Richard Jaenisch had received a death sentence at age 12.   Diagnosed with hepatitis C, very unusual for a child that young, Jaenisch had been told by doctors that if he didn’t get a liver transplant, he wouldn’t live past 30. That disturbing prediction had hung over his adolescence and early adulthood like a black cloud, casting a pall over every doctor’s appointment and health episode.   Now here it was, 2016, the year when Jaenisch turned 30, and the doctor’s assessment was feeling eerily prescient. He had not been able to procure a new liver, and his condition was deteriorating rapidly. To borrow his gallows humor, he was as “yellow as a Simpsons character” because of jaundice. He collectively spent more than six weeks in the hospital as a result of various complications from end-stage liver disease.   “Every single day that year, I had a 30 to 60 percent chance of dying,” Jaenisch said.   That he didn’t die, that he received a liver transplant on Dec. 3 (only a few months before his 31^st birthday), Jaenisch considers to be nothing short of a miracle. Given the gift of fresh life in his fourth decade, he elected to devote it to ensuring that no one else has to go through the ordeal that he did.  Three years later, Jaenisch returned to Cal State San Marcos – the university where he had earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences in 2008 – to pursue a master’s in public health. He now works as the director of education and outreach for Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute, a Carlsbad nonprofit whose mission is to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals like the ones that helped keep him alive while he waited for the miracle liver.   More significantly, Jaenisch is a tireless patient advocate, dedicating countless hours to multiple organizations that share a goal of ending the scourge of hep C. He has transformed adversity into community impact, leveraging his CSUSM education to improve lives and strengthen public health across the state.   “Richard is truly a special person,” said Carrie Frenette, the executive director of global medical affairs for Gilead Sciences and Jaenisch’s liver doctor for nine years starting in 2012.   “I can’t think of anyone else who has so much expertise and understanding in their medical problems, advocates for themselves and then goes on to advocate for others. Honestly, it made it so easy to care for him, and it made it mean even more when he got his transplant and was healthy again.”  'I don’t know how you are still alive...’  It all started with brown pee.  Jaenisch was a normal suburban kid growing up in Rancho Bernardo. When he was 12, his parents signed him up for a summer tennis camp. It was a sweltering day and he didn’t drink a lot of water; when he returned home and went to the bathroom, his urine was dark.   His father took him to Rady Children’s Hospital, where he was put through a battery of tests on his kidneys, spleen and liver. The diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) stunned them, as did the subsequent wallop of bad news: After the rest of the family was tested, it was discovered that he contracted the infection at birth from his mother, who also was found to have HCV.    Nothing, though, could have prepared Jaenisch for the haunting prognostication of liver transplant or death.   “That shook me to my core,” he said. “My childhood was fundamentally changed. And my mom heard that, too, because she was in the room. It’s awkward hearing your own future from your child’s diagnosis. We shared a very odd relationship in that way.”  At the time, in the late 1990s, there was no cure for HCV, only experimental treatments with low success rates and punishing side effects. Jaenisch’s mom started the drugs – interferon and ribavirin – almost immediately, but as a child, Jaenisch wasn’t eligible. The primary impact of HCV on his teenage years was that he was forced to cease participation in all sports and PE classes (because the disease can be transmitted through blood) and he began to suffer from a type of brain fog named hepatic encephalopathy (HE).    After graduating from Rancho Bernardo High School, he attended Palomar College for two years, then transferred to CSUSM. There, he threw himself into classes in economics, history and political science – not only to satiate his hunger for knowledge but also to distract himself from the fear that constantly lingered at the back of his mind.   “I wanted to live as much of my life as I could before everything hit the fan,” Jaenisch said. “Because I knew what was coming. When someone gives you a death sentence, you remember it, to say the least.”  Jaenisch graduated from CSUSM in December 2008. Only a few weeks later, the trouble started. He attempted to begin the same treatment program his mom had undergone, but because of denials by his mom's employer, he wasn’t able to do so for about nine months.   Once the snags finally had been resolved, the 12-week regimen of interferon and ribavirin didn’t work. He experienced all the negative effects of the drugs – in his case, painful inflammation and wild emotional swings – without any decrease in his body’s viral load. A second round at double the dosage early in 2010 similarly yielded no response.   By this point, more than a decade after his HCV first had been discovered, Jaenisch had descended to the most serious stage on the scale that measures liver fibrosis, or scarring. F0 equates to no fibrosis, F1 is mild, F2 is moderate, and so on. He was at F4, which indicates the presence of cirrhosis, a condition in which the liver is extensively scarred and permanently damaged.    Jaenisch had reached the dreaded end-stage liver disease, which essentially meant that the ticking of his clock was only accelerating. All the while, he was encountering roadblocks in his career. He had hoped to enter the niche field of traffic economics, but graduating into the Great Recession scuttled that plan. For a time, he held a job in tech support that he found unfulfilling.  The work that did bring Jaenisch joy was for a group that offered before- and after-school services for elementary and middle schools in the Poway district of his youth. He envisioned a long-term future in that field but was stymied by both the ailing economy (which led to layoffs) and his illness (he claims he was a victim of disability discrimination but chose to spend his remaining time trying to get better rather than pursue a case.)    While he tried to piece together enough work to retain his vital health insurance, Jaenisch’s health continued to deteriorate. In 2014, two years into her stint as his liver doctor, Frenette proffered a grim evaluation.  “She said, ‘I don’t know how you are still alive with this liver,’ ” Jaenisch recalled. “She showed me pictures and was like, ‘Your liver is an old shoe. It is not doing what it’s supposed to do. But you’re still functioning.’ ”  Every moment of optimism, it seemed, was followed by a stroke of misfortune. He began taking a new drug called Sovaldi (a direct-acting antiviral, or DAA) that was considered a game-changer for HCV patients in that it had an 86% cure rate in six months. Sure enough, Jaenisch’s viral load was approaching zero and his liver was curing. But then he contracted a C. diff bacterial infection (the suspect: spoiled food from a restaurant), which caused acute liver failure and brought his HVC roaring back.   He later tried another second-generation DAA – Harvoni – that sounded promising but failed in the last week of treatment. As his liver continued to deteriorate, in 2016 he became too sick for treatment and, following a now-common hospitalization, an ER physician gave him outdated medical advice, which resulted in a case of sepsis that nearly killed him.  End-stage liver disease is typically a rapid descent lasting as little as two years. For Jaenisch, it was an eight-year slog, from age 22 to 30.   “He was in and out of the hospital multiple times, and he nearly didn’t make it to transplant multiple times,” Frenette said. “I can’t imagine anyone going through it with the courage and strength that he did.”  Even after the liver transplant, Jaenisch wasn’t out of the woods. The operation addressed the issue of the failing liver, but it didn’t eradicate the HCV (the virus lives in the bloodstream). Frenette advised a treatment plan of Sovaldi, Zepatier and ribavirin, and that pharmaceutical concoction proved to be a magical formula.   In September 2017, 18 years after the fateful diagnosis, Jaenisch was cured.  “Honestly, I cried,” Frenette said. “He had been through so much, and to finally get rid of this awful virus that he had lived with his entire life and had caused his liver to fail … I don’t have words.”  ‘I have to be more than a self-advocate'  It was during one of his dozens of hospital stays that Jaenisch decided on the next course of his life, provided he would live long enough to choose.   In the fall of 2014, he had been admitted to Sharp Memorial Hospital after the HCV returned via his C. diff infection. His medical team was struggling to lower his levels of bilirubin, a substance found in bile that was causing jaundice, the yellowing of the skin now so familiar to Jaenisch. He knew that ultraviolet rays help break down bilirubin, so he convinced the nurses to bring him outside for an hour a day at peak sun. As he had theorized, his bilirubin numbers declined.  “It was at that point where I was like, ‘I have to be more than a self-advocate. If I can survive through transplant, I need to go to a Master of Public Health program,’ ” Jaenisch said. “I realized that that path would help me better understand how to become an advocate not only for myself but also for others.”  His commitment would be nurtured in an environment like CSUSM, as he was accepted into its accelerated MPH program. His time back at the university overlapped with the pandemic, which he took advantage of by choosing as his thesis topic the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 tests.   “He was very inquisitive and passionate,” said Asherlev Santos, an associate professor of public health and Jaenisch’s thesis adviser. “Sometimes that passion was more visible than the evidence of the inquiry, but all came from a place of helping others in some sort of need. He used his personal and professional experience to spur on what he did for his MPH degree.”  His master’s allowed him to land his job at Open Biopharma, but it’s passion that mostly fuels Jaenisch in his advocacy connected to HCV. In 2016, while his body was still racked with the disease, he traveled to Sacramento with an organization known as CalHEP to talk to state legislators and raise awareness about viral hepatitis.   The next year, when Congress was preparing to vote on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Jaenisch enlisted in the fight. He told his story of overcoming HCV in half a dozen TV interviews, worked at a call center, wrote letters – he did so much that the American Liver Foundation named him its liver champion of the year.   “I wanted to preserve the things that help people get access to health care,” he said. “Because to me, it saved my life.”  He also has volunteered for state and local groups such as End the Epidemics, the California Department of Public Health and the Eliminate Hepatitis C San Diego County Initiative. Their shared objective (in line with a goal established by the World Health Organization) is to eliminate hep C by 2030, which means a reduction of new infections by 90% and deaths by 65%.  And the barriers are much lower than they used to be. Jaenisch says his family spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on treatment and other expenses to keep him alive. Today, treatment could run as cheap as a few hundred dollars, and that’s for more effective drugs, too.   “I was raised in a middle-class suburban household, and I wouldn’t have known I had hep C if I didn’t pee a brown color,” Jaenisch said. “I’ve always maintained that I think we’re missing a lot of people, and I keep trying to push for us to find them and knock this virus out. We’re taking a lot of steps, and eventually we’ll get there.”  Thanks to Jaenisch’s focus on access and innovation, those steps are becoming strides – toward a healthier, more equitable future for all.  Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As part of the university's commitment to transparency and open communication, the University Police Department (UPD) will host a webinar on Thursday, Oct. 30 at noon via Zoom (https://csusm.zoom.us/j/83186146403) . The Zoom meeting ID is 831 8614 6403. This webinar will provide information from the annual AB 481 Regulated Equipment report. Every year, agencies must report any military equipment used as part of their operations. This webinar is open to all CSUSM students, faculty and staff. No registration is required. For more about UPD policies, contact information and other campus services, visit www.csusm.edu/police.

