October 2023

The fall semester is off to a great start!

As I reflect on my first two months in my new role as Associate Vice President of Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus, I continue to be motivated by our amazing students, staff and faculty. I am also grateful to our community partners for their support.

Our faculty and students are focused on midterms, recruitment season is in full swing, and student programming and participation are at an all-time high.

The semester has brought exciting new developments and achievements, including the schematic design approval for our new Student Services Building by the California State University Board of Trustees and being ranked #4 in the nation for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report. As I expressed in an interview recently, that’s the most important ranking to me.

Together, we continue elevating Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus even further and transforming lives across the Coachella Valley.

PDC is on the move!

The new Student Services Building will be able to accommodate up to 4,000 students and is designed for maximal flexibility as the campus continues to grow.

The $160,000 grant will allow the Nursing Street Medicine program to continue providing free healthcare services to unsheltered, sheltered and vulnerable populations in the Coachella Valley.

Coachella Valley native Adolfo Velazquez has been selected as the new director of community relations and philanthropy at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus.

Since its establishment 29 years ago, the Rogers Scholarship Fund has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to 565 students at the Palm Desert Campus.

As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, CSUSB is proud to shine a spotlight on Edna Martinez, the new associate vice president and administrator in charge of the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, and the first Latina to lead the Palm Desert Campus in its 37-year history. 

The city of Palm Desert has declared Aug. 24 as “Dr. Diane Vines Day” to honor CSUSB nursing instructor Diane Vines for her leadership and service to the community.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a program designed for adults 50 and older who want to experience learning for the fun of it.

Cal State San Bernardino and its Palm Desert Campus are celebrating National LGBTQ+ History Month from Oct. 1-31 to honor and educate the campus community about issues of social justice and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as to raise awareness of these issues among the general public.

Eighteen students participated in a professional development day in Palm Springs as part of the Restaurant Management course taught by Dr. Michelle Russen. The event was hosted by Las Casuelas Terraza and Lulu California Bistro.

The restaurant owners gave personalized tours of the kitchens, dining rooms, and banquet rooms, and mini-lectures were provided on the topics of marketing, social media management, human resources and team morale. Both restaurants served an array of sumptuous menu offerings. Students enjoyed the hands-on activity and hearing firsthand from an owner, chief operating officer and general manager about their philosophies and business strategies post-pandemic lockdown.