Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Randy Tunnell
2 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
the field, in the classroom and in the community while preparing for careers and post-graduate study.
features
8-9
new degree meets a need
To meet an obvious need, the university has joined with local governments and non-profit organizations to launch a new Master in Social Work degree.
10
Ruben Mendoza
A $300,000 grant from the USDA will strengthen the universitys agricultural science offerings and boost internship opportunities.
This original, mission-era door to the Guadalupe Chapel at Mission San Juan Bautista has a hole in the lower left corner that provided access to mission cats. The vertical, wavy pattern symbolizes the biblical River of Life.
11
departments
7 StUDENtS Profiles of three academic standouts on unique personal journeys 12-15 UNIVErSItY NEWS Recognition at the Sundance Film Festival, a new center to assist small businesses, and selection of the 2010 Commencement speaker 17-20 ALUMNI NEWS Board presidents letter, class notes and an alumni profile
The Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has bestowed its highest honor, the 2009 Business of the Year award, on CSU Monterey Bay.
16
The nationally ranked Otters softball team was off to a strong start this year after winning the CCAA tournament in 2009.
EDItOr Scott Faust PrODUCtION DIrECtOr Don Porter WrItErS Liz MacDonald Joan Weiner DESIGNEr Joan Iguban
CSUMB Magazine & Alumni News is published twice-yearly for donors, friends and alumni of California State University, Monterey Bay by the University Advancement Division, which supports communication and fundraising. Contact us at 831-582-3945 or marketing@csumb.edu to comment on this publication.
ON thE COVEr The universitys archaeology concentration continues to attract students whose interest is sparked by Professor Ruben Mendoza. Photo by randy tunnell
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 3
COVER STORY
don PoRTeR
Students Adrian Lopez (left) and Adam Harris, both now graduates, listen to Dr. Ruben Mendoza as he explains the significance of a pottery fragment unearthed at the Royal Presidio Chapel archaeological site in Monterey.
By Joan Weiner
enerations of California elementary school students have visited the adobe missions that dot the state from San Diego to Sonoma. The 21 missions, begun in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra, had a big impact on Dr. Ruben Mendoza. My interest in history started on a fourth-grade field trip from my home in Fresno to Mission San Juan Bautista, Dr. Mendoza explained. I fell in love with it, but I wanted to know more. That school trip ignited a lifelong passion. Dr. Mendoza went on to earn an undergraduate degree from CSU Bakersfield and graduate degrees in archaeology at the Uni4 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
versity of Arizona. He came to CSU Monterey Bay as a founding faculty member in 1995. A chance meeting with the pastor of Mission San Juan Bautista resulted in an invitation to work there. That was 15 years ago. Since then, hes worked at many of the California missions, as well as some in the American Southwest and Mexico. Dr. Mendoza is also a charter board member of the California Missions Foundation. Hes become the local go-to expert on the subject and one of only a handful of mission archaeology and conservation specialists in California. Students in CSUMBs Division of Social, Behavioral and
COVER STORY
Global Studies can This mortar and pestle was likely used by the ancestral Espursue a concentraselen Indian communities in the Soledad area prior to tion in archaeolthe founding of the mission at Soledad in 1791. ogy. Each year, 15 These tools typically were used to grind foods to 20 students do such as acorns, seeds and grasses. so, many of them attracted by the a way that conducting tours and installing museum prospect of working attracts exhibits. They also do fieldwork, learning with Dr. Mendoza. students. to identify, catalog and interpret their Some continue on to Adrian findings through the science of archaeolgraduate school. Public Lopez, a ogy, and they learn about public service. agencies and contractors hire 2007 graduate of Theres nothing better than putting others. Because much of the Califor- Ruben Mendoza CSUMB, is pursuing a them in the field for hands-on work, Dr. nia coast is archaeologically sensitive, masters degree in urban and regional Mendoza said. contractors need trained people to deterplanning at San Jos State University, Brenna Wheelis enrolled in his Mismine whether an area under construction focusing on historic preservation. That sion Archaeology class in 2007 to fulfill is historically significant. interest is the result of Lopezs work at a Service Learning requirement. I was
HANDS-ON LEARNING
When asked what appeals to students about the subject, Dr. Mendoza has a ready answer. They see it as sexy, interesting ... the Indiana Jones mystique. My job is to demystify the field, he said. He may demystify it, but he does it in
Archaeology student Brenna Wheelis works to rehabilitate and repaint damaged portions of a model of Mission San Juan Bautista.
the Soledad Mission, Mission San Juan Bautista and the Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey while enrolled in Dr. Mendozas classes. Hes involved with students in a very direct way, Lopez said. Hes an educator, a motivator and an inspiration. He inspired me to continue my education. When they work with him at the missions, students take on specific community service projects. Some of what they do involves answering questions from the public,
hooked. I completed over 160 Service Learning hours that semester, she said, well beyond what she needed. Since graduating last spring, Wheelis has been part of the excavation and recovery of a Native American burial site in Carmel Valley, and she co-authored a historic structures report on the 1932 Maryknoll Rectory at Mission San Juan Bautista
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 5
Ruben Mendoza
COVER STORY
with Dr. Mendoza. Many of his students are cited in his scholarly publications for their contributions to the work. Hes highly accessible to his students, Wheelis said, and never discourages their curiosity. He takes a genuine interest in what his students think ... and creates a curriculum that develops individual scholarship. Hes had a tremendous influence on my decision to apply to graduate school in order to pursue archaeology as a career.
