Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton, more commonly known as Cal State Fullerton or simply CSUF, is the second largest public university in the state. It is a part of the California State University system, and is located in the city of Fullerton, California, in northern Orange County. In 2007 it celebrates its 50th anniversary: though classes didn't start until 1959, the legislature authorized the school, then called "Orange County College," in 1957. Known as the "Titans," the school's colors are navy and orange, and their mascot is an elephant affectionately known as "Tuffy the Titan."
Cal State Fullerton's College of Business and Economics is the largest accredited business school in California and fourth largest in the country. The school is also ranked number one on the west coast for musical theater and ranked number eight in the nation overall (opera stars Rod Gilfry and Deborah Voight graduated from the program).
In their June 1st, 2006 issue, the magazine Diverse Issues in Higher Education ranked Cal State Fullerton eighth in the nation for number of bachelor's degrees awarded to minority students and fourth for undergraduate degrees awarded to Hispanics.
The Titan athletics program has won seven national championships: four in men's baseball, one in women's softball, one in men's cross country, and one in women's fencing. The basketball and soccer programs have also met with success. The football program, discontinued in 1992, produced the Canadian Football League's all-time leading passer, Damon Allen. Allen took the Titans to their only bowl appearance, the 1983 California Bowl which they lost to Northern Illinois, 20 to 13.
Wikipedia has an excellent article on the university.
Significance
CSUF is the alma mater of REDdimension Wiki Circle member Kevin McNulty. Kevin was accepted in the university's President's Scholar program in 1982. The program provided Kevin with an academic scholarship that covered all expenses...at the time he entered the university. By the time he graduated, costs had risen so much that the scholarship barely covered half, and Kevin worked throughout school to make up the difference and pay his living expenses.
Despite being an undeclared major, Kevin was invited to join the research team of noted psychology professor, Ron Riggio in 1989. It was the only time professor Riggio ever extended such an offer to a freshman. Riggio now directs the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College and is a noted author and researcher in the fields of leadership and organizational effectiveness.
Kevin eventually majored in Psychology and earned a Bachelors of Arts Degree in 1986. He graduated with honors, achieving a 3.71 GPA, and was a member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society.
Notable Alumni
Titan athletics has produced no fewer than fourteen MLB players, three NBA players, two professional soccer players, one Team USA softball player, and two Canadian Football League stars (including CFL legend Damon Allen who played quarterback for CSUF when Kevin was attending). Athletes, however, are not CSUF's only prominent alumni. Other notable former CSUF students include:
- Caldwell, Tracy - astronaut, shuttle mission STS-118
- Cameron, James - director, Terminator, Aliens, Abyss, Titanic
- Though Cameron dropped out before graduating, he did receive an honorary doctorate from the school in 1999
- Costner, Kevin - actor, Dance with Wolves, Field of Dreams
- Erlenbusch, Douglas - Colonel, USAF
- Planned and coordinated the first air strikes in the invasion of Iraq
- Force, Ashley - professional drag racer
- Johnson, Ross - politician
- Johnson has been Republican leader in both the California State Senate and California State Assembly
- Nagel, Patrick - artist/illustrator
- Rossio, Terry - screenwriter, Aladdin, Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- Royce, Edward R. - United States congressman
- Samadzai, Vida - Miss Afghanistan 2003
- Stefani, Gwen - singer, lead vocalist for the band No Doubt
- Vasta, William M. - White House photographer
- Woolverton, Linda - screenwriter, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King
Related Links
- Cal State Fullerton on Wikipedia
- CSUF official website
