2009 Monty Winners Announced
Awards Gala Set for April 11

The SDSU Alumni Association has announced 11 winners of its prestigious annual Monty Awards. They will be honored at a gala dinner and awards presentation set for Saturday, April 11 at the new Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel in downtown San Diego. KSWB Fox 5 reporter and anchor Perette Godwin (’86) will emcee the event.

Montys are awarded by the SDSU Alumni Association in recognition of those who have made significant contributions to the university, the San Diego community or California, nationally or internationally. First given out in 1971, the Monty is a symbol of achievement and success presented to distinguished alumni from each of SDSU's seven academic colleges, SDSU - Imperial Valley Campus, and Library and Information Access. Distinguished service awards also are given to an exceptional alumni volunteer and an outstanding university employee.

Honorees for 2009 include:

College of Arts and Letters Brian F. Mooney, AICP Brian Mooney (’75, anthropology), AICP, is President and Managing Principal of the Mooney Consulting Group, currently serving as Interim Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Del Mar. He is an award-winning urban, regional, and environmental planner whose work has influenced land use in communities throughout Southern California.

College of Business Administration Stephen Coslik Stephen Coslik (’71, finance), chairman and CEO of The Woodmont Company, is a nationally recognized leader in the commercial development field. A member of the College of Business Administration’s board of directors, he is also a founding member of the College’s Real Estate Advisory Board. His leadership was instrumental in launching the SDSU Alumni Association’s Dallas/Fort Worth Aztecs alumni chapter.

College of Education Maribel S. Guillermo, Ed.D. Maribel S. Guillermo (’91, rehabilitation counseling), Ed.D., focuses primarily on underserved and underrepresented populations in her role as an adjunct faculty member and project coordinator for the SDSU Research Foundation. Her innovations and pioneering work in online instruction have enhanced opportunities for a broad range of communities through which she promotes disability awareness and diversity.

College of Engineering Michael R. Niggli Michael R. Niggli (’74 electrical engineering) is widely acclaimed in the power engineering field as a leader and expert in the electric and gas industries. As Chief Operating Officer at San Diego Gas & Electric, he develops and implements energy policies that will ensure continuous and adequate power for San Diego and the surrounding region well into the future.

College of Health and Human Services Judy E. Davidson, DNP, RN, CNS, FCCM Judy E. Davidson (’90, nursing), DNP, RN, CNS, FCCM, is Director of Advanced Practice Nursing and Research at Scripps Mercy Hospital. With a national reputation in critical care nursing, she has helped establish clinical practice guidelines for family presence in critical care, received numerous awards for her contributions to the field of nursing, and has been published extensively in leading medical and nursing journals.

College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Larry Thomas Larry Thomas (’70, journalism) is a communications professional whose career has included positions as a print and broadcast reporter, a political press secretary and advisor to government leaders from San Diego and Sacramento to Washington, D.C., and a senior corporate communications executive. His award-winning work as a journalist and public relations practitioner has been broadly respected for four decades.

College of Sciences Janet Collins, Ph.D. Janet Collins (’75, psychology; ’77, clinical psychology), Ph.D., serves as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Managing one of the largest National Centers at CDC, she oversees an annual $1 billion budget and 1,000 employees dedicated to promoting well-being, preventing chronic disease, and achieving health equity.

Library and Information Access Alberto H. Urista, Ph.D. (Alurista) Alberto H. Urista, Ph.D. (’70, psychology), known by the penname Alurista, is a leading literary figure of the Chicano Movement era with an international reputation as a poet, theorist, and teacher of Chicano cultural nationalism. Lauded for his development of poetry fashioned from a blend of Spanish, English, and pre-Columbian languages, he played a prominent role in introducing Chicano studies into U.S. universities.

SDSU Imperial Valley Sandra Tauler Sandra Tauler (’87, liberal studies), Arts and Culture Director for the City of Calexico, is known for building community partnerships and leveraging resources to deliver city programs through the library, recreation, and cultural arts. A driving force behind restoration of the city’s historic Carnegie Library, she is also credited with expanding outreach efforts and tailoring library services to meet the needs of Spanish speakers.

