Dear friends of CSU Monterey Bay,

This twice-yearly magazine is all about pride – the university’s pride in its progress, and what I hope is your pride as an alum or supporter who feels connected to us. Each issue highlights the many exciting things happening on our campus: Stories about student achievement represent the success of many more students like them. News of our faculty’s professional accomplishments is a sampling of their varied and important work. Alumni “class notes” are a glimpse of our graduates' contributions through careers and service.

In this edition, you’ll read how students in our Teledramatic Arts & Technology Department are preparing to achieve at the highest level in the competitive fields of film and television. Another article is an update on our new library, which has proven to be a fantastic academic resource and a gathering place for our students. We describe how a community partner, the Graniterock company, joined with our Mathematics Department to prepare middle school students to excel in high school algebra and beyond. And, of course, we are thrilled to celebrate a historic season for the Otters women’s basketball team, which was nationally ranked and competed in the NCAA tournament.

All of this is part of the larger and very exciting story of CSU Monterey Bay that continues to unfold as we prepare for our 15th annual Commencement. At a time of financial difficulty, when Californians are being asked to reconsider their priorities, we count on your support for this university and for higher education in general. We look forward to many more opportunities to share news about academic achievement, educational excellence and community partnerships. I know we will continue to accomplish a great deal for our students and the communities we serve, especially with your help.

Sincerely, Dianne F. Harrison, Ph.D.