Cal State San Marcos is offering nearly 200 courses this summer in online, in-person and hybrid formats, open to CSUSM students, visiting students from other institutions and community members. With flexible scheduling and accelerated timelines, many courses can be completed in just five weeks.

Summer Session at CSUSM runs from June 2 to Aug. 9, providing students with varied course options to quickly advance their academic progress while accommodating busy summer schedules.

2025 Summer Class Sessions

• Full session: June 2-Aug. 9
• First block: June 2-July 3
• Second block: July 7-Aug. 9

Registration Information

Priority registration for current CSUSM students begins March 25. Community members and students from other institutions are also welcome to enroll without formal admission to CSUSM, beginning April 30. Credits earned during summer session are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.

Wide Range of Courses Available

This year's summer session schedule includes popular courses from more than 40 academic departments, such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, economics, history, communication and many more. Most classes follow an accelerated five-week or 10-week format designed to help you maximize your summer productivity.

Financial Aid Opportunities

CSUSM students enrolled in summer courses may be eligible for financial aid, including grants or tuition discounts, depending on the number of units taken. To make summer classes more accessible, a flexible payment plan is also available, allowing students to pay tuition in manageable installments.

Campus Housing Options

Students enrolled in summer classes may have the option to live on campus, providing a convenient and distraction-free environment to help you stay focused and succeed during the summer term. For specific housing dates, availability and details about potential discounts or promotions for summer residents, please contact CSUSM Housing directly.

 

Learn More and Get Started!

For detailed information about Summer Session – including course listings, registration instructions, financial aid eligibility and housing options – please visit csusm.edu/summer.

Have questions? Reach out to us at 760-750-4020 or summer@csusm.edu.

Make this summer count – enroll today!

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

The wildfires that devastated the L.A. area, and even caused minor damage in pockets of San Diego County, have been contained. But the significant problem of grappling with ever larger and more dangerous fires fueled by climate change is only growing worse, and Rahn can be found permanently stationed on the front lines of that fight.

Question: What was the nature of the work you were doing during the L.A. fires last month?

Matt Rahn: I and my team at the Wildfire Conservancy have been doing research related to firefighter health and safety. Specifically, we have been conducting an exposure study related to the toxic, hazardous and carcinogenic materials firefighters are exposed to in a wildland urban interface fire. We are collecting data on exposures using silicon wrist bands (as a passive sampling device that is extremely good at absorbing all the contaminants firefighters are exposed to). We compare these to urine and blood samples taken from firefighters to track exposure to substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs), volatile organic compounds (or VOCs), heavy metals and other compounds. We use a variety of techniques, including micro RNA analysis that can measure the change in gene expression, particularly those responsible for either causing (or suppressing) cancer. 

Q: What was your reaction when you first heard about the fires? Could you have imagined that it would ever get that bad in the nation’s second-most-populous city?

MR: Sadly, I wasn’t shocked. For over 10 years now, we have been saying what is now common vernacular: We no longer have a “fire season,” we have a year-round fire risk. And we no longer have “wildfires” but rather fires in the wildland urban interface (or WUI), which is the area where human development and infrastructure meet undeveloped wildland or natural areas. But this change began much longer ago. 

In 1991, in a remarkable and singularly cataclysmic event, the Oakland Hills became engulfed by a devastating fire that resulted in 3,280 homes lost, 25 fatalities and 1,520 acres burned. At that time, the loss was unthinkable; by today’s standards, the Oakland Hills fire, while still tragic, is certainly not the largest of its kind. That resulted in renewed recognition of the dangers posed by fires in the WUI and prompted new research and development into improved prevention and suppression methods, policy, and procedure of these kinds of fires. Unfortunately, that focus was short-lived, and over a decade would pass until California experienced another devastating wildfire, this time in San Diego County, that would grab national attention. 

Engulfing more than 280,000 acres, destroying 3,241 homes and causing the loss of 16 lives, the 2003 Cedar fire surpassed all records and became the most devastating fire in California’s history. With a total economic loss of nearly $2.5 billion, we realized that the devastation was not contained to acres burned; the fiscal impacts to our communities far outweighed the actual cost of fighting this megafire. Even with a peak of 6,635 firefighters battling the blaze, suppression was less than 2% of the total cost of that wildfire incident.

For more context, since 1970, the U.S. has witnessed a roughly 300% increase in acres burned each year. Fifty years ago, wildfires would burn about 3 million acres per year across the entire U.S.; today, a single fire in California can consume one-third of that historic national acreage. So, fast forward to the fires in Paradise, California in 2018 and the 2023 fires in Maui, where over 100 people lost their lives. Sadly, we all should have seen this coming.

Q: Do you think there’s any merit to the criticism that city officials could have done more to keep the fires from getting so out of control? Or was this strictly a scenario of worst-case environmental conditions?

MR: Persistent drought, hot and dry temperatures, and extremely high winds in a community not built to modern standards for wildfire-prone areas were dangerous starting conditions for any fire event. The high winds provided an extremely short opportunity to prevent a conflagration. These winds also prevented the use of aerial attacks in the early stages of the fire. Fire agencies were left with ground resources, battling one of the most difficult and hazardous fire storms in U.S. history. Given the extreme fire behavior and conditions, the ultimate suppression and containment of the fires and prevention of additional losses was due in large part to the remarkable firefighter staffing and surge capacity that was mobilized. 

