At the end of June, following 15.5 years of leadership as the university’s third president, Haynes will retire with her husband Jim Mickelson, founding director of ACE Scholars Services, CSUSM’s innovative program for former foster youth.

“We are honored by this special tribute to our legacies, a tribute that symbolically allows us to forever be part of a campus that means so much to us,” Haynes said at a small reception and ceremonial ribbon cutting on June 14.

While the concept of a whispering bench is not new, the recently unveiled bench at CSUSM is one of only a handful of whispering benches worldwide. But the bench’s signature acoustical phenomena, which can carry even a faint whisper from one end to the other, was initially a delightful fluke.

“I wanted the design for the bench to reflect the elegance and class of President Haynes and the magic of Jim Mickelson,” artist Fritzie Urquhart said.

The whispering bench is the fifth art installation designed by Urquhart on campus. Her first piece, a colorful acrylic titled “Pieces of the Puzzle,” hangs in the lobby of the president’s office. Her outdoor pieces include “Noodle Doddle” in front of the Center for Children and Families, “Do Re Mi” located in Gonzalez Grove, and “Wind Song” on the lawn adjacent to the University Bookstore.

While early planning began in November, construction took only four weeks. The whispering bench is located in the true center of campus, perfectly aligned from the Twin Oaks Valley Road and Barham Drive corner of campus through the heart to the university center.

From the inner edge of the seat, the curved bench is exactly 15.5 feet in diameter, representing the 15½ years of Haynes’ presidency at CSUSM. The installation is flanked by purple flowers, Haynes’ favorite color.

“There is a lot of folklore literally built into this bench,” said Pat Simpson, who was part of the planning, design and construction team that brought the idea to life.

The 15-ton concrete bench features specks of double-sided mirror pieces, a nod to Haynes’ glitz and glamour, as well as a reference to her police code name, “Sparky.” Encased in the bench are 62 quarters, totaling $15.50, each minted in the years of Haynes’ presidency from 2004 to 2019. The quarters were initially used to help level the bench during its construction.

Etched into the bench is a line of poetry written by Haynes in 1986 to her soon-to-be husband, Mickelson. That line – “Ahead of us lies anything we choose - constrained only by our vision.” – was later part of the couple’s marriage vows.

The curvature of the bench, which provides the necessary architecture for its acoustics, is in a “C” shape, standing for campus, community, collaboration and communication – the steadfast pillars of Haynes’ leadership.

“As our time at CSUSM winds down, we look forward to returning to campus to enjoy this bench and quietly reflect on our time here and everything that makes it such a special place,” Mickelson said.

The bench was privately funded by Jan and Esther Stearns, Jack and Caroline Raymond, Esther Calac-Heller, Nathaniel and Dean Keifer-Wheals and the Foundation Board of Directors.

Media Contact

Christine Vaughan, Director of Communications

cvaughan@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-4409

Why aren’t BSW interns placed in information referral systems?

“That would have been a deadly pick-up line, right?” said Haynes, laughing as she recalled the moment Mickelson asked her that question during an after-hours networking event while attending a conference in Cincinnati.

At the heart of the query was a challenge to the prevailing belief that the referral system was not robust enough to give baccalaureate social work students adequate field experience. Although the conversation occurred in a disco, they never danced. Instead, a debate ensued, which led to the pair coauthoring an article on the topic.

“I knew in that moment that she was out of my league,” Mickelson said.

Haynes and Mickelson have been together ever since – first and always as colleagues, then as spouses and parents. On June 30, Haynes will retire after 15½ years as Cal State San Marcos’ third president. Mickelson will join her after more than 12 years as the founding director of ACE Scholars Services, which supports former foster youth at the university.

Theirs is a love story that has spanned more than three decades and two presidencies. Soon, they’ll trade in the titles of President and First Gentleman to begin new adventures as Sparky and Stache, as they’re affectionately known to their grandchildren.

The book of love

A few years after that first chance meeting, while attending another social work conference in Washington, D.C., the pair continued their lively discussion over cocktails at a folksy bar. There, they bemoaned the absence of political advocacy within the field of social work. Haynes, then an associate professor at Indiana University, had started a social work political action committee in the state. Mickelson, who was a social worker in Detroit, had established a similar one in Michigan. Two drinks in, they concocted an idea.

On a nondescript white cocktail napkin, they penned the beginnings of what would be their great manifesto – a book that would revolutionize social work to influence policy change. It would teach aspiring social workers how to harness political action skills. It would be the rallying cry that advocacy is the central mission of social work practice. Topic by topic, they outlined the chapters and began divvying up the sections. She’d write the first half; he’d write the second.

For the next year, Haynes and Mickelson mailed 5.25-inch floppy disks back and forth from Bloomington to Detroit. Soon, they were piling up long-distance phone charges as they debated and discussed their book, their profession, their lives and their children.

“Affecting Change: Social Workers in the Political Arena” was first published in 1986 and has since had seven editions released.

“We had so many good intellectual debates and discussions writing the book together,” Mickelson said. “And we still do.”

When Haynes accepted a dean’s position at the University of Houston in 1985, Mickelson – who, upon hearing the news, exclaimed, “Why the heck would you move to Texas?” – followed her there after a year and then the two married.

Balancing dual careers

In Texas, they pursued their respective careers, each blazing a path of influence framed by their shared values of social work. As the sole woman in the administration at the University of Houston, Haynes created the nation’s only curriculum specializing in political social work. Mickelson developed and directed CHILDREN AT RISK, a child advocacy nonprofit, and garnered a reputation as the most persistent child advocate in Houston.

In 1995, the chancellor of the UH system asked Haynes to be the interim president for the Victoria campus, 125 miles away from their suburban Clearlake home, for one year. Never aspiring to be a president, Haynes agreed to fill the role temporarily. It didn’t make sense to uproot their lives for such a short stint, so Mickelson remained in Houston. Their daughter had just left for college, and suddenly their four-bedroom home felt very empty. On most weekends, Mickelson made the nearly two-and-a-half-hour drive through the flatlands of South Texas to Victoria.

Some weeks, he’d have to rush out of work on Friday and bolt down Highway 59 to attend a special event as the presidential spouse. One time, he forgot his dress suit pants and had to piece together a more casual look. And surprisingly, only once did he get a speeding ticket.

“We were both succeeding in our careers and we wanted to continue to do that,” Mickelson said. “But it got really hard, emotionally, to be apart for that long.”

The one-year interim appointment turned into two years. Haynes thrived in her new role. When the time came for a national presidential search, Haynes was nominated for the position. In 1997, she was appointed the eighth president of the University of Houston-Victoria (Haynes remains the longest-serving president in that university’s history). It would be two-and-a-half more years before Mickelson joined her.

“We knew at the time it was not a good career move for Jim,” Haynes said. “Obviously, there are fewer opportunities in a region that small, and very little political advocacy work.”

But Mickelson found opportunities. One year, following six teenage suicides in the small town, he orchestrated a community rally to pressure elected officials to provide better mental health services.

“We are both driven by those same core social work values – around addressing social injustices,” Mickelson said. “She’s trying to do that through higher education, and I’m trying to do that by removing barriers.”

Madam President and the First Gentleman

Over the 24 years of his wife’s two presidencies, Mickelson’s identity has often been mistaken. He once was called her driver and often was confused for a boyfriend. Some flubs are even comical, like when Mickelson is assumed to be the president.

It happens like this: The pair are attending a conference for presidents and their spouses. Introductions and pleasantries begin, and someone will turn to Mickelson and ask, “Where are you a president?”

Mickelson, in his quick wit, often wanted to respond, “Nah, Blondie is the president.” But he knew that comment would likely result in a sharp side elbow from Haynes.

While the scenario has played out in different scenes, the underlying sexist assumption is that clearly the man would be the president. At the time of Haynes’ first presidency, less than one in four university presidents were women, of which less than half were married. The role and presence of presidential husbands were largely absent. Folding napkins, hosting high tea, choosing centerpieces or approving invitation stationery were gendered roles commonly filled by presidential wives.

“People didn’t know what to do with a male presidential spouse,” Mickelson said.

To navigate this new world and address the erroneous gendered assumptions, the couple asked the university’s advancement professionals to deliberate. The title “First Gentleman” was suggested. It made sense and it has stuck with him ever since.

Intentionally making time

Every morning, when at home, Mickelson brings Haynes a cup of coffee. With the exception of the four years they lived in different cities, it’s been a daily ritual that begins a time to catch up, plan the day or week, and stay up to date on higher education, and state and national issues.

“We’ve been co-authors, collaborators, colleagues and best friends as well as parents and spouses trying to navigate two careers,” Haynes said. “If you keep communication open, even when it’s testy, and you respect what the other person is doing, it’s a lot easier to do the daily give and take. I think the fact that we have both respected what each other does professionally made a lot of it easier over time to give the support needed.”

Protecting their time together has been a priority for Haynes and Mickelson. They intentionally block off a weekend every six to eight weeks that is free of university business and events. Seasoned travelers, the pair have visited nearly 40 countries together, exploring cities and villages as much like a local as possible.

But perhaps more interesting than their travel destinations are that Haynes and Mickelson completely unplug during their vacations. The practice stems from Haynes’ value in work-life balance, but also derives from her leadership style to equip, empower and trust her staff in her absence.

“My colleague presidents have always said, ‘How in the world can you do that?’ ” Haynes said. “And I have always said, ‘If you don’t have a team you can trust, that’s what’s wrong.’ ”

From this day forward

Haynes and Mickelson aren’t ones to offer marriage advice (“Unless it’s at the request of our children, which once given is swiftly ignored,” said Haynes, laughing). But if there is one overarching theme of their marriage, it would be concessions.

“We both had to concede at some point,” Mickelson said. “I had to move and start over several times. Karen had to put up with the political pushback that came from me being a vocal child advocate. Working for a nonprofit, there were literally months when I didn’t get paid, and that was difficult. We both gave so the other could pursue their passion.”

Even though they never danced at the disco on the night they met, dancing has become a metaphor in their marriage. Whether it’s struggling to determine who leads or side-stepping political disagreements, extended family dilemmas or dual careers, they’ve been committed to dancing for the fun of it, not for perfection. And they try to avoid stepping on each other’s toes while letting each other shine in solo performances.

As they embark on their shared retirement, their short-term plans involve time with three children, and their spouses, and four grandchildren and lots of travel.

In the fall, the couple plans to take an extended trip to Montreal to revisit the city where Haynes lived while she earned her Master of Social Work at McGill University. From there, they’ll take a 11-day cruise to New York (Haynes grew up in northeastern New Jersey). There, they plan to see “Hamilton” and “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway and visit a selective magic club.

As for the long term, that’s still to be determined. But a line from their wedding vows Haynes pledged to Mickelson nearly 33 years ago offers a clue:

“Ahead of us lies anything we choose – constrained only by our vision.”

1. Goodbye Taupe, Hello Presidential Purple // It was one of the first changes she made to her office. Initially, Haynes was told by the university architect that she could not have purple walls. Haynes still laughs as she recounts the story. “I replied, ‘I may not be able to change everything, but this I can,’ ” she said.

2. Signed with an “S” // Gifted by University of Houston-Victoria donors and designed by an artist who commissioned pieces for past U.S. presidents, the bronze-plated signature piece includes Haynes’ middle initial – “S” for Sue. While she was a dean at the University of Houston, Haynes’ mail often got mixed with that of her associate dean, Dr. Karen Holmes. Trying to mitigate mistakes, Haynes began using her middle initial in communications and within her signature. Although it didn’t make much of a difference in the mail sorting, the initial stuck. To this day, she includes the “S” when signing documents.

3. Penned with Purpose // Haynes has authored, coauthored or contributed to eight published books, including the revolutionary book she coauthored with her husband, “Affecting Change,” which focuses on advocacy as the central mission of social work practice. She keeps a copy of each of the seven editions in her office.

4. Haynes in Arabic // In the late 1970s, Haynes worked in Cairo for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, which was housed within the Egyptian Institute for National Planning. This nameplate, written in Arabic, sat on her desk. “Active listening takes on a whole new meaning when your team’s first language is different from your own,” she said.

5. A Different Lens // One of more than 60 such objects owned by Haynes, this kaleidoscope was a gift from Professor David Bennett to thank Haynes for her candid insights on leadership success and failure during “In the Executive’s Chair,” a signature course of the College of Business Administration.

6. You’ve Got Mail // Haynes receives an average of 1,000 emails and 60 physical memos or documents requiring her authorization or review, weekly.

7. Some Like It Hot // Every morning at home, First Gentleman Jim Mickelson brings his wife a cup of coffee, which she prefers light with a little sweetener. But Haynes rarely finishes the cup. Instead, she sips it slowly throughout her morning, and then makes a second cup at the office. She keeps one mug warmer on her vanity at home and one on her desk.

8. Fuchsia Suit Wins // The legendary suit that Haynes wore, and referenced, during her open forum interview in 2003. One of three candidates vying to be the third president of CSUSM, Haynes famously said, “If you want to know why I’m wearing a fuchsia suit, it’s because I want you to remember me; and I’m pretty sure neither of the other candidates (who were men) will be wearing fuchsia.”

9. Tools of the Trade // Purchased from the jewelry store Casanova’s Downfall in Houston, these are the earrings Haynes wore during her campus interview. Haynes is known for her colorful, bold jewelry sets, often purchasing new pieces from wearable art festivals and boutique shops. Keeping those pieces together became a challenge, until Mickelson found inspiration at a hardware store. With rubber liners and easy gliding drawers, a customized top-chest toolbox holds Haynes’ many pieces.

10. The Object at Hand // In a time-honored CSU tradition, the outgoing senior president gifts a custom-made cane to their system successor. Haynes received her purple-jeweled cane in 2016 from President Ruben Armiñana, who was retiring from Sonoma State. Upon his retirement, Haynes became the first woman in CSU history to hold the title of senior president. In April, Haynes ceremonially passed the baton in the form of a new cane to Dianne Harrison, president of CSU Northridge.

11. A Renaissance Partner // Haynes’ husband, Mickelson, is an eclectic artist and hobbyist. His portfolio includes knitting, woodworking, photography, magic and stained glass. He built and gifted this piece to his wife in 1985 when she became dean of the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Houston.

12. Sparky’s Family // Known to her grandchildren as “Sparky,” Haynes displays photos of her three children and four grandchildren throughout her office. Many of the images were photographed by Mickelson, who served as an unofficial university photographer for the first six years of Haynes’ tenure at CSUSM.

13. A Daily Dose // Every morning, Haynes reads Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed, and weekly she digests ACE’s President to President and AASCU’s Federal Highlights, keeping pulse of trends and challenges facing higher education, institutions and presidents.

14. Stocked Up // In any given week, Haynes has upward of 40 appointments on her calendar. Often on the go, Haynes keeps her refrigerator stocked with salads, cottage cheese, protein drinks, ready-to-go snacks and water.

15. Students First // In 2015, Haynes was honored by the California State Student Association as President of the Year, the highest award bestowed by the student-led organization. Students honored Haynes by saying, “Her student-centered leadership style, willingness to involve students in decision-making and support for statewide student advocacy efforts makes her a standout president.”

16. Audacious Goals // In a pinnacle of her career, Haynes successfully concluded CSUSM’s first comprehensive campaign in 2018. It was at her urging that CSUSM declared an ambitious $50 million goal – unheard of for such a young institution to attempt in its first campaign. Not only did she lead the university in exceeding its goal, but Forward Together shattered all expectations, raising $55 million.

17. A Source of Inspiration // Haynes has long been a champion for women’s rights and the advancement of women leaders. She keeps a photograph of her role model, Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, who she met through Leadership Texas, a women’s leadership network.

18. A Pearl of Wisdom // Gifted by her former chief of staff, Matt Ceppi, Haynes’ likeness was modeled into a bobblehead. Don’t look too closely, though. The bobblehead features Haynes sporting pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. Haynes, known for her bold jewelry, still laughs when she looks at it, exclaiming, “When have I ever worn pearls?”

19. Fit for a Queen // A birthday gift from her staff when she turned 70, the jeweled tiara features Haynes’ favorite color: purple.

20. A Little Levity // “And they thought every decision was strategic,” said Haynes, joking. A gift from her staff, the Magic 8 Ball pays tribute to one of Haynes’ signature leadership beliefs – make time for fun.

But before putting the finishing touches on your list of New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look back at some of the many successes at CSUSM in 2017, and some of the most talked about stories.

The University received national recognition, celebrated achievements and broke records, from our highest number of diplomas awarded in May to a record number of students stepping foot on campus in August.

CSUSM Ready to Fill Need for Engineers

Jan. 30, 2017

CSUSM is developing innovative degree programs in software and electrical engineering -- software was approved by the Academic Senate in December 2017 -- reflecting the University’s longstanding commitment to practical experience consistently emphasized by the other degree programs in the College of Science and Mathematics.

Library Works to Build Information Literacy

Feb. 9, 2017

Dean Jennifer Fabbi and her staff at the CSUSM Library are on the front lines of fighting fake news. “When I first got into this field, it was all about helping people find information,” Fabbi said. “Information was scarce and you often needed a librarian to find it. Now you have a glut of information; we’re drowning in it. But people often don’t have the skills to evaluate that information for biases and legitimacy.”

César Chávez: The Story Behind the Statue

March 28, 2017

Twenty years ago, CSUSM unveiled its first outdoor public art – a bronze statue of civil rights activist César Chávez. At the time, the north-facing statue seemed far from the four university buildings on the southwest side of campus, but as history would prove, the César Chávez statue would not only reflect the heart of CSUSM, it would one day become the center of campus.

Human Development Student Ready to Make a Difference

April 17, 2017

Carlos Olivares had a difficult time adjusting to life in the United States after moving from Mexico when he was 9. “I struggled a lot growing up,” Carlos said. “I struggled adapting to a new culture and I rebelled quite a bit.” Carlos overcame those struggles, becoming the first in his family to attend college, graduating in May with a bachelor’s in human development.

Inspiring Journey from Refugee to Marine to Graduate

April 21, 2017

Nearly a decade as a refugee after fleeing a brutal civil war? Check. U.S. Marine combat engineer in Iraq and Afghanistan? Check. Promising biochemist who has been accepted into among the most prestigious research institutions in the world? Check. Meet Sharon Patray, who received her bachelor’s in biochemistry in May and is now in a Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins University.

From Teen Mom to College Graduate

May 18, 2017

Psychology student Erica Alfaro beat the odds when she crossed the commencement stage in May and joined the 2 percent – the small number of teenage mothers who earn their college degree before turning 30. From discovering that she was pregnant at age 15 to dropping out of high school to overcoming years of domestic violence, Erica overcame numerous challenges on a decade-long path to her degree.

