- Beloved K-9 Police Dog Retiring After 7 Years of ServiceIt was Cai Steffler’s first week at his new job, and as he was settling in for his third day of work he became startled when he looked down and saw a German shepherd at his desk. Steffler didn’t grow up around dogs, and he was apprehensive. At first, Steffler thought he got himself in trouble because Sgt. David Angulo and a K-9 police dog were there next to him. But as he looked around the room, Steffler quickly realized that this seemed like a routine welcoming visit. Steffler saw how excited people from different departments were as they came to pet Armor, Cal State San Marcos’ K-9 police dog for nearly seven years. He soon realized how much Armor meant to the campus. “I noticed that everyone in our office had treats for him,” said Steffler, an environmental health and occupational safety specialist on campus. “They had dog treats at their office because Armor would come to visit every single office.” Talking to Angulo and getting to know Armor helped Steffler become at ease being around the K-9 and other dogs. “It was really special to see their bond and how they work together,” Steffler said. Armor is set to retire after this year’s commencement ceremonies, shortly before he turns 11 years old. Armor will continue living with Angulo after he retires, along with the next campus K-9, Hans. The CSUSM University Police Department is raising funds for the first-year expenses of acquiring Hans, as well as a K-9 vehicle and supplementary equipment and training. “Armor has been here longer than some staff members,” Angulo said. “It's going to be even harder for me to go to work without him. He's been my partner for the last seven years. It's amazing how attached we get to our partners. And it's very evident when I'm trying to go to work and he's trying to bust his way through and I have to tell him no. It’s heartbreaking. I knew it was going to be hard. I didn't realize it was going to be this hard. I think it's a little easier because I have Hans now who kind of fills that void. But as soon as I get home, it's evident that Armor is losing his head. He wants to go to work.” Angulo and Armor have long been recognized as a strong duo on campus. If Angulo is spotted without Armor by his side, he is ready for people to ask where about the beloved K-9. He also is used to people ignoring him and going straight to pet Armor. But he doesn’t mind because Angulo loves when the campus community connects with Armor. “Armor would come in and we would just be rubbing his belly, and it provided us with a calmness,” said Jennie Ruiz, the associate dean of students. “Whenever he enters a space – and I've seen it with students, too – people just kind of light up around him because he's so sweet, so friendly. And he'll just kind of let you snuggle up with him. He definitely provided us with some sweet comfort when he would come into the office.” Armor’s contributions have extended well beyond campus. Armor is able to detect 20 explosive odors and he is the only explosive detection canine in North County and one of seven in the 23-campus California State University system. Angulo and Armor have attended the Golden Globe Awards together as well as presidential debates, political conventions and professional sporting events, including Major League Baseball and NFL games. They also regularly contribute to K-9 responses throughout San Diego County. It has been an amazing journey for Angulo and Armor since their partnership began in 2015. Angulo learned about an opening for a K-9 officer early in his career at CSUSM, and he was eager to pursue the opportunity. Angulo trained with the nearest K-9 unit in Northridge on his days off for six months to gain experience for the position. He was able to gather a better understanding of a K-9’s behavior and the training process while shadowing the K-9 officers. Angulo was then matched up with Armor after completing the interview process. “This opportunity showed itself really early in my career,” Anuglo said. “I was extremely lucky, and it usually doesn’t happen that way. I kind of just ran with it and made sure I did everything I could to make sure that the program continued to succeed.” Now, almost 10 years later, Angulo encourages his colleagues who are interested in being K-9 officers to join him while he is working with Hans. “Armor is a part of my family,” Angulo said. ”Hans will be just as part of my family. And I couldn't trust anyone else to be at home with my wife and kids. They'll be well taken care of. I'm very lucky.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Whirlwind Career Brings New Chef to CampusMike Feil’s work as a chef has taken him across the country – and back. While Feil has worked in well-known destinations like Hawaii, San Francisco and Santa Barbara, he also has honed his craft in lesser-known places, from a remote fishing lodge near the Yentna River in Alaska to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to Apalachicola, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico. But Feil is enjoying a homecoming of sorts after being hired as the executive chef for CSUSM Dining, which includes the Campus Way Cafe, Cal State San Marcos’ new 8,000-square-foot dining hall that will open on the first floor of The QUAD in time for the fall semester. “I have an eclectic mix that deals with not only Pacific Rim food and food from the Americas but Indian and all different types of international food,” said Feil, who will also be developing catering menus and overseeing the catering operations for campus events. “So there will be quite a variety to choose from.” Working with food was a natural for Feil, who gained an appreciation of it at an early age. His grandparents were bakers from Germany, and he was raised on a small farm in Alpine, about 50 miles southeast of CSUSM. His childhood included