officer.

Prado-Olmos not only has served as a senior leader overseeing the Office of Community Relations & University Engagement, but she also has been a trusted confidante of President Ellen Neufeldt as a member of the President’s Advisory Team (PAT). Neufeldt said she remembers fondly Prado-Olmos’ role in welcoming her to campus as a part of the presidential search committee in 2019.

“I am profoundly grateful for all that she has contributed to and shaped at our university,” Neufeldt said. “I am also thankful that she will remain with us in the year ahead, continuing to support the institution to which she has given so much. Her wisdom and care have made me a better leader.”

In many ways, community has been a touchstone for Prado-Olmos throughout her life. She grew up in El Monte, east of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, in a Mexican American community where family and working-class values were treasured. Her father was a firefighter, and she had uncles who were plumbers and foundry workers.

A first-generation college student, Prado-Olmos chose Pomona College, which felt many more miles from her hometown than the approximately 20 that actually separate the two locales.

“It wasn’t until I got to college that I understood in really stark ways that there were people who didn’t regard my background, my family, the schools I came from, the city I grew up in as having value,” Prado-Olmos said. “I knew the value of my family and the languages and my community and everything that came with me, but it was not recognized or validated.

“So when I decided to stay in higher education – and I chose public education for very specific reasons – I said to myself, ‘I’m going to work to change that narrative, where what communities bring is valued.’ ”

At the advice of a Pomona professor, who thought she would be a natural in the classroom, Prado-Olmos elected to pursue a doctorate in educational psychology at UC Santa Barbara. Her first teaching position was in the School of Education at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where she immediately sought to embed herself in the local school districts.

Two years later, in 1995, Prado-Olmos found herself as a visiting professor back at Pomona, a university that didn’t have a reputation for strong community ties. She tried to change that. Teaching an educational psychology class, she took her wide-eyed students on field trips to area schools to make observations.

“It was kind of breaking the boundaries, but people at Pomona took notice,” she said, adding that the college now boasts the Draper Center for Community Partnerships.

Prado-Olmos, though, truly found the alignment between her personal philosophy and a university’s mission when her third faculty position brought her to CSUSM in 1997. Hired as a professor in what then was called the College of Education, she had been teaching for only a couple of years when she was given a chance to build an internship credential program with school districts in the Temecula Valley, a region where CSUSM now has a secondary campus but then was largely unmined territory.

“An assistant professor two years in rarely gets those kinds of opportunities,” Prado-Olmos said.

Opportunities kept coming for Prado-Olmos, and she kept seizing them – further ensconcing herself in both the campus and external communities. She said yes to an offer to move into the administration as associate dean of the College of Education under Mark Baldwin. She accepted a job as the first director of the Alliance to Accelerate Excellence in Education (The Alliance, for short), a grant-funded program aimed at improving college attendance and graduation rates for all students in CSUSM’s service region.

And when Jan Jackson retired as the university’s first vice president of community engagement, Prado-Olmos stepped away from a classroom role again and into Jackson’s shoes in January 2015.

“I knew that Cal State San Marcos had a lot to offer and that we, at the same time, had a lot to learn from communities,” she said.

When she assumed the VP position, Prado-Olmos recalled, there were pockets of community engagement across campus that needed to be centralized under one umbrella. That became her charge. Her office took on internships, service learning, community outreach, tribal relations, presidential councils and civic education, among other initiatives.

One of Prado-Olmos’ closest colleagues in the division was Sarah Villarreal, who served as her associate VP responsible for community outreach for almost five years. The pair still work together in PAT, with Villarreal being Neufeldt’s chief of staff.

“In every context, she has brought an unwavering commitment to social justice and a deep belief in the importance of authentic partnership between the university and the community,” Villarreal said. “She reshaped how I think about engagement – not as something we do for a community, but something we build with community. Her emphasis on mutual benefit and shared purpose has had a lasting impact on both my work and perspective.”

What, at its core, does it mean for CSUSM to be a community-engaged university?

