Winter 2007 • Vol. 11 No. 1

President’s Message

Ventura’s Voters Making a Difference

On the campuses of even the most established colleges in this country, there exists a wish list — a perpetual index of items that if funded would enhance the University’s appearance, prestige, and provide the most up-to-date technology for use by the students and faculty. Through much hard work, many items eventually become reality, and are quickly replaced on the list by the newest wishes.

As a relatively new University, our wish list is more of a needs list; some might call it a critical needs list. As a young institution, located on an aging campus, with many buildings more than 70 years old, there is much that needs to occur to bring the campus up to 21st century educational standards.

As a result of voters throughout Ventura County and the state passing Proposition 1D on the November ballot, I am pleased to share with you that we are receiving significant funding to address some of our most critical needs.

I want to thank personally the student leadership, faculty, staff and friends of CSUCI who carried the message forward that approval of this ballot measure would result in nearly $62 million dollars, being directed to our young campus.

And special thanks also to the Chancellor’s Office of CSU where it was determined that such a significant amount of the CSU allocation would come here to CSUCI to meet our most pressing needs.

Yes, this funding is extremely timely, and you will read about the various projects that are already getting underway through our Operations, Planning and Construction office.

Though they may appear to be just bricks and mortar, these projects represent the needed environment for classrooms, labs, and technology that will provide our students with many of the tools they need to succeed.

So, thank you again for all of your continuing efforts in support of CSUCI.

Sincerely,

Richard R. Rush

Dr. Rush speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Lewis Road widening project in 2006. The campus will construct a new main

entrance from Lewis Road as part of future campus expansion.

CSUCI Current is an official publication of California State University Channel Islands.

It is published three times a year for alumni, the University community, and

the community at large. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Executive EditorPeggy Hinz

Writer/EditorCeal Potts

Design/PhotographyJoanna Murphy

Photography ContributorsJohn Bickford, Ben Hipple, Chris Hoffmann,

Larry Lytle, and Ariana Luquín-Sánchez

Please email correspondence to communications.marketing@csuci.edu

CSU Channel Islands, One University DriveCamarillo, CA 93012-8599

Cover photo:Campus Planner Paul Calderwood and

Associate Vice President of Operations, Planning & Construction Deborah Wylie review the Master

Plan for CSU Channel Islands.

This news magazine is printed on recycled paper.

table of contents

news ... 2-4Fall to Spring: Campus Events Make Impressions ................2–4Symposiums, a noted economist, and visiting performance artist round out a busy semester.

features ... 5-11Ancestral Origins ........................................................................... 5DNA results show students the paths of their ancestors

A Campus for the Future ............................................................ 6-7Proposition 1D provides upgrades to CSUCI

Education .....................................................................................8-9CSUCI students study abroad

Mathematics Maven ...............................................................10-11Mathematics and art – an unlikely coupling of passions for Dr. Ivona Grzegorczyk

advancingthe University … 12Employees Show Support to Foundation

alumni ... 13Heroic RescueCSUCI Alum receives Medal of Valor

Annual Business & Technology Partnership event honors leaders and student scholars.

DNA kits help students track and learn their ancestral origins.

Students studying abroad experience life and learning in distant countries.

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A recent symposium hosted by the University’s Biology Program examined the many central reasons why alternative energies are important. Among the topics discussed were: U.S. dependency on foreign oil, the rising cost of oil, and the billions of tons of byproducts released into the atmosphere each year due to fossil fuel use. Speakers at the “Go Beyond Petroleum: Plant Biotechnology and Alternative Fuels” symposium addressed increased energy efficiency as a solution to the country’s current reliance on oil, and development of specific crops to be used as fuel. According to Daniel Kammen, a professor at the University of California Berkeley and a speaker at the symposium, the fastest way of slowing down the amount of the byproducts that are produced by consuming fossil fuels (oil and coal) is to start with energy efficiency. Also speaking at the event was Michael R. Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission; Amy Denton, assistant professor of Biology at CSUCI; Ruihong Zhang a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California Davis; and Spencer Swayze, manager of business development at Ceres – a plant biotechnology company. This was the fourth science symposium of this type hosted at the University. Past symposium topics included, “Stem Cells: From Here to Eternity,” “The Biology of Fat,” and “Invaders of the Human Body.” These symposia dealt with issues in stem cell technology and its implications, obesity epidemic in this country and avian influenza and other infectious diseases in the world.