It’s easy, if not dangerous, for folks so quickly to criticize agencies and municipalities, and make a tragic incident like this a political talking point. Organizations like Cal Fire, L.A. City and County Fire, and even the National Institute of Standards and Technology are all working to recreate the mobilization of resources and try to understand how response impacted outcomes. This is a very complicated and labor-intensive process that needs to be completed. 

 

Q: If I’m remembering correctly, the worst fires in the state over the last decade or so have been in Northern California, including the Camp fire in 2018. Do you think Southern Californians had acquired a false sense of security and complacency?

MR: Unfortunately, many communities acquire a false sense of security and complacency. We see this year after year. When there is smoke in the air and a major incident that galvanizes our communities, state and nation, all the attention is given to that fire, with a collective promise that we will not forget and will work to keep our communities safe. But as time passes (and in some cases, not much time can pass), communities become lax in their collective efforts for fuel reduction programs, maintaining defensible space or other factors that can significantly contribute to community resilience. We cannot allow this to occur. 

In fact, the Wildfire Conservancy along with some of our instructors in the Wildfire Science and the Urban Interface degree at CSUSM have teamed up to address this exact issue. We were awarded a grant from the FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety program in support of community resilience and advanced training support for Maui. Together with the County of Maui and Maui’s fire department, emergency operations and community associations, the Wildfire Conservancy will build on existing programs with the Responding to the Interface (RTI) program (from Cal Fire and the International Association of Fire Fighters) as the foundation for working with high-risk communities to develop a comprehensive and customized WUI firefighter training tailored to Maui and its communities, and create an annual event that is designed to improve community resilience, awareness, outreach and education. We are working to bring this effort to a national stage starting with Maui and continuing to California and beyond. 

Q: What have you heard from the fire crews that were battling the blazes in L.A.?

MR: We have so far connected with hundreds of firefighters from Cal Fire, L.A. Fire Department, L.A. County Fire Department and other departments like Santa Barbara, Ventura, Fillmore, Oxnard and Pasadena. They are just now beginning to catch their collective breath and recover from these incidents. They are keenly aware of the exposures they have experienced in these fires. The success won by those “boots on the ground” may come at a significant personal and societal cost. The fires resulted in extreme high-level exposures for responding firefighters, at a scale not seen since Sept. 11, 2001. Many of us in the scientific community are speculating that these fires may well constitute an exposure incident that far exceeds that momentous day. The full impact has yet to be realized. 

 

Q: How long have you been a scholar and researcher of wildfire science? How did you first get involved in it as a discipline?

MR: I began working on wildfire issues shortly after the Cedar fire in 2003 and became more fully engaged in research after the Witch and Guejito fires in 2007. My first projects were focused on things like fire sensors to provide early detection of wildfires in remote areas and economic impact studies related to the Cedar fire. I then moved quickly into research on attack effectiveness, completing the seminal study on wildland firefighter staffing that is still used to this day as the standard for helping advocate for proper state firefighter staffing. We then moved quickly into firefighter health and safety, given the impacts we were seeing related to cardiac events, dehydration and heat illness, and cancer. Since then, my time and effort on wildfire and urban interface fires has increased dramatically, culminating in the new degree program at CSUSM in 2019 and the launch the same year of the Wildfire Conservancy.  

 

Q: How has the field evolved over the years as wildfires have gotten bigger and more destructive?

MR: We have been ringing the bell on wildfires and the WUI since the early 2000s. Back then, we were using terms like “the new normal.” Today, everyone is keenly aware of the risks, and the number of agencies, organizations and individuals involved in answering the call has increased significantly. Our first symposium on these issues was held a little over a decade ago in Sacramento, in partnership with Cal Fire and Cal Fire Local 2881. Experts from around California and the nation gathered and agreed that wildland firefighting was easily a decade behind structural/urban firefighting. The recommendation was to increase research and education programs in response to this. CSUSM has helped lead that effort with the new degree program, and organizations like the Wildfire Conservancy have formed to prioritize some of the most pressing issues facing our communities and first responders. 

 

Q: How would you describe CSUSM’s wildfire science program and what it does?

MR: The degree program is unique. It’s focused on the WUI as its primary mission, educating our next generation of firefighters to deal with the unique issues related to these kinds of incidents. Clearly there is a need, and that need is growing. It is no longer just a California issue or something that is particular to the western U.S. Nearly every community in the nation has some kind of risk related to WUI fires. Providing the training and education for that growing risk is critically important. 

What makes this program unique is that it was designed with firefighters and key agencies, including Cal Fire, the fire departments of San Diego and L.A., the U.S. Forest Service, NIST, and many other departments from around the country. We designed our curriculum based on their input, and it includes coursework in community planning and resilience, firefighter health and safety, wildfire law and economics, kinesiology and fitness, and even emerging tools and technologies. Our program also offers a course in firefighter mental and behavioral health, the first of its kind in the nation. The program is designed for working professionals, is fully online and has the ability to put a pause on coursework for students who may be deployed to major incidents during the semester. And yes, several of our own students were working on the L.A. fires. 

