PSFA E-CONNECT - April 2009

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Student support through the private scholarships is a growing area of need for PSFA. Despite the challenging economy, several of our alumni have come forward recently and established scholarships that will provide assistance to students in various PSFA majors. It is my great pleasure to recognize these alumni here for their generosity and commitment to SDSU.

Dick Davis (Kinesiology, ’43) and Brita Colburn-Davis (English MA, Education Ph.D., ’42) have created an endowed scholarship to benefits students in the MFA Musical Theatre program. Dick and Brita are long-time supporters of SDSU and the arts.

Ben (Public Administration, ’67) and Nikki (Public Administration, ’67 and MPA, ’72) Clay have established an annual scholarship to benefit public administration students in the School of Public Affairs. Ben and Nikki are loyal Aztecs and San Diego civic leaders whose personal and professional commitment to local government is well known.

Armen (Journalism, ’76) and Dede (Child Development, ’75) Keteyian have created an annual scholarship in the School of Journalism & Media Studies. Armen is Chief Investigative Correspondent at CBS News and the Keteyians are providing assistance to students who are pursuing a career in journalism.

Thank you to these and the many other generous patrons of PSFA. We appreciate your support.

Joyce M. Gattas, Dean
College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts

In the News

3,000 Steps in 30 minutes Receives National Attention

A study by Simon J. Marshall, Professor, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, will be published in the May 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and has resulted in numerous news stories and interviews in print, radio and online media. The research team, which includes ENS associate professor Susan S. Levy and ENS professor Fred W. Kolkhorst, recommends that that adults do about 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity (3,000 steps, or 100 steps per minute) to prevent obesity. Dr. Marshall suggests that intensity level can be gauged using a simple pedometer and a wristwatch, or, if you walk to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, you’ll be walking approximately 100 steps per minute. Lastly, Marshall observed that daily exercise does not have to be done all at once--spurts of at least 10 minutes of exercise, done three times throughout the day, will achieve health benefits.

SDSU Design School’s Winning Proposal Leads to ICFF Exhibition, Fundraiser

For the first time in almost 20 years, San Diego State University is one of only five schools nationwide invited to exhibit at the prestigious International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) from May 16-19 in New York City. For their winning proposal the students of San Diego State University’s Furniture Design Program plan to use the allotted 200 square foot booth to house a tent show that they call “Cabinets of Curiosity.” The program is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, April 18th from 6-9pm, at San Diego’s Design Within Reach (DWR), to cover such expenses as the costs of the booth design, shipping and travel. The fundraiser will include a silent auction with donated art and furniture pieces from professional artists, SDSU alumni, grad students and faculty. Click here to view photographs of some works included in the silent auction. The event will feature a hosted bar and refreshments. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please contact wendymatt@sdsufurniture.com to have your name added to the guest list. DWR is located at 393 7th Avenue San Diego CA 92101.

Student Spotlight

SDSU Forensics Team Has Most Successful Season in a Decade

This season Aztec Forensics has achieved their best results in ten years when they made it into the Junior Division Elimination Rounds in the first tournament of 2009, the Point Loma Sunset Cliffs Classic. The two top debaters at this tournament were Ashley Babcock and Mary Ray. At the PSCFA Spring Championships at Los Angeles Valley College, six of our ten teams in attendance made it into the top 3 of their division, sending four SDSU teams to the national tournament. The teams are comprised of Sacha Smith, Walter Weiss, Alexandra Jashinsky, Kevin Cruz, Lauren Bos, Tiffany Alexander, Brian Hubbard and Reed Reynolds.

Design Challenge Winner

Graduate Art student Kizzy Ezirio’s Presidential award- winning Student Research Symposium project, Virtual Water Revealed, was selected for Honorable Mention in the INDEX: | AIGA Aspen Design Challenge: Designing Water’s Future. After careful and considered review of more than 225 entries from 28 countries, the esteemed jury of the INDEX: | AIGA Aspen Design Challenge selected a group of seven Finalists and ten Honorable Mentions. The jury’s selections, including Kizzy Ezirio’s project, will be published in a booklet to be distributed during the United Nations Conference on Climate Change taking place in Copenhagen in December of this year.

Alumni Highlights

JMS Alum Joins Executive Team of Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co. announced last month that Jill Nash (Journalism, ’77) joined the company as Chief Communications Officer and Vice President of Corporate Affairs. The move to retail is not new for Nash; prior to being the Chief Communications Officer for Yahoo! Inc., she was the Vice President of Global Communications for Gap, Inc. Before her tenure at Gap, Inc. she was Vice President of Corporate Communications at the Charles Schwab Corporation. Nash is known for being a dynamic leader, and is active in a variety of community organizations.

SDSU Theatre MA Pens Milk Play

Alum and former SDSU lecturer Patricia Loughrey (MA ’04), in partnership with undergraduate composer Thomas Hodges, received a commission in 2008 from San Diego’s Diversionary Theatre to create a tribute of the late politician Harvey Milk. Loughrey and Hodges interviewed dozens of people who knew Harvey or were affected by his life, including gay politicians Tom Ammiano, John Laird, Christine Kehoe, Toni Atkins; activists Robin Tyler, Cleve Jones and Dottie Wine, as well as Stuart Milk, Harvey’s nephew. The result, Dear Harvey, opens April 20 and runs through April 25 at Diversionary Theatre, located at 4545 Park Blvd, San Diego. For tickets, please click here. Dear Harvey will also be produced by the SDSU Theatre department in fall 2009.

Faculty Focus

ENS Professor Receives Numerous Research Accolades

Thom McKenzie, Professor, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, has received several top honors in his field this spring. In April he received the C. H. McCloy Research Lecturer Award from the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. This is the highest research award of this national organization which has a membership of 29,000 people.

In addition, at the American Education Research Association (AERA) Dr. McKenzie and colleagues from Hong Kong will receive the 2008 Metzler-Freedman Exemplary Paper Award for a paper describing the results of their national study in Hong Kong during which physical education in 42 randomly selected schools were studied using direct observation over three climatic seasons. As well, in May Dr. McKenzie will receive the Public Service in Behavior Analysis Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis, International.

Dr. Brian Spitzberg honored as SDSU Senate’s First Distinguished Professor

Brian Spitzberg, Professor, School of Communication, has received the University Senate’ inaugural Distinguished Professor Award. Each college nominated one faculty member for this award and through a competitive process Dr. Spitzberg was selected by the Senate Faculty Honors and Awards Committee. Dr. Spitzberg will present a lecture at a breakfast reception on April 29, 2009 in Casa Real.