California State University, Long Beach

Go Beach! Cal State Long Beach third-year business marketing major Chloe Thomas received the inaugural Black Student Success Scholarship, sponsored by the CSU Foundation, and was honored by California State University Chancellor Mildred García and Jack B. Clarke Jr., chair of the Board of Trustees, at the CSU’s second biennial Juneteenth Symposium at Sacramento State today.

Scholars were selected for demonstrating leadership in increasing equitable access to higher education and undertaking community service that promotes anti-racism work and culture change to elevate Black excellence. Each scholar will receive a $5,000 award for the 2024-25 academic year.

Read more about what CSULB is doing to elevate, celebrate Black student success here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/csulb-pledges-to-elevate-advance-black-student-success-initiatives

Congrats to Judy Brusslan, a professor of biological sciences at Cal State Long Beach! She has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and is recognized as the only CSU faculty member to receive this year’s honor for her exceptional contributions to plant molecular genetics.

Learn more about her achievements and other significant accomplishments at The Beach here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/making-waves/article/making-waves-june-2024

Cal State Long Beach is redefining what it means to be a student and an alum. The recent pivot includes “The Beach Journey,” a model that includes numerous career development, growth and networking opportunities for those who seek authentic, lasting connections during and after their time at The Beach.

“We want to be that lifelong partner,” said Alumni Engagement Director Noemi Guevara. “We want alumni to know, ‘We are here for every stage of your life.’”

Learn more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/beach-journey-remaps-the-student-alumni-experience-at-csulb

“I know I want to continue to help students, especially first-generation, low-income, students who have similar identities to me,” Cal State Long Beach graduate student Joshua James said.

Joshua is one of the recipients of the Black Alumni Scholarship, which is open to CSULB students of any background who are Black Resource Center members and supports the comprehensive fundraising campaign by creating a national model for student achievement, empowerment and equity, a key pillar of the campaign.

Learn more here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/csulb-black-alumni-scholarship-donors-strengthen-opportunity-inclusion

For mentors and mentees, mentorships can be mutually beneficial and help Cal State Long Beach students with their long-term goals.

Opportunities like mentorship programs continue to help CSULB in its mission to create a national model for student achievement, empowerment and equity, a key priority of the comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Learn more about meaningful mentorships at CSULB here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/csulb-mentors-draw-life-experiences-to-help-students-envision-their-futures

Go Beach! Cultural graduation celebrations have been a tradition for more than three decades during Cal State Long Beach’s Commencement season. Over 1,300 Beach grads took part in this year’s cultural ceremonies where they were honored and embraced their cultural identities and heritages.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/csulbs-cultural-celebrations-honor-graduates-identities-and-heritages-0

Former Anaheim Angels player Jered Weaver ‘04 was immortalized in a ceremony May 10, as Long Beach State retired his number, 36. The ceremony marked a historic moment for Dirtbags baseball, as it was the first time the team had retired a number.

Learn more about Weaver’s achievements and other significant accomplishments at The Beach here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/making-waves/article/making-waves-may-2024

Go Beach! More than 12,800 Cal State Long Beach graduating students were estimated to have attended Commencement ceremonies May 19-23. Today, we highlight moments from Beach grads’ unforgettable experiences.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/csulb-class-of-2024-celebrates-commencement

The Latinx Resource Center (LRC) serves the largest ethnic population on campus, which is approximately 52.1% of the enrolled undergraduate populace as of fall 2023. Since 1996, the LRC has provided a physical, safe space for Latinx students and Cal State Long Beach recently received a substantial estate gift from Pete Ortiz ‘66 and his wife Linda that will create an endowed scholarship.

Gifts like these continue to help CSULB in its mission to create a national model for student achievement, empowerment and equity, a key priority of the comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/csulbs-latinx-resource-center-serves-as-home-away-home

A gift annuity is a means to support Cal State Long Beach and ensure a steady stream of income for life.

