Hundreds of campus faculty, staff and administrators joined in celebration today to honor and recognize the many milestones and achievements accomplished by Titans.
The annual University Awards celebration kicked off with breakfast, rousing music from the Titan Band, T-shirts flying through the air, and humorous videos in which CSUF President Fram Virjee and David Forgues, vice president for human resources, diversity and inclusion, ‘interviewed’ notable alumni Kevin Costner, Gwen Stefani, Justin Turner and Bruce Bowen.
And then, there was that special moment when Tuffy stormed the stage, only to reveal … he was President Virjee.
Virjee noted that the awards ceremony was a time to recognize the excellence of faculty and staff members. “It’s all about you, the faculty and staff of this incredible institution,” he told the crowd.
This year, two faculty members with 40 years of service received special recognition for their years of service: Cherlyn Converse, lecturer in mathematics, and Aubrey LeBard, lecturer in marketing.
In addition to recognizing employees’ years of service and achievement of advanced degrees, the awards program presented three campuswide awards.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
The Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Award recognizes staff, faculty and administrators who enhance the university environment by improving cross-cultural understanding through respect for differing backgrounds and points of view. This year’s recipient was Sharrica Miller, assistant professor of nursing, whose leadership helped establish the first annual Diversity and Inclusion Symposium within the School of Nursing. The symposium introduced important topics surrounding diversity to the campus, such as ethnicity, religion, sexuality and gender expression, providing an opportunity for the campus to recruit and retain a more diverse student population. In addition, Miller’s collaboration with the Guardian Scholars program and advocacy with foster youth is a testament to her commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity efforts.
Teamwork and Collaboration Award
The Teamwork and Collaboration Award recognizes staff, faculty, administrators or teams who demonstrate cooperation, collaboration and open communication. This year’s winners were members of the Tuffy’s Basic Needs team: Carmen Curiel, associate dean of students; Marlene Romero, care services coordinator; and student assistant Nick Jakel. This team was instrumental to the success of the Tuffy’s Basic Needs Center in its first year of operation, providing more than 2,000 visitors with food assistance, temporary emergency housing, financial support and the distribution of clothing and hygiene products. Since its inception, this team has developed partnerships both on and off campus that contributed to the center’s triumph and benefits students who are experiencing hardship.
Leadership Award
The 2019 Leadership Award recognizes a staff, faculty member or administrator who demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities, as well as motivates and inspires others to a high level of commitment by creating a compelling vision. Eileen Walsh, chair and associate professor of sociology, was this year’s Leadership Award winner. Walsh was nominated not only for serving as an extraordinary role model to staff and colleagues, but for her leadership in guiding faculty and staff members to contribute to the further growth of the college and its students. She is described as a supportive mentor and collaborative leader with a clear vision for the department that aligns decisions with the students’ best interests.
Titan Excellence Awards
This year, after an absence of several years, the Titan Excellence Awards were re-established. Sixty-four nominations were received and four outstanding Titans were named for 2019.
Matt Englar-Carlson, professor of counseling. is described as an extraordinary educator, providing students with support for both educational and personal growth. His contributions to the campus are evident through his leadership every day in the classroom and in the Graduate Mentoring program, where he increases cultural awareness among students, staff, and faculty while providing resources to the population of underrepresented students through advising and mentorship.
Jim Donovan, director of athletics, has been described as a transformative force within Titan Athletics. Since his arrival on campus, Titan Athletics has nearly quadrupled its annual fundraising and increased annual student attendance at athletic events by more than 1,200 percent. The university’s graduation success rate for student-athletes increased from 68 to 77 percent. Donovan was recently named one of only four nationwide Under Armour Athletic Directors of the Year Award winners.
Ken Moyer, information technology consultant, is described as an exceptional asset to the Department of Online Education and Training in Academic Affairs. His commitment to his day-to-day work, collaboration with cohorts, vision for the department’s projects and programs, and consistent level of outstanding customer service were noted. Additionally, his commitment to the university’s Accessible Technology Initiative and advancing awareness of the importance of inclusive teaching strategies and accessible instructional materials supports student success and inclusivity.
Tammy Rogers, graduation specialist, is a pivotal asset to student success within the College of Communications. Over the last 17 years, she has consistently played an integral role in student success, providing support with integrity and attention to detail. This is evident through the improvement in the College of Communication’s graduation and retention rates.
Titan of the Year: Jim Donovan
From the four Titan Excellence recipients, one was named Titan of the Year. This year, the honor went to Donovan, who promptly thanked the President Virjee, Vice President for Student Affairs Berenecea J. Eanes, the president’s cabinet and administration, faculty, staff and students.