This hand-painted colonial sopero, or soup bowl, dates to the late 18th or early 19th centuries. It probably was made in the region of Puebla, Mexico, but may have been produced in early California.
at Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel on the summer solstice on June 21, 2003. He has gone on to document scores of other solstice and feast day sites in the American Southwest and Mexico and presented his findings before the Society for American Archaeology in St. Louis this April. The public will COLUMN OF LIGHT have an opportunity Digging into the missions past is to learn more about more than an academic exercise or Dr. Mendozas work teaching tool for Dr. Mendoza. He at Mission San Juan believes that knowing what went on Bautista. PBS television there helps us understand who we are plans a documentary on the today, and how California became what archaeology, historiography and it is. conservation efforts there. Asked to name the most significant work Mission study is an emerging field, hes done, he didnt hesitate. he said: Theres so much thats unknown. Many records Ruben Mendoza Discovering the Serra chapels at the Royal Presidio of have not yet been scrutinized. Were in a post-colonial era. Monterey, he said. Hes referring to the discoveries in the What happened in the colonial era? summer of 2008 of the first and second chapels, each consistNo answer you give in this moment will hold in the next moing of rectangular adobe buildings located directly in front of the ment. For me, thats exciting, he said. present San Carlos Cathedral (constructed in 1791-95). The area When I see the fourth-graders at the mission ... I do this for marks the spot where, in 1770, Father Junipero Serra celebrated them. the earliest Mass in a formally constructed church on the California coast. And the solstice studies are turning out to be a big thing. Its like a Dan Brown novel, he said, referring to the author of The Da Vinci Code. Im looking at symbology, iconography and ancient secrets. Ive got competitors, Ive got collaborators. Hundreds of students have been put to work, visitors Dr. Mendoza has documented that 12 missions in California needs have been addressed and new knowledge has been alone are aligned to mark the winter or summer solstice. The sogenerated about the missions. None of that would have lar geometry was first brought to his attention on the morning of happened without funding. Dec. 21, 1997, at Mission San Juan Bautista by the pastor, when Dr. Ruben Mendoza the altar was bathed in sunlight, casting what he calls an intense column of light directly on the tabernacle. He is convinced its To help support the archaeology program, contact Vice the result of a deliberate design by the Spanish missionaries who President for University Advancement Mike Mahan at built the missions. 831-582-3366 or visit CSUMB.EDU/give. Dr. Mendoza predicted and documented a similar illumination
To get involved
6 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
STUDENTS
linnea hoffmann
For Linnea Hoffmann, a sophomore from Riverside, the William Randolph Hearst/CSU Trustees Scholarship closed the gap between tuition and what she could cover with loans and a parttime job in the university RegLinnea Hoffmann istrars Office. I dont know where Id be today if I didnt receive this scholarship, said Hoffmann, who is paying for college on her own. She comes from a large family, and her parents, both teachers, were only able to help her and her two college-age sisters with their first year in school. Along with her financial need, Hoffmanns strong academic record and involvement with the local community through the Otter Christian Fellowship helped earn her the scholarship. After graduation in the next two to three years, she plans to follow in her parents footsteps and become a teacher with a focus on special education.
don PoRTeR
Whenever I hear of an interesting opportunity, I tend to raise my hand, Jonathan Aseltine said. In the Army, that attitude put the Modesto native on assignments in Bosnia, Iraq and Qatar. In 2007, he decided to return to school, where he once again raised his hand and was selected for a competitive congressional internship through the Panetta Institute for Public Policy. Aseltine spent the fall semester working in the Washington office of U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced). Health care was the big issue at the time, and Jonathan found the fastpaced atmosphere in the office similar to the Army just before the invasion of Iraq. When his internship ended, Aseltine returned to campus to complete his degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a minor in Global Studies. I gained a lot of skills in the military, but I knew I needed to broaden my education and earn a bachelors degree in order to rise to higher levels, he said. Today hes working on his senior Capstone presentation an analysis of U.S. detention policies. Aseltine said his transition to college life was easier than he expected. In the classroom, his professors are curious about his first-hand experiences and seek out his perspective in class discussions. Thanks to the G.I. Bill and other veterans benefits, he doesnt share the same worry about paying for college that many of his fellow students have. Outside of class, Aseltine still serves in the National Guard. After he graduates in May, he hopes to continue his service to his country by working in the State Department.
Jena Cleveland
When biology major Jena Cleveland realized science was her strong suit, it took her by surprise. The Sacramento resident sings and plays several instruments, and she had previously been interested in studying ethnomusicology. Jena Cleveland But after doing very well in science classes that met general requirements and taking a trip to Africa, Cleveland realized she could use her talent for research to make a difference in the medical care people all over the world receive. She has already completed research internships at San Francisco State and San Jos State universities, where she assisted in work on cancer and periodontal disease, and will spend this summer with the prestigious biophysics program at the University of California, San Francisco. Her Capstone adviser urged her to keep a music minor. She said it would help my science, Cleveland said. It has.