CSUSM Officially Transitions to NCAA

July 17, 2017

The Cal State San Marcos athletics program has come a long way since its inception in 1998. Back then, the athletics department had two coaches for its six teams. Today, CSUSM has 13 teams and more than 300 student-athletes. The athletics department celebrated another important milestone on July 14 when it became a full-fledged NCAA Division II member after successfully completing a three-year transition period.

Bread Machine: Marketing Professor Shares Passion for Baking

Aug. 8, 2017

Cal State San Marcos marketing professor Glen Brodowsky is a popular guest at dinner parties. While some might pick up a bottle of wine on the way to someone’s home, Brodowsky arrives with a basket of homemade breads. “They say man cannot live by bread alone,” Brodowsky said. “Watch me.”

Finding a Purpose after Prison

Aug. 23, 2017

Being sentenced to prison wasn’t the most terrifying experience of Martin Leyva’s life. When you’re arrested for the first time at age 13 and you spend the next two decades in and out of jail and prison, it’s easy to become accustomed to life behind bars. No, terrifying for Leyva was stepping on to a college campus for the first time.

Life on the Chicken Ranch: Roots Run Deep at University

Sept. 6, 2017

Arturo Villalobos’ family has deep ties to the Prohoroff Poultry Farm. His parents both lived and worked on the farm as did many of Villalobos’ seven siblings. Though the farm has been gone for decades, the connection remains. On the land where Villalobos used to spend nine hours a day, six days a week working as mechanic on the farm, his daughter and niece come to work each day as employees of CSUSM.

A New Era of Crash

Oct. 19, 2017

Amid the excited roars of more than 1,000 students and fans at Cougar Madness, CSUSM’s mascot debuted with a new look, feel and attitude, ready to help athletics compete to its full potential in NCAA Division II. Crash the Cougar surprised the crowd when the new mascot took to the court following the team introductions during the late-night pep rally that kicked off the basketball season.

How Diversity Has Led CSUSM from the Beginning

Dec. 11, 2017

Diversity isn’t a fad. It’s in our DNA at Cal State San Marcos. More than demographics, diversity at CSUSM represents three core values: inclusion, social justice and equity. From the University’s early days, founding faculty blazed a path for a new kind of university, one that didn’t shy away from diversity and was intently focused on serving the public good.

The TEDxCSUSM event, which is licensed by TED, was organized by a team of CSUSM students.

“We believe that our generation needs to be reminded just how much power a single individual has,” said Nick Blaylock, the TEDxCSUSM curator and a global supply chain management student.

Limited tickets are available for $25, which includes lunch.

The list of guest speakers includes two with ties to CSUSM. Women’s studies lecturer Cecili Chadwick, who is also a CSUSM alumna, will present “Lost in Translation: Feminism, Power, and Men’s Rights Activism.” Maggie Kay, who graduated in December with a bachelor’s in global supply chain management, will present “Merchants of Misery.” Kay founded the Maggie Kay Foundation to help inform, educate and empower girls to improve their lives through education.

Other speakers include:

• John Caruthers, special advisory FBI agent and head of the San Diego Cyber Security Division;
• Colin Finlay, a renowned photographer;
• Alex Liebeskind, a researcher at Lynett Wave Research Group and USC Coastal Engineering;
• Michael Marckx, global GM of VonZipper;
• David Shad, a LEED Accredited Professional and an assistant professor for the HVAC Design and Control classes at UCSD; and
• Sloane Trugman, founder of Amunet Insights LLC, an information and identity strategy & research firm.

Through TEDxCSUSM, the CSUSM team of students are aiming to create a platform that celebrates the ability of each individual to impact their community.

“It only takes one person to start a movement or revolution,” Blaylock said. “We’re here to provide the spark.”

What: TEDxCSUSM, where x = independently organized TED event, featuring eight speakers around the theme of “Shifting Paradigms.”

When: Saturday, Nov. 4; check-in and art exhibit 11 a.m.-noon; main program, including lunch, noon-4 p.m.

Where: Arts 111, Cal State San Marcos

Cost: $25 (includes lunch)

Parking: Visit CSUSM’s Parking Services website for information

Tickets and information: Visit the TEDxCSUSM website

“It feels good to be honored and it speaks to the effort everybody put in to an organization that is really having an impact,” said Gisella Garay, who served as president of Sigma Delta Pi in 2016-17 before graduating with a master’s degree in Spanish last May.

Sigma Delta Pi was founded at UC Berkeley in 1919 and is the only honor society devoted exclusively to students studying Spanish in four-year colleges and universities. It offers scholarship programs for undergraduates, yearly research grants for graduate students, and lifelong networking opportunities for all. CSUSM’s Psi Epsilon was honored with the Ignacio and Sophie Galbis Award, presented each year to a chapter excelling in programming and activities that further the group’s purposes.

During the 2016-17 academic year, Psi Epsilon organized a Spanish poetry recital that attracted scores of students to hear professors and teaching associates present their works, a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration and workshop, an International Women’s Day exhibition honoring Latinas who influenced the Latino-American world with their achievements, a tutoring marathon to help students prepare for their finals, an end-of-the-semester bash, and more.

Psi Epsilon members visited virtually every Spanish classroom at CSUSM seeking new recruits. The result: a chapter that had a little more than a dozen members just two years ago now has more than 50.

“It’s important to maintain a presence and let the campus community know that we’re here,” said Diego Lecca, a native of Peru who is earning his master’s degree in Spanish literature and who took over as Psi Epsilon president after Garay graduated. “We’re hoping to build on the momentum and have an even stronger presence this year.”

Meléndrez, honored with the Minaya Álvar Fáñez Award recognizing a chapter adviser for exemplary initiative in encouraging and assisting with chapter activities, said her recognition is a byproduct of what Psi Epsilon accomplished.

“This is about a group of hard-working, dedicated students who are developing outstanding leadership and public speaking skills, about being proud of your language and your culture,” Meléndrez said. “It is not about me. I tell them, ‘If you are willing to work hard, I will help you, but it’s up to you. You are the ones who have to put in the work.’ And they are the ones who did the work, not me.”

Lecca said Psi Epsilon already is on track to expand upon the advancements the honor society made last year, and the results have been positive. Nearly a dozen new members have pledged to join the CSUSM chapter, which is receiving an abundance of support from faculty and staff, and Psi Epsilon leadership is planning at least five events – including another Día de los Muertos – in the coming months. In addition, Meléndrez said the group is aiming to send a pair of CSUSM students to a Sigma Delta Pi conference in Spain next year to hone strategies at developing innovative programs.

“We’re working hard to be as active as we can,” Meléndrez said.

Francisco took English classes, obtained his GED and enrolled in community college while working at a car wash to support himself.

While enrolled at Palomar College, Francisco participated in the North San Diego County Bridges to the Future Program, a partnership between CSUSM, Palomar and MiraCosta to help prepare underrepresented students for a seamless transition to a four-year university and a career in biomedical sciences. The program includes a stipend for students, which allowed Francisco to ease up on the number of hours he was working each week and spend more time focusing on his classes and research.

Now in his senior year at Cal State San Marcos, Francisco was recently awarded the CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, which is given each year to students who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need.​​​

“I made my goal to help my family, and the best way to do that was by obtaining an education,” said Fernandez, who is a Trustee Emeritus Kenneth Fong Scholar.

Francisco, a molecular and cellular biology major, is part of CSUSM’s highly competitive Maximizing Access to Research Careers-Undergraduate Student Training Research (MARC U*STAR) program.

Working in the lab of CSUSM professor of biological sciences Matthew Escobar, Francisco worked on a project focused on characterizing the role of class III glutaredoxins in Arabidopsis thaliana root development. Francisco has presented his work at conferences, symposiums and research competitions.

Francisco will graduate from CSUSM in May. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical research and continue his mentorship of educationally at-risk students.

The CSU Board of Trustees, CSU Foundation Board of Governors, faculty, students and staff publicly recognized the scholars during the CSU Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 19. The scholars include one student from each of the CSU's 23 campuses, along with the top-scoring CSU-wide scholar.

More than 340 CSU students have been honored with this award since the program’s creation in 1984.

The scholarship program was established by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation as an endowed scholarship fund to honor William Randolph Hearst, founder of the Hearst newspaper chain. In 1999, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation partnered with the CSU Board of Trustees to supplement the endowment with contributions from CSU Trustees, CSU Foundation Board of Governors and private donors.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls nearly 17,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

-- Marisol Clark-Ibáñez

Marisol Clark-Ibáñez was wrapping up the courses needed for a bachelor’s degree in literature when she took a sociology class during her junior year at UC San Diego. It changed her life.

“I had never taken a sociology class before, and I was hooked,” she said.

Good thing. Today, Clark-Ibáñez is a full professor in the Department of Sociology at Cal State San Marcos who is involving students and the community in her groundbreaking research. Among her works is "Undocumented Latino Youth: Navigating Their Worlds," a book detailing the obstacles and challenges facing undocumented immigrants while trying to get a public education. In addition, Clark-Ibáñez and the CSUSM-based National Latino Research Center – where she serves as faculty director – are in the midst of a three-year project dubbed Cultivando Liderazgo (Nurturing Leadership) that is aimed at building civic engagement in Hispanic communities.

Clark-Ibáñez earned her bachelor’s in Literature from UCSD and her Master of Arts Degree and Ph.D. in Sociology from UC Davis. She has been at CSUSM since 2003 and was recognized with the President’s Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation and Excellence in 2015. She’s also the faculty adviser for STAND, a student club dedicated to issues impacting undocumented immigrants.

“I love working here because the mission of the university has social justice written all over it,” Clark-Ibáñez said. “My department is staffed with scholars of color who are committed to excellence and equity. I came here because I knew my work would be supported by the college and by my colleagues, and I have not been disappointed.”

Slagor has more than 18 years of experience leading fundraising programs, including more than a decade in higher education at UC San Diego, the University of Rochester and D’Youville College.

“We are thrilled to welcome Stacy to the development team,” said Kyle Button, CSUSM’s associate vice president for development. “She has a proven record as a successful fundraiser as well as extensive experience working within complex, diverse universities.”

Slagor previously worked for the Community Resource Center in Encinitas, where she served as the director of development and guided multiple successful fundraising campaigns. She has also worked as the director of corporate relations and development for the International Society for Computational Biology, where she created a comprehensive annual giving campaign and obtained industry support for conferences and student travel fellowships.

“I am honored to be part of the Cal State San Marcos family,” Slagor said. “I look forward to working with University Advancement and College of Business Administration colleagues to build relationships with donors that fulfill donors’ desires to make a positive impact. CSUSM presents tremendous opportunities to prepare tomorrow’s leaders, enhance our community and solve critical societal issues. I’m excited to connect donors to the University and help them realize their philanthropic goals by investing in CSUSM’s mission.”

Slagor has a bachelor’s in English and American literature with a concentration in writing from New York University.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls nearly 17,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

As a recipient of the HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM will be featured along with 79 other recipients in INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s November 2017 issue.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected CSUSM based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, as well as all others.

“At Cal State San Marcos we are a diverse group of individuals — diverse in culture, religious belief, political perspective, gender and sexual orientation, nationality, age, career path, talents and abilities,” CSUSM President Karen Haynes said. “As a microcosm of society, it’s important that we continue to model the values of civility and diversity that this campus was founded on. It is our collective responsibility to tend to our campus climate every day, ensuring that our values match the everyday experiences of our students. Receiving this award for a fourth straight year is validation for the hard work we have committed to inclusive excellence.”

The HEED Award process measures an institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through a comprehensive and rigorous application relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees, and best practices for both.

For more information about the 2017 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls nearly 17,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

Students in marketing professor Don Sciglimpaglia’s Customer and Consumer Insight course this summer tackled a number of vexing challenges North County arts agencies are facing in growing their audiences, and their work is leading to new approaches already making a difference in building their customer base.

The class was offered through the Fully Employed MBA Program, and this was the first time it has been available at CSUSM. Clients have provided nothing but rave reviews.

“We received a very impressive, elaborate and very detailed report that has given us some ideas on expanding our social media presence and out-of-the box approaches we hadn’t thought about,” said Nancy Richards, director of marketing and public relations at the North Coast Repertory Theatre. “There was so much information. They delivered exactly what was asked.”

Sciglimpaglia, who previously taught in the College of Business at San Diego State University, was also pleased.

“Overall it worked well,” he said. “Our students worked hard, learned a lot and gained a lot of experience.”

Twenty-one students in the class were divided into seven, three-person teams matched with clients that included the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad, and Moonlight Stage Productions in Vista, along with the City of Encinitas and others.

Teams employed marketing research tools such as Qualtrics for online surveys and cutting-edge data analysis through SPSS Statistics.

Among the challenges presented to the group working with the North Coast Repertory Theatre was attracting younger audiences. After meeting with Richards and others, students surveyed more than 7,000 customers. More than 900 responded, nearly 600 of whom said they discover their entertainment options via Facebook. The team also contacted and interviewed three advertising and marketing professionals for insights into how others in the industry are dealing with similar challenges. The sessions yielded suggestions such as making the Rep’s social media presence more compelling. “Likes” are not enough, said Ian Beavis, chief strategy officer at Automotive Marketing Consultants, Inc. Instead, provide content that people want to share and talk about.

“It was an excellent opportunity to get a hands-on, real-world application,” said Elaine de Neef, who led the North Coast Repertory Theatre team. “Working with a client such as the North Coast Repertory Theatre was an invaluable experience and offered a chance to do something I might not otherwise be able to do.”

Lorraine Ryglewicz led the team tackling challenges facing the New Village Arts Theatre. Their project included surveying previous patrons to determine what led them to see a show. That helped them see what marketing channels worked and what strategies had not been tapped.

“The process taught me to know your audience,” Ryglewicz said. “At New Village Arts, you have an older audience and you’re working with an older demographic that is using more traditional forms of advertisement.”

A not insignificant percentage of patrons, Ryglewicz said, have discovered the theatre while strolling to a nearby restaurant. That led to suggestions of enlarging the signage on a theatre wall facing a parking lot and collaborating with local eateries to advertise upcoming shows.

“We really wanted them to focus on, ‘How do we get more people to know about us and get them to look into what we have to offer?’ ” said Kristianne Kurner, executive artistic director and founder of New Village Arts Theatre. “They came up with some really interesting marketing ideas that will be fun to play with.”

The Fully Employed MBA program is named so for a reason. It is open only to working professionals, and it requires 41 units of coursework that can be completed in 18 months. De Neef is an accounting manager at AMCI Global in Oceanside. Ryglewicz is the director of sales for a tech startup.

Ryglewicz said she was drawn to the program to gain the skills that could help further her career.

“I wanted to be a more rounded leader and prepared for opportunities that may arise in the future,” she said. “I could not be more impressed with the program. It is well resourced and the caliber of professors is remarkable.”

Companies or organizations interested in participating as a client in this program can contact Sciglimpaglia at dsciglim@csusm.edu.

Cal State San Marcos, determined to boost academic success and job readiness of computer science majors from low-income families, has secured a five-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund scholarships, workshops, mentors and an abundance of networking opportunities to help students land valuable internships and reach their career goals.

“For a lot of these students, the lack of academic and professional networking makes it difficult for them to find a job in their field upon graduation,” said Dr. Youwen Ouyang, the grant’s principal investigator and chair of CSUSM’s Computer Science Department. “We’re hoping this program will help them build social capital, confidence in their technical skills and a strong portfolio to be employable.”

Low-income students are the focus because research shows students lacking financial security don’t have the same level of support as other socioeconomic groups, as they are more likely to live at home with family and thus be less incorporated into campus life. Exacerbating the handicap is that 70 percent of all computer science majors surveyed by CSUSM are working to support themselves through jobs not related to their field of study.

This National Science Foundation grant addresses those economic challenges by providing selected students annual $5,000 scholarships for two years. Other strategies include a Fab Friday program, which will create an on-campus makerspace where teams of students can fabricate computing solutions for real-world projects and challenges presented by community and industry partners.

Connecting with resources from the community and industry, Ouyang said, will increase students’ chances of landing an internship while still at CSUSM and finding a job once they graduate.

“It’s a matter of giving students coming from low-income families the resources that create opportunities to succeed,” said Dr. Marisol Clark-Ibáñez, sociology professor and faculty director of the National Latino Research Center, who is serving as a co-principal investigator on the grant, along with Dr. Geoffrey Gilmore, associate vice president of Student Academic Support Services.

Sixty computer science majors will take part in the program during their sophomore and junior years, a period in which research shows challenges students to stay engaged and persist in their field of study, Gilmore said. The first cohort of eight students will be selected this fall, followed by cohorts of 16, 16 and 20 students the following years.

Returns on the investment could be profound. Computer and information research scientists are earning an average wage of more than $116,000 in San Diego County, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Computer systems analysts are earning more than $95,000 annually, and computer programmers are earning in excess of $82,000.

Thanks to full funding support from a successful ASI student-fee referendum last spring, the “24/5 Zone,” located on the second floor of Kellogg, is now open Sunday-Thursday between midnight and 6 a.m to students, faculty and staff with a valid CSUSM ID. It features renovated seating areas, seven group study rooms, two computer labs, printing, access to collections and course reserves, staff assistance and other Library services and resources.

The 24/5 Zone is one of many upgrades Library patrons may have already noticed. Here is a look at other notable changes:

No more fines and longer checkout times

The Library has eliminated most overdue fines on books and media checked out by students. Additionally, students can now borrow CSUSM books for 16 weeks and media materials for 30 days with one renewal each. Fees and fines still apply for lost items, course reserves and materials acquired through Circuit/Interlibrary Loan.

CSUSM employees may now borrow CSUSM books for 365 days and media materials for 30 days with one renewal each. For more information on replacement fees and loan periods, visit the Library’s borrowing policy page.

South Balcony open

The Library recently refurbished and opened its little-known South Balcony on the fifth floor, which can be accessed through the Barahona collection.

The balcony includes eight umbrella tables, 32 total seats and amazing views of CSUSM’s surrounding hills. It is open any time the Library is open (except during overnight hours).