As co-executive director of Kathy’s Legacy Foundation, Alex Lutz will tell you that no two days are ever the same. One moment she’s assembling raffle baskets, the next she’s reviewing financial statements.   “It’s almost like you could take a Fully Employed MBA class schedule and go, ‘OK, yep, you’ve tapped finance, you’ve tapped accounting, marketing, leadership,’ ” Lutz said. “Somehow, I have to wear one of those hats at any given point in my job.”  Founded in the wake of a tragic act of domestic violence, Kathy’s Legacy Foundation honors the memory of Kathy Scharbarth, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2011. The nonprofit supports children and pets impacted by domestic violence – offering comfort, stability and hope through its two signature programs.  Lutz, who joined the organization in 2019 after earning an MBA from Cal State San Marcos, thrives on the variety and challenges of nonprofit work. Her time at CSUSM helped her develop a deeper understanding of her strengths and areas for growth, while also fostering connections that continue to support her in her role today.   “CSUSM helped me focus on what I felt like my strong suits were and what I liked and didn't like,” Lutz said. “The personal connections I made at CSUSM have become invaluable professional resources.”   Years after graduating, Lutz came full circle when she collaborated with CSUSM business students on their Senior Experience project for Kathy’s Legacy. Although the project was ultimately cut short due to the pandemic, Lutz felt a strong connection to the students because she had completed similar projects while earning her MBA.  “The project was marketing-focused, and we were working to try to reach donors who resonate with our mission, " Lutz said. “I was bummed that we didn't get to finish in person together, but I loved getting to work with them as someone who has gone through the same experience. It was great, and we got some amazing materials in return.”  Lutz first connected with Kathy’s Legacy when a friend asked if she’d be interested in consulting on an event for the organization. She was immediately drawn to the mission and soon after was hired full time as a program manager. In the ensuing years, she steadily took on more responsibility, stepping into the role of co-executive director in 2024.   “I feel like jumping in wholeheartedly and putting everything I had into Kathy’s Legacy led me to where I am today," Lutz said.   The foundation’s work centers on two initiatives: the Silver Lining program, which helps children heal from the trauma of losing a parent to domestic violence, and the Lady’s Legacy program, which was inspired by Scharbarth’s yellow labrador, Lady, who was present when Scharbarth was killed. Lady became a symbol of the often-overlooked impact of domestic violence on pets.   Lutz now helps coordinate multiple fundraising events throughout the year, including the annual Kathy’s Legacy Golf Tournament held at Twin Oaks Golf Course in San Marcos.   The work isn’t easy, but Lutz says the impact is clear at the quarterly events Kathy’s Legacy hosts. There she sees firsthand how the organization is changing the lives of the children they support.   “We had one boy who was not doing well during COVID and even long after the pandemic would wear a mask and have his hood up,” Lutz said. “But in the past year, the hood has come off and he’s smiling and engaging, which means something we’re doing is working.   “I love that we can be that beacon of light and that reliability that these kids don't have anywhere else.”   Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The first time I rode in an ambulance was in May 2024. I was in the middle of my 10:30 a.m. Communication 200 class when I realized my vision and hearing were failing. I couldn't keep my legs or arms straight and I couldn’t speak.  The full memory is hazy, but I found myself sitting outside of Crash’s Market in the University Student Union with a handful of salt packets and on a Facetime call with my parents, who live in Tennessee.  This experience didn’t come out of nowhere. I have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a chronic condition that I’ve lived with since my junior year of high school.   There’s not a lot known about POTS, but it's a disorder affecting the autonomic nervous system. When I switch positions (postural) – especially when I go from sitting to standing upright (orthostatic) – my heart rate rapidly increases. On average, it's over 100 beats per minute (tachycardia).  POTS leaves me with a slew of symptoms. Daily, I experience dizziness, nausea, fatigue and brain fog, among others. Some people who have POTS faint frequently, even daily. I'm lucky enough that this doesn't typically happen to me, but I do experience presyncope, which means I go through all the symptoms of passing out while still fully conscious. When it occurs, I'm not able to see, speak or hear anything. I’m so dizzy I can’t walk straight. I get heat flashes. I remember only bits and pieces of what happens during these moments.   The severity of my symptoms can vary, leading to an episode like the one I suffered in May 2024. If I have been walking or standing for too long, sitting for too long, am stressed out or if it’s hot outside, there’s a higher chance of an occurrence.   That day in May, while I was on the phone and sitting outside of Crash’s Market, my parents called the paramedics. Determining that I couldn’t walk anywhere on my own and wouldn’t be able to for several hours, they took me by ambulance to the emergency room at a nearby hospital.  Though it was my first time in an ambulance, I had made frequent visits to the ER over the previous four years. The process this time was the same as it had been for prior trips: They measured my vital signs, checked my heart with an electrocardiogram and did blood work to confirm POTS as the reason for the incident. Then I received an IV.   IVs have been incredibly helpful. People with POTS struggle with low blood volume and tend to get fewer nutrients from the food we eat. An IV provides quick hydration and extra electrolytes.  I also constantly consume extra salt, which helps improve blood volume. I add salt to my food, but in extreme cases, I will just eat plain salt packets.   At restaurants, I always take an extra handful of salt packets from the condiment stand. These live in my purse or backpack, and I keep them handy in case I feel an episode coming. Some of my friends even carry salt packets when they’re hanging out with me.   Despite the challenges, I try to focus on the positives. This journey has taught me to advocate for myself and surround myself with people who care about me, which is easy to do at Cal State San Marcos.  Self-advocacy became a necessity as I went through many months of doctors’ appointments during high school trying to figure out what was wrong. Several doctors said everything I was going through was normal. But I knew it wasn’t.   I wasn’t officially diagnosed with POTS until two years after my first symptoms. I had COVID twice during that time, and doctors believe that may have exposed an underlying condition.  POTS is a chronic illness, meaning there is no cure. I’m a regular at the doctor’s office, with multiple appointments every month. Attending events causes heightened anxiety – both for me and the friends I’m with – and I do my best to be prepared in case of an episode.  I had to take another ambulance ride in March. A friend and I were at a Kelsea Ballerini concert in San Diego. Though I had been fine the whole day, I started feeling nauseous and dizzy during the first opening act. I couldn’t stand. By the time Kelsea took the stage, the combination of the heat, crowd and strobe lights proved too much. My friend had to help hold me up as she guided me down the stairs to find the medics.   Situations like this are frustrating. I don’t want to be a burden to friends and family, and I don’t want friends constantly worrying or family having to pick up slack.   I’ve made some lifestyle changes in an attempt to lessen my symptoms. I take daily medication to ensure that my body keeps the right balance of salt and water. I drink tons of water with extra electrolytes and salt added. I try to walk every day to get my body more adjusted to moving. On hot days, I carry a mobile fan. And I also make sure to eat well.  When I decided to attend CSUSM, the Disability Support Services office proved invaluable – they set me up with first-floor housing so I could avoid stairs (and anyone who has spent time on campus knows it’s no easy task to avoid stairs at CSUSM!).   