“I think it means that our students have unique learning opportunities that they can’t always find at another institution,” Prado-Olmos said. “It means that they’re learning a value set and a skill set about how to do things and how to interact with people in partnership that creates a stronger whole. That could not happen without faculty who have the talent to help students translate what they’re learning in the classroom to something applied in a variety of community settings, and that’s the kind of faculty we bring here because they thrive here.”

In retirement, Prado-Olmos wants to spend more time with her family, including her mother, two adult children and two grandchildren. She also wants to take time to really think about what comes next.

“People ask, ‘Well, what do you like to do these days?’ ” she said. “I don’t even know. I like to rest. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy learning. I just don’t know what I want to learn next. Maybe how to do retirement well.”

But Prado-Olmos has one more year to reflect on it, and one more year to keep community – of every stripe – close to her heart.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Bonnie Biggs was a longtime Cal State San Marcos librarian – so long that her tenure predates the university’s official founding by three years – who knew that her second act would revolve around canines. The colorfully named Koshare Squash Blossom Beignet Biggs – Koshi, for short – was a Catahoula leopard hound from Louisiana who had survived Hurricane Katrina and been rescued from a high-kill shelter in Fresno.

When their paths crossed at a local animal shelter two decades ago, Biggs knew she had found her next four-legged friend. What she couldn’t have anticipated was that the magic that happened between the two of them would ultimately spawn a magical event that has transformed the CSUSM community for the better.

Koshi has passed, but her legacy will be evident at CSUSM on May 7. On that Thursday, Biggs, her husband, Gunnar, and two of their current dogs – 12-year-old Zuni, who was Koshi’s little sister, and 3-year-old Molly – will be on campus along with 18 other teams of owners and dogs. They will be stationed outside the third-floor entrance to Kellogg Library to mark the 15th anniversary of Pause for Paws, the beloved, twice-annual event at which therapy dogs help soothe the jangled nerves of CSUSM students during the week before final exams.

To say that Biggs, fellow volunteers, their dogs and the campus community – not only students, but canine-crazy faculty and staff and even President Ellen Neufeldt – look forward to Pause for Paws would be an extreme understatement.

“There are hundreds of volunteers who I’ve worked with over the years, and this is everybody’s favorite visit,” Biggs said. “The students come swarming up the dogs and drop to their knees, hug them, love them. Even these big athletes go goo-goo. Everything changes when they’re around dogs.”

During the three-hour event (which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.), hundreds of students will get their fur fix as they enter or exit the library. They will love on not only Zuni and Molly, but a menagerie of mutts – among them Lucy, a maltipoo whose owner, Liz, has been with Biggs from the beginning; Daisy, a terrier/dachshund mix; Katie, a cavalier King Charles spaniel; Dude, a standard poodle; Biscuit, a chocolate Labrador; Myles, a golden retriever; Bear, a mixed mutt; Sammy, a corgi; and Camper, a silken windhound.

Students can write and post messages on pieces of paper cut into the shape of chew bones, and in past years the sentiments have included things like:

• “Thank you for bringing the dogs. I really needed them.”
• “So grateful to you and our fur friends!”
• “This is amazing. This is the best day ever.”
• “All the beautiful pups brought me so much joy today.”
• “Thanks for making our lives not so ruff! XOXO”

With finals staring them in the face, students might derive the most benefit from the dogs, but plenty of employees mark their calendars as well. Regina Eisenbach, who retired as dean of academic advising and academic programs last year and is now serving as a faculty fellow, owns two dachshunds and jokingly calls herself a “crazy dog lady.” Pause for Paws is perennially her favorite day of the semester.

“Seeing so many different kinds of dogs is amazing to me,” Eisenbach said. “How can a corgi and a Great Dane be the same species? And how did they all descend from wolves? Truly incredible creatures.

“At Pause for Paws, I get to pet them all, release all the stress in my day and just get doggie kisses. Nothing better than that. Also, seeing how happy the students are to see the dogs warms my heart – I firmly believe it helps them study for finals.”