Distinguished Alumni Service Award Bill Trumpfheller Bill Trumpfheller (’87, journalism), president of the public relations firm Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, Inc., is a consensus-building visionary who twice served as president of the SDSU Alumni Association. In his first term he was instrumental in developing a strategic plan for a proposed on-campus alumni facility that culminated during his second term with last year’s groundbreaking for the new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

Distinguished University Service Award Joyce M. Gattas, Dean, College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Dean Joyce M. Gattas has led a transformation of the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts by attracting private philanthropy and establishing new programs such as the nationally regarded School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. She has also served the university through her active and visible roles in the community, chairing important arts, tourism and other professional organizations.

For tickets to the 2009 gala, sponsorship opportunities and additional information, visit alumni.sdsu.edu/montys or contact Cheryl Trtan at (619) 594-ALUM (2586) or ctrtan@mail.sdsu.edu.

New Football Coach Receives Warm Aztec Welcome
Hoke to Alums: “Be There for the Kids”

Within days, and more likely minutes of being named SDSU’s 17th head football coach December 16, Brady Hoke was busy making local recruiting contacts and working on assembling a staff. He met with players, conducted media interviews, and was publicly introduced at an Aztec men’s basketball game.

Brady Hoke is introduced as SDSU's head football coach at a Dec. 16,2008 campus news conference.

For the 50-year-old Ball State University graduate who led his alma mater to 12 wins and a number 12 national ranking this past season, it was a whirlwind way to kick off the five-year contract he signed with SDSU. But Hoke, one of 10 finalists for the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year award, prefers to emphasize the open-armed welcome he has received on Montezuma Mesa and environs.

“It’s been tremendous,” Hoke says of his San Diego reception. “Laura, my wife, and I both have been really touched by the graciousness of people in the community and of alums and all the people out there who are really, truly San Diego State fans.”

WINNING HELPS

To SDSU fans, Hoke’s record represents hope for a beleaguered Aztec football program. In his sixth year as head coach of the Cardinals, Hoke guided Ball State to its best season in program history, recording a school record 12 wins and completing an undefeated Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular-season campaign with an 8-0 mark in 2008.

“Winning helps. Let’s just be honest about it,” says Hoke, but he stresses that the coaching philosophy he brings to SDSU measures winning in many ways.

“Winning in the classroom, winning in society, winning out on the field and having guys who understand the value of earning a degree and guys who understand the passion that it takes to play and compete in the game of football is something that we’re looking to bring to San Diego State,” he explains.

It’s an approach that impresses SDSU President Stephen L. Weber. "I like Brady Hoke's commitment to our student-athletes on and off the field," Weber says. "He will bring the competition intensity and discipline that builds success."

A LEGACY

In fact, Hoke's players have excelled in the classroom as well as on the field. Ball State posted an Academic Progress Report score of 945 out of 1,000, ranking second in the MAC. Offensive lineman Travis Barclay twice was named a first-team Academic All-American and received the program’s first NCAA postgraduate scholarship in over a decade in 2003. Overall, 10 Ball State players garnered league all-academic honors from 2003-07.

For Hoke, it would seem the biggest victory is graduating well-rounded citizens.

“This whole program is going to be a program that’s designed about the kids and doing what’s best for them in all areas,” he insists. “Part of an education is intercollegiate athletics, especially for those who want to compete as student athletes and my big thing is to support them.”

And what does the new coach ask of SDSU alumni?

“Support these kids and the hard work they do on both sides of the campus and the way they’re going to represent San Diego State and themselves as alums,” Hoke says, “because it’s all a legacy and we’re all part of it and we need to be there for the kids.”

SDSU football head coach Brady Hoke has named former University of New Mexico head coach Rocky Long as defensive coordinator, former Auburn University offensive coordinator Al Borges as offensive coordinator, and former University of California wide receivers coach Dan Ferrigno as an assistant coach. For more information, visit goaztecs.com.