I also have learned to be more open about my condition. Through my on-campus job as a writing intern in the University Communications office, I’ve made great friends and found people who understand and support me. The experience has been an important part of pursuing my goal of becoming a writer.  While CSUSM has helped me grow, my family and I made the difficult decision for me to move back to Tennessee at the end of the spring semester to focus on my health. I’ve had my share of challenges, but I also know how difficult it has been for my family to get calls in the middle of the night to learn I’ve been taken by ambulance to the ER when they’re 2,000 miles away.  Though I’m heading east to finish college, I’ll always be thankful for my time at CSUSM – for the friends I’ve made, the support I’ve received and the confidence I’ve gained in sharing my story.  Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The Cal State San Marcos theatre arts program will bring the complexities of teenage girlhood to the stage with “The Wolves.” The play, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah DeLappe, is a coming-of-age tale that follows a high school girls soccer team as players navigate degrees of adolescence, identity and growing up. Performances of “The Wolves” will take place in Arts 111 from Nov. 12-15 at 7 p.m. Tickets for students cost $10, while general admission tickets are $15.  Through their interactions, rivalries and moments of vulnerability, the girls grapple with the nuances of teenage girlhood and the unspoken bonds that form within the team. Set entirely during pregame warmups, the performance captures the chaotic, overlapping conversations between players as they discuss everything from global politics to personal anxieties. To perfect the soccer moves in these moments, the actresses are being coached by Emily Mahmoud, a senior midfielder on the CSUSM women's soccer team. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Dwaine Collier always has thought of himself as a guy who runs toward the frightening things that most people run away from.   As a boy, his career aspiration was to be on a SWAT team. As a student at Cal State San Marcos, though his academic track early on was kinesiology, he gravitated to the theater and began auditioning for every high-pressure stage role possible.  So when Collier was at a crossroads in his post-graduate life and his stepfather figure suggested that he explore firefighting, perhaps the most surprising aspect is that Collier had never thought of it himself. Who, after all, is more willing to charge headlong into a risky situation than a firefighter?  “I’m the person who will stop their car on the side of a busy road to help somebody rather than driving on,” Collier said. “That’s just what I do. It’s what’s in me. So for me, this job is a hand-in-glove fit.”  Collier was speaking from a common area inside San Diego Fire Station 43, which is in Otay Mesa and has been his home away from home for the past year. On this day in late April, he had donned his gear several times to go on calls in the station’s primary engine with his firehouse colleagues – a firefighter paramedic, an engineer and a captain.   The calls were fairly routine. Because Station 43 is in a lightly developed neighborhood only a few miles north of the Mexico border, most of the emergencies that its crews respond to are vegetation fires, car fires and incidents at the border itself – often people sustaining injuries as they try to cross into California illegally.   Collier, 29, is less than four years into his firefighting career, which translates into this current assignment far from the heart of San Diego. He has to gradually work his way up the ranks and into more plum stations.   But Collier still loves where he is and what he’s doing. He gladly will show off for visitors every nook and cranny of Station 43 – from the exercise space where he gets to incorporate one of his favorite activities (weightlifting) into his work hours, to the kitchen where he frequently cooks meals for the whole house, to the cherry-red fire engine that he has come to know every inch of like the back of his hand.    “Becoming a firefighter is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said. “It’s not an easy job. When the stuff hits the fan, it sprays everywhere. But it’s also one of the most rewarding things you can do.”  It was at CSUSM that Collier discovered the stability and self-confidence that made life as a firefighter seem realistic. He grew up in the foster system and entered the university having attended an astounding 17 different schools before he even reached high school, Olympian in Chula Vista. He arrived at CSUSM with the assistance of ACE Scholars Services, the university’s program for former foster youth.  Collier switched his major from kinesiology to visual performing arts and threw himself into theater with abandon, ultimately starring in seven shows during his five years as a student.   “What CSUSM gave me is the belief that I can do anything,” said Collier, who graduated in 2018. “I came into college with extreme educational deficiencies. Yet CSUSM had every tool to catch me up and help me succeed. It gave me the environment to grow.”  Collier intended to pursue a Master of Fine Arts and a doctorate en route to becoming a theater professor, but he admits that he didn’t prepare well enough for his graduate school auditions and was delivered a harsh “reality check.” He was teaching kids at Callan Swim School when his stepdad proposed what turned out to be a fateful visit to the Heartland Fire & Rescue station in El Cajon. He was a reserve firefighter there for a year before entering the San Diego Fire Academy in 2022.  Now Collier aims to keep climbing the ladder – both literally and figuratively – as a firefighter while not pulling it up behind him. As soon as he joined the fire service, he got involved with community outreach as part of the team tasked with recruiting the next generation of firefighters. And his next goal is to take classes toward becoming an instructor of young firefighters eager to enter the fire service.   “I feel like that’s my next calling,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out how to give back by motivating and helping others. It gives me joy to see people be uplifted and accomplish things.”   Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Student teachers across California now have access to a new financial support program aimed at easing the burden of unpaid teaching hours required for credentialing. Signed into law on June 27, Assembly Bill 121 (AB 121) established the Student Teacher Stipend Program, which provides $10,000 stipends to eligible student teachers who complete at least 500 hours of student teaching. The program, which will go into effect for student teachers in the 2026-27 academic year, is designed to support future educators and strengthen the state’s teacher pipeline. The initiative is funded through the California General Fund, with $300 million allocated for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Beginning in 2026-27, up to $100 million annually may be made available, depending on future state budget appropriations. The stipends will be available to local educational agencies (LEAs) – including school districts, charter schools and county offices of education – that host student teachers, teacher residents or apprentices. Intern credential holders are not eligible. The program is non-competitive, meaning all eligible LEAs that apply will receive funding, subject to availability. LEAs apply through a streamlined online process managed by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). In addition to supporting student teachers, LEAs may use stipend awards to offset wages for apprentices or support residents not funded through other residency programs. LEAs can apply through the CTC’s online portal. Each eligible student teacher receives a stipend of $10,000, paid during the year they complete 500 hours of student teaching. For more information, the commission has established a specific email box for questions: STSP@ctc.ca.gov. You also can contact Moses Ochanji, director of Cal State San Marcos' School of Education, at mochanji@csusm.edu. This stipend program represents a significant investment in California’s future educators and aligns with CSUSM's commitment to supporting students pursuing careers in education.