Context: Library Series

“Revolutionary Grain: Celebrating the Spirit of the Black Panthers in Portraits and Stories,” the latest installment of the Context: Library Series, is on display in the Library. Context is a grant-funded, instructionally related Library series supporting student learning and research through art installations.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Black Student Center is hosting a panel discussion on Sept. 20 with photographer Suzun Lucia Lamaina and several Black Panthers on the history and legacy of the movement. RSVP at bit.ly/RevGrain

Common Read

This year’s Common Read, “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is a moving meditation on the author’s attempt to situate himself within our current fraught racial climate. Stop by the Circulation Desk to check out a copy of the book.

Also make sure to reserve your tickets to “Black Lives Matter: An Evening with Co-founder Alicia Garza,” an Arts & Lectures event at 6 p.m. Nov. 29.

Textbooks on Reserve

The Library continues to add more books to its Reserves collection. Students can check online to see if class textbooks and readings are available -- either online or in person behind the Circulation Desk.

Faculty are encouraged to place textbooks and other course support materials for their students to use on Reserve. New online forms for placing materials on reserve are available as follows:

Media Reserves Form

Physical Course Reserves Form

Electronic Course Reserves Form

Forms can be submitted online and materials dropped off in the Library. Visit the reserves page on the Library website for more information.

Borrow books from any CSU library with CSU+

The Library has adopted a new “CSU First” motto. You now have the ability to search the library collections at every CSU campus through the new OneSearch discovery and CSU+ options on the Library’s website (log in to see all available request options).

The Library will notify you by email when items are ready for pickup, typically 2-5 business days after a request is placed.

Loans last between 30-60 days with no renewals, and any items overdue by 14 days will be billed $90.

Website redesign

The Library website was redesigned over the summer to improve the user experience and accessibility. The redesign was based on careful analysis of assessment data gathered from students, faculty and staff through surveys, focus groups and usability testing conducted during the fall 2016 semester.

Highlights include:

• New visual design to make the items people use the most easier to find
• A way to search the pages in the Library website
• A faculty-specific dashboard with links to FAQs
• A new mobile-friendly website

The event will showcase lowriders as an art form and will include a feature film screening, live music, free raffle giveaways and children’s activities, all while concurrently celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month.

The event is free and open to the public.

The goal of the event is to establish an annual gathering among CSUSM students, faculty and staff, the University Police Department and the neighboring communities.

“Our goal is to bring the community together with lowriders as the focal point of the event in order to establish a relationship and help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the lowrider community,” said CSUSM Sgt. Herman Hernandez, who is co-chairing the event with Celia Martinez, Student Coordinator/Project Specialist in CSUSM’s Office for Training, Research & Education in the Sciences. Both are members of the University’s Latino Association of Faculty & Staff.

Attendees will also have an opportunity to engage and interact with some of CSUSM’s student organizations, faculty, staff and members of our local police departments.

What: Inaugural Lowrider Experience event hosted by the Cal State San Marcos Latino Association of Faculty & Staff in collaboration with the University Police Department

When: 4-10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017

Where: Main plaza area, California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos, CA 92096

Cost: Free

Parking: Free parking will be available in PS1

Information: Visit the website or email co-chairs Sgt. Herman Hernandez at hhernand@csusm.edu or Celia Martinez at cmartine@csusm.edu

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive University serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls nearly 17,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

Today, it’s called Lot X, a place where Cal State San Marcos students pay discounted rates to park in exchange for a longer trek to campus.

But nearly 40 years ago, it’s where Villalobos joined other employees of the Prohoroff Poultry Farm to meet with César Chávez, the iconic labor leader and civil rights activist who dedicated his life to improving conditions and pay for farm workers.

Villalobos and his co-workers actually met there twice with Chávez, who demanded a second meeting after the first was interrupted by farm administrators.

“He was a very humble and smart man,” Villalobos said. “He never made a promise he couldn’t deliver.”

Chávez didn’t win a union vote from the Prohoroff farm workers. This was in the late '70s, a time when the farm was still doing well and workers were happy.

Neither the farm workers nor the owners could have foreseen the dramatic changes in store not just for the ranch, but the entire region.

A deep connection

Villalobos’ family has deep ties to the Prohoroff Poultry Farm. His parents both lived and worked on the farm as did many of Villalobos’ seven siblings.

Though the farm has been gone for decades, the connection remains.

On the land where Villalobos used to spend nine hours a day, six days a week working as mechanic on the farm, his daughter and niece come to work each day as employees of CSUSM.

Yvonne Villalobos, Arturo’s daughter, is an assistant to Dean Jim Hamerly and Associate Dean Mohammad Oskoorouchi in the College of Business Administration. Alex Perkins, Arturo’s niece, is an event planner in Event and Conference Services. Both are also graduates of CSUSM, Yvonne with a bachelor’s in economics and Alex in communication.

Long before Yvonne and Alex began working at CSUSM – before anyone even had an inkling that a university would one day exist here – their grandparents and parents spent many a Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends on the Prohoroff Poultry Farm in a tiny home that stood close to where CSUSM’s baseball field is located today.

“I can’t explain how so many people fit in the house, eating and laughing,” said Hilda Garcia, Alex’s mother and Arturo’s sister. “Now my daughter works in events and wants every chair very perfect. I say, ‘Do you know we used to have dinners and you wouldn’t even have a chair for every person?’ We didn’t care.”

While Alex and Yvonne are creating lasting memories each day as part of the CSUSM family, members of their own family took time this summer to reminisce about what life was like before a bustling, 300-acre university stood where they once lived and worked.

“My dad frequently shares stories about the farm and I’ll say, ‘Isn’t it amazing to see that I have gained an education and earned a career on the same lands where you once worked!’ ” Yvonne said. “It’s come full circle. My dad often reminds me how lucky I am to work for the University. I nod my head in agreement. It is truly gratifying.”

Citizen without a home

Rogelio Villalobos, Alex and Yvonne’s grandfather, was working as a mechanic in Los Angeles in the 1950s with dreams of finding a job that would put him closer to Tijuana where his wife, Enedina, and eight children lived.

Rogelio was born in Arizona in 1926, but his family was among the more than 1 million people of Mexican descent – the majority of whom, like Rogelio, were United States citizens – forced to leave the country during the Great Depression. Rogelio was just a toddler at the time and spent his formative years in Mexico.

As a young adult, Rogelio took the job in Los Angeles with the promise of greater economic opportunity. His family lived in Guadalajara at the time, and Rogelio only saw Enedina and the children every six months. Eventually, Enedina and the children moved to Tijuana, allowing Rogelio to see them each weekend. But he yearned for a job close enough to be with them every day.

It took time, but he finally found that much sought-after job farther south.

It didn’t matter that it was still 50 miles north of the border. It didn’t matter that he would need to commute an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening each day. It didn’t matter that the workdays were nine-plus hours or that the workweek was six days. It didn’t matter that there was no overtime pay for those long days and weeks.

“For him, it was about being close to the family,” Hilda said. “He wanted to be home with the family every night.”

Rogelio worked as a mechanic on the Prohoroff Poultry Farm, which spanned more than 500 acres near Highway 78 and Twin Oaks Valley Road, including the land upon which CSUSM stands today.

Terenty Prohoroff, a Russian immigrant, opened the farm in 1945 with about 250 chickens. It grew into one of the largest chicken ranches in the world, reportedly home to 2 million chickens at its peak.

Rogelio wasn’t alone in making the daily journey from Tijuana to San Marcos. He typically commuted with five or six other people each day. The long days on the farm could take a toll and there were rare occasions when they would put out a vote among the people in the car: go to work as they usually did or have a day of adventure. The vote had to be unanimous. Once, the group was almost to the farm before the last holdout finally raised his hand to opt for the unscheduled day off. But the thrill of an unplanned day off never lasted long.

“When they saw their check and it was one day less of pay they would say, ‘No more,’ ” Hilda said.

Even with the regular paycheck Rogelio received, his limited income made it difficult to afford moving his family to San Marcos, not to mention the challenge of obtaining green cards for his family members.

“He didn’t want anybody to come over illegally,” Hilda said. “He said, ‘You finish your papers and then you will come.’ ”

Rogelio eventually secured the necessary funds and paperwork to move his family to San Marcos where they made their home on the farm. In fact, it wasn’t long before Enedina landed her first job.

Life on the farm

Enedina was responsible for vaccinating baby chicks on the farm. She worked in barns that were located where the Ralph’s shopping center stands today, directly across Twin Oaks Valley Road from the university. Enedina would take eight chicks at a time – four in each hand – and proceed to administer the vaccinations.

“She was so happy,” Arturo said.

While the work days and weeks were long, Rogelio and Enedina loved life on the farm, even if it meant contending with some unusual living conditions.

Arturo and his wife, Sandra, lived in Tijuana after getting married and visited Arturo’s parents on the weekends. The stench of the farm still resonates for Sandra.

“It was nice to see the family, but I wasn’t disappointed to live somewhere else,” Sandra said.

The farm produced as much as 11 million pounds of manure each month, according to newspaper accounts. The odor of the farm permeated clothes – lingering even after they had been washed.

While those who lived and worked on the farm became accustomed to the smell, it wasn’t unusual for someone who wasn’t familiar with it to get into the car of an employee and ask about the odor. It didn’t matter that they might not actually be near the farm at that moment. The aroma would cling to the inside of the car, an extra passenger that went wherever the driver ventured.

The manure didn’t just bring with it a foul stench. It also brought flies. Thousands of them.

“We used to joke at lunchtime, ‘You want it with or without flies?’ ” Hilda said.

On one of Arturo’s first days as a farm employee, a supervisor asked him to sweep the floor. Arturo began clearing a floor filled with what he thought were tiny pebbles. But he quickly realized that they weren’t pebbles. They were dead flies littered across the floor by the thousands.

Arturo said powerful chemicals were sprayed in the corridors at night to kill the flies and someone had to sweep them up the following day.

Except for a brief two-year period when he left the ranch for another job, Rogelio spent most of his adult life working on the farm. He was almost 60 years old when the ranch was sold to developers in 1985. The farm, once teeming with chickens, was down to about 100,000 fowls. The developers sold a large chunk of their purchase to the state to build Cal State San Marcos. Another large parcel of land was developed into the Campus Marketplace shopping center across the street from the university.

Rogelio found work with a nearby roofing company after the farm closed. Not only was it an increase in pay, but it came with multiple raises within the first few months. Arturo said the quick ascent in pay made his father nervous. Was it a mistake? Would it lead to him being laid off?

“He was afraid that it was too fast,” Arturo said. “But they loved him.”

A new beginning

Hilda and her husband, Pedro, bought a duplex near the ranch after it closed. Rogelio and Enedina lived there for many years, and Alex lives there today with her husband and 19-month-old daughter.

Though Rogelio never learned to speak English, he was well known throughout San Marcos as “El Maestro” for his acumen as a mechanic.

Gabriel Garcia, Alex’s brother, was a teenager when he learned firsthand of his grandfather’s renown as they visited stores to pick up supplies for a home-improvement project. People greeted Rogelio like royalty everywhere they went.

“Here’s somebody who didn’t speak English and everybody knew him. It was amazing,” Gabriel said. “And it was all around town.”

At 38, Gabriel is old enough to remember the farm. He used to watch “The Price Is Right” in the mornings before walking with his grandparents down a dirt hill to Barham Drive to be picked up by a bus for school. The farm is where he learned to ride a bike by going down that same dirt hill. Though the hill is long gone, Gabriel can still pinpoint its location because the last of the original houses along Barham have only recently been taken down.

“I literally used to play with a soccer ball outside on a dirt road and now it’s a full university,” Gabriel said. “It’s amazing to think that my grandparents worked and lived here and were part of the history.”

Enedina died in 2011 at age 81 and Rogelio passed away two years later at 87. Both witnessed the transformation of San Marcos from a sleepy town of a couple thousand people to a population approaching 100,000 and home to a flourishing university.

Though the chicken ranch has been gone for decades, its presence still looms large in the lives of Arturo, Hilda and their relatives.

Recently, Alex’s father, Pedro, was en route to campus to drop something off to Alex at work.

“You know where the mailboxes were? I’ll meet you there,” Pedro told her.

There was just one problem. While the landmarks that were a routine part of her parents’ lives are as vivid now for them as they were 30-plus years ago, Alex had no idea where those mailboxes had been located.

It is memories of those landmarks, friendships and gatherings that the family cherishes from their time working and living on the ranch. But they’re also proud of what has become of the land.

“The poultry farm had a lot of heart,” Arturo said. “People gave a lot of hard work and heart to it. But to see a university here is like a dream. You could not ask for anything better.”

The past as a gateway to the future

Yvonne routinely shares stories of her family’s connection to the university with CSUSM colleagues, even sharing family photos from the farm with Hamerly.

Alex still remembers going through the interview process at CSUSM and meeting with Neal Hoss, then the vice president of University Advancement. He asked where she saw herself in five years should she get the job.

Before she looked to the future, she told him, she had to look to her past.

Her grandparents lived and worked on this land. Though Rogelio sometimes thought about what life might have been like had he not been forced to leave the country during the Great Depression, his love for the United States never wavered.

“He loved to vote,” Hilda said. “He would say, ‘I may not see the change, but my grandchildren will see the difference.’ ”

“He always stuck to his morals and high work ethic,” Gabriel added. “He knew his hard work would pay off, if not for his children then for his grandchildren. He had that vision for the family from the start.”

Rogelio lived to see that vision become reality. Many of his 24 grandchildren – including Alex, Gabriel and Yvonne – have earned a college degree, the first generation in their family to do so.

“I told Neal how meaningful it was that I already had roots here, not just from being a student but also from my grandparents,” Alex said. “Before you think of your future you think about your past, and it was really important in my situation.”

Then she smiled.

“And I got the job.”

Major General Anthony Jackson, USMC, (Ret.) will be the keynote speaker for the event, which also includes two panel discussions.

The event is from 7-11:30 a.m. in CSUSM’s University Student Union ballroom. Admission and parking are free.

Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall and Dr. Patricia Prado-Olmos, CSUSM’s vice president of Community Engagement, will provide welcome remarks. Mike Cully, San Diego North Economic Development Council CEO, and Francisco Urtasun, regional vice president of external affairs, Sempra Services Corporation, will provide closing remarks.

The first panel, “How do we get there?” will be moderated by Shelly Murphy, director of programs, Center for Sustainable Energy. Confirmed panelists include Michael Clemson, energy manager, CSU; Jennifer Ferreira, environmental director, OPTEC; Peder Norby, transportation and sustainability consultant; and Desmond Wheatley, president and CEO, Envision Solar International, Inc.

The second panel, “How do we benefit?” will be moderated by Dr. Todd Elvins, state coordinator and lead of National Speakers’ Bureau, Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Confirmed panelists include Jason Anderson, CEO, Cleantech San Diego; Michael Bream, CEO EV West; Kevin Weinberg, commercial solar sales manager, Baker Electric Solar; and George Weir, president and CEO, Weir Asphalt.

What: Symposium on Economic Growth Through Emissions Reductions

When: 7-11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017

Where: USU Ballroom, California State University San Marcos

Cost: Free

Parking: Free

Information: Click here for information or to register

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls nearly 17,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

That’s the message from backers of “Homie UP: Youth Empowerment Program,” a new, four-year, $1.7 million, grant-funded initiative through the Cal State San Marcos-based National Latino Research Center, which will provide at-risk high school students the mentoring and educational support that can keep them on track toward earning a college degree. The effort gets underway this fall with an incoming cohort of 50 freshmen who are in danger of being expelled from school.

“A lot of these kids come from families with a lack of formal education, a lack of knowledge about how to go about getting into college, a lack of role models, and a lack of resources,” said Dr. Arcela Nuñez­-Alvárez, the National Latino Research Center’s research director and Homie Up program manager. “Our goal is to provide them the tools they need to succeed.”

The National Latino Research Center works with stakeholders from local government and nonprofits to improve education, civic involvement, cultural competency, community development and more. Agencies the National Latino Research Center is partnering with on Homie Up: Youth Empowerment include the Vista and San Marcos Unified school districts, the Mano a Mano Foundation, The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the University Police Department, and Survivors of Torture, International. The Mano a Mano Foundation will provide access to youth counseling and facilitate workshops and presentations on improving communication. Law enforcement will focus on building trust and community-oriented policing that integrates culturally based, problem-solving approaches. Survivors of Torture, International, will reach out to youth and parents who have been victims of trauma resulting from violence. And the Vista and San Marcos school districts will target students to take part in the program.

Restorative justice practices, which are becoming more mainstream as schools look for more creative ways to engage students in correct behavior, will be used in place of automatic expulsions or suspensions when dealing with some offenses.

“The focus will be on students who are at risk and who oftentimes don’t see college as an opportunity,” said Cipriano Vargas, who sits on the Vista Unified School District’s Board of Trustees and who is a CSUSM graduate. “Too many are living in impoverished communities or are being exposed to a gang lifestyle, and it’s crucial that we help open their eyes so they can see the possibilities that are out there.”

Although both are operated through the National Latino Research Center, Homie UP: Youth Empowerment Program, is not related to the similarly named Homie UP, which offers American history from a Chicano/Latino perspective free of charge to incarcerated individuals.

“This is a project that will help increase the number of Latino youth who are in the academic pipeline, a pipeline that will lead them to college and a rewarding career,” said Dr. Xuan Santos, an assistant professor of sociology at CSUSM who is working with Nuñez­-Alvárez.

Most Homie UP: Youth Empowerment Program activities will take place daily after school at Centro Universidad Popular, which sits a few blocks from Vista High School, and at Twin Oaks High School in San Marcos. Students taking part in the program will be tracked over their four years in high school to measure Homie Up’s impact on their academic progress, developing career goals, and changes in risk behavior.

“We are really looking forward to bringing this added support for our youth,” said Nuñez­-Alvárez. “We’re finding that a lot of Latinos are still lacking in college preparation and as a result are ending up in alternative schools or continuation schools or the juvenile justice system.”

Added Vargas: “This program is but another example of Cal State San Marcos’ focus on strong community partnerships.”

President Karen Haynes, the most senior president in the CSU system, opened the 2017-18 academic year with her 14th CSUSM Convocation address on Thursday, Aug. 24.

Speaking to hundreds of CSUSM faculty and staff members, she highlighted recent University achievements and set the tone for the new school year.

“Now, on the cusp of a new academic year, with all of the excitement, energy and new possibilities it brings, I’m proud of all that we can do and all that we will do to challenge the status quo, disrupt the traditional models of higher education, and propel our students and our region forward,” Haynes told attendees.

CSUSM is welcoming nearly 17,000 students as classes begin Monday, Aug. 28, the highest anticipated enrollment in the University’s 27-year history. Among those students are more than 2,500 freshmen, an increase of 17 percent compared to last year, and 1,900 transfers, a 21 percent increase. All enrollment figures are still considered preliminary with final totals determined after the end of the fourth week of classes.