A Campus Commemoration
Special Tribute Honors Memory of “All-Around Good Guy”

Scott ('01) and Nicole ('98) Crawford at their 2003 wedding.

Scott Robert Crawford (’01) had a thing about his name. He wrote his initials everywhere, including his own arm, where he had a bold “SRC” tattooed in old English script.

“Scott was like a kid in the sense that he loved his name,” laughs his wife, Nicole (’98). “It was on everything. I found his college backpack recently. He had written ‘SRC’ on the outside of it. Inside a coat jacket on the pocket where the label was – ‘SRC!’ He even had it on his personalized license plates.”

It was one of the charming quirks that eventually endeared Scott to Nicole after a guarded start to their 10-year relationship. Introduced by a friend of Nicole who was also Scott’s fraternity brother, the two were slow to click at the outset.

“We used to joke about how we really didn’t like each other at first,” Nicole remembers. “He was always flashing the tattoos and worked out all the time and always had this bravado, this rough and tough exterior. But I can’t explain it, I just knew from the very beginning he was a gentle soul.”

And he made her laugh.

“He was incredibly funny and creative,” Nicole recalls. “He just had a wonderful sense of humor. I can’t really put it into words. He was just an all-around good guy.”

Scott also had an amusing penchant for creating his own vocabulary. According to Nicole, “he came up with oddball names for everything. One of his favorite words, if he couldn’t think of what something was called, he would call it a ‘framis.’ Everything was a ‘framis.’”

Scott Crawford at his 2001 SDSU graduation ceremony.

“GO AZTECS!”

Although Scott had studied business as an undergraduate at the University of San Diego, it was while working on his master’s degree in cultural anthropology at SDSU that he really hit his full stride. He loved the campus and his professors, and became fast friends with fellow employees at the SDSU Bookstore.

“Scott thrived here,” says Nicole, who works as assistant to the vice president for research in SDSU’s Office of Graduate and Research Affairs. “I don’t know exactly what the draw to this university was initially, but once he was here, absolutely everything was, ‘go Aztecs!’ He took great pride in the Red and Black.”

“He was immensely proud of his degree, too,” she continues, “and he ultimately wanted to go back and get a doctoral degree. What in, he wasn’t sure, but he knew he eventually wanted to teach. He wanted people to call him ‘Dr. Crawford.’”

A PLACE TO VISIT HIM

But it wasn’t to be. Scott died suddenly last September 15 at the age of 36. As is almost always the case under such tragic circumstances, a heartbroken Nicole was forced to face a raft of decisions she was unprepared to make. Among them was how best to honor her husband’s memory.

Scott Crawford ('01) will be remembered at SDSU with a paver in his name at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

A gravestone was out of the question. “He was cremated and I don’t have his remains,” she explains. “They were scattered.” So when she heard about the opportunity for alumni to place their names on pavers in the rotunda of SDSU’s new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, it seemed a fitting tribute combining the things her husband loved best in life.

“I thought because he had such a connection to San Diego State - he loved being here and he loved seeing his name in lights - this was something that I thought would just make him the happiest,” Nicole reflects. “Knowing his name was going to be carved in stone on campus would be thrilling for him.”

She asked in lieu of flowers, that friends and colleagues contribute to the memorial paver. “Since I don’t have a grave marker or a headstone or anything like that, she explains, “it would give Scott’s San Diego ‘family’ – his friends and me – a place to visit him, so to speak.”

And what will the inscription say?

Nicole ponders for a moment. Scott’s memory still brings her both laughter and tears.

“I haven’t decided, but I know it’s going to be pretty simple,” Nicole says. “Something like, ‘In memory of Scott Robert Crawford’ and then probably the date of his passing or birth date. I don’t know yet.”

She pauses.

“Maybe, ‘The love of my life, my framis.’”

Dedicate a paver at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center by visiting www.sdsualumni.org/pavers or call the SDSU Alumni Association at (619) 594-3406. To find out about other naming opportunities, call Jim Herrick at (619) 594-2586.

