President Tomás D. Morales regularly engages with the local community, university partners, legislative representatives and educational leaders worldwide to champion CSUSB and its mission.
On a university campus, the arrival of fall traditionally signals new beginnings — a fresh academic year, Move-In Day, Welcome Week and the excitement of homecoming festivities. I’m pleased to report that in August, we welcomed students, faculty, staff and alumni back to campus — masked, vaccinated and in person — for the first time since March 2020. After nearly 18 months of virtual classes, meetings, and commencement ceremonies, it did indeed feel like a new beginning at CSUSB.
Our cover story about Project Rebound, a life-changing program for the formerly incarcerated, epitomizes the meaning of new beginnings. Project Rebound supports the higher education and successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals who want to enroll and succeed in the CSU system. In 2016, a $71,421 grant brought Project Rebound to campus. Today, the budget has grown to more than $293,000 and 337 students have benefited from the critical resources provided by the program, an alternative to the revolving door policy of mass incarceration. The stories of success shared by Project Rebound alumni are truly inspiring.
And success, along with tending vines and serving wines, is all in a day’s work for alumnus Jeff Wiens, ’93. Wiens and fellow family members founded Temecula-based Wiens Family Cellars in 2001 and he credits CSUSB with giving him the breadth of knowledge needed to succeed. Learn more about the life of a vintner and his commitment to the community in the alumni profile.
Alumni celebrated face-to-face during Homecoming Week in mid-October when 1,574 Coyotes returned to campus for the highly anticipated Homecoming Bash, the first such celebration in nearly two years. After the Bash, attendees had the opportunity to watch CSUSB’s women’s volleyball team win 3-1 versus rival Cal Poly Pomona. The victory was volleyball coach Kim Cherniss’ 700th career win. Before the match, an NCAA Division II Championship ring ceremony and banner unveiling was held for the 2019 volleyball championship team. The celebration had to be postponed due to the pandemic.
CSUSB embraces and advances diversity, equity and inclusion among students, faculty, staff and alumni, and our institutional culture reflects a diversity of perspectives. Learn more about those perspectives in a Q&A with seven faculty members as they discuss in their own words the value of diversity and the ways in which it enhances student success. In the words of one faculty member, “The diversity at CSUSB is greater than that of any place in the Inland Empire, bar none.”
Read on to learn more about the partnerships, events, collaborations and achievements that have enlivened our campus since we re-opened and launched the 2021-22 academic year.
As we enter the holiday season, I wish you and your loved ones health and happiness, and the joy that comes with new beginnings in the year ahead.
Tomás D. Morales
President
CSUSB hosts 2021 Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research
Cal State San Bernardino hosted the 2021 Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR) on Nov. 20. President Morales was in attendance and participated in the program.
The annual one-day event draws between 700-900 students across multiple academic disciplines, providing undergraduate student participants a platform to present their work in the form of oral presentations, posters and creative exhibits, and performances in 15-minute formal panel presentations chaired by faculty members.
SCCUR – which also is attended by faculty mentors, administrators, community college and high school students – seeks to replicate professional and scholarly meetings, and many undergraduate scholars participate in SCCUR as a “first conference” experience, going on to present their work at national professional meetings.
The conference welcomes all disciplines: science, technology, engineering, math, health, social sciences, business, arts, humanities and performing arts. Participants come from approximately 80 institutions in Southern California and the rest of the nation, with some international presenters.
Digital iHub opens with three CSUSB programs
The new Digital iHub, located across the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, had its grand opening on Nov. 17, with President Morales in attendance. The iHub houses the cybersecurity, hospitality management and entrepreneurship programs.
“This is part of our partnership with the City of Palm Desert and the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership that we believe will serve as an economic boost to the region,” said President Morales.
The Palm Desert City Council voted unanimously to establish the Digital iHub after going through an extensive long-term planning process that identified highly impactful actions that will diversify and elevate the economy of Palm Desert and the entire Coachella Valley.
CSUSB celebrates entrepreneurial champions at annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards
President Morales welcomed guests to the 19th annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards held by CSUSB’s Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship on Nov. 10 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside. The annual awards black-tie gala featured 27 entrepreneurs selected from a pool of more than 250 nominees.
The Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards, referred to as “The Oscars of Business” by top professionals, celebrates the entrepreneurial champions of the Inland Southern California region. The annual event features red carpet coverage, cocktail and VIP networking receptions, coveted award presentations, with highly anticipated unveiled entertainment.
President Morales speaks at Aspen Latino Business and Entrepreneurship Summit
President Morales was one of the speakers at the Aspen Latino Business and Entrepreneurship Summit held Oct. 27, which brings together cross-sector leaders from cities participating in the Aspen City Learning and Action Lab. Cities included San Bernardino, Chicago, Miami, El Paso, San Antonio and Phoenix.
Leaders from the public, private and civic sectors at both the national and local levels participated in the summit, where they amplified best practices to enhance and elevate the economic power of Latino entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout the United States.
Topics included Latina entrepreneurs, digital inclusion and access to capital, as well as breakout sessions around preparing workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow, procurement and supplier diversity, and the green economy.