milking goats and helping his family produce farm-raised beef, pork and turkey. Feil earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Chico State and worked in the food industry in San Francisco after graduating before deciding to attend culinary school. A mentor recommended New York, and Feil attended the Culinary Institute of America, which is widely recognized as one of the premier culinary schools in the world. Feil used his passion for cooking to travel the country, including nearly a decade as a caterer in Maui, where he focused on plant-based foods. He also has experience on college campuses, including San Diego State and Point Loma Nazarene University. CSUSM was a perfect fit for Feil, who loved his time working with college students, faculty and staff. He also was already familiar with Sodexo, which manages food services at both CSUSM and Point Loma Nazarene, where he worked as a production chef. Now, Feil is busy preparing for the opening of Campus Way Cafe. He has been taking managerial classes that delve into creating menus and food costing while also working with Sodexo and CSUSM Corporation on details related to the café – everything from the configuration to plateware to the look of the space. The cafe will have indoor and outdoor seating for about 300 people. Overseen by CSUSM Corporation and operated by Sodexo, the cafe will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner five days a week, brunch and dinner on the weekends, and will be open to students, faculty, staff, guests and the San Marcos community. CSUSM also will be adding new eateries in the USU the fall: QDOBA will go in the current location of Caliente; Hilltop Bistro Grill will go in the current location of WOW; and the remodeled Market will have expanded offerings, including sushi. Feil will bring a wide variety of food options to the cafe, which will be all-you-care-to-eat with a rotating menu and specials. There will also be opportunities to host events, gatherings and cooking classes within the facility. While the cafe’s expanded food offerings will include a grill, a deli, and pasta, pizza and salad stations, Feil is especially excited about the plant-based options. He noted that tastes and priorities have changed for college students since he was at San Diego State a decade ago. “The diet was different for college students then,” he said. “They didn't have quite the knowledge that they have now about food. So you're seeing these plant-based ideas becoming more mainstream. More people are understanding the benefit of eating certain foods. “The idea of creating a menu that is configured to this atmosphere with these students and the newest kind of trends involving plant-based food, involving food that's healthy, that has a footprint that is smaller than normal, perhaps utilizing some local farmers in the area, it's exciting.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- History Student's Work on American Indians in Film Nets Research AwardA history major without much interest in American history, Katelyn Peterson decided to tap into her love of old Western films when taking a risk on a topic for a recent research paper for her class on Native California history. The risk paid off. Peterson eventually entered her paper on the representation of American Indians in Hollywood into the Cal State San Marcos Library Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity and came away as one of six winners, each of whom earned a $600 cash prize. “Native Americans were actually some of the first people on film,” Peterson said. “And it's kind of a long and complicated history.” Peterson, a junior who attended high school at nearby Mission Vista in Oceanside, began her research studying a documentary called “Reel Injun,” which walks viewers through a decade-by-decade history of American Indians in Hollywood in the 20th century. What Peterson’s research taught her was that American Indians were often inaccurately represented on film. Her paper showed that it wasn’t until the revival of the Western in the 1990s that a more accurate representation of American Indians, due to creating their own films, was occurring. The end result was an award she didn’t envision winning. “I was really surprised and really excited,” Peterson said about her reaction to winning the award. “It felt good knowing that what I was writing about was being recognized, and that not only was it good enough to get me a good grade, but it was good enough writing to be recognized by the school.” Submissions for the library award ranged from written research papers to creative works such as art, music, lyrics, poetry and dance. Peterson didn’t have to look far for examples of authentic representation of American Indians. The library is currently displaying a collection of paintings by Eric Tippeconnic, an enrolled member of the Comanche nation and assistant professor in American Indian Studies. Joely Proudfit, department chair of American Indian Studies, is the founder and executive director of California’s American Indian & Indigenous Film Festival presented by CSUSM’s California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center. “That’s actually something that I cover in my paper,” said Peterson, who said history professor Robert Miller was a major influence in her research. “California's American Indian and Indigenous Film Festival is a group of Native filmmakers that’s supported in part by Cal State San Marcos. And so it was really cool to find that tie in.” As for Peterson’s future, she may combine her writing background with her history major and love for film to write and critique more about media and movies. For now, it’s a hobby. Her senior year will determine which direction she’ll go next. But wherever her career takes her, it will be greatly influenced by history. “Learning about the place that you're from is really