Liz MacDonald
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 7
don PoRTeR
don PoRTeR
INNOVATIONS
don PoRTeR
Monterey County behavioral health worker Veronica Gonzalez, pictured in her Salinas office, plans to enroll this fall in CSU Monterey Bays new Master of Social Work program.
By Joan Weiner
eronica Gonzalez counsels young people in her job at Monterey Countys Division of Behavioral Health in Salinas, helping them transition into adulthood. Shes enthusiastic about her work, and shes eager to advance in her career. But to do that, she needs a masters degree in social work. Until now, Gonzalez would have to leave the area to accomplish that. With a full-time job and an 8-month-old baby, she said, I didnt want to waste time commuting to a school outside of my community. Starting this fall, she wont have to travel very far. CSU Monterey Bay is accepting applications for its new Master of Social Work program that will start in August, becoming the universitys ninth masters degree. The plan calls for 50 students to be accepted into the first class. There has long been a need for people with MSW degrees in the region. Before the university even opened its doors in 1995, discussions were held about estab8 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
To get involved
To support the MSW program, contact Vice President for University Advancement Mike Mahan at 831-582-3366 or visit CSUMB.EDU/give. Your contribution will help maintain the program and provide library resources the students will need. Prospective students are invited to call Dr. Mayleen True at 831-582-4216 or visit CSUMB.EDU/msw.
INNOVATIONS
lishing a social work program. A number of obstacles interors in our schools, said Dr. Wayne Clark, Monterey County vened. Behavioral Health director. But with statewide passage of Proposition 63 in 2004, funding The community expressed their support, leaders rolled up became available. The Mental Health Services Act added a 1 their sleeves, and the vision of a local graduate social work percent tax on personal incomes over $1 million. The money program is at hand. As a community, we can be proud of this is funneled to county mental health programs, and some is accomplishment. earmarked for workforce development. Monterey Countys The three-year program will allow students to concentrate in Behavioral Health Division has directed $600,000 of that either Behavioral money to support development of the new MSW degree. Health or ChilThat leaves $1.4 million still to be raised by the university dren, Youth and Once people leave the over the next three years from individuals and businesses Families. Students area for education, they that recognize the program's regional importance. must also complete Once people leave the area for education, they often dont an internship of often dont come back. come back, said Dr. Mayleen True, director of the pro1,000 hours total, And because of the cost gram at CSUMB. And because of the cost of living here, 250 hours per seof living here, its been its been hard for local agencies to recruit MSWs. mester starting in The solution is to grow our own. the second year. hard for local agencies to In her position as executive Since people recruit MSWs. The solution vice president of the Kinship already employed is to grow our own. Center, Carol Bishop has with local governfirst-hand experience with the ment agencies and situation Dr. True describes. nonprofits are most For years we have hired likely to enroll, wonderful young staff who have courses will be offered in the evenings, at least to start. Recent had to leave us to go out of the college graduates are also encouraged to apply, and financial aid area in order to continue their will be available. Dr. Mayleen True education, and we lose this talFor prospective students like Veronica Gonzalez, the program ent, Bishop said. cant begin soon enough. The new program has grown out of a strong university-comI have waited six years for this program to start here in the munity partnership with a variety of agencies and organizations Monterey Bay area, she said. It feels great to say that I grew involved in the planning helping to develop the curriculum up here, received my education here and work here, all in my and the resources needed to implement it. Among the commucommunity. nity partners are Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties, and nonprofit organizations including the Kinship Center, Interim, Inc., Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Dominican Hospital of Santa Cruz, and the Veterans Administration clinic. Licensed, bilingual, home-grown social workers are severely needed in this community, whether to address the trauma of gang violence, treat the post-traumatic stress disorder of our veterans, provide counseling to those with emotional problems that often accompany chronic health conditions, or Lecturer Marty Tweed, L.C.S.W., presides over an undergraduate class in social increase the number of trained counselwork policy and practice.
CSUMB.EDU/news
don PoRTeR
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 9
don PoRTeR
HORIZONS
Eyes on ag science
USDA grant to expand career-relevant course offerings
By Joan Weiner
Junior biology major Stacy Mauzey explains her work studying bacterial diseases in broccoli at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Station in Salinas
don PoRTeR
new grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will help CSU Monterey Bay prepare students for careers in natural resources and agriculture. The university will use the $300,000 to enhance its curriculum by adding courses in plant and soil science classes that are essential for careers with agencies that manage natural resources important to agriculture. Students who take those courses may end up as interns at the USDAs Agricultural Research Station in Salinas. Stacy Mauzey, a junior biology major, has worked there since last summer through the universitys Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center or UROC, studying bacteria that causes disease in broccoli. She will present her work this summer at a scientific meeting in Nashville, attended by more than 2,000 scientists and students. Mauzeys hypothesis is that the pathogen gets on the plant from irrigation water. Shes an exceptional intern, said Dr. Carolee Bull, research plant pathologist at the facility. Weve worked with other internship programs. UROC is just amazing in the support it gives students. The experience has been critical in shaping Mauzeys choice of major and potential career. I grew up in this area. I always thought ag referred to fieldwork, and I wasnt interested, she said while giving several visitors a tour of the USDA facility in early February. Before I started to work here, I was interested in marine biology. Not now. Now, I want to pursue plant pathology. Mauzeys experience is not unusual. They come in with one idea for a career and get exposed to other careers, said Dr. Jim McCreight, coordinator of the facility and a research horticulturist. Seven or eight CSUMB students have interned there over the years. Two are there now, along with a student from Hartnell College in Salinas. All over the world, people know about the research being done here, Dr. Bull said. She mentioned Dr. McCreight, who goes to Turkmenistan to work on melon research., as an example. We hit home runs with our research, Dr. Bull said. As Mayor Donohue says, we grow lettuce in Salinas and scientists.
