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Tag: CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)
CSUCI President Richard Yao to step down; appointed president of DataPhilanthropy
CAMARILLO — Dr. Richard Yao, President of CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI), has announced that he will step down from his role effective August 1, 2025. Yao will assume the presidency of DataPhilanthropy, the giving arm of the Jeff T. Green Family Foundation. The Foundation, led by Jeff Green, Co-Founder and CEO of the Trade Desk and signatory of The Giving Pledge, focuses on applying data science to make its philanthropic efforts as impactful as possible.
“It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve as President of CSUCI,” said Yao. “This campus has demonstrated remarkable strength and resilience through an era of unprecedented challenges. I have never wavered in my belief in our mission or in the transformative impact of our work.”
CSUCI Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute helps launch award-winning student startups
s director of CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute (ESBI), Associate Professor of Management Maria Ballesteros-Sola helps students discover their inner entrepreneur.
“Our mission is to nurture entrepreneurship in our students – many who don’t see themselves as entrepreneurs, but they are running these successful side hustles,” Ballesteros-Sola said. “They’ll say ‘I’m helping my parents with the family business,’ and I will tell them ‘You are being very entrepreneurial.’”
The ESBI marked several successes during the spring semester, not the least of which was winning an award at the New Venture Fair held at Cal Lutheran University in May. CSUCI Environmental Science & Resource Management (ESRM) major Austin Dent won a $1,000 award in the “Startup for Good” category for a nonprofit he launched called CalThrive Community Agriculture. CSUCI was among 65 competing teams from local high schools and colleges.
CSUCI is recognized as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars – for the second time
CAMARILLO — The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has once again recognized CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) as one of the nation’s Fulbright Top Producing Institutions for 2024/2025. The first time CSUCI received this recognition was in 2021/2022.
Each year, the national bureau lists the U.S. colleges and universities with the highest number of faculty and administrators selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, a federal government-sponsored international exchange program that enables U.S. scholars and other professionals to conduct research, teach, and pursue professional projects abroad.
Not only that, but in the master’s degree-granting classification, CSUCI is among the top three of the 46 institutions listed. CSUCI had three faculty members and one administrator earn the Fulbright scholarship for the 2024/2025 year, whereas the majority of universities in CSUCI’s classification had one or two.
CSUCI Class of 2025 Commencement ceremonies set for Saturday, May 17
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will celebrate the graduating Class of 2025 during two ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Almost 1,500 of the 2,198 students eligible to graduate will participate during one of the ceremonies. Students will participate in either the morning or afternoon ceremony depending on their academic major. Over 550 students will graduate with academic honors.
CSUCI partnership with Navy base and Santa Paula Unified School district creates pathways to an engineering career
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) President Richard Yao plans to visit Santa Paula High School on May 7 as elementary students in a special pilot pre-engineering program showcase the remotely-operated underwater vehicles they built from scratch.
The students built their underwater vehicles under the inaugural SeaPerch STEM Outreach Program, which is the result of a partnership between CSUCI, Ventura College, Ventura County Office of Education, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) and the Santa Paula Unified School District.
CSUCI receives the national ‘Opportunity Colleges and Universities’ designation
“Hundreds of institutions nationwide are providing students an excellent opportunity to use higher education as a springboard to a better life,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE. “The Student Access and Earnings Classification highlights the depth and breadth of schools where student success is front and center.”
CSUCI awards area business and non-profit partners during Connections Breakfast
CAMARILLO — Representatives from area businesses, the non-profit sector, the health industry, and a faculty member from the campus were recognized as valuable partners to CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) during the annual CSUCI Connections Breakfast.
The sold-out event took place on campus where participants had a chance to mingle and look over student research projects on display before sitting down to breakfast and welcome remarks from CSUCI Vice President for Advancement Richard LeRoy and President Richard Yao.
CSUCI hosts its first-ever Datathon for Ventura County college and high school students on April 26
CAMARILLO — High school or community college students who would like to learn more about data collection and analysis are invited to a free “Datathon” at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) on Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.…
CSUCI Sailing Club makes the 2025 Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference Championships
The team will travel to the Bay Area city of Richmond, California to compete in the regatta April 19–20. The regatta is hosted jointly by UC Berkeley and the Richmond Yacht Club.
The CI Sailing Club landed one of just 18 spots in the championship after finishing 10th in the South Designate Semi-Final Regatta held in the city of Long Beach at the end of March. Their performance placed them ahead of notable sailing clubs from UC San Diego, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara University. The CI Sailing Club was only nine points behind one of the region’s top teams – UC Berkeley.