important,” Peterson said. “Not just for historians but for everybody. Taking a class relating to California history was really enlightening for me. And it's a subject that I was passively interested in. But this made me a lot more cognizant of when I watched movies, how people were represented and how that affects the way that we see other people in film.” Library Award Winners Daniel Crescencio Castro, “American-Anime: How Japanese Anime Influenced American Cartoons” Kennedy Caudle and Courtney Johnson, “Examining the Impact of Human Presence on Native Insect Pollinators in Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat in North County San Diego” Emily Culbertson, “Modernized or Industrialized” Ariana Null, “The Hermits” Katelyn Peterson, “Native Americans in Hollywood” Ruben Sanchez, “Before Christ, There Was Augustus: Comparing the Imperial Cult in Hispania and Gaul” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- With Daughters as Inspiration, Criminology Student Overcomes StrugglesWhen Nicole Nutt was expelled as a high school freshman, she spent her time continuing to do the things that got her kicked out in the first place – drinking, drugs, fighting. Nutt was allowed to return to school as a junior, but she dropped out in the middle of her senior year. And, once again, she spent her time away from school doing the things that landed her in trouble. None of the adults in Nutt’s life ever asked why she was acting out. Not her parents, not her teachers, not the administrators who were doling out punishment. “I couldn't handle it,” Nutt said. “I was bullied a lot. There were a lot of things that happened, and I just checked out. I just didn't care, and the people at the school, it seemed like they didn't care what was happening.” Nutt had been sexually assaulted at a party during her freshman year of high school, and she turned to drugs and alcohol as an escape. But Nutt’s behavior changed in an instant when she learned that she was pregnant at 19. She quit everything – the drinking, the drugs, the partying. Nutt was focused completely on her daughter, Chanel, and ensuring that Chanel didn’t endure similar struggles. For Nutt, part of setting an example meant getting an education, and she is completing the first part of that journey this month when she graduates from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor’s in criminology and justice studies. “As soon as I got pregnant, something clicked,” Nutt said. “It's crazy. A lot of the people that I grew up with, they're either dead, in prison or still strung out. And for some reason I got out of it.” Escaping that life meant creating a better situation for herself and Chanel. Nutt started taking early childhood education classes at Palomar College, figuring it might help her get a job at a day-care center, which would also allow her to have Chanel with her at work. But as Chanel got older, Nutt wanted to pursue other passions. Though she had dozens of credits in early childhood education, she changed her major at Palomar to sociology, which was in closer alignment with her desire to help children going through issues similar to her own. When it came time for Nutt to decide whether to pursue a bachelor’s degree, Chanel’s biological father, a drug addict who was abusive to Nutt, was an unlikely inspiration. Although Nutt had the parental rights of Chanel’s birth father terminated because of his drug use, she allowed him to speak to Chanel on the phone and have supervised visits. But Nutt could tell that years of drug abuse were catching up to him, and his death two years ago from a heroin overdose didn’t come as a surprise. “I knew that Chanel's birth dad was dying,” Nutt said. “I just felt it because the last time I had seen him when he came for a visit, he looked horrible. I said, ‘The next time I see you, it's going to be at your funeral.’ And then a couple of months later, he was dead. “It felt the same way as when I first found out I was pregnant. I knew I needed to do something, to show my kids that you can't let things deter you from going forward in your life.” Nutt applied for the bachelor’s program in criminology and justice studies through CSUSM at Temecula shortly after that last visit from Chanel’s biological father, and she learned of her acceptance three days after his death. While Chanel’s biological father was sporadically present in her life, her father is Ryan Nutt, who adopted her after Nutt had the parental rights of Chanel’s birth father terminated. Nutt and Ryan, a Los Angeles County firefighter, have been married almost seven years and also have a 6-year-old daughter, Kinsley. Nutt said she tries to be open and honest in age-appropriate ways with her daughters when it comes to the struggles she endured. She is also working hard to set an expectation of attending college by earning her degree. Nutt has thrived at CSUSM, benefiting from the mentorship of professors like Christopher Bickel, Martín Leyva and Xuan Santos. “Nicole is a fiery student with a passion for learning as well as for her work,” said Leyva, the university’s Project Rebound coordinator. “She is caring and empathetic and proactive in the lives of others. I admire her and her drive to be of service. Fire like hers is difficult to put out; it only ignites change. “I admire her as a student. She really looks out for others, and it’s contagious.” It’s a trait that has carried over into other aspects of Nutt’s life. She was a residential counselor for foster youth at Casa de Amparo, a nonprofit that offers treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect in San Diego County, and she has been working as an intern at the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, which has offered her a full-time job after graduation. But Nutt’s long-term goal is law school – she has been studying for the LSAT and plans to take it next year – and helping children who are tried as adults. “Adults didn't have my back growing up,” she said, “so I want to be that person for someone. “I want people to believe in themselves when others don't believe in them. I just want people to know that no matter what, if you somewhat believe in yourself or just push forward, little by little, you can literally do it. If I can do it, they can do it.