Northridge Notes
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  • 1970s

    Ben Amata ’72 (History) has served as a librarian at CSU Sacramento for 41 years. He published an open resource journal article in 2024, “New Zealand Security Agencies’ Secrecy, Accountability and Transparency in the Modern Era.” In 2023, Amata received the Bernadine Abbott Hoduski Founders Award, which recognizes government documents  librarians who have made significant contributions to the field of state, international, local or federal documents. The award recognizes those whose contributions have benefited the individual’s institution and the profession.

  • Headshot of a smiling, older white man with white hair and a mustache, wearing a brown corduroy jacket and a patterned shirt. He is leaning against a white wall.
    Christopher G. Jones ’74 (Business Administration – Accounting), former professor of accounting and information systems in CSUN’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, published his second detective novel, “Oceano Beach Bedlam,” under the pen name Topper Jones. Since retiring from teaching in 2017, Jones has devoted himself full time to creative writing. He’s under contract with Wild Rose Press for his “Thad Hanlon & Bri de la Guerra Mystery Series.” The first book in his series, “All That Glisters,” published in 2023.
  • Jorge Lozano ’77 (Journalism) is retired after a career in television as a writer, producer and director at Univision Networks, KNBC and KCBS. He noted that he has very fond memories of working on CSUN’s Scene Magazine as a journalism student.

  • 1980s

    Jon Georgio ’83 (Business Administration/English), CEO of Gothic Landscape, was the keynote speaker at the 10th Annual Jeff Marine Bull Ring New Venture Competition Final, on April 24 at CSUN’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics. In addition to his CSUN degrees, Georgio completed the Management Development Program for Entrepreneurs at UCLA. He’s a member of the CSUN Advisory Board. Georgio resides in Santa Clarita with his wife, Mardi Georgio ’85 (Liberal Studies), and together they have three children.

  • Tony Ngai ’83 (Engineering), founder of Society of Motion Imaging in Hong Kong, received the Outstanding Filmmaker Award from the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers.
  • Zeke Zeidler ’87 (English Literature) was named the Wilmont Sweeney Juvenile Court Judge of the Year for 2024, by the Juvenile Court Judges of California (a section of the California Judges Association). The award is presented to a juvenile court judicial officer who exemplifies leadership and innovative dedication to California’s youth. The announcement was made during JCJC’s annual meeting in May 2024.
  • Brent Fischer ’88 (Music) was part of the team that won Best Global Music Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Fischer served as a producer and orchestral arranger for “Alkebulan II” by Matt B, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

  • 1990s

    Professional headshot of a smiling, bald white man wearing a light brown or tan blazer over a white collared shirt. The background is a plain light gray.
    Thomas G. Mackey ’91 (Finance), principal at employment law firm Jackson Lewis P.C., was named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “2025 Leader of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys” list. The award recognizes top litigators and trial attorneys in the L.A. region for their skill and dedication to clients. Mackey is also a frequent speaker at bar associations throughout the region, sharing insights from his extensive trial experience. After graduating from CSUN, Mackey earned his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

