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Former Lt. Governor, CNBC Analyst, Technology Entrepreneur and Los Angeles Civic Leader to Address CSUN Graduates

Former California Lt. Gov. Mike Curb, CNBC senior analyst and CSUN alum Ron Insana, Los Angeles civic leader David Fleming and technology innovator Asad Madni are among the dignitaries who will address Cal State Northridge students when they graduate next month.

A record 10,110 students—about 8,039 bachelor’s and 2,071 master’s degree candidates in a total of 64 fields—are eligible to take part in the ceremonies scheduled to begin the evening of Monday, May 18.

“Each year about this time, the focus of the campus shifts to commencement. It’s the culmination of the academic year,” Northridge President Jolene Koester said. “Commencement is a celebration of what our graduates have accomplished and the amazing possibilities that lie ahead for them in the future. It is a time to recognize those who have helped our graduates along the way—from friends and family members to the university’s faculty and staff. Commencement also serves as a reminder of what Cal State Northridge is all about—providing a quality education that opens countless doors of possibility for our students.”

The graduation celebration begins at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 18, with the Honors Convocation on the lawn in front of the Oviatt Library, located in the heart of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge. More than 1,813 graduating students have been invited to participate.

This year’s convocation speaker is Northridge cinema and television arts alum Ron Insana, a senior analyst and commentator for CNBC.  Insana is a past recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award. He has authored several books on Wall Street and briefly worked as a hedge fund manager.

The formal commencement ceremonies are as follows:

•    Students in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication will celebrate their graduations beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, on the lawn in front of the Oviatt Library.

Former Lt. Gov. Mike Curb will receive an honorary doctorate of fine arts during the ceremony and will briefly address the graduates. Curb attended Northridge in the early 1960s when it was known as San Fernando Valley State College. It was while he was here that he launched his career in music. Curb is now chairman and owner of Curb Records, one of the nation’s largest and oldest independent record labels. Curb received the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006.

•    The College of Science and Mathematics does not have a speaker planned for its ceremony, scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, on the lawn south of Manzanita Hall near the southwest corner of the campus near Nordhoff Street east of Etiwanda Avenue.

•    The College of Health and Human Development will celebrate its students’ graduations at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, on the Oviatt Library lawn. No speaker is scheduled.

•    Attorney and civic leader David Fleming will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree during the College of Business and Economics’ commencement ceremony at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, on the Oviatt Library lawn. Fleming will briefly address the graduates.

Fleming, an attorney with the law firm of Latham and Watkins, is a prominent leader in the San Fernando Valley and the city of Los Angeles as a whole. He has held a number of leadership roles throughout the city, including founder and chair of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley and member of the City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission. He and his wife, Jean, are longtime supporters of Cal State Northridge.

•    Asad M. Madni, an internationally recognized authority in “intelligent” system design and signal processing, will address the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s graduates during their commencement ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, on the lawn of Manzanita Hall.

Madni, past president and chief operating officer of Sylmar-based BEI Technologies, Inc., has served on the college’s Industry Advisory Board and has mentored several graduate and undergraduate students. He is currently serving as the executive managing director and chief technical officer of San Francisco-based Crocker Capital.

•    The College of Humanities will celebrate its students’ graduations at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, on the Oviatt Library lawn. No speaker is scheduled.

•    The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences does not have a formal speaker scheduled for its ceremony at 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

•    There is no speaker scheduled for the Michael D. Eisner College of Education’s commencement ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, on the Oviatt Library lawn.