Allan Bailey
1943 - 2008

Less than a month after retirement from his position as chief financial officer of The Campanile Foundation, the Aztec family is saddened by the loss of Allan Bailey (’64). Inspiring in his devotion to SDSU, Bailey was both a past president of the SDSU Alumni Association and a recipient of the organization’s prestigious Monty Award.

In his latest blog, SDSU Alumni Association Executive Director Jim Herrick shares his personal reflection on Bailey’s dedication to SDSU and his remarkable legacy at the university.

Read Jim Herrick's blog at sdsualumni.blogspot.com.

Lifelong Learning
Alum Finds Educational Opportunities in College of Extended Studies

To say that Wayne Sander (’62,’66,’67) enjoys learning is an understatement; he fairly defines the idea of educational expansion. After earning three degrees from San Diego State, Sander, who’ll be 76 in May, continues taking courses through SDSU’s College of Extended Studies.

Wayne Sander ('62, '66, '67), far right, appears with Osher classmates on the cover of a writing workshop publication.

In fact, Sander could serve as poster boy for the College’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute featuring programs for adults 50 and better. “I started out there in the spring of 2006 and thus far I’ve taken 60 of their courses,” he explains. “I’m kind of addicted to the program.”

Osher’s program each term includes a wide variety of courses from several disciplines, individual lectures, special events, and even a book club. The fall term alone attracted almost 300 participants who enjoyed a learning environment where class sizes range from 20-25 students with no tests or grades. Most courses are taught by SDSU faculty members.

“That’s one of the things that really stands out for our students and is important from an alumni perspective,” says Erica Bouris, Ph.D., a program director in the College of Extended Studies. “This really is a neat chance for them, in a small group setting, to engage with some of the exceptional faculty that SDSU now has. We have everyone from lecturers to full professors to department chairs who teach in this program.”

A CHARGE OF ADRENALIN

In fact, it was a philosophy class taught by SDSU associate professor Peter Atterton that Sander says caught him by surprise. He says he was deeply inspired by the charisma the instructor displayed and the energy he brought to his subject.

“I came home and my wife said, ‘How was your philosophy class?’ and so I started explaining it to her,” remembers Sander. “At 3:30 in the morning we were still both awake talking about it. She went to sleep, but I actually never did get to sleep, so how’s that for a charge of adrenalin or something?”

Wayne Sander ('62, '66, '67), on motorcycle, offers riding tips to 100-year-old Osher classmate "Uncle Bill" Gilmore.

“That’s the strongest emotional response I’ve had to any of the courses,” he adds, “but they’re all first-class.”

Courses usually run for a couple of hours each week for several weeks in a term. Costs are on an individual course basis, but an annual Osher membership of $35 ($50 for couples) includes campus parking permits, library access, bookstore discounts, a special lecture series, and more.

“EDUCATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT”

Alumni are invited to learn about the Osher program Saturday, January 31 from 10:00 a.m. to noon during an open house at the Extended Studies Center on Hardy Avenue. Bouris says instructors will be on hand to meet prospective students and preview course offerings available in the coming year.

“We have a tremendous number of activities geared toward more mature students and frankly, that’s part of the attraction for the instructors,” she explains. “For some of our history and political science-type classes, they love having a student body that remembers the Cold War and can locate where the Soviet Union used to be on a map. They very much appreciate that.”

For his part, Sander appreciates what he calls “a form of educational entertainment” that exposes him to different interests during his retirement years. He says he highly recommends the Osher program to other alumni seeking new pursuits or ways to reconnect with SDSU.

Wayne Sander ('62, '66, '67) gives a ride to Osher classmate "Uncle Bill" Gilmore.

“I told myself, ‘When I finish my career I want to end up back at State,’” he says. “Of course, I was thinking it would be as an adjunct professor or something like that, but what I find is I’m out there for an altogether different reason; I’m out there as a student and I love it!”