How it works: You make a gift of cash or other assets to fund a charitable gift annuity and in return, you and a loved one, if you choose, will receive reliable income payouts for life. The remainder will be used to support CSULB and our students. Payout rates are now at 16-year highs.

For more information, visit the Charitable Gift Annuities website here: https://beachlegacy.org/charitable-gift-annuities

In recognition of National Nurses Week, we honor the extraordinary alumni from Cal State Long Beach’s nationally renowned School of Nursing. For today’s National Nurses Day spotlight, we highlight Registered Nurse Kirsten Shumaker ’20, who works at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and shares her story about a day in the life of the cardiac care unit.

“Every aspect of nursing is so important,” says Shumaker, 31. “But my version of being the best nurse I can be is taking care of the sickest patients in the hospital, and I can do that now.”

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/csulb-nursing-grad-thrives-the-heart-of-high-stakes-medicine

Congratulations to CSULB’s Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum! The museum was reaccredited by the American Alliance of Museums, continuing its membership of an exclusive group of museums.

Learn more about this achievement and other significant accomplishments at The Beach here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/making-waves/article/making-waves-april-2024

Congrats to second-year biomedical engineering CSULB student Antonio Alvarado and his team, SensiVitalis, who won the Track One competition in this year’s Sunstone Innovation Challenge! They proposed a medical device inspired by Alvardo’s mother’s hospital visits that will help patients maintain healthy body temperatures.

Sunstone Management has sponsored the Innovation Challenge since 2019 and continues to support CSULB’s mission to shape California’s future workforce, a priority of the comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/mothers-survival-leads-csulb-engineering-student-to-sunstone-innovation

Go Beach! Cal State Long Beach wrapped up its annual 24-hour Beach Spring Day of Giving event Wednesday raising roughly $130,000 from nearly 450 donors in support of students.

Read more about this year’s event here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/beach-spring-day-of-giving-inspires-generosity-gratitude

Beach Spring Day of Giving kicks off today at noon and will continue for 24 hours! Any gift, no matter the size, can make an impact at The Beach.

Show your Beach pride by making a gift here: beachfunder.csulb.edu

Go Beach! More than 14,000 newly admitted students and their families joined us Saturday for Day at The Beach. This open-house event provides the opportunity for newly admitted students and families to get an exclusive first look of what awaits them at CSULB.

“The resounding success of the event stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of all involved,” said Andrew Wright, assistant vice president of Admissions and Enrollment Management.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/day-at-the-beach-inspires-excitement-among-thousands-of-csulb-bound-students

Congratulations to the 2024 “49 Under 49” recipients! This award program recognizes CSULB alumni who have made significant contributions in improving and uplifting their communities and beyond.

Learn more about the “49 Under 49” recipients here: https://www.csulb.edu/alumni/49-under-49

The partial solar eclipse was a stellar sight to see at CSULB!

About 1,000 members of the campus community and residents enjoyed the Great North American Eclipse Viewing event hosted by the Physics and Astronomy Department and coordinated by Assistant Professor Joel Zinn.

Read the story here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/eclipse-gives-csulbs-astronomy-program-its-moment-the-sun

Beach Spring Day of Giving is almost here! At The Beach, there are No Barriers to your impact. Show your support from noon to noon April 16-17 in an area that is meaningful to you at The Beach.

Discover the ways you can support CSULB here: beachfunder.csulb.edu

Go Beach! Cal State Long Beach Wind Symphony students experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity and performed at the Kennedy Center’s 2024 Sousa Band Festival in Washington, D.C. The wind symphony was one of only four bands and the only collegiate band.

“I was in shock the first time I walked in,” said Jennifer Sosa, who plays the euphonium, a brass, tuba-like instrument. “Getting to play in a hall that prestigious is honestly life changing, because I never thought I’d play in a place like that.”

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/how-the-csulb-wind-symphonys-performance-at-the-kennedy-center-was-the-experience-of-a

Cal State Long Beach broke ground Thursday on the new, five-story 108,000 square-foot La Playa residence hall. As part of the Long Beach Housing Promise, this project will help remove barriers and provide housing security to Beach students in need.