Other updates, additions and changes for the fall semester include:

New faculty, staff and programs

CSUSM has 32 new tenure-track faculty members this fall, plus one who will start in fall 2018.

Julia Johnson began her appointment as the dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences on July 1. Johnson came to CSUSM from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse where she served as dean of the College of Liberal Studies.

Lorna Kendrick began her appointment as the new director of the School of Nursing on July 1. Additionally, Amy Carney began a one-year appointment as Associate Director of the School of Nursing on July 1.

Scott Ybarrondo was sworn in as CSUSM’s new police chief on June 20. Ybarrondo previously worked for the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for more than 26 years, including the past five as a captain.

An American Indian Studies major is being offered for the first time this fall.

Jennifer Moore Ballentine has been appointed the new executive director of the CSU Institute for Palliative Care effective Sept. 25. She succeeds Helen McNeal, the founding executive director of the Institute, who is retiring Oct. 6.

The Center for Research and Engagement in STEM Education (CRESE) officially launched July 1. Physics professor Ed Price is the center’s faculty director.

A stackable certificate program in EngiBeering will launch in spring 2018. Further cementing CSUSM’s place as a hub for hops, the University Library recently launched the Brewchives, an archive documenting the history of dozens of craft breweries in San Diego County through photographs, brewing notes, marketing materials, recordings and more.

NCAA Division II

The athletics department successfully completed its transition to NCAA Division II membership. Haynes and Director of Athletics Jennifer Milo received confirmation from the NCAA on July 14 that the University is now a full-fledged Division II member.

Completing the transition means CSUSM teams are eligible for Division II postseason play beginning with the 2017-18 academic year. Schools aren’t eligible for the postseason during the transition process. For the 2016-17 academic year, 10 of CSUSM’s 13 teams would have made the postseason had the University been eligible.

The athletics department will host a public celebration for students, faculty, staff and the community at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31 at The Sports Center to mark the milestone. View the event.

Weeks of Welcome

The annual Weeks of Welcome started Aug. 25 and runs through Sept. 9. There are more than 40 events scheduled to welcome students back to campus. Weeks of Welcome events are free and open to all CSUSM students.

See the Weeks of Welcome calendar for a complete schedule.

Campaign update

CSUSM has entered the final 16-month stretch of its historic fundraising campaign, Forward Together. The University has raised more than $38 million, putting it more than 77 percent of the way to its goal of $50 million by the end of 2018.

Visit the Forward Together page for more information about the campaign.

Smoke- and tobacco-free campus

CSUSM became a completely smoke- and tobacco-free campus on Monday. Electronic cigarettes also are banned.

CSU Chancellor Tim White issued an Executive Order in April implementing a systemwide smoke- and tobacco-free environment for all campuses effective this fall.

Summer snippets

• A $225,000 dollar gift from Malin and Roberta Burnham is establishing the Burnham Leadership Experience in the College of Business Administration. The Burnham Leadership Experience will operate under the umbrella of the Senior Experience Program and will fund three teams of students every semester for nonprofits that may otherwise not be able to afford to participate.
• CSUSM’s annual gala, co-hosted by Haynes and the CSUSM Foundation Board, raised $167,000 to support scholarships, student programming and the professional development of faculty.
• In June, the College of Business Administration, in partnership with the San Diego Business Journal, launched an online Economic Dashboard that provides key economic indicators and trends regarding business and community organizations in San Diego County. The project uses students from the Senior Experience Program to create an online survey and distribute it throughout the county.

When you’re arrested for the first time at age 13 and you spend the next two decades in and out of jail and prison, it’s easy to become accustomed to life behind bars.

No, terrifying for Leyva was stepping on to a college campus for the first time.

“I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t look like anybody else, I didn’t feel like anybody else,” Leyva said of starting classes at Santa Barbara City College in 2007.

It didn’t take long for Leyva to realize he wasn’t alone in those feelings, that there were others on campus who could relate to his struggles with alcohol, drugs and incarceration.

It soon became Leyva’s mission to help those who faced struggles similar to his own. A mentor in prison told him as much during what Leyva vowed would be his final stretch locked up.

“My elder said, ‘When you get out of prison, you help the people. Help the people,’ ” said Leyva, who was released in April 2007. “I always think to myself, ‘I have to help the people. Whoever my path crosses, I’m going to help them out.’ ”

It’s a mission that started a decade ago at Santa Barbara City College. That mission didn’t end after Leyva earned his associate’s degree. It didn’t end after he obtained his bachelor’s from Antioch University. And it certainly isn’t ending now that he’s at Cal State San Marcos preparing for his final year in the Master of Arts in Sociological Practice program. Nor will he stop when he continues his education next year as a doctoral student.

“I’ve been clean and sober going on 15 years,” said Leyva, who is 44 years old and was recently named a Sally Casanova Scholar, a CSU award that helps students explore and prepare for doctoral programs.

“I’m no longer on probation. I’m not on parole. I go to sleep at night knowing I’ve helped another person and I’ve done some good. And I wake up with the ambition to go out and continue that work. It’s my routine. Helping another person is helping myself.”

‘I became my environment’

It was the summer between sixth and seventh grade. A friend asked Leyva if he wanted to smoke pot in a creek where kids in his neighborhood often hung out.

“No, I can’t do that,” Leyva told his friend. “But I’ll go with you.”

Seeing his friend and another acquaintance smoking, Leyva changed his mind.

“Why not?” he said.

Santa Barbara is often referred to as the “American Riviera,” home to upscale boutique stores and restaurants, multimillion-dollar homes and a favorite for celebrities seeking a getaway from Los Angeles.

But the Santa Barbara that Leyva knew was nothing like the idyllic beach-side setting most envision.

“I was born around drugs and violence,” he said. “I had a loving mother, but she worked a lot. I had no good male role models. My male role models were into negative things. I became my environment.”

While Leyva was accustomed to the chaos of his neighborhood, something was different when he got home after smoking pot for the first time. He felt free of the turmoil and the chaos faded.

“I attached my drugs and my drinking to emotions,” Leyva said. “If I was sad or angry or anxious, I taught myself at a very young age, just use drugs and it will go away.

“But it never goes away. It just gets temporarily covered up.”

It wasn’t long after getting high for the first time that Leyva had another first, one that would define his life for the next 20-plus years. At 13, he was arrested for possession of a stolen moped. A friend stole the moped, but it was Leyva who was caught while cruising around on it.

The arrest, coupled with his drug and alcohol use, began a spiral that was difficult to escape. There was a DUI. An arrest for gun sales. Parole violations.

Leyva’s substance abuse became so bad that his mother began to view his incarceration almost as a blessing.

“I must have been in my mid 20s and my mom said, ‘I actually like it when you’re in jail because I know you’re sleeping and I know you’re eating,’ ” he said. “It makes me emotional just thinking about it.”

Clean and sober

Leyva stopped drinking about a year before he went to prison for the final time in 2004. He kicked his drug habit shortly before beginning his sentence on a robbery charge.

He remained clean and sober while locked up, no easy task given the proliferation of drugs in prison.

“It’s so easy to stay high in prison,” he said. “Any drug you could want. People even make their own alcohol. It’s a big issue in the prison system. As long as you have the money to pay for it, you can stay high.”

Leyva said he made a conscious decision to stay clean in prison, and he stuck to it. It wasn’t the only conscious decision he was making to improve his life – he also was determined to make this the last time he would ever be locked up.

The words of his prison elder – “Help the people” – were a guiding force, and a newspaper article he received from his mother shortly before his release in April 2007 provided a final push toward change.

The story detailed the death of 15-year-old Luis Angel Linares, who was stabbed in the middle of the day on Santa Barbara’s renowned State Street. A 14-year-old was charged with the murder, which was part of large gang brawl.

Leyva had never been a gang member, but the story resonated all the same.

“I said, ‘I can go home and continue being part of the problem – even by staying silent – or I can go home and do something to help the young people in the community,’ ” he said. “That article really put me in a different place.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do, I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I was going to do something positive when I got out.”

A new life

Less than five months after his release from prison, Leyva walked on to a college campus for the first time.

It was a short stay.

Leyva got off the bus at Santa Barbara City College and just stared at the buildings. He began pacing while he continued to eye the administration and student services buildings.

When the next bus rolled up to the stop, Leyva got on.

“I can’t do this,” he told himself.

But the next day, his niece, also a student at Santa Barbara City College, told him to get in the car. She was going to drive him to school.

Leyva met with an academic adviser, who suggested a drug and alcohol treatment certificate program. Reading his class material was like reading his autobiography.

“I was thinking about my neighborhood, my family dynamics, the people I met in prison,” Leyva said. “Everything I was reading was about me. And I fell in love with education.”

Considered a high-risk parole offender as he began college, Leyva was required to report to the parole office twice a month. Each time he was there, he saw two men he recognized from Santa Barbara City College. Eventually, he approached one of the men. Leyva told him about the anxiety he felt at school, the feeling of not belonging, of not wanting to raise his hand in class for fear of being labeled stupid. That’s when Leyva learned he wasn’t alone in those feelings. Together, they approached the third person they had seen at the parole office, and he, too, echoed their sentiments.

By the end of the semester, Leyva approached the administration about starting a formal support group for formerly incarcerated men and women. By the summer of 2008, the group had its first cohort of the Transitions Program, whose mission would be to provide access to higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals and create a smooth transition from prison to community college.

Making Transitions

Santa Barbara City College recently graduated its 10^th Transitions Program cohort. Leyva has helped launch a program at MiraCosta College and is hoping to do the same at Palomar College.

“Martin aspires to erase the margins and empower society’s underdog by helping them become successful through higher education,” said Dr. Xuan Santos, a CSUSM assistant professor of sociology who has known Leyva for more than 10 years.

“As a graduate student, Martin has worked tirelessly to bring the Transitions Program to North San Diego County as more men and women experience mass incarceration and the tentacles of the Prison Industrial Complex. As more people are re-entering society, we are looking for felony-friendly employers and institutions of higher learning to become OGs – Opportunity Givers.”

Leyva wants to create a pipeline that will help formerly incarcerated individuals transfer to four-year colleges and universities. To help facilitate this transition and the transfer process, Santos said they are planning to start a CSUSM chapter of Project Rebound, a program being used at nine other CSU campuses. Santos noted that Leyva also has spearheaded a student organization at CSUSM called “The Transitions Collective” for formally incarcerated students and their allies.

Leyva plans to continue his work, and his education, after he graduates from CSUSM in May. He’s looking at a Ph.D. program at the University of New Mexico as one possibility. Regardless of where he attends school for his doctorate, he will continue to follow the directive his prison elder gave him – “Help the people.”

It’s a mantra that guides him every day.

His mother, once relieved when her son was incarcerated so that she knew he would have meals and a bed, now tells Leyva, “I don’t have to worry about you anymore.”

She knows he doesn’t drink. She knows he doesn’t use. She’s been at restaurants with Leyva and seen strangers approach to shake his hand and thank him.

“She sees a whole different side of me,” Leyva said. “I’m blessed to have her and blessed that she knows her only son is actually doing good.”

Turning his life around has also allowed Leyva to have a relationship with his daughters. Leyva calls it a “healing relationship” because he was on drugs or alcohol, incarcerated or simply absent for much of their lives. His older daughter, Alix, is 25 and lives in Santa Barbara, while younger daughter Kailani is finishing high school in Hawaii.

In June, all three were together for Father’s Day. Leyva took Alix and Kailani on a tour of CSUSM and all three donned University sweatshirts for their first Father’s Day photo together.

“It was absolutely beautiful,” Leyva said. “When my kids can see that the father that they knew or heard about is no longer that person, it’s a beautiful thing.

“Ten years ago, right out of prison trying to figure out what I was going to do, I couldn’t look in the mirror and say, ‘You’re a good man. I love you.’ Today, I look in the mirror and say, ‘You have a purpose in life. You love yourself and you love others.’ ”

While some might pick up a bottle of wine on the way to someone’s home, Brodowsky arrives with a basket of homemade breads.

“They say man cannot live by bread alone,” Brodowsky said. “Watch me.”

Brodowsky has been a professor of marketing in Cal State San Marcos’ College of Business Administration for more than 20 years. He teaches every summer at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark and has been a longtime visiting lecturer at National Cheng-chi University in Taiwan. Among his myriad research interests are global marketing strategy, cross-cultural time concepts and their effects on consumer behavior and country-of-origin effects on product choice.

Though you won’t find “skilled baker” listed on his curriculum vitae, it has been among his many talents for nearly a decade.

Brodowsky has long enjoyed cooking, but it wasn’t until about nine years ago that his mother challenged him to try baking. Brodowsky’s first reaction? He wasn’t nearly exact enough to bake. But his mother persisted.

Not only did Brodowsky give it a try, it has become a passion for him.

Brodowsky started by baking challah, a bread typically eaten on the Jewish Sabbath and other Jewish holidays.

“It was really quite good,” he said. “I was shocked, and I realized it’s not really such a mystery after all.”

Brodowsky’s baking repertoire has expanded to include everything from pumpernickel and rye bread to scones and Mandel bread, which is a cookie similar to biscotti.

While Brodowsky eventually wants to add bagels to his baking résumé – “I haven’t gotten up my nerve to do bagels yet,” he says – he has made knishes, a time- and labor-intensive snack that has a dough exterior that covers a filling such as potatoes. Brodowsky describes them as “carbs wrapped around carbs.”

Brodowsky grew up in Brooklyn and fondly recalls Mrs. Stahl’s Knishes, which churned out legendary knishes for 70 years from a small store located under an elevated train in Brighton Beach.

“Anybody of a certain generation who grew up in Brooklyn knew Mrs. Stahl’s,” he said. “It’s no longer there, but she made the best knishes. I found the secret recipe online for her knishes. They’re amazing.”

Brodowsky has become known for his baking prowess. He has hosted the College of Business Administration holiday party and a CSUSM Jewish Faculty Staff Association dinner at his home and he has conducted baking seminars at local synagogues.

He has even baked as incentive for his students to attend class the day before Thanksgiving. One year he made knishes for the students who showed up, another time it was mini white macadamia nut and white-chocolate raspberry scones.

“We’re talking about 30 or 40 students,” he said. “That’s quite a bit of baking. I remember walking into class that morning and saying, ‘And who says I don’t have the scones?’ ”

Even when he’s in Denmark every summer, a country known for excellent breads and baked goods, Brodowsky will bake.

“It’s a social thing I do,” he said. “Breaking bread together, this is what people have done for ages. There’s just something humble about a plain hunk of bread and some butter – or some cream cheese if you come from where I come from – and it’s a nice thing to share with people.”

Brodowsky has learned many lessons to produce the best possible bread and baked goods, and he says beginners shouldn’t be intimidated. He suggests starting by finding a good recipe online. When kneading the dough – Brodowsky uses a stand mixer – the most important thing is to have the dough “clean” the side of the bowl. He says not to be afraid to add small amounts of flour or water, depending on whether it’s too wet or too dry, to help the dough come together.

Brodowsky also has learned not to let the dough rise too long or it will flatten out. The bread will still taste great, it just may not have the desired presentation.

But the biggest challenge in baking, Brodowsky finds, is figuring out what to do with all the bread. He said most recipes make two loaves, so he typically keeps one and gives the other away. He likes to slice the bread before freezing it – “The best thing since sliced bread is sliced bread,” he says – so he can just pull out what he needs rather than an entire loaf.

“This is just something I’ve done and become known for among my friends,” he said. “They know if there’s a party, nobody has to ask what I’m bringing. I’m the bread man.”

Jameson, an associate professor of biology at CSUSM, and fellow biology professor Betsy Read direct the program, which provides students an opportunity to gain valuable hands-on research experience while developing strong bonds with a faculty mentor.

The College of Science and Mathematics program also exposes students to new career possibilities.

“The Summer Scholars Program helps students determine which career path might be appropriate for them and it opens their eyes to a world of careers out there that they didn’t know existed,” Jameson said.

The 10-week program concludes each year with the Summer Scholars Showcase where participants share with the community the methods, results and interpretation of the work they have done over the summer.

This year’s Showcase is from 9 a.m.-noon on Wednesday, Aug. 9 in the University Student Union Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.

The Summer Scholars Program integrates research and education for undergraduate students. They are able to work closely with a faculty member as they formulate hypotheses, design and carry out experiments, collect data, analyze results and draw meaningful conclusions from their work.

There are also field trips and weekly seminars that provide additional learning and networking opportunities.

The program has received generous support from The San Diego Foundation, ViaSat, CalFire and Genentech.

What: Summer Scholars Showcase, hosted by CSUSM’s College of Science and Mathematics

When: 9 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017

Where: University Student Union Ballroom on campus of Cal State San Marcos

Cost: Free

Parking: Free parking will be available in the University Parking Structure

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

CSUSM’s College of Science and Mathematics hosts the Summer Scholars Program each year to actively engage undergraduates in STEM research. Working closely with faculty mentors, students gain hands-on experience in highly interdisciplinary projects and learn to apply new instrumental techniques and analytical methods.

“The Summer Scholars Program helps students determine which career path might be appropriate for them and it opens their eyes to a world of careers out there that they didn’t know existed,” said Julie Jameson, an associate professor of biology at CSUSM who co-directs the program with fellow biology professor Betsy Read.

The 10-week program concludes each year with the Summer Scholars Showcase where participants share with the community the methods, results and interpretation of the work they have done over the summer.

Funding for the Summer Scholars Program was provided by The San Diego Foundation, ViaSat, CalFire and Genentech.

What: Summer Scholars Showcase, hosted by CSUSM’s College of Science and Mathematics

When: 9 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017

Where: University Student Union Ballroom on campus of Cal State San Marcos

Cost: Free

Parking: Free parking will be available in the University Parking Structure

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

– Lucy HG Solomon

Her interdisciplinary works have been exhibited in galleries ranging from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles to the Letterkenny Regional Cultural Centre in Ireland. An art and science collective she founded, The League of Imaginary Scientists, has developed interactive content for more than 50 projects around the world. A recent crowdsourcing effort of theirs – The Social Cinema Machine – was featured at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

And since the fall of 2015, Lucy HG Solomon has been bringing her hybrid world of art and science to the School of Arts at Cal State San Marcos as an Assistant Professor of Media Design.