How to Eat in a Fast Food World

California State University Channel Islands has scheduled highly acclaimed author Michael Pollan to give a presentation titled “How to Eat in a Fast Food World” at 7 p.m. on April 26 in Malibu Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Pollan, author of New York Times bestseller “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” and “The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World,” will discuss the food we eat, cultivate and raise. Pollan’s lecture is sponsored by CSUCI’s English, Sociology, History, Biology, ESRM programs, and The Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics. Pollan is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine and his work was recently featured in its January cover story about “Nutritionalism.” He is the Knight Professor of Journalism at the University of California Berkley.

Symposiums Offer Insights into Alternative Energies, Disease, and Environmental Issues

Spring Symposium Set

Genomics will be the topic of a symposium hosted by the Cal State Channel Islands Biology Program from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 20 at the science auditorium in Aliso Hall. Genomics is the study of all the genes in the body, and how those genes affect the individual’s wellness, behaviors, and capabilities. Several perspectives on the subject of genomics will be represented at the symposium. Speakers will address the application of genomics to the understanding of human disease and environmental issues. An overview of the latest technology in the field also will be presented, and the ethical and societal issues this technology raises will be discussed. The symposium will be free and open to students, faculty, staff and the community.

Daniel Kammen shows the amounts of byproducts that are produced through consumption of fossil fuels.

Michael Pollan

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Check out CSUCI’s Accreditation Materials at http://www.csuci.edu/accreditation

Moving Forward

The University continues to move forward toward gaining accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The next step in the process will occur in March when CSUCI will host a site visit for WASC officials – which includes senior faculty and administrators from several universities. CSUCI is currently a “Candidate for Accreditation,” which is a status granted by WASC that must be attained before a new campus can seek initial accreditation. “Cal State Channel Islands is currently undertaking its initial accreditation review with WASC. This review consists of two parts, the Capacity and Preparatory Review and the Educational Effectiveness Review,” explained Dennis Muraoka, chairman of the University’s WASC Accreditation Committee and CSUCI professor of Economics. CSUCI completed the Capacity and Preparatory Review in 2006 and is currently in the midst of its Educational Effectiveness Review. In conjunction with this review, the campus completed a self-study in December 2006 and will host the WASC site visit in March.

OLLI Goes County-Wide

Beginning March 31, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) will reach out to potential members in Thousand Oaks at the new CSUCI Extended Education Center, 501 Marin Street in Thousand Oaks. “Intellectual Buffet: A Taste of OLLI” will be held on eight consecutive Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., consisting of a series of eight different short courses of one-meeting duration. The series is partially supported by a grant from the City of Thousand Oaks. This “Taste of OLLI” showcases the variety of topics available at OLLI, which range from the Beatles to Beethoven, Marine Biology to the Blues, Banned Books to Evolution, Creationism and Intelligent Design, and The Modern Presidency to Origins of Legal Language. Participants may enroll for any number of the modules. Enrollment is open to all age groups. Seating is limited and pre-registration is encouraged. The fee for each lecture is $10, with a fee of $65 for purchase of the entire series. For more information or to enroll, contact the CSUCI Extended Education office at (805) 437-2748.

Chris Paterson (left) and John Greenwood (right), both Cal State Channel Islands students, were winners at the 2006 CSU Media Arts Festival, which was held on the CSUCI campus for the fourth consecutive year. Paterson won first place and the Rosebud award in the Interactive category for his Web site “2084.” Greenwood also won a first place and the Rosebud award in the Experimental category for his work as director and producer of his video “Stinking Badges.” Liz King, assistant professor of art at CSUCI, is also pictured.

The Media Arts Festival showcases student work in film, video, and interactive media from all 23 campuses of the California State University system. The festival also featured seminars with leading industry experts and events to prepare students to pursue careers in the entertainment and media industries.

CSUCI Students Take Top Honors Again

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Students Learn Techniques, Business Perspective From Acclaimed Performance Artist

Performance artist Tim Miller recently spent a week at California State University Channel Islands leading students in an intense performance workshop. The workshop yielded “Bodies and Other Hills on Campus,” a piece written and performed by three CSUCI students – Sarah Kinney, Kellie McGuire, and Dolores Patno; as well as Catherine Burriss, assistant professor of Performing Arts, and volunteer Elaine Tse. They performed for fellow students and members of the campus community. Miller is an internationally acclaimed performance artist whose work as a performer and writer explores his artistic, spiritual, and political identity as a gay man. While on campus he performed his solo piece “Glory Box.” Nearly 100 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the performance, which focuses on same-sex marriage and the struggle for immigration rights for lesbian and gay bi-national couples. Along with the performance and workshop during his time on campus, Miller visited various classes. He taught students in a performing arts class about finding their performing voices, and shared his experiences of managing performance spaces with students enrolled in a course titled “Business and Performing Arts.”