“With the aging of our current housing facilities and an ever-growing student-housing waitlist, the creation of additional — and affordable — on-campus housing is a high priority for The Beach,” said President Jane Close Conoley.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/csulb-breaks-ground-new-dorm-as-part-of-long-beach-housing-promise

The Beach held the grand opening for the permanent home of the Clorinda Donato Center for Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies on March 14. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of major donor, Mario Giannini. Altogether, Giannini’s donations to the Donato Center represent the largest gift to the campus for programs within the College of Liberal Arts.

Such donations continue to support CSULB’s mission to shape California’s future workforce, a priority of the comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/donato-centers-grand-opening-confirms-a-home-for-multilingual-studies-at-csulb

Maximize your charitable giving to CSULB by donating appreciated assets, like stocks and bonds, instead of cash. You’ll shield more of your hard-earned money from capital gains taxes while investing in educational opportunities for students. Ask your tax advisor about the smartest ways you can give. For more information, explore CSULB’s Office of Planned Giving websites below.

“Gift of Appreciated Securities” Website: https://beachlegacy.org/appreciated-securities

“Smart Giving from Your IRA” Website: https://beachlegacy.org/give-from-your-ira

Questions? Email [email protected] or call (562) 985-6460.

The March 20 DIY zine-making workshop, thematically centered on reproductive justice, was one of several campus events celebrating Women’s History Month.

Participants created and donated their own six-page zines, for what special collections archivist, Heather Steele Gajewski, hoped would be CSULB’s first zine collection.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/article/zines-document-legacy-of-womens-activism-at-csulb

Beach fans, it’s time to dance!

First round of the Men’s Basketball NCAA Tournament vs. University of Arizona today at 11 a.m. PT/noon MT.

Founded in 2016, the Beach Pantry has continued to support thousands of CSULB students in need of food, toiletries and school supplies and was recently renamed in honor of Laurén Chalmers ’83, who experienced food insecurity at The Beach. Chalmers’ major gift created an endowment, and a naming and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on March 8.

Chalmers’ gift is helping CSULB in its mission to create a national model for student achievement, empowerment and equity, a key priority of the comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/the-pivotal-impact-of-csulbs-newly-renamed-lauren-chalmers-83-beach-pantry

Beach fans, it's time to go dancing!

Long Beach State Men’s Basketball will be taking on the University of Arizona on Thursday, March 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Beach Fans, we need your support!

Please fill out this Ticket Interest Form if you want to be queued to purchase tickets: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=m2d10dOsREa-gq8EGYKXemEUGn8b_ORMiY0tK5Z6POpUN080VUc3UzFPSzMyTENVOFEwSjBTVlk4VS4u

Note: Priority on ticket sales will go to Beach Athletic Fund Donors based on giving level, Season Ticket Holders, current LBSU Students, and Alumni.

Cal State Long Beach alumni and dedicated donors, Jo Anne Charmack ‘78 and Scott Charmack ‘72, were motivated to establish a scholarship for bright but under-resourced engineering students at CSULB. For Madison Fabella and Fozhan Ghamsari, receiving the Charmack scholarship was not only about the money but was also about the vote of confidence it represented.

Such scholarships continue to support The Beach’s mission to create a national model for student achievement, empowerment and equity, a priority of the comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Read more here: https://www.csulb.edu/no-barriers/article/how-loyal-donors-continue-to-change-lives-at-cal-state-long-beach

Congrats to Beach students Leah Budd and Genesis Fajardo! Budd came in first place and Fajardo was one of three runners-up in the Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition. The assignment was to design a 12,000- to 15,000-square-foot office that could support the changing behaviors and expectations of the modern worker.

Learn more about this achievement and additional significant accomplishments at The Beach here: https://www.csulb.edu/news/making-waves/article/making-waves-march-2024