“Cal State San Marcos is a wonderful place to teach because the university creates a community of thinkers and creators without boundaries, in that ideas from students and professors intermingle, and students shape the outcome as much as their professors,” said Solomon, whose work focuses on the interaction between art and the environment and deftly melds scientific exploration with play.

Since arriving at CSUSM, Solomon has been honored by CYPHER International with a Changer Maker Award for integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in the classroom, along with an Energy, Efficiency, and Sustainability Best Practices Award for Sustainability in Academics.

Solomon’s work can be irreverent. Take, for example, Piano for Roly-Polies, which incorporates a computer program to trigger musical notes as a pill millipede ambles across the keys.

“I often integrate a sense of play into the art that I make,” she said. “The most exciting bit is the coming together of viewers of all ages, including schoolchildren and university students, and seeing them explore new concepts through art.”

-- Dr. Casey Mueller

Dr. Casey Mueller has been intrigued with animals since she was a little girl growing up on a farm stocked with sheep and cattle in Australia. After being the first generation of her family to attend college, Mueller is now an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Cal State San Marcos, where her lab explores concepts in developmental physiology with a focus on environmental changes.

Since arriving at CSUSM two years ago, Mueller has provided research opportunities for five undergraduate students, organized symposia on developmental physiology, and been invited to conferences throughout the country and Europe.

“I am fascinated by how physiological systems develop and respond to the environment, and how developmental physiology influences animals later in life,” she said.

Mueller studies local species of frogs and fish.

“We are the first lab to study developmental physiology of the relatively abundant Baja California chorus frog,” she said. “Our research will help to understand how this frog continues to be successful, while so many other species of amphibians are in worldwide decline.”

Mueller moved to CSUSM in the fall of 2015 to teach physiology after earning her Ph.D. at the University of Adelaide, Australia, and completing postdoctoral work at the University of North Texas and McMaster University in Canada. She couldn’t be happier.

“CSUSM is providing a center for learning and discovery in North San Diego County,” she said. “Most of the students are local, and for dedicated students, CSUSM can serve as a platform to go on to even greater things. Helping them in this process, is very rewarding.”

-- Dr. Ali Ahmadinia
 

He’s only been teaching at Cal State San Marcos for a little more than a year, but Dr. Ali Ahmadinia, a professor in the Department of Computer Science, already is having a huge impact.

Just months after he arrived, Ahmadinia launched a grant-funded research project with three of his students to develop a cellphone-size, embedded device to measure air quality and monitor indoor pollutants. While wrapping up that project, Ahmadinia is working with others in revising Department of Computer Science curriculum to include a stronger focus on engineering as CSUSM develops its degree programs in software and electrical engineering.

Ahmadinia earned his Ph.D. from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, and worked as research assistant in Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated circuits before moving to the United Kingdom to serve as a research fellow at the School of Engineering and Electronics at the University of Edinburgh. He came to CSUSM in February 2016 from Glasgow Caledonian University, where he was a senior lecturer in embedded systems. His research has been published in more than 100 international journal and conference publications, and his private industry background includes designing sensor devices for deep sea oil and gas pipeline monitoring systems, along with energy management systems for buildings.

Ahmadinia says the best part about CSUSM is the students.

“The students are much more motivated at Cal State San Marcos than what I’ve seen in other places,” Ahmadinia said. “And it shows. I enjoy hearing from former students telling me that they are working at a top tech company and are using the same principles they learned in my class.”

-- Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng

A new major in music. A new lab with two dozen, 88-key digital keyboards. A new Steinway grand piano for an acoustically advanced Performance Hall. Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng, an associate professor of music at Cal State San Marcos, looks at the developments and says matter-of-factly: “We’ve come a long way in a very short time.”

Cheng has been leading the charge. A classical pianist who has wowed audiences from Taipei to Texas and a leading educator who has taught on two continents, Cheng’s goals are simple.

“We want to establish a rigorous program that provides an excellent caliber of music education in the North County,” she said. “We want the best facilities and the best instruments for our students to give them an alternative of leaving the area to study music.”

Cheng has been studying music all her life. She found her path when instructors were drawn to her perfect pitch while growing up in Taiwan and accompanying an older brother to his lessons. She studied piano and double bass as a child, won several competitions at a young age, and performed professionally as a teen.

She came to CSUSM six years ago to help build the music program here. Private piano recitals raised funds for the new music lab and Steinway grand piano. Her recent public performances included an April 9 solo recital at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido and a May 13 piano concerto at Palomar College.

“Performing is a passion but I think teaching and influencing and bringing music to students’ lives is just as meaningful and rewarding,” Cheng said.

-- Dr. Christina Holub

It’s all about prevention.

That’s the message from Dr. Christina Holub, an assistant professor at the new Master of Public Health program at Cal State San Marcos whose research focuses on investigating risk behaviors that lead to health disparities in certain populations.

A current research project is aimed at boosting physical activity among Pacific Islanders through culturally inspired activities with a functional, circuit-style group exercise format.

“I’ve always been interested in why some populations experience higher rates of certain health problems, but when I began looking at Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, I was just blown away by the health disparities,” she said. “If you address health risk behaviors early on, you can prevent a lot of health problems in the future. And just getting people to move and exercise can help change their life, not just physically but mentally.”

Holub earned her master’s from Yale University in Epidemiology with a focus on Social and Behavioral Sciences and her Ph.D. in Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked on community health projects at fishing villages in El Salvador, studied how parental behaviors impact risk behaviors of adolescents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and has collaborated with the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico. Holub also is the founder of Cogtoolz, a project that works to improve self-care and mental health among students.

“I have a passion for both teaching and research, and CSUSM’s environment allows me to have a nice balance,” she said. “There are not a lot of environments where you can do that.”

“I’ve never met a kid who wasn’t capable,” said Goldberg, a music professor in CSUSM’s School of Arts. “I have met a lot of kids who haven’t had opportunities. I was one of those kids for whom the arts opened a world of possibility.”

For Goldberg – an avid boxer with a wicked left hook and longtime professional saxophonist turned renowned leader in arts education – one of the greatest challenges to fully integrating the arts in K-12 education is debunking the notion that arts are fluff or “nice to have” despite what research proves.

“There is now a significant body of research that shows that kids who participate in the arts perform better in school, attain better jobs and become empathetic citizens” said Goldberg, who has been studying how art influences learning for more than two decades. “But what I have found is that the research isn’t enough.”

To break through that stigma of fluff, Goldberg is zeroing in on public awareness as part of her newest endeavor, ARTS=OPPORTUNITY, a research-based initiative backed by a $200,000 grant from the Stuart Foundation and $25,000 grant from the Panta Rhea Foundation. ARTS=OPPORTUNITY focuses on improving K-12 arts literacy and advocates that every child, every day needs to have real opportunities to learn in, and through, the arts.

Led by a team of artists, educators and business leaders, the multifaceted program, which launched late last year, provides leadership training, summits, workshops and anchor events for educators, parents, youth and teens, and arts providers.

Goldberg has her sights set on the big picture. Beyond improving K-12 test scores and attendance rates, which increase significantly when art is integrated in the K-12 curriculum, research shows that participation in the arts can be a precursor to career success and civic involvement.

Not only does art encourage risk taking, flexibility and thinking outside of the box, but a student who participates in art is more likely to pursue and succeed in college. Art-literate students are sought after as employees and set higher career goals.

“Art is essential and it unlocks opportunity,” Goldberg said. “I revel in helping to change the landscape of education so that all kids, especially kids who have not had opportunities, have a chance to have arts fused into their daily lives.”

Learn more at csusm.edu/artopp

-- Allison Carr

Allison Carr is helping students learn how to learn.

As the Academic Transitions Librarian at Cal State San Marcos, Carr works closely with faculty to instill in students the skills vital in becoming discerning researchers who can separate fact from fiction and bias from objectivity.

“I am a believer in college as a way to create an informed citizenry,” Carr said. “My job is to make sure that students learn to think critically.”

Becoming a librarian was the last thing on Carr’s mind when she left her hometown of Clovis to study at UC Santa Barbara, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history. From there, Carr went on to work at the UC San Diego library as an outreach program coordinator. Encouraged to continue her education, and invited by a mentor to co-teach a research workshop for undergraduate students, Carr saw her plans for the future begin to change.

“I discovered that my passion was teaching students to engage in a line of inquiry, and to find, evaluate, understand and use information,” she said.

Carr earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree in May 2006 from San Jose State University, and was hired by CSUSM shortly after. Among her current projects is leading a CSUSM Library initiative helping K-12 librarians and teachers prepare students for the rigors of research needed in college and the workforce. This year’s theme: Promoting College Research Readiness and Strengthening Lifelong Learning.

“I love that CSUSM’s library is truly the center of campus, both physical and metaphorically,” Carr said.

– Dr. Robert Iafe

Dr. Robert Iafe has the best of both worlds.

On the cutting edge of organic chemistry research and whose Ph.D. dissertation was titled “Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Reactions of Pinacol Vinylboronates: New Cyclization Strategies to Prepare Polyene Macrocycles and Transannular Diels-Alder Cycloaddition Substrates,” Iafe gets to meld his love of discovery with another passion – teaching – as an assistant professor at Cal State San Marcos.

“I love organic chemistry research because I get to push the frontiers of our knowledge of the chemical and physical world, and using this knowledge, we can apply it to the preparation of pharmaceuticals and materials where we can save lives or make lives easier,” Iafe said. “As for teaching, this is a passion that started in graduate school. I enjoy instructing and molding the minds of our future generation because the students in the classroom today will be the researchers in the labs solving critical problems tomorrow. I love inspiring the next-generation chemist, but the next-generation chemist needs to understand classical principles in order to develop new theories.”

Besides, Iafe still engages in research at CSUSM; his research interests are manipulating organic compounds for pharmaceutical uses. Best of all, his students are heavily involved in his projects. In fact, Iafe last year earned the Award for Outstanding Faculty Student Collaboration, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, at CSUSM.

Born in San Diego and raised in El Cajon, Iafe said he feels at home at CSUSM.

“There is a very supportive environment here,” he said. “The students are very professional and very respectful. I’m impressed every single day.”

Javier Mejia-Trejo, Jamileh Hamideh, Jeffrey Davis, Allison Ball and Kadri Williams will now spend the next year – and $1,000 in prize money – developing the app they’ve dubbed “Heartwork” with the help of a tech incubator. Heartwork would connect those who want to act in searching for local and global projects.

“It’s about bringing together people or groups to share their resources by connecting people with different skills to find innovative solutions for local challenges,” Jamileh said. “We really need to have a centralized app that focuses on communities and can make a difference.”

This was the second straight year a team from CSUSM earned the grand prize at the Sustainable Earth Decathlon. Last year’s award went to Creative-ive (pronounced creative-ivy) for creating Cleanweb, an e-commerce site focusing on carbon credits. Both teams were coached by Lucy HG Solomon, an Assistant Professor of Media Design in the CSUSM School of Arts.

“It was absolutely thrilling to see School of Arts students on stage once again, defending their concept design and sharing their stories,” Solomon said.

The Sustainable Earth Decathlon – held April 26-28 at the LA Kretz Innovation Center in downtown Los Angeles – provides an opportunity for young innovators to showcase their cleantech ideas, investors to discover tech innovations, and policy-makers to see what community-defined innovation looks like. The Sustainable Earth Decathlon is sponsored by CYPHER International, whose mission is “to develop socially responsible technology entrepreneurs through tech-enabled innovation at the nexus of food, energy, and water systems.” CYPHER is an acronym for Conscious Youth Promoting Health & Environmental Resilience.

The Decathlon included forums on expanding clean tech solutions in low-income communities, along with presentations on green tech funding and career opportunities. The final day of the event featured a CleanTech Showcase with teams from California, Kenya and China promoting their projects.

Kadri said his involvement was spurred by a desire to go beyond posting memes on Facebook complaining about White House policy.

“I want to have more of an impact than just putting something on a social networking site with a hashtag,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with bringing issues to the forefront, but I wanted to look for solutions.”

Heartwork, team members said, can galvanize individuals by providing them the opportunity to work on issues they care about while building communities of action. It could, for example, result in feeding the hungry without spending a dime by connecting organizers of a catered event who have leftovers from a gala to managers at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen that could use an infusion of resources. Likewise, organizers of a community garden could more easily connect with experts in the field or others who share the same interest.

The CSUSM team comprised students with widely divergent backgrounds that served them well in working together. For example, Jamileh, a mother of four children, was born and raised in Peru and moved to the U.S. after a devastating 1991 cholera epidemic. Javier’s family immigrated from Mexico and has struggled with food insecurity in the past.

“I loved working on this team,” Kadri said. “The collaboration we built represents what our app is all about: a collaboration between people from different communities but with the same interest in making an impact.”

Just look for the cap that has “We did it Luisito! 2%” proudly displayed.

Luisito refers to her 11-year-old son Luis. The 2 percent represents the small number of teenage mothers who earn their college degree, a group Erica is joining this month by earning her bachelor’s in psychology. But it’s more than a statistic for Erica. It’s what drove her to complete college and keep a promise she made to Luis on a cold November night when he was just 8 months old and the two of them were forced out of their home by Erica’s abusive boyfriend.

You’re going to make it. You’re going to do it. You’ll be part of that 2 percent.

Erica repeated the mantra countless times while at CSUSM.

She never thought of her journey as unique and certainly not inspirational -- at least not until she saw the reaction of classmates last fall to a presentation she gave in CSUSM professor Rita Naranjo’s Sociology 345 class.

Naranjo began the semester by sharing her life story with the class. Afterward, she told her students that their assignment was to put together a 25-minute presentation to share their life story.

Erica’s first thought was, “What can I share? There’s nothing interesting about me.”

It didn’t immediately occur to her to share what it was like discovering that she was pregnant at age 15. Or about how she dropped out of high school and moved from Oceanside to Fresno with the baby’s father. Or about the years of domestic violence. Or about that cold November night when her boyfriend threw Erica and Luis out to sleep on the street. Or about the epiphany she had as she tried to keep Luis warm that night. Or about how that night would put her on a decade-long path to her degree.

The more Erica thought about the assignment, the more her past came into focus. She ended up sharing those details of an often harrowing journey and she saw the impact it had on her classmates.

“I feel like my life has changed and I’m a different person,” Erica said. “I’m very happy with who I am. I don’t feel like a victim like I used to.

“When I shared my story, my classmates were asking me if they could give me a hug and they were asking me a lot of questions. One of them cried and said, ‘Wow, you truly inspired me.’ I never thought of my story as something that could inspire someone.”

You’re going to make it. You’re going to do it. You’ll be part of that 2 percent.

Long before Erica became aware of the statistical improbability that she would earn her bachelor’s, she was struggling to learn English.

Neither of Erica’s parents attended school as children. Both have spent their lives working in the fields trying to support three children. While Erica and her siblings were born in the United States, they spent most of their childhood living in Tijuana because they couldn’t afford to live here. When her parents brought them here permanently in hopes that their children would get a good education, Erica was 13 years old and spoke no English.

Erica was in an English Language Development program, but her grades suffered as she struggled to understand her teachers. She was often home alone with her siblings while her parents worked 12-hour days, six days a week.

At 15, Erica learned she was pregnant.

Erica dropped out of school and moved to Fresno with her boyfriend. She had no family or friends there. She was a teenager with a baby and a boyfriend who was using drugs and beating her on a daily basis. She never called the police out of fear that it would ultimately lead to a worse beating.

“Even though I needed help, I was scared,” she said. “I was just always afraid of asking for help.”

Then came that November night when Erica’s boyfriend threw her and Luis out into the cold. Erica sobbed as she repeatedly apologized to her son for the life they were living. As she sat outside holding Luis, her crying eventually subsided as she stared into the night sky and recalled two vivid memories.

She remembered going to work with her mother in the tomato fields a few years earlier. Erica had complained to her mother that day about the tiring work.

“My mom said, ‘This is our life. The only people who have a good life are the ones who got a good education,’ ” Erica said. “Even though my parents never went to school and they barely know how to read or write, they always told us that it was important to get a good education.”

The other memory was of a field trip to CSUSM during Erica’s first year at Lincoln Middle School in Oceanside. After spending most of her youth growing up in a poor Tijuana neighborhood, the size and scope of CSUSM was breathtaking.

Erica describes that November night as her rock bottom. It was the moment she knew she had to take action if she was going to change her life, and she knew an education was the only way to make it happen.

You’re going to make it. You’re going to do it. You’ll be part of that 2 percent.

Becoming part of the 2 percent wouldn’t be easy, but that night spurred Erica to find a way to finish high school. She researched a home school program and enrolled – no small feat for a minor with no parents or guardian present to sign off on all of the paperwork. Erica was also contending with a violent boyfriend who didn’t like the idea of her being in school.

“He always used to say, ‘You’re never going to make it. Do you really think you can finish high school? You don’t even know how to speak English.’ But I just kept going,” she said. “I did it for my son. I think I was able to get through because of my teachers.”

It was one of her teachers who encouraged Erica to continue her education after high school. She convinced her boyfriend to move back to Oceanside after graduating from high school, telling him it was only to be closer to family and that she had no intention of pursuing college.

But once back in Oceanside, she enrolled at MiraCosta College where she met Candy Owens, a counselor and facilitator at the school.

“I am beyond proud of Erica,” Owens said. “I have personally witnessed a beautiful transformation; from quiet and shy to an empowered young lady. When I first met her, she didn’t really speak to too many people. In class, she didn’t participate much. Throughout the semester I kept encouraging her to participate in campus clubs, and she did.”

Erica joined the Parents on Campus Club and the Latina Leadership Network Club, and Owens could see a difference.

“Her leadership skills blossomed and she started to believe that she had every right to be in college and that she was smart enough for college,” Owens said.

Owens gave Erica a journal to write down her goals. Among those goals was to stop living under domestic violence.

“That’s when I decided to leave,” said Erica, noting that her brother, a 2012 CSUSM graduate, also played an integral role in helping her escape the abusive relationship.

As Erica thrived at MiraCosta, CSUSM remained her long-term dream. She constantly told her brother how lucky he was to be at CSUSM, often asking to tag along with him just to walk around campus.

Though she longed to attend CSUSM, Erica said there was always self-doubt about whether she was smart enough.

“But it was also my dream, so I kept pushing,” she said. “My first semester here, I started crying when I got my student ID. I couldn’t believe I was here.”

You’re going to make it. You’re going to do it. You’ll be part of that 2 percent.

It was shortly after Erica started at CSUSM that she learned about the 2 percent. She started reading about teen pregnancy and discovered that fewer than 2 percent of teenage mothers earn a college degree by the time they’re 30.