CSUCI to offer a Master of Science in Business Analytics
“Business analytics is about understanding data that helps you tell a story to better inform business strategy and business decisions,” explained CSUCI Director of Business Special Sessions Philipa Moguel. “This is a degree program that can help across a wide range of industries like healthcare informatics, digital advertising, government agencies, nonprofits, legal organizations—the possibilities are really wide-ranging.”
CSUCI’s new Theatre and Performance Studies program presents the Spring One-Acts play festival
CAMARILLO — When CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) alumna Sara Ruiz had the opportunity to return to her alma mater as a guest director, she didn’t think twice. The Class of 2020 alumna, who double majored in Performing Arts and Political Science was elated to return to the place that shaped her and share some of her wisdom with current students who are part of the theatre community.
“To impart the sort of wisdom that I’ve learned at Channel Islands, and since, to bring that back to the young actors who are here now, is just unbelievable, and is something that I am really grateful that I get to be a part of.”
CSUCI biology professor partners with Cottage Health to research the effect of artificial sweeteners
CAMARILLO — How do artificial sweeteners affect a woman managing a chronic disease like cancer, diabetes or hypertension? CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Professor of Biology Nitika Parmar plans to research this question in partnership with Cottage Health, thanks to a $28,477 grant from the Cottage Health Research Institute-CHRI. The award was made possible through support from Santa Barbara philanthropists Alex Pananides and Janet Larson Dunbar.
Longtime campus supporter and alumna disability advocate to receive honorary doctorates at CSUCI commencement
CAMARILLO — Two women who championed CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) in different ways will receive honorary doctorates at commencement ceremonies scheduled for Saturday May 17, 2025.
CSUCI receives prestigious Carnegie designation
CSUCI joins 11 of the 23 campuses in the California State University system that have received the new Carnegie designation and is among 216 RCU universities across the country.
The RCU designation is a new classification intended to recognize institutions of higher education that have conducted a significant amount of valuable research but have previously been overlooked. Awardees spend at least $2.5 million on research on average in a single year, and this designation aims to acknowledge the growing research efforts in institutions that may not fit the criteria for a traditional “Research 1” (R1) status.
CSUCI to celebrate education with Black communities on Super Sunday on Feb. 23
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will join other CSU campuses across California on Feb. 23 for Super Sunday, a day when predominately Black and African American faith-based organizations gather to stress the importance of preparing for college.
This year’s Super Sunday event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC) at 800 Hobson Way in Oxnard. Super Sunday will include food, activities and entertainment, as well remarks from CSUCI President Richard Yao. Staff members from CSUCI will be available to provide information on the application and admission process for prospective CSUCI students.?
“Super Sunday in this iteration is designed to bring together community in celebration of the importance of education in our own backyard,” said CSUCI Vice President for Student Affairs Eboni Ford-Turnbow. “I look forward to how this event continues to grow and how community relationships support our students.”
CSUCI will offer a new Master of Healthcare Administration
CAMARILLO — Registration is now open for CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s new Master of Health Care Administration (MHA), which will be offered through its Extended University (EU). Classes begin in Fall of 2025.
The program is entirely online, which will make it convenient for working professionals interested in a career in the administrative side of a hospital or patient care facility. What sets CSUCI’s program apart from others is that students will have the opportunity to also earn a certificate in gerontology by completing additional coursework.
CSUCI faculty, students and staff join seven other CSUs in Hispanic-Serving Institution Action Network
CAMARILLO — College was at times overwhelming for CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Psychology major Arisay Diaz, whose family immigrated from a small village in Mexico when she was a child. Having programs in place, such as Peer Education & Equity Programs (PEEP), made all the difference to students like Diaz, who was the first in her family to attend college.
“We needed to have that sense of belonging and we have to create a culture of education from the ground up,” said Diaz, who is also minoring in Chicana/o Studies. “Not just as a student, but in our families. Many of them are immigrants from rural villages and didn’t get past elementary school. Nobody tells us how to manage a system of life and education here in the U.S. It’s nothing like we had back home.”
Successful programs and practices that encourage Latina/o students to thrive in higher education and beyond are the type of information CSUCI and seven other CSU campuses are sharing as part of the California State University Hispanic-Serving Institution Research Network.
March 6 — CSUCI’s Newest Art Exhibit Explores the Wonders Found at Campus’ Backyard
March 29 — Young children and families welcome at CSUCI’s 3rd annual Dia de los Niños
April 30 — Oxnard Film Society in collaboration with the John Spoor Broome Library at CSU Channel Islands to hold Special Reception honoring Ventura County Vietnam Veterans – 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. See exhibit through May 30
CSUCI staff member/alumna plays young Jenni Rivera in a major motion picture about the superstar’s life
CAMARILLO — A CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) alumna and current employee is appearing in a major motion picture about music superstar Jenni Rivera, who succeeded in the male-dominated world of banda, mariachi, and norteñogenres of regional Mexican music.