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Outstanding Grad Setting Example of Success for SonYo trabajo con mis manos para que tu puedas trabajar con tu mente. That’s the mantra that was drilled into the head of Krystal Alvarez-Hernandez by her father when she was a child. It translates to: I’ve always worked with my hands so that you can work with your mind. It’s an immigrant tale as old as the nation itself. Alvarez-Hernandez’s parents came to America to seek a better life for their children. In this version, her father, Gabriel, and her mother, Maria, married young and escaped traumatic lives in Mexico. After first working as a street vendor in Santa Ana, Gabriel found a job in construction. He would leave the family’s shared apartment before the sun rose and return late at night, caked in dust and grime. His daughter was expected to aspire to more. Krystal was supposed to become the first person in the family to finish high school, much less go to college. She was supposed to break the cycle in which both her mother and grandmother had borne children very young. Then she got pregnant as a junior in high school – and broke her parents’ hearts. “When that happened, I was more concerned with what they were going to think and less concerned about what it would mean for my future,” Alvarez-Hernandez said. “I was really upset that I hurt them.” Alvarez-Hernandez knows how that story almost always ends. She’s familiar with the statistic that only 2% of teenage mothers go on to earn a bachelor’s degree before age 30. The odds were overwhelmingly against her doing so. Yet this month, seven years after learning the news that could have derailed her life almost before it got going, Alvarez Hernandez not only will graduate from Cal State San Marcos with a degree in psychology, but she will do so as the most decorated graduate in the entire Class of 2022, which numbers almost 4,500. Last week, she was named the President’s Outstanding Graduate after previously winning the dean’s award for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. And she’s not stopping there, either. In August, Alvarez-Hernandez will move with her husband, Alfonso, and their 7-year-old son, Santiago, to Chicago so she can begin a Ph.D. program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University. “I’m determined to make my parents proud,” she said. “That’s partly what pushed me harder to continue with school after I had my son. Not only do I need to be a role model and example for him, I also need to give myself the best opportunity to honor their sacrifices by respecting myself enough to pursue my goals and interests. Because they were so disappointed in me, it was like, ‘OK, I’m going to show you guys that your sacrifices didn’t go to waste.’ ” In Alvarez-Hernandez’s telling, she and her younger sister, Gaby, enjoyed a happy, sheltered childhood that stood in stark contrast to those of her parents in Mexico. Once her father established himself in construction, he was able to start his own company and buy a house in Lake Elsinore with plenty of room for curious girls to roam. That idyll began to be punctured when Alvarez-Hernandez’s parents underwent a contentious separation during her freshman year of high school. Two years later, she was forced to grow up even faster when Santiago arrived. She had never excelled in school, and the turmoil at home didn’t help matters, but her son’s birth – far from causing her to drop out – resulted in her becoming laser-focused on education. “It was no longer just about me,” Alvarez-Hernandez said. “I felt like I’d be doing my son a disservice if I just gave up and stopped trying to be my best self for him.” After graduating from Lakeside High School, Alvarez-Hernandez enrolled at Palomar College, and the hour-long commute was only part of the problem. Because of the pregnancy, she didn’t get a driver’s license, so her grandmother had to drive her to campus every day. She was also shuttling back and forth between her parents’ now-separate residences, but as a student she was locked in and increasingly interested in psychology after planning to pursue pre-med. At Palomar, Alvarez-Hernandez was first exposed to the foreign concept of scientific research as she worked for two years around her class schedule as an early interventionist for children under 5 diagnosed with autism through applied behavioral analysis (ABA). She transferred to CSUSM in the fall of 2019, and the ensuing spring she took the next step in terms of research by becoming an undergraduate research assistant for psychology professor Kimberly D’Anna Hernandez. One of D’Anna Hernandez’s specialties is the role of acculturation and other psychosocial measures on the biological response to stress in pregnant women, especially Mexican and Mexican-American women. That dovetailed perfectly with the background and interests of Alvarez-Hernandez, who of course is both Mexican-American and a mother. Working during the dawn of the pandemic, she assisted D’Anna Hernandez in collecting data related to the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of Mexican mothers living in the United States. Alvarez-Hernandez quickly found a home in the research lab, partly because there were close to a dozen other Latina students working in it but mostly because of D’Anna Hernandez, in whom she found a kindred spirit. “I owe her so much,” Alvarez-Hernandez said of her mentor, who moved on to Marquette University this academic year. “I didn’t