Biggs is a lifelong dog lover, but it wasn’t until her retirement years that she had time to make this present work her passion project. Her career had been a foundational one in CSUSM history. She began working at the university in 1986, when it was still a North County extension campus of San Diego State, housed in a Jerome’s furniture store.

As a librarian, Biggs was a member of the founding faculty when CSUSM was instituted in 1989, and she doubled as the assistant to longtime library dean Marion Reid. Early in her tenure, a professor who was Lakota Sioux asked her to reach out to tribal libraries that recently had lost funding from San Diego County. One of the unexpected outcomes of what became a long and fruitful partnership with local American Indian tribes is that, when students (seeking a school mascot) came to Biggs wondering about the Luiseno word for mountain lion, she consulted the tribe’s language keeper and came back with “Tukwut.” The name stuck.

Biggs planned to retire in 2003, but then-President Karen Haynes convinced her to stay on by creating the job of tribal liaison – the first such position at the college level in California. In her role, Biggs established another state first in the Native Advisory Council, a body that counsels the president on university relations with American Indian communities and fosters collaboration with area tribes.

“After we developed them, almost everyone in the state, all the way up to Berkeley, wanted to have some kind of tribal liaison, some kind of native council,” Biggs said. “So that’s something I’m proud of, and CSUSM should be, too.”

Retirement held for Biggs in 2007, and one of the first things she did was sign up for obedience training with her new dog, Koshi. Told by the trainer that Koshi would make a good therapy dog, Biggs admitted that she didn’t know what that was.  

She learned that therapy dogs are different from service dogs and emotional support animals. They are specifically trained to tolerate a wide range of environments and to provide companionship and comfort to many people.

Biggs was introduced to Love on a Leash, an organization founded in Oceanside in 1984 by Liz Palika, a dog obedience instructor who introduced the idea of pet-provided therapy to schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Love on a Leash has since expanded nationwide, with thousands of members across the country.

Biggs put Koshi through the Love on a Leash certification and began volunteering with her at hospitals, hospice facilities and – close to Biggs’ heart – libraries, where shy children gain confidence by reading books to eternally patient dogs. It seemed only natural to expand dog therapy to CSUSM, and that’s just what Biggs did in 2011.

“The idea of bringing all this love and support back here to such a special place for me was the best of both worlds,” she said.

Biggs and Koshi – joined by other volunteers and dogs – debuted at CSUSM in May 2011 for an event that they called the first University Stress Buster. By the second edition that fall, a volunteer had tagged it with the catchier name Pause for Paws.

“I knew I was on to something the minute I came here with Koshi, just based on the reaction,” Biggs said.

From the outset, CSUSM’s library has been a hand-in-hand partner with Pause for Paws – starting with Melanie Chu and continuing for the last nine years with Rosa Rodriguez, Chu’s successor as outreach coordinator. Rodriguez has broadened the scope of the event to include arts and crafts, creative activities and supply giveaways in collaboration with campus groups like Student Health & Counseling Services and the Cougar Care Network.

“I appreciate the joy it brings to students during finals,” Rodriguez said. “I love seeing the smiling faces around me as students, staff and faculty join the event to get some fur love.”

When Koshi was in her later years, Biggs and her husband – Gunnar is a bass musician who used to be an instructor at SDSU and Palomar College – adopted Zuni from Arkansas. A treeing Walker coonhound, Zuni also was certified through Love on a Leash and picked up the finer points of the therapy dog craft by observing her big sister. Molly, a “stubborn” beagle adopted from Calexico, in turn has learned from Zuni, who has been read to by children so often that a friend of Biggs awarded the dog an honorary Master of Library Science degree (the same one earned by her owner, of course).

The Biggses have a third dog, a chihuahua-beagle mix named Lupe, but she’s not people-friendly enough to be a therapy pet.

What do the dogs derive from their work?

