Barbara Tabachnick

“Barbara is a very talented person,” said Fidell. “It’s quite the honor; no psychologist in the CSU system has ever won the award.”

Tabachnick received her honor late last month at the Western Psychological Association conference in San Francisco.

The Western Psychological Association was founded in 1921 for the purpose of stimulating the exchange of scientific and professional ideas, and to enhance interest in the processes of research and scholarship in the behavioral sciences; qualities that seems to have permeated all of Tabachnick’s work.

Fidell noted that “(Tabachnick) is very good at communicating with the people who use the book by adding chapters and maintaining it so it stays up to date; she is very generous with her time and knowledge.”

Carrie Satermoe, chair of CSUN’s Department of Psychology agreed.

“It is her influence, along with a long tradition in our department for quantitative and psychometric excellence, that explains why our department continues to be cited as the top comprehensive university that supports students to the doctorate who complete their degree,” Saetermoe said.

“By winning the Western Psychological Association Lifetime Achievement Award, our department is validated in its past, present, and future excellence in research,” Saetermoe added.

Tabachnick has published over 70 articles and technical reports and participated in over 50 professional presentations, many invited. She currently presents workshops in computer applications in univariate and multivariate data analysis and consults on a variety of research areas, including professional ethics in and beyond academia, the effects of such factors as age and substances on driving and performance, educational computer games, the effects of noise on annoyance and sleep, and fetal alcohol syndrome.

Each student has a personal story of hard work, perseverance and success. Below are examples of just some of those truly unique stories.

Jose Escobar Castro

Jose Escobar Castro, B.A., Cinema and Television Arts and Central American Studies

Jose Escobar Castro, 21, of Westlake in Los Angeles, isn’t used to having the spotlight thrown on him. He is usually the one behind the camera.

As a cinema and television arts major with an emphasis in multimedia, Escobar Castro has used what he has learned in the classroom to tell the stories he has discovered while a student. One video he created is about Central American studies professor Beatriz Cortez, who has returned to her love of painting and is capturing the images of Cal State Northridge’s physical plant management staff on canvas.

“That’s what I’d like to do,” Escobar Castro said, “take what I’ve learned at CSUN and find a way to tell the stories of people most people don’t hear about, like those in the Central American community.”

Escobar Castro’s parents are Central American immigrants who received only an elementary school education and instilled in their children the belief that getting a college education was the key to success. The family lives near MacArthur Park, but his parents leapt at the chance to send Escobar Castro to schools in the San Fernando Valley when overcrowding left little space for him at the neighborhood school. He would get up every day at 5 a.m. to catch a bus that would take him first to Parkman Middle School and then Taft High School in Woodland Hills.

Escobar Castro, who has a license but does not drive and lives in Westlake with his family, still gets up at 5 a.m. to catch the bus to school, but this time to CSUN. He uses his time on the bus and subway to do homework and read. He said he applied to the University of Southern California, but found that Northridge was a “better fit.”

“It had everything I was looking for,” he said, including the opportunity to learn more about the countries his parents came from, Guatemala and El Salvador, and the rest of Central America.

“Now I know more about Central America than they do, but they have the life experience of living there,” he said.

Being the first in his family to attend college, Escobar Castro admitted there has been a lot of pressure on him to serve as a role model for his extended family. His sister, Leslie, attends CSUN, and his family hopes his cousins in Florida will follow in Escobar Castro’s footsteps.

Escobar Castro will receive his cinema and television arts degree during the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication’s ceremony scheduled for 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 22, on the lawn in front of Delmar T. Oviatt Library. He will receive his Central American studies degree during the College of Humanities’ ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

Bonnie Cheeseman

Bonnie Cheeseman, Master’s in Education Administration

Bonnie Cheeseman, 54, of Simi Valley, once lived a life that most people would envy. She had worked her way up from an administrative assistant position at 20th Century Fox to become a Madison Avenue marketing executive. She regularly flew from New York to Los Angeles and Las Vegas for business, staying in high-end hotels. Limousines would whisk her to meetings, often waiting until the wee hours of the morning while she finished her work. But she was miserable.

These days, the limos and luxury business accommodations are gone. But Cheeseman cannot wait to go to work every morning.

“I am one of those lucky people who just loves what they do,” she said. Cheeseman is an English-as-a-second-language teacher at Pasadena City College and UCLA, specializing in workplace English. She has spent the past couple of years in Cal State Northridge’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies so she can use her passion for helping others master the English language and American culture more effectively as an education administrator, perhaps as a counselor.

“I love to teach, but I want to do more as an educator,” she said. “I have learned so much while I’ve been here. I have so much respect for the faculty members. They have challenged us and treated us with respect. They understood that those of us in the program were professionals, and they treated us like professionals, and created an environment where we learned from them and from each other. It was a fabulous experience.”

Cheeseman admitted that when she graduated from UCLA in 1982 with a bachelor’s in English and American studies she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do with her life. She still wasn’t sure a decade later when she quit her job as a marketing executive until she saw an ad for a part-time position as an English-as-a-second-language teacher.

“I really wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, to feel that I was making a contribution to the world,” she said.

Cheeseman said once she stepped foot in a classroom, she never looked back.

For several years, Cheeseman also worked as a comedienne. She was successful enough to serve as a master of ceremonies at Los Angeles’ legendary The Comedy Store, working with such talents as Damon Wayans. She was scheduled to introduce Wayans one evening when she realized that while she enjoyed stand-up, it wasn’t her true calling. She invited a young comedian to take her place and decided to devote herself to teaching.

“The thing is, I love teaching,” she said.

Not too long ago, Cheeseman discovered that her great-grandfather ran a teachers’ college in Maine in the late 1800s and was an important figure in his community. Despite all his accomplishments, he told a reporter that all he ever wanted to be known as was “an educator.”

Cheeseman agrees. “It’s the best thing around that you can do,” she said.

Cheeseman will be taking part in the Michael D. Eisner College of Education’s commencement ceremony scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, on the lawn of the Oviatt Library.

Pablo Corá

Pablo Corá, B.S. in Accounting

Pablo Corá, 39, of Los Angeles, had his “come to Jesus moment” about six years ago, when a doctor found a growth on his vocal cords and recommended surgery. A high tenor, Corá had a successful singing career. He was a founding member of the award-winning Concord Ensemble, a member of the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Chamber Singers & Cappella and a member of the internationally acclaimed Los Angeles Master Chorale. He has performed on stages around the world, including at Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.