Michelle Gonzalez was a Cal State San Marcos student only about a month away from graduating in 2003 when she started working for an organization then called North County Health Services.  Her degree (communication) was unrelated to health care, and Gonzalez had no intention of staying in the field. The main appeal of the job was that it was close to her home and the university.   Beginning her journey as a program assistant in an entry-level role, Gonzalez quickly developed a fondness for the local nonprofit and its high-minded mission: providing quality health care and wellness services to underserved communities, regardless of income or insurance status. Her early connection to community health mirrored CSUSM’s commitment to accelerating social mobility through leaders who serve with purpose.  What Gonzalez imagined to be a brief pit stop instead turned into a rewarding career, and over two decades, she climbed the rungs all the way to the top – she was appointed president and CEO in 2020, the same year that North County Health Services was reborn as TrueCare.   With Gonzalez at the helm, TrueCare has expanded into a regional force with 21 health centers and five women, infants and children (WIC) locations, covering a footprint of more than 42 miles, from Encinitas to Ramona. Her leadership has driven key advancements, including the opening of new health centers, expansion of the mobile fleet and specialty services, implementation of an advanced electronic health record system, rebrand of the organization, and launch of a successful doula program supported by a $2 million federal grant.     Question: This year marks the five-year anniversary of you becoming the leader of TrueCare. What does that milestone mean to you?  Michelle Gonzalez: I think it's a reminder of how quickly time flies and how quickly things can change and evolve. It's hard to remember that we were in this worldwide pandemic. It feels like it's been a couple lifetimes. We've had a lot of growth for the organization, and I think at this five-year mark, it just underscores how resilient we are, how much people matter at the core of everything we do – whether it's providers, whether it's patients, whether it's the community, our staff. It's a culmination of the strength of the organization and everything that we've accomplished, which is a lot in the last five years.    Q: How would you sum up the growth and changes that have occurred since 2020?  MG: We've expanded our footprint. We've opened new sites, we've added new service lines, we've added acupuncture, we've added podiatry. We've really stabilized our workforce during a time of a lot of shortages and uncertainty. I’m proud of the fact that our provider retention rate is over 90%. We continue to hire at an accelerated pace, and I start there because everything we do, all the growth and all the accomplishments, it always starts with people. Without a solid workforce, we wouldn't be able to achieve anything.   Our patient population has grown significantly as well. We had a slight decrease post-COVID, but we're back up to almost 70,000 patients. We've rendered more than 350,000 visits in this last year. Our workforce continues to grow. We're over 800 employees now and close to 160 providers. And then our budget has grown significantly, by almost $55 million in the last five years. We've tripled our mobile fleet. In all the areas of the business that you would expect to continue to progress, we're not only progressing, but we're thriving.  Q: How did your appointment as CEO come about?  MG: My predecessor went on a leave of absence in January 2020. The board asked me if I would be willing to step in on an interim basis. They were initially planning to do a national search, which I was fully supportive of. I didn't have any aspirations to be a CEO. I sometimes say I'm an accidental CEO. I was working in that interim capacity for several months, and then COVID made its presence known and we had the stay-at-home order. By April, the board had unanimously appointed me to maintain the position full term. After a lot of conversation and some prayer and reflection, I decided to pursue the position, and it's been a fantastic journey, in large part because I have such a great team around me.     Q: What was the biggest challenge in taking over just as the pandemic was heating up?  MG: There was so much uncertainty and fear. At one point, we had to close more than half of our clinics, probably 75-80% of our sites, we had to furlough staff. You think you can sort of ease in to becoming a CEO. There was no ease-in period. I remember talking with colleagues in the industry and saying, “How are you handling this? What are you doing?” And I realized very quickly that there's no playbook and everybody was truly figuring it out as they went along. Very early on, I made a conscious decision that I would be the type of leader who was always grounded and surrounded by strong advisers. We offer health care, but I'm not a clinician, so I made certain that we had strong clinical leadership on our team. It was about trying to understand what was unfolding in the world around us and how TrueCare plays an important part and ensuring that we were keeping our workforce intact. We’re back on track now, but it was an incredibly stressful time.     Q: How did TrueCare pivot during that time and how does the organization look different now than it did in 2020?   MG: Before the pandemic started, we had pieces of a telehealth or virtual health program. We realized very quickly that it would be crucial to continue to offer services to patients. For many patients, we are their lifeline, and cutting off their health care was not an option. So we were able to stand up a virtual health program in three days. It started off with telehealth visits and as soon as we were able to, we migrated to a video visit platform. We essentially worked around the clock to make sure that we didn't cut off access for patients, but it also gave employees a sense of purpose. And we've continued to build on that virtual health program while staying true to the traditional methods that you would expect to render medicine.   We also had to pivot when it came to figuring out what our workforce was going to look like. We had to put people on furlough, but we made sure they still got a salary. We really believed that we needed to take care of our people, and a lot of funding from the federal government helped to shore us up. We laid off less than 15 individuals, and we were able to provide them with a severance so that they landed on their feet. I’m proud of that.   Q: How would you characterize the change in you that turned TrueCare from a short-term job to more of a calling?  MG: What I found was that people who worked here were very connected to the mission. They weren't here for the money. They were here because they cared about the people and patients that we were serving. The more I learned about the organization, the more in love I became with it and the more I realized, “My gosh, we have to make sure more individuals in the community and more community-based organizations know about what we do because there are so many people in need.”   There was a misconception about people who were accessing care at community health centers, that they deserved less or they were just poor. I discovered that these are individuals who work very hard and who don't understand the importance of preventative care, and a lot of times don't feel like they're worthy of having access to care. What became a cornerstone of the work I did early on, and has carried on throughout my time here, is making sure everybody understands that access to health care is a right, not a privilege, and we don't care about your walk of life, where you come from or your circumstance. We want to make sure we help everyone who walks through our doors to the very best of our ability.     Q: Tell me about your background.  MG: I was born in Virginia, which is where my father is from. My mother is from Guam, and my parents met there while my dad was in the military. I'm half-Chamorro and half-white, and my husband is Mexican. We were childhood sweethearts who met when I was 12 and he was 14. I've had a lot of exposure to his family and culture over the years, and I think that's something that has benefited me very well. Though I'm not Mexican, I'm not Latina, I have such an appreciation for the culture and the people who we serve, which is the predominant background of our patients.  My family traveled a lot while my dad was in the service. We moved to Vista when I was in third grade, and I've lived in North County pretty much my whole life. I'm also the youngest of seven children and the first in my family to go to college. So I'm a first-generation college graduate.     Q: Did your parents not encourage college among your siblings?  MG: We came from very humble beginnings, and I don't think we always understood that college was something within reach. My parents did the best they could to work and provide for us, but it was really the mindset of, you go to school and you get a good job. But my mom would say to me, “You're too smart, Michelle. You need to think about college.” I told her we couldn’t afford college, but she said we'll figure it out, we'll find a way. For most of the time that I was a student, I worked two jobs to put myself through school. I was also an AmeriCorps member, so I was able to receive a grant. But none of it came easy and none of it was without sacrifice or hard work – not just for me, but those around me who supported me.  Q: What I'm hearing is a story of social mobility.   MG: Oh, one thousand percent. I think that's why Cal State San Marcos and TrueCare are such great partners. We see health care as a right, not a privilege, and we think it's fundamental and foundational to everything. I think it ties in beautifully with social mobility. And there's so much good that is happening at Cal State San Marcos. There's a lot that we do together, and social mobility is a big part of that.     Q: One of the main areas in which TrueCare and CSUSM have partnered in recent years is mobile health clinics. How did that come about?  MG: Once I became CEO and started serving on the University Council, I learned about CSUSM’s interest in having a mobile health unit. I connected with (nursing lecturer) Matt Mincey early on and said, “You don't have to go on this journey alone. We have mobile clinics. We're right here, let's partner, let's figure out how to do this together.” What started out small has expanded into working not just with the mobile team, but also with the School of Nursing, public health, the entire College of Education, Health and Human Services. It’s a great opportunity to give exposure to students and help them understand that health care doesn't just come in a traditional hospital setting, that there's this whole other life of community health. There's a ton of overlap where our interests align nicely with what CSUSM is doing. We go to the same community events, and CSUSM students are able to do outreach, blood pressure screenings, things of that nature. Then, as they move farther along in their studies, when appropriate, they're also able to do internships at TrueCare.    Q: How would you summarize TrueCare’s model in terms of providing health care?   MG: One of the things I want to emphasize is that TrueCare will not refuse services to anyone regardless of their ability to pay. What we're focused on is the individual and the family who presents and what services you need, and how we can either provide those directly or connect you with somebody who offers them. At TrueCare, we provide high-quality, compassionate care. Like we always say, “Health inside, welcome in!”    