“I think it’s that oxytocin exchange,” Biggs said. “It’s a comfort hormone, and they know they’re being loved. They know they make people happy. They feel useful.”

Pause for Paws has grown so popular that Biggs and her crew now make three other appearances on campus annually: the “What Gives Your Life Meaning?” campaign organized by the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care each semester and Super STEM Saturday every March.

The event on May 7 outside the library, however, is what Biggs lives for – what she has lived for the last 15 years.

“I get the same good, warm feeling being on the other end of the leash,” she said. “I can’t imagine not doing this.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

The production, which was directed by “Manai” Alleluia Panis, featured six performances between April 17 and April 26.

“Burden of Proof” is inspired by the true story of Perez’s mother, Leonora, who – along with a second Filipina nurse named Filipina Narciso – was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for the 1975 deaths of patients at a Veterans Administration hospital in Michigan. A judge later ordered their release due to the prosecutor’s “overwhelming prejudice.”

According to the website, the production “delves into the generational trauma inflicted by the American justice system and how traumatic experiences blur the line between memory and nightmare, told through the lens of the fictional Calinao immigrant family.”

The original score includes text drawn from the diary of Leonora Perez and the writings of Jason.

Perez has been on the faculty at CSUSM since 2019. In 2023-24, he served a two-year appointment as the poet laureate for the City of San Diego.  

Media Contact

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

Representing Mexico, the team won the Outstanding Delegation Award, and one of the members, senior Matt (McKenzie) Anthony, won an Outstanding Delegate Award.

The conference took place from March 29 to April 2 at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan.

The CSUSM students were joined by six students from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa., creating a joint delegation of 23.  

This marked the first NMUN conference for CSUSM since 2016. The Model United Nations program on campus has been revived by Roni Kay O’Dell, an assistant professor of environmental politics in the political science and global affairs department. O’Dell is the main academic adviser for the Model UN and has advised award-winning Model UN teams for 12 years, including at previous university positions.

“I’m so proud and impressed with the dedication of the students to learn from this experience and to expand their professional skills beyond the classroom and into their future academic, career and other professional development opportunities,” O’Dell said. “The students prepare for months, learning about the country they will represent and practicing and learning negotiation and diplomacy skills. They then put it into practice at the conference, and they always learn a great deal that they apply to expanding their skills and abilities.

“The whole Model UN experience makes an invaluable impression on the students and gives them the opportunity for social mobility and the experience to apply to professional development. We are so grateful for all the help and support across the CSUSM campus to everyone who made the team’s experience at NMUN a success.”

The NMUN conference gives students the opportunity to practice negotiation, speaking and writing skills with more than 3,000 peers from universities across the world. Students are assigned to different committees as they train for and prepare for the conference. They each learn about the history, politics, economy and foreign policy of the country they will represent.

As delegates representing Mexico, the CSUSM students worked in committees with dozens of their peers. They started by giving speeches and simulating the work of delegates at the UN who must bring policy recommendations on the issues to the committee. They then worked with each other (some of the committees have several hundred students) to debate, negotiate and write resolutions that specify how governments can cooperate to solve common security and human rights problems.

Anthony, a criminology and justice studies major, won an award for his outstanding work in the General Assembly second committee on negotiation and diplomacy. He shared the award with Elisabeth Gallagher, a team member from Seton Hill.

“I think the most important aspect of the experience wasn't only the friendships made but the building and strengthening of diplomatic skills that can be used in our future careers and our daily lives as an excellent way to build a strong social framework of friends and colleagues,” Anthony said.  