Access to Excellence

California State University Channel Islands was the first of the 23 campuses in the California State University system to participate in a planning process that will help lead to the next CSU strategic plan. More than 100 CSUCI faculty, students, staff, and community members participated in the half-day planning discussion titled “Access to Excellence.” The discussions are being held at campuses system-wide to identify strategic priorities to meet challenges the CSU system and individual campuses might encounter during the next 10 years. “Access to Excellence” succeeds the Cornerstones project, which established philosophical guidelines for the CSU to operate under and was developed nearly 10 years ago. “This project will be an action plan rather than a theoretical document,” said Theodore Lucas, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and co-chair of the campus Access to Excellence Committee. The development of the strategic plan will be overseen by a steering committee composed of 47 members. Nasim Khansari, a CSUCI sophomore and Associated Students Inc. Senator, has been elected to serve as the statewide student representative for the steering committee. Other committee members include CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, several members of the CSU Board of Trustees and several campus presidents.

Noted Economist/CSUCI Endowed Professor Launches MVS Speaker Series

Dr. Robert T. Parry, a nationally known economist and former chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, was the keynote speaker at the first event hosted by the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics at California State University Channel Islands. The reception for this event was hosted by the University Foundation. At this event, Dr. Parry was named to the Martin V. Smith Endowed Professorship. The Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics is the first named school at CSUCI. The late Martin V. “Bud” Smith was a well-known builder and philanthropist in Ventura County. His daughters, Lucinda “Cindy” Daley and Vickie Pozzi, attended this special presentation.

Go way back. Before Plymouth Rock and Columbus’ voyage on the trade winds. And farther back than Hannibal’s traverse of the Pyrenees and Alps. During the fall semester, students in Scott Corbett’s “Themes in World History” class learned where they came from, but not from the history books. The students’ origins were revealed through their own DNA, which – in some cases – goes back nearly 50,000 years. The unique class was as much a class in sociology, anthropology, and humanities as it was a history class. It exemplifies the interdisciplinary approach to learning that Cal State Channel Islands emphasizes and is becoming known for throughout the CSU system. The odyssey began with the 40-member class self-selecting into four to six-member study groups, and voluntarily swabbing the inside of their cheek as part of a DNA kit purchased through the National Geographic Society. Cheek cell samples were then sent to a lab, processed, and near the end of the semester the results were confidentially made available to each student through a Web site. The DNA test results were also shared with National Geographic and IBM’s Genographic Project, which is a five-year effort to collect tens of thousands of DNA samples from people around the world to learn more about the history of human migration. The lesson, as the students realized on their last day of class, was not to learn the origins of their ancestors or paths they took to arrive in this region. With their DNA results in-hand, Corbett had the students break from their self-selected groups and find their “relatives” – those who fell within similar sets of DNA. Senior Lydia Rush was part of a larger self-selected

group, but when she looked for other people in the class with the same DNA results, she found only one – junior Maria Ayala. The big picture showed that from Africa, both students’ ancestors trod through northern Asia, bridged the Bering Strait, into North America and down to Central and South America. They also have ancestors who migrated to Australia and what is now the Republic of Indonesia. With half-raised eyebrows Corbett asked Ayala and Rush the rhetorical question: “Did you recognize each other as relatives?” Both students smiled as they answered no, in unison. After forming new groups based on the DNA results, Corbett asked why the students didn’t choose their “relatives” when they formed groups during the second week of class. The answers echoed what a classmate had said earlier: they chose their groups based on similar tastes, interests and external indicators. “So maybe over a long period of time…maybe what we think of as race is irrelevant,” Corbett suggested.

How We Got HereClass Uses DNA Results to Learn Human Migration History

Students Lydia Rush, left, and Maria Ayala, right, compare their DNA results that they received through participation in the National Geographic and IBM’s Genographic Project. Their results showed the global migratory patterns of their ancestors.