“I’ll be going out there for as long as I can hop on my motorcycle and get there.”

RSVP for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute open house by calling (619) 594-2863 or email at osher@mail.sdsu.edu. To learn more about course offerings, visit www.ces.sdsu.edu/osher.

SDSU Month Celebrates Our San Diego Story
Mark your calendars for Explore SDSU: Open House on March 21, 2009

Every year, in March, San Diego State University celebrates our dynamic and enriching relationship with the San Diego community. Over a span of 112 years, SDSU has evolved in tandem with the region it supports, building a foundation strong enough to sustain a growing metropolis.

In short, SDSU is San Diego.

Almost half of SDSU’s living alumni have remained in the region, continuing to invest their talents, knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit. These “Aztecs for Life” are our teachers, our engineers, our artists, our nurses … the list is endless. Together, SDSU graduates make up the fabric of our community with their contributions to San Diego’s civic, economic and cultural vitality.

SDSU Month offers a wonderful opportunity to recognize the critical link between the university and the greater community, as well as the innumerable achievements of our faculty, staff, students and alumni. The month-long celebration is a highlight of the year with its many art exhibits, academic and athletic events and special offers.

The seventh annual SDSU Month tips off with the Aztec men’s basketball team in their final two home games of the year at Cox Arena on Wednesday, March 4 and Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m. Later in the month, for the first time ever at Cox Arena, SDSU will host the opening two rounds of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament on Saturday, March 21 and Monday, March 23.

For aficionados of music, dance and theatre, SDSU Month offers a multitude of options, including the 12th Annual Theatre of the World Festival on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14. As part of this cultural celebration, an outdoor festival will showcase interactive arts and crafts, food, street performers and a giant puppet parade.

A long-time SDSU Month tradition is Explore SDSU: Open House. On Saturday, March 21, prospective students and community members have an opportunity to visit campus and learn all about what SDSU has to offer. This year’s open house will feature information booths, free exhibits, tours, live entertainment and a Family Zone, including some of KPBS’ most popular characters.

Other academic events include the second annual Student Research Symposium on Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28. This two-day event provides a public forum for SDSU students to present their outstanding research, scholarship or creative activities.

More information on SDSU Month 2009, including events, sponsors, media partners and special offers, will be available in February at www.sdsumonth.com.

Open House
Aztec Athletes Thank Alumni for Support

Aztec quarterback Ryan Lindley (center) welcomes visitors to the locker room at the Dec. 6 Aztec Athletics Center open house.

Jim Hull (’65) and his wife JoBeth (’65) are season ticket holders for SDSU football and basketball. The La Mesa couple had been around the Aztec Athletics Center before. But when the Aztec Athletic Foundation and the SDSU Alumni Association joined forces last month for a member appreciation open house, they returned with grandsons Luke and Trace to meet some student athletes and have a look around.

“It’s always enjoyable,” said Jim Hull, who is a member of both the AAF and the Alumni Association. “In this group tonight are some very quality kids and that’s important to me, being a graduate, that they represent the university well.”

Standing just a few feet away welcoming visitors to the football locker room were Aztecs redshirt freshmen Dominique Sandifer, who is a receiver, and quarterback Ryan Lindley. They smiled, shook hands with fans and posed for pictures.

“We’re greeting and keeping people abreast of how we’re doing and what’s going on with the program,” explained Lindley. “I’m showing people around the locker room, being social and just having a good time with some of the alumni and boosters.”

“Everybody just wants to see how we get ready for the games and practice and whatnot,” said Sandifer, a psychology major from Gardena. “We show them our pads and everything.”

Aztec third baseman and catcher Erik Castro (r) greets visitors John Russell ('69) (l) and son Sean (center) in the training area during the Dec. 6 open house at the Aztec Athletics Center.

“IT’S IMPORTANT TO SHOW OUR THANKS”

Just down the hall, Erik Castro, who plays third base and catcher for the baseball team, showed guests where injuries are treated as he conducted tours around the taping tables and whirlpool in the training area.