The surgery was successful and Corá was able to continue his singing career. But the incident forced him to think about his future.

“If I couldn’t sing, what would I be doing?” Corá asked himself. “I realized that I was happiest when I was learning, and now it was time for me to learn something completely different.”

He settled on accounting because he felt it was a field that would allow him to draw on his experiences in the arts, and perhaps some day lead to the directorship of an arts or cultural program. Corá said he did research, talked to people in the field and found out that Cal State Northridge had one of the most respected accounting programs in the state.

“It really is considered one of the best,” he said.

He applied and had to convince a skeptical department chair that he was serious about studying a field that seemed so antithetical to his career in the performing arts. He assured her that he was willing to “start from scratch,” despite having earned a bachelor’s in music from Ithaca College and a master’s in voice performance from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Corá, a native of Argentina, threw himself into his classes and discovered he had a passion for accounting. He soon became a member of the College of Business and Economics’ Honors Program and drew the attention of officials with the international accounting firm KPMG, who chose him to serve as their campus ambassador. Last year, KPMG officials offered him a job. Upon his graduation, he will begin working in the company’s Los Angeles audit practice.

In addition to his classes and work with KPMG, Corá volunteered for several community-service projects with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity and the Alzheimer’s Association, as well as with an animal-rescue organization. All the while, he continues to sing.

Though he will serve as a liaison between the campus and KPMG, Corá admitted he is going to miss the day-to-day routine of being a CSUN student. In particular, he said he will miss the faculty, who “demonstrated a passion and dedication to their work.”

“They not only cared about what we were learning at the time, but they cared about what’s out there for us when we graduate,” he said. “They are inspiring, and I hope that I approach my own professional career with that kind of commitment.”

Corá will take part in the College of Business and Economics’ commencement ceremony scheduled for 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 24, on the lawn of the Oviatt Library. He has been invited to sing the national anthem during the ceremony.

La Ronda Jones

La Ronda Jones, B.S. in Health Administration

La Ronda Jones, 32, of Reseda, has big dreams. She hopes some day to hold a position where she can help set healthcare policy for the nation.

“That’s what I want to do, and with what I have learned here at CSUN it may just be possible,” she said. “CSUN has certainly given me the tools to achieve my dreams.”

Fifteen years ago, Jones was a teenager in South Los Angeles with a newborn son. Determined to succeed, she made arrangements for his care and walked the two miles to her high school to ensure she graduated on time, becoming the first in her family to earn a high school diploma.

After spending a few years in the workforce, Jones enrolled at Pierce College with the plan of becoming a nurse. But after a couple of classes, she realized that what she truly wanted to do was become an administrator who ensured that patients received the best care possible. As someone with hepatitis C and hyperthyroidism and who lost her parents early due to health problems, Jones said she understands the importance of access to quality healthcare.

Jones transferred to Cal State Northridge in fall of 2010 to pursue a degree in health administration and immediately felt at home. “I knew this was where I belonged,” she said.

She loved her classes. She said she was challenged and engaged by faculty who set high goals for her, yet understood the demands she faced as a working mother with now two children and health issues.

A workshop by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health Resource Center for preconception peer educators led to her founding and then serving as president of the CSUN Preconception Peer Educators. The group has been recognized by the federal government to hold its own workshops to train certified peer educators on the issues surrounding preconception health and sexually transmitted infections.

Her work as a peer educator led to an invitation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health Resource Center to speak in Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Francisco to lecture on preconception health. The March of Dimes in Washington, D. C. also extended her an invitation to speak. A staff referral from CSUN’s Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) led her to a program called INROADS, which led to an internship at Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City. She now works part time at Kaiser as an advocate for patients and their needs.

Jones credited Cal State Northridge’s EOP, College of Health and Human Development and Student Health Professionals Pre-Entry Program for making all she accomplished, and hopes to accomplish, possible.

“These programs truly molded me into who and what I have become,” she said.

Jones’ illnesses have been in remission for most of her time at Northridge. Three months ago, her doctor told her they were back. She convinced him to hold off treatment, which is very similar to chemotherapy and includes similar side effects, until after commencement.

“I wanted to graduate first,” she said.

Jones will take part in the College of Health and Human Development’s commencement ceremony scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, on the lawn in front of the Oviatt Library. She plans to start graduate school at Cal State Northridge this fall and eventually get her doctorate in health policy and administration.

César Soto, Master’s in English

For César Soto, failure is not defeat. Rather, failing is an opportunity to learn and grow. “All the obstacles I’ve faced have only made me better,” he said.

Soto, 32, grew up as one of eight children in a working-class family in Pacoima where the kind of hard work you do with your hands was valued. An avid reader, Soto said he felt “different.” When he dropped out of school in the 10th grade and took on a series of menial jobs, Soto continued to read on the sly, concerned that his passion for literature wasn’t “macho” enough.

“Where I grew up, what it meant to be a male did not include the love of reading,” he said, adding that his parents, who obtained a grade-school education and were concerned about their family’s survival, didn’t know how to support their son’s passion.

Soto recognized that manual work was not what he wanted to do all his life and applied to Valley College, but he ended up failing his classes and dropping out.

“I just wasn’t ready yet, but I knew that college was something I wanted to do,” he said.

After a couple of years, he returned to Valley College. This time, he aced his classes and set his sights on a four-year university: Cal State Northridge. He reached out to CSUN’s Educational Opportunities Program director, Jose Luis Vargas, who exchanged emails with Soto, offering him advice and encouragement.

“You know, I think I only met the man once, but his support and encouragement in those emails made all the difference,” Soto said.

Soto transferred to Northridge with the goal of becoming a doctor. But after struggling in a couple of biology classes, he realized that medicine was not for him. It was while fulfilling am English major core requirement, Literary Theory, that Soto found his “calling.”

“I did really well, and I realized this is what I loved,” Soto said.

He switched his major to Honors English, and his grades took off. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in English and Chicana/o studies from Cal State Northridge in 2007. He remained at CSUN to earn his master’s in English. His emphasis is British Romanticism.