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The single largest allocation of state funding to date for California State University Channel Islands was granted this past fall when voters approved the passage of Proposition 1D, a measure that will fund facilities improvements at public schools and universities statewide. Of the $10.4 billion authorized by Proposition 1D, $690 million was allocated to the California State University system, and of that nearly $62 million – or almost 10 percent – was designated by the Chancellor’s Office to be directed to CSUCI. The money is earmarked for major projects that will allow the young campus to accommodate growing enrollment demand by upgrading aging infrastructure and ensuring students have access to state-of-the-art technology and facilities. “It will be like upgrading a Model T to a Toyota Prius,” explained Deborah Wylie, associate vice president of Operations, Planning & Construction at CSUCI. “This money will bring us to the starting blocks in 2010 to really begin expanding this campus. Without the Proposition 1D money this campus would not be able to expand and accommodate more students,” she said. Since the University opened in 2002, it has met and exceeded student enrollment goals each year. For the fall

semester there were 3,123 students enrolled and that number is estimated to reach 15,000 students by the year 2025. The growing number of students, faculty, and staff creates a critical need for increased capacity in the electrical, heating and cooling, telecommunications, water, wastewater, and drainage infrastructure. “Think of the current demand and capacity for electricity on this campus like drinking through a straw,” Wylie explained. “Right now the entire campus is pulling electricity through something that’s like a red stirring straw. Upgrading the electrical infrastructure will be like giving campus a fatter straw.” The upgrades to the electrical system will increase the capacity and allow the campus to grow, but it also will make the system much more energy efficient – which coincides with CSUCI’s commitment to being a green campus. The “underground spaghetti” of sewer, potable water, reclaimed water, telecommunications and electrical lines will be upgraded in phases over a 30-month period that will likely begin in the spring of 2008, Wylie said. Upgrades must be done in phases so that there is no disruption to the academic schedule due to campus closure.

Plans for the FuturePlans for the FutureProposition 1D Money Paves the Way for Expansion

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Plans for the Future “It will be like upgrading a Model T to a Toyota Prius.”

Deborah Wylie, associate vice president of Operations, Planning & Construction, on upgrading the aging infrastructure of the University

Of the nearly $62 million allocated to CSUCI, $50 million will be used for infrastructure upgrades. Wylie said the more than 11 miles of lines and pipe that will be upgraded won’t be visible on a daily basis, but are imperative for the upcoming years of expansion anticipated for the young University. Money from Proposition 1D also will help with an expansion of the new Nursing Program at Cal State Channel Islands. For many years now, the State of California has been experiencing a tremendous shortage in the nursing field. To address this statewide issue, beginning in the fall of 2007, the Cal State Channel Islands Nursing Program will accept its first students. Funding for some of the facilities and equipment necessary for this program also will come from Proposition 1D. Specifically, money from Proposition 1D will be used for the construction of a nursing simulation laboratory. When it is built, this lab will be the only one of its kind in the region. The laboratory will have human simulators, which will allow faculty to set up specific scenarios for students to practice their nursing skills and receive actual reactions from their “patients” in a risk-free environment.

“This lab enables every student to have the same experience,” explained Karen Jensen, associate professor and director of the Nursing Program. For example, when students study how to treat someone in shock they don’t always come in contact with a patient in the hospital who is in shock, Jensen said. The computers in the simulation laboratory can be programmed to provide that specific experience. The 2006/2007 allocation of the Proposition 1D funding was $5.3 million, and it is already in use. The balance of the nearly $62 million is expected sometime this summer. “I used to worry about future outages on campus,” and how the campus’ infrastructure would handle the increased use, Wylie said with a smile. “With the money from Prop. 1D, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

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How CSUCI will spend its nearly $62 million:

$50 million = Infrastructure upgrades: A new central heating and cooling system for the entire campus; conversion of all landscape irrigation to reclaimed water; increased electrical capacity; upgraded potable water, wastewater, sewer, telecommunications and natural gas pipes and lines.

$3 million = Equipment and furniture for the John Spoor Broome Library.

$1.39 million = Development of a design for the new campus entry roadway, necessitated by the expansion of Lewis Road from two lanes to four.

$1.2 million = Design and construction of the Nursing Program’s simulation lab.

$1.9 million = Development of a design for North Hall, which is located just north of University Hall that will provide additional faculty and staff office space.

$3.7 million = Capital renewal: New roofs for Malibu Hall, Arroyo Hall, Ironwood and possibly Sage halls.

