Spring 2007 Print Issue

O The Magazine of San Diego State University Spring 2007 360 Welcome to 360 online! To increase the type size for easier reading, change the percentage field in your toolbar or use the settings found under the “view” tab. To jump from one article to another, use the “table of contents” or “thumbnail” links under the tabs to the left. If no tabs appear, click on the navigation symbol in your toolbar to reveal them. SDSU Month Edition Raising the Roof Answering the call to build a home for alumni Lessons in Leading Catching up with former Aztec leaders The Big Picture An unconventional history of humanity e at San Diego State are proud of our “Minds That Move the World,” the alumni, stu- Wdents, faculty and staff that make a difference in our neighborhoods and in the global community. What moves Greg Talavera? Greg and his team This year, SDSU Month highlights the forces that in the Graduate School of Public Health have move us to discovery, to invention and to action. been funded by the National Institutes of It’s a reminder of the impetus that drives us to Health to lead a $9.7-million study of health challenge ourselves in a quest for excellence. risks in the South Bay Latino community. They hope to gain a deeper understanding of the risk The faculty within our seven colleges, our library factors for a number of health conditions that and on our Imperial Valley campus take that afflict Latinos, including diabetes, heart disease challenge seriously. Their efforts in SDSU’s class- and lung disorders. rooms, labs and studios impel us to greater achievements each successive year. These are examples of what moves the faculty at San Diego State University. The SDSU For Mark Sussman, a biology professor and mem- Month theme – What Moves You? – is also an ber of the SDSU Heart Institute, the driving force invitation to you, our alumni and friends. is a commitment to curing heart disease. Mark is the principal investigator for a $9.5 million Think about the motivations that stir you to National Institutes of Health grant funding three action. Consider how your contributions – and Direc research projects at SDSU and one at UCSD. The those of other SDSU alumni – make San Diego tionsfive-year projects will investigate how protecting a better, more vibrant place to live. Then plan mitochondria – the cell’s energy center – can to visit campus on March 17 for Explore SDSU: preserve heart cells during a heart attack. Open House 2007 to learn how SDSU students, faculty and alumni are helping to propel our Wendy Maruyama’s life work revolves around community forward into the future. moving people’s minds. Her prize-winning wood- work and furniture are part of museum collections throughout the country and her national reputa- tion has attracted millions in funding to develop Stephen L. Weber, president SDSU’s School of Art, Design, and Art History. San Diego State University Wendy brings numerous international study experiences to bear on her work and her teaching. 360The Magazine of San Diego State University (ISSN 1543-7116) is published quarterly by SDSU Marketing & Communications and distributed to members of the SDSU Alumni Association, faculty, staff and friends. Editor: Coleen L. Geraghty Editorial: Gina Speciale, Jason Foster, Lauren Coartney, Tobin Vaughn, Stephanie Nehmans, Nicole K. Millett, Lorena Nava Art Director: Lori Padelford Graphic Design: John Signer Cover Photo: Paul Body SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY Stephen L. Weber President DIVISION OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS & DEVELOPMENT Mary Ruth Carleton Vice President Stephanie Casenza '83, '03 Assistant Vice President - Campaign 360 FeaturesRaising the Roof Departments Communications & Donor Relations Kathy Drucquer Duff '87 Friendship and loyalty inspired three Aztecs to jump-start the Assistant Vice President - Development Directions Alumni Angles Christopher Redo SDSU Alumni Center campaign. Now, they’re challenging From the President Alumni Montys other alums to match their $2.7 million gift. Assistant Vice President - Principal Gifts & 2 33 Special Campaigns By Coleen L. Geraghty Allan Bailey Chief Financial & Information Officer 14Lessons in Leading Update By Degrees Jack Beresford Assistant Vice President - Marketing & As Associated Students celebrates its 75th birthday, former Campus News Erin Bala Communications Jim Herrick student leaders remember the crucial life lessons they 6 38 Executive Director - Alumni Association learned in office. By Gina R. Speciale We welcome mail from our readers. Horizons 360 Magazine 18 Fathoming Big History Getting It Marketing & Communications 5500 Campanile Drive SDSU professor David Christian looks at human history through 12 San Diego CA 92182-8080 E-mail: [email protected] the broadest possible lens. His view wasn’t always fashionable, Read 360 Magazine online at but increasingly, others want to take a peek. Giving Back www.sdsu.edu/360 By Coleen