Q: That seems like such a valuable service in the community – health care you don't have to pay for.  MG: In today's day and age, it sounds like something very novel. Does that really exist? And the reality is that it does. When you believe in your core that health care is a right and not a privilege, you fight to make that a reality. And that's what we're doing. We're growing in all possible ways and we're maximizing wherever we can, in terms of the revenue we're able to generate. We take that and we pour it right back into the organization so that we can continue to expand our footprint. We put a lot of emphasis on making sure we can get people enrolled in coverage because we know that if you have coverage, that's a reduced barrier and you're more likely to access health care. But that's not the only barrier you will have to face and figure out. We also spend a lot of time and resources and energy in cultivating a fantastic culture internally. We believe that people who are joyful at work are more likely to do a better job and will pour that energy back into our patients and community. We make it a priority to care for our workforce, to really give them opportunities to advance, to grow and level up. What we find more and more often is that our patients are a direct reflection of our staff, and our staff is a direct reflection of our patients. Pouring into one is pouring into the other, and we're proud of that because health care is daunting – not just for the patient in terms of navigating, but it's also really hard work. One of our VPs many years ago said, “Michelle, we do noble work.” And I was like, “Yeah, this is noble work.” That's exactly what we do.   Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Cal State San Marcos’ Student Health & Counseling Services (SHCS) hosted its annual Real Monsters Art Exhibit at The Makery on Oct. 8. Displaying artwork by artist Toby Allen, the exhibit represented different mental illnesses depicted as monsters. The event included interactive art activities to showcase how creative expression can help make sense of mental health issues. Located on the second floor of Kellogg Library, The Makery is a place for students to exercise creative freedom and explore new skills using a variety of tools and materials. In partnership with the HOPE & Wellness Center at SHCS, The Makery will be hosting art and mental health workshops to enhance students’ mental well-being and connect them to mental health resources. During the most recent workshop, students created their own “monster” symbolizing their individual mental health experiences and struggles. Once the crafting was done, the students could share what they felt comfortable with about their monsters. The workshop was led by Anahi Martinez Mendez, a Master of Social Work graduate assistant, and Madison Di Palermo, a peer lead health educator. The workshops give students the opportunity to process and express emotions and experiences that are often hard to put into words by using art. They also help students find community with one another and receive help whenever they need it. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Madison Perry didn’t have any type of physics background when he wandered through Science Hall 2 looking for research opportunities after his first year at Cal State San Marcos.   Perry wasn’t worried about pay or even the tasks he would be doing. He simply wanted an opportunity to gain some hands-on experience.  It wasn’t an easy sell, even if CSUSM is known for high-impact, experiential learning. Perry wasn’t a physics major (he was studying mathematics at the time), and he didn’t have any lab experience.  Perry wasn’t having much luck when he knocked on the door of physics professor Stephen Tsui.  “He just said, ‘Sure, why not?’ ” Perry said.  The simple gesture was the catalyst for Perry’s switch to physics and the beginning of his journey to co-founding TP Engineering Services, a Poway-based company that builds laser and electro-optic systems for defense and fusion applications.   The company has flourished since its founding in 2017, but a fusion contract that it secured three years ago has accelerated its growth.  “It’s pretty insane to think about us getting to this point already,” Perry said. “Did I ever think we'd get here? Yeah, but I had no idea what it was going to look like, and I had no idea how it was going to happen.”  The experience is similar to the one Perry had at CSUSM, where he practically lived in Science Hall 2 as a student. In fact, he was there so early and so late that the physics department eventually entrusted him with keys and after-hours access to conduct his work.  “That was my thing – just being in a lab setting, being around hardware, being around something that was tangible, something that wasn't just theoretical,” he said. “It was where I could put my hands on hardware and get some experience.”  After graduating in 2016, Perry headed north to UC Santa Cruz, where he earned a master’s in phototonics. His master’s thesis – on the design and development of a deep ultraviolet fiber laser system – caught the eye of a defense contractor who funded the project, leading to the formation of TP Engineering with his mother and father.  TP Engineering quickly grew from an optics table in Perry’s bedroom where they navigated every project to the Poway lab it calls home today. The company has expanded from the initial trio of co-founders to over 20 employees, including two from CSUSM.  The university still holds a special place in Perry’s heart. It’s where he met his wife, Amanda, who earned a bachelor’s in kinesiology. More than a decade after they met while both lived on campus in the University Village Apartments, they welcomed daughter Elli, who will be 3 years old in December. And he still returns to campus every year for Super STEM Saturday, an annual one-day science festival that brings thousands of community members to campus.  A longtime supporter of CSUSM Giving Day, Perry increased his contribution last year with a matching gift for the physics department.  “He's an alum who really believes in giving back,” Tsui said. “It's nice that so many of our graduates remember us so fondly and want to see younger alums and students do well.”  That’s certainly the case for Perry. He doesn’t take for granted the impact that people like Tsui had on him and his career.  “CSUSM took a chance on me a long time ago, and I want to support them being able to give other students a chance as well,” Perry said. “My professors gave me a unique perspective on life. If Dr. Tsui hadn't given me that opportunity to work in his lab, I don't know if any of this would have happened. They gave me a chance, and that changed me forever.”  Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

It all started with a headache. A seemingly normal ailment, but Malachi Wright doesn’t get headaches. And he definitely doesn’t get headaches that force him to leave work early or have him confined to the couch and throwing up for three straight days.  That's when his mom, Ivonne Mancilla, knew this was something more.   It was the summer of 2023. Wright – who had just completed his second year at Cal State San Marcos, where he plays for the men’s soccer team – was experiencing pain like he had never felt before.  “He has a high pain tolerance,” Mancilla said. “I started noticing how much he was sleeping and how he was walking very fragile. I realized it wasn’t a normal headache.”  On the third day of the headache, Mancilla took Wright to urgent care. Doctors treated it as a migraine, giving him some medication and sending him home. But the pain continued to be unbearable. Wright told his mom that he felt like he was dying.   On day four, Wright went to the emergency room. It saved his life.   Wright spent the next 40 days in the hospital, undergoing three brain surgeries with no idea what the future would bring. No certainty if he could return to school, let alone soccer, his passion from the time he was a young child.  But Wright defied all odds.  “I hope to get my story out to people so that they can see anything is possible,” Wright said. “I am trying to bring people inspiration and give glory to God. That was my thing in the hospital, having faith and staying faithful to God, knowing that I'll be OK and he's got me.”  Wright was guided by his faith throughout his hospital stay. He and his mom prayed throughout the journey, and she kept a bible verse at the edge of her son’s bed that they read every day as he fought for his life. It’s Psalm 30:2:  Lord my god, I called to you for help, and you healed me.  Those prayers began virtually the moment Wright arrived at the emergency room. A CT scan showed that his brain was filling with fluid, and an MRI revealed a cyst in the third ventricle of his brain.  When a neurosurgeon came to review Wright’s scans, she was horrified. No one had informed her of his highly critical state. He was dying.  “They said his brain was like a balloon and that it could burst at any moment,” Mancilla said. “I had to sign a paper giving them permission to go in and drain his brain immediately because he could have brain damage or die.”   There was not space available or time to get Wright into an operating room. Instead, ICU nurses rushed into his room to assist the neurosurgeon, who numbed and drilled a hole in Wright’s head to drain the fluid.   Doctors initially wanted to place a permanent shunt in Wright’s brain. Mancilla was a fierce advocate for Wright throughout his hospital stay, earning the nickname “Bulldog” from nurses. She was resistant to the shunt, worried it would affect Wright's ability to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter. After she expressed her concerns, the lead neurosurgeon opted for a temporary shunt instead.   Wright was in and out of consciousness for much of his time in the hospital, but a strong support system – including his mom, his aunt Vanessa, members of the family’s church, and coaches and teammates from CSUSM’s soccer team – played a crucial role in helping him through the process.  The constant stream of visitors led Mancilla to discover the positive impact that Wright has had on so many people. His manager at Casero Taqueria, where he still works, reached out to Mancilla asking for permission to start a GoFundMe. The community raised $14,000, the exact amount needed to cover the family’s maximum out-of-pocket medical costs.  “I didn't realize how many people Malachi has impacted,” Mancilla said. “Sometimes as a parent, you don't get to see all that until these types of things happen. Sometimes we focus a little too much on what they're doing wrong and not on all the other good things that they're doing that maybe they don't tell you about.  “I told him, ‘This is all because of the seeds that you've planted out in the world, and this is how it's all coming back to you. So continue to be who you are.’ I am so proud of that. I was such a proud parent.”  Wright endured three brain surgeries during his hospital stay. The first removed the majority of the cyst, the second cleared residuals of the cyst and the third addressed blood clots.   It was a physically and mentally draining process. After the first surgery, Wright was temporarily paralyzed on his left side. He couldn’t sleep and was in constant agony.  “It was the worst pain I felt in my life. It was excruciating,” Wright said. “It was really hard. I was confused, wondering where I was. It was a lot of scary stuff.”  It wasn’t until Wright’s 35th day in the hospital that Mancilla felt like her son would be OK. His pain levels were reduced and he could walk again. But the biggest sign to Mancilla that Wright was doing better? He asked for his phone, which he hadn’t been able to use for most of his hospital stint.  