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Five students, three countries, and one year. Sounds like the makings of a great reality television series. It is actually reality for five California State University Channel Islands students, albeit without the TV cameras and 30-second prime-time teasers. Meet John, Chris, Ariana, and Monica, four of five CSUCI students spending the 2006-2007 academic year studying abroad. They are participating in the California State University’s International Programs, which is a systemwide opportunity for students to spend a year (and sometimes more) studying abroad while earning academic credit toward their CSU degrees. “Since I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to study abroad in Europe,” said John Bickford, a junior majoring in economics. Bickford is attending Kingston University in the United Kingdom. It is located in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, which for short he explains is called “Kingston” and says that Kingston’s proximity to London is a lot like that of Hollywood to Los Angeles. There are differences between American and British universities, Bickford said. At universities in the UK, often only a few tests and a paper determine a student’s grade for an entire class, unlike in the U.S. where there are quizzes and small papers throughout the year that contribute to the student’s final grade. “Before they leave, we tell students that it’s going to be different, and an excellent opportunity to learn about their academic field from a completely new perspective,” said Marisa Thigpen, associate director of CSU Channel Islands’ Center for International Affairs. Chris Hoffmann also found some of those differences during his first “semester” at the University of Bristol, in the United Kingdom, where he is studying political science. Hoffmann said there aren’t the general education requirements for students in the UK, like there are at other universities in the United States, or the emphasis on interdisciplinary studies that is so prevalent at CSUCI, so a political science student in the UK is likely to have focused just on political science courses for his or her entire period of study at the university. “Studying abroad has been an amazing experience so far,” Hoffmann said. “I knew that the British system was different and wanted to prove to myself that I could be successful in academia, no matter what part of the world I was in.” Ariana Luquín-Sánchez has always been interested in Spanish culture, art and music. She first heard about the study abroad program when she was a freshman and after that she said, “The idea of going abroad to study never left my mind.”

Ariana Luquín-Sánchez

John Bickford

Students Spend the Year Studying Abroad

A World Away

For Luquín-Sánchez, a senior majoring in Spanish, Granada, Spain is now home – at least for this year. She is taking five classes at the University of Granada, two of which are intense lectures. Luquín-Sánchez says she enjoys the two lectures because it is an opportunity to be in what she calls a “Spanish classroom environment” and is a window on how education works in Spain. Thigpen says what Hoffmann, Bickford and Luquín-Sánchez are experiencing is one of the great advantages of studying abroad: learning how different countries approach teaching various fields of study. Academics is the obvious focal point of the study abroad program – hence the “study” part – but about that “abroad” part…any anxieties Bickford, Hoffmann or Luquín-Sánchez might have had about being thousands of miles from home already have faded away. Both Bickford and Hoffmann have discovered a great benefit of studying abroad: travel. Bickford likes to venture from Kingston two to three times per month visiting various cities in the UK and surrounding countries such as the Netherlands and Italy. Hoffmann spent the holiday

break taking in the sights in Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Malaga. However, Monica Cubos is a bit nervous when it comes to continent hopping. She leaves on Feb. 14 to study at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. “I’ve never traveled this far from home for so long,” Cubos said. “If I was far from home, I’ve always been able to at least drive home.” Cubos is a junior majoring in psychology. She said she has always wanted to travel and decided the study abroad program would be the best way to see the world and experience new things. Once she arrives in Sydney, Cubos will begin her studies and start to experience what her fellow CSUCI students have been enjoying – the history, sights, and culture of the countries in which they chose to take-up temporary residence. “I have mixed feelings about leaving. I think the part that scares me the most is that I don’t know anybody else who is going and I’ll be totally on my own,” she said. “But I know I’m going to be having the time of my life.”

CSUCI’S STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM

The study abroad program is part of the California State University’s International Programs. More than 50 universities in 19 countries partner with the CSU to provide students the academic and cultural experience of studying abroad, which supports CSUCI’s mission to “graduate students with multicultural and international perspectives.” Students who study abroad earn CSUCI resident credit toward graduation requirements, pay regular CSUCI tuition, and can apply their financial aid directly to the cost of the program. Students who study abroad are given registration priority, which gives them access to courses that might not be available at Cal State Channel Islands. Informational meetings are hosted on Cal State Channel Islands campus throughout the year. Students must apply and meet academic eligibility requirements to be considered for this program.

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Check out CSUCI’s Center for International Affairs Web site at www.csuci.edu/cia/studyabroad.htm.