Soto, who is this year’s Nathan O Freedman Outstanding Graduate Student, admitted British Romanticism seems an unlikely choice for someone who grew up in the working class neighborhoods of Pacoima.

“But those authors were revolutionary, exploring such topics as feminism and the experiences of the ‘other,’” he said.

Soto’s time at CSUN has not been entirely immersed in books. He spent three years as a residential advisor, four years as a tutor in the Chicana/o Studies Writing Center and the past two years as a teaching associate in the English department, a privilege awarded few graduate students.

For the past few weeks, Soto had been weighing offers from all seven schools to which he applied for doctoral studies. He chose the University of Notre Dame, where his doctoral research will focus on the similarities between the revolutionary aspects of the works by British Romantic authors and Chicana/o literature of the 1960s and 1970s.

He has also been awarded a Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, which includes an annual stipend of $20,000 for three years of doctoral work. Of the more than 1,300 people who applied, only 60 received fellowships.

Soto will be taking part in the College of Humanities’ commencement ceremony scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

Learn more about the gradautes:

The Sundial staff with their awards. Courtsey of the Daily Sundial

In total, the Sundial students received six first-place, five second-place, and 11 third-place awards from the California College Media Association and the Society of Professional Journalists this spring.

“Receiving these awards is a high honor,” said Melissa Lalum, journalism professor and publisher of the Daily Sundial. “We go up against really excellent schools throughout the country and state.  So, to be honored confirms we’re doing good work and training our students well.”

In two instances, Cal State Northridge shared the top three spots with UC Berkeley and UCLA.

“In the Society of Professional Journalists, we placed second for best website, UCLA was first and Berkeley was third,” said Lalum. “For the general excellence award given by the California College Media Association, Berkeley was first, UCLA was second and CSUN was third. This award goes to school newspapers that show true excellence in every aspect of their paper.”

What really sets the Sundial students apart, continued Lalum, is that “they are really great at balancing life. They are extremely hard working students who come from a variety of backgrounds.  Most of them are going to school full time, working at the Sundial and working on jobs outside of school. I often wonder where they find the time to do a really good job. I’m always impressed with their level of commitment to their major.

“They also have one of the hardest jobs as students on campus.  Their learning process is very public.  Whereas a lot of people never experience that, and at times it can be very joyful, and it can be painful.”

Lalum said receiving this recognition supports the Department of Journalism’s efforts to teach its students how to navigate in digital world while also supporting a print product effectively.

“I hope students at high schools and two-year colleges contemplating coming to CSUN realize they can be part of an award-winning staff,” said Lalum. “I tell them to be prepared to work very hard.  But to also enjoy what they do.”

At the California College Media Association’s Excellence in Student Media Awards, the Sundial won first-place honors including Best Breaking News Story for its coverage of the suspected gunman; Best News-Page Design by Abby Jones; Best Features-Page Design by Marianne Tan;  Best Headline Portfolio by Alonso Tacanga; and Best Infographic by Tessie Navarro.

The staff also received second-place awards in Best News Series; Best Personal Opinion Column for “Beware! Asian invasion and infiltration” by Hansook Oh;  Best Photo Illustration by Tessie Navarro and Abby Jones; and Best Special Section for “new performing arts center.”

They placed third in General Newspaper Excellence; Best Overall Design; Best News Story (non-breaking)  by Emily Suhr for her story, “Alumnus challenges military regulations;”  Best Sports Story for “Rivals to brothers” by Gilberto Manzano; Best Features Photography by Tessie Navarro; Best Sports-Page Design by Monique Muniz; Best Features-Page Design by Marianne Tan; Best Headline Portfolio by Samantha Tata; Best Use of Social Media by Alonso Tacanga; and Best Online Promotion for the Sundial’s QR code.

The Sundial also received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists: placing first in editorial cartooning for work by Gabriel Ivan Orendain-Necochea; second in Best Affiliated Web Site,  for the website www.dailysundial.com, and third in Breaking News Photography for “CSU board of trustees vote for tuition increase at meeting turned violent” by Andrew Lopez.

From left: Elizabeth Sellers, music department chair; Maureen Rubin, associate dean of the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication; Robert Bucker, dean of the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication; Mack Johnson, associate vice president of graduate studies; Katherine Baker, music professor and director of CSUN’s Women’s Chorale; and Justin Su, director of CSUN’s China Institute and professor of Educational Leadership. Photo by Lee Choo.

The program, which is called “3+1+1,” will begin this fall. It is exclusively for students in the Music College at SHNU who qualify for conditional enrollment in the Department of Music’s graduate program.

“This kind of a partnership is very enriching for our own students and faculty,” said Robert Bucker, dean of the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication. “The introduction into our community of more international students just gives our youngsters a better sense of what the competition is around the world.

“In the arts, we work in a business that’s not just about the region. It’s about the international community,” he said.

Shanghai Normal University is one of more than 40 “sister” relationships Cal State Northridge has with Chinese universities and government entities. Shanghai Normal University has had a relationship with CSUN for more than 20 years, hosting the Women’s Chorale, jazz band and theater students. Visiting scholars from SHNU have come to Cal State Northridge, and CSUN administrators and faculty have gone to China.

The 3+1+1 program is one of several degree program agreements between CSUN and SHNU. The College of Business and Economics and the Department of Art have undergraduate programs that allow Shanghai Normal University students to earn a bachelor’s degree through a combination of courses taken in China and at CSUN.

“One of the most important goals of Chinese education is to be international,” said Cong Li, dean of the Music College at SHNU, through an interpreter. “Music is without borders. We are really happy to develop this relationship.”

Li said Cal State Northridge has “one of the best” music programs in the United States. He said this is the second educational exchange program approved by SHNU. A year ago, they signed a 2+3 agreement with a Russian university to allow Chinese students to earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in music through work in both countries.

Shanghai Normal University will begin the process of admission into the program when freshmen are accepted into the university. At that time, SHNU faculty will recruit promising students, enroll them in intensive English-language classes and supervise the application process. CSUN faculty will first become involved in the audition process at the conclusion of the freshman year. Each year, a cohort of between 20 and 25 SHNU freshmen who pass the audition will be conditionally accepted into the program.