CSUMB.EDU/news
10 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
COMMUNITY
were just getting started! CSU Monterey Bay was chosen by a panel of business leaders and nonprofit administrators from among the Business Excellence Award winners in 19 categories that were announced last August. At that time, the university was honored in the education category, based on its goals, its service to students, its employee satisfaction, its commitment to sustainability, and its involvement with the chamber and surrounding communities. Some may ask why a state university is selected as the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce 2009 Business of the Year. The answer is clear. CSUMB contributes mightily to the well-being of our community, said Mary Adams, president and CEO of United Way of Monterey County and a member of the chambers board of directors. Its not only a major employer approximately 700 faculty and staff members but its students bring added revenue and benefit to businesses on the Monterey Peninsula. Adams added, CSUMB exhibits business excellence, operating with a very sound business model. It is succeeding despite a grim economy. All things considered, who could be more qualified than CSUMB to be our Business of the Year. The Chamber also presented individual awards on Feb. 27. Recipients were: Citizen of the Year, David Armanasco of Armanasco Public Relations; the Robert C. Littlefield Award, Woody Kelly of First National Bank of Central California; and the Ruth Vreeland Memorial Public Official of the Year award, Jim Tunney, a Monterey Peninsula College board member. The programs theme was Dawn of a New Decade ... Foundation for the Future!
President Dianne Harrison accepts the Business of the Year Award on Feb. 27 from Ruth Thompson, executive director of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and Alan Richmond, chair of the chamber board.
CSU Monterey Bay has been named Business of the Year by the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. President Dianne Harrison accepted the 2009 award on behalf of the university at a Feb. 27 dinner attended by more than
350 chamber members and guests at the Hyatt Regency Monterey. Were counting on your partnership and support as we continue to grow and develop in the future, Dr. Harrison said. The truth is, after our first 15 years,
Randy Tunnell
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 11
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Filmmakers Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck (09) (left) and Robert Machoian (07) discuss their film with Teledramatic Arts and Technology students Tabitha Enanoria and Joshua Maldonado at a Dec. 9 campus screening of their short film, Charlie and the Rabbit.
Gonzales Mayor Maria Orozco cuts the ribbon at the Nov. 30 grand opening of CSU Monterey Bays new Small Business Development Center in Gonzales.
PRoVIded
Assisting her is Dr. Marylou Shockley, chair of the universitys School of Business. 12 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
UNIVERSITY NEWS
mental impacts. Among its energy-saving features are natural lighting; window glass that reduces energy consumption by filtering out infrared light; a high level of recycled content in the tile, concrete and other construction materials; water-saving landscaping and bathroom fixtures; and an innovative heating and cooling system. In addition, the librarys large roof area collects water during the rainy season. Rather than letting it run into the storm drain system, up to 90 percent of that water is used to irrigate natural grasses around the building. When major storms strike, the surge of water is diverted underground to storage tanks, where the accumulated water perks through the sandy soil into the aquifer.
nations pre-eminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The library earned silver certification, one of the top ratings, following the councils inspection and analysis. The library, which opened in December 2008, showcases how sustainable design strategies can significantly reduce environ-
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 13
don PoRTeR
UNIVERSITY NEWS
success. Faculty members from the three schools will work as a team to redesign courses in math and writing. They will share information about curricula, teaching methods and course revisions needed to make the classes align among the three schools. Their work will result in a new curriculum that will be introduced in fall 2010. to the local SPCA. The kids learn to train the dogs making the pets more adoptable while making a better connection with their school and doing better in the classroom. KAZU, 90.3 FM, is an NPR affiliate licensed to CSU Monterey Bay.
tor John Glenn. She is an adjunct professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at Ohio State University and has long been involved with issues around communication because of her struggles with stuttering.
