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T h e M a g a z i n e o f S a n D i e g o S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y S p r i n g 2 0 0 6 360 O S D S U M o n t h E d i t i o n Transformation A Decade of A Decade of Transformation Welcome to 360 online! To increase
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Direc tions Dr. Weber has distinguished his presidency by launching a number of highly successful collaborations between SDSU and our community. Examples of these include: Nurses Now, a program through which local hospitals help the university educate more nurses for the region; the Hospitality and Tourism Management program, which relies on community partners to provide the internships required of all students; and Construction Engineering, a new program designed in collaboration with local industry. These collaborations and others have accrued to the betterment of the institution: since 1996, San Diego State has received $356 million in donor gifts, approximately 75% more than the total philanthropic support in the institutions previous 99- year history. One of my first official acts was to restore to the good name of San Diego a historic designation: America s Finest City. That s because we are. In my opinion, Stephen Webers first 10 years at the helm of SDSU have made us an even finer city. I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize President Stephen Webers 10 outstanding years at the helm of one of our greatest regional assets, San Diego State University. As mayor of our great city and a former Aztec I am also pleased to recognize the many contributions the university has made to our city and region. It is my deeply held belief that the many synergies we share have made us both stronger. San Diego is blessed with a wealth of riches not bestowed on many places. Our community is a globally recognized academic and research mecca. Moreover, San Diego stands on the cutting edge of science and tech- nology as a growing hub for the biomedical, high-tech and telecommunications industries. Our cultural insti- tutions are second to none; our diversity, legend. These distinctions would not be possible if not for the univer- sitys outstanding track record over the past 109 years. As the newly elected leader of our dynamic metropolis, I have a unique perspective on the universitys contribu- tions to our community. For starters, San Diego State provides our community with its intellectual firepower. Not only does SDSU educate our own homegrown talent, but, as President Weber has often noted, the university is also the largest importer of bright minds to the San Diego region. Sixty percent of graduates remain in San Diego, contributing to our local economy and cultural richness. As a result, SDSU graduates are leaders in business, the arts, science and government throughout the region. J e r r y S a n d e r s , m a y o r C i t y o f S a n D i e g o FALL 2005 | sdsu.edu/360 Features 14 1824
28 Decade of Transformation With Stephen L. Weber at the helm, San Diego State University has become a premier public urban university. By Coleen L. Geraghty Rising Stars SDSU athletes are ready to make their mark in softball, basketball, track and tennis. Introducing four rising stars San Diego will be watching this spring. By Steve Dolan SDSU Month 2006 In every corner of our global village, Aztecs are making an impact. SDSU Month celebrates their contributions. By Jason Foster The Magazine of San Diego State University (ISSN 1543-7116) is published quarterly by SDSU Marketing & Communications and dis- tributed to members of the SDSU Alumni Association, faculty, staff and friends. Publications Manager and Editor: Coleen L. Geraghty Editorial: Randy Carmical, Allison Dolan, Steve Dolan, Jason Foster, Aaron J. Hoskins, Tobin Vaughn, Sandra Millers Younger Art Director: Lori Padelford, Graphic Design: John Signer SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY Stephen L.Weber President DIVISION OF UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Theresa M.Mendoza Vice President Allan Bailey Chief Financial & Information Officer Jack Beresford Assistant Vice President Marketing & Communications Jim Herrick Executive Director, Alumni Association We welcome mail from our readers. Please submit your comments to: 360 Magazine Marketing & Communications 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego CA92182-8080 Fax: (619) 594-5956 E-mail:360mag@mail.sdsu.edu Read 360 Magazine online at www.sdsu.edu/360 Periodical postage paid at San Diego, CA Volume 13, No. 1, copyright 2006 San Diego State University Postmaster: Send address changes to: Information Services San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego CA92182-8035 Opinions expressed in 360 Magazine are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the university administration nor those of The CaliforniaStateUniversityBoardofTrustees. Gold medal winner, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 360 P h i l a n t h r o p y A Gift of Memories and Expectations 3 4 A l u m n i A n g l e s Alumni Montys 3 5 B y D e g r e e s Huijie Hou 4 0 Departments D i r e c t i o n s From Mayor Jerry Sanders 2 U p d a t e C a m p u s N e w s 6 H o r i z o n s E u g e n e O l e v s k y 1 2 360 Bon Appetit! From burgers at the Box to lobster in La Jolla, Aztecs rule the food-service industry. By Sandra Millers Younger
FALL 2005 | sdsu.edu/360 talents of many individual
SDSU faculty members who
have done research and training
with Asian universities, gov-
ernment offices and corpora-
tions. The task force also plans
to increase the number of
exchange programs with
Chinese universities, providing
SDSU students and faculty
with opportunities to improve
their language skills and
knowledge of China. Our
work is part of the universitys
internationalization strategy,
Wong said. With Lilly Cheng, director
of SDSUs Chinese Studies
Institute, Wong has been a
personal conduit for stronger
U.S.-Asian relations. The two
led a group of San Diego busi-
ness and political leaders on an
educational and cultural tour of
China and Cheng took a trade
promotion group including
California Lt. Governor Cruz
Bustamante to Thailand late
last year. SDSUs Presidential Task Force
on Asia is leading the expansion
of the universitys educational
presence in Asia to meet growing
demand for professional degree
and training programs, particularly
from China. The demand comes
not only from high school and
college students but also from
adults seeking training to advance
in their fields. Led by Dean Paul Wong of
SDSUs College of Arts and
Letters, the task force will build
on 14 existing collaborative agree-
ments between SDSU and Chinese
universities in eight provinces.
