Courtesy photos.
CAMARILLO — Plans for a new conservation center at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) – to be built in partnership with the Santa Barbara Zoo — are progressing quickly with the conceptual design already complete.
Construction progress also continues for Gateway Hall, along with several other new initiatives, programs, and partnerships that CSUCI President Richard Yao will review on Friday, April 19 during the annual State of the University address, sponsored by the West Ventura County Business Alliance (WVCBA).
The public is invited to attend this address, which is part of the WVCBA’s CSUCI Connection Breakfast. It will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at CSUCI’s Grand Salon. Tickets are $45 for WVCBA members and $50 for non-members and may be purchased online.
“This is my third year as president of CSU Channel Islands, and we’ve had challenges, to be sure. We’ve also had tremendous growth in cooperation with the surrounding community and our valuable business partners,” Yao said. “The State of the University event provides opportunity for us to share what our community partners have enabled us to accomplish on campus, not only with our academic and scholarship programs, but with the brick-and-mortar construction to give us the physical capacity to keep growing. The dedication, support, and level of collaboration we enjoy with the communities we serve has been extraordinary.”
The breakfast will begin with Yao’s presentation covering updates on current and future enrollment plans, programs with community partners, and more. Awards will also be part of the presentation, with the Parker Hannifin Corporation named Business Partner of the Year, Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) named Non-Profit Partner of the Year, and CSUCI Professor of Biology Ruben Alarcón named Faculty Partner of the Year.
Other community sponsors in partnership with WVCBA for the event arePremier America Credit Union, Harrison Industries, Southern California Edison, Dignity Health, and UCLA Health.
Additionally, an update on the CSUCI conservation center from Professor of Anthropology and Executive Director of Regional Education Partnerships Jennifer Perry, and President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo Rich Block, will also be provided.
The conservation center will be the first of its kind in the nation as a Zoo-accredited and managed facility at a public university. Designed to be welcoming to animals, students, and community members alike, it will be located behind Modoc Hall near the main entrance to campus.
The Zoo works with many government agencies to save threatened species. One urgent need is a place to house snowy plover eggs, which have been abandoned on California’s beaches north of Pismo because of human activity.
“The Zoo will take those eggs and incubate them and hatch the little birds,” Perry said. “The Zoo in Santa Barbara is completely out of room and having to turn these eggs away, which is part of the urgent need for CSUCI’s conservation center.”
The red-legged frog is another endangered animal significant to the region, appearing in Chumash rock art and still honored in the artistic and ceremonial traditions of the Chumash people.
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHANNEL ISLANDS — California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) is Ventura County’s only public university and opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the CSU system serving the regions of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties, as well as the entire state. CSUCI is located between Camarillo and the Oxnard Plain, midway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles and 25 miles north from Malibu.
The campus is nestled against the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains and is a 10-minute drive from the Pacific Ocean. With more than 5,600 students, 24,500 alumni, and 1,000 employees, CSUCI is poised to grow in size and distinction, while maintaining one of the most student-focused learning environments in public higher education with more than 90 academic degrees, teaching credentials, certificates, and professional and community programs.
Connect with and learn more by visiting www.csuci.edu or CSUCI’s Social Media.
The University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs, events and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the respective area below as soon as possible, but no later than seven (7) business days prior to the event/activity:
CSUCI Students: accommodations@csuci.edu
CSUCI Employee and members of the public: angela.portillo@csuci.edu