Krista Almanzan
UNIVERSITY NEWS
briefly noted . . .
examples of faCulty sCholarship:
Frances Payne Adler, Debra Busman and Diana Garcia edited Fire and Ink: An Anthology of Social Action Writing, which was published last fall by the University of Arizona Press. All three teach in CSU Monterey Bays Creative Writing and Social Action program. The anthology includes works by more than 100 writers, including Adrienne Rich, Alice Walker, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Arundhati Roy, Langston Hughes, and six CSUMB graduates. Dr. rina Benmayor, professor in the Division of Humanities and Communication and a founding faculty member at CSU Monterey Bay, has been elected president of the Oral History Association. The OHA has an international membership of people interested in oral history as a way of collecting and interpreting sor David Reichard is the program co-chair of OHAs upcoming annual meeting. Dr. Maria Zielina and five students helped the Special Kids Crusade translate its family resource guide into Spanish. The non-profit group helps families of children with developmental disabilities. The guide lists local and regional service providers such as doctors, dentists and recreation programs. The students spent 700 hours on the project, all on a volunteer basis. Dr. Dan Fernandez, chair of the Division of Science and Environmental Policy, has installed a fog collection Beach, hosted by the Marina Coast Water District. He is conducting research to see if fog is a potential community water source. The device consists of a net with a surface area of one square meter mounted at a height of two meters. The water collected is measured with a tipping bucket rain gauge. Dr. Dan Fernandez
don PoRTeR
DID U KNOW?
CSU Monterey Bays 2010 graduating class will receive their degrees wearing caps and gowns sewn with material made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.
Frances Payne Adler, Debra Busman, and Diana Garca
PRoVIded
edited by
The book Fire and Ink: An Anthology of Social Action Writing was compiled and edited by CSU Monterey Bay faculty Frances Payne Adler, Debra Busman and Diana Garcia.
Dr. rafael Gmez is completing his second year as resident director of California State Universitys International Programs in Spain. In Madrid, hes researching issues of language acquisition for U.S. Spanish-heritage speakers. Dr. Gmez is co-author of Rumbos, a newly designed textbook to assist students in learning Spanish language and culture. Johanna Poethig, professor of painting and public art, created the artwork decorating the outside of the newly opened low-income housing project at 149 Mason St. in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. She calls the work Intertwine, because it visually communicates the way we are all connected to each other through the values of love, compassion and activism. Professor Poethigs work has been exhibited internationally. According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, Poethig would make a short list of the most significant muralists in the country.
As part of the universitys ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, it has arranged for students to wear graduation attire made of fabric spun from molten plastic pellets. About 23 bottles go into each gown.
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 15
ATHLETICS
Top-tier status
CSU Monterey Bay outfielder Jamie Moon runs the bases in a Feb. 19 home game, part of a doubleheader sweep against Chico State.
GaRReTT lyonS
In early March, CSU Monterey Bays softball team cracked the national rankings for the first time ever. After starting the season with a 9-3 record, the Otters made their debut in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll ranked 17th in NCAA Division II. Its a sign of progress in five seasons under coach Andrea Kenney. The team finished near the conference cellar in its first two years before making a turnaround in 2008. Picked to finish last in California Collegiate Athletic Association play that year, the Otters reached the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the West Regional. Last year, the Otters won 36 games and and took first place in the CCAA tournament. Their season ended in the first game of the West Regional. This years squad features talented players at every position. Catcher Shae Olds broke the CCAA home-run record with 15 in last years regular season and is on pace to break that record this year. She started with five homers in the seasons first four games. Were not counting our chickens yet, Kenney said, but we look pretty solid, and were not near our potential yet.
Joan Weiner
CSU Monterey Bay forward Veronica Williams brings the ball down court in a Dec. 4 victory at home against CSU Stanislaus.
GaRReTT lyonS
PRoVIded
I am happy to report that your CSU Monterey Bay Alumni Association Board of Directors has been working diligently to grow our organization, to keep alums connected, and to give back. Thanks to goals we set in our 2009-11 Strategic Plan (the Associations first ever), we know where we want to go and how to get there. Association membership is on track, growing from 480 members in 2003 to more than 1,200 in 2010. Our regular events continue to engage alums and bring them back to campus. Finally, we will award more than $5,000 in scholarships to deserving students this spring alone! Along with our terrific Alumni Relations staff, the Alumni Association board members work hard to make all of this happen. If you or someone you know is interested in a rewarding, challenging and fun leadership opportunity, please consider joining our board! Contact Pilar Gose in the Alumni Relations Office at 831-582-3595 for more information. I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events and volunteers are welcome! Sincerely, Elizabeth (Petrinovich) Sanford (02 GS) President, CSU Monterey Bay Alumni Association
StAFF
Pilar Gose 07, Annual Giving And Donor Relations Officer
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 17
CLASS NOTES
2009
JUSTIN GOMEz (B.A., Business Administration) is a tax and audit accountant at Hayashi & Wayland Accounting & Consulting, LLP. Gomez lives in Monterey. MARTIN VARGASGARCIA (B.S., Business Administration) is priming operations manager at Sakata Seed
Garcia volunteers as a member of the Foundation for Photographic Preservation and enjoys photographing California missions. The family lives in Salinas.