Additionally, it will tap the Aztecs Rule Theres an Aztec at the helm
of city government. Jerry Sanders,
sworn in as San Diegos mayor in
December, is an alumnus of San
Diego State University. He gradu-
ated with a degree in English in
1973, and now serves on the
deans advisory council for the
College of Arts and Letters. A 26-year veteran of the San
Diego Police Department and
police chief for six years, Sanders
continues the long tradition of
Aztecs whove served San Diego
in city government. (The most
recent is newly elected district
2 council member Kevin
Faulconer, 90). Sanders will
need all the experience and good-
will he amassed during his time
as a public servant to pull San
Diego from the undertow of a
pension deficit and years of less-
than-transparent government. From his former vantage point
as the citys top law enforcement
official and now, as mayor, Sanders
has a unique perspective of San
Diego States importance to San
Diego. Read his comments on
SDSUs transformation into a
research/education powerhouse
on page 2 of this magazine. Asian Connection Look for San Diego State
University to become a force in
higher education throughout Asia
as the worlds largest continent
flexes its economic muscle. 360mag@mail.sdsu.edu | 360 MAGAZINE 7 "Two things motivate me. One is moral outrage and the other, not as socially commendable, is curiosity." Barbara Ehrenreich, author and social critic, speaking Nov. 3, 2005 at a workshop on campus. U p d a t e 6 SPRING 2006 | sdsu.edu/360 Photo: timtadder.com 8 SPRING 2006 | sdsu.edu/360 U p d a t e SDSU Plays Show and Tell with NASA S c i e n t i s t s f r o m t h e S D S U Vi s u a l i z a t i o n C e n t e r u s e d N A S As B l u e
M a r b l e N e x t G e n e r a t i o n c o l l e c t i o n a n a r r a y o f r e c e n t l y r e l e a s e d
c l o u d - f r e e i m a g e s o f t h e E a r t h t o c r e a t e a d y n a m i c i n t e r a c t i v e m a p
o f t h e w o r l d . T h e d a t a s e t s a r e f r o m t h e N A S A M O D I S s a t e l l i t e s ,
w h i c h c o l l e c t i m a g e s o f o u r p l a n e t f r o m t h e i r o r b i t s i n s p a c e . T h e B l u e M a r b l e c o l l e c t i o n h a s 1 3 c o m p l e t e v i e w s o f t h e E a r t h t a k e n
o v e r t h e c o u r s e o f a y e a r. U s i n g a s i m p l e s l i d e r b a r o n t h e We b s i t e ,
v i e w e r s c a n w a t c h t h e E a r t h m o v e t h r o u g h i t s s e a s o n s i n a f e w s h o r t
s e c o n d s . A s s n o w a n d i c e l e v e l s i n c r e a s e a n d d e c r e a s e , d e s e r t s a d v a n c e
a n d r e t r e a t a n d v e g e t a t i o n b l o o m s a n d w i t h e r s , t h e r i o t o u s d r a m a o f
n a t u r e i s c a p t u r e d w i t h t e c h n o l o g y s p r e c i s i o n . S D S U s c o m p u t i n g p o w e r a n d a d v a n c e d I n t e r n e t c o n n e c t i v i t y a l l o w
N A S A t o s h a r e t h i s u n i q u e v i s u a l i z a t i o n o f t h e E a r t h w i t h a l m o s t
a n y o n e w h o h a s a P C w i t h a n I n t e r n e t c o n n e c t i o n a n d f a i r l y s t a n d a r d
g r a p h i c s c a r d s . I t r e q u i r e s d o w n l o a d i n g a 2 M B e x t e n s i o n t o a b r o w s e r ;
h t t p : / / w w w. g e o p l a y e r. c o m / g a t e w a y s i s t h e l i n k f o r t h e i m a g e s a n d
n e c e s s a r y s o f t w a r e . E r i c F r o s t , c o - d i r e c t o r o f t h e S D S U Vi s u a l i z a t i o n C e n t e r, s a i d t h e
p r o j e c t h a s r e a p e d i m m e d i a t e a n d t a n g i b l e b e n e f i t s . S a n D i e g o S t a t e
r e s e a r c h e r s u s e d t h e v i s u a l i z a t i o n t o a s s i s t r e c o v e r y e f f o r t s i n r e g i o n s
i m p a c t e d b y H u r r i c a n e K a t r i n a . T h e B l u e M a r b l e t e c h n o l o g y a l s o
p l a y e d a r o l e i n r e c e n t h u m a n i t a r i a n a n d e d u c a t i o n a l e f f o r t s i n C h i n a ,