Though Wright’s pain was finally under control, other challenges remained once he left the hospital. He underwent cognitive, physical and speech therapy. Doctors expected the recovery process to take two years, but Mancilla knew her son had the fortitude for a quicker recovery. She could see that Wright was capable of more than he was initially allowed to do in the rehabilitation process, and her tireless advocacy paid off.  Wright returned to CSUSM in the fall of 2023, just months after his hospital release. He eased back in by taking one class before increasing his load to three courses in spring 2024. He is grateful for the support he received throughout this time from coaches, teammates and athletic department staff, also noting the important role that CSUSM’s Disability Support Services played in helping him return to the classroom.    A little more than a year after his three surgeries, Wright was back as a full-time student and soccer player. Wright didn’t just settle into classes, he thrived in them. He received a 4.0 grade-point average, making him the highest academic performer on the soccer team.   “Not only did he heal perfectly, he's a better version of himself,” Mancilla said. “He turned something that caused him so much pain into good. He continues to make good choices for himself. He uses that painful experience and turns it into good.”  That includes his efforts on the soccer field. Returning to the sport he loves was an impressive milestone for Wright, especially because it was considered virtually impossible just months earlier.   Perhaps the most powerful moment of the 2024 season came in a match against Biola University. As the first half was winding down, Wright scored his first goal since the health scare. Mancilla, who never misses a game, ran down to the field. Coaches welcomed and hugged Mancilla as she rejoiced over the milestone.   “It was a great, raw moment of emotion, love and gratitude,” said Ron Pulvers, CSUSM’s men’s soccer coach. “An experience I will never forget.  “Malachi is a tireless worker in all aspects of life. He lives our core value of unconditional gratitude at the highest levels and lives his life with unequalled faith.”  Wright is back on the field this fall as he continues work toward a bachelor’s degree in human development. He is scheduled to graduate in fall 2026, with an ambition of becoming a firefighter.  While his time spent in the hospital was scary, the support he received helped him overcome adversity and his faith helped him remain positive. He now uses his experience to encourage others and push himself to perform the best he can.   “People meet Jesus at the end of the rope. And that was the end of my rope,” Wright said. “Going through this whole experience with my brain really changed my perspective on life and it changed my character as a man.”  Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos next month will host its third annual workshop to introduce students to the path to becoming an elementary or secondary school arts teacher. “Become an Arts Teacher Day” will take place on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Arts Building on campus. The free event will bring together students and community members to participate in arts activities and listen to guest educators speak about arts teaching. They also will learn more about the steps needed to apply to the multiple subject credential program. The workshop is part of the Arts Credential Pathway Project, a collaboration among CSUSM’s School of Arts, School of Education and Center ARTES. Founded in 2023, the project was developed to address the shortage of visual and performing arts teachers in California, and to provide an arts credential pathway at CSUSM that can be duplicated on other campuses. CSUSM professors in music; dance; art, media and design; and education have worked for multiple years to build and implement arts credential opportunities for CSUSM students. Students wanting to pursue this pathway though CSUSM can apply to the School of Education’s multiple subject credential program. Once accepted, students who want to teach in the arts can apply to the CREATE Teacher Residency Program. The program supplies a stipend and financial support, hands-on experience, arts mentorship, a consistent cohort of peers, professional development and networking, priority job interviews, and more. To learn more, students can contact their art discipline’s Arts Credential Pathway Project representative or visit the teaching credential program website. Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Cal State San Marcos joined elected officials and industry leaders from the cybersecurity sector and higher education Wednesday in an event at Snapdragon Stadium to celebrate the first anniversary of the San Diego Cyber Clinic. Launched in summer 2024 by the Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), CSUSM, National University and San Diego State with support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, the clinic has quickly become a vital resource for the region – working to grow a skilled cyber workforce, increase digital security for all and serve as a model for regional collaboratives around the world. “Our students are protecting small businesses, nonprofits and critical infrastructure,” said CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt, who spoke at the event. "They’re gaining real-world experience while making a real-world difference and contributing to our region's economic vitality."  In its first year, the San Diego Cyber Clinic has supported more than 30 local businesses, 18 faculty members and 170 students by providing free cybersecurity services to the community while offering invaluable hands-on training to the next generation of cyber professionals. “The San Diego Cyber Clinic is thrilled to celebrate one year of advancing the cyber workforce while safeguarding small businesses and under-resourced organizations across our region,” said Lisa Easterly, president and CEO of CCOE. “CCOE is proud to partner with CSUSM, National University and SDSU to deliver a wide range of free cybersecurity services to the community – all made possible through support and mentorship from Google.org and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. Together, we’re training more students, bolstering more organizations and forging new partnerships to seed the talent pipeline and strengthen regional resiliency.” Joining Neufeldt as a CSUSM representative at the event Wednesday was Teresa Macklin, one of three directors of the San Diego Cyber Clinic and also director of the Cybersecurity Education Hub at CSUSM. The university offers two online cybersecurity-focused degrees: a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity and a Master of Science in cybersecurity, both housed in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The latter degree is the first cybersecurity master's program in the region. There also are many cybersecurity-related courses within individual academic programs. Cybersecurity clinics at higher education institutions provide free digital security services to under-resourced organizations, similar to how law or medical schools offer free community clinics. The San Diego Cyber Clinic provides CSUSM, National University and SDSU students the opportunity to learn cybersecurity and AI skills in an effective, hands-on manner while simultaneously helping to protect vulnerable organizations and critical infrastructure – such as local small businesses, hospitals, schools and energy grids – from cyberattacks. According to the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Risks Report, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next decade. There are nearly 514,000 open cybersecurity jobs available in the U.S, including 44,000 in California and 5,500 in the San Diego region, and demand for cyber professionals is projected to grow 32% by 2033. To ensure that communities, critical infrastructure and businesses across the U.S. are secure, there is a distinct need for a skilled, diverse and AI savvy cybersecurity workforce. The San Diego Cyber Clinic is the only multi-institution clinic in the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics with a nonprofit industry partner leading the charge, training students to service clients across the public and private sectors in the San Diego region. Through engagement of key industry, academic and government stakeholders, including the city-led San Diego Regional Cyber Lab, the San Diego Cyber Clinic aims to grow an inclusive cyber workforce, increase digital security for all and serve as a model for regional collaboratives. The San Diego Cyber Clinic is one of 15 new clinics that launched in 2024 at higher education institutions across the country, thanks to a collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. 

For Judit Hersko, a two-week voyage to the Arctic Circle last summer was more than a bucket-list adventure. It was the continuation of a two-decade career turn toward venturing to – both physically and emotionally – some of the coldest, most remote places on Earth and exploring the fascinating ways that art and science intersect. Hersko, a longtime Cal State San Marcos professor who’s chair of the art, media and design (AMD) department, is back on campus this semester as she digests the discoveries she made on her summer sojourn to Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. How far-flung is it? After traveling the 5,400 miles from San Diego to Oslo, you’re still about 1,300 miles from your destination. In Svalbard, Hersko boarded a sailing ship called the Rembrandt van Rijn (named for the famous Dutch painter) that was chartered by The Arctic Circle, an annual expeditionary residency program for artists and scientists from around the world. With 29 other people – a mix of visual artists, writers, composers and science communicators – Hersko sailed down the west coast of Svalbard before the ship left the land behind and pointed northwest into the thick ice of the Arctic Ocean. “That was really exciting because it was a real North Pole feeling,” Hersko said. “The captain discovered this really large chunk of ice that was 20 kilometers. We moored to it, and it was sort of like mooring to land, except it moved.” During her time at sea and on the ice, Hersko gathered material that she will use for her unique brand of artwork that she calls performance lectures. These are tightly timed presentations of narratives grounded in historical and scientific research that are accompanied by visual images, including the artworks that she creates – her specialties are sculpture and installation that also incorporate photography and collage. “I build complex narratives that are basically true to life, except that I weave in a fictitious character who helps hold the story together,” she said. It’s an approach to art that was born of Hersko’s early years at CSUSM, and a life-changing trip to the globe’s opposite pole. In 2003, when she was hired at CSUSM, she sent a letter to colleagues on the science faculty telling them that she was interested in collaborating on projects. One of the most enthusiastic responses came from Victoria Fabry, a biological sciences professor whose scholarly work explored the effects of ocean acidification. Hersko and Fabry teamed up on an exhibit titled “Shifting Baselines” that translated the scientist’s research into visual art (it proved so impactful that it has been exhibited multiple times nationally, most recently last year in the San Diego Central Library). In 2006, Fabry went on a scientific trip to Antarctica and she came back raving about it, urging Hersko to apply for a program that brought artists there. Hersko did just that two years later. On a completely funded expedition as part of the extremely competitive