“All of us in athletics are so proud to represent the university,” he said. “Thank you to our supporters, our donors and our alumni. We will have our ups and downs … but our best days are ahead of us.”
Graduation and Certificates Earned
Several staff members who earned advanced degrees were recognized, including:
Kenitza Carrillo — M.S., higher education, Cal State Fullerton
Kim Case — Ed.D., CSUF
Zenaida Co — DNP, CSUF
Rebecca Conran-Dunham, MBA, CSUF
Leilani De Castro, M.S. counseling, CSUF
Loida De Leon, MPA, Cal State Northridge
Adeline Godines, B.A. business administration, CSUF
Robin Graboyes, MPA, CSUF
Emily Hill, M.A. education, Cal State San Diego
Samuel Lee, M.S. college counseling and student development, Azusa Pacific University
Annalyn Mai, B.A. communications/B.S. health science, CSUF
Veronica Martinez, B.A. sociology, CSUF
Christine Mayfield, Ed.D., CSUF
Diane Mazzey, Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership, USC
Patty Park, M.S. literacy and reading, CSUF
Guosheng (Sean) Wei, M.S. information technology, CSUF
Catherine Ward, Ed.D., University of Southern California
Years of Service Honorees
5 Years
Mohammad Abdelhaq | Christina Medina |
Nitin Agnihotri | Christopher Medina |
Adolfo A. Aguilar | Lori Melendrezallemand |
Aurelio Agundez | Christine Mendoza |
Sawssan Ahmed | Ronald A. Michelotti |
Iyad Alamir | Malgorzata Miklas-Kalczynska |
Tammi Alderman | Trisha Miller |
Lisa M. Alexander | Luis H. Molina |
Lori Allemand | Kenna Molinder |
Anthony Alvarez | Niroshika Monerawila-Keppetipola |
Albert Anticona Araujo | Randy Montes |
Jordon Aquino | Mahnaz Moradi-Nargesi |
Isaac G. Arciniega | Analisa F. Morgan |
Monica Marie Armas | April Morris |
Luzviminda N. Ashna | Lidia Morrison |
Herllaine Asistio | Kieran F. Mulholland |
Hakob Avetisyan | Sarah G. Muñoz |
Andrew S. Ayala | Sabrina A. Najera |
Jyenny Babcock | Futoshi Nakagawa |
Martina Baldwin | Rachel Nankervis |
Amber M. Beck | Samriti K. Natt |
Samuel Blanche | Hylin Neese |
Catherine Brennan | Amanda Q. Nguyen |
Patricia J. Brockman | Thi Thu Hang Nguyen |
Siobhan Brooks | Janice Nguyen |
Sean C. Brown | John Nguyen |
Heather Brown | Julianne G. Nielsen |
Margie Brown-Coronel | Trista O’Connell |
Marcela C. Burrell | Jennifer Okieffe |
Mara Cabrera | Matthew Olson |
Stephanie Campbell | Tonantzin Oseguera |
Justin Chan | Jerod Overfield |
Parichard Chan | James M. Owens |
Min J. Chang | Mariusz Ozminkowski |
Yuhsin Chang | Orvic Ralph Pada |
Aaron J. Cho | Lauren B. Parkes |
Hansol Choi | Sergio A. Pena Flores |
Laura Chowdhury | Diana Perez |
Lisa R. Collins | Eleanor Perry-Tomlin |
Martha L. Contreras | Elyse Peterson |
Scott G. Cooper | Jaime Potter |
Ruben Coronel | Patricia Prestinary |
Cathleen L. Craig | Ruth W. Pries |
Cheryl Crippen | Christine Quiros |
Kerri B. Crooks | Stephen Ramirez |
Abraham Cruz | Annik Ramsey |
Maria Darcy | Carolyn Rath |
Amanda N. Davidson | Nathan Reed |
Suzanne Marie Davidson | Holly Richards |
Michael Dietz | Catherine D. Rivas |
Michael Dillon | Summer Rivera |
Armando Enciso-Ramirez Jr. | Olga Riveron |
Guadalupe Espinoza | Daniel Rivers |
Armand Esquivel | Brett Robblee |
Jeanette Esquivel Morales | Ian Roberson |
Amanda Estrada | Laura R. Ross |
Rosemary D. Farr | Lisa R. Rubio |
Karen Fazio | Blanca Ruiz |
Tanis Fields | Daniel Sadnik |
Jeffrey Freeman | Joy Sage |