“When I read that I got scared,” said Erica, now 27 years old. “I thought, ‘Wow, the possibilities are so small.’ I knew I needed to work harder to do it.”

It hasn’t been an easy road.

During Erica’s first semester at CSUSM, Luis was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Not only does she attend school full time, but she also works full time as a translator for a San Marcos-based company -- she smiles as she notes that it wasn’t so long ago that she didn’t speak any English and now she’s working as a translator. Her days begin at 3:30 a.m. so she can be to work by 5 each morning.

Twice a week, Erica goes from work to campus for six-plus hours of classes. She tries to take care of studying and homework before the weekend so that she can devote herself completely to Luis on Saturdays and Sundays. She is also serving as a mentor for high-risk teenage girls through Vista-based Solutions for Change.

Whenever she had doubts, whenever she thought about giving up, she repeated those familiar words:

You’re going to make it. You’re going to do it. You’ll be part of that 2 percent.

While Erica’s undergraduate days are coming to an end, her education will continue. She is planning to pursue her master’s in public administration at San Diego State next year with the goal of being part of a nonprofit women’s resource center or even founding one herself.

The experience of sharing her story in Naranjo’s class has inspired her to take communications classes to improve her public-speaking skills in hopes of sharing her story with others and serving as an example that it’s possible to escape domestic violence.

“Erica is an eager learner and listener,” Naranjo said. “She may be quiet and soft spoken, but she is courageous and passionate beyond measure, which brings her to have a powerful message when spoken.

“I am truly inspired by her because she has shown dedication in many aspects of her life as a mother, daughter, student and role model in the community. I consider her an amazing ally on this path to empower, build, and create community connections and well-being.”

Erica’s ex-boyfriend hasn’t been part of her or Luis’ life for years. They haven’t seen him since she graduated from MiraCosta. She heard he was in jail with several more years to serve.

Luis, now a fifth grader, will be there on May 19 for his mom’s graduation. Before Erica walks across the commencement stage to shake the hand of President Karen Haynes, she will be the student speaker for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral & Social Sciences morning ceremony. As she did in Naranjo’s class, she’ll share the story of her journey from pregnant teen to college graduate.

It will be another step in fulfilling the promise she made to Luis over a decade ago when they sat in the cold and she told him she would go back to school, free him of the life they were in and do her best to make him proud of her.

Luis smiles as he affirms his pride in his mom’s accomplishment. He hopes to follow in her footsteps and attend CSUSM, perhaps beginning a journey to his current goal of becoming a doctor.

Much like the personal mantra of joining the 2 percent of teenage mothers who earn their college degree, Erica has an oft-repeated mantra for Luis.

“I’m always telling him, ‘You can do whatever you want as long as you’re willing to work hard,’ ” she said. “That’s one of the reasons why I always try my best, because I want to inspire my son. I can’t tell him to go after his dreams if I’m not following my dreams. And my dream is to be a role model to him and a role model to other people in my community.

“Sometimes I wonder, ‘Is this really happening? Am I really graduating?’ I just can’t believe it.”

Notably, 54 percent of the graduating students are the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree and 38 percent of graduates identify as underrepresented minorities.

CSUSM will award an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree to Joanne Tawfilis at 9 a.m. Friday, May 19. Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees will be awarded to Roberta Achtenberg at 1 p.m. Friday, May 19 and Cecil Steppe at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 20.

Tawfilis, who has partnered with CSUSM on numerous projects, has dedicated her life to promoting peace through art. Achtenberg, a member of the CSU’s Board of Trustees for 16 years, helped establish the CSU Institute for Palliative Care, which is based at CSUSM. Steppe had a distinguished career working for the County of San Diego, garnering a reputation as someone who could bring together myriad county departments, schools, agencies and private-sector organizations to share in the responsibility of providing social and health services to families.

More than 25,000 total guests are expected to attend the five ceremonies held on Mangrum Track and Field at CSUSM. Each ceremony will last approximately two hours.

Social media users can follow CSUSM Commencement posts by students, faculty and staff by searching for #CSUSM2017. All five commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live on the day of the event at csusm.edu/commencementlive and through the CSUSM mobile app.

What: CSUSM hosts its 26th annual commencement

When:

Friday, May 19, 2017

9 a.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

1 p.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Saturday, May 20, 2017

9 a.m. – College of Business Administration

1 p.m. – College of Science and Mathematics

4 p.m. – College of Education, Health and Human Services

Where: Mangrum Track and Field, California State University San Marcos

333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos

Who: Approximately 3,300 candidates are expected to participate in the ceremonies

Traffic: Traffic congestion and backups can be anticipated in the area and surrounding streets, especially along South Twin Oaks Valley Road, the 78 Freeway, Barham Drive and Craven Road. University Police and the Sheriff’s Department will be directing and controlling traffic flow along South Twin Oaks. Motorists should expect traffic delays; graduates, families and friends are advised to plan accordingly to arrive on time. Broadcast Media: Any mention that can be made regarding expected traffic delays during broadcasts on May 19 and 20 would be greatly appreciated.

Media: Contact: Eric Breier, 760-891-6455

For easy access to the ceremony site, media are asked to park in Lot Z, which is located at South Twin Oaks Valley Road and Campus Marketplace.

For more information on CSUSM’s Commencement Ceremonies, visit csusm.edu/commencement

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

Meet Sharon Patray, who will walk across a stage at Cal State San Marcos on May 20 to receive her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry before setting off for a Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore this fall.

“A day doesn’t go by where I don’t look back at my experiences and think about how fortunate I am,” Patray said. “Even when I’m pumping gas into my car at the gas station, I think, if you would have told me when I was a kid that I would even have my own car, I wouldn’t believe it. Where I came from, only rich people had cars.”

How did she do it?

“Determination, hard work and luck,” Patray said.

Patray’s mentor, Associate Professor of Biochemistry Dr. Sajith Jayasinghe, is among her biggest fans.

“She is a role model for my other students in the lab,” Jayasinghe said. “They see what she has done, where she has come from, and where she is going to.”

Born in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, Patray fled with her mom and most of her family to Ghana during the first Liberian Civil War, a conflict that left more than 600,000 people dead from 1989 to 1997. She was 6 years old when she left her homeland, and she would spend much of the next nine years in a refugee camp.

At the age of 15, Patray landed in Rochester, N.Y., to live with her father. Although she earned a fully paid scholarship to study engineering at Clarkson University, a private research institution near the Canadian border, Patray could not capitalize on the offer because she had not yet become eligible for a green card from what was then known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Instead, she enrolled at Monroe Community College in her adopted hometown of Rochester. After one year at Monroe, she enlisted in the Marines.

“A friend of mine was joining the military and I thought it would be fun, so I saw a recruiter,” Patray said. “He told me the military would pay for my education and help me secure my green card.”

Patray’s eight years as a Marine combat engineer included everything from building bridges in Japan to clearing routes in Iraq and Afghanistan. When she left the service, she moved to Oceanside, enrolled in MiraCosta College, and continued along her path of academic excellence. Patray began looking at her options, but after her experiences as a combat engineer, she quickly crossed engineering off her list as possible career choices.

“I was thinking about becoming a physical therapist, and had to take a Biology 101 course, and I loved it. I absolutely fell in love with biology. So, I started taking more biology classes, and naturally that led me to chemistry classes, so I changed my major to biochemistry.”

She hasn’t looked back. Patray, now 32, earned two associate degrees from the Oceanside college and took part in the Bridges to the Future Program, a partnership between MiraCosta, CSUSM and Palomar College that is designed to prepare students from underrepresented communities for careers in biomedical research.

“I had some great teachers, some great mentors at both MiraCosta College and Cal State San Marcos who told me I could be a great biochemist and provided me with the support and resources to succeed,” Patray said. “They have been my family since I decided to go the science route.”

It was also while she was at MiraCosta that Patray was introduced to the OTRES program, an acronym for the Office for Training, Research and Education in the Sciences. All of which meant that when Patray enrolled at CSUSM, she was ready to take flight. She was accepted into the competitive Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program in 2014. Through OTRES, Patray took part in a 2015 Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Johns Hopkins University, where her work focused on isolating mycobacteriophages, which can be manipulated and are useful in understanding mycobacterial infections in people.

In 2016, she took part in the California State University-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program, a statewide effort dedicated to broadening participation in STEM disciplines. She also has presented her work at national and regional conferences such as the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) and the CSU Program for Education & Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB). And she is an active participant in the American Chemistry Society Club and the American Association of University Women.

Perhaps most impressive, Patray co-authored a peer-reviewed article in the journal Intrinsically Disordered Proteins while still an undergraduate student at CSUSM.

“She is highly motivated, and her desire to learn will take her far,” Jayasinghe said.

This coming fall, Patray will be entering the first year of her Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins. She is aiming for a possible career with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducting the kind of virus-related research that will save lives.

But first, she’ll be speaking at the April 22 March for Science in San Diego, part of a series of nationwide events supporting science and research.

“We have come so far,” Patray said. “We can’t let people turn us back.”

“I struggled a lot growing up,” Carlos said. “I struggled adapting to a new culture and I rebelled quite a bit.”

The struggles continued into his freshman year at Escondido High School where his grade-point average was just 1.25 that first year.

Needless to say, college wasn’t on his radar back then. He wasn’t even thinking about graduating from high school.

“My goal was just to break necks in football,” he said. “I was angry.”

Carlos overcame that anger and those struggles, becoming the first in his family to attend college. He will cross the commencement stage at Cal State San Marcos next month after earning his bachelor’s in human development.

Carlos credits his turnaround to a high school counselor. First, she put him on a program to recover lost credits from his freshman year. By the end of his sophomore year, his grade-point average was 4.0. As a junior, Carlos started taking Advanced Placement classes and began to think about attending Palomar College. It wasn’t long before he set his sights on a four-year university. He was accepted to all five universities to which he applied, but there was little doubt that he would choose CSUSM.

“This is my community,” he said. “This is where I grew up. Before I make a difference anywhere else, I need to make a difference here.”

Though Carlos said he struggled again during his first year at CSUSM, he was better equipped to handle those struggles. He credits CSUSM’s Personalized Academic Success Services (PASS) for helping him hone the skills he needed to be successful in college.

Carlos’ efforts culminated in a trip to Chicago in March for the annual Scientific Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiological and Biofeedback.

CSUSM professor Eliza Bigham, Carlos’ HD 497 instructor, recommended that he attend the conference to present a project titled “iCare Health Monitor Phone App vs. Traditional Portable Pulse Oximetry.” The project compared the accuracy of the iCare application to a pulse oximeter by examining heart rate and oxygen levels in blood cells, or SpO2.

The results found the iCare’s heart rate measurement to be accurate when compared to the pulse oximeter, but inaccurate when measuring SpO2.

“The most amazing things happen when students go to conference,” Bigham said. “Carlos, for example, was not sure if he should go and I could tell he was a little uncomfortable knowing that he was going to have a presentation of his research project.”

Carlos serves as a teaching assistant for Bigham on a similar project. He received experience presenting at last year’s Nu Upsilon Research Conference (NURC) and he helped the groups that will be presenting at this year’s NURC event on May 4. The event is from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at Markstein Patio and is open to the public.

“Carlos put all of what he learned as a teaching assistant and also on his research team last semester into this iCare poster, and it turned out wonderful,” Bigham said. “I had so many comments from attendees that they were impressed with his understanding of the project and with his excitement about research in general. It was as if he had found something new and exciting and realized that he could have a significant place in that. I know that Carlos will continue to reach new heights with each step that he takes. And I look forward to continuing to support and applaud him as he goes on this journey.”

Carlos plans to pursue his master’s and would like to eventually work as a school psychologist so that he can positively impact lives like his high school counselor did for him.

But before continuing his education, he wants to make a difference close to home.

“I need to make an impact here first,” said Carlos, who works as a sports coordinator for Rincon Middle School in Escondido and also interns for Escondido Union High School District. “I can’t just leave my community behind after it’s done so much for me.

“Graduating from college is a great accomplishment and I’m proud of it. But I’m not done yet.”

Jacob Thum, who earned his kinesiology degree from Cal State San Marcos in spring 2016, devoted months to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which spans the U.S.-Mexico border to Canada.

Thum will share stories about his adventure during a free community event at Cal State San Marcos on April 13. No RSVP is necessary

The 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968. It gained widespread fame from the 2014 Reese Witherspoon film “Wild” as well as the Cheryl Strayed memoir on which the movie is based.

Thum will discuss everything from the logistics and difficulties of navigating the trail to the rewards of committing to a months-long hike.

The presentation is sponsored by CSUSM’s College of Education, Health and Human Services and Campus Recreation.

What: Cal State San Marcos alumnus Jacob Thum tells his story of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which spans 2,650 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border near Campo to British Columbia, Canada, near the U.S. border

When: 6-8 p.m., April 13, 2017

Where: McMahan House, California State University San Marcos

Cost: Free

Parking: For driving directions, campus map and parking fees, visit the CSUSM Parking Guide.

Information: Contact Hugo Lecomte at hlecomte@csusm.edu or (760) 750-6001

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

“Textiles are so much a part of my aesthetic,” said Corrales, whose latest piece, Realms of Appropriation, is the latest University Library Spring Context Exhibition at Cal State San Marcos. “It’s part of who I am.”

Realms of Appropriation, which went on display March 1, will be on exhibit at the University Library through July 1. It is part of the Context Library Series, which is aimed at providing access to a variety of viewpoints and experiences through art, and inspiring research and dialogue related to each installation.

Known for what he calls “viewer-activated” artwork, Corrales designed the central piece of Realms of Appropriation – a towering and expansive textile sculpture – specifically for CSUSM Library's gallery. At first glance, the centerpiece of Realms of Appropriation looks something like a giant, vibrant jellyfish. It is constructed entirely with scraps of fabric from the fashion and textile design industries. And unlike most artwork, it is meant to be experienced through touch.

“This installation is tactile and kinetic,” said Librarian Melanie Chu, curator of the series. “Each piece evolves in the hands of the viewer. Students are invited to touch, shape, and spin the fabric creations.”

Corrales said the fabrics are culled from leftover scraps from the Los Angeles Garment District, each piece either too small for the latest red carpet gown or cut to the wrong size.

“Each piece has its own story,” Corrales said. “And there’s just tons of man hours behind each scrap of textile. I want the viewer to feel these pieces, experience them and make them their own.”

That’s what Corrales did while growing up in the southern reaches of San Diego.

“My mom always sold fabrics at the Spring Valley Swap Meet and I was obsessed with going with her when I was a little kid,” he said. “I just loved the sights, the smells of the swap meet, and I loved the vibrancy of the fabrics. Sometimes I would just hide under a big pile of them and scare people when they would feel through the pieces.”

Corrales said for years he employed other mediums like film and glass to showcase his art before finally turning to fabrics.

“It was something I resisted for a long time, but it is something that really is so natural to me,” he said.

Chu said the reaction to Realms of Appropriation has been positive.

“His work is different than anything we’ve had here before,” she said. “It’s so engaging and unexpected, you can’t help but walk into the library and be pulled away from your cell phone.”

Corrales will be on hand at the University Library for an artist meet-and-greet on April 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Realms of Appropriation is free and open to the public during all library hours, and the University Library is open seven days each week.

“Members of the community are welcome to visit our installations,” Chu said.

Previous Context Library Series exhibits include More than a Fence: (de)Constructing Mexico/US Borders, a multimedia installation that explored the geographic, visual, and symbolic impacts of the border fence; Beyond the Stereotype, a campus initiative facilitating a critical conversation on the victims and perpetrators of cultural stereotypes; and Incarceration, Liberation, Imagination depicting local gang violence, prison life, and ultimately a story of faith and second chances.

“Each semester brings a new installation with different themes and curricular connections,” Chu said.

To schedule exhibit class visits or guided tours, contact context@csusm.edu. For more information about the exhibition and the Context Library Series, visit biblio.csusm.edu/context.

So, while Kay’s parents might have been nervous about seeing her travel more than 9,000 miles to attend college, they were supportive of her pursuit of a degree.

Kay graduated from Cal State University San Marcos in December with a business degree in Global Supply Chain Management.

While she remains immersed in her lifelong pursuit of knowledge, she is continuing work she began long ago to empower young girls in Africa to gain an education and better their lives. She wrote a book called “Ask Believe Receive” that details her fight against poverty and education. She also founded the nonprofit Maggie Kay Foundation to help inform, educate and empower girls to improve their lives through education.

Kay took time recently to talk about her foundation, her path to CSUSM and the importance of education.

What inspired your parents to encourage the pursuit of education for you and your siblings?

My dad’s only sister grew up in a place where gender discrimination in education prevailed. My dad, even as a youngling, believed that girls were born to defy all odds and should therefore be afforded the opportunity to learn. So, he secretly taught his sister how to read and write. She ended up becoming very successful compared to women that did not have the opportunity to learn, read nor write. My dad swore that his daughters would be educated.

How did you come to attend CSUSM?

How did I end up in California should be the question. I was listening to a song by Tupac and Dr. Dre, “California Love,” and I romanticized California. CSUSM was geographically advantageous, so it worked out perfectly for me.

How do you enjoy living in the U.S.?

I have made it my second home. I’m full of gratitude to Americans. I fell in love with the American spirit -- the spirit of generosity and unshakable faith. Nevertheless, Africa remains not only my home, but my love.

You went through 11 attempts at acquiring a visa before being allowed to come study in the U.S. How did you persevere?

The first time they said no I was thinking if the U.S embassy thinks I won't try again, it has massively underestimated me. I’m not one to go down without a fight. I wasn’t raised that way. But on my fifth denial, I hit and came face-to-face with the mother of all rock bottoms. I wanted to quit. I started ruminating on Europe. My mother helped me actualize that for either route, nothing ought to be straight; making everything right needs a little bit of fight. I put on my fighting gloves and fought tirelessly. When you attempt a challenge repeatedly, rest assured you’ll reach a point where you’ll start feeling like a champion. On my eighth try I started feeling like a champion and looking forward to going back -- and, as subnormal as it sounds, going back and being denied so that I could tell people, ‘You’ve been denied once and here you’re whining? This is my 10th try. Watch and learn.’

What inspired you to start the Maggie Kay Foundation?

Not until I heard Africa’s dreams, did I discover my purpose in life. It happened while I lived in Europe and saw the immense demand for social workers. I thought, if the African women stuck in the ghettos, fighting the chains of poverty could master French and German, I could secure these jobs for them. So, I opened a school in Kenya. At first, it was just a simple platform for them to propel themselves, but when I witnessed how when propelled most embarked on entrepreneurship, building their families homes, getting them out of the slums, educating their siblings, I wondered, ‘What if more girls became informed, educated and empowered?’