The summer before the SHNU student’s senior year, the student can opt to take a summer classes at CSUN’s Tseng College in “Summer English and Cultural Experience” to help them transition to the campus and Southern California culture. Students in the 3+1+1 program must pass an approved English-proficiency exam prior to admission. Shanghai Normal University students are responsible for all tuition, living expenses and other costs associated with the program. The first cohort is expected to arrive at CSUN in the fall of 2014 and graduate with a master’s degree in 2016.

Katherine Baker, director of CSUN’s Women’s Chorale and one of the music faculty traveling to China this summer to audition freshman students for the program, said this is a wonderful opportunity for students at both universities.

“This is an opportunity for them to make great friends and scholars that will be part of their network,” said Baker, who has traveled to China with the Women’s Choral.

Cal State Northridge’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication is inspired by the shared belief that art is communication, that communication is art and that art and communication are essential pillars for building and maintaining community. Many of its programs, including those in art, music, theater, cinema and television arts and journalism, have an international reputation for graduating skilled professionals who go on and make names for themselves in their respected fields.

From left, Mikayla Thielges, head coach Tairia Flowers, Alyssa Ray

More than 300 family and friends, faculty, coaches, and university and athletic department personnel were on hand to extend their congratulations to the 61 scholar-athletes who have completed a minimum of one season of varsity competition and have a minimum 3.2 grade point average for the 2011 spring and 2011 fall semesters.

“This is a special time to honor CSUN’s student-athletes who have excelled on the playing field, and in the classroom,” said Rick Mazzuto, CSUN Athletic Director. “They are all champions for being great representatives of Cal State Northridge.”

Created in the fall of 1982, the Varsity ‘N Academic Athletics Honor Roll reflects the commitment of the university to the academic integrity and success of intercollegiate athletics.

Hunter Hays, a member of the Cal State Northridge track & field team, and Marisa Miller, a member of the women’s soccer team, were named CSUN Student-Athletes of the Year.

Hayes, a junior distance runner who is majoring in Majoring & Finance, has always stressed academics as well as competing on the track.

“Academics has always been a priority in my life,” said Hayes. “In my first conversations with my coaches, I wanted to let them know that I wanted to succeed in both academics and athletics.”

Miller, a junior who is majoring in Child Development, says academics has always been a top priority in her life.

“Participating in soccer and also carrying a full school load of classes has certainly been a challenge,” said Miller, who is also pursuing a graduate degree in Family Studies. “If I can succeed in both endeavors in school, I can also succeed in helping families in life.”

The Matador women’s cross country, and the CSUN men’s basketball teams were named winners of the “Academic Teams of the Year.”

“We are really proud of the way these kids have performed in the classroom,” said veteran head men’s basketball coach Bobby Braswell. “Over the past three semesters, the men’s basketball team has attained a GPA of 3.1. The team has really stepped up to being committed to their success in the classroom.”

The 61 student-athletes represent more than 24 academic disciplines, and 15 athletic teams.

The academic disciplines include biology, business, business administration, business marketing, communications, criminology, deaf studies, early child development, English, family and consumer sciences, film, finance, graphic design, journalism, kinesiology, liberal studies, math education, nursing, nutrition, political science, public health education, pre-computer sciences, psychology, sociology and speech pathology.

The Cal State Northridge Athletic Department has held this annual event sine 1982 to honor the academic excellence of their scholar-athletes. Since its origin, nearly 500 student-athletes have been honored for their outstanding achievements in the classroom.

Also honored were 61 student-athletes who will be graduating form Cal State Northridge in May, 2012. One proud graduate will be Vinnie McGhee, a three-starter on the Matador men’s basketball team.

“Graduating is very important, a blessing,” said McGhee, who will graduate with a degree in communication. “I am the second person on my dad’s side of the family to graduate from college. I’m proud of what I accomplished. This was also accomplished, thanks to the support of my family, friends and coaches.”

McGhee also said he graduated for his hometown of Oakland, a tough city where life in the inner city can be difficult.

“I want to tell the young people back home in Oakland to follow that dream,” said McGhee. “Keep pushing for that dream. That’s my message. There are a lot of bright, young people in the inner city of Oakland. I followed my dream and today I am a college graduate.”

McGhee graduated from McClymonds High School in Oakland, an inner city school that has produced such athletes as Bill Russell, Curt Flood, Frank Robinson and Olympic gold medalist Jimmy Hines.

“I want the young people back home to know that I did it for Mack (McClymonds HS),” McGhee said proudly. “I bleed the red and black of Cal State Northridge, but I also bleed the orange and black of McClymonds.”

Not only did McGhee succeed in the classroom, he also succeeded on the basketball court, finishing as the No. 3 all-time three-point shooter in Matador history.

“It all worked out,” as he accepted congratulations from his other teammates who attended the Varsity ‘N Academic Athletics Honor Roll Banquet. “The hard work paid off. I’m blessed.”

The Varsity ‘N Athletics Honor Roll was presented by Northwestern Mutual.

The new inductees are:

Jennel Alexander – Women’s Golf (Senior, English)

Fany Alvarado – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Brian Behrad – Men’s Soccer (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Geneva Capos – Water Polo (Sophomore, Pre-Computer Sciences)

Vanessa Carr – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Lorraine Cheung Lok Hei – Women’s Tennis (Sophomore, Business Marketing)

Melissa Doll – Water Polo (Sophomore, Math Education)

Gavin Fallen – Men’s Track & Field (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Heidi Farran – Women’s Soccer (Senior, Business)

Sydney Gedryn – Women’s Volleyball (Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Ryan Green – Men’s Golf (Junior, Business)

Hayley Gurriell – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Dana Harvey – Water Polo (Senior, Communications)

Molly Henehan – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Sydney Hubbard – Women’s Track & Field (Sophomore, Journalism)

Victorya Jewett – Women’s Track & Field (Junior, Biology)

Allen Jiles IV – Men’s Basketball (Sophomore, Family & Consumer Sciences)

Desiree Karotko – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Senior, Marine Biology)

Steven Keller – Baseball (Senior, Sociology)

Annalise Lopez – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Freshman, Kinesiology)

Sabrina Man-Son Hing – Women’s Tennis (Junior, Undeclared)

Jamila McIntosh – Women’s Track & Field (Senior, Graphic Design)

Tyler Milton – Men’s Track & Field (Sophomore, Biology)