We are lucky to have some of the foremost experts as instructors for some of the more specialized courses, and several remarkable faculty members at CSUSM also are teaching in this program. One last thing I should mention is that each student, at the end of their last semester, works with us to conduct their own “senior thesis” and research project focused on WUI issues. I’m happy to say that three of our former students will publish their research papers in the new Journal of the Wildfire Conservancy, a new science journal produced through the CSU system.

Q: CalMatters did an award-winning investigative series called “Trial by Fire” in 2022 about the traumatic toll of wildfires on firefighters, almost akin to being in war. How concerned are you about that, and what are some steps you’d recommend to deal with it?

MR: Modern firefighters are responding to some of the most horrific, toxic, hazardous and carcinogenic incidents ever imagined, working in environments where the human body was never meant to be. They are sleep-deprived and regularly experience potentially traumatic events that can affect their mental health. We are seeing the results of this today through rising rates of cancer (far higher than the general population), increased rates of suicide and suicidal ideations, and high rates of heart attack and stroke. We can and must do better for those who are sacrificing themselves (and their families) in service to our communities. This is why we started the degree program and launched the research foundation. I know this is the thing that motivates so many of our fantastic researchers, faculty, instructors and students who have dedicated their careers to helping. 

 

Q: I know funding, and the lack thereof, is a big part of this, but how would you like to see firefighting improve to confront the threat posed by bigger wildfires fueled by climate change?

MR: We need to give our fire agencies the resources, staffing and technology they need to respond to these events. We absolutely do need more boots on the ground, air attack resources and access to new tools and technologies. We also need a significant investment in personal protective equipment and advanced technologies that can reduce occupational exposures and risk. Fire prevention is also a big piece of the puzzle. We need to take the commitment to fuel management and defensible space seriously, and dedicate the resources needed to create long-term, large-scale sustainable efforts. We also need to rethink our laws, codes and regulations related to housing, businesses and infrastructure, and invest in programs that can better inform future decision-making, land-use planning and community-wide wildfire protection plans. 

 

Q: What lessons are you taking away from the L.A. fires? Should we be rebuilding in these fire-devastated areas? How can we make such communities more resilient?

MR: We as humans tend to build in high-risk areas, whether they are fire-prone or at risk from floods, earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes. We have made remarkable strides in addressing community resilience and facility-hardening across many of these high-risk areas, including wildfires. We know what can and does work, and considerable investments are being made to develop new materials, designs and strategies to increase protection. However, none of this works if we continue to allow for poor planning and fail to provide for programs to help improve and retrofit existing communities. It will continue to fail if we don’t take our commitment to fuel management and defensible space seriously. And it will fail if we don’t take immediate action finally to fund a full-time, year-round fire service through Cal Fire and provide our struggling fire agencies the staffing and resources they need to do their job. In addition, we desperately need a significant overhaul to California’s insurance laws and regulations. Each of these issues by itself is not a solution and can easily fail when handled alone. However, if we think of each issue as a separate stick, when they are bundled together, they form a stronger and more resilient unit. We are all in this together. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Delegates presented commemorative gifts to Neufeldt, who reciprocated with a CSUSM-branded blanket.

CSUSM and the Changhua County Government held a virtual signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last June. The MOU creates an educational partnership fostering internationalization of the CSUSM campus and creation of affordable study abroad opportunities for Changhua County schools. The American Language and Culture Institute and Global Programs and Services in Extended Learning will play a pivotal role in the development of this partnership.

Media Contact

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

There is a student workshop on Nov. 16 at 9:30 a.m. followed by a public lecture at noon. Students interested in participating in the workshop should email gjones@csusm.edu. The workshop and lecture will take place in the Innovation Hub on the ground floor of the Extended Learning building. The event is free for Cal State San Marcos students, faculty, staff and alumni. Tickets can be reserved via the Arts & Lectures website. 

The event will feature a hands-on workshop that will give students the opportunity to create art with biology and experimental imaging methods. Vanouse and Morse will talk about the dynamic history and future of art fused with science. The duo will share insights with the CSUSM community on fostering art and science in shared laboratory and creative spaces. Vanouse has been working in emerging media forms since 1990 and is the recipient of prestigious international awards.  

CSUSM’s Arts & Lectures series offers a diverse lineup of artistic, cultural and scholarly events every semester based on input and proposals from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. 

What: Arts & Lectures event “Coalesce BioArt Lab Comes to CSUSM” 

Who: Bio-artist Paul Vanouse and scientist Solon Morse 

When: Wednesday Nov. 16; 9:30 a.m. student workshop followed by a public lecture at noon

Where: Innovation Hub, Extended Learning building

Cost: Free for CSUSM students, faculty, staff, alumni; $10 for community members  

Tickets: Register online   

Information: Arts & Lectures website 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

The Extended Learning Building (ELB), which opened in 2019, is located in the North City development in San Marcos. 