“(Alumni) are obviously a big reason we’re able to play our games and have these beautiful facilities and a lot of our scholarships,” the junior social sciences major reasoned. “So I think it’s really important for us to help contribute and show our thanks.”

More than 400 boosters turned out for the event prior to the Aztec men’s basketball game with the rival University of San Diego Toreros. In addition to a tour of the athletics facilities, the free event for AAF members and SDSU Alumni Association lifetime members featured prize giveaways and a buffet donated by Old Town Mexican Café owner Herb Lizalde.

“Our overwhelming purpose for the event was to say ‘thank you (to supporters),’ said Assistant Athletic Director Michelle McBride, “but I think it’s a nice way for them to see where some of their support goes – to support the fine young men and women who represent our university.”

TEAM EFFORT

Terry McCormick ('79) (r) and John Orendain ('79) (l) enjoy the festivities at the Dec. 6 Aztec Athletics Center open house.

Among the student athletes in attendance was Aztec pitching ace Stephen Strasburg, a junior business major who led the U.S. Olympic baseball team to a bronze medal in Beijing. In front of the crowd, he answered interview questions posed by softball pitcher Christina Ross, a senior communications major working to launch a broadcasting career.

Taking it all in were Terry McCormick (’79) and his friend and Delta Upsilon fraternity brother John Orendain (’79). Both are Aztec backers.

McCormick, whose daughter, Melissa, is an SDSU sophomore, seized the occasion to become a lifetime member of the SDSU Alumni Association. He said the assembly of Aztecs past and present inspired him to make the commitment.

“There’s a warmth in the room and I can feel a kind of team effort in here,” he said. “It feels good.”

View photographs of the membership appreciation open house at alumni.sdsu.edu/photo_album.htm.

To see a list of the latest SDSU Alumni Association lifetime members, visit alumni.sdsu.edu/lifetime_members.

Kellee Bartha ('97), Kristin Pearey ('96) and Dania Macias ('96) at a 20/30s event.

Toast 2009 with 20/30s Alumni
All Aztecs Invited to January 22 Event

Lift a glass of wine or champagne to toast the new year with fellow Aztecs at our first 20/30s event of 2009! You’re invited to happy hour January 22 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at one of San Diego’s most intriguing venues, Anthology, at 1337 India Street. Please RSVP for this free event online at alumni.sdsu.edu/2030s.

Questions? Contact Ally Sternberg at allycuando@sdsualumni.org or Dana Iverson at danaiverson@yahoo.com.

20/30s Young Alumni is on Facebook. Become a fan at www.facebook.com/pages/SDSU-2030s-Young-Alumni/44516686075.

March in the MLK Parade
Alumni Invited to Join SDSU Parade Contingent

President Stephen L. Weber and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. James R. Kitchen invite all alumni to join the SDSU delegation in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, January 17. We will be marching as a campus delegation under a unified SDSU banner.

SDSU delegation marches in San Diego's Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.

By participating, you will receive a free t-shirt as well be provided with light refreshments as our token of appreciation.

We will be meeting at PETCO Taligate Park (13th and Imperial Avenue) for parade formation. If you would like to participate, please arrive and register at PETCO Taligate Park by 9:30 a.m.

For more information please contact the Cross-Cultural Center at (619) 594-7057 or visit the Student Affairs website at www.sa.sdsu.edu/intercultural.

Please join us in honoring one of our most prominent civil rights leaders. Celebrate the dream by participating in this annual event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Volunteers Wanted
Help Recruit Future Aztecs as an Alumni Recruiter

SDSU Prospective Student Services is looking for Aztec alumni interested in representing SDSU at college fairs and admitted student receptions in Colorado, Hawaii and Texas. We need help from alumni such as you to help us recruit the best and brightest students. What better way to promote SDSU to prospective students than through our enthusiastic alumni!

SDSU is participating in the following spring 2009 college fairs:

SDSU admissions counselor Natha Kraft (l) with Alumni Association member and volunteer Steve Cole ('93) at a recent college fair in Seattle.