Natalie Fujimoto | Steve Santana |
Nancy Garcia | Leila Sayyadi |
George M. Garcia | Michelle S. Schwartz |
Alexander Gauf | Sharon Selnick |
Jacquelyn Gerali | Jesus Serna |
Justin A. Gerboc | Anthony D. Sesma |
Nathaniel Christian Gilliam | Pradeep Sharma |
Elizabeth Gomez | Sarah Shawesh |
Inez M. Gonzalez | Macy Shen |
Ester Gonzalez | Leaa Short |
Natalie Graham | Shane Shukis |
Wendy Grieb | Sylvan Shulman |
Nyema Guannu | Lauren E. Sieven |
Ken Guo | Eunseok Song |
David R. Guzman | Evelyn R. Soqui |
Krista Hahn | Aldo Soto |
Maureen B. Hall-Katz | Arsenio Staer |
Emily Hamecher | Patrick O. Stephan |
Joanna Hang | Su Swarat |
Kalani Hobayan | Amber Tavasolian |
Marissa R. Hoggard | Linda B. Taylor |
Nathan Horn | Erik Tellez |
Mike Huang | Devon Thacker Thomas |
Hokseng Hun | William Thomas |
Adam M. Hyde | Ingrid Thompson |
Jennifer B. Ip | Yun Tian |
Ramona C. Jauregui | Duan Tran |
Cassandra Jones | Jeanne T. Tran-Martin |
Bradley W. Justice | Saran Tucker |
Danny C. Kim | Mark A. Ulloa |
Suzanne G. Knutzen | Masako Ura |
Nicole Koch | Charity Vasquez |
Maria Koleilat | Anael Verdugo |
Kirsten Kvaska | Teresa Victoria |
Marc Labreche | Juan Villafuerte |
Catherine Lamar | Mary Ann Villarreal |
Sunny Le | Danika Julieann Visnaw-Gavina |
Christina Lee | Kathryn Walker |
Linda Leonard | Nancy Walker |
Joseph F. Lipnisky | Catherine Ward |
Peng Liu | Willie Washington |
Lisa A. Lopez | Richard Watson |
Sean Loyd | Martha Webber |
Jeffrey D. Lum | Myrna A. Weber |
Barbara Malley | Christopher J. Weems |
Ashley M. Malone | Guosheng Wei |
Steve M. Marquez | Sonya C. White |
Jorge A. Martinez | Cathleen Wietstock |
Jhofelle E. Maruzzo | Bonnie Williams |
Scott Mata | Karla H. Wirth |
Souraya Matar | Gregory S. Witmer |
Dianne Matias | Christopher Witscher |
Kenneth Maxey | Susie Woo |
Stephen May | Jensen P. Yee |
Rachel McClanahan | Mun Yong |
Daniel McClure | Leah C. Young |
Debra J. McGee-Smith | Rubaiya Zaman |
Katherine J. McGill | Maria Estela Zarate |
Luke McGowan | Mark W. Zerbe |
10 Years
Sadeeka Almajid | Fred Kinney |
Rodney Anderson | Sara M. Kirkpatrick |
Henry Atkins | Edward Knell |
Assaf Avni | Shengjie Kung |
Christopher Axtell | Tri Lam |
Suzanne M. Batista | Tami W. Lau |
Sam Behseta | Ester Soo Jin Lee |
Ajay Bhootra | Dena S. Leischner |
Jaclyn Blyleven | Hong Lin |
Jennifer Burnaford | Scott Lynn |
Julie R. Bussell | Raven Laura Mansen |
Nathalie Carrick | Jacqueline Margo |
Diobel L.S. Castner | Michelle M. Markham |
Edward V. Castro | Andreea E. Martin |
Minerva Chavez | Hugh A. McDonald |
Rebecca Conran-Dunham | Elva R. Meraz |
Monica B. Corona | Alison Miyamoto |
June Criswell | Alicia Moreno |
Piero Cutrona | Kimberly Mundala |
Victor A. Davila | Lori Muse |
Dirk J. Dejong | Nikolaos Nikolaidis |
Tenzin Dorjee | Kimberly Norman |
Jason rotter | Sang June Oh |
Jesus E. Enriquez | Nancy Panza |
Jacques J. Etcheberry | Marilyn Parras |
Gary Evans | Christopher G. Perez |
Peter Fashing | Rachel Permejo |
April Flores | Diana Pirraglia |
Danielle M. Flores | David Plouffe |
Maria Garcia | Adolfo Prieto |
Joe Albert Garcia | Sandra Marie Quintero |
Christine Gardiner | Alysia Ranson |
Barry Gershenovitz | Waleed Rashidi |
Jasmeet Gill | Donald Ray |
Howard Gordon | J. Fernando Rincon Trejo |
Cynthia Grauvogl | Hoang B. Rivera |
Colleen Greene | James Rodriguez |