STEM Transfer Outreach Coordinator Tatiana Juarez, who graduated with a degree in Health Science, plays young Jenni Rivera in the movie “Jenni,” which was released Friday, Dec. 6 in select theaters and on a bilingual streaming service called ViX.
Juarez, who is part of the first generation in her family to earn a college degree, was born in Ventura and raised in Oxnard. Her parents grew up in the U.S. after being brought here from Mexico as children. Juarez’s mom works as a medical clerk and her dad works a variety of jobs related to construction and architecture.
CSUCI students promote cutting-edge High Performance Computing with national competitions and a campus club
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) students and their mentors are preparing for the world of big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) by learning and sharing all they can about High-Performance Computing or HPC.
HPC is a way of combining a network of computers to create a more powerful system designed to handle data or problems too big for one computer. There’s a growing demand for expertise in HPC, given the rise of AI, machine learning and data-intensive tasks across various industries like scientific research, finance, and healthcare. Job growth for HPC is expected to be significantly faster than the average for all occupations.
Partnership will enable Oxnard College students to live on CSUCI campus
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) and Oxnard College (OC) have finalized an agreement that will enable some Oxnard College students to live in the CSUCI residence halls with a pilot program beginning with the Spring 2025 semester.
Representatives from OC and CSUCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was finalized by the OC Board of Trustees in November. This pilot program will enable select students from Oxnard College to live in the residence halls while attending the community college.
“We’re looking at supporting 15 students from Oxnard College,” said Associate Vice President for Student Life & Support Programs and Dean of Students Julia Heck. “Both institutions are investigating this to see how we can provide the best experience for the students. They will be living on campus with a campus meal plan like any CSUCI student.”
CSUCI will offer a new degree in the rapidly expanding field of Data Science
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will offer a new Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Data Science beginning in Fall of 2025. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), students who choose the degree will graduate with a very promising job outlook.
Employment of data scientists is projected to grow 36% from 2021 to 2031, according to the BLS, much faster than the average for all other occupations. And the pay for data scientists with bachelor’s degrees in the U.S. was $100,910 per year in 2021. If you land a job as a data scientist in California, the average salary is $166,000, according to Indeed.com
“The job of data scientist is a rapidly emerging job title,” explained CSUCI Chair of Mathematics Geoffrey Buhl. “A data scientist uses tools from mathematics, statistics and computer science to turn data into useable information that can inform decision-making processes and answer questions.”
CSUCI receives $1.7 million grant to help students facing homelessness
“If you have nowhere to stay, you didn’t sleep, you didn’t get a shower and you didn’t get something to eat, you’re not going to be able to pay attention,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Eboni Ford Turnbow. “Maybe you don’t have a place to study once the library closes. Programs like Basic Needs help offset this burden, whether its food, emergency funds or shelter. And now our Basic Needs Program is so robust.”
CSUCI Sociology students present research at statewide Family Justice Center conference
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Sociology Lecturer Daniel Sandoval said there was “engagement and buzz” over CSUCI Sociology students’ research presentations at a recent statewide Family Justice Center (FJC) conference in Oxnard.
The conference was held at the CSUCI Boating Center where 24 CSUCI students in 12 research groups presented posters detailing their findings while answering questions from at least 50 family justice center representatives from around the state.
“Often times, the assignments we give are just that – one and done,” Sandoval said. “But this was something they have worked on for almost a year. To be able to present that work and see people excited about it is really impactful.”
The students’ research projects all dealt with the kinds of cases that come before the Ventura County Family Justice Center, which is an initiative out of the Ventura County District Attorney’s office. Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Jump, who is in charge of the FJC, had a connection with Sandoval as they were classmates at Santa Paula High School.
CSUCI surpasses goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. Dept of Energy Better Climate Challenge
“We are setting an example for other universities by making a positive impact on the environment,” said then-CSUCI Director of Sustainability and Energy Roxane Beigel-Coryell, who entered the University in the DOE’s Better Climate Challenge.
CSUCI research inspires conservation study on the climate benefits of protecting surf breaks
CAMARILLO — If we want to protect ecosystems, try protecting the surf breaks.
That’s the gist of a 2021 research study, “Conservation Opportunities Arise from the Co-Occurrence of Surfing and Key Biodiversity Areas” led by CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management (ESRM), Dan Reineman.
“There’s a conservation opportunity ‘two-for’ here,” Reineman said. “We found that many of the world’s surf breaks are located in the same places as critical, but unprotected, ecosystems. Surfing – for recreation and tourism – provides an additional incentive to protect both.”