2008
PAUL JENKINS (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is a film footage search editor for Footage Search, Inc., a provider of technical support to stock film footage suppliers. He manages the processing of new submissions of footage, including putting clips in an online database for clients to view. The company represents various stock film footage collections. He volunteers with the Surfrider beach cleanup campaign. Jenkins lives in Monterey. MARIA REYES (B.A., Human Communication) is an administrative support coordinator for the Early Outreach and Support Program at
CSUMB. The program guides first-generation, migrant, low-income and special-needs students toward a successful transition into college. Reyes is enrolled in the Mexican American Studies Masters Program at San Jos State and expects to graduate in 2011. As a former McNair Scholar at CSUMB, she participates in an advanced reading group and presented at the MALCS (Mujeres Activas en Letras Cambio Social) conference at the University of Utah in 2008. Reyes volunteers with the Upward Bound program, teaching an oral history course. She lives in Marina. BRANDON WEHMAN (B.S., Business Administration) is an accountant at BBR, LLP, a certified public accounting firm in Carmel. He audits corporations, partnerships and nonprofit
KTVU-TV in Oakland. He lives in Sausalito. CHRISTINA FERRANTE (B.S., Telecommunications, Multimedia, and Applied Computing) is an instructional designer at the Naval Postgraduate School. In 2009 she earned an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, with an emphasis in Instructional Science and Technology, from CSUMB. Ferrante volunteers five days a week as the freshman-sophomore softball coach at Monterey High School. She lives in Del Rey Oaks. KRISTA HERR (B.A., Social and Behavioral Sciences) is a laboratory technician at BioBancUSA, a biotechnology company, where shes responsible for the processing and storage of blood cells and general lab functions. She recently finished her nursing prerequisites at Monterey Peninsula College and is applying to nursing schools to pursue her goal of becoming a traveling nurse. Last summer, Herr volunteered to serve in Africa to help Zambian AIDS orphans. Now she focuses on trying to get the orphans of Zambia partnered with Americans to help these children attend school. She also volunteers for the after-school basketball program at Martin Luther King Jr. School in Seaside, offering her help after playing basketball for four years at CSUMB. Herr lives in Monterey. JAMES PINA (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is selfemployed as a digital effects artist and cofounder of Boundary Visual Effects. He creates visual effects, specializing in digital paint and compositing for feature films and high-end
commercials. His firm completed visual effects work on three feature films last year, the most notable being After. Life, starring Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson and Justin Long. He and his wife, Carina Pina, have two children, Amara, 3, and Liam, 2. They live in Weaverville, a rural community at the base of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. KIMBER SOLANA (B.A., Human Communication) is a general assignment reporter for The Salinas Californian newspaper. He earned an M.S. in journalism
America Inc. in Morgan Hill, where he oversees quality assurance for production of flower, vegetable and herb seeds. Vargas-Garcia won the CSUMB Alumni Vision Award in 2009. He and his wife, Juanita Bravo, have two children, Itzel, 7, and Diego, 4. Vargas-
2006
ALICIA GREGORY (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is after-school youth director for the Youth Community Service in Palo Alto, a nonprofit that instills an ethic of service learning in middle and high school students. She lives in Milpitas. JASON SCHAEFER (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is the quality assurance lead at Digital Chocolate Inc., a publisher of games for mobile devices, iPhone and Facebook. He leads a team of local testers, coordinating with teams in India and Finland, working on applications developed for Facebook. Hes married to Jennifer Saito-
organizations. He has completed half of the CPA exam and expects to complete the process by this summer. He serves as treasurer for the Monterey chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and secretary of the CSUMB Alumni Association. At Shoreline Church, hes a leader of the high school ministry. Wehman lives in Monterey.
2007
TYLER TREITMAN (2008, B.A., Social and Behavioral Sciences) is a project engineer for SBI Builders Inc. in Monterey, a commercial and residential construction contractor. He was the project engineer and assistant project manager for the renovation of the Dining Commons at CSUMB in 2009. Treitman lives in Marina. EVAN BORDERS (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is a videographer, reporter and web producer for
18 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
CLASS NOTES
Schaefer (B.A., 00 Liberal Studies), who teaches a fourth- and fifth-grade combination class. They have a son, Tristan, 6.
2003
KUMI (MAEMURA) OLNEY (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is the producer and deputy communications director for Free the Slaves, a nonprofit that liberates slaves around the world and helps them rebuild their lives. She travels the world to document slavery on the front lines and produces
2005
JAKE COONEY (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is the writers assistant for the ABC-TV series, Flashforward. He is also writing a television pilot for Scarlet Fire Entertainment and Lionsgate and developing and writing a new feature film for State Street Pictures. Cooney volunteers for Fostering Imagination, a Los Angeles-based organization that teaches at-risk youth theater, filmmaking and storytelling. He lives in Los Angeles. TERA FARNSWORTH (B.S., Earth Systems Science & Policy) is an after-school enrichment teacher at Bardin Elementary School in Salinas. She earned a masters degree in science education from the University of Washington in 2009. Farnsworth also works as a naturalist, leading nature boat tours at the Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing. She lives in Monterey. KAREN GREF (B.S., Earth Systems Science & Policy) researches and prepares National Environmental Policy Act reports for the All Appropriate Inquiries Environmental Corporation. She earned a masters of environmental science degree from the University of Michigan. Gref volunteers for St. Vincent DePaul, the University of MichiganDearborn Environmental Interpretive Center, Friends of the Rouge, National MS Society and Greening of Detroit. She is engaged to Jeff Eliason, and
EMILY MCDANIEL (2003, B.A., Liberal Studies) teaches second and third grade at a public Montessori charter school in the Sacramento area. She completed a masters credential in education from UC Santa Cruz. McDaniel is now seeking a credential of Montessori Education through Montessori Teachers Center. She and her husband, Mark, have a daughter, Samantha, 3. They live in Folsom.
