2021 Dean's Report

CBE EDITION ISSUE 3 FALL 2021
Why the CBE Consistently Ranks in Top 5% of
Business Schools Worldwide
Have you checked out our award-winning
programs and experiences?
THIS
IS OUR
MOMENT!
60%
Increase in admitted
graduate students
WHAT'S INSIDE
See how UniversityHQ and Best Value
Schools ranked several of our CBE
degree programs this past year..
Enrollment Updates P A G E 2
Student Success Stories P A G E 3
New to the CBE P A G E 8
Student Engagement P A G E 1 0

OUR MISSION
We develop engaged leaders and foster their
professional and social mobility to benefit Greater
Los Angeles and the world.
OUR VISION
We aspire to become the top business college within
the California State University system in graduation
rate, employability, and social mobility.
OUR CORE VALUES
Collaborate. Engage. Care.
Dedicated to developing the next generation of
business professionals, the CBE cares deeply about
the lives we are improving. We understand
professional skills cannot be an afterthought.
Building critical professional skills is strategically
integrated into our curriculum and a core part of our
students' progress towards graduation. Students are
encouraged to connect with our industry-leading
faculty and alumni so they, too, can be prepared to
enter the workforce and actively contribute to the
communities they are a part of.

Ratan Jane
Enciso
Belem
COORDINATORS
DEPARTMENT
DePompa
Lyssa
Ubago
Maria
Lopez
Liliana
Gutierrez
Irma
ITC
Chang
David
Yong Jose
ADVISING
STUDENT
Franco
Joaquin
Lee Monica
Leung Siu
Yuan Beth
MARKETING
Watson
Nadia
& Communications
Marketing
a message
FROM THE DEAN
On behalf of our faculty, staff, and students, welcome to
the College of Business and Economics (CBE) at
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA)!
I would like to thank each of you for your patience,
flexibility, and understanding during these
unprecedented times. Although significant
communications transitioned into virtual, our goal
continues to focus on the success of our students,
faculty, staff, and university as a collective whole.
DEAN
ASSOCIATE
Angela Young
Dr.
LEADERSHIP
STAFF
Chavez Tom
Manager
Resource
Ramón Alma
to the Dean
Assistant
Lim Aimee
& Operations Analyst
Resource
Fox T.
of Student Services Center
Director
Ruiz Daniel
& Operations Coordinator
Intake
Herrera
Miriam
to the Associate Dean
Assistant
Lennix
Adrienne
& Operations
Intake
ADMISSIONS ADVISORS
GRADUATE
Over the summer, nearly 1,000 faculty completed the
Center for Effective Teaching and Learning’s Alt-
Instruction certificate program, which provided greater
tools for teaching in a virtual space. Recognizing the
importance of keeping students connected, our advising
services moved online and built a sense of community
that kept students moving along the path to registration.
We saw an increase in student advising appointments
and a decrease in no-shows. I’m confident we will
continue to innovate and progress in ways that help our
students earn their degrees and reap the benefits of a
university education.
As dean of the CBE, I am extremely proud of the rich
tradition of higher learning that our college has upheld
since its founding. Our business programs are
distinguished and prepare our students to become local
and global leaders with the moral depth and intellectual
intensity necessary to meet society’s challenges during a
time of critical transition. These are difficult times, but
we are a strong community. Let’s continue to take care
of each other and build anew together.
DR. TYE W. JACKSON
GET SOCIAL
Li Adele
and Web Designer
Graphic
Follow the CBE on your
favorite social media.