Ventura County NAACP recognizes CSUCI President Richard Yao with community empowerment award
CAMARILLO — The Ventura County NAACP recently presented CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) President Richard Yao with their Community Empowerment Corporate Award in recognition of his commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and more.
Yao accepted the award on behalf of the campus at the local NAACP’s Annual Freedom Fund Award Banquet, held on Oct. 12.
CSUCI to host its first-ever Homecoming Week with parades, pep rallies, comedy and a street fair
“As we celebrate our 22nd year, our first-ever Homecoming signals a milestone in the maturity of our campus,” said Vice President for Advancement Ritchie LeRoy. “With over 26,826 alumni, this moment is about more than just nostalgia—it’s about building on tradition and deepening the connection between our alumni, our mission, and our students.”
U.S. News & World Report ranks CSUCI ranks #22 out of 118 western universities
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) was ranked #22 overall out of 118 universities on the newly-released U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Colleges report, which features annual college rankings for the coming year. That’s up eight places from the 2024 report.
U.S. News & World Report ranks its colleges and universities according to region, so CSUCI’s high marks were in the report’s Regional Universities (West) category. The overall high ranking was the result of multiple high scores across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.
One indicator was the Social Mobility category, where CSUCI was ranked 5th, up from the 2024 ranking of 7th. Social mobility is how well a university retains and graduates students with high financial need. CSUCI also came in 12th in the Top Public Schools category, up from 14th in the 2024 rankings.
CSUCI Applications for Fall 2025 open Oct. 1
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will begin accepting applications for its Fall 2025 semester beginning Oct. 1, 2024. The priority application period closes on Dec. 2 and Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Toni DeBoni recommends students submit applications early.…
CSUCI’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute celebrates its 20th anniversary
“Watching OLLI over the years, we had problems now and then with equipment and we’ve got older people in these classes, not kids, so why not get some more comfortable furniture and new computer equipment and screens,” Paul said. “I thought, ‘I’ve got some retirement money, why not donate it?’”
CSUCI President’s Dinner gala on Sept. 28 will honor Cottage Health and a Distinguished Computer Science Alumnus
CAMARILLO — A Computer Science alumnus now working in cybersecurity and a not-for-profit health organization that has partnered with CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) for nearly 20 years will be honored on Sept. 28 at CSUCI’s 2024 President’s Dinner at the…
CSUCI Nursing student chosen for CSU university system’s highest student scholarship award
was driving with my husband and three beautiful daughters when I found out, and I yelled and started dancing around in the car,” Smith, 44, said. “Then, honestly, I started to cry. Because it’s so hard to go back to school later in life, when some of your friends are talking about retiring.”
CSUCI gets high marks on Washington Monthly’s ‘Best Bang for your Buck’ College Guide
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is one of the most affordable universities in the West according to Washington Monthly’s 2024 annual College Guide.
CSUCI ranked 24th out of 201 colleges and universities in the western region on the “Best Bang for Your Buck” list, climbing two rungs from its 2023 ranking. Each year, the Washington Monthly creates a region-by-region ranking of public, private nonprofit, and for-profit colleges in its “Best Bang for your Buck” category, based on how well an institution helps students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.
“I am proud of how CSUCI opens doors to higher education for individuals who may not have previously considered higher education. A degree not only transforms their lives but also uplifts their families and contributes to greater social mobility,” said President Richard Yao. “This recognition reflects our commitment to empowering students and enhancing communities through education.”
NASA grant will enable CSUCI students to shadow Jet Propulsion Lab planetary scientists
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) students majoring in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) field have a chance to shadow NASA planetary scientists, thanks to a $375,000 grant procured by Assistant Professor of Physics Kevin Hayakawa.
All CSUCI undergraduates are eligible to apply, but should submit their application by Aug. 30 at tinyurl.com/H2O-App. Students can be STEM majors or planning to pursue a STEM major.
CSUCI’s ‘AI Basecamp’ on Aug. 21 to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on education and regional workforce
CAMARILLO — “We’re calling it a base camp (as opposed to a summit) because as far as AI has come in such a brief period of time, it still feels like a moment where we’re just beginning,” said Assistant Vice President of Digital Learning Lorna Gonzalez. “An event like this is meant to bring our community together to hear about what’s happening regionally and to have a shared experience about something that has been highly disruptive and will continue to be.”
CSUCI Early Childhood Studies program receives prestigious national accreditation
“Having accreditation gives us the ability to say that the students who graduate from our program are going to be high quality teachers,” said Professor and Chair of ECS Mari Riojas-Cortez. “What makes them high quality teachers will be their degrees, but also the knowledge of child development, diverse family and community partnerships and their ability to approach teaching by valuing the children’s language and culture.”