National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers grant program, she spent six weeks in Antarctica, where she watched penguins hatching at her feet, studied planktonic snails and assembled the research material that guided her work for many years, exhibitions, presentations and book chapters to come. Specifically, she crafted narratives that centered around a fictitious, unknown female explorer, Anna Schwartz, who travels to Antarctica disguised as a man on the 1939 expedition led by American naval officer Richard E. Byrd. Though her protagonist is invented, Hersko said, “my work builds on meticulous research, and I place her in real historical events. These layered stories present the complex history of science highlighting the absence of women from the narratives of exploration as well as science.” Hersko isn’t the only School of Arts faculty member who has been to the frigid poles on a research excursion. In 2023, AMD professor Lucy HG Solomon received a prestigious Fulbright scholarship and did part of her research on Svalbard, where she furthered her ongoing studies of microorganisms and how they connect to the world. Solomon’s experience in the Arctic, in turn, led to a rare opportunity for one of her students. Last year, she connected AMD student Leobardo Moreno Villanueva with an ecologist at a Svalbard university, and Villanueva worked with the scientist on a graphic design project in which he helped make technical signage describing the scientific equipment used for research in the Arctic. Villanueva, a former foster youth from Mexico for whom English is his third language, graduated from CSUSM last spring. “Designing for the far north was an unforgettable challenge that expanded my perspective on how art and science meet in unexpected places," Villanueva said. As for Hersko, she knows several people in the small circle of polar researchers who have traveled with The Arctic Circle program, but she could never find the right time until this year. On July 4, she landed in Longyearbyen, a small town known for coal mining (though the last mine closed a few days before her arrival) and its views of the Northern Lights. After a few days to acclimate, she boarded the Rembrandt van Rijn to begin the two-week voyage. Among the highlights of her time at sea was up-close viewings of two polar bears, the tragic sight (and thunderous sound) of ice falling from stunning glaciers, and the discovery of tiny flowers and lichens that she thinks she will incorporate into her next output of art that results from this latest trip of a lifetime. “When I get fascinated by something, often it turns out that things come together in a weird, magical way where it has relevance,” Hersko said. “It’s all still percolating, and I think it’s probably a story that I will develop in the next year.” Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Built on listening first and guiding without judgment, the Cougar Care Network enters its second decade as a trusted stop for students seeking practical help, community and a path forward. The Cougar Care Network (CCN) launched in fall 2015 as part of Cal State San Marcos’ Early Support Initiative within the Student Outreach and Referral (SOAR) program. Patty Diaz worked in Student Affairs and was the SOAR coordinator. Today, Diaz is the coordinator of CCN. “It’s an incredible feeling to witness something you’ve helped build flourish,” Diaz said. “I’m proud of what Cougar Care Network has become and the positive reputation it has gained among students, faculty and the entire campus community. Together we are making a real difference in the lives of students.” SOAR was the primary referral source for faculty teaching first-year and underserved students. It operated like a concierge: Students visited the office, where they were routed to other campus support systems, such as counseling or academic services. In fall 2016, SOAR rebranded as part of CCN. Today, CCN is a trusted place for students to build community while at CSUSM. “It’s fantastic,” said Donna Davis, CCN director. “It’s wonderful that the university has embraced us so much. And students know enough about us to walk right in with anything on their minds, knowing they can get some help. So we are honored by that every day.” Davis joined CCN in 2022 and became the program's director in 2023. “This team, they care so deeply,” Davis said. “We have a very dedicated group of professionals here that are creative, energized and excited to help students. I am so beyond honored to work with this group, and that is what’s kept me here through it all.” As CCN has grown over the past decade, so has the number of students it serves. During the 2024-25 academic year, it managed 4,620 student cases, a 58% increase from the previous year, according to CCN. There was an average of 20 new cases each day, and students expressed appreciation for the ease of being able to drop into the office to get immediate help with their concerns. While CCN does not offer long-term therapy, most of the cases involve mental health. The staff can provide advice and resources for issues like day-to-day anxiety, the stress of failing a test or the emotional roller coaster of going through a breakup. The team also helps students take their first step toward using counseling services on campus. “We spend a lot of time walking beside students until they are ready to take that step,” Davis said. Visiting CCN is easy and accessible. Students can email or submit a referral form to schedule a visit, or drop in to Administrative Building 1200, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Professors can refer students, and an assigned staff member will reach out to the student to check in and invite them to stop by. “Once we connect with them, we’re always going to make that person feel as comfortable as they can,” Davis said. One way that CCN helps students feel comfortable during their visits is by offering a treasure chest in the office. Filled with items like face masks, notebooks, fidget toys and mugs, the chest began as a form of staff appreciation and evolved into a fun activity for students to engage with. The treasure chest also gives students the opportunity to visit the office and become familiar with the staff while they’re still deciding if they’re ready to talk to someone. Another entry point is the Cougar Care Network cart, introduced in the fall of 2023. The cart is operated by service-learning students as an informal, peer-to-peer way for students to learn more about the program and build connections at CSUSM, so they know support is available. “We are students ourselves. We’re not faculty or staff,” said Fernando Vasquez Rendon, a fourth-year psychology major and service-learning student with CCN. “Knowing that we’re also students adds a sense of trust and relatability.” Vasquez Rendon said he understands why some students may feel nervous about approaching the cart, and he encourages them to interact with it and see what it has to offer. He said students often express gratitude for the cart, those who work it and the free items and resources it carries. “Please, come up to the cart. We’re always happy to chit-chat,” he said. “I’m always open and I really want students to know that I and the team are here to really listen and support. “One of the best parts is seeing a student for the first time and their interaction with the cart. Those interactions are what make this role beautiful, and I think those moments are really important.” CCN also uses the cart as a tool to help students connect with the University Student Union centers. For example, Davis explained that for students curious about the Pride Center but hesitant to walk alone, the card serves as a bridge, as students might walk into the center when the cart is there. “We know that there needs to be this kindness movement right now,” Davis said. “We know students are isolated and lonely. And regardless of how much social media they have – and the people they can connect with online – they’re still feeling alone on the inside. So the cart was started as a way to go over to students who are sitting alone and introduce them to the cart, because sometimes that’s the only person that student may talk to all day.” Lizet Palestina, another service-learning student with the CCN and a criminology major in her final semester, shared how she uses the cart to start conversations with students sitting alone. “I think it’s easier for students to talk to us rather than a staff member,” Palestina said. Once the conversation is underway, Palestina and other service-learning students inform students about campus resources, such as the CCN, Student Health & Counseling Services (SHCS), the Cougar Pantry and workshops. “There are a lot of students who are by themselves, and sometimes they’ll be nervous. But once you get the conversation going, they’re a lot more open,” she said. “It’s as simple as asking if they want a little duck, and then you keep the conversation going.” The mini ducks are one of the main reasons why students approach the cart. Vasquez Rendon said it's common to see students visiting the cart to add more ducks to their collection. The ducks serve as a small symbol to remind students that they’re not alone. “Put it in your pocket, keep it in your book bag. But take it out and physically hold onto it as a reminder that we believe in you and know that you got this,” Davis said. Along with the standard mini ducks, CCN also releases special-edition ducks for campus events. During a Commuter Breakfast event, the cart featured ducks in cars. In a previous collaboration with SHCS, a duck in a fry basket was offered in reference to the F.R.I.E.S. program on consent. F.R.I.E.S. describes consent as something freely given, reversible, Informed, enthusiastic and specific. CCN also rotates the cart's theme and available items based on cultural events and student feedback. Vasquez Rendon said the team is working to update the cart's theme for Dia de los Muertos and to provide cultural information about the holiday. “The cart is always changing as the student population changes,” he said. “I want students to know that the conversations we have don’t fall on deaf ears. If they bring up questions, comments or concerns, I always relay it back to the team.” Alongside the service-learning students, CCN also has a staff of Master of Social Work (MSW) interns who provide support to students. Vasquez Rendon plans to apply to the MSW program for the fall 2026 cohort. Davis said community donations and grant funding are crucial to ensuring that CCN can provide students the support they need. CCN is a part of the university's Community of Care program, an intentionally connected network to support students that was made possible by a generous grant from the Conrad Prebys Foundation. CCN also received philanthropic funding from a San Diego Foundation mental and behavioral health-focused grant to be able to staff MSW interns. “We’ve been very blessed with the grants, and they allow our MSW interns to dedicate their full attention to the students," Davis said.  Community donations often help stock the treasure chest at the CCN office. Davis said new or gently used physical donations are always welcome and that students donate items like candles, face masks and other small gifts they no longer need. Ten years in, CCN remains focused on simple ideas that matter, starting with a warm welcome and practical help that arrives when students need it. The aim is to walk beside each person until the next step feels possible and the path forward is clear. “We’re here to walk beside you,” Davis said. “And if you’re not ready today, no worries. Maybe you’ll chat with somebody at the cart or follow us on Instagram. Just in case you need us, we’re here.