Jordan Mitchell – Men’s Basketball (Film)

Julio Mora – Men’s Track & Field (Junior, Undeclared)

Shane Mullany-Banks – Women’s Track & Field (Senior, Sociology)

Lindsy Nelson – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Tanner Nua – Men’s Volleyball (Senior, Kinesiology)

Celena Photopulos – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Alyssa Ray – Softball (Senior, Liberal Studies)

Brittanie Sakajian – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Finance)

Jennifer Sher Chun Wing – Women’s Tennis (Senior, Psychology)

Una Siljegovic – Women’s Volleyball (Senior, Communications)

Brielle Slepicoff – Women’s Soccer (Senior, Biology)

Amanda Smith – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Nicolette Smith – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Mikayla Thielges – Softball (Junior, Kinesiology)

Cory Wagner – Men’s Volleyball (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Wendy Warner – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Nutrition)

Lonnie Watson – Men’s Basketball (RS Freshman, Political Science)

Tyler Woodard – Men’s Track & Field (Senior, Business)

Chelsea Wordell – Women’s Track & Field (Senior, Deaf Studies)

The repeat honorees are:

Yuval Barak – Men’s Soccer (RS Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Joseph Franco – Men’s Soccer (RS Junior, Finance)

Jessica Goforth – (Senior, Kinesiology)

Clariss Guce – Women’s Golf (Junior, Undeclared)

Masis Hagobian – (Men’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Political Science)

Haley Hawes – Women’s Soccer (Junior, Kinesiology)

Hunter Hays – Men’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Junior, Business)

Jenna Hulion – Women’s Track & Field (Junior, Criminology)

Leah Janke – Water Polo (Junior, Speech Pathology)

Chloe McDaniel – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Monica McFarland – Women’s Volleyball (Junior, Public Health Education)

Marisa Miller -Women’s Soccer (Junior, Early Child Development)

Alex Muren – Baseball (Junior, Sociology)

Stephanie Norton – Women’s Soccer (Junior, Kinesiology)

Kendall Patten – Women’s Golf (Senior, Family Consumer Sciences)

Heidi Pettinger – Water Polo (Senior, Liberal Studies)

Maria Pistalu – Women’s Tennis (Junior, Business Administration)

Precious Watkins – Women’s Track & Field (Senior, Health Education)

Tiana Webberley – Women’s Track & Field (Junior, Nursing)

Academic Award Winners by Teams:

Baseball:

Steven Keller – Baseball (Senior, Sociology)

Alex Muren – Baseball (Junior, Sociology)

Men’s Basketball:

Allen Jiles IV – Men’s Basketball (Sophomore, Family & Consumer Sciences)

Jordan Mitchell – Men’s Basketball (Film)

Lonnie Watson – Men’s Basketball (RS Freshman, Political Science

Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field:

Gavin Fallen – Men’s Track & Field (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Hunter Hays – Men’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Junior, Business)

Masis Hagobian – (Men’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Junior, Political Science)

Tyler Milton – Men’s Track & Field (Sophomore, Biology)

Julio Mora – Men’s Track & Field (Junior, Undeclared)

Tyler Woodard – Men’s Track & Field (Senior, Business)

Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field:

Fany Alvarado – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Vanessa Carr – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Sophomore, ???)

Sydney Hubbard – Women’s Track & Field (Sophomore, Journalism)

Jenna Hulion – Women’s Track & Field (Junior, Criminology)

Victorya Jewett – Women’s Track & Field (Junior, Biology)

Desiree Karotko – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (Senior, Marine Biology)

Annalise Lopez – Women’s Track & Field, Cross Country (RS Freshman, Kinesiology)

Jamila McIntosh – Women’s Track & Field (Senior, Graphic Design)

Shane Mullany-Banks – Women’s Track & Field (Senior, Sociology)

Precious Watkins – Women’s Track & Field (Senior, Health Education)

Tiana Webberley – Women’s Track & Field (Junior, Nursing)

Men’s Golf:

Ryan Green – Men’s Golf (Junior, Business)

Women’s Golf:

Jennel Alexander – Women’s Golf (Senior, English)

Clariss Guce – Women’s Golf (Junior, Undeclared)

Kendall Patten – Women’s Golf (Senior, Family Consumer Sciences)

Men’s Soccer:

Brian Behrad – Men’s Soccer (Sophomore)

Yuval Barak – Men’s Soccer (RS Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Joseph Franco – Men’s Soccer (RS Junior, Finance)

Women’s Soccer:

Heidi Farran – Women’s Soccer (Senior, Business)

Haley Hawes – Women’s Soccer (Junior, Kinesiology)

Chloe McDaniel – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Marisa Miller -Women’s Soccer (Junior, Early Child Development)

Stephanie Norton – Women’s Soccer (Junior, Kinesiology)

Brittanie Sakajian – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Finance)

Brielle Slepicoff – Women’s Soccer (Senior, Biology)

Amanda Smith – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Nicolette Smith – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Wendy Warner – Women’s Soccer (Sophomore, Nutrition)

Softball:

Alyssa Ray – Softball (Senior, Liberal Studies)

Mikayla Thielges – Softball (Junior, Kinesiology)

Women’s Tennis:

Lorraine Cheung Lok Hei – Women’s Tennis (Sophomore, Business Marketing)

Sabrina Man-Son Hing – Women’s Tennis (Junior, Undeclared)

Jennifer Sher Chun Wing – Women’s Tennis (Senior, Psychology)

Maria Pistalu – Women’s Tennis (Junior, Business Administration)

Men’s Volleyball:

Tanner Nua – Men’s Volleyball (Senior, Kinesiology)

Cory Wagner – Men’s Volleyball (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Women’s Volleyball:

Sydney Gedryn – Women’s Volleyball (Sophomore, Kinesiology)

Monica McFarland – Women’s Volleyball (Junior, Public Health Education)

Una Siljegovic – Women’s Volleyball (Senior, Communications)

Water Polo:

Geneva Capos – Water Polo (Sophomore, Pre-Computer Sciences)

Melissa Doll – Water Polo (Sophomore, Math Education)

Jessica Goforth – (Senior, Kinesiology)

Hayley Gurriell – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Dana Harvey – Water Polo (Senior, Communications)

Molly Henehan – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Leah Janke – Water Polo (Junior, Speech Pathology)