I n d o n e s i a a n d C e n t r a l A s i a . J o h n G r a h a m , c h i e f s c i e n t i s t a t t h e Vi s u a l i z a t i o n C e n t e r, b u i l t t h e
s e r v e r a n d I n t e r n e t c a p a b i l i t i e s t h a t m a k e i t p o s s i b l e t o d e l i v e r t h e
d a t a t o m i l l i o n s o f p e o p l e a d a y. T h e B l u e M a r b l e c o l l e c t i o n i s j u s t o n e o f t h e d a t a s e t s s e r v e d i n
o n e f o r m a t ; l o t s m o r e a r e i n t h e p i p e l i n e , h e s a i d . We a r e t r y i n g t o
p r o v i d e f o u n d a t i o n a l a n d c o m p r e h e n s i v e d a t a s e t s , s u c h a s p o p u l a t i o n
a n d s i m i l a r i n f o r m a t i o n , w h i c h w i l l a d d o t h e r d y n a m i c a s p e c t s t o t h i s
g l o b a l v i e w i n g t o o l . I n t i m e , w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n o f n e w d a t a s e t s , B l u e M a r b l e w i l l b e c o m e a
t o o l f o r c o l l a b o r a t i v e w o r k b y s c i e n t i s t s a n d d e c i s i o n - m a k e r s t h r o u g h -
o u t t h e w o r l d . A a r o n J . H o s k i n s 360mag@mail.sdsu.edu | 360 MAGAZINE 9 360mag@mail.sdsu.edu | 360 MAGAZINE 11 Battling Heart Disease Theres new hope in the fight
against heart disease, the num-
ber one killer of Americans.
Researchers have discovered a
link between cardiovascular
illness and inflammation result-
ing from infection. The nations first multidiscipli-
nary team is now assembling in
San Diego to explore this link
and advance this important new
line of research into drug devel-
opment. Their headquarters is
the new BioScience Center on
the SDSU campus. The 37,000-square-foot center
will be dedicated on March 1.
Its four floors of laboratories
will house scientists from the
fields of microbiology, cardio-
vascular biology, infectious
disease and immunology, all
collaborating on cutting-edge
research. Working alongside
these regional experts, graduate
and undergraduate students will acquire the real-world experi-
ence necessary to broaden their
education and move into the
workforce. The center will also house
two eminent scientific insti-
tutes. One is the SDSU Heart
Institute, a regional nucleus
for cardiovascular research,
teaching and clinical practice.
The second is the SDSU Center
for Microbial Sciences, whose
scientists explore basic biologi-
cal principles that may have
novel applications in the
biotechnology industry.
Aztec Intelligence Former SDSU President Thomas
B. Day and Barbara Hartung,
56, M.S. 76, executive assis-
tant emeritus to the president,
visited campus in the fall to
receive Outstanding Service
awards from the SDSU chapter
of the national honor society,
Mortar Board. Day served as
SDSUs sixth president from 1978 until 1996, a period
of tumultuous growth and
development on campus.
Hartung was chair of the
journalism department and
assistant dean in the College
of Professional Studies and
Fine Arts before serving as
executive assistant to Day
and his successor, Stephen L.
Weber.The Campanile
Foundation, San Diego States
philanthropic foundation, has
appointed five new members
to its board of directors. They
are: Thomas Ault, 67, a prac- ticing attorney with Ault,
Davis & Schonfeld; Dorothy
Codling, 66, president and
owner of Codling Company
Interior Design; Bruce Ives,
89, founding president and
CEO of Coronado First Bank;
Rodney Lanthorne, president of
Kyocera International, Inc;
and student representative
Arlene Hady, a third-year
nursing student and president
of the Health and Human
Services College Council. 10 SPRING 2006 | sdsu.edu/360 College of Business Celebrates 50 Years What do leading companies Costco, Jack in the Box, SAIC, Union Bank of California, KPMG and Sempra Utilities have in common? Their top executives are all alumni of SDSUs College of Business Administration (CBA).