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos is mourning the passing of distinguished alumnus Joshua Pack ('97), who died on Sept. 29. A devoted husband and father, proud Cougar, and tireless advocate for veterans and students, Pack leaves behind a legacy defined not only by professional success but also by kindness, humility and a deep commitment to helping others.  Pack’s path to CSUSM wasn’t straightforward. After beginning his higher-education journey at the U.S. Air Force Academy and transferring to another university, he eventually found his home at San Marcos, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1997. He often credited a CSUSM economics professor with transforming his academic trajectory and helping set the foundation for his career.  Professionally, Pack rose to become co-CEO of Fortress Investment Group, one of the world’s leading investment firms. Over more than two decades, he built a reputation as a leader in credit and real estate investing, overseeing billions of dollars in assets and guiding teams through complex financial markets.  Pack’s connection to CSUSM remained strong long after graduation. He gave his time and expertise as a member of the CSUSM Foundation Board from 2011-16, including service on the Fundraising Committee, where his vision helped strengthen the university’s philanthropic efforts. He also supported the Finance Society by offering real-world insights to students preparing for their own careers.  Pack’s passion for serving veterans was rooted in his upbringing as the son of Lt. Col. A.J. Pack, a U.S. Marine Corps officer who served for 22 years. Like Josh, Lt. Col. Pack served as a director of the CSUSM Foundation Board (2015-21). In his father’s honor, Josh established the Lt. Col. A.J. Pack Veterans Scholarship at CSUSM, supporting military-affiliated students in pursuing their educational and career goals.  He also championed the creation of a veterans and military center on campus, which broke ground in 2013, calling the work “enormously gratifying for me and my family.” In 2014, he partnered with the Veterans Center and Associated Students, Inc., to host the campus premiere of “The Hornet’s Nest,” a documentary about American troops in Afghanistan. The event included a post-screening Q&A with military units and filmmakers, underscoring his belief in the importance of recognizing and supporting student veterans.  In 2021, Pack reflected on his connection to CSUSM in an article on the Fortress website, noting how meaningful it was to help create a leading center for veterans and active-duty service members at the university.  “The CSUSM veterans community has earned not just our thanks, but our commitment to support their dreams,” he said.  Pack will be remembered for the generosity he showed to his alma mater and to the veteran community that meant so much to him. Through the Lt. Col. A.J. Pack Veterans Scholarship, his support of campus programs and his advocacy for military-connected students, he built a legacy of service that will continue to impact lives for years to come.  Pack is survived by his wife and their four children.  “Josh was a true partner in our mission of student success,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “He had an unwavering belief in the power of education, and he never forgot where he came from. His impact on our students, and especially our student veterans, will endure for generations, and we will carry forward his spirit of service with gratitude.”  Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos' Title IX/DHR office is enhancing how cases of discrimination, harassment and retaliation are managed. While your role in supporting students and colleagues remains unchanged, these improvements mean a better experience for those who seek help.  What You Need to Know  Students and employees can continue to report concerns in the same way.    Confidentiality and support remain the office's top priorities.    Reports that you refer will be handled faster and more consistently.    The office can provide clearer updates and resources throughout the process.  Why This Matters Case handling will be more efficient and less burdensome for staff.    Compliance and reporting are strengthened with automated workflows.   Secure sharing improves collaboration across the right stakeholders.    Real-time insights help resolve cases more quickly.    Reporting channels remain the same. If a student or colleague seeks guidance, please continue to refer them to https://www.csusm.edu/title9/.

We are enhancing how our civil rights office manages reports of discrimination, harassment or retaliation. While the way you submit a report will remain the same, our team now will have better tools to support you.  What This Means for You Faster response times – cases will move more quickly through the process.   Consistency across CSU – you’ll receive the same high-quality support no matter your campus.    Confidentiality and trust – reports are handled securely and with care.    Clearer communication – our office can keep you better informed about resources and next steps.    Your voice matters, and we want to ensure that you feel supported throughout the process. To learn more about reporting and resources, visit https://www.csusm.edu/title9/.

Carlos Luna Lopez’s typical day in the lab looks a little different from others. Dark, cool and full of machinery like 3D bio printers, the lab is home to petri dishes full of cancerous cells. Inspired by one of his students, his lab cohort is studying breast cancer.  “Being in Dr. Luna’s lab has been such a great experience. He’s not only an amazing PI, but also a really great mentor,” said Oscar Loyola Torres, a molecular and cellular biology student.   Luna, a biology professor at Cal State San Marcos, received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Universidad de Sonora in Mexico and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Maryland. He decided to pursue postdoctoral research closer to his parents, who live in Mexico, which brought him to UC San Diego.  Luna always knew he wanted to pursue a career in the STEM field, as his father is a mechanical engineer and his mother a nurse. During his Ph.D. studies, he joined the Summer Program in Neuroscience, Excellence and Success (SPINES), where he met a former CSUSM biology professor who further inspired his move to San Diego and his pursuit of a job at CSUSM.  Luna believes that finding a good balance between research and teaching is important. He explained that one of his biophysics professors would play soccer with his students and invite them to important seminars, creating a meaningful relationship with the students beyond just research. So when he was told of the community between faculty and students at CSUSM, it felt like the right choice to apply.  Luna has taught upper-division cellular and molecular biotechnology classes as well as biostatistics and bioengineering classes at CSUSM since 2017. He also occasionally teaches advanced molecular seminars, and currently he and his lab students are studying the effects of fat cells on breast cancer growth.  The tests examine how lipid metabolism is driving parts of cancer growth. Lipid metabolism is the process of creating or breaking down lipids (fats) to help with energy storage, structural cell membrane support and cell signaling. Since breast tissue is full of lipids, it creates the perfect environment for cancer cells to thrive, utilizing these functions to their advantage.   Luna and his students monitor the interactions between cancer cells and two different types of fat cells, white and brown adipocytes. These cells work to store energy, produce hormones and regulate body temperature, all basic functions crucial to the success of the human body.   Utilizing his background in engineering, Luna and his students built a device that creates spheroids, 3D circular clusters of cells. The spheroid is made of biomaterials replicating human tissue, allowing the students to get the most accurate results from their cancer research.  “There are so many things I get to learn from him and the lab that are helping me grow as both a student and a future physician,” Loyola Torres said.  Luna said this is only a portion of what their research encapsulates. Every time a new discovery is made, it opens a door for further questioning, and the research continues.  “When you have something in your mind and you get the chance and the resources to be able to put that into the world, it’s so exciting,” Luna said.  Luna loves watching his students grow and be creative, as it reminds him of when he was a kid. Not only can he exercise his own creativity, but he gets to bring his students along for the journey. With him having watched some of them grow from first years to graduating Ph.D. students, the relationship Lopez has been able to create with his students makes his job all the more rewarding.   Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos has received three grants totaling more than $2.5 million to support the continued development and expansion of a program that gives students with intellectual disabilities an inclusive college experience. The grant funding will build on the early success of the Aspiring Scholars program, which was launched in 2023 by CSUSM education professor Rebecca Brooks. Now in its third year, the program has grown from four students to 19, offering them an opportunity to learn and grow in the CSUSM community while earning a certificate in higher education academic and career studies. The largest of the grants is $2.44 million over five years from the Transition and Post-Secondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) in the U.S. Department of Education. Brooks is the principal investigator, with psychology professor Allison Jobin as the co-PI. The pair also secured grants of $75,000 from the California Center for Inclusive College and $50,000 from the CSU Commission on Professional and Continuing Education. “Seeing my dream for this program, and for our students, come to life through the collaborative efforts of our incredible CSUSM community has meant the world to me,” Brooks said. The new funding will enable Aspiring Scholars to hire its first full-time staff members, secure dedicated campus space, increase its support and training to peer mentors and professors, enhance student support, and obtain essential materials for daily operations, program orientations and events. The program is built on four core pillars: Academics: College courses aligned with students’ interests and career goals Internships: Career development and employment readiness Life skills: Fostering independence and self-advocacy Campus life and student engagement: Supporting full participation in campus life This semester, Aspiring Scholars welcomed its third cohort of 10 students, raising the total to 19. The program has collaborated with nearly 70 faculty members, and the number of peer mentors (CSUSM students who provide essential one-on-one support) has increased from a dozen in 2023 to an average of 60 per semester. The program recently launched on-campus internships for students. Among the internship sites are the Kellogg Library, Cougar Pantry, Center for Children and Families, Campus Recreation, Innovation Hub, and Office of Recruitment & Outreach. Additionally, Aspiring Scholars has been recognized as a Comprehensive Transition Postsecondary (CTP) Program, allowing participants to apply for federal student aid. “Our ultimate goal is to build a sustainable, long-term program that continues to evolve and thrive,” Brooks said.   The application period for the fall 2026 cohort opened Oct. 1 and will close Nov. 30. The first class will graduate in May 2027. Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306