have anyone to see myself in, to identify with. She’s someone I look up to. She’s a mother, she’s Latina, she’s successful, she’s independent, she’s making a significant impact on people’s lives. I can’t think of anything more fulfilling than to do that with my life as well.” Later in the spring 2020 semester, D’Anna Hernandez connected Alvarez-Hernandez with Keith Trujillo, a longtime psychology professor who’s co-director of the U-RISE (Undergraduate Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) program, which provides professional development and research opportunities to students from underrepresented groups who show promise for success in graduate studies. Through U-RISE, Alvarez-Hernandez honed her burgeoning passion and talent for research, resulting in 10 presentations at local meetings and large national conferences, as well as multiple awards for her work. Last summer, she participated in the UCLA Brain Research Institute summer undergraduate research experience (BRI-SURE), during which she examined electrophysiological indicators of autism spectrum disorder. “Through my work with Krystal, I’ve grown increasingly impressed with her,” Trujillo said. “She is thoughtful, organized and motivated, and regularly contributes insightfully to scientific discussions and assignments. She takes the program seriously and is a leader among this very successful group. “Given her inspiring path from teen mom to Ph.D.-bound, she reflects the best of CSUSM.” As she prepares to make family history by graduating from CSUSM, followed by moving across the country, Alvarez-Hernandez still sometimes can’t believe that she’s a budding neuroscientist. Only a few years ago, she wouldn’t have even known what that entailed, much less been able to imagine doing it for a living. But she knows that Santiago is watching, and she’s resolved to show him that he can be anything he wants to be – just as her parents did for her. “I’m really hoping to change the norms of what it means to be a scientist, what it means to be a mom, what it means to be a daughter from a Mexican-American background,” she said. “I just want to make other people proud and be proud of myself as well.” Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306
- Business Student's Epilepsy Leads to New BeginningsKarolina Lindberg never had many complaints about her epilepsy. She was aware that she wouldn’t be able to drive a bus or become a police officer or firefighter because of her diagnosis. But Lindberg didn’t know her epilepsy would stop her from pursuing her dream career. Lindberg always wanted to find a career that would allow her to see more of the world while she was growing up in Sweden. She set her sights on becoming a flight attendant for the travel opportunities, but her epilepsy made it impossible. Instead, she became a flight coordinator at Scandinavian Airlines. Although Lindberg didn’t get to pursue her initial career choice, she still made the leap to see a different part of the world. A chance encounter with a passenger while working for Scandinavian Airlines led her to Cal State San Marcos. Three years later, Lindberg is graduating with a degree in global business management and will be recognized at the College of Business Administration commencement ceremony on May 21 as the Gerevas Family Dean’s Award recipient. “I have found Karolina to be talented, hardworking and professional in all her communications and academic assignments,” said Eric Rhodes, one of Lindberg's business professors.“She entered our program as an international student with a strong professional background in customer service and finance and incorporates her unique perspective and bilingual capabilities into her academic endeavors here at CSUSM to the benefit of our community.” Traveling and being exposed to different cultures have always been important to Lindberg. Her father started his career in the Air Force and then became a pilot for Scandinavian Airlines. Though Lindberg couldn’t become a flight attendant, she was able to follow her father at Scandinavian Airlines. It was an interaction with an American passenger during some downtime at a departure gate that led Lindberg to CSUSM. The passenger told Lindberg about the beauty of San Diego, and she went home that night and started looking for colleges in the San Diego area. Before the end of the night, she had applied to CSUSM. She was drawn to the university’s smaller class sizes, which reminded her of classes in Sweden. Only a couple of months later, Lindberg packed up and moved to San Marcos. It wasn’t an easy transition. Lindberg took 47 units her first year, and taking classes in her second language brought unexpected challenges. ”I remember my first math class,” Lindberg said. “I've always been good at math. But I was so confused because everything was in English. And I didn't know the terms or what my professor was talking about half of the time.” Despite those challenges, Lindberg maintained a 4.0 GPA. But the pandemic brought other challenges. Lindberg’s epilepsy only affects her when she is extremely stressed. With the constant changes of the pandemic and adjusting to life in a new country, she had a few epileptic attacks while she was away from her family. “It was hard,” Lindberg said. “In the beginning, I moved alone. My family is nine hours away. They're asleep most of the time when I'm awake. And I had never been alone before. My mom always said it takes a year before you feel at home. So if you dislike it after a year, you can move back, but before that, you should keep trying. And that's what I did.” Lindberg moved back to Sweden during the pandemic and had several synchronous online classes. The nine-hour time difference meant she had to stay up from 2-7 a.m. to attend classes, while balancing her work as a flight coordinator and taking care of her two horses. After a year taking classes