CSUSB Magazine
Our Defining Moment
$200 Million Campaign Finds CSUSB ‘Poised for an Unprecedented New Era of Growth’
by Mary Kenny
The beginning of each new academic year at Cal State San Bernardino brings an air of excitement, anticipation and possibility. In August, CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales kicked off the new academic year at Convocation, adding to the excitement by announcing the launch of a $200 million fundraising initiative, the most ambitious in CSUSB’s history.
“‘Our Defining Moment: The Campaign for CSUSB’ is a ‘blended endeavor,’ seeking support from a variety of investors, including alumni, friends, and corporate and foundation partners, as well as revenue from sources not typically included in capital campaigns, such as government agencies and tribal nations, which will leverage the impact of overall support,” he said.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for our university and, I believe, for our beloved Inland Empire,” Morales continued. “Based upon the incredible success of our previous comprehensive campaign, I am energized by what we will be able to achieve with Our Defining Moment.
“Thanks to the leadership gifts we have received from our friends, alumni, corporations, foundations and government grants, we have already raised $130 million toward our $200 million goal,” he added.
Longtime CSUSB friends and supporters James R. Watson and his wife, Judy Rodriguez Watson, are campaign co-chairs, leading the campaign effort with an $8.4 million gift.
According to Morales, the Our Defining Moment campaign will run through 2025 and consists of four areas of focus, or fundraising “pillars,” he explained.
The pillars include:
  • Enhance student success, diversity and experience through scholarships
  • Attract and retain world-class faculty to enhance learning experiences
  • Improve and transform the region through programs and research
  • Build innovative facilities, smart classrooms and creative spaces
“We want to further secure the foundations of Cal State San Bernardino to ensure that the university continues to be a vehicle for change for the people of our region, and to provide an exceptional experience for current and future students, one that anticipates immediate needs and leaves room for innovation,” said Morales.
Pillar 1: Enhance Student Success, Diversity and Experience through Scholarships
The value of a CSUSB education is measured in the success of its students, who leverage the university’s academic strengths – high-impact learning practices and an experienced, industry-connected faculty – into lifelong learning and career opportunities that influence the local, regional and global community.
For Fernando Sanchez, B.A. ’21, research was a vital component of his undergraduate student experience, and provided hands-on learning opportunities that nurtured critical thinking and analytical skills. Today, he is earning a doctorate in history at the University of California, Berkeley in the Near Eastern Studies program – one of the oldest and most distinguished in the country. CSUSB “helped me immensely, in more ways that I can say,” Sanchez said.
“I can’t imagine being where I am today without going to Cal State San Bernardino. I can’t overstate the significance of the research opportunities,” he said. “CSUSB really does give students the ability to work with professors on a more personal level, while also allowing them to experience and get a handle on some of the one-level research. That, I believe, helped in preparing me for going straight from a bachelor’s degree into a Ph.D. program.”
As an undergraduate, Sanchez received the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF), a two-year program that provides financial support, research mentorship and assistance with graduate school applications.
“CSUSB has helped me achieve my academic goals in a variety of different ways, particularly the Mellon Mays program,” he said. “(Before the program,) I didn’t really know what it took to apply to grad school, what needed to be considered. The MMUF really showed me available resources and how to utilize them to make myself as appealing as possible to these programs.”
Sanchez credits the foundation he received at CSUSB as a key factor in getting into the Berkeley doctoral program, and said he took advantage of “just about every opportunity that CSUSB provides.”

CSUSB, he said, is “helping you define your future; it’s helping you realize that there are opportunities available to you that you can take advantage of that will help you realize … not just your potential, but what you want to do in the future.”
The ultimate goal in his future, Sanchez says: a career in academia as a university professor.
Pillar One: “We believe students should focus on their academic careers and make the most of the college experience regardless of their financial circumstances,” said Morales. “Support for Our Defining Moment will help recruit students to CSUSB and sustain them as they successfully complete their education and realize their academic dreams.”
Katherine Gray, Art and Design
Excellent faculty define a world-class university. “Our faculty are extraordinary, and are intently focused on each student’s well-being and success,” said Morales. “They mentor students in and out of the classroom and put extra effort into encouraging them to think and explore outside their comfort zones.
“Most importantly,” he continued, “Our faculty inspire our students to think critically and act boldly, achieving excellence through high-impact research, creative activities, groundbreaking scholarship, public service and interdisciplinary and international collaborations.”