  • Michele Levinson ’93 (Political Science) joined Frost Brown Todd as a partner in the firm’s Product, Tort & Insurance Litigation Practice Group in Los Angeles. Levinson represents insurers, nonprofits and public  entities in automobile claims, first-party property insurance, bad-faith litigation and personal injury defense, among other matters. After graduating from CSUN, Levinson earned her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law. She has served on the board of directors for the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigative Units.
  • Megan (mcgowen) crouch ’93 (Urban Studies and Planning) is the city manager for the city of Auburn, Ala. She also serves as national president for Alpha Xi Delta, a women’s fraternal organization. She leads Alpha Xi Delta’s National Council, a governing board that provides leadership, oversight and guidance to fulfill the organization’s vision for inspiring women to realize their potential. 
  • Dr. William “Scott” Woska ’93 (M.S., Exercise Physiology) is executive medical director – medical, clinical and scientific affairs, for two pharmaceutical companies focused on neuromuscular and musculoskeletal movement disorders. In addition to a master’s from CSUN, Woska holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Before pursuing dual residencies and fellowships in internal medicine and orthopedics, Woska spent what he called “one of my most rewarding years in medicine,” conducting postgraduate research at the Medical State University of Lviv, Ukraine. There, he studied the intergenerational effects of radiation exposure on descendants of Chernobyl survivors. Since returning to the U.S., he has applied his medical training to the biopharmaceutical industry — including as a senior medical science liaison for Bausch+Lomb. Woska lives in Monterey, Calif.
  • Headshot of a smiling man with dark hair, wearing a black suit jacket and a white shirt with an orange and black patterned tie. He is standing outdoors in front of a metal fence and autumn foliage.
    Scott D. Goldstein ’94 (Mathematics) retired in 2025 after 30 years of service to the city of L.A. Goldstein’s final post was as chief city risk manager. Goldstein enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps while at CSUN and served from 1991-99. He began his career with the city of L.A. — first as a 911 operator/dispatcher — right after graduation. Goldstein later served as a civilian analyst in the LAPD’s legal affairs division, and then in the department’s Office of the Inspector General. He transferred to the LAX risk management office, and finally to the City Administrative Office. As an undergraduate, Goldstein was a proud member of the CSUN Ice Hockey team. He’s also a multigenerational Matador: His father, Albert Goldstein ’68 (Biology), B.A. ’73 (English), graduated from what was then San Fernando Valley State College.

  • 2000s

    Luis A. “Tony” Martinez ’04 (Theatre) lives in Nogales, Ariz., where he is a fitness instructor and coaches basketball and soccer. He’s the proud father of two children, and he recently tied the knot, marrying Jennifer Martinez in May 2025.

  • Professional headshot of a smiling woman with long, wavy brown hair, wearing a dark blue blazer over a red top. The background is a solid gray.
    Natasha Bonelli ’05 (Mangement), senior vice president and senior financial advisor in Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth Management Division, was named to Forbes’  2025 “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, published in April. A veteran in the industry, Bonelli joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2005. She focuses on corporate 401(k) plans and personal retirement planning strategies. She holds the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist designation from the College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp., among other professional designations. For CSUN, she participates in mentoring professional “shadowing” programs, helping ambitious students achieve their professional aspirations.
  • Headshot of a smiling woman with long, wavy brown hair, wearing a bright blue top and a silver cross necklace. She is outdoors with a blurred green, wooded background.
    Courtney (GRUTTEMEYER) Valladares ’06 (Communication Studies), M.A. ’08 (Communication Studies) is the director of human resources for the University of Virginia Foundation. Valladares previously served as an instructor at CSUN, Pepperdine University and Piedmont Virginia Community College, as well as a guest speaker at the University of Virginia School of Architecture and the Virginia Society for Human Resource Management State Conference. She serves on the board of directors for the Charlottesville Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapter and holds an SHRM-CP certification.
A male runner celebrating at the finish line of the Antarctica Marathon, holding his medal.
Tommy Vinh Bui ’08 (Cinema and Television Arts), M.A. ’10 (English Literature) completed the six World Marathon Majors: New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo and Boston. For these races, he raised funds for charities such as the American Red Cross, Alzheimer’s Society and Aktiv Against Cancer. This year, he also ran the 2025 Antarctica Marathon, which is one of the southernmost and coldest (if not the coldest!) marathons in the world. Bui is a teen and adult services librarian for Los Angeles County.

  • 2010s

    A man with dark, messy hair is holding two red books in front of his face, titled 'a written self-portrait' and 'On Psychology.' He is smiling slightly, with bookshelves visible behind him.
    Louis Gale ’10 (Psychology) published the first two volumes in a planned six-novella series, “A Written Self-Portait on …” The first two volumes, available in major bookstore chains and online, delve into tragedy and psychosis. Gale is a graduate student in National University’s JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences.