from her home in Sweden, Lindberg moved back to San Marcos in July to learn more about American culture in her senior year. It was difficult for Lindberg to be away from her horses and animals back in Sweden, so she volunteered at an animal shelter and even ended up adopting a dog named Edwin. Lindberg’s love for animals sparked her interest in environmentalism. She is planning to pursue a career where she can help develop a more sustainable way of doing business. Lindberg received an early acceptance to Hult International Business University in San Francisco, where she will continue her education in the fall. “I would say culturally, being in a diverse setting wasn't much of a challenge, because I've been in settings like that a lot,” Lindberg said. “And I have always believed the nation someone comes from doesn't determine anything about their interest or personality. Obviously, I am Swedish and I'm very similar to my culture, but that doesn't mean that I have more in common with other people from my culture. I've always been very open to differences, which means that cultural differences have never really bothered me.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- University Celebrates Launch of New Strategic PlanAfter more than a year of gathering input, vision casting and prioritizing our goals, Cal State San Marcos has solidified its new institutional strategic plan, “The Power of CSUSM,” which will guide the campus for the next five years. The university marked this important beginning with a campus-wide celebration on April 19. “Everything in our new strategic plan stems from our simple yet profound mission: student success,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “This clear definition will guide every strategy and tactic as we move forward. ‘The Power of CSUSM’ is a plan that belongs to all of us.” “The Power of CSUSM” will guide the university in its efforts to: Become an unrivaled national leader for social mobility. Cement our place as a first-choice university for first-generation students and future generations. Drive academic excellence and intellectual engagement, inspiring discovery and creative expression. Prepare our students to be the socially just leaders of tomorrow. Provide students with engaged learning, research, service and civic engagement opportunities. Dismantle barriers and commit to every student a place of true belonging. Lead with care and nurture a culture of service that considers individualized experiences. Adapt to meet the accelerating needs of our region. Build socially minded partnerships and entrepreneurial efforts that advance our region. Launch our most ambitious philanthropic campaign to fuel this transformation. Challenge ourselves to reach new possibilities. Untap the true power of Cal State San Marcos. The festive launch event welcomed hundreds of students, faculty and staff for a lively gathering. Attendees digitally signed their name for an upcoming art installation, enjoyed tasty treats, gathered for group photos, and selected their favorite new swag item – including “The Power of CSUSM” T-shirts, phone chargers and water bottles, among other items, all generously funded by the CSUSM Foundation. An opening of the Fight Song led by CSUSM Cheer was followed by brief remarks from university leaders. President Neufeldt expressed her gratitude to the Strategic Plan Steering Committee, which was guided by co-chairs Ranjeeta Basu, an economics professor, and Carl Kemnitz, the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “It was truly a collective effort that brought forward thoughtful discussion and valuable input from hundreds of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners who shared ideas, hopes and ambitions for CSUSM throughout the process,” Neufeldt said. Learn more about the Power of CSUSM and the next steps the campus is taking to achieve its goals at www.csusm.edu/powerofcsusm. Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Pursuing a Passion For Helping OthersOne of the missions of Cal State San Marcos’ College of Education, Health and Human Services is to prepare students for highly skilled and ethical health care careers through collaborative engagement with community and regional partners. Melissa Hernandez has taken that vision to heart. Thanks to her heavy activity on campus – including a 3.8 cumulative GPA – and in the community, Hernandez has been named the 2022 dean’s outstanding graduate for CEHHS. “When you get nominated for something, you don't really expect to get it,” said Hernandez of her honor. “As the first in my family to go to college and get a bachelor's degree, it's kind of surprising but rewarding. I guess I'm not used to being recognized for my effort, but this is an opportunity to do so. It’s made me feel really appreciative of everything and everyone involved.” When Hernandez arrived on the CSUSM campus four years ago from nearby San Pasqual High School, she – in her own words – didn’t know what she was doing. As a first-generation college student, she had nobody in her immediate circle to show her the ropes. But when this stage in life challenged her, she met it head on. Hernandez tapped her passion to help others while she immediately connected with as many professors as she could. She knew her future was in her hands. “I went in not knowing even how to register for classes or how to navigate the whole college system,” said Hernandez, a human development major. “I didn't expect to receive this award or even graduate. It was difficult with a lot of figuring it out on my own. But with the people around me and the services provided by Cal State San Marcos, it was important for me to be a part of it all. I started to feel like everyone had the same opportunity here. “Sometimes you go to schools or you hear of other schools that don't have the same thing that we have. And I think it's