Whether recruiting and retaining senior faculty who are distinguished in their fields or recent Ph.D.s who demonstrate high leadership potential, Cal State San Bernardino competes at the national level for the best and the brightest. And a number of the best and the brightest CSUSB faculty members have become stars in their own right, highly sought-after industry experts who are inspiring students (and audiences) on and off screen.
Cynthia Crawford, Psychology
Kate Liszka, History
For History Professor Kate Liszka, It’s a Wrap Associate professor of history and the Pamela and Benson Harer Fellow specializing in Egyptology, CSUSB’s first-ever fully endowed faculty fellowship, Kate Liszka served as the Egyptological consultant for the Disney Channel’s movies “Under Wraps” and “Under Wraps 2” to ensure they were both culturally appropriate and historically accurate.
Her penchant for making subject matter palatable for students of all ages is evident in the titles she creates for her presentations, such as “Operation Amethyst: How Egyptian Kings and Queens got their Bling 4,000 years ago.”
Liszka spearheads the study of ancient Egypt at CSUSB. She teaches several classes on ancient Egypt and oversees the Certificate in Egyptology program. She also works closely with the university’s Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, which maintains one of the most spectacular collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts on the West Coast.
And halfway across the globe, she directs the Wadi el-Hudi Expedition in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. This archaeological project examines ancient Egyptian mining activities, their organization and individuals who participated in them.
Dozens of CSUSB students receive firsthand archeological experience in Egypt as part of the expedition, researching and helping publish the archaeological data about the expedition on campus. Liszka also integrates all of her archaeological work into her teaching at CSUSB for students to learn directly from primary data and learn how to interpret the data to write their own histories.
Renowned Paleontologist Studies the Past, Sees the Future in CSUSB Students
Biology professor Stuart Sumida is a world-renowned paleontologist, award-winning faculty member and sixth-degree black-belt martial artist.
He’s also one of the most sought-after anatomy consultants to film animators, with credits on more than 70 films, television shows and video games, including the Academy-Award-winning animated films “Soul,” “Ratatouille” and “Zootopia.”
Sumida’s subject matter includes human anatomy and physiology, evolution and topics in zoology. The author of three books, he has also written more than 70 journal articles – many of them with students, as he introduces them to the research process and publishing in refereed journals.
Recently elected vice president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, the largest professional organization of paleontologists in the world, he will become the society’s president in November 2024. He is the first CSU faculty member elected to the society’s leadership or presidency.
His dedication has garnered a number of honors, including CSUSB Outstanding Professor; the prestigious CSU Wang Family Excellence Award; and California Professor of the Year, awarded by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Of his many interests, Sumida said that he loves teaching science and working with students is the most satisfying. “It’s the students that I work with that are going to go out and help the Inland Empire, help the state of California, and help the country in general,” Sumida said. “Those people are less than half my age – they’re going to be doing this for decades to come.”
Professor Evaluates Artisans on “Blown Away” If CSUSB art professor Katherine Gray looks familiar to you, you’re probably a fan of the Netflix series “Blown Away.” A distinguished glass artist, Gray is the resident evaluator on the popular series, now in its third season. Each program features 10 master artisans from around the world who are given an artistic challenge; one contestant is eliminated each episode.
In 2020, Gray, professor and chair of the Department of Art and Design, was honored as a Fellow of the American Craft Council, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing American craft. Her works range from blown glass to elaborate installations of found glass, and draw on rich traditions of glass blowing, fearless experimentation, and a fascination with glass as both a visual and experiential encounter.
In 2017, she received the Libenský | Brychtová Award from the Pilchuck Glass School for her artistic and educational contributions to the field. Her work can be found in the collections of the Corning Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Museum of Glass, among others, and has been reviewed in Artforum, the L.A. Times, and The New York Times design magazine.
As CSUSB’s Outstanding Professor in 2020-21, she became the John M. Pfau Endowed Professor, named for the university’s first president.
“I love teaching here at Cal State San Bernardino. I love that it’s a state school. I love that it’s affordable. I love that the students that I (see in my classes) are not necessarily the students you would think would pursue a career in glass or in art. And I love having (an) impact on their lives, and showing them the possibilities that are out there for how they can live a life in a creative field,” Gray says.
Pillar Two: “It’s essential that we fund endowed professorships to help recruit distinguished faculty with proven track records of outstanding teaching and research,” said Morales. “The campaign will also support efforts to increase the number of faculty from diverse backgrounds who reflect the composition and demographics of CSUSB students and the communities of the Inland Empire.”