  • Jason Pratts ’12 (Business Management), CEO of Kumo and BuildYourOrg, served as a “shark” judge for the 10th Annual Jeff Marine Bull Ring New Venture Competition Final, on April 24 at CSUN’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics. While still a student at CSUN, Pratts co-founded Appetize, where he led a product team and partnered with an engineering team to develop a best-in-class product in the mobile ordering space. Pratts went on to create BuildYourOrg, which provides professional services and software to small- to medium-sized business owners.
  • Elizabeth Dorssom ’14 (M.P.A., Public Sector Management) was named a recipient of the Standout Faculty Member award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. This recognition highlighted her commitment to leadership in advancing nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement and voter participation among college students for the 2024 election. Dorssom is an assistant professor of political science at Lincoln University of Missouri.
  • Zuleima Ugalde ’16 (English Literature), M.A. ’18, visited CSUN’s English 412 class in April to speak to the student editors of the Northridge Review campus literary magazine. She shared her experience working as an editorial assistant to the senior vice president/editorial director of Vintage/Anchor Books at Penguin Random House.
  • A newly married couple taking a close-up selfie; the woman is winking, and both are smiling and holding up their hands to show off their wedding rings. The man is wearing a tuxedo, and the woman is wearing a strapless white wedding gown.
    Wyatt Samuelson ’19 (English Honors) and Ashleynicole Florendo tied the knot on May 11, 2025, in Cancun, Mexico. Groomsmen included Matadors David Casillas ’19 (Finance), Hector Sanchez ’20 (Art) and Erik Rico Rodriquez. The happy couple first met in the fifth grade, “where I had a huge crush on her and we had a shared love of the Beatles,” Samuelson said. Both L.A. natives, the newlyweds live in Key West, Fla. Samuelson works as a government contractor in communications and research and writes for the local newspaper, Keys Weekly.
  • Jenée Robin Ornelas ’19 (Early Childhood Development) is Los Angeles County Parks’ first-ever tribal liaison. A proud member of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, Ornelas leads policy development and outreach efforts to build strong, inclusive relationships between the Department of Parks and Recreation and California Native American tribes and tribal communities. She plays a critical role in helping the county meet the goals of the L.A. Board of Supervisors Indigenous People’s Initiative, including land acknowledgement protocols and integrating tribal needs into county parks programs and initiatives.

  • 2020s

    Perla Colin ’20 (Journalism/Communication Studies) is a technical writer at Medtronic in Northridge, and a proud, former student assistant for CSUN Magazine on the Strategic Communication team. At CSUN, she was involved in performing arts, the Daily Sundial and occasionally crashed a screenwriting class or two. Her favorite campus spot was the Department of Strategic Communication and Brand Management, where she fostered lifetime friendships and mentorships. She lives in South El Monte.

  • Abigail Salmon ’22 (Cinema and Television Arts) started a master’s program in communication leadership at the University of Washington. Since 2023, Salmon had served as a producer/editor in CSUN’s Department of Strategic Communication and Brand Management, where she was the creative force behind some of the university’s most memorable videos. These included highlights of the Distinguished Alumni Awards and the President’s Donor Appreciation Celebration. Salmon is also an author and illustrator, and she recently published the graphic novel “Intergalactic Milkman.”
  • Headshot of a man with a dark beard and a high-fade haircut, wearing a black suit jacket and white shirt, with a neutral-colored painting of people in the background.
    Hovig Anserlian ’24 (Business Management) is a Records and Registration representative in CSUN’s Office of the Registrar. He’s been working on campus since 2017, when he joined Physical Plant Management Work Control as a student assistant. This fall, Anserlian began a master’s program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in Higher Education, in CSUN’s Michael D. Eisner College of Education. He noted that he’s excited to grow his career in higher education. Anserlian also volunteers on campus, serving as a proud CSUN Navigator, supporting new students during their first days on campus.
  • Professional headshot of a smiling woman with long, straight gray hair and bright red lipstick, wearing pearl earrings and a tan top. The background is a muted blue and gray gradient.
    Andrea Shelkey ’24 (M.A., Educational Psychology – Early Childhood Education), a longtime and key member of CSUN’s Department of Strategic Communication and Brand Management (SCBM) team, relocated to her home state of Minnesota this past summer. She started a new role as senior communications specialist for admissions at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. It’s a full-circle moment, as Shelkey began her higher education career at the U of M in marketing and communications. The new job also allows her to be close to family and friends and return to her Minnesota roots after 10 years in California. Shelkey served for nine years as an administrative analyst in SCBM, where she was an invaluable colleague and contributed to projects large and small — from the production, printing and mailing of this magazine — to design, events, multimedia, and government and community relations.