Lindsy Nelson – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Heidi Pettinger – Water Polo (Senior, Liberal Studies)

Celena Photopulos – Water Polo (Sophomore, Undeclared)

Graduating Seniors in 2012:

Jennel Alexander – Women’s Golf (English)

Adam Barry – Baseball (Sociology)

Jaclyn Carlsen – Softball (Criminal Justice)

Brigette Conejo – Women’s Basketball

Katie Coulas – Women’s Soccer (Psychology)

Chris Deboo – Baseball (Business Administration)

Brooke Doane – Tennis (Chemistry)

Sebastian Domingo – Men’s Golf (Communication Studies)

Stella Dugall – Women’s Track & Field (Forensic Anthropology)

Nicole Duong – Women’s Golf (Journalism)

Jasmine Erving – Women’s Basketball (Sociology)

Todd Eskelin – Baseball (Psychology)

Heidi Farran – Women’s Soccer (Business)

Jessica Fridwell – Softball (Communications)

Emily Geckle – Women’s Soccer (Kinesiology)

Masis Hagobian – Men’s Track & Field (Political Science)

Jackie Harrison – Women’s Track & Field (CTVA)

Dana Harvey – Water Polo (Communications)

John Hayward-Mayhew – Men’s Basketball (Management)

Thomas Henry – Men’s Track & Field

Satchel Herrman – Men’s Golf (Business Finance/Economics)

Jeremy Hohn – Men’s Soccer (Recreation & Tourism Management)

Jenna Hulion – Women’s Track & fFeld (Criminology)

Thomas Johnson – Men’s Track & Field (Business Management)

Manabu Kaji – Men’s Soccer (Kinesiology)

Desirae Karotko – Women’s Track & Field (Marine Biology)

Steven Keller – Baseball (Sociology)

Kylie Kimura – Women’s Golf (Communication Studies)

Davis Kirkland – Men’s Golf

Michael Lizarraga – Men’s Basketball (Recreation & Tourism Management)

Monica McFarland – Women’s Volleyball (Public Health Education)

Vincent McGhee – Men’s Basketball (Communciation)

Kristen Mihm – Softball (Business Management)

Marisa Miller – Women’s Soccer (Early Childhood Development)

Matt Moreno – Baseball (Sociology)

Shane Mullany-Banks – Women’s Track & Field (Sociology)

Alex Murphy – Men’s Track & Field (Sociology)

Stephanie Norton – Women’s Soccer (Kinesiology)

Ese Ntekume – Women’s Track & Field (Accounting)

Tanner Nua – Men’s Volleyball (Kinesiology)

Olatunbosum Oshunluyi – Men’s Track & Field (Accounting)

Alex Oleata – Men’s Track & Field (Business Administration)

Nicole Padilla – Women’s Soccer (Exercise Science)

Heidi Pettinger – Water Polo (Liberal Studies)

Alyssa Ray – Softball (Liberal Studies)

Matt Rice – Men’s Volleyball (Business Marketing)

Daniel Rodrick – Men’s Volleyball (Child & Adolescent Development)

Ana Rosales – Women’s Track & Field (Kinesiology)

Jason Schroder – Men’s Track & Field (Civil Engineering)

Una Siljegovic – Women’s Volleyball (Communications)

Anna Simmons – Women’s Basketball (Kinesiology)

Nigora Sirojiddinova – Tennis (Finance)

Sydney Sonoda – Water Polo (Sociology, Criminal Justice)

Crystal Spears – Women’s Track & Field (Kinesiology)

Sydney Vermillion – Women’s Soccer (Kinesiology)

Precious Watkins – Women’s Track & Field (Health Education)

Brittany Williams – Women’s Volleyball (Psychology)

Tyler Woodard – Men’s Track & Field (Business)

Michael Woodham – Men’s Track & Field (Accounting)

CSUN's StoryCube will be located in the Matador Bookstore Complex from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. through May 11 and again during commencement week: May 22, 23 and 24. Photo by Jenny Donaire.

Faculty, staff, students and alumni will have an opportunity to tell their stories in front of the camera in the StoryCube, a soundproof mobile recording studio.

The mobile recording studio will be located in the Matador Bookstore Complex from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. through May 11 and again during commencement week: May 22, 23 and 24.

“StoryCube serves as a way for people to tell their stories about their CSUN experience, to preserve important first-person experiences that reflect highlights of their time on campus and preserve these memories,” said Patrick Polk, a lecturer for the College of Humanities and Tseng College as well as the head of the StoryCube project.

The StoryCube project was spearheaded last year by the Office of the Provost as a way to preserve the university’s history through oral interviews.

After the success of the StoryCube’s first run during last spring for commencement week and then again in fall for Founders Day, the provost’s office decided to bring it back.

“This is a rare and wonderful opportunity,” said Michael Hoggan, assistant professor in the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, who will be supplying students to assist and edit the recordings. “It’s nice to get feedback on what we do. It’s valuable to the university.”

Associated Students President Amanda Flavin, a graduating senior, said she looked forward to telling her story in the StoryCube.

“The StoryCube is an excellent idea to connect students, faculty and staff to the institution,” Flavin said. “I think the concept is very sweet.”

Individuals will need to schedule an interview before arriving at the StoryCube. The storyteller, who may also bring a friend into the interview, will be given 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to tell his or her story.

The recordings will be archived and made available to the public in CSUN ScholarWorks, the university’s institutional repository administered by the Delmar T. Oviatt Library. Short edited segments also will appear on the StoryCube website in the future.

An estimated 9,263 students—about 7,174 bachelor’s, 2,065 master’s and 24 doctoral degree candidates in a total of 64 fields—are eligible to take part in the ceremonies scheduled to begin the evening of Monday, May 21, with the university’s Honor Convocation.

“Commencement is a time when students, their friends and families, and the greater campus community join together to celebrate a significant milestone in the lives of our students,” said Cal State Northridge Interim President Harry Hellenbrand. “We do so using the pomp and circumstance that are a traditional part of graduation, but the ceremonies also have plenty of spontaneity and moments of genuine emotion that reflect the unique character of the graduating class and its students.

