1970s

Mark K. Bridgeford ’74 (History) is the founder of The Bridgeford Law Office, APC in Valencia, specializing in workers’ compensation law. He has served as a longtime legal resource for injured workers, employers and insurance companies in the Santa Clarita Valley and throughout Los Angeles. After graduating from CSUN, Bridgeford earned his Juris Doctor from San Fernando Valley College of Law. He is married to fellow Matador Kimberlee Bridgeford ’81 (Child Development), ’90 (Teaching Credential).

1980s

Marva Washington ’82 (M.A., Mass Communication) is an author, educator and cultural storyteller who brings a rich and authentic Southern voice to contemporary children’s literature. This past spring, Washington was a featured author at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, where she discussed and signed her new children’s novel, “Jaxon Discovers Dimension Z.”

1990s

Aram Ordubegian ’93 (Political Science) was promoted to Los Angeles managing parter at law firm ArentFox Schiff LLP. Previously, he served as a partner at Weinstein, Weiss, and Ordubegian LLP.

2000s

Ringo Chiu ’01 (Special Major –Journalism, pictured above at left) was honored by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) with the Building Bridges Award, for his dedication to building bridges through his work in photojournalism. “Throughout his career, Ringo has repeatedly put himself at risk to document important events and moments, including California wildfires, Black Lives Matter protests, ICE raids and more,” the Congresswoman noted. “Through his powerful visual storytelling, Ringo has consistently connected people, inspired empathy and helped strengthen communities during times of crisis.” Chiu was one of 10 individuals and organizations from California’s 28th Congressional District recognized for their leadership, outstanding service and contributions to their communities. A Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, Chiu serves as Senior Photographer in CSUN’s Department of Strategic Communication and Brand Management.

2010s

Wendy Aguilar ’13 (Journalism) is the director of media and public relations at Sacramento State. Previously, she served as a media and communications specialist with the Sacramento Fire Department, where she was honored with the Social Media Leadership Award at the Government Social Media Conference. Aguilar worked as a TV reporter, producer and anchor in Arizona, California and Texas before transitioning to communications and public relations. At CSUN, she noted, she was a proud first-generation college student.

2020s

Emma Starze ’22 (M.A., Humanities) published a collection of contemporary poetry, “everglow.” The collection’s themes explore “light in the darkness, hope and healing,” Starze noted. She is a certified yoga teacher and holds a bachelor’s degree in child and adolescent development.

FACULTY & STAFF

Samuel “Sam” Britten (Kinesiology), founding director of CSUN’s Center of Achievement Through Adapted Physical Activity, died in July 2026. Britten was a professor emeritus of kinesiology in CSUN’s College of Health and Human Development.

For more than half a century, “Dr. Sam” helped define what access and inclusion could look like at CSUN. As a kinesiology professor and, later, professor emeritus, his work reshaped what the university and the field offered to people with physical disabilities.

In 1958, he joined the faculty at what was then San Fernando Valley State College. Early in his career, Britten developed an adapted physical education program for students with disabilities. That work grew into what is now the Center of Achievement Through Adapted Physical Activity, which has offered adapted fitness programming and trained generations of students for health and rehabilitation professions since 1971.

What began as a program for CSUN students expanded to serve the wider community. Students training in adaptive physical education provided much of the hands-on assistance, which kept the program affordable: Students paid nothing beyond their regular university fees, while community members paid a fraction of what comparable private treatment would cost.

As demand grew, Britten led a fundraising effort, backed by university administrators and community leaders, to expand the center and roughly double the number of people it could serve each year.

Dr. Charles Lowman, an orthopedic surgeon and foundational figure in adaptive aquatic therapy, left a lasting impression on Britten. Watching the impact that water-based exercise had on children with disabilities inspired Britten to build a dedicated adaptive aquatics facility. That goal became reality in 2003, when Britten founded the Abbott and Linda Brown Western Center for Adaptive Aquatic Therapy on campus — known as the Brown Center — and served as its first director. The Brown Center extended the land-based work of the Center of Achievement into the water, giving people with serious and chronic physical challenges, including children, a way to move with little or no pain.

