CSU Voices and Views

A Scientist’s Responsibility

Sepher Eskandari, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Biological Sciences
Alumnus of Cal Poly Pomona

Sepher Eskandari in the lab at Cal Poly Pomona.

Sepher Eskandari in the lab at Cal Poly Pomona.

My most important responsibility as a scientist is to teach the next generation.  This is because science is not static – it is not the sum of all existing knowledge.  Rather, science is a dynamic process that builds one discovery on top of the other.  Today’s scientific community is asking questions that will not be answered in my lifetime, but in my students’ lifetimes – perhaps.

I derive great joy working with and teaching students in my lab at Cal Poly Pomona.  Together, we research the chemistry implicated in brain processes that may one day lead to treatment options for seizures and strokes.  The work itself is rewarding but the intellectual curiosity and maturation I see developing in students who spend upwards of four years (spanning both their undergraduate and graduate years) in my lab makes a greater personal impact. More …

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Honoring Their Names

By Kay Takeyama Dilena, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita of Management
Alumna of San Francisco State

Professor Emerita Kay Takeyama Dilena, Ph.D. has established a new center for the Study of Japan and Japanese Culture at San Francisco State University.

Professor Emerita Kay Takeyama Dilena, Ph.D. has established a new center for the Study of Japan and Japanese Culture at San Francisco State University.

When I taught at San Francisco State in the 1970s and 1980s, I came to understand that I was instructing a generation that had no memory of Japan and the U.S. at war.  Within these students’ lifetimes, the two countries had always been strategic allies and economic partners.  The American-Japanese relationship formed the foundation of a cross Pacific exchange of goods, ideas and cultures.  I was amazed and thrilled to see the friendship evolve between my native and adopted nations, but concerned that we might be losing an understanding of the history that brought us together.

This experience, in part, led me to join with my husband, brother and sister-in-law on a book that described our family’s experience through World War II and the time that immediately followed.  My brother and I at the time were in Japan – my husband and sister-in-law in the U.S.  More …

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A Successful First Year at Cal State L.A.

Interview with Erika Acuna
Cal State L.A. Student

Erika Acuna during the taping.

Erika Acuna during the taping.


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Transcript: More …

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Educating Those Who Serve

By Peter J. Gravett
Secretary
California Department of Veterans Affairs
Alumnus of CSU Long Beach

Peter J. Gravett

Peter J. Gravett

For many the military has been an avenue of opportunity. There is no better way to take advantage of those opportunities that through the benefit of a college education. 

Shortly after I joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1962, when I was still in the Army National Guard, I decided to continue my education and chose to attend Long Beach State University, as it was known then, and I have been grateful for that opportunity ever since. The education I received at Long Beach State, prepared me for a career both in law enforcement and military service to this state and nation. More …

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Following in Her Footsteps

By Terea Giannetta
Nurse Practitioner
Faculty at Fresno State
Alumna of Sacramento State and Fresno State

My aunt was a traveling nurse when I was a child.  She often visited my parent’s home sharing stories about different places and opportunities.  She would talk about the various aspects of nursing and about caring for people.

I followed in my aunt’s footsteps with a desire to explore.  I wanted to learn the profession, but also seek out different places and perspectives.  In 1976, I received my bachelor’s degree in nursing from Sacramento State – a relatively urban environment with great hospitals.  I then completed my Master’s in Nursing as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from Fresno State, among the first graduates from this new program.  Fresno offered an entirely different experience, with a county hospital that sent me into rural areas with often-limited resources and issues with access to care. More …

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You Are California’s Future

Interview with Greg Washington,
California State Student Association President
Political Science and Communication Studies Major
CSU Fullerton

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A Thriving Mission

By Alejandro Holguin
Social Science Major, History Minor
Sacramento State

Alejandro Holguin at Sacramento State

Alejandro Holguin at Sacramento State

When people talk about the difference between military and civilian life, the conversation is usually along the lines of discipline, training and culture.  That is probably true, but the biggest difference to me after my deployment in Iraq was the intensity.  Military service, especially when you are in a warzone, is profound.  It’s not just the life and death situations, it’s everything that goes into and supports the people in the field.  Every action is critical, every task is important and the people that surround you are all working to achieve the same mission.

Upon my return from Iraq I came home to a blessed and loving family of my wife and two (as of eight weeks ago) daughters.  Yet, even in the best of home environments, there is a need to reconnect family relationships, which can be difficult. More …

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A Lesson on Life’s Necessities

By Mihir Patel
Business Major
CSU Monterey Bay

Note: Over the summer, 19 CSU Monterey Bay students enrolled in Professor Sanjay Lanka’s Business 303S class, an international service learning experience focused on community economic development in Nicaragua. Below are photos of the class and the observations of one of the students.

I think back on my experience as “Survivor: Nicaragua.” The number one thing I took away from the experience was to be happy with what you have and don’t take the necessities for granted.

We went to a local farm to plant coffee, mango, passion fruit and guava seedlings. The farmer used cow dung from his own herd as fertilizer. This is our class after we finished working for the day.

We went to a local farm to plant coffee, mango, passion fruit and guava seedlings. The farmer used cow dung from his own herd as fertilizer. This is our class after we finished working for the day.

More …

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A Proud Tradition

By Captain Lynn Korwatch
Executive Director
Marine Exchange San Francisco Bay Region
Alumna of the California Maritime Academy

Captain Korwatch is honored as a Cal Maritime Distinguished Alumna at the 2010 graduation

Captain Korwatch is honored as a Cal Maritime Distinguished Alumna at the 2010 graduation

Attending the California Maritime Academy is unlike almost any other college experience. I belonged to a corps of cadets — a small, disciplined and incredibly close unit of students. Every graduate of Cal Maritime remembers morning formation and shares the experience of a cruise on the Training Ship Golden Bear.

There is an amazing sensation of freedom that you get being part of a crew in international waters. The ship is in the middle of a vast blue landscape that stretches from horizon to horizon. The nearest land is hundreds of miles away. For every mariner, the first crossing of the International Date Line or the Equator is a milestone steeped in tradition and celebration. More …

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How to Apply for Fall 2012

Interview with Nathan Evans,
CSU Director of Enrollment Management Services

Answers to these common application questions:
- When and where do I apply to attend a CSU?
- What is the Early Start Program?
- Which students have highest priority for access?
- What is your advice for first time freshmen?
- What is the most important thing to do after applying?

Captioned video available on YouTube.

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