Extended Learning offers a wide range of professional and career-oriented programs for students and community members at all stages of life. Open-house guests are invited to talk to ELB ambassadors about the creative collaborations and teaching methods that are available and tour the interactive learning spaces.

Classrooms and lab spaces for a variety of programs will be open to visitors, including nursing, kinesiology, speech-language pathology, public health, student support services and the Office of Global Education. 

Free event parking will be available on the fifth floor of Parking Structure 2, adjacent to the ELB.  Light snacks and refreshments will be available.

“At our open house, we welcome visitors to experience our visionary and collaborative space that supports learning tailored to the unique needs of our students as well as initiatives that enhance the connections between the university and the community,” said Godfrey Gibbison, dean of Extended Learning and Global Programs. 

The six-story facility, which has 19 classrooms and lab spaces, is the largest academic building on campus at 135,000 square feet. The ELB was designed with open floor plans to encourage collaboration among students. The building is equipped with technology-rich features such as 4K projectors and mobile instructor stations with touch-screen displays and digital pens for annotation.

“Extended Learning partners with each of the colleges at Cal State San Marcos to provide innovative programs that expand access to higher education at all stages of life and contribute to a flourishing, highly skilled local workforce,” Gibbison said. 

As the academic outreach arm of CSUSM, Extended Learning is celebrating 30 years as a premier education resource for individuals in North San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties. Program offerings include undergraduate and graduate degrees, global education, professional certificates, online courses, customized training for businesses and lifelong learning programs. Visit CSUSM Extended Learning to learn more.

What: Open house event to tour and learn more about the student and community opportunities in the Extended Learning Building

When: 4-6 p.m., Tuesday, April 5

Where: Extended Learning Building, 288 Campus Way, San Marcos

“We moved to California (in 2008) and I said, ‘I’ll translate. I’ll interpret. I’ll do other things, but I’m not going to teach,’ ” Bandas said. “And then I saw a huge resource of bilingual — especially Spanish — speakers in North County San Diego. But there were also Tagalog, Chinese, Arabic — all kinds of bilingual speakers. Many were being used as interpreters in medical settings without being trained, which is so dangerous.”

Bandas was convinced of the need to bring professional standards, ethics and support to individuals who were tasked — officially or unofficially — to serve as interpreters at work or for family members. She went back East to become licensed to teach The Community Interpreter® training program, working directly with program founder Marjory Bancroft.

After earning her license, she approached Cal State San Marcos and in 2016 found a home in Extended Learning to teach bilingual individuals how to become professional interpreters. While the training course gave Bandas the licensing she needed, she had been preparing for this role her entire life.

A love for language 

Both of Bandas’ parents were professors who taught English as a foreign language. When she was 10, the family moved to Peru so her mom could gain experience abroad. In a bilingual school for five years, Bandas was quickly at ease communicating in both English and Spanish. Later at university in the United States, she earned a BA in liberal studies, with independent study on the history of the Spanish language; an MA in Spanish and Latin American Studies; and an MPhil (Master of Philosophy) in the human sciences, with a focus on translation.

Over the course of her career, Bandas has served as a bilingual translator and editor, a university Spanish instructor and a consultant in Spanish curriculum development. She also worked as a translator in the Washington, D.C., Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs and as director
of translation services for the Hispanic Link News Service. Currently, she is the owner and vice president of BEAM Translations.

From bilingual to interpreter

The biggest misunderstanding Bandas sees is that employers often believe their staff need only be bilingual to interpret. Sometimes, even the staff members believe it. But in fact, they need much more than that.

“If you want to be an interpreter, you need to train to be an interpreter,” she said. “There are ethics you have to follow. It is taxing on the brain, and we talk about what happens when you get tired. There are so many skills that go into interpreting.”

Professional standards in interpreting were recognized in the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557, effective July 18, 2016), which requires healthcare providers and health insurers to provide qualified translators (for written language) and interpreters (for spoken language) to
individuals with limited English proficiency. They need to be professionally trained and they need to follow a strict code of ethics, principles and conduct.

The Professional Certificate in Interpreting at Cal State San Marcos prepares students to become qualified interpreters who can facilitate communication and access to services in schools, healthcare settings, nonprofit agencies, social service agencies, government settings
and more. In addition, new technologies are accelerating the opportunities for remote interpreting, allowing interpreters to work from home. Students in the program quickly see its value.

“As soon as they understand there’s a structure that supports them and that they are professionals, it changes their perspective,” Bandas said. “There’s a huge population [of individuals] in the United States who are ad hoc interpreters for their parents, and that’s now
illegal. The more people we get qualified as interpreters in the healthcare system, the less that will happen.”

A steppingstone 

The two 14-week certificate programs at CSUSM — Community Interpreting and Healthcare Interpreting — share the same core lessons on consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, sight translation, interpreting skills, ethical principles, protocols and more.

Lessons in specialized subject-matter knowledge and vocabulary vary between the two programs. Students must have proficiency in English and at least one other language. In addition, students must achieve an advanced mid-level score on an online language proficiency exam.