Cheryl Mae Hanrahan | Tiffany Row |
Wirawan Harjono | James Ruby |
Nikia M. Hastie | Elizabeth Sanchez |
Glen Hatton | Daniel S. Soper |
Michelle E. Hernandez | Ben Sztajnkrycer |
Michael Hoffman | William Thompson |
Randy Hoffman | Saul Tobias |
Melanie Horn Mallers | Berna Torr |
Larry Howard | Kavin Tsang |
James Hussar | Justin Tucker |
Pablo Jasis | Nagaraja Vadlakunta |
Wei Jiang | Diana Vasquez |
Hope Johnson | Teresa L. Vazquez |
David Kelman | David P. Williams |
Barbara L. Kerr | Jindong Wu |
Danny Kim | Edward Yoo |
15 Years
Maricela Alvarado | Sonia Nunez |
Anthony M. Anderson | Valerie O’Regan |
Harry Anicich | Valerie Orleans |
Joseph Biel | Marsha Orr |
Jennifer Carlson | Kevin N. Phillips |
Nathan Carr | Patricia Prunty |
James Childers | Cristina G. Rangel |
Parastoo Danaee | Charles Royston |
Eduardo A. Dizon | Bruce Rubin |
Barbra Erickson | David Sandner |
Theresa Facundo | Debra Saxton |
Jose Fonseca | Ketan Shah |
Steven James | Paul F. Shirts |
Kimberly A. Kee | Albert R. Sim |
Valentin Lagunes | Stephen Stambough |
Zhuangjie Li | Kristin K. Stang |
Stacy Mallicoat | Marc T. Trinh |
Tim Maloney | Kenneth Walicki |
Miguel Martinez | Sean Walker |
Robert McLain | Stephen Weissbart |
Christine Lua Muriel | Adam Woods |
Eliza Noh | Feng Xiao |
Amy Novak | Jing Yang |
Danielle Zacherl |
20 Years
Andres Alamillo | Lilian Koldre |
Sammy Al-Qaisi | William Lett |
Diana Alvarez | David T. Lin |
Michael S. Bedford | Aurora Lopez |
Aquilio Betancourt | Eligio H. Lopez |
Edwin Bibera | Jason C .Lorge |
Jennifer Blander | Michelle C. Lucio |
Renae Bredin | Laura Marcoulides |
John D. Brockie | Drusilla Maurer |
Patsy S. Burns | Robert Mead |
Adeline Carroll | Barbara Miller |
Juda Carter | Jesus Miranda |
Mark Cartiglia | Danny Miranda Jr. |
Suvath Chea | William Myers |
David Chen | Daryle Nagano |
Sandeep Chopra | Christopher Nielsen |
Bin Cong | Kimberly A. Norman |
Anne Cox-Petersen | Ali Parsa |
Helen Davenport | Lisa M. Penunuri |
John Doyle | Michael Perez |
John Drew | Katherine Powers |
Marcia Escobosa | Michael D. Pruitt |
Ragaa Fahmi | Chris Ruiz-Velasco |
Joseph T. Fitzgerald | Maryam Sayyedi |
M. Wayne Foss | Ann Sheffield |
Mary Ellen Frazier | Clay Sherman |
Thomas Fujita-Rony | Kunavouth Svay |
Tara Garcia | William Vancleve |
Andres M. Garcia | Melanie A. Vogel |
Neil Granitz | Mai H. Warren |
Cynthia L. Greenberg | Bob L. West |
Arnold A .Holland | Susan D. Winston |
Janette Hyder | Sherri Wolff |
Robert Istad | Buzhe Xiao |
Annette M. Jones |
25 Years
Genevieve Amaro-Bussey | Mike McGee |
John Anderson | Karen McKinley |
Todd T. Baker | Kevin Meehan |
Ruby J. Cook | Lucy Moon-Shoulders |
Glennda-Roy Gilmour | Deserita Ohtomo |
Charles D. Kissel | Grant Rohr |
Sandra K. Malone | Patricia Rottschaeffer |
Joseph Martinazzi | Mark Salters |
Philip Woodward |
30 Years
Welson G. Badal | Zvi Goldstein |
Susamma (Susan) Barua | Maureen Haney |
Jill A. Brower | Ross L. Jones |
Gayle Brunelle | Jimmy C. Kung |
Beverly L. Chawla | James Lasley |
Marc Dickey | Sergio Lizarraga |
Kathryn Dickson | Margaret Y. Luzzi |
John L. Elders | Morteza Rahmatian |
35 Years of Service Honorees
Craig Bowman
Hassan Hamidi-Hashemi
Mikel Hogan
Joyce L. Jones
Debra R. Winters
40 Years
Cherlyn Converse
Aubrey Lebard
45 Years
Douglas Navarick
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