Hence, the college chose the theme 50 Years of Educating San Diegos Business Leaders as it prepares to celebrate its first half century of success.
Although business courses were taught at SDSU as far back as 1922 in the division of social sciences, the CBA of today began to take shape in the 1955-56 academic year. By 1959, it had become the first CSU business college to earn accreditation, joining a small group, including Harvard, Northwestern, Cornell and Stanford. Today, the Association to Advance the Collegiate Schools of Business accredits nearly 500 schools worldwide, of which San Diego States CBA is the 12th largest. Nearly 60 percent of its 40,000 alumni have remained in San Diego to contribute to the local economy.
For more about the CBAs birthday, and its 50th Birthday Bash at the House of Blues, visit www.rohan.sdsu.edu/~cba/50th/index.html U p d a t e A Research Agenda Do you think of university
researchers as balding men in
white coats working alone in
windowless labs? Think again. In fact, the $130 million in
grant and contract money to
SDSU faculty and staff last
year funded research projects
in which hundreds of SDSU
students took part. Faculty
PIs (principal investigators)
involve students in everything
from collecting data to analyz-
ing it to presenting the conclu-
sions at national conferences.
San Diego State has received
high praise from the Western
Association of Schools and
Colleges for the extent of
undergraduate participation
in basic research. Terry Cronan is an SDSU
psychology professor who has
introduced research to a gener-
ation of undergraduate stu-
dents with positive results. Funded to study the effective-
ness of the Head Start project,
Cronan taught students to train
Head Start mothers to prepare
their youngsters to read. The
students felt their work was
meaningful, Cronan said.
Weve had a lot of success
stories. Tom Scott, San Diego States
new vice president for graduate
and research affairs, is commit-
ted to elevating SDSUs research
mission to full parity with its
teaching mission. His job is
made easier by the increasing
number of SDSU faculty with
large grants from prestigious
organizations like the National
Science Foundation and the
National Institutes of Health.
Speaking of his aspirations for
SDSU, Scott said, My goal is
to raise the research profile and
to establish circumstances in
which faculty members will
have the time and resources to
become leading scholars in
their disciplines. Illustrations: Tom Voss 360mag@mail.sdsu.edu | 360 MAGAZINE 13 professor at the University of Metz in France and adjunct
scholar at the University of California, San Diego. In 2000, Olevsky received the Young Investigator
Award, currently known as the CAREER Award. It
is the National Science Foundations (NSF) most presti-
gious recognition of the early career activities of teacher-
scholars who effectively integrate research and education
within the context of their organizations mission. At SDSU, Olevskys work has attracted more than
$1 million in grants from the NSF and substantial
support from private industry. His Powder Technology
Lab on campus is sponsored by Sandia National
Laboratory, Sun Microsystems, Solar Turbines, SPAWAR
and the state of California, as well as by the NSF.
Currently, Olevsky and the graduate and doctoral
students he advises are developing advanced materials
for use in solar cells, solid oxide fuel cells (alternative
fuel-based sources of energy for cars, aircraft and space
vehicles) and thermal management of electronic circuitry. More than any other investigator in the field of sinter-
ing theory, Eugene is just interested and interesting he
has ideas, models and challenges that keep pushing the
envelope, said Randall German. A research colleague of
Olevskys, German is chaired professor of mechanical
engineering and director of the Center for Advanced
Vehicular Systems at Mississippi State University, as well
as a recognized expert and author of books on sintering.
He noted that Olevsky was selected by the international
sintering community to co-chair its next conference. It
was a clear choice, German said, and (we) look forward
to the chance to meet again under an umbrella that
reflects Eugenes vision of the field. The Albert W. Johnson University Research Lectureship
is awarded annually to an SDSU faculty member for
outstanding achievement in research and scholarship.
Sponsored by the Division of Graduate and Research
Affairs and the University Research Council, with
support from Instructional Related Activities, the award
recognizes achievement and fosters its continuation.
Recipients of the Johnson Lectureship are named as
Distinguished Professors in their respective disciplines. Eugene Olevsky will present his lecture on Feb. 28 at
4 p.m. in the Aztec Athletics Center auditorium. The
lecture is free of charge and open to the public. H o r i z o n s Eugene Olevsky is not a chef, but he can tell you how your recipe will turn out. That
is, if the ingredients are powdered materials like ceramic, metallic, polymer or glass. The
SDSU professor of mechanical engineering is a leader in the field of sintering, a manu-
facturing process in which powdered materials are compacted using heat and pressure.