“Given the challenges that our public universities face in one of the most difficult fiscal environments in generations, this year’s commencement is particularly poignant and calls attention to the importance of higher education in our society,” Hellenbrand said. “Our students represent the future, so we must recognize as a society the importance of ensuring they have the knowledge, skills and support to succeed so that they may better their communities and the broader world.”

The graduation celebration begins at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 21, with the Honors Convocation on the lawn in front of the Delmar T. Oviatt Library located in the heart of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge. About 1,500 graduating students have been invited to participate.

This year’s convocation speaker is Hellenbrand, who has served as Northridge’s interim president since December, when former CSUN President Jolene Koester retired. Dianne F. Harrison, president of CSU Monterey Bay, will be assuming the permanent position in June.

Hellenbrand was appointed CSUN provost and vice president for academic affairs in 2004. He is the former dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he also taught. Hellenbrand was also a professor at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and California State University, San Bernardino. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature from Harvard College and a doctorate in modern thought and literature from Stanford University.

The commencement ceremonies are as follows:

• Students in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication will celebrate their graduation beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 22, on the lawn in front of the Oviatt Library.

• The College of Science and Mathematics’ graduation ceremony is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, 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’ graduation at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

• The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences’ graduation ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

• Computer science alumnus Nicholas Timinskas will address the graduates during the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s ceremony, which will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, on Manzanita Hall lawn.

Timinskas, who earned a bachelor’s degree from CSUN in 2009, is the global commercial operations information systems portfolio manager and project manager for breakawayfromcancer.com. Founded in 2005 by Amgen, breakawayfromcancer.com is a national initiative to increase awareness of important resources available to people affected by cancer—from prevention through survivorship.

• The College of Humanities will celebrate its students’ graduation at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

• Telecommunications entrepreneur Paul Jennings, who graduated from Northridge with a degree in marketing in 1985, will give the commencement address during the ceremony for the College of Business and Economics, which begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 24, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

Jennings has been in the telecommunications industry since 1983. He has founded, developed and successfully built, operated and sold various technology companies, including an industry leader in the provisioning of inmate correctional telephone services throughout the country. Concurrent to operating technology companies, in 1994 Jennings formed PCS Development, which has become an active real estate developer in Southern California. Jennings has built, managed and owned more than 4,000 multifamily units. PCS Development currently has a portfolio of land assets that are in various stages of development in Park City, Utah, as well as a planned resort community in Mexico.

Business executive and former U.S. Census Bureau Director Vincent Barabba, who received his bachelor’s degree from what was then San Fernando Valley State College in 1962, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree during the ceremony.

Barabba has had a long career in public and private service. Most recently, he was a member of the California Citizens’ Redistricting Commission and is serving as chairman of The State of the USA, a prominent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the American people assess the nation’s progress based on unbiased information. He was appointed director of the U.S. Census Bureau by President Richard Nixon in 1973, President Gerald Ford in 1974 and President Jimmy Carter in 1979. He also has held executive positions at Xerox, Eastman Kodak and General Motors. Barabba was recognized by the university in 2003 as a distinguished alumnus.

• National Teacher of the Year for 2012, Rebecca Mieliwocki will address the graduates during the ceremony for the Michael D. Eisner College of Education at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, on the Oviatt Library lawn.

Mieliwocki, who received her credential in secondary English education from Northridge in 1996, teaches English to seventh graders at Luther Burbank Middle School in the Burbank Unified School District and was one of California’s five 2012 Teachers of the Year. She was selected as the 2012 National Teacher of the Year, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious teaching honor, last month and was feted at the White House by President Barack Obama.

These questions and more will be investigated by the eight faculty members selected for California State University, Northridge’s Research Fellows Program for the 2012–2013 academic year.

Rafi Efrat

The fellows program, founded in 2007 and funded collaboratively by the Office of the Provost, colleges and the Delmar T. Oviatt Library, gives faculty the opportunity to engage in compelling research or creative activity during the year.

Fellows are competitively selected based in part on the extent to which the proposed activity explores creative or original concepts, the likelihood of achievement, how the research or activity will benefit society and the contribution to the field of study or across other fields. Research fellows are required to report results to the deans and the provost. In addition, the Oviatt Library hosts a colloquium in the fall where fellows share their work with the campus.

Sean Flanagan

“We are delighted to have such an eclectic group of researchers named as the Research Fellows for the 2012–2013 academic year,” said Marianne Afifi, associate dean of the Oviatt Library. “The fellowship will allow faculty from seven colleges and the Oviatt Library to spend concentrated time on projects that advance research in their respective fields. I congratulate the fellows on their nomination and wish them a productive year. We look forward to hearing about their work and the outcomes at the Research Fellows Symposium in fall 2013.”

The eight selected research fellows and their respective projects are:

• Accounting and information systemsprofessor Rafi Efrat’s research topic is “The Use of Refundable Tax Credits to Increase Low-Income Children’s After-School Physical Activity Level.”

Frances Gateward

He has proposed a new, untested approach for combating childhood obesity rates among low-income children by examining the potential impact tax incentives might have on their participation in organized after-school physical activity.

• Kinesiologyprofessor Sean Flanagan’s “Multi Joint Synergies” project will explore how joints work together during human movement. Because of the way joints function as small “teams,” performance may be impeded or an injury can occur even though each joint technically has the capacity to accomplish its task. It may not be the capacities of the individual joints but the synergy, or lack of synergy, that is the root of a particular problem. His research will explore these synergies and their consequences for performance and injury risk.

Marcia Henry

• Cinema and television arts professor Frances Gateward will examine the work of African-American women film directors within the contexts of the changing social, political and cultural climates in which they were produced, linking the films to broader ideological developments in American culture that the films articulate and disrupt.

Clement Lai

• Reference and instructional services faculty member Marcia Henry’s research topic is “Mapping the Gerontological Nursing Literature.” She, along with two colleagues, is doing a citation analysis of cited references in leading geriatric nursing journals. Bibliometric studies help libraries make evidence-based purchasing decisions. Her study is part of an ongoing, collaborative research project with the Nursing and Allied Health Resource Section (NAHRS) of the Medical Library Association.

• Asian American studies professor Clement Lai’s research project, entitled “The Difference that Difference Makes: Uncovering California’s Multiracial Past, Living California’s Multiracial Future,” will examine the effects of urban renewal policy on neighboring African Americans and Japanese Americans in San Francisco’s Fillmore District between 1940–1980. He is also working on an oral history project with residents of historical multiracial neighborhoods in Southern California.