In 2015, the International Swimming Hall of Fame honored Britten with the John K. Williams Jr. Adaptive Aquatics Award. The honor recognized his substantial contributions to adaptive aquatics as an educator, administrator and builder of programs that served people with disabilities across generations.

Beyond his professional life, Britten founded Grace Community Church’s special ministries program, and he remained part of the church community for the decades that followed. Britten and his wife, Emarie Britten, were married for 67 years, until her passing in 2023.

Barrett joined the library faculty in 1972 as a reference librarian, immediately after graduating from the USC Library Science School.

“He was a diligent bibliographer, an excellent colleague and always ready with a warm smile,” noted Chris Bulock, chair of the University Library’s Collection Access and Management department, where Barrett spent a decade as librarian before his retirement.

Earlier in his career, Barrett chaired the library’s Reference and Instructional Services department (now Research, Instruction and Outreach Services). He was also active on numerous committees across campus, including serving on accreditation groups and the Faculty Senate. After participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP), Barrett retired fully as an emeritus librarian in 2017.

Barrett was born in Bakersfield, where he was raised on his family’s farm. He was the first in his family to attend college, and he served with the U.S. Navy Reserve. After graduation, he served on active duty as a Navy radar man, traveling all over the western Pacific Ocean.

Beyond work, Barrett was an active volunteer. He was recognized by AIDS Project Los Angeles as their Volunteer of the Year in 1988. In addition to working in the organization’s food bank, Barrett raised tens of thousands of dollars through the AIDS Walk Los Angeles and other walk-a-thons over the years.

ALUMNI

Melvin Auerbach ’66 (Business Administration), MBA ’75 (Business Administration), a certified public accountant and professor emeritus of accounting and finance at Cal State Dominguez Hills, died on Aug. 15, 2026. He was 81.

Born in Pennsylvania, Auerbach was raised in North Hollywood and Van Nuys, and he graduated from North Hollywood High School.

After earning his bachelor’s degree from what was then San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN), Auerbach served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. He served as an air traffic controller in South Korea, responsible for the operations of a mountaintop radar facility. He remained passionate about aviation all his life. Auerbach held single- and multi-engine pilot licenses, and he was a certified flight instructor.

Auerbach taught at Cal State Dominguez Hills for 32 years, until his retirement in 2008. He lived in Torrance for decades, where he and his former wife, Sylvia, raised their daughter, Ashley. He was an avid ballroom dancer, and he forged cherished friendships through his longtime, active involvement in the South Bay Dance Club.

The youngest of five children, Frank was raised in Santa Monica. She and her former husband and fellow Matador, Brent Green ’68, moved to Wisconsin for several years, where Frank completed a master’s in English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In the 1970s, they moved to the Bay Area, where Frank worked for the North East Community Mental Health Center (now North East Medical Services) in San Francisco and as a program analyst at UC Berkeley. Later, she served as a communications leader for Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. Among numerous system-wide projects at Kaiser, she founded and served as managing editor of the employee journal Visions.

Frank later returned to the Berkeley campus, where she served as assistant director of financial aid, including working with donors to support students.

Outside of work, she was an avid painter, photographer, gardener and lifelong pianist. She loved to travel, swim and take brisk walks near the water, especially at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Avila played for the Matadors from 1998-2001. “Greg was taken from us far too young. There are only a few people in this world who are truly loved by everyone — Greg was one of them,” Men’s Soccer Head Coach Terry Davila said in a tribute by CSUN Athletics. “He had a rare gift: He made everyone feel seen, heard and valued. When you talked to Greg, it felt like you were the only person in the room. That kind of presence is something special — and it’s something we’ll all carry with us.”

Avila was active as a coach and mentor in multiple sports. He also nurtured passions for reading and the arts, including music and photography.