Were other girls from your neighborhood inspired by your journey?

Not when I was going through the visa process. Most laughed at my efforts and mocked my dreams. I remained focused. People residing within the cult of mediocrity don’t like to see others rise. It threatens their security and spotlights their low self-worth. Today, most of them are in better standing thanks to the opportunities brought forth by the Maggie Kay Foundation. Hopefully they’ll inspire themselves more than I aim to inspire them.

As someone who successfully immigrated to the U.S., first to study and then gaining your citizenship, what are your thoughts on the current immigration climate in America?

I understand the apprehension of some Americans when it comes to the vetting process. However, I also know how the ban affects genuine immigrants who just want to be safe and free in the U.S. When the ‘world’ was busy digesting and ingesting the news, I ran into a girl from Somalia detained at the airport. It was emotional. Somalis use the U.S. embassy in Kenya. Thus, I understood the rigorous vetting process she underwent. I tried to smile at her, but she detected no smile. She sat there looking on in the distance, seemingly wondering if the land beyond the horizon had a purpose to take a chance on her, a chance on her dreams.

Are you seeing progress in how girls are treated and the opportunities they’re afforded in Africa?

“Yes, indeed. When these girls get informed, they’re a force to be reckoned with. They don’t wait for opportunities to be afforded to them, they compete to create opportunities for themselves as much if not more than they compete to create opportunities for others.

Is there anything else you would like people to know?

We still live in a gendered world. To change society is to give her a book, and the progress of the society will be enchanted in her education and delight in her success. Let’s empower together. We rise by lifting others.

She began working for the family business as a teen and has since transformed the one-time mom-and-pop organization into an internationally known manufacturer of oceanographic and freshwater monitoring systems. She recently launched a new venture making sensors to track water quality for the booming aquaculture industry. Her accomplishments have been honored by both a San Diego Business Journal Women Who Mean Business award and a San Diego Metro 40 Under 40 recognition.

Meet Kristin Elliott, who earned her MBA at Cal State San Marcos, was recently named among the top alumni to graduate from the program and is the latest addition to the Meet the Leaders program at CSUSM’s College of Business Administration.

“Cal State San Marcos is a wonderful school that has had a significant impact in my career,” Elliott said. “The College of Business Administration really helped me understand how businesses operate and how they can grow.”

Those who know her say Elliott epitomizes CSUSM excellence.

“At our relatively young university, it is wonderful to see our alumni making waves and succeeding so well,” said Dr. Rajnandini “Raj” Pillai, a professor of management and director of the Center for Leadership and Innovation Mentorship Building. “Kristin embodies all that. I am so proud of her. I cannot believe that she was in my MBA leadership class all those years ago and now she will be back on campus as a guest in our Meet the Leaders program sharing her insights with our aspiring MBA students. It has truly come full circle.”

Elliott succeeded her father, Dr. Michael Head, two years ago as CEO of Precision Measurement Engineering (PME), which began as a manufacturer of sensors that could monitor even the smallest changes in water and water flow. Today, PME is better known for its MiniDOT Logger, a submersible instrument that logs oxygen and temperature and records data in an internal memory card. PME’s biggest customers are universities, research institutions and government agencies that are monitoring the impacts of climate change or engaging in efforts to preserve local wetlands. A third product, the Cyclops-7 Logger, takes algae measurements and is manufactured in conjunction with Turner Designs in San Jose.

“PME was never really run as a business before,” Elliott said. “There was no business plan, no marketing plan, no employee manual, and the company really wasn’t making any money.”

Since she took over, PME’s annual gross income has grown from $200,000 annually to $1.3 million with 20 percent profit margins. And PME has embarked on projects involving the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, among others. The Port of San Diego is using PME’s loggers to test the health of the bay water and explore the possibilities for aquaculture there.

Her new business, Aquasend, is aimed at enhanced water quality monitoring at aquaculture farms. She moved ahead with the project after students in the Senior Experience Project at CSUSM provided a detailed marketing report that looked at industry trends and demands.

“The students did an incredible job,” she said. “Their research really helped me understand and validate what I was hearing at these various trade shows. Aquaculture farms need real-time systems to read oxygen levels and water temperatures 24/7.”

Elliott also is involved with various business groups such as the San Diego Entrepreneur’s Organization and the Chairmen’s Round Table while she and her husband raise their two young children, Makenzie (5) and Colton (3).

Elliott grew up in the North County and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and sociology from UC San Diego before earning her MBA from CSUSM in 2011.

“Cal State San Marcos is contributing to the community in so many ways,” she said. “I’m happy to represent this incredible institution.”

There is no place else he’d rather be.

“The culture here has developed to where there is a real desire to be a leader in educational equity,” said McManus, who is energized by the level of collaborative engagement and the efforts to further promote mindfulness and civility. “President Haynes is deeply committed, and I see a great deal of genuine support across the campus community, at every level.”

In his new post, McManus is responsible for working with colleagues and partners across the University to implement the CSUSM Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. It is a job he has been training for all his life.

“Dr. McManus is an incredibly thoughtful leader whose understanding of equity and inclusion is both deep and broad,” said Michael Benitez, Chief Diversity Officer and Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Puget Sound. “He is well aware of the importance and value for diversity in higher education, and possesses the expertise and experience necessary to navigate the challenges that come with addressing diversity on college campuses. Dr. McManus is a strategic thinker familiar with organizational change, and understands well the work that is transforming structures. Cal State San Marcos is fortunate to add such an incredible diversity leader to their campus community.”

McManus most recently served as the Vice President for Diversity & Inclusion with the Kingston Bay Group, a coaching, consulting and search firm specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion issues for public schools, colleges and universities. While with the Kingston Bay Group, McManus also worked part-time as a faculty member and consultant with Urban Outreach Initiatives at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of Rootstrong, a nonprofit committed to multicultural leadership education and development, and for the past 11 years, he has been a board member of the Diversity Collegium, a cross-sector think tank of diversity practitioners.

He grew up in the town of Carver, Mass., the son of an Irish Catholic father and Jewish mother. Joe-Joe was one of three boys. A brother, Kacey, was adopted and African-American.

“My brother, and the family in general, endured a lot of racism and bigotry when I was growing up,” McManus said. “My folks ran what we call in Massachusetts, a ‘packie’ and we had an apartment in the back. We were seen as very poor, and from a very early age I was forced to deal with issues of race, class and religion.”

A gifted athlete, McManus found a refuge in basketball, was recruited to play at a Washington, D.C., hoops prep powerhouse, and was looking forward to a college scholarship to a Division I school. Those plans changed when Kacey became a victim of suicide at just 17 years old.

“I didn’t want to play basketball anymore,” he said. “I didn’t want to go to college anymore.”

His parents refused to give up, pushing him to become the first in the family to secure a college degree. At Florida Institute of Technology, McManus studied Space Sciences, was setting out to become an astronaut, and had drawn the attention of leaders in the field. After his sophomore year, he became the first American employee of what would become the Russian Academy of Sciences.

An activist back home, his career track took its final turn when he spoke about diversity issues while discussing American holidays to an audience in the former Soviet Union.

“I talked about the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Juneteenth,” McManus said. “Nobody even knew what Juneteenth was, and they hadn’t heard the perspectives I was presenting about race and ethnicity connected to the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. I offered them a different perspective about American holidays, and I asked if they had similar experiences in Russia. It became a rather lively discussion. I soon learned that race was an issue in other places, religion was an issue in other places. The entire episode was enlightening for me.”

When he returned to the United States, he switched his major to psychology and began his journey toward becoming an educator focusing on issues of diversity and social justice. He earned his master’s degree in multicultural education from Alliant International University, and his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Florida A&M University (FAMU), where he became known as “Dr. Joe-Joe.” That coincided with his four years as a faculty member at FAMU, which was followed by a visiting professorship at Chancellor College at the University of Malawi in Zomba, Malawi.

Other professional stops included Curriculum Development Coordinator at Dartmouth College’s Tucker Foundation; and as founding Executive Director of the Ernesto Malave Leadership Academy at the City University of New York (CUNY).

“Joe-Joe possesses a passion for educating students of all walks of life and building leadership prowess in even the most marginalized people he encounters,” said Dr. Sidalia G. Reel, Director, Staff Diversity Initiatives, Equity and Inclusion Division, at UC Berkeley. “The intersectionality of his astrophysicist mind, Boston upbringing and deep roots in living in multicultural settings here and abroad, blend in ways that make him a brave social justice educator.”

McManus lives with his wife, Kecia, and their young daughter, Makaila, just a few blocks from campus. His priorities include completing and implementing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan and working with faculty, staff and students to continue to build on the foundation of excellence in educational equity, inclusion and social justice at Cal State San Marcos.

“It’s also important that we continue to grow and develop this office so we can continue to support and provide the highest levels of educational experience regarding equity and inclusion for students, faculty and staff,” he said.

It allows Bigham to finalize numerous details, including plans for the students’ work with a local partner in the country they are visiting.

But Bigham had to deal with a slight problem before her January trip to Australia. The person she worked with on the pre-trip planning was no longer with the anticipated partner group.

Bigham wasn’t fazed by the hiccup. CSUSM alumna Hannah Hawker, one of Bigham’s former students, was in Australia and stepped in to help with logistics before Bigham and a group of 15 CSUSM students arrived.

The students collaborated with the not-for-profit group If Toys Could Talk, which was founded by Hawker, Allan Murnane and Molly Murnane. The goal of If Toys Could Talk is to bring joy to the lives of refugee children around the globe. The group notes that, according to the United Nations, about 41 percent of the 43 million forcibly displaced people in the world are children.

Bigham’s students joined If Toys Could Talk in hosting a series of art workshops on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. They invited locals to join them in making teddy bears that are being sent to children at Syrian refugee camps around the world.

“Projects like this broaden everybody’s perspective,” said Bigham, who led a class in the fall that researched culturally appropriate toys for Syrian refugees.

Making the teddy bears was initially a challenge, particularly as the students did it without the benefit of a sewing machine for the first few days.

Abryana Young, one of the CSUSM students on the trip, jokingly described the first attempt at making a teddy bear as “Eww,” but noted that their work was practically ready for a toy store by the end.

“We know the kids will love them,” added student Allison Geviss.

Other students on the trip included Katelyn Agunat, Kat Fredeluces, Brenda Hernandez, Jocelyn Herrera, Kaitlyn Jenkins, Devine Kelly, Jimin Lee, Meredith Mendez, Jenna Morse, Ashley Pautin, Diana Ramirez, Alexis Santiago and Jessica Toliver.

Bigham said participating in community engagement is a centerpiece of the program and allows students to learn about different communities and perspectives while building new partnerships.

There were times during the trip when those lessons were shared with local community members. The students were surprised by the lack of diversity in the rural areas in which they were based for most of the trip.

At one store that they visited, a group of African-American CSUSM students were ignored by a store employee each time they asked a question.

After the students left the store, Bigham went inside to discuss what had happened with the store employee, noting it was a “teachable moment.”

“It was an awkward situation and she had an eloquent way of expressing how the treatment of our students was wrong,” Meredith said. “I admire the way she responded. That was a really important moment.”

The students had an opportunity to not only explore the culture and traditions of communities on the Sunshine Coast, but also to participate in myriad new experiences.

They spent nine of the days on the trip camping in tents, something many of the students had never done before. They participated in everything from scuba diving and snorkeling to holding a koala and feeding kangaroos.

There were some harrowing moments along the way. One student came face-to-face with a barracuda in the water, two students were stung by jellyfish, and there were bed bugs, walking through leeches and spiders that Devine described as the size of her hand.

“We all got out of our comfort zone,” Brenda said.

Added Allison: “We had some amazing experiences, and I’m thankful for all of it.”

“When I first got into this field, it was all about helping people find information,” Fabbi said. “Information was scarce and you often needed a librarian to find it. Now you have a glut of information; we’re drowning in it. But people often don’t have the skills to evaluate that information for biases and legitimacy.”

Which is why the library puts a premium on information literacy and developing student-scholars who are adept at navigating an increasingly complex landscape pockmarked with sophisticated propaganda and click bait. The goal: to provide CSUSM students with an ability to be engaged, contributing members of the communities in which they work and live.

While the focus at CSUSM is on building research skills (“One of the most important things that librarians do is work with students to evaluate sources within the context of their research questions,” says Fabbi), those skills are vital to understanding the digital information environment, including fake news.

“We want our students to be sophisticated users of information,” said Yvonne Nalani Meulemans, the library’s Head of Teaching and Learning. “We don’t want students to just Google something. We want them to be able to assess the sources and the validity of what they find.”

How bad is the current trend? The Pulitzer Prize-winning seeker of truth Politifact recently put it like this: “For those who care about accuracy and evidence, it’s time to recognize that something really has gone off course.”

Meulemans points out that too many people fail to understand the motivations behind web sources, especially those shared on social media. The trend today leans toward what many derisively refer to as clickbait.

Exhibit A is what is commonly referred to as the Stanford Study. Conducted by researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and released in November, the study collected and analyzed more than 7,800 responses from students at middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country. What it found was shocking: Students too often fall prey to bogus information disseminated across social networking sites and Google searches. Most couldn’t tell the difference between a legitimate medical organization and a fringe source. And less than a third of students could articulate how the political agendas of the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org and the Center for American Progress affected the content of a tweet by the former that linked to a study by the latter.

“These results suggest that students need further instruction in how best to navigate social media content, particularly when that content comes from a source with a clear political agenda,” the study’s authors found.

“Our ‘digital natives’ may be able to flit between Facebook and Twitter while simultaneously uploading a selfie to Instagram and texting a friend,” states the study. “But when it comes to evaluating information that flows through social media channels, they are easily duped.”

Said Meulemans: “There’s a tremendous amount of bogus information out there.”

Meulemans and Fabbi note that the University Library has launched Information Literacy Institutes that bring teachers, librarians and others from local middle and high schools to CSUSM to learn the finer points of preparing students with information literacy skills for future education and life.

“The information that is out there is so easy to access, but it can be more challenging to assess and evaluate than ever before,” Meulemans said. “I often tell students that learning to do quality research isn’t just necessary to do well in school or in your career. Understanding how information is created, shared, and used is fundamental to being part of a democratic society.”

Trujillo has trained scores of first-generation college students in his psychopharmacology laboratory at Cal State San Marcos, with more than half of them transitioning to Ph.D. programs at some of the most prestigious universities in the country. He mentors scientists from disadvantaged groups nationwide as co-director and principal investigator of a prestigious National Institute of Mental Health summer program at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. And he serves as director of the CSUSM Office for Training, Research and Education in the Sciences (OTRES), which has recruited, trained and mentored more than 600 students in STEM fields over the past decade.

All of which contributed to Trujillo being recognized with the prestigious 2017 Wang Family Excellence Award in the category of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Public Service. The California State University’s Board of Trustees honored Trujillo at its Jan. 31 meeting in Long Beach.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Trujillo said. “I work with some extraordinary people here at Cal State San Marcos and in the entire California State University system, and this award could have gone to any number of people who are deserving. So, I feel this is more of a recognition of the work we all do, rather than an individual award.”

The annual Wang Family Excellence Award recognizes four outstanding faculty members and one outstanding staff member who, through extraordinary commitment and dedication, have distinguished themselves by exemplary contributions and achievements. Their activities advance the California State University’s mission and enhance excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. Each recipient is given a $20,000 award.

The Wang Family Excellence Award is the latest in a long list of honors for Trujillo. In 2001, he earned CSUSM’s President’s Award for Scholarly and Creative Activity. Among the numerous recognitions since then is the National Award of Excellence in Mentorship from the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse; the Award for Education in Neuroscience from the Society of Neuroscience; and the National Award for Research from the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse.

His areas of specialization are psychopharmacology and neuroscience, and his current research focuses on the behavioral and neurobiological effects of psychoactive drugs.

Trujillo grew up in the Northern California hamlet of Red Bluff.

“My father was a junior high school teacher, and making ends meet for a family of seven was often quite difficult,” he said, noting how his parents were his role models for the value of hard work.

Trujillo’s first stop on his higher education journey was Shasta Community College, then Cal State Chico, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, psychology and chemistry. After serving as a research volunteer at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., Trujillo went on to earn his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology from UC Irvine, and conducted his postdoctoral research at the Mental Health Research Institute at the University of Michigan. He arrived at CSUSM as an assistant professor in 1994.

“I came here when it was a brand, spanking new campus, and it was an exciting time to be involved in developing from the ground up what you knew was going to become an amazing university,” he said.

He also was sold on CSUSM’s commitment to diversity. Trujillo himself has generated $12 million in grants related to mentoring and increasing diversity in science and academia, helping hundreds of scholars at CSUSM and across the nation find their way to careers in research.

“Professor Trujillo is an outstanding teacher and researcher. But what makes him exceptional is his leadership in mentoring underrepresented minorities to enter careers in science, and his success in winning grant monies to support these efforts,” wrote Dr. Alyssa Goldstein Sepinwall, a CSUSM professor of history, in a nomination letter for Trujillo for the Wang Family Excellence Award.

Current and former students agree.

“Dr. Trujillo is a master at fostering a love for learning and a yearning for scientific discovery,” wrote Dr. Angelica Rocha, a former protégé of Trujillo who now serves as Assistant Director of Student Support for OTRES and is a research associate on campus. “It was as an undergraduate student in his courses, and later in his research laboratory, that I fell in love with scientific inquiry and, for the first time, felt that I belonged among scholars… I can say with certainty that I would not have sought a doctoral degree without his mentorship and guidance.”

The Kinsey Collection was amassed by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey and includes authentic artifacts, books, letters, manuscripts and photographs that document the African-American experience from 1595 to modern day.

Former Xerox CEO Bernard Kinsey will share pieces of his collection, introduce the “myth of absence” concept that has shaped views of African-Americans, and shed light on the unknown history of African-American leaders in U.S. history.

CSUSM’s College of Education, Health and Human Services (CEHHS) is sponsoring the event in conjunction with the San Diego County Office of Education.

“This event is an outstanding opportunity for students to learn about little-known contributions and achievements of African-Americans,” said Janet Powell, dean of CEHHS. “For educators, it’s also a chance to learn how to bring new understanding of equity and access issues to students.”

The program is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for students, $75 for others and includes lunch. The first 50 CSUSM students to register will receive free admission.