“This course is a first step for interpreters in the workforce, and it’s a steppingstone to better work on every level,” Bandas said, noting that students who meet language proficiency standards and complete the course can then go on to take national or industry certification
exams.

For Bandas, finding her way back to teaching through interpreting has been more valuable than she could have imagined.

“To me, teaching students to interpret is more important than interpreting myself,” she said.

Through CSUSM, “I’ve put more than 100 students out there who can interpret professionally. My reach is much broader. I saw the resource of bilingual people here and thought, ‘This is great. Let’s get them trained.’ ”

For more information on the Professional Certificate in Interpreting, visit csusm.edu/el/interpreting.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

“We are committed to supporting the success of our students as well as others in the community who are pursuing educational goals,” said Godfrey Gibbison, dean of Extended Learning and Global Programs. “Our faculty and staff have worked hard throughout the COVID-19 health emergency to offer solutions that anticipate and address students’ needs. With its wide range of courses, Summer Session 2021 sets students up to stay on track — or even get ahead — in their education plan.”

The Summer 2021 schedule includes courses from mathematics to computer science and from sociology to digital and media arts. The classes are offered on a compressed timeline with students earning units in as little as five weeks. All courses are taught by CSUSM faculty and are online as the university continues remote instruction in response to COVID-19.

During summer session, students from other universities, qualified high school seniors and community members can register for courses without being formally admitted to the university. Credits from CSUSM courses are fully transferable to other institutions. In addition, up to 24 undergraduate and nine graduate units taken as a nonmatriculated student may be counted toward a CSUSM degree.

The class schedule is available beginning March 9. Registration for CSUSM students opens on March 29 and for the public on April 5.

The first block of classes will be held June 7-July 10 and the second block of classes is scheduled for July 12-Aug. 14. A small selection of classes runs the full 10-week summer session, June 7-Aug. 14.

For more information on summer session or on the installment payment plan, please visit csusm.edu/summer.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Gibbison comes to CSUSM from the College of Charleston in South Carolina where he most recently served as dean of the Graduate School.

“Extended Learning plays a critical role on our campus and in our region,” said CSUSM Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Carl Kemnitz. “Dr. Gibbison’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment during a global pandemic when individuals need access to innovative continuing education programs to facilitate career advancement and address regional and societal challenges. I’m enthusiastic about Extended Learning’s future under Dr. Gibbison’s leadership. He brings tremendous vision and experience in strategic and operational leadership for our Extended Learning enterprise.”

Gibbison previously served as the College of Charleston’s dean of the School of Professional Studies and launched its Bachelor of Professional Studies in 2013. Gibbison also was responsible for the creation of the Bachelor of General Studies, which was the College of Charleston’s first fully online degree, the Certificate in Project Management and the Certificate in Sustainable Business Solutions. Other accomplishments include the expansion of services to military and veteran students.

Before joining the College of Charleston, Gibbison was the director of the School of Economic Development at Georgia Southern University where he served on the faculty from 2002-12. At Georgia Southern, he launched the online Master of Science in Applied Economics and directed that program for three years.

Gibbison is a Fulbright Scholar and co-author of the book “Crime and Development: The Jamaican Experience.”

Gibbison earned his Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech, his master’s in agricultural economics from Iowa State University and his bachelor’s in economics from the University of the West Indies.

“I am truly humbled and extremely excited to join the Cal State San Marcos team,” Gibbison said. “This is an extraordinary community of people devoted to the success of its students and meeting the needs of the community. Extended Learning is doing truly great work and I look forward to the opportunity to lead the next phase of its evolution.”

As the academic outreach arm of CSUSM, Extended Learning is a leading provider of professional and continuing education in North San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties. Offering degree programs, professional certificates and personal enrichment courses, Extended Learning helps individuals and organizations achieve their educational and training goals. Please visit CSUSM Extended Learning to learn more.

Know someone who deserves special recognition for their efforts? Email details to publicity@csusm.edu and we’ll include them in an upcoming edition of this ongoing series.

Rosa Conrad, outreach staff, University Library

Among Conrad’s many contributions since the University Library’s move to a virtual environment are creating a video to introduce new and potential students to the library and coordinating its first virtual Pause for Paws event.

“Rosa’s ability to adapt and meet short deadlines, all while continuing to be innovative and maintain a positive attitude has been remarkable, and I am so glad I have the opportunity to work with her and that students have the opportunity to interact with her as they learn about the library,” the nominator wrote.

Marylou Gonzalez, retention counselor, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)

Gonzalez has been instrumental in encouraging students to continue moving forward on their path to graduation.

“Marylou goes out of her way to make sure people reach all their academic goals as she role models solution-focused interventions that help students in the EOP department remain resilient,” the nominator wrote. “She has a great sense of humor and goes the extra mile even on days off to accommodate students’ needs prior to graduating.”

Danielle McMartin, associate director, Global Education

While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to challenges across campus, it has included unique ones for Global Programs and Services as it works to ensure the well-being of international students. McMartin (pictured with the Global Programs and Services team at last year’s International Fair) was highlighted for her ability to rapidly respond to an ever-evolving situation as she continued to provide valuable services and keep international students informed.