Sharon Pierce ’13, ’14, ’17, Public Administration
“Higher education is a vital component in building a resilient, sustainable and robust future for the Inland Empire (IE) region,” Morales said. “At CSUSB, we have a number of innovative institutes, centers and programs, and engage and collaborate with partners throughout the region.

“From K-12 school districts, community colleges, universities, regional businesses and the community at large, we are working tirelessly to build a cradle-to-career educational infrastructure and to further realize the inherent potential of the IE,” he explained.
Through award-winning community engagement, innovative centers and institutes, and dynamic program offerings, CSUSB is addressing the most pressing issues confronting the IE and Southern California, he said.
School of Entrepreneurship, First in California In 2020, CSUSB launched the School of Entrepreneurship, the first of its kind in California. The unique program, one of less than 15 existing worldwide, further bolstered the university’s already successful entrepreneurship program. Today, the graduate program in entrepreneurship has been named as one of the top 15 programs in the West and one of the top 50 entrepreneurship programs in the nation, according to The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. CSUSB was the only CSU named to this competitive list.
Housed in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, the school oversees and coordinates eight major academic programs with strong cross-disciplinary areas of entrepreneurial concentrations. Students discover and master key entrepreneurial competencies and learn hands-on, innovative strategies to create, launch and manage a business venture, learning how to “think like an owner” early in their journey to success.
“The School of Entrepreneurship represents a truly wonderful and pioneering example of our mission in offering our students a challenging, yet rewarding, educational experience,” Morales noted. “The school’s offerings and dynamic faculty inspire students to succeed and help prepare them for life after graduation where they will become our future business leaders and leading entrepreneurs.”
Since its founding, the school has further galvanized CSUSB’s high profile within the region and strengthened its ability to engage collaboratively with the business community, potential employers and other organizations, enhancing job and internship opportunities for its students.
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Ranked Among the Best In 2021, CSUSB launched the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ), raising the stature of its successful criminal justice program, which has consistently ranked among the best by U.S. News & World Report, Intelligent.com and Best Value Schools.
The school provides undergraduate and graduate students with a comprehensive foundation in criminal justice, from examining law enforcement, institutional corrections and the courts system to exploring the many aspects of crime, including gangs, drugs, white-collar crime and homeland security.
CSUSB students learn how the criminal justice system works, why people offend, how society and law react to crime, and how to conduct research for scientific study that can address policy and criminal justice reform.
And they learn from nationally and internationally recognized faculty, who understand that students will become the catalysts and advocates for positive change in the communities in which they serve and live. SCCJ faculty conduct research and mentor students in the school’s innovative centers, which include:
  • The Center for Criminal Justice Research, an independent research and training facility that contributes to the body of criminal justice knowledge, supports crime and intelligence analysis, and informs criminal justice policy. The center provides faculty, undergraduate and graduate students with comprehensive research opportunities to examine topics from gangs, drug trafficking and crime prevention to cybersecurity, white-collar crime and terrorism as they find innovative solutions that benefit the communities in which we live.
  • The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism has become a trusted resource and recognized leader in analyzing and tracking hate crimes and extremism, and is often called upon by news media and state and U.S. policymakers for its in-depth research, data analysis and expertise.
Institute for Child Development and Family Relations – Strengthening Bonds Across the Region Children. Parents. Families. Their development and well-being are the central focus of the Institute for Child Development and Family Relations (ICDFR).
Created in 2002, ICDFR serves Inland Empire families, providing programs and resources backed by the ongoing research of CSUSB’s Department of Psychology. The institute not only supports faculty who conduct rigorous science- and community-based research, it fosters the success of CSUSB’s students by providing training and research opportunities that enhance their professional development, civic engagement and personal growth. The institute builds partnerships with community agencies, helps communities thrive by impacting public policy, promotes social justice and creates safe environments for children and families.
“The institute is an invaluable resource in so many ways,” said Morales. “It offers direct services and expertise to low-income, underserved and marginalized children and families in the IE; provides high-impact experiences and paid internships for our students; increases faculty opportunities to further their research; and strengthens our bonds to the region.”

To fulfill its mission, the institute has a number of programs and projects on campus and in the community, each providing real-world experiences for undergraduate and graduate students through internships and practicums.
  • The Infant Toddler Laboratory School (ITLS) provides care for children from ages 6 months to 36 months in a highly enriched, relationship-based caregiving setting. All staff are either current or previous CSUSB students.