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Ivona Grzegorczyk is a Mathematician Ivona Grzegorczyk is a Mathematician with a Passion for Artwith a Passion for Art

“Agreed?” Ivona Grzegorczyk asks her students while gesturing to an equation written on the white board. One student raises his hand and questions if the equation would work another way. “I like them to participate,” she said regarding her ‘Agreed?’ question. “I want them to ask questions and make guesses.” At her core, Dr. Ivona – as students refer to her – is a teacher. Before she became a mathematician and before she chose her college major – which was a toss-up between mathematics and art history – Grzegorczyk was barely even a teenager when she taught her first class, and she was hooked. When she was just 12 years old she filled in for a kindergarten teacher for three months because the class was using an experimental math book with material that wasn’t familiar to the teacher. “I taught them their numbers,” she explained with a laugh. After that she went on to tutor students while she was in high school, and then taught as a graduate assistant while pursing her master’s degree in mathematics at Warsaw University in her native Poland. In 1982, she came to McGill University in Canada for a fellowship. After doctoral studies in mathematics at the University of California Berkeley, Grzegorczyk became an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts. “When an opportunity arises, Dr. Ivona challenges her students by allowing them to take on projects that they may have thought were beyond their grasp,” said Mike Misel, a 2004 CSUCI graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in mathematics. “This approach makes the student rise to the challenge and do things that they didn’t know they could do. This is the true mark of a great educator. She makes people better than even they thought they could be,” he said. Grzegorczyk didn’t know she wanted to study mathematics until she was an undergraduate student. She said when she was growing up she was always good at math, but it was the enjoyment of solving problems that ultimately drew her to the field. Today, as the chair of the California State University Channel Islands Mathematics and Applied Physics Department, she continues to teach her students numbers – but on a more complex plane. Grzegorczyk is the instructor for Algebraic Geometry & Coding, a class that couples two of her passions mathematics and art. In 2000, Grzegorczyk authored a book titled, Mathematics and Fine Arts. Her work focuses on the mathematical rules that govern repetitious designs, like those of famous artist M.C. Escher. Many of the topics addressed in her book have become part of the 400-level class she is now teaching.

Dozens of geometric solids covered with Escher-style patterns crowd shelves in Grzegorczyk’s office. These geometric solids are the product of a project assigned in the class “Algebraic Geometry & Coding.” The project tasks students to seamlessly place a repeating pattern on a geometric solid. Classes like this are one of the many reasons Grzegorczyk says she loves being part of the campus community at Cal State Channel Islands. Merging mathematics and art brings diverse students into the same classroom setting. Each group of students bring fresh perspectives to class. “Professor Ivona taught me the history of mathematics. Mathematics can be difficult to learn, even for mathematics majors, and possibly even for mathematicians,” said Nick Hann, a CSUCI senior majoring in mathematics. “She removes most, if not all, fear from the classroom.” Grzegorczyk came to CSUCI in 2002 as one of the original 13 faculty members on a brand new campus. She said she was intrigued by the possibility of building a new program. During her first years here, one of the experiences she said that was different from any of the other campuses she has worked at was the great amount of outside support that came from businesses and individuals from throughout the region. “We all felt very welcomed here,” Grzegorczyk said, adding that business people asked how they could help with the academic programs and nearly everywhere she went people were very nice and appreciative of the new University. Likewise, Grzegorczyk said the students also have been exceptionally motivated and dedicated – both when she began instructing at CSU Channel Islands and now. “The students that come here are very happy to be here,” she said. This semester when Grzegorczyk is not teaching she is doing research on Vector Bundles – a topic which she said would be hard to explain within a few sentences.

Recently she presented some of her research at a conference at the University of Hidalgo

in Mexico, and this summer she will travel to Germany to report upon her work.

In addition to presenting research at conferences away from the campus this summer, Grzegorczyk said there will be visitors from the University of

Hidalgo for a mini conference during which they will establish cooperation

between math departments, student clubs, and the exchange programs. Grzegorczyk

said CSUCI math students along with students from the Spanish and Chicano clubs will be

invited to attend. Being a part of Cal State Channel Islands

from the beginning is very special to Grzegorczyk. She said that any aspect of math – curriculum development, teaching, research – is a pleasure for her, but handling the bureaucracy that comes with development of a new program has at times also been challenging. It has been those pleasures and challenges that have made her experience at the campus invaluable. “One hundred percent of all of our undergraduates who majored in mathematics and who have graduated are employed,” she said. “I am very proud of this, as it means that the quality of the program is recognized by the employers and the community.”

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12 CURRENT | Winter 2007 advancing the University

Faculty and staff members are broadening the ranks of the President’s Circle and are among some of the new contributors to the California State University Channel Islands Foundation. A new payroll deduction program is giving faculty and staff members an opportunity to demonstrate their support for the University by directing that an amount from their pay checks be donated to the University Foundation. The goal for the new payroll deduction program for CSUCI employees was to get 15 percent of the employees to participate, and this benchmark was achieved.