“At this time, it's really important to be responsive and dedicated, which she does with great efforts,” the nominator wrote. “Her work should be much appreciated.”

Rachel Miller, lecturer, psychology

Miller was highlighted for her compassion and her ongoing assistance for students during the transition to virtual learning in the spring. The nominator also praised Miller for her support of Disability Support Services.

“Dr. Miller pushes everyone to reach their fullest potential,” the nominator wrote. “She pays special attention to everyone’s schoolwork and provides feedback that is helpful. Dr. Miller will always be memorable to me. She is direct, funny and, most importantly, accountable.”

Toni Olivas, engagement and inclusion librarian, University Library

Olivas was praised for her ability to continually find and implement ways to engage with CSUSM students, faculty, staff and the community, all while implementing inclusive practices. Olivas’ accomplishments during the pandemic include launching the library’s first campus Common Read virtual book discussion, and she is currently working on the next context exhibit, which will be the library’s first all-virtual exhibit of the series.

“Toni’s passion and work ethic has been inspiring and extremely motivating as she continues to engage with the CSUSM community and library partners,” the nominator wrote.

Library Technology Initiatives and Development (LTID) team

The LTID team includes Ian Chan, head of library technology initiatives and development; Amanda Dalgleish, web development and user experience specialist; Roger Delgado, DevOps specialist; Steven R. Espinoza, systems operations analyst; and Khuong Vu, analyst/programmer.

“Ian and his team have been responsive, nimble and innovative in transitioning the library to virtual services – no easy task,” the nominator wrote. “They continually improve the library’s online tools and systems, enhance the user experience, and enable the library’s website to be utilized in new and exciting ways.

“They have also taken on a huge task this summer of testing and changing the process for logging in to library databases so only one login is required. This is especially crucial as students, staff and faculty continue to work virtually. The team has also played a key role in building the infrastructure for the Together/Apart COVID-19 Community Memory Archive.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

“I am a dot connector,” he says. “I connect dots in all combinations, whether that’s student to community, faculty to community, community to community. The ability to help students find mentors, jobs, references, informational interviews … I just love doing that.”

On July 1, 2019, Ashley brought those skills to Temecula, where he was named associate vice president for CSUSM at Temecula. At California State University San Marcos since 2014, Ashley’s first position was as director of business community relations in the College of Business Administration (CoBA), where his responsibilities included the Senior Experience program, business development, fundraising and strategic partnerships. He also served as a lecturer for CoBA. Most recently, he founded and led CoBA’s Office of Business Research and Analysis.

“Cal State San Marcos is committed to Temecula and to the Southwest Riverside region,” Ashley says. “This new position was established with the intent to grow the facility, become more immersed in local industry and explore new ways to engage with the community.”

Packing up his office in San Marcos before the move, Ashley looked around his spare surroundings and pointed to an empty bookcase.

“Those top two rows were just strategy books. That’s the world I came from when I was a management consultant and we would do strategies for companies, mergers, acquisitions and outsourcing. The third row was all books on the education industry,” says Ashley, who is currently reading a book on alternative campuses.

Fittingly, he had a foot in both worlds for more than 20 years: management consultant and college lecturer. Along the way, he earned an MBA in Strategy/Management from CSUSM in 1999 and soon after began teaching in the program. He completed the Executive Program in Leadership at Stanford University in 2002.

When one firm Ed worked for had three CEOs in a single year, he contemplated his choices.

“I came to a fork in the road. Did I want to do more of the same or was I more passionate about education?” he asked himself.

That was in 2014. Ashley, the connector, reached out through his network to CSUSM and it wasn’t long before he was back at his alma mater, this time running the Senior Experience program. Today, Ashley brings the extensive skills he has cultivated from his dual career to serve the campus and the community in Temecula. It’s not a new community for him. Not only has Ashley taught in Temecula, but he has linked students with area businesses for Senior Experience and he has overseen student research projects with local industry through the Office of Business Research and Analysis.

As he settles into his new position, Ashley is meeting with people throughout the community to get reacquainted and to forge new connections for CSUSM at Temecula. It’s familiar territory for a business-consultant-turned-educator as he launches the next phase for CSUSM at Temecula.

“I don’t look longingly over my shoulder at industry,” Ashley says about his move to academia. “I am passionate about education and I can’t wait to see what we can do here in Temecula.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Rand Al-Khalidi is among 20 Iraqi students visiting Cal State San Marcos this month as part of IYLEP. She was motivated to apply after seeing the positive impact it had on her friends who had participated.

“They came back stronger and more confident,” said Rand, who attends the University of Baghdad. “I want to be a better version of myself and I thought it was a great opportunity to become a better leader.”

Created in 2007, IYLEP brings English-speaking Iraqi students to the U.S. to develop leadership skills and build action plans to strengthen the future of Iraq and the U.S. Nearly 100 students attended a four-day orientation at Wayne State in Detroit in early July before groups moved on to four universities across the country.

CSUSM was one of the universities selected to host Iraqi students for the four-week summer program that is sponsored and funded by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and implemented by World Learning.

Abduljabbar Al-Taie, who also attends the University of Baghdad, said he hopes the leadership skills he hones at CSUSM will help him train entrepreneurs back home.