In addition to Anthony, the CSUSM team included the following students (with positions and UN committees at the conference as well as academic major):

• Jessica Aguilar, Economic and Social Council, first-year political science major
• Miguel Andres Dumani Garaicoa, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, third-year political science major
• Tatum Basco, General Assembly Second Committee, second-year political science major
• Lucia Elia, General Assembly Second Committee, first-year political science major
• Joseph Gominiak, General Assembly Third Committee, second-year history major
• Amira Helmy, Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, fourth-year political science major
• Andrea Fernanda Hernández Corral, General Assembly Third Committee, third-year political science major
• Armany Mendoza Lopez, High Commissioner for Refugees, fourth-year political science major
• Zeenia Najmi, Environmental Assembly, graduating economics major
• Ava Nolen, Human Rights Council, fourth-year political science and global studies double major
• Diana Ortega, Economic, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), graduating political science major
• Monserrat Perez-Manzo, Committee on Narcotic Drugs, first-year political science and criminology double major
• Melanie Reyna; High Commissioner for Refugees, second-year political science major
• Baylee Robinson, Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, third-year political science major
• Ashleigh Skarshaug, head delegate and Environmental Assembly, third-year political science and criminology double major
• Kelly Vu, Economic, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), second-year biology major

More information about CSUSM’s Model UN program can be found at its webpage.  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Topping-out ceremonies are a long-standing construction tradition, typically marked by the signing of the final structural beam before it is lifted into place. At CSUSM, the moment carried deeper meaning, as it honored the university’s commitment to building new and accessible pathways for students in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CSTEM).

“I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the momentum that brought us to this point,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “This facility is social mobility in action. It’s about providing access for students, many of whom are the first in their families to go to college, stepping into fields that are shaping the future.”

Built for Growth

Opening in fall 2027, Hunter Hall represents a significant investment in CSUSM’s trajectory as one of the fastest-growing campuses in the California State University system. Once complete, the approximately 70,000-square-foot, three-story facility will feature state-of-the-art laboratories, a robotics suite and collaborative learning spaces designed to meet the region's increasing demand for engineering talent.

Hunter Hall will allow CSUSM to expand engineering enrollment from 500 to nearly 2,000 students and launch a new program in industrial and systems engineering, building on existing offerings in electrical, software and computer engineering.

The expansion comes at a critical time for San Diego, one of the nation's fastest-growing technology and innovation hubs, where the need for skilled engineers continues to outpace supply. With eight in 10 CSUSM graduates remaining in the region after graduation, Hunter Hall is positioned to directly strengthen the local workforce pipeline.

A Transformational Gift

The project has been made possible in part by a transformational $10 million gift from Hunter Industries, one of the largest contributions in university history.

“It’s an exciting moment to see this building coming to fruition,” said Greg Hunter, CEO of Hunter Industries. “We’re proud to support a project that will have both a lasting impact on students and be a source of talent in our community.”

The gift has helped propel CSUSM's Blueprint for the Future fundraising campaign to 82% of its $200 million goal, underscoring broad support for a university dedicated to student success, social mobility and community engagement.

“Hunter Hall creates the conditions for the kind of collaboration our students will experience in their careers,” said Jackie Trischman, dean of CSTEM. “We’re grateful to Hunter Industries and other partners for making this possible and for helping us prepare our students to contribute to innovation across our region.”

For more information on funding and naming opportunities for Hunter Hall, contact Mike Helé, director of philanthropy, at 760-750-8401 or mhele@csusm.edu.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

The event will take place on Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at Forum Plaza. Itʻs being organized by Student Health & Counseling Services and the Women and Gender Equity Center.

The earliest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence, Take Back the Night has been hosted at CSUSM for more than 20 years as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The event will be a safe, supportive space for storytelling and learning. It will conclude with a survivorsʻ circle, in which attendees sit on the grass with tea lights and a microphone is passed around for survivors to share their story. All survivors, supporters and allies are welcome.

If youʻre unable to attend the event but would like to support Take Back the Night at CSUSM, you can make a donation through Cougar Crowdfunding. 

Learn more about sexual violence advocacy and education at CSUSM here.

Media Contact

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

As the kids had just come from lunch, cases of the wiggles were rampant, but it didn’t take long for the man in the middle (with the microphone) to grab their attention.

“If you look at the big screen up here, it says ‘Project Playground,’ and it’s a really cool project that I love to do with fifth-graders,” Howard Chan said as he weaved between the tables in the cavernous space that is the Hub, located on the ground floor of the Extended Learning Building.