Those who contribute can choose what programs they would like to support, or they can have the University Foundation use the money where it will make the greatest impact. The Foundation hosted a breakfast in September 2006, to explain the deduction program. Since then nearly $3,000 is contributed each month by faculty and staff members, said Marti DeLaO, director of Advancement and Foundation Operations. “Employees were able to purchase tickets for the President’s Dinner through payroll deduction, and because of this opportunity we saw a tremendous

increase in faculty and staff attendance at the 2006 President’s Dinner,” DeLaO said. Membership in the President’s Circle also has increased. A number of those participating in the payroll deduction program are giving $1,000 or more annually, which gives them an opportunity to be members of the President’s Circle, a program recognizing donors through exclusive benefits. Giving to the University’s Foundation through payroll deduction can be set up at any time. Contact Marti DeLaO, director of Advancement and Foundation Operations, (805) 437-8919. C

Employees Support Foundation through New Program

The third annual Business & Technology Partnership Leadership Dinner, presented by the CSUCI Foundation and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, is scheduled for April 24, 2007 at the Embassy Suites Hotel Mandalay Beach Resort in Oxnard. Proceeds from this event provide funds for the prestigious B&TP scholarships for outstanding students majoring in business and technology programs. Timothy J. Gallagher, publisher, Ventura County Star, has been named the Business & Community Leader of the Year, and Dr. David Banks, director, Center for Asymmetric Warfare at Naval Base Ventura County has been named Technologist of the Year. These awards recognize both an outstanding business leader and technologist from within the University’s area of Ventura County, southern Santa Barbara County and northern Los Angeles County. In addition, William P. Cordeiro, director, Martin V. Smith School of Business and Economics at CSU Channel Islands and professor of Management, will be honored as the Faculty Member of the Year. Five $2,500 student scholarships will be awarded, making these awards among the largest scholarships awarded at CSUCI. Eligible students are chosen from community college transfer students and CSUCI students with junior status or above, in business and technology related majors. In addition to title sponsor, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, sponsors of the B&TP Leadership Dinner include Ron Polanski & Betsy Bourne/Morgan Stanley, Pacific Coast Business Times, Chair of the University’s Foundation Board Wayne Davey and his wife Barbara, Logix Development Corp., and Capistrano’s. For more information visit www.csuci.edu/about/btp or contact Eva Gomez, coordinator of University Advancement, (805) 437-3271.

Tournament Offers Shot at a Million

The 2007 CSUCI Dolphin Classic Golf Tournament is set for June 18 at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo. This is the second year the tournament will be held to raise

funds in support of establishing an intercollegiate athletics program, which President Richard Rush has indicated is a priority for the young University. The Dolphin Classic will use two different scoring formats. Competitive golfers will use a point-par system from the “blue” tees, while for those whose handicaps are more recreational, a team Callaway score will be compiled. “The result will be eight first place winners, all eligible to compete in the grand finale Million Dollar Shootout on the beautiful ninth hole at Las Posas Country Club,” said Cindy Wolfsohn, chair of the golf tournament and member of the University Foundation Board. The Million Dollar Shootout takes the players from the winning teams to participate in a hole-in-one contest following the tournament. If one of the golfers makes the hundred-plus yard shot, he or she wins $1 million. Companies and individuals interested in sponsoring or playing in the 2007 Dolphin Classic should contact Mitchel Sloan, director of University Affairs, (805) 437-8916.

B&TP to Honor Community, Academic Leaders

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Firsts are frequent here – but what’s exciting is when those firsts gain momentum and begin to build a legacy. Cal State Channel Islands Alumni & Friends Association is establishing its first Chapter. It will be composed of 2006 master of business administration graduates, which – incidentally – was the first graduating class of CSUCI’s new MBA program. Coordinating the effort to create the Chapter is Lyndsay Maas (’06 MBA). She said the ultimate goal of the Chapter is to enhance the MBA program at CSUCI and to help faculty and students build the prestige of this young masters program. “Earning my MBA was an important part of my career and I want to look back in 10, 20, or 30 years and see the CSUCI MBA program as one of the most distinguished MBA programs in the region. I believe an MBA Alumni Chapter will help make this a reality.” explained Maas, an operations analyst at Santa Barbara Alpha Strategies. Other alumni working to form the Chapter with Maas include fellow 2006 MBA graduates Brian Williams, Juanita Armas-Guzman and James Schwartz. “During the next six months the Chapter will build its membership by reaching out to all of the 2006 MBA grads and soon to the class of 2007,” said Tania Garcia, associate director, Alumni Relations. A mission statement and bylaws also will be developed. “The enthusiasm of this first MBA Chapter will show others what they can do to continue to receive support from their University and what they can do to help future students,” Garcia said. “We welcome other alumni who are interested in starting a chapter to contact us if they have an interest. All you need is a good alumni leader and a few members to start.”