Houston NACAC College Fair
Sunday, April 5, 2009
1 - 4 p.m.
George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston, Texas

Austin NACAC College Fair
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 6 - 8:30 p.m.
Austin Convention Center
Austin, Texas

Denver RMACAC College Fair
Sunday, April 26, 2009
1 - 4 p.m.
University of Denver – Ritchie Center
Denver, Colorado

Honolulu NACAC College Fair
Thursday, April 30, 2009
8:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 5 - 8 p.m.
Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Honolulu, Hawaii

As an alumni recruiter, you will interact with many prospective students and parents. An admissions representative will be with you at each event. You will receive training via phone and be provided with the appropriate materials.

If you are interested, please contact Malerie McNeill ('03, '07) at (619) 594-3707 or mmcneill@mail.sdsu.edu. This is an important and exciting opportunity to give back to your university and help us recruit future Aztecs!

SDSU Hosts International MBA Business Plan Competition
Venture Challenge 2009 Sponsorships Available

Sponsorships are now available for Venture Challenge 2009, set for March 12-14 at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley. This year’s event, organized by the university’s Entrepreneurial Management Center, marks the 20th Anniversary of SDSU’s international MBA business plan competition.

With more than $25,000 in awards at stake, 22 top universities from throughout the United States are set to compete, including the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University. Teams representing Hong Kong University of Science and Technology of China, Lund University of Sweden, and Queen’s University of Ontario, Canada are also expected for the competition.

Each group will present its business ideas to judging panels consisting of entrepreneurs, investors, and professional service providers involved in the new venture process. The semi-finalist presentations will be held Friday morning and finalist presentations will be Saturday morning. All presentations are open to the public and SDSU alumni are invited and encouraged to attend.

Find more information on the Venture Challenge webpage. For details regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kiley Peters at (619) 594-8873 or kiley.peters@projects.sdsu.edu.

Winter Business Mixer
BAN Sponsors January 8 Event

The Business Alumni Network kicks off 2009 with a winter mixer January 8 at one of downtown San Diego’s newest lounges, EXY. SDSU alumni, students, and San Diego business community members are invited to enjoy appetizers and drink specials between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

EXY Restaurant & Lounge features cutting-edge Mediterranean cuisine in a chic, metropolitan atmosphere at 789 Sixth Avenue (the corner of 6th and F Streets). Admission is $15. Please register by January 7 at chapters.sdsu.edu/business.

The Art of Pairing Wine
Food and Wine Combinations to Engage Senses

The Art of Pairing Wine, sponsored by the Arts and Letters Alumni Chapter and presented by Lindsay Pomeroy and the Wine Smarties is set for Thursday, January 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Art Expressions Gallery, 2645 Financial Court, Suite C in San Diego. Billed as an interactive and educational experience, the wine event is designed to engage all the senses.

Surrounded by the beautiful pieces displayed at one of the region’s premier art galleries, participants will sample different wines from around the world while learning the basics of pairing food and wine together. The $25 admission for Alumni Association members ($30 for non-members and guests) includes wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres.

Please RSVP by January 8th. Register online at chapters.sdsu.edu/alac or mail your check to the SDSU Alumni Association: 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-1690.

Questions? Call the SDSU Alumni Association at 619-594- ALUM (2586).

Meet SDSU's Director of Diversity, Aaron Bruce, January 29.

Alumni Invited to Meet Diversity Director
University House Hosts African American Chapter Event

SDSU African-American alumni are reuniting this month for the African American Alumni chapter’s 2009 kickoff event. A reception is set for Thursday, January 29 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the President’s University House.

The event will serve to introduce SDSU’s Director of Diversity, Aaron Bruce, and provide opportunities to meet University President Stephen Weber and fellow alumni. To RSVP online, visit chapters.sdsu.edu/aaac. For more information, please contact Lauren Burns at (619) 594-3066 or LBurns@projects.sdsu.edu.