L. Geraghty The BioScience Center Periodical postage paid at San Diego, CA Volume 14, No. 1, copyright 2007 24 32 San Diego State University What Moves You? Postmaster: Find out what motivates three talented SDSU students. Then, Send address changes to: get motivated to take advantage of the events and Information Services, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive promotions on offer during SDSU Month in March. San Diego CA 92182-8035 By Jason Foster FALL 2005 | Opinionssdsu.edu/360 expressed in 360 Magazine are 28 those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the university administration nor those of the California State University Board of Trustees. Gold medal winner, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Update On campus SDSU Growth Plan To learn more about the project and express your support, visit With increasing demand for www.sdsu.edu/masterplan. higher education in California, SDSU is again revising its Say Sí to V-me Campus Master Plan. In September 2005, SDSU received KPBS, San Diego’s public broad- unanimous approval from the cast service based on the SDSU California State University campus, is in the vanguard of a Board of Trustees for the most national Spanish-language public recent version of the Campus television service scheduled to Master Plan. However, a debut in March. California Supreme Court decision in City of Marina vs. Offering a unique mix of CSU Monterey Bay has resulted traditional and innovative in the need for SDSU to update programming designed for its plan. American Latinos, V-me (pronounced vay-may) will A blueprint for SDSU’s growth premiere on KPBS-HD and over the next 20 years, the on cable channel 111 in San Campus Master Plan revision Diego, as well as in 20 other is critical to SDSU’S ability to U.S. cities. provide access to a high quality university education for future The new public television generations of Aztecs. SDSU platform will carry translated received a record 57,000 appli- versions of popular English- cations for 8,800 undergraduate language public television shows openings for the fall 2007 like “Sesame Street” and “Nature,” viewers while bringing a semester – 9 percent more than as well as exclusive original pro- new level of quality to main- the previous year. gramming created for and by stream Spanish-language TV,” Latinos living in the U.S. said Myrian Solis Coronel, The Campus Master Plan will manager of Latino education increase SDSU’s enrollment “V-me reflects, respects, enter- and outreach for KPBS. capacity from 25,000 full-time- tains and gives voice to Latino equivalent students to 35,000, KPBS is mounting a related and will provide additional education and outreach initiative student housing, a new student called ! KPBS Ahora! with activi- union, classroom and support ties to strengthen and support space and affordable, high quali- Latino families. These will FALL 2005 | ty housing for faculty and staff. include: public screenings of sdsu.edu/360 new television programs fol- SDSU will conduct several Knowledge is not lowed by audience discussions; meetings and provide opportu- and issue-based outreach related nities for comment from campus knowledge until put to program content on immigra- stakeholders, neighboring resi- tion, health care workforce skills dents and others interested in into context. and other topics. SDSU’s future. The plan is expected to go to the CSU Emeritus Professor Henry L. Janssen. Look for more information about Board of Trustees for approval From the "Last" Lecture Series, 2006 V-me and upcoming ! KPBS in September 2007. “ Ahora! events at kpbs.org/v-me. 6 SPRING 2007 | sdsu.edu/360 Photo: Alan Decker [email protected] | 360 MAGAZINE 7 Update The Golden Section John Dirks graduated from San Diego State College in 1937 with a degree in art. Ten years later, he returned to teach at his alma mater and never left until his retirement in 1976. SDSU acknowledged Dirks’ contributions in 1972 with a Distinguished Teaching Award, which gave him the status of emeritus professor. Now, Dirks is being recognized by the Mingei International Museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. A retrospective of his sculpture spans four decades and includes more than 40 pieces of art. In a conversation with the Mingei’s Karen Seo, Dirks, now 92, spoke about working with wood: “As a boy, I started making things with just a jackknife, whittling. My father and I made a whole lot of tiny model ships, with sails made of paper. We used to sail those in Wabash Pond (in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where Dirks grew up). (Later), I did a lot of sculptures, large and small, mostly from rare wood. “The wood is sensitive to inside space, all the narrow sticks in the center. The next space is a golden section of the previous one and those negative spaces are exactly the same…the builders of the Parthenon (used) the golden section.

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