In Memoriam

  • FACULTY & STAFF

    Portrait of an older, smiling white man with light hair and a collared shirt.
    Warren Campbell (Public Administration, Urban Planning), who helped found the university’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, died on April 2, 2025. He was 100.

    A native of Montevideo, Minn., Campbell served in the 89th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II. He earned his Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University, as well as a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the London School of Economics.

    After brief stints teaching at Colgate University and San Francisco State, Campbell joined the political science faculty at San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) in 1961.

    He was extremely active on campus, participating in the Faculty Senate, the Personnel Planning and Review Committee and the Student Award Committee. In 1971 he helped found the Urban Studies and Planning department, and he later became its chair.

    Campbell taught undergraduate courses in state and local government, urban politics and city planning for 40 years. He also began teaching in the Master of Public Administration program in 1976. He later co-directed the graduate program with his close friend and colleague, Chris Leu. He was a vital part of the MPA program for decades, and he taught his last class in 2019, at age 95! The COVID-19 pandemic finally forced him into retirement, according to his daughter, Alice Campbell Leon.

    Off campus, Campbell was an active civic leader, serving on the city’s Fair Housing Council from 1973-84 and the Board of Zoning Appeals under L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley.

    “My dad touched the lives of thousands of students, colleagues and members of the community,” Campbell Leon wrote in a tribute.

    A scholarship fund in his honor, the Professor Warren Campbell Scholarship Endowment, has been established at CSUN. To give, visit engage.csun.edu/CampbellEndow.

  • Sepia portrait of an elderly man wearing glasses and a plaid shirt, smiling subtly.
    Nirmal Kumar Mishra (Electrical Engineering, Computer Science), professor emeritus, researcher and advocate for academic excellence, died on Feb. 13, 2025. He was 93.

    Mishra focused on biomedical instrumentation, signal processing and control systems, while mentoring students as well as new faculty members. During a sabbatical at Harbin Institute of Technology in China, he studied Chinese and subsequently became active in CSUN’s China Institute. From 1993-94, Mishra served as an interim associate dean for the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

    He was particularly passionate about supporting students and faculty members from underrepresented groups and, when he retired in 2003, Mishra established the Nirmal Mishra Endowed Scholarship in Engineering & Computer Science to aid minority students within his department.

    He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Jabalpur Engineering College in India in 1954. His pursuit of higher education led him to the U.S., where he completed an M.S. in electrical engineering from New York University and a Ph.D. from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Mishra served as a lecturer at the California Institute of Technology and conducted research, including at City of Hope, before joining the faculty at CSUN.

    For info on giving to the Nirmal Mishra Endowed Scholarship in Engineering & Computer Science, visit engage.csun.edu.

  • Black and white portrait of a white man in a light suit and tie, looking away from the camera.
    James “Jim” O’Donnell (Continuing Education), former dean of CSUN’s School of Continuing Education (now the Tseng College), died on March 5, 2025. He was 92.

    O’Donnell considered his 20-year tenure as dean, from 1976-96, to be his most satisfying job in a long career. He loved blending his experience in education and business publishing to run CSUN’s continuing education programs, according to his family. The job included extensive international travel, which he relished — to countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, Europe, India and the Former Soviet Union.