Debra Malmberg

Connie White

• Psychology professor Debra Malmberg’s research focuses on educational programs for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Parents will learn behavioral strategies to facilitate their children’s language development in natural settings, and behavior analysts will guide parents in taking advantage of learning opportunities throughout the day.

• Elementary education professor Connie White’s research topic is “Exploring New Possibilities: Struggling Readers and Their Parents Bridging the Gap Between Digital and Traditional Literacies.” This research seeks to address the disparity in current school discourses and practices found to marginalize English language learners and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

George Youssef

• Mechanical engineeringprofessor George Youssef will study the causal transfer function of biomechanics and muscle forces of human walking. The goal of his research is to formulate an overall causal transfer function that relates the ground reaction force during walking to the mechanical forces and accelerations on the tibia and femur, and to the forces in the muscles.

Theatre professor Doug Kaback working with students on the 'Bonus Army' project. Photo by Lee Choo.

Black and white veterans, many out of work since the start of the Great Depression, stood side-by-side demanding what was owed them. The government responded by ordering the “occupiers” removed from government property. In the resulting clashes involving police and the military, some of the veterans died.

This little-known piece of American history is being reenacted in the academic halls of California State University, Northridge as a group of students, some veterans of America’s most recent wars, use theater to explore the needs of today’s military service personnel as they re-enter society.

“We are using the play, ‘The Bonus Army,’ as a way to contextualize the re-entry of American service men and women into society after their tours,” said theatre professor Doug Kaback, who put together the upper-division seminar class with colleagues in the Departments of Social Work, Music and Sociology. “The students, who come from disciplines from across the campus, have gone out and interviewed World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans. Six of the students are vets themselves and have shared their experiences.

“While the play deals with veterans of the First World War, what the students are finding as they do their research is that despite the different wars and time periods, the experiences of the veterans in coming home can be very similar,” he said.

Kaback said he is hoping that the students, and others, will draw on what they have learned as they encounter the thousands of American service men and women who will be returning home as the United States’ military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan winds down.

The students have shared their research with screenwriter and playwright Lee Cohn, who is hoping to turn the story of the Bonus Army into a movie and has been serving as a master teacher in the class. There also have been informal performances of “The Bonus Army” at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lodge in Granada Hills and at Valley and Pierce Colleges. A performance at Cal State Northridge has been scheduled at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, May, 11, in the Little Theatre in Nordhoff Hall near the southwest corner of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

Kaback said the productions have served as a catalyst for a larger discussion at each venue as audience members and the performers, Kaback’s students, share their reactions to what has taken place on stage.

Junior Mia Williams, 22, a theater major, called the class and the performances “eye opening.”

“I thought I knew what was going on, but I really didn’t know what happened and is happening to our men and women who serve,” she said. “I have a new level of respect for what they went and are going through. I know this (experience) is going to shape how I see things in the future.”

David Johnson, 50, a former Marine and theater major, said he didn’t realize that there are so many people who felt guilty that they served in the military.

“From my perspective, that was my job,” he said. “I was willing to serve for those who, for whatever reason, could not. I didn’t judge what those reasons were.”

Erin Grace Nolan, 29, a Navy veteran and senior majoring in theater, admitted that when she returned to civilian life, she didn’t share the fact that she was a veteran.

“When I got out of the military, I wanted some decompression time,” she said. “I didn’t reach out to other vets. It seemed like we kind of avoided each other. I figured that that part of my life was over with and I wanted to get back to my family.

“But this class really helped me open up,” Nolan said. “All the different stories we heard, the people we talked to, they helped me realize it was okay not to have enjoyed my time in the military. And I did something I never thought I would do, I joined the American Legion.”

Josh Ellman, 29, a senior and communication studies major, admitted he signed up for the class because there weren’t any other classes available.

“But I don’t have any regrets,” he said. “I’ve learned so much about communication, verbal and non-verbal, particularly when it comes to the veterans. And I’ve also learned a new level of respect for what they have been through.”

Graduate student Alison Ankeny, 53, said the students’ and audience reactions to the project underscores her belief that theater can be a tool for social workers as they help military personnel return to civilian life.

“The Department of Defense admitted it does not have the resources to really serve the returning population of military personnel,” said Ankeny, who is doing her capstone project for her master’s in social work on the class. “Theater provides a community setting and a creative way for people to share what they have been through. It can be a very powerful tool—even if it’s just a reading of a play—for social workers who may be looking for creative ways to give additional support to their clients.

“At the same time, for those who didn’t serve, a theatrical project such as this provides a way to educate civilians about the experiences of men and women in our military,” she said.

Nolan agreed.

“I wish the (Veterans Administration) offered something like this, where everyone is open to hearing what is being said, regardless of your differences—whether it’s politics or religion or whatever,” she said. “Everyone was respectful and everyone listened.”

His lecture will take place Friday, May 4, at 12 p.m. at the Grand Salon, located in the University Student Union on the east side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

“Jonathan’s goal is to raise awareness of the issues related to learning differences and disabilities,” said Sally Spencer, an assistant professor of special education. “He shares what he experienced in school as a person with a learning difference in order to empower new generations of young people to identify and build on their strengths. We hope attendees will leave with an awareness about what it means to be a person with a learning disability, and what it doesn’t mean. We also want people to gain an understanding of the importance of celebrating and building on their personal strengths and talents.”

Despite being labeled as “severely learning disabled,” Mooney graduated from Brown University in 2000 and holds a degree in English literature. Mooney is the founder and president of Project Eye-To-Eye, a mentoring and advocacy nonprofit organization for students with learning differences. Project Eye-To-Eye currently has 20 chapters in 13 states working with more than 3,000 students, parents and educators nationwide.

Admission to the lecture is free. For more information, contact Sally Spencer at (818) 677-6789 or Vanessa Goodwin at (818) 677-7888.

The Department of Special Education at California State University, Northridge prepares educators to work with students with exceptional learning needs, from students who have disabilities to students who are identified as gifted or talented. The department offers credential and master’s degree programs for professionals who work with infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families. All its programs focus on preparing highly qualified special educators to serve culturally and linguistically diverse learners.