In the sintering process, particles bond at a temperature lower than the melting point,
producing a porous material with excellent productivity and high-dimensional precision. Sintered products are used in the electronics, automotive and aerospace industries.
Components in your cell phone are produced with sintering; so are pacemaker parts and
solar cells, rocket nozzles, turbochargers, dental implants and golf clubs. The science of
sintering is not new. Tungsten powder was used to develop a durable lamp filament for
Thomas Edison. However, well into the 20th century, serious limitations existed in the
application of developed models to industrial procedures. It wasnt until the 80s that
researchers like Olevsky possessing a combination of materials science and mechanics
knowledge bridged the gap between theory and practice and pushed sintering science
to the next level. A scholar in mathematics and mechanical engineering, Olevsky is renowned in the field
for developing the Continuum Theory of Sintering, which bears his name. His generic
theory is the basis of computer models capable of predicting shape changes and density
evolution during the sintering process. It enables scientists and engineers to construct a
full-fledged virtual reality of powder materials manufacturing to determine how tiny
particles will react to extreme heat and pressure. Olevskys is the only theory that
extends to the micro and nano dimensions, describing the sintering behavior of individ-
ual powder particles at extremely minute levels. How minute? The width of a human
hair is about 80,000 nanometers. With his breakthrough work in sintering science, Olevsky is among the many San
Diego State University faculty members whose research is transforming our world. The
extent and quality of faculty research on campus has catapulted SDSU to the Carnegie
Foundation category of Research University with high research activity. This year, Olevsky is honored as SDSUs Albert W. Johnson University Research Lecturer
for outstanding achievement in research and scholarship. With that award, he becomes a
Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, joining a group of 16 other SDSU
researchers similarly honored since 1984. A native of Ukraine, Olevsky earned two masters degrees (math and mechanical engi-
neering) simultaneously and with honors while a student at the University of Kiev. Later,
he was Humboldt Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Metal Research in Stuttgart,
Germany, and a research fellow at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.
Since joining the SDSU faculty in 1998, he has held concurrent positions as visiting Eclectic menu. Think of Eugene Olevsky as the Emeril of materials science. By Coleen L. Geraghty 12 SPRING 2006 | sdsu.edu/360 14 SPRING 2006 | sdsu.edu/360 360mag@mail.sdsu.edu | 360 MAGAZINE 15 Norman Brinker, 57, started
at Jack in the Box and ended
as chairman emeritus of Brinker
Intl., a $4 billion-per-year din-
ing dynasty comprising 1,500
restaurants, including Chilis,
On the Border and other chains.
His million-dollar gift to San
Diego State established an
executive-in-residence position
within the HTM program. Aztecs L. Robert (Bob) Payne,
55, and Michael D. Rogers,
61, the entrepreneurial duo
who started the Hungry Hunter
chain back in the late 60s,
also went on to mega-success
in the hospitality industry and
welcomed many others into the
business. In 1999, Paynes $1.1
million gift seeded SDSUs
hospitality and tourism program. SDSU alumnae Julia Stewart,
77, and Linda Lang, 91, lead
major food-service corporations.
Stewart is president, CEO, COO
and director of IHOP; Lang is
chair and CEO of Jack in the
Box. Both Ralph Rubio, 78,
of Rubios Fresh Mexican Grill
and Wing Lam, 84, of Wahoos
Fish Taco discovered Baja fish
tacos as San Diego State stu-
dents. (Rubio was named 2005
Restaurateur of the Year by
the California Restaurant
Association). And dont forget
SDSU alumna and former social
work professor Su-Mei Yu, 80,
now a cookbook author, owner
of the Saffron Thai restaurants
and a leading Thai chef. What is it about San Diego State
thats encouraged so many to do
so well in the food industry?
Insiders say it has a lot to do
with San Diego itself, its ideal
climate and casual, beach-party
social scene. But beyond that, food-industry leaders seem to
share a few not-so-common
denominators: people savvy,
business acumen, a commitment
to hard work and a flair for
innovation. And many say they
acquired those all-important
skills during their college years. Learning the business Tom DeCotiis, Ph.D., 63,
focuses on the big picture.
Thats his job. DeCotiis is
co-founder and CEO of
CorVirtus Corp., a Colorado
Springs-based research and
branding consultancy with
dozens of food-industry clients,
including Roys, Hard Rock
Caf

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