    After the Northridge earthquake struck in Jan. 1994, O’Donnell served on the task force that helped CSUN reopen “Not Just Back — Better!” (the motto coined by former university President Blenda Wilson).

    A Boston native, O’Donnell earned a bachelor’s and master’s from Boston College, both in history and government. Later, he completed a Ph.D. in American history at Boston U. He worked in the cryptology division for the National Security Agency and later served at the U.S. Army’s Ft. Gordon (now Ft. Eisenhower) near Augusta, Ga.

    Before moving his family to California, O’Donnell taught history at Newman Preparatory School, State College Boston and Seton Hall University, and he worked in the business publishing industry, including at Xerox.

  • James “Jim” Michael Torcivia (Psychology), professor emeritus, died on March 14, 2025, at age 82.

    Torcivia joined the faculty at San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) in 1968, after earning his B.A. at Regis College and an M.A. and Ph.D. at Loyola University Chicago.

    “Jim was beloved by his students, especially in Psychology 250, now called ‘Physiological Correlates of Human Behavior,’ where one student [noted Torcivia was], ‘on fire about neurons, and his excitement makes you want to learn,’” CSUN’s Association of Retired Faculty (ARF) noted in a tribute by colleague Carrie Saetermoe. “Jim’s research taught us that there are individual differences in the ways that people make decisions about sensitive topics based on their personal principles vs. social persuasion.”

    Fearlessly breaking ground in 1973, he taught a course, “Psychology and the Healthy Homosexual,” through CSUN’s extension program. Torcivia penned a letter to the editor of student publication the Daily Sundial in 1976, where he wrote: “To be a homosexual is, above all else, a recognition of the human capacity to love another … And our world has precious little love under any circumstances.” He lived with his lifelong partner, David Schmittke.

    Many at CSUN remembered Torcivia as a warm and gracious friend and colleague who often invited his fellow faculty to his home near Ventura, where he annotated and played his favorite opera selections.

  • ALUMNI

    Portrait of a middle-aged white man with a beard, smiling in a suit and tie.
    Howard Edward Haller ’69 (Political Science), a trustee emeritus of the CSUN Foundation board of directors and former alumni president, died on Nov. 29, 2024, in Centerville, Utah. He was 77.

    Haller served as president of the Foundation Board from 1986-87 and president of the CSUN Alumni Assocation from 1981-82. He played a pivotal role in raising funds for scholarships and the construction of new, earthquake-safe campus buildings.

    As chairman of Haller Companies, he had more than 30 years of experience as a real estate investor and commercial real estate broker. He also founded the Leadership Success Institutes and spoke throughout the U.S. and Canada about real estate investing, finance and investment analysis. At the age of 22, he served as an officer in the National Division of Bank of America, and he went on to serve as senior vice president of United Artists and TCI, and managing director of Anaconda Erickson Finance.

    Haller was a member of the Writers’ Guild of America, and he penned two film scripts. His film and TV projects included voice overs and producing “Night of the Tunnel Raiders,” starring Adam West.

    As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was a devoted volunteer. He dedicated 10 years as a scoutmaster, guiding more than 50 teens and young men to becoming Eagle Scouts.

    In 2005, he achieved a lifelong educational dream, earning a Ph.D. from Gonzaga University, where he studied leadership.

    Haller found his greatest joy and pride in family, as a husband, dad, “Opa” and friend, his loved ones noted.

  • Jeri C. Taylor ’66 (M.A., English), Emmy-nominated television writer, director and producer best known for her work on the “Star Trek” shows “The Next Generation,” “Voyager” and “Deep Space Nine”, died on Oct. 23, 2024. She was 86.

    A native of Wilmington, Ohio, Taylor graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Indiana University (IU) with a degree in English in 1959. She worked as a sportswriter for a local Bloomington, Ind., newspaper, becoming one of the first women to break into that male-dominated field in the 1960s, according to Indiana University alumni magazine.