“A lot has happened in Iraq in the last 15, 20 years,” Abduljabbar said. “But I see in us a storm of change. We really want to change the situation. We want it to be better.”

Abduljabbar said there is a high rate of unemployment in Iraq, even among those with a degree. He wants to bring the ideas of entrepreneurship and Internet jobs to his country through free courses and training to encourage Iraqis to start their own projects. Once they become established, he said they would return the favor by mentoring the next generation of Iraqi entrepreneurs.

“The concept of entrepreneurship is not defined or clear in Iraqi society,” Abduljabbar said. “I really want to bring this idea there.”

Zryan Ibrahim Ahmed is another participant looking to improve her leadership skills through the program.

Zryan attends the American University of Iraq Sulaimani, which offers an American-style liberal arts education, so she was already familiar with U.S. culture and history. However, she also knew that attending an American-style university was no substitute for seeing the country for herself.

“I wanted to improve myself,” Zryan said. “I wanted to see America in real life, with my eyes, and see the culture. It’s very diverse. I live in a diverse community, but America is huge and very diverse.”

Dhuha Alshdid also wanted to experience American culture for herself, noting that it’s something she’s seen portrayed many times through the movies she has watched. She is also hoping to change the perception some Americans may have of Iraq.

“People in Iraq are very generous and very kind,” said Dhuha, who attends Al-Muthana University. “If you go there you’ll find a lot of good hospitality. Everybody, especially in media, focuses on the bad image of Iraq, but it’s not. It’s really good. We have some bad issues, but it’s really amazing there.”

Though the students haven’t had the culture shock that they were warned was a possibility, there have been some surprises. Two that stand out are Americans’ penchant for punctuality and the food.

Abduljabbar said being late is a normal part of life in Iraq, while Dhuha added that she didn’t realize how disciplined Americans are when it comes to timeliness.

“The punctuality is amazing,” she said. “I want to take that back home with me.”

As for food, Zryan said she has mostly enjoyed it, though she misses the rice that is a routine part of her diet in Iraq.

“We’re adapting with the food,” said Dhuha, laughing, adding that she is grateful for the opportunity to experience different types of cuisine, including Chinese and Mexican.

Before they return home on Aug. 1, the students are hoping to also show people that, like America, Iraq is a diverse country. In fact, IYLEP is intentional in selecting a group of students from varying regions and religions.

“We have a lot of areas in Iraq and each area has its own social culture,” Abduljabbar said. “We’re a very diverse country with different points of view. Even with what you hear on the news, we’re trying to live in peace. We want to be better. Step by step, we all become better.”

It is a sentiment echoed by Rand.

“I believe if I want to make a change in my community, whether it’s in my college or in my city or in Iraq, I have to work on myself first,” she said. “Change starts with small steps.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Part of a public-private partnership, the project includes a 135,000 square foot, six-story building, an accompanying 709-space parking garage and a pedestrian bridge over Barham Drive. The project is expected to be completed in time for the fall 2019 semester.

“This public-private partnership is another example of our innovative, creative and entrepreneurial spirit as we seek new ways to serve our campus and our community,” said CSUSM President Karen Haynes during a ceremonial groundbreaking on Tuesday.

The project will add a two-acre footprint to the CSUSM campus. In addition to being the new home of CSUSM’s Extended Learning program, the building will include 14,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, six labs, 14 conference/study spaces, community clinic education and research space, academic support centers and the offices of CSUSM’s Public Health, Social Work and Speech-Language Pathology programs.

CSUSM’s North City partners on the $81.9 million project include Sea Breeze Properties, Turner Construction, Brookhurst, Urban Villages San Marcos, EvCon Associates and Safdie Rabines Architects.

“With an ongoing budget crisis plaguing public higher education, our North City partners were critical to making this project a reality,” Haynes said.

CSUSM Extended Learning offers accredited degrees, certificates and customized training programs designed to accelerate professional development. It is continually adding new and relevant programs to its offerings in response to the changing economic needs of the region.

Extended Learning functions as a financially self-supporting unit within the University, which means it receives no funding from the state and relies solely on revenues generated from its various programs to operate.

“From the beginning, Extended Learning has placed great value on creating partnerships across academic divisions and throughout the business community so we can continually develop programs that meet the evolving needs of the region,” said Mike Schroder, dean of Extended Learning.

“The Extended Learning building that will soon fill these two acres is symbolic of these relationships that we value. Not only will we be situated next to our North City partners who have joined us in this innovative venture, but we will share this new education space with our academic partners.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

“I’ve always been interested in how people interact and the impact those interactions have on people’s lives,” she said.

An Assistant Professor of Applied Organizational Communication at Cal State San Marcos, Rivera has engaged in extensive research with everything from the U.S. Border Patrol to community health clinics, to understanding how communication can both shape and reflect overall health and wellness. A study she co-authored, Understanding and Alleviating Cultural Stressors and Health Disparities in the Perinatal Outcomes of Mexican-American Women, has become a resource for health clinics, practitioners and parents worldwide.