“I’ve done like 40 of these, so I’ve seen a lot of different designs, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you all come up with today.”

Chan, the leader of a CSUSM initiative called the K-12 Collaborative, proceeded to explain that the students from Empresa Elementary School in Oceanside would be employing the five-step innovation process to design and create a prototype for a playground. Over the next 45 minutes, the kids used basic craft materials – chipboards, paper straws, popsicle sticks, string, markers – to make models of such classic equipment as swings, slides, monkey bars and seesaws.

As the students buzzed about eagerly – besides the design project and lunch, the day also included a campus tour with a scavenger hunt – Taresa McSpadden sat in the back of the room with a knowing smile. By the following week, all 49 fifth-grade classes across 14 elementary schools in the Vista Unified School District (of which Empresa is a member) would have participated in the same innovation experience, and McSpadden – an innovation teacher on special assignment – has attended every one of them.

“It has been phenomenal,” McSpadden said. “The students are excited. The teachers are excited. Even the parents who come are blown away by not just the Hub but also the experience for their kids. So many of the students have never been to a college campus before.

“I think the most powerful thing we’ve heard from them when they leave is, ‘I think I want to go to college now.’ ”

Chan probably couldn’t have imagined a scene like this a couple of years ago. It was in early 2024 that he met with Scott Gross, CSUSM’s associate vice president for industry partnerships, who oversees the Hub. The meeting marked a reunion for two men who had first crossed paths a decade earlier on a field trip of local educators to Apple headquarters in Silicon Valley.

By 2024, Chan was a consultant for workforce development organizations in the life sciences and STEM industries, and a mutual friend urged Gross to reconnect with Chan.

“The Hub was very focused on CSUSM students and CSUSM faculty, and all of our programming – and frankly all of my thinking – was in that direction,” Gross said. “But we sat down and started having a conversation, which opened up some great ideas about how we could reach back in the pipeline and help K-12 students get exposed to innovation earlier, so that by the time they got to CSUSM, they might be a little more advanced in their experience with innovation and entrepreneurship.”

From that fortuitous get-together, Chan was hired away from his current job and the K-12 Collaborative was born. The first push that Chan and Gross made was in the space of work-based learning, an educational approach (which California is heavily investing in) that uses the workplace to provide students with the knowledge and skills to help them connect school experiences to real-life work activities and future career opportunities.

Work-based learning at the high school level often includes internships, but companies can be reluctant to take on teenagers because of liability concerns. So the Hub decided to leverage its relationships with industry partners to invite them to CSUSM and conduct sessions that incorporate interactive activities or challenges as well as insight into how they connect to the business and the work it does.

“That three-to-four-hour experience now counts as work-based learning because we involved industry,” Gross said. “So we’re meeting a need that the high schools desperately have, and it’s helping us expose these high school students to what college looks like.”

Starting with the launch around work-based learning, the K-12 Collaborative has since broadened into a multi-pronged effort as the Hub keeps innovating in response to needs expressed by its community partners. It now encompasses elementary innovation experiences (such as the design project involving the fifth-graders from Empresa), industry tours for educators, and summer academies and camps.

And the evolution continues. This week, the Hub is collaborating with the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences and Mosaic Theatricals in Escondido to welcome about 100 elementary school students from the Escondido Union School District for hands-on learning activities led by CHABSS interns. It’s part of Pathways to Purpose, a career-readiness program that provides structured, paid internships for students in arts education and theater arts.

This summer, the Hub will host its first cybersecurity camp, which Chan developed in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education. And it will bring back its popular Small Business Academy, which debuted last year with Oceanside High School and has grown to include multiple school districts and cohorts. During the week-long academy, students get to meet entrepreneurs, talk to CSUSM faculty and tour local businesses – while each day they make progress on a business pitch that, by the end of the week, they present to a panel for feedback.