  • The Infant Toddler Success Project is an attachment-based parental education program, designed to increase the school readiness of young children by increasing parents’ ability to provide early enrichment experiences and high-quality caregiving.
  • The Parental Intervention Project is a parenting program for justice-involved parents at San Bernardino County jails. A collaboration between CSUSB and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the program focuses on parenting education, parent-child interaction time and individual counseling.
Additional ICDFR programs include Building Executive Functions for Academic Success Training (BEFAST), Quality Start San Bernardino, San Bernardino County Schools Foster Youth Program, and The Work Family Life (WFL) initiative.
Pillar Three: “An investment in Pillar Three will build a more promising future for the residents of the region CSUSB serves, while advancing academic excellence, energizing and expanding robust programs and creating new ways to address today’s global challenges,” said Morales.
The quality of a university’s facilities has a profound effect on the campus community, particularly on students and their performance. Research shows that campus facilities positively affect student health, behavior, engagement, learning and growth in achievement.
Center for Global Innovation, a Hub for International Education The Center for Global Innovation, which opened in 2019, includes 24 classrooms, administrative offices, reconfigurable multi-purpose rooms, a 250-seat auditorium and casual study lounges. Designed to accommodate collaborative learning, the center is home for all instructional needs and administrative operations for the College of Extended Learning, including all international student programs.
Considered the hub for international education at CSUSB, the center is a one-stop shop for international students and those seeking a global learning experience through study-abroad offerings.
The center has also established a true pedestrian square for the CSUSB campus, with the large shaded plaza typically brimming with students and creating a vibrant gathering place for campus life.
As Morales noted when the center opened, “Studies have shown (study-abroad programs) can be the single most powerful game-changer in a student’s academic career. Students who study abroad are significantly more likely to earn better grades and graduate from college. We are dedicated to student success and providing an enhanced college experience through an active and dynamic learning atmosphere, which includes those students who come to us from other countries.”
Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU) North — Space for Collaboration and Community In March, CSUSB celebrated the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Santos Manuel Student Union North, the three-story, 120,000 square-foot, $90 million expansion of the SMSU. The new structure includes a multi-purpose ballroom, an eight-lane bowling alley and game room, a pub, food service and retail space, collaborative spaces for student organizations and support centers, and the Coyote Bookstore.
The SMSU, through its programs, services, facilities and employment opportunities, provides safe and inclusive spaces for students, the greater campus and surrounding areas to foster community, promote wellness, develop leaders and offer enriching co-curricular experiences.
The overall SMSU, which consists of three buildings – SMSU North, SMSU South and SMSU East – is one of the largest building complexes in the 23-campus California State University system, named for an indigenous leader, Santos Manuel (Paakuma’ Tawinat), Kiika’ of the Serrano Indians, Yuhaaviatam Clan, who in 1866 led his people to safety following a 32-day campaign of genocide against Native Americans in San Bernardino County.
Grant Brings New Technologies to CSUSB Palm Desert Campus
While capital campaigns traditionally seek funding for brick-and-mortar structures – new buildings and facilities – funding for new technologies is critically important to enhancing teaching methods and improving student success, as well.
One such example is CSUSB’s Vital and Expanded Technologies Initiative (VETI) grant that assists the campus in addressing critical expanded technology initiatives that directly support students’ academic experiences.
The Palm Desert Campus recently received a VETI grant, which will increase technological resources to support curricular offerings. The funded initiatives range from using virtual reality to create immersive experiences in the Hospitality Management Program to keeping the vinyl spinning at Paws Radio in the event of power outages. Funding for the campus’ Event Management System will provide new monitors mounted outside of classrooms so students can easily check the availability of the space for individual study or collaborative gatherings. And Academic Advising Services and Student Engagement now have new iPads, laptops, portable printers, iPad stands, cameras and flash drives to provide more mobility and flexibility when serving students during mobile sessions.
Pillar Four: “Modernizing facilities that enhance teaching and learning and creating new environments conducive to student and faculty scholarly endeavors is an essential component to sustaining a vibrant higher education community,” said Morales. “An investment in Pillar Four is an investment in the future of this university.”
“We began as a state college in 1965 with an inaugural class of 293 students, and in less than 60 years, we’ve grown to become a major urban research university with two locations, more than 20,000 students and 115,000 alumni. Today, CSUSB is alive with ideas and opportunities, and with the help of our friends, alumni and the broader community, we are poised for an unprecedented new era of growth,” Morales said. “This is truly our defining moment.”