    At IU, she met her first husband, the iconic sportscaster Dick Enberg. The couple relocated to Los Angeles, where Taylor earned her master’s from what was then San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN). She acted and directed regional theater productions and ran her own acting academy while raising their three children.

    By the 1970s, Taylor had taken her storytelling talents to Hollywood, writing scripts for classic TV shows such as “Little House on the Prairie” and “Magnum, P.I.”

    She achieved her greatest fame, though, when she penned her first-ever “Next Generation” script, for the episode “Suddenly Human,” — which earned her an invitation to join the producing team. “The ‘Voyager’ series (1995-98) introduced the first female starship commander, Captain Kathryn Janeway,” the IU magazine noted.

    “If there is anything I have brought to the series, I think it may be a heightened awareness of “female sensibility” and wanting to develop the roles of our women a little more strongly,” Taylor once remarked.

Remembering coach hiegert

A man in a vintage CSUN baseball uniform and cap holding two baseballs on a field.
Robert “Bob” Hiegert ’64 (Physical Education), M.A. ’68, (Physical Education), CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame baseball coach and former director of athletics, died on June 19, 2025, at age 83. A legendary figure in CSUN history, Hiegert is the school’s all-time wins leader, with 586 victories over 18 seasons. He coached the Matadors to the pinnacle of college baseball, winning two NCAA Division II National Championships, in 1970 and 1984.

The Matadors recently renamed their home ballpark Robert J. Hiegert Field, in honor of the former coach. Hiegert began his CSUN journey as a student-athlete and served from 1965-98 in roles as an assistant coach, head coach, faculty member and director of athletics.

“Bob was always encouraging to me and supportive of our program regardless of the time or day,” said current head baseball coach Eddie Cornejo. “Bob’s legacy will continue to be shared [with] our student-athletes as long as I’m a Matador.”

Hiegert graduated from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks before attending San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN). At Valley State, Hiegert met his wife, Jackie (Brock) Hiegert ’65 (Elementary Education), ’66 (Teaching Credential). The pair were very active on campus, including Bob’s involvement in Delta Sigma Nu Fraternity and serving as sophomore class president.

Hiegert shined brightest on Valley State’s diamond. A four-year starting shortstop for the Matadors, from 1960-63, he played for the university’s first baseball coach, Phil Munroe, and CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame coach Stan Charnofsky. In 1964, Hiegert became the first in his family to graduate from college.

After graduation, Hiegert had a stint in Major League Baseball, playing for the Los Angeles Angels organization before returning to Northridge to coach. He took the helm as head coach in 1967 and quickly led Valley State to three consecutive winning seasons. In his fourth season, the magical 1970 season, the Matadors captured their first NCAA DII title.

Under Hiegert, CSUN became a Division II national power, earning a whopping 11 NCAA Tournament berths. The Matadors also won eight conference championships and five regional championships. In 1984, after his second and final national championship, Hiegert was named National Coach of the Year.

He mentored and coached hundreds of students during his time at CSUN and remained a key figure in the lives of many, long after their time at CSUN. Twenty-three of his players were selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, with five eventually playing at the Major League level. The university inducted Hiegert into the CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. In January of this year, Hiegert was in attendance to celebrate the renaming of the Matadors’ home field in his honor.

The Hiegerts are a multigenerational Matador family, with alumni including his daughter Lorie Havey ’94 (M.S., Home Economics); son-in-law Mike Havey ’95 (M.S., Industrial Engineering); brother-in-law Ron Allington ’68 (Physical Education), ‘69 (Teaching Credential); sister-in-law Terri Brock ’86 (Accounting Theory & Practice); and nieces Tammy Maddigan ’92 (Liberal Studies), ’94 (Teaching Credential) and Deana Allington ’93 (Accounting Theory & Practice).

CSUN Baseball plans to celebrate Bob Hiegert’s life at a home game during the 2026 season. For information on giving to CSUN Baseball scholarships and operations in memory of Hiegert, visit csunfunder.csun.edu/project/46721

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