“It’s definitely an inspiring week,” Chan said. “There’s a collective energy I'm seeing in this region, a hunger for these types of experiences, which has opened a lot of great relationships and partnerships for the Innovation Hub across industry, higher ed and K-12. This vision we've always had of those three entities, now we're seeing a lot of different folks coming out of the woodwork, collaborating, wanting to work together to better this region and our students’ experiences.”

It’s not just students’ experiences that the K-12 Collaborative is bettering, either. Carrying over an initiative from his previous work, Chan has been periodically gathering groups of educators – a mix of district leaders and classroom teachers – for tours of area industries. In the past year, stops have included such sites as Callaway Golf in Carlsbad, Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Dr. Bronner’s in Vista and an Amazon warehouse in Otay Mesa.

This semester, Chan is heading up a new cohort called “Leading in the Age of AI.” It’s a four-part series featuring almost 50 educators from about a dozen school districts, with assistance from CSUSM representatives including several professors and even Jackie Trischman, dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The cohort already has visited the San Diego facility of Apple and done a webinar with Google, and this month it will hit Microsoft.

“We know that AI is top of mind and that nobody really has the answers, so we saw our role as being a convener,” Chan said. “Bring people together, give them some information from the companies, let them wrestle with it. I’m curious to see what will come out of it.”

Both Chan and Gross have been pleased with the support that the K-12 Collaborative has received across campus, from the Office of Recruitment and Outreach (which facilitates campus tours) to the Center for Research and Engagement in STEM Education (which assists with the elementary experiences) to academic departments like computer science and engineering.

Perhaps the biggest problem that the collaborative faces is that it almost has grown too quickly. As much as he has taken on, Chan is one person, and he will need help if the venture is to expand further. Gross has explored the possibility of student assistants (whether they take the form of STEM ambassadors or teacher credential candidates), but any long-term effort to scale likely will necessitate funding to hire additional staff.

“Some people might wonder why the Innovation Hub is engaging in this work,” Gross said. “I would say it's a no-brainer, because this is what we want CSUSM to be known for. We want to be known for being on the leading edge of innovation. We want to be known for being the place where students think about going to college. We want to be known as the anchor institution through which educators can grapple with tough stuff. So why wouldn't we do it?”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

The discussion will take place on Monday, April 6 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. Cassel is a longtime CSUSM faculty member whose expertise is Chinese American history and literature. Yee was among the founding staff of Instructional and Information Technology Services (IITS) at CSUSM in 1990 before proceeding to earn a master’s degree in history from the university.

Titled “The Unexpected Story of the San Diego Chinese Community: From Small Chinatown to Thriving Ecosystem,” the talk will celebrate the impact and history of San Diego’s Chinese community from early Chinatown to the places that anchor it today. It also will include photos and a Q&A session with Cassel and Yee.

The event is presented by the House of China in Balboa Park, in collaboration with the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum and the Chinese School of San Diego. It includes a light meal.

The cost is free for House of China members, volunteers and students, and $15 for all others.

Advance registration is required because seating is limited. To register, text David Seid at 858-699-1900.

Media Contact

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

The public talk, titled “Knowledge of AIDS: Civic Participation and Activism,” will take place on Wednesday, March 25 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the San Diego LGBT Community Center, 3909 Centre St.

The discussion is being funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that Spieldenner received in 2023. The guests are activists Cecilia Chung, a senior adviser for the Transgender Law Center; and Charles Stephens, the founder and executive director of the Counter Narrative Project; as well as researcher Tonia Poteat, a professor in the Duke University School of Nursing.

The talk is free and open to the community. It’s part of a workshop series sponsored by the NSF’s Knowledge of Aids network.

Spieldenner has been a CSUSM faculty member for almost a decade. HIV-positive since 1998, he has been an advocate for people living with AIDS and HIV for most of his life, and has established himself as a groundbreaking researcher on topics that affect the LGBTQ community.

Media Contact

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

The center, which is nicknamed The Nest, is calling the event “Miiyu: Where Story Lives.” It will take place on Tuesday, March 17 from noon to 2 p.m. in USU 3400.