they plan an October wedding. Gref lives in Inkster, Mich. TAD MASEK (B.S., Earth Systems Science & Policy) is a research associate at the Center for Autonomous Vehicle Research at the Naval Postgraduate School. His work involves developing algorithms for sensors that process and map for robots such as underwater vehicles, boats and aircraft. He earned a masters degree in software engineering from NPS in 2008. Masek is now preparing to start work on a Ph.D. Hes married to Jessica (Wikoff) Masek (B.S., 05 Earth Systems Science & Policy). They live in Pacific Grove with their children, Avalon, 3, and Aura, 1.
DIANE (SEGAWA) MCGIRR (B.S., Telecommunications, Multimedia, and Applied Computing) is a graphic designer at Schipper Design+ in San Juan Bautista. The agency specializes in
of binge drinking. She volunteers with the Lets Read program, which helps underprivileged students gain basic reading skills. Miles lives in Hollywood.
films to raise awareness that slavery still exists. Shes married to Jeff Olney (B.A., 04 Teledramatic Arts and Technology). They live in Los Angeles.
print, web and video projects. In her spare time she teaches group fitness classes. She married Jeff McGirr in 2008. The couple lives in Salinas. CHRISTA MILES (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is executive coordinator for the Cartel, a production company that produces commercials, documentaries and music videos. Independently, she has co-produced and directed a public service announcement for Sun Street Centers in Salinas to promote awareness of dangers
JASON MANSOUR (2003, B.S., Earth Systems Science & Policy) is a commissioned officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps of the Department of Commerce, where he is an aircraft commander of that services DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. Supervising a flight crew of five, he transports scientific personnel to remote sites in Alaska to study harbor seal populations in the western Aleutian Islands and observe bowhead whale migratory patterns above the Arctic Circle. When not flying in Alaska, hes stationed at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Office, where he is a regional aircraft operations coordinator. He volunteers as an executive board member of Camp SEA Lab, which offers marineoriented programs that promote science, education and adventure for youth, families and teachers. Mansour lives in Sand City.
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 19
2002
LORYN HATTEN (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is company manager for the Sunnyvale-based California Theater Center, a nonprofit theater offering professionally staged performances for youth. She oversees all daily operations and regularly directs, designs, stage-manages and teaches there. Hatten lives in San Jose.
fundraisers with the Colombo-Americano Chapter of the Rotary Club. He co-authored a proposal to set up a library in the destitute region of Quibdo, Columbia. Rodriquez lives in Santa Barbara. PAULO SERPA (B.S., Earth Systems Science & Policy) is a geographic information systems research analyst II at the California Department of Fish and Game. He is a data manager and analyst for all department marine geospatial data. He and his wife, Kari (Boylan) Serpa (B.A., 05 Liberal Studies), have two children, Enzo, 4, and Aurelia, 18 months. The family lives in Pebble Beach.
PRoVIded
ERIC PALMER (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is a communications assistant for the City of Monterey, producing video content for the citys television station, websites and archives. He is working on a grantfunded documentary called Shades and Stories of Monterey, a film about the history of Monterey from the mid-20th century to today, told through the eyes of its citizens. Involved in competitive distance running, Palmer won more than a dozen distance races last year and made the top 20 in the Big Sur Half Marathon. He lives in Monterey.
1998
LAURA HIRSH (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) is self-employed as owner of Skin Care & Body Work Day Spa. She has an estheticians license and is a certified doula. Hirsh is married to todd Francone, also a former TAT major at CSUMB. He is an editor for Technicolor. Hirsh volunteers with the City of Hope. The couple lives in Sierra Madre.
2001
GABE RODRIqUEz (B.S., Earth Systems Science & Policy) is a graduate student and teaching assistant at UC Santa Barbara. He is working toward a Ph.D. in applied marine ecology. He participates in
20 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
SNAPSHOTS
HAVE A HEART!
With a theme of Home, Sweet Home, the 12th annual Have a Heart Dinner and Auction on March 13 was the most successful ever, raising more than $110,000 for CSU Monterey Bay student scholarships.
Master of Ceremonies Jim Vanderzwaan, lead forecaster at KSBW-TV (left), and auctioneer Pete DeVries scan the crowd for bids during the live auction.
Sue Antle (right) greets Assemblyman Bill Monnings wife, Dr. Dana Kent, before the dinner, as Monning (second from left) and Dr. Richard Dauphine look on.
These volunteers were among dozens of CSU Monterey Bay staff and faculty who gave their time at Have a Heart in support of student scholarships.
Have a Heart volunteer committee co-chair Shahin Anable speaks about the importance of helping students, as fellow co-chair Leslie Taylor joins her at the microphone.
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 21
SNAPSHOTS
CAMPUS MOMENTS
don PoRTeR
Nearly 300 students gathered on the Campus quad to participate in the March 4 Day of Action. They rallied in support of restored state funding for public education at all levels.