A little over a year ago on a chilly January night, central dispatch for the Simi Valley Police Department sent out a call regarding a vehicle fire on California State Route (SR) 118. Officer Cesar Zuniga was on patrol that night and at the time was a new hire of the Simi Valley Police Department. Zuniga, a 2005 California State University Channel Islands graduate and a member of the CSUCI Police Department from 1999 to 2005, was on patrol with Senior Officer Rich Lamb his training officer, and happened to be near the location of the incident. They called the dispatcher and indicated they would respond to the scene. “Just before we arrived we got an updated report from dispatch that the vehicle was over the embankment,” Zuniga said. When they arrived at the scene, they found that the vehicle had gone over the guard rail along westbound SR 118, crashed down the embankment and had come to rest, engulfed in flames near Kadota Street. “It was mangled,” said Zuniga, who has been in law enforcement since 1993. The vehicle was on fire and so badly wrecked that he couldn’t determine what kind of vehicle it was; however, he was able to see one thing – through the rear window Zuniga could see the head of the driver trapped in the burning mass. At this point, Zuniga and three other officers, Sgt. Adam Darough, Officer Ryan Hamlin, and Lamb, were the only officials at the scene, and his years of training kicked-in. He reached through the back window, grabbed the driver’s shirt collar and was able to free the victim from the wreckage. The driver was badly injured, but survived the incident. Zuniga recently learned the driver is recovering and is in rehabilitation. Zuniga was awarded the Medal of Valor by the Peace Officers Association of Ventura County for his actions. This medal honors an action of bravery and heroism through which a recipient demonstrates selflessness, personal courage, and devotion to duty. Though he was notified of the award in 2006, he will be officially presented with the medal in April at a special dinner at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library to honor all law enforcement officials. “I really enjoy my work,” Zuniga said. “We are a voice for the victim and try to make a difference everyday.”

MBA Grads Launch First CSUCI Alumni Chapter

Medal of

Valor

Officer Cesar Zuniga shows what it means to ‘Serve and Protect’ C

TEL: (805) 437-8400 FAX: (805) 437-8424www.csuci.edu

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Long-time Employees RetireAfter More Than 100 Years

of Combined ServiceCalendar of Events{

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For a complete list of University events, visit www.csuci.edu.

March Cesar Chavez Events University celebrates Cesar Chavez with events March 26–29.

April 14 Discover CI Prospective students and their families visit the campus and learn more about the University from campus-wide representatives.

April 24 2007 Business & Technology Partnership Leadership Dinner Presentation of student scholarships, leadership awards to outstanding business person, technologist, and faculty member.

April 26 “How To Eat In A Fast Food World” Best selling author Michael Pollan discusses the food we eat, cultivate, and raise.

May 4 Honors Convocation Annual event honors outstanding CSUCI students of the 2006-07 academic year.

May 19 Commencement This year the campus will celebrate the graduation CSUCI’s inaugural freshman class 2003-2007.

June 18 2nd Annual Dolphin Classic Golf Tournament This event will be held at the Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo, and proceeds will benefit the establishment of an intercollegiate athletics program at Cal State Channel Islands.

Four long-time employees recently retired from their posts in CSUCI’s Operations Planning & Construction (OPC) division. All together, Bill and LuAnn Allen and Konrad and Vicky Kersten have more than 100 years of service at this facility. Bill Allen began working at what was then the Camarillo State Hospital and Development Center in 1981. LuAnn Allen’s service began in 1982. In 1998 both were hired by CSUCI and worked in the Physical Plant Management division, which is now known as OPC. Bill retired as the associate director of Engineering and prior to retirement, LuAnn was the assistant director of Operations Services. The couple began their retirement with a cruise in January and will visit family in February followed by a trip to Florida in March. Vicky Kersten was hired by the University in 1998 and has managed the warehouse and handled all shipping and receiving responsibilities since the campus first opened. She had more than 30 years of state service when she retired. Her husband, Konrad, began working at the Camarillo State Hospital and Development Center in the late 1970s and retired from his role as a plumber in OPC’s engineering department with more than 30 years of state service.

Bill and LuAnn Allen