The open house will offer the campus community a chance to visit the center, learn more about its role in supporting American Indian and Alaska Native students, and recognize the many partnerships and collaborations that contributed to bringing the space to life. The Nest, which opened last fall under assistant director Tommy Devers, serves as a place of connection, cultural grounding, mentorship and community for American Indian students at CSUSM.

The program will begin with a blessing, followed by brief remarks from campus leaders and community partners, and the unveiling of a new mural created by American Indian studies professor Eric Tippeconnic (Comanche) and Lanise Luna (Kuupangaxwichem/Mescalero Apache). The mural reflects the living stories, histories and futures carried by American Indian students and communities connected to the university.

Following the unveiling, guests are invited to stay for a reception and an opportunity to connect with colleagues, students and community members.

Anyone planning to attend is asked to RSVP at this link.

Media Contact

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

CSUSM is one of eight California State University schools to make the list, which includes the top 250 colleges and universities in the country.

It’s the fifth time that Newsweek has partnered with Statista to honor institutions that offer online degree programs to learners who want to obtain an academic degree, including hybrid programs with online and offline courses or exams.

According to Newsweek, the ranking is built using an online survey of more than 10,000 U.S. citizens who have used online learning services either to earn a degree or to further their knowledge and skills for a job or a hobby. Participants also rated their experiences based on organization, support, price, reputation, success and practical relevance.

Media Contact

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

Now, as the grant period nears an end, that project – called Unifying APIDA Communities Together, or U-ACT – has partnered with the University Library to bring its work and its culture to the campus community.

The library’s Context Exhibit Series this semester is titled “Wayfinding Community-Campus Vā.” It’s a mixed-media collection that, according to the website description, “imagines how an ‘oceanic orientation’ promotes cultural education, sustains community relationships and engagements, and advances social justice. With a basis in the ancient foundation of Austronesian language families, Vā is ‘connecting space’ that link islands and ocean together as an interconnected worldview.”

The collection includes traditional wooden instruments, a double-hulled canoe, community-created murals, linguistic maps and a series of language and cultural workshop videos. It’s on display in the library’s third-floor exhibit space through July 31.

“Partnering (with the library) on community outreach was an easy decision on our end,” said Theresa Suarez, a sociology professor who’s the project director and principal investigator for U-ACT. “Our goal is to create greater alignment between campus resources and community engagement, especially through the Stop the Hate grant program, to support recruitment and outreach – that indeed public higher education opportunities are available for all.”

A reception celebrating the spring context exhibit will be held Thursday, March 5 from 5-7 p.m. on the library’s third floor and Kellogg Plaza. It will feature a performance by the CSUSM student organization Pāsefika Islander Scholar Association (PISA), live mural creation by a local artist, live music and multiple speakers.

Anyone is welcome to attend, with no RSVP needed. Attendees will be invited to provide feedback by contributing to a large paper lei, created with the guidance and support of The Makery in the library. 

In addition to Suarez, other members of the U-ACT team who curated the exhibit are Grant Muāgututi’a, co-investigator and assistant professor of liberal studies and linguistics; Madeline Lee, co-investigator and professor of social work; Sara Constantinescu, project coordinator and Academic Senate analyst; Lia Mauga, community liaison and director of TRIO pre-college programs; Joshua Galea'i, community liaison and senior adviser in the Office of Academic Advising; and Cheryl Landin, director of strategic initiatives in the Office of Inclusive Excellence.

Through U-ACT, CSUSM has partnering with various nonprofit organizations to help them offer free intervention and prevention services in communities and neighborhoods within the university’s service area. Two of the most prominent are ’Umeke, which is dedicated to the preservation, perpetuation and education of Hawaiian culture; and Save Our Streets (SOS), which focuses on reducing community violence by engaging all Oceanside youth through athletics and performing arts within a context of Samoan cultural values to promote healh, wellness, healing and safety.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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