important for everyone to be included.” Hernandez’s passion for helping others has manifested into a pair of opportunities this school year as she performed a service-learning project at an elementary school and also had an internship virtually while working full time. She currently works at Vista Community Clinic as a community health specialist. She engages in the food distribution program at the clinic, visiting two cities weekly to provide food for people living in poverty. She also works for the medical mobile unit of the clinic, which provides health services at no cost, including COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution. She set up some of her fellow CSUSM classmates for a focus group organized by the VCC for youth perspectives regarding mental health resources in San Diego County. “I've learned so much more about different ways to give back to the community and how to show up for your community,” Hernandez said of her job at VCC. “And I think that has reflected to a lot of my work at school. Working full time for that job has been insightful because at the same time what I'm learning in class, I'm practicing at my job.” On campus, Hernandez has demonstrated her leadership through campus activities and by serving her fellow students. She has been serving the CEHHS Committee on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity as a student representative since the fall. In that role, she shares her thoughts and concerns from students’ perspectives to improve the campus climate. She is also an active member in the Society of Pre-Health, a CSUSM student organization whose mission is to have students become involved with health-related issues and activities and facilitate students’ career exploration in health care. Upon graduation this month, she will take a year off to pursue a career in public health. She’ll spend that year taking prerequisites to be ready to apply for a physician’s assistant program with a master’s degree in public health. She also wants to get certified in phlebotomy to get more hands-on experience in the medical field while also keeping her job at the clinic. It may take a few years for her to reach her goal of becoming a PA, but Hernandez is already knee deep into making a positive impact in her community. “In the health care system here in America, there's so many social determinants of health that need to be addressed,” Hernandez said. “Working for the clinic and working as an outreach worker in the community, I've seen the disparities that communities face with health issues and health services and what's available to them. So I think that I'll take that with me, and I'm going to keep expanding my education to my practice as a PA and my work that I do in the future.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- University Honors Outstanding 2022 GraduatesMore than 4,400 students are expected to graduate from Cal State San Marcos this academic year, including six standouts from the Class of 2022 who are receiving special recognition for their achievements. Honorees were nominated by faculty or staff and endorsed by their college’s dean. Here is a closer look at each award recipient: Krystal Alvarez-Hernandez, psychological science President’s Outstanding Graduate Dean’s Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences Alvarez-Hernandez overcame numerous challenges on her path to earning a degree. She became a mother at 16 and, as a first-generation college student from an immigrant family, had little support to help her navigate higher education. But Alvarez-Hernandez is highly motivated with a strong work ethic, and she consistently showed the persistence to thrive. Alvarez-Hernandez was one of 10 students selected for the U-RISE@CSUSM program, which is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to provide professional development and research opportunities to students from underrepresented groups who show promise for success in graduate studies and careers in research. Nominating professor Keith Trujillo noted that Alvarez-Hernandez is thoughtful, organized and motivated, and regularly contributes insightfully to scientific discussions and assignments. She takes the program seriously and is a leader among her peers. She will pursue her Ph.D. in cognitive science and neuroscience at Northwestern University. Learn more about Alvarez-Hernandez here. Melissa Hernandez, human development Dean’s Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services Hernandez was lauded for her strong record of educational achievements and service to CEHHS, the university and the region. Nominating professor Teru Toyokawa praised Hernandez for her passion for serving others and generously providing time for people in local communities. As a first-generation college student, Hernandez navigated her own way into her academic achievement while working full-time and engaging in on- and off-campus activities. Among the many ways in which Hernandez demonstrated her leadership is by serving on the CEHHS Committee of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity as a student representative. She also has been an active member in the Society of Pre-Health, a student organization with a mission to have students become involved with health-related issues and activities and facilitate students’ career exploration in health care. Through this organization, Hernandez helped other club members develop several projects and provided opportunities for club members to find jobs in health-related fields. Learn more about Hernandez here. Karolina Lindberg, business administration Gerevas Family Dean’s Award Recipient, College of Business Administration An international student from Sweden, Lindberg distinguished herself in the global business management program and across the college. She demonstrated consistently high academic performance, became