What: The Kinsey Collection, an exhibit amassed by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey containing authentic artifacts, documents, photographs and more that document the African-American experience from 1595 to modern day.

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Feb. 3

Where: California State University San Marcos

Tickets: $75 per person, $25 for students (lunch included); free admission for first 50 CSUSM students to register

Information/registration: Visit the San Diego County Office of Education website

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 26-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

For fall 2017, CSUSM received 16,352 applications from prospective first-time freshman, a 7.86 percent increase from fall 2016 and a 21.38 percent increase from fall 2015.

CSUSM also received 8,604 fall 2017 transfer applications, 0.3 percent fewer than fall 2016. However, it is an 8.4 percent increase from fall 2015.

“It’s clear once again that CSUSM has distinguished itself as a first-choice institution,” said CSUSM President Karen Haynes. “Students from our region, California and beyond know that CSUSM is an academic community like no other that will prepare them for success while also offering opportunities for personal growth and leadership.”

Fall 2017 applicants can expect to receive notification of acceptance by the close of January 2017.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 26-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

What will you remember most from 2016? A heated presidential election cycle? The Syrian refugee crisis? Or are you a long-suffering Cubs fan still celebrating the end of a 108-year championship drought?

At CSUSM, we received national recognition, celebrated achievements and broke records, from our highest number of diplomas awarded in May to a record number of students stepping foot on campus in August.

As 2016 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the most talked about stories that celebrate the successes of faculty, staff, students and the region.

Physics Professor: Grant Can Help Fill Regional Void

Gerardo Dominguez began his college career as an engineering major before switching to physics. But some two decades later, engineering is back on his radar. Dominguez, an associate professor of physics, is the project director for a grant worth nearly $6 million under the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM Program that is providing foundational funding for establishing an engineering program at CSUSM.

Graduate Spotlight: Gang Research Leads to Ph.D.

As an undocumented student, Jose Plascencia overcame numerous hurdles to earn his master’s degree in sociology in May. Jose’s parents never finished high school and his father’s history with gangs inspired him to focus his research on gang-involved youth and their interactions with law enforcement.

Retired Navy Captain Serves Again . . . in a San Marcos Middle School Classroom

Alumnus Elliott Powell, a 26-year Navy veteran who commanded four warships over the course of his military career and was the first African-American director of the White House Situation Room, is thriving in his second career as a teacher at San Marcos Middle School.

CSUSM Celebrates Opening of New Athletics Home

After months of anticipation, CSUSM celebrated the grand opening of the University’s new home for Cougars athletics. A large crowd gathered outside The Sports Center on Sept. 1, for a ribbon cutting to mark the official opening of the $11.4 million facility.

Passion for Preparing Middle School Teachers as Strong as Ever

As CSUSM’s Middle Level Program celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, department members remain as passionate as ever about preparing tomorrow’s teachers to help children navigate the road from elementary school to high school.

Pacific Crest Trail leaves lasting impression on alumnus

Jacob Thum, who graduated from with a degree in kinesiology in May, tackled the Pacific Crest Trail shortly after graduation. And he has no regrets about being forced to end his quest just 60 miles short of completing the 2,650-mile journey.

CSUSM Police Officer Competes with Team in 120-mile Race, Takes 1st Place

CSUSM Police Officer Matthew Curran and a team of 19 California State University Police Department members participated in what might be considered the largest police foot pursuit in the world, the Baker to Vegas competition, finishing in first place for their division on March 20.

Study Examines Maternal Stress in Mexican-American Moms

Psychology professor Kimberly D’Anna-Hernandez, working with some two dozen students, continued work on a federally-funded study examining the factors contributing to high levels of stress and depression among Mexican-American mothers adapting to American culture.

Soft Skills Become Graduation Requirement for Business Degrees

To help meet the challenge of an increasingly competitive business environment, the College of Business Administration created a program that enables students to round out their business knowledge by developing personal and professional success skills while pursuing their degree.

CSUSM Granted $3M to Train Next Generation of STEM Cell Scientists

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarded CSUSM more than $3 million to continue the Bridges to Stem Cell Research Internship Programs. The program places students in 12-month internships with host laboratories throughout San Diego County to cultivate the next generation of young scientists and ensure that California remains at the forefront of stem cell discoveries.

His strategy includes diving straight into his computer science major during his first two years at Cal State San Marcos and not simply leaving it to his final four semesters.

Nam, who came to CSUSM from Vietnam, wants to remain in the U.S. after graduation to take advantage of greater job opportunities in the computer science industry. However, his visa requires him to find employment within nine months of graduating.

But that shouldn’t be a problem based on his success in a recent coding contest.

Nam finished eighth out of nearly 900 entrants in an online coding competition sponsored by Codility, which helps companies test coders and improve programming skills.

Only U.S. students were eligible for prizes, but the competition drew participants from around the world. And Nam found himself in impressive company – the winner was from Carnegie Mellon and four of the top eight were from MIT. Nam finished ahead of competitors from the likes of Cal Tech, Princeton and Yale.

“I’m proud that I was the only one from California in the top 10,” Nam said.

Nam had never been to the United States before traveling here in the summer of 2015 to attend CSUSM. He wanted to study abroad to make use of better facilities for learning computer science as well as more career opportunities.

He knew his parents couldn’t afford to send him to the U.S. for college so he set out to earn a scholarship. He read about one offered by the Vietnamese government for students interested in computer science that would cover tuition and living expenses -- and set his sights on earning it.

Nam spent his sophomore year of high school focused on honing his coding skills, work that paid off in his junior year as he earned the scholarship by finishing third in a national coding competition. Nam learned about CSUSM at a college fair and spent his senior year studying English in preparation for his move.

Nam took a number of required general courses in his first semester at CSUSM, but has delved deeper into computer science classes since then. He’s hoping to land an internship sooner by getting a jump on those courses, something that can help him get a head start on landing a job after graduation.

Nam’s strong showing in the recent coding competition is certainly helping. While he thought of the contest solely as a competition, CSUSM computer science professor Sahar Mosleh explained the importance of the accomplishment for his resume.

“Nam is going to have a very bright future,” Mosleh said. “Having watched students succeed, I conclude that success depends on three qualities: perseverance, tenacity and cogency. Nam has them all.”

Nam exhibited those qualities on his path from Vietnam to the U.S. With his college finances secure through the scholarship, he figured out things like housing and transportation on his own. He even managed to navigate the DMV to obtain his driver’s license.

The transition to American life has been a smooth one, though he acknowledges that he is still adjusting to the food.

“There are a lot of things that surprise me about the lifestyle here,” he said. “It’s so good. It’s so civilized and people are so nice.”

The Leadership North County Alumni Network presents the Fran Aleshire Leadership Award each year to a graduate of the program who, in the spirit of community leader Fran Aleshire, exhibits the characteristics of great leadership. Individuals are nominated by their peers.

Broom, a former TV news reporter, has led a major rebrand effort at MiraCosta College. She revitalized marketing efforts to sustain year-after-year enrollment growth; assisted in the 2016 passage of Measure MM, which will bring $455 million to the college for modernizing aging facilities and upgrading instructional technology; and spearheaded state legislation that has helped California community college employees take maternity and paternity leave.

“Strong communities begin with strong people who have the passion for spearheading changes that make our communities a better place to live, work and raise our families,” Broom said. “This is where my passion lies and I’m honored to be recognized for my work in this area.”

Broom also serves on the Oceanside Unified School District Bond Oversight Committee and is a member of the board of directors for the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, San Diego North Economic Development Council, California Community College Public Relations Organization and the National Council for Marketing of Public Relations.

“While our state and local governments do much to help make North San Diego County a great place to live, this award is a reminder that you don’t have to campaign to make a difference in your community and you don’t have to be elected to be a leader,” Broom said. “Through passion, partnerships and leadership, each of us can support initiatives and policies that strengthen the fabric of our community."

Past recipients of the Fran Aleshire Leadership Award include:

2015: Kevin Holt, superintendent of San Marcos Unified School District

2014: Brenda Hall, director of the North County Professional Development Federation

2013: Raye Clendening, civil rights advocate and educator

2012: Don Stump, executive director of North County Lifeline

2011: Gina McBride, owner of McBride Financial Advisory

2010: Beckie Garrett, governing board member of the San Marcos Unified School District

2009: Julie Wright, president and founder of (W)right On Communications

2008: Jim Desmond, City of San Marcos mayor

2007: Mark Moore, retired Marine Corps Major General

2006: Lori Holt Pfeiler, former City of Escondido mayor, current executive director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity

2005: Ramona Finnila, former City of Carlsbad councilmember, board member of Tri-City Healthcare District

Contact 760-750-4003 or www.csusm.edu/LNC for more information about Leadership North County.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 26-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

Many consider the material in their textbook to be definitive and unchanging.

“Sometimes they’ll think, ‘How can this not be known?’ ” said Kim, who is in her first year as an assistant professor of biology at Cal State San Marcos. “But I try to emphasize that it’s people like them who do the research and find the knowledge.”

Kim is quite familiar with the work that goes into such research. She just had an article titled “The role of break-induced replication in large-scale expansions of (CAG)n∙(CTG)n repeats” published in “Nature Structural & Molecular Biology,” a prominent peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The article is based on Kim’s work as a research assistant professor at Tufts University, research she will be continuing at CSUSM.

The work, co-authored by two undergraduate students who Kim mentored at Tufts, shows how the addition of DNA repeats can occur in human diseases.

Kim said Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy are two examples of diseases caused by a short triplet sequence CAG increasing in length. She notes that everyone has short CAG repeats in various genes and it only has harmful consequences when these repeat lengths become too long.

“An important question is how these repeats get long or expand,” she said. “In particular, how do such large-scale expansions occur where dozens of repeats are being added in a single step? This has been a challenging question in the field of repeat expansion diseases.”

Kim’s article reports on an experimental system she designed to study these DNA repeats in budding yeast.

While using yeast for experiments may seem unusual to some outside the science community, Kim said it has been used for about a century as a genetic organism.

Budding yeast is just one example of a model organism that has been widely adopted for use by scientists. Drosophila fruit flies, which Kim worked with in graduate school, are another example of an organism scientists started working with 100-some years ago and is commonplace today.

“Budding yeast and Drosophila were among the first organisms to get their whole genome sequenced, even before humans got their genome sequenced,” said Kim, who already has two CSUSM undergrads lined up to help continue the research she started at Tufts.

Working with yeast has many advantages, according to Kim. It’s cost-effective, strains can be frozen for long-term storage and if something goes wrong with an experiment a researcher can often start over the very next day.

And, unlike the situation faced by a microbiologist who works with bacteria, Kim said it smells pleasantly like a bakery when you open the incubators during experiments involving yeast.

Kim is most interested in DNA repeats and their stability. She said yeast do things like replicate their genomes, partition the duplicated DNA during cell division, and make proteins. Those fundamental processes are highly conserved, Kim said, so it’s like a streamlined human cell; scientists can work much more quickly with yeast cells than human cells.

“You can introduce different DNA that you design and cut and paste certain things that you couldn’t do in human cells,” Kim said. “Yeast is a great system to ask questions such as, ‘How do the molecular processes like DNA replication or DNA repair influence these repeats?’ ”

Kim said her research is more basic, or about understanding the process, than applied.

“But at the same time,” she said, “a high-level goal is, if you understand how these repeats get too long then potentially in designing drug therapies or candidate drugs for diseases, maybe you could target these pathways for positive clinical outcomes. So, say you discover in yeast that a certain DNA repair pathway, or some molecular pathway, causes the repeats to have a higher tendency to get a lot larger or maybe it suppresses them from getting a lot larger, then it’s sort of a candidate pathway to investigate further in higher organisms.”

Kim worked for about four years on the project that led to the recently published article. She is proud not only of the work, but also that it was done with undergrads that she mentored who had no prior molecular biology research experience.

“I try to convey to students that doing research as an undergrad, your goal should be to gain experience in what it’s like to solve new problems in an actual research lab setting as opposed to verifying existing knowledge in a class setting,” Kim said. “This is the most important goal, but ending up on a scientific publication is certainly a cherry on top.”

It’s a nickname he earned in the early stages of his quest to hike the 2,650-mile trail, which spans the U.S.-Mexico border near Campo to British Columbia, Canada, near the U.S. border. Designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968, it gained widespread fame from the 2014 Reese Witherspoon film “Wild” as well as the Cheryl Strayed memoir on which the movie is based.

Jacob, a recent Cal State San Marcos graduate, joined a small group of hikers traversing a difficult downhill stretch near Idyllwild, about 200 miles into his journey. They were taking a small break after successfully navigating the mountain when one member of the group offered to share a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar.

A self-proclaimed chocolate connoisseur, Jacob couldn’t bring himself to take a bite, instead pulling out some dark chocolate and recommending the group try that instead.

“One of the people said, ‘Oh, sorry Mr. Fancy Pants,’ ” said Jacob, laughing.

The name stuck. Most people who tackle the Pacific Crest Trail are given trail names. The monikers are included on a list of thru-hikers – those who complete the entire journey – that is maintained on the Pacific Crest Trail Association website.

While most people would consider Jacob a thru-hiker, he said he won’t add his name to the Pacific Crest Trail Association list because he had to end his journey about 60 miles from completion.

“I realized that was sort of the final lesson the trail had dealt to me,” Jacob said. “You start from the border and you think your hike is going to be a certain way. And it never is.”

Jacob earned his degree in kinesiology with minors in chemistry and Spanish from CSUSM in May. Finishing school meant starting his hike about a month later than what is considered the optimal time to begin. Starting too early or too late often means contending with dangerous weather conditions, something Jacob learned first-hand about 2,600 miles after his start.

“He is one of the most unique students we have had in the 13 years of our program,” said Todd Astorino, a CSUSM professor of kinesiology. “Jake is extremely selfless and thoughtful and he really cares about his fellow students and citizens. He truly wants to help people.”

Jacob was inspired to tackle the trail to raise money for Project Walk, a spinal-cord injury rehab facility. Jacob overcame a spinal-cord injury suffered in a motorcycle racing accident when he was 17. The injury left him in a wheelchair not knowing if he would ever walk again. He began to regain sensation in his left leg about five months after the accident, and it took another six months before he could walk somewhat normally.

Jacob still doesn’t have complete sensation in his right leg, but it didn’t deter him from taking on the Pacific Crest Trail.

“I wanted to take advantage of being able to walk again,” he said.

Jacob met other hikers along the way, but spent most of the trek alone. He contended with numerous difficult conditions, from 110-degree days in the Mojave Desert to crossing ice in the Sierras to mosquito swarms in Kings Canyon.

“I never thought I’d be able to walk that long,” he said. “I definitely had moments that challenged my sanity.”

The first big moment to do so came about three weeks into his hike while in the Mojave Desert. Dealing with the heat was difficult, but adjusting to the solitude might have been a bigger challenge.

“I had never been away from society for that long,” he said. “I had done something like 600 miles. For two days in a row I was just walking and crying.”

Jacob persevered for some 2,000 more miles. But crossing into Washington was a turning point. He contended with interminable rain as he navigated what was the most difficult stretch for him. He had a pack cover to protect his belongings, but he didn’t even bother to use it by his third day in Washington as everything he had was thoroughly soaked.

With relentless rain came plummeting temperatures. For the first time, he was surrounded by snow when he got out of his tent each morning, hindering visibility of the trail. Frostbite soon became a concern.

“We studied this in class and I remembered that if you start to feel like your toes are being stabbed by knives, it means you’re getting frostbite,” he said. “I was feeling that for the first time.”

Jacob was still about 40 miles from Stehekin, a small community in the North Cascades of Washington. He knew he needed to get to lower elevation. That meant taking side routes, which slowed his progress on the trail.

“Basically, I wanted to come home with my toes,” he said.

He eventually reached an elevation where he could safely check his feet. He was relieved to see that his toes didn’t have the waxy appearance that can indicate frostbite.

With limited options, Jacob forged ahead. His shoes had gaping holes, shredded by more than 2,500 miles of hiking, so he put plastic bags over his socks in an effort to keep his feet dry. He continued through the night toward Stehekin. It wasn’t until he reached a main road at about 4 a.m. that he realized it was another 15 miles into the town. Fortunately, there was a shuttle to take people from the main road into town.

Jacob said thru-hikers are treated like celebrities in Stehekin. People paid for his meals and some even offered their hotel room so he could shower.

“A shower after two weeks is a life-changing experience,” he said.

While walking through Stehekin, Jacob met a couple who invited him to stay at their cabin because they knew a major storm, fueled by remnants of a typhoon, was due to hit. It confirmed weather reports Jacob heard from other hikers.

Knowing that the storm would make trail conditions treacherous, the couple urged Jacob to end his quest. They had him sleep outside on their porch to get a taste of what was coming. It was the coldest night of Jacob’s journey – and that was with the comfort of a cot and an extra sleeping bag provided by the couple.

“I only had about two days of the trail left at this point,” Jacob said. “That’s 60 miles; that’s peanuts. But 60 miles in snow is a whole different ballgame. I really started playing with the idea that maybe it was in my best interest to not finish due to the safety hazard. I laid there for hours and came to the realization that it was the best thing to do. I didn’t want to risk my life.”

Jacob said he could have tried to find a place to camp at lower elevation and wait until the storm passed, but the risks and unknowns – everything from potentially running out of food to avalanches to freezing temperatures – were too great.

“It would have been a very emotional decision not driven by logic to keep going,” he said. “It would have been very stupid to continue.”

Jacob is at peace with finishing short of the northern terminus on the Canadian side of the border. He was at the Seattle train station en route to returning to Southern California when he ran into a couple of hikers he had met on the trail. He told them that his trip ended just shy of the finish because of the storm.

“They said, ‘Oh, that’s so disappointing,’ ” he said. “But in my mind I’m thinking about what a triumph it was for me. I wouldn’t have given up any other days on trail just to be able to have stepped over a line and finished it according to somebody else’s criteria.

“Do I consider my hike less valuable because I didn’t finish the last 60 miles? Absolutely not.

“I want to be able to inspire people to do something that they thought would be impossible for them to do. That’s pretty much how I set out, thinking, ‘Let’s just see how far I can get on this trail.’ Once I got to the halfway point, at first I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m only halfway?’ But then I thought, ‘Wow, I hiked more than 1,300 miles.’ ”

Jacob called the couple in Stehekin to let them know that he really did end his hike and was safe. He also contacted the group of hikers that he met at the beginning of his journey who dubbed him Fancy Pants.

“People are really what you remember,” he said. “The humanity on this trail, it’s more memorable than the scenery.”