CONTENTS
MOVING YOU FORWARD
01
02
03
04
05
06
/
/
/
/
/
/
Re-Accreditation
Enrollment Updates
Award-Winning Academic
Programs
Graduate Programs
Rise in Rankings
Career Placement
STUDENT SUCCESS
07
08
09
/
/
/
Student Success Stories
Class of 2021
Student Engagement
In an era where higher education is becoming
increasingly difficult for many to obtain, we
strive to put our professional degrees within
reach of those in our community and coming
from abroad. So when we were voted #1 MBA
program in Southern California in 2021 by
Best Value Schools, we knew the hard work
was paying off.
Jane Ratan
Graduate Admissions Advisor
CHANGEMAKERS
10 / Scholarly Engagement
11 / New Faculty
12 / Newly Promoted & Tenured Faculty
GLOBAL ALUMNI NETWORK
13
/
Making an Impact
14
/
Dean's Advisory Board

Mission
Re-Accreditation:
O
n behalf of the CBE, I am delighted to
inform you that the Peer Review Team's
(PRT) recommendation for extension of
accreditation of undergraduate and master's
degree programs in business offered by Cal State
LA has been concurred with by the Continuous
Improvement Review Committee and ratified by
the Board of Directors. We've achieved
accreditation for five additional years.
The Peer Review Team was highly impressed with
the quality of our faculty, our dedicated staff, our
tenacious students, and our engaged alumni,
business partners, and board members.
Students graduating from the CBE can be assured
that their degrees will continue to carry a
reputation of high quality, as the college has been
reaccredited by the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB is
the gold standard for business school
accreditation, and I am honored to announce that
we have maintained that status during challenging
times. Re-accreditation requires a commitment to
continuous improvement and, through the tireless
work of our faculty and staff, we've taken actions
demonstrating that commitment.
I want to express my sincerest gratitude to the key
stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students,
alumni, industry partners, and Board Members,
who met with the PRT and helped the CBE achieve
AACSB re-accreditation without any reservations.
It truly was a team effort. Together, we made the
CBE one of 901, or 5%, of top business schools
worldwide with this prestigious feat.
1

1 2

award-winning
PROGRAMS &
EXPERIENCES
BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH ANALYTICS
VISUALIZATION ENVIRONMENT (BRAVE)
Allows faculty, students, communities, & businesses
to conduct research in a secured lab environment
using behavioral research technology.
VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM (VITA)
VITA offers free tax help to people with annual
incomes of $55,000 or less, persons with disabilities,
and limited English-speaking taxpayers.
CONNECTING ALUMNI & STUDENTS WITH
EMPLOYERS (C.A.S.E.)
C.A.S.E. presents a unique opportunity for students
to build relationships with alumni and other
sponsors to achieve real results.
5 2

PROFESSIONAL FUNDAMENTALS
PROGRAM (PFP)
PFP prepares students for a career and life after
college through tangible experience.
FINANCIAL FITNESS FORCE
Faculty, lecturers, industry experts & external
partners develop and offer essential financial
workshops/information to empower students.
CBE SUITS ME
Provides disadvantaged students with free access to
professional clothing that can be used for businessrelated
activities.
CAREER PLACEMENT
Helps local businesses connect with students and
recent alumni; educates students and alumni about
their business; and matches talent with their needs.
6

RISE
in the rankings
his past year was unlike any other," is
"T most likely the understatement of the
year, yet the CBE rallied and in the face of those
challenges, we not only weathered them, we rose
above - literally.
UniversityHQ, the #1 resource for finding top
rated colleges and BestValueSchools, the #1
resource for finding the best return on your
education investment, found the CBE and our
programs to be invaluable. From the most
affordable to top rated schools based on a desired
major, their independent research and evidencebased
program rankings considering graduation
rates, tuition costs, graduating salaries, and
number of programs offered, concluded
something we already knew - the CBE, formally
known as the hidden gem of Los Angeles, is finally
getting its shine. But don't just take my word for it.
At UniversityHQ, we were ranked #1 Best
Affordable degrees in the nation in the following
categories: Entrepreneurship, Business
Management, and Operations Management. We
also ranked #2 Best Most Affordable Supply Chain
Management degree and #6 Best Affordable
Business Administration degree in the nation.
BestValueSchools voted us the #1 MBA program in
Southern California & the #1 Accounting program
in California.
Attending a higher-ranking business program can
be exceptionally helpful with employer
recognition and networking post-graduation as
some businesses will seek to primarily recruit
from certain local or well-regarded postsecondary
institutions.
7