CSU Monterey Bay student Bryan Nguyen (right) demonstrates a robot for visiting high school students during the first-ever Monterey Bay Information Technology Summit held Feb. 12.
GaRReTT lyonS
Nathan Olivas, board president for the Salinas Valley Guard Davion Berry takes a jump shot during a Dec. 4 overtime victory against CSU Stanislaus at the Otter Sports Center. Berry was named CCAA Freshman of the Year. 22 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
CSUMB.EDU/news
Memorial Healthcare System, and his wife, Jeri, chat with Bob Antle (left) and Salinas attorney Gary Ray at a donor appreciation dinner on Oct. 17.
Randy Tunnell
KeVIn CaHIll
events
SHeRRy baRneTT
MAY 7, OPENING RECEPTION, exhibit of work by students in the Science Illustration Program, 5-7 p.m., Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, 831-582-4500; scienceillustration.org MAY 13, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS SHOWCASE, 6 p.m., University Center Ballroom, 831-582-4001; CSUMB.EDU/specialprojects MAY 17-20, CAPSTONE FESTIVAL, 8 a.m-5 p.m., campus wide, 831-582-3680; CSUMB.EDU/capstone MAY 21, RECEPTION FOR PARENTS OF GRADUATING STUDENTS, 4-6 p.m., Alumni and Visitors Center, 831-582-4723; CSUMB.EDU/alumni MAY 22, COMMENCEMENT, keynote speaker Sylvia Panetta, 10 a.m., Freeman Stadium, free tickets required, 831-582-4001; CSUMB.EDU/commencement
July
JULY 5-9, VOLLEYBALL DAY CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps JULY 9 & 16, ORIENTATION FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS, 831-5823000; CSUMB.EDU/orientation JULY 10 & 12, ORIENTATION FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN, 831-582-3000; CSUMB.EDU/orientation JULY 11-16, SOCCER OVERNIGHT CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps JULY 17 & 19, ORIENTATION FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN, 831-582-3000; CSUMB.EDU/orientation
Grammy-nominated vocalist, composer and arranger Perla Batalla will perform May 6 in the World Theater to conclude the theaters 2009-10 Performing Arts Series. For ticket information, call 831-582-4580 or visit CSUMB.EDU/worldtheater.
august
AUG 2-6, SOFTBALL DAY CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps AUG. 16, DAY OF WELCOME & PRESIDENTS MEDAL AWARDS, 2 p.m., World Theater, 831-582-4001; CSUMB.EDU/specialprojects AUG. 20-22, WELCOME BACK WEEK & OTTER DAYS, 831-582-4001; CSUMB.EDU/specialprojects AUG. 22, PRESIDENTS WELCOME BARBEQUE, noon, Campus Quad, 831-582-4001; CSUMB.EDU/specialprojects
June
JUNE 7-11, BASEBALL YOUTH DAY CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 12-13, BASEBALL HIGH SCHOOL DAY CAMP, 831-5823015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 18-20, BOYS BASKETBALL HIGH SCHOOL TEAM CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 20-23, WATER POLO OVERNIGHT CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 21-24, GIRLS BASKETBALL INDIVIDUAL DAY CAMP, 831-5823015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 21-25, BASEBALL MIDDLE SCHOOL DAY CAMP, 831-5823015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 21-25, SOCCER DAY CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 25-27, GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM CAMP, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps JUNE 26-27, SOCCER TEAM SHOWCASE, 831-582-3015; otterathletics.com/camps
april
APrIL 24, HERITAGE MUSIC FESTIVAL, jazz saxophonist Greg Abaye and the CSUMB Concert Band, 7 p.m., World Theater, 831-582-3009; CSUMB.EDU/music APrIL 29, ANNUAL ALUMNI MIXER, for those interested in joining the Alumni Association board or volunteering with the association, 6-8 p.m., University House, 831-582-4723; CSUMB.EDU/alumni
september
SEPt. 23, STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS, 2 p.m., World Theater, 831-582-4001; CSUMB.EDU/specialprojects
may
MAY 2, SPRING CONCERT, 3 p.m., University Center Ballroom, 831-582-3009; CSUMB.EDU/music MAY 6, PERFORMING ARTS SERIES, singer Perla Batalla, 7:30 p.m., World Theater, 831-582-4580; CSUMB.EDU/worldtheater
oCtober
OCt. 4, PRESIDENTS CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT, 9 a.m. shotgun start, Corral de Tierra Country Club, 831-582-4001; CSUMB.EDU/specialprojects
CSUMB.EDU/news
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 23
PAID
SEASidE, CA
PERMiT NO. 76
Call: 831-582-3595
1047000
50% recycled and 25% Post- consumer Waste
4,000 students, outstanding academic programs and a supportive environment for learning. Were making a difference for the region, the state and the world. Please join our remarkable journey by supporting students, faculty and facilities. To discover how you can help, visit CSUMB.EDU/give or call 831-582-3346.
alifornia State University, Monterey Bay is no longer a brand-new campus on a former Army base. We are a comprehensive university with well over