increasingly involved within student organizations, and harnessed lessons learned in her professional experiences. And she did all of it while completing her degree in only three years. Nominating professor Eric Rhodes noted that Lindberg arrived at CSUSM with a strong professional background in customer service and finance, incorporating her unique perspective and bilingual capabilities into her academic endeavors. Among the challenges Lindberg has overcome are a diagnosis of epilepsy. When the pandemic hit, her family wanted her to complete her studies back home in Sweden, closer to her doctors and family. That meant attending CSUSM for the entire 2020-21 academic year from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Zoom, five days a week, due to the nine-hour time difference. Despite this hurdle, she maintained a 4.0 GPA. Learn more about Lindberg here. Billy Unger, mathematics Dean’s Award, Graduate Studies and Research Unger has demonstrated outstanding achievement across each of the rigorous selection criteria, graduating with a 3.8 GPA. Unger’s thesis work involved the study of graph theory and the study of space, or topology. His work centered on a conjecture from graph theory posed in a paper that nominating professor Andre Kundgen coauthored in 2002 with CSUSM colleague Radhika Ramamurthi. A math conjecture refers to a statement that is assumed to be correct but has not been proven. Although the mathematical community had made little progress in addressing this conjecture in the last 20 years, Unger gravitated toward working on it when he came on as Kundgen’s student. In a few short weeks, he made a major breakthrough by coming up with the first graph that had the predicted behavior. Kundgen praised Unger as an outstanding example of what can be accomplished as a graduate student at CSUSM. Madison Wagner, chemistry Dean’s Award, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Wagner overcame numerous challenges to become a role model to her classmates in her commitment to excellence in academics, service leadership and research. A first-generation college student, Wagner was a top academic performer, including a 4.0 GPA since transferring to CSUSM from Palomar College in fall 2019. Wagner consistently scored in the top 1% on all exams and written assignments in nominating professor Robert Iafe’s organic chemistry lecture and scored in the top 4% nationwide on the ACS Standardized Exam in organic chemistry. Wagner also was awarded the 2021-2022 CSUSM Beckman Scholars research award – one of only two on campus – to support 15 months of mentored research experience. Iafe noted that Wagner works proficiently in a team setting, is not afraid to be a leader, and also has a professional and patient quality that builds confidence when she helps lab mates. Learn more about Wagner here. Anastasia Zacky, political science Dean’s Award, Dean of Students Zacky has made lasting contributions to student life at CSUSM through her many involvements, including as a Cougar Pantry intern, Orientation Team leader, event programmer/student coordinator with USU Live!, onboarding a new sorority as Panhellenic Affairs vice president, and most recently, as chapter president. Zacky also excels in the classroom with a cumulative 3.6 GPA and membership in the Order of Omega and Gamma Sigma Alpha honor societies. Zacky had multiple nominators for the award who said she has proven to be an outstanding role model for students by actively seeking ways to integrate her passions, student life experiences and dedication to her education. They noted that she has transformed the lives of CSUSM students, positively impacted the campus community, and served as an ambassador and change agent. Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Custodial Team Key to Catching Burglary SuspectsThree members of Cal State San Marcos’ Facilities Development and Management team were recently honored with citizen commendations for their help in the apprehension of suspects in a burglary on campus in March. Two suspects broke into the Arts Building and University Hall in the early-morning hours of March 22, stealing about $20,000 in equipment and electronics. Adrian Acevedo, Paula Ibarra De Vargas and Brandon Valdes, who are part of CSUSM’s third-shift custodial team that works from 9 p.m.-5:30 a.m., reported suspicious activity near the Arts Building to the University Police Department. CSUSM police arrested one suspect after a short foot pursuit, and several of the stolen items were seen for sale on a social media website the next day. CSUSM detectives and officers, assisted by deputies from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, served a search warrant at the home of the seller and recovered about $6,500 worth of stolen property. The primary suspect recently pleaded guilty to the burglary. “Our third-shift custodial staff really did a tremendous job,” said Lamine Secka, CSUSM’s police chief. “Because of their actions, we were able to not only arrest some serious criminal offenders but recover thousands of dollars of university property. We were very pleased to acknowledge their willingness to get involved with citizen commendations. “This is another great example of campus safety being a shared, community responsibility. As much as we’d like to be, the police department can’t be everywhere at the same time, and we really do rely on our community members to let us know when something looks out of place.” Secka said the incident was also an important reminder both to secure valuable property and to report suspicious behavior. “We really want to encourage our campus community that if you ‘see something, say something,’ ” he said. “It’s important not to assume that someone else is going to call the police. This is a good example of that philosophy.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Load more...