“I’m interested in helping to solve critical problems faced by marginalized populations,” she said. “In particular, I want to make our organizational experiences healthier and less stressful – be it work, the doctor’s office or whatever.”

Rivera also serves as CSUSM’s Faculty Director for Service Learning, a position in which she takes great pride.

“I feel that service learning not only helps the university give back to the community, but it helps students learn important concepts and theories while practicing specific hands-on skills in the real world.”

Her biggest reward comes through her students.

“My greatest accomplishment in the academic world is the students who have graduated and gone on to help their communities,” said Rivera, who has earned the CSUSM President’s Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation & Excellence and the Dean’s Teaching Innovation Award, among others. “I’m proud of all the former students who have gone on to work in nonprofit or justice-oriented workplaces or have committed themselves to civic engagement, where they will be giving back to their communities.”

Honoring a Lifetime of Dedication to Palliative Care

The California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA) named Helen B. McNeal as its 2015 Pierre Salmon Award of Excellence recipient. McNeal, executive director of the California State University Institute for Palliative Care, located at Cal State San Marcos, accepted the award at the CHAPCA Annual Awards Luncheon in Long Beach on November 10.

National Award for Outstanding Older Adult Model Program

CSUSM’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) was presented with the Older Adult Model Program Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education, Inc. (ACHE) on November 11 for providing outstanding learning opportunities and service to an older population. ACHE was established in 1973 to stimulate, encourage and reward outstanding contributions in the advancement of higher education. The award was presented during the 77th annual conference and meeting in Denver.

A Woman Who Means Business

College of Science and Mathematics Dean Katherine Kantardjieff was a finalist in the San Diego Business Journal’s Woman Who Mean Business Awards, which recognizes the top women business leaders who have made significant contributions to San Diego’s economy, culture and social network. Kantardjieff, who has served as the founding dean of the College since 2011, accepted the award at a ceremony in San Diego on November 18.

Professor Selected for Prestigious Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellowship

Kimberly D’Anna-Hernandez, assistant professor of psychology, was one of 13 faculty from the California State University (CSU) chosen for the coveted 2015-2016 Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellowship in early childhood care and education. The fellows will participate in a unique professional development opportunity in collaboration with faculty from the California Community Colleges while helping to build the CSU’s early childhood curriculum. They will each spend one year completing a project that translates neuroscience research into practical applications. Additionally, each Faculty Fellow will collaborate with an interdisciplinary cohort of professionals to focus on integrating the latest research into their classrooms.

CSUSM a Top University for Norwegian Students

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. reports that the number of Norwegian students pursuing a full degree at U.S. universities in the 2014-2015 academic year was up over previous years. Cal State San Marcos was the fourth most popular university among Norwegian students. Nearly 11 percent of international students studying at CSUSM in fall 2014 came from Norway.

The innovative transfer agreement, signed at the Grand Opening of the new Temecula Higher Education (THE) Center on Saturday, September 27, creates a seamless transition from MSJC to CSUSM for students, allowing them to earn an associate's degree and a bachelor's degree from CSUSM. In this “two plus two” plan, the tuition rate is locked in with a guarantee that students will complete the program in four years if they meet all of their academic requirements successfully.

Students in this unique program, offered for the first time this fall, attend class at THE Center, located in the old City of Temecula City Hall building, and progress as a group. THE Center includes four classrooms, a lecture hall, a computer lab, a learning lab, a student lounge and a break room as well as offices for MSJC and CSUSM professors and staff. Currently only business administration is being offered but CSUSM and MSJC look forward to launching a similar program in kinesiology in fall 2014.

Cal State San Marcos has had a presence in Southwest Riverside County since 2008 when the University opened CSUSM at Temecula.

“I am excited to expand this innovative and future-focused model that leverages the strengths of the region’s educational institutions,” said President Haynes. “And I know this is just the beginning of a further conversation about expansion, as we know the demand is already here. The new cohort model with Mt. San Jacinto College business department and California State University San Marcos College of Business Administration is a prime example of new ideas in education that can be developed to create access for students and a career pathway for the Temecula region and workforce needs.”

THE Center is located at 43200 Business Park Drive in Temecula. For more information: www.msjc.edu/CSUSMbusiness.

“Given the water crisis we are facing in California, and the scarcity of relevant water management training programs, we believe this program will help fill a critical regional need,” said Mike Schroder, dean of Extended Learning. “We have intentionally developed the curriculum to incorporate theory, history and applied learning so that participants have the foundation that they need to begin effectively addressing some of the vexing water management issues that we face.”

This fall the College of Business Administration and Extended Learning jointly will launch a certificate in water leadership and management program. The certificate program initially will prepare middle-level managers for leadership roles in the water management industry, with plans to offer certificates for executive and entry-level roles in coming years.

To learn more, contact Dr. Alan Styles at astyles@csusm.edu or visit: www.csusm.edu/el/courses/waterprograms1.html

Looking to improve communication between local government and its citizens, Cal State San Marcos accounting student Ryan Strausbaugh created an easy-to-read report for the Vallecitos Water District's 97,000 customers. The four-page document details interesting facts about the district's water services.

View the full report at: www.vwd.org/transparency