2021RANKINGS
FIRST
RANKED
Best Affordable Degrees in: Business Management, Operations
Management, & Entrepreneurship
SECOND
RANKED
Best Affordable Supply Chain Management Degree
THIRD
RANKED
Best Affordable Business Administration Degree

more than "just business." As of December 2021, the
It's
and business services industry employed the
professional
of company partners Increase from 68 company partners in
#
2016
CAREER
PLACEMENT
most people in the U.S.
Information Sessions Hosted by the CBE in 2021
6
55
44
# of virtual information sessions
# of jobs shared
# of internships shared
New jobs & internships in 2021
BUSINESS CAREER
BUSINESS DEGREE

more than "just business." As of December 2021, the
It's
and business services industry employed the
professional
of students who are first-generation to
#
a graduate degree
pursue
an era where higher education is becoming increasingly difficult for many to
In
we strive to put our professional degrees within reach of those in our
obtain,
and coming from abroad. So when we were voted #1 MBA program
community
Southern California in 2021 by Best Value Schools, we knew the hard work
in
the 2020-2021 academic year, we are proud to announce that, despite the
In
of COVID-19, our admitted students increased by 60%, and our yield
impact
by 65%. We also hosted over 30 information students with over 700
increased
students in attendance.
prospective
we are thrilled to announce that Dr. Mine Üçok Hughes has been
Additionally,
the new Director of MBA/MSBA/FEMBA programs at the CBE.
named
program in Southern
MBA
California
graduate studies
most people in the U.S.
was paying off.
Average acceptance rate

CLASS OF 2021

International
9.2%
Black
4.5%
Asian
18%
White
5.6%
Other
1.3%
Hispanic
61.4%
Institutional
Source:
Database
Effectiveness
CBE STUDENT PROFILE
he CBE is committed to and accountable for
Tadvancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
among its students, faculty, and staff. This includes
but are not limited to race, ethnicity,
socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity,
sexual orientation, religion, disability, and place of
origin.
Reflected in our demographics breakdown, the CBE
recognizes we live in an increasingly
interconnected, globalized world, and that students
benefit from learning in both social and educational
contexts in which its participants come from all
walks of life.
Because we recognize that systems of oppression,
power imbalances, and institutional bias can be a
hindrance to students, faculty, and staff hoping to
achieve their potential, the CBE proudly provides
the necessary resources and social climate conducive to intellectual and scholarly growth.
Leveraging educational and institutional benefits of diversity, we encourage all students to embrace their
individuality. All members of our college understand that we share a responsibility to create, develop, and
maintain a learning environment in which difference is valued, equity is sought, and inclusion is practiced.
DEAN'S REPORT 2020 4

The CBE Dean's Report
welcomes news of our
recent accomplishments
and/or transitions.
can send your submissions to us via email: Marketing & Communications at
You
cbemarcom@calstatela.edu
to space constraints and time between issues, submissions may appear in
Due
upcoming issue or as a website feature.
an
contributions are welcome but subject to editing. Photographs may be
Editorial
as space permits; photos must be in 1MB in size or larger. We look forward
used
to hearing from you!
Congratulations to Our Student
and Faculty VITA Volunteers!
ENGAGED
Cal State LA VITA Program provides free tax return preparation
The
for members of the community and Cal State Los Angeles
services
We look forward to serving you when we open for tax
students.
in January/February of 2022.
season
would like to thank our student volunteers for their hard work
We
the 2021 tax filing season. These students committed their
during
time and energy to make the VITA program a success!
Click to view our 78 student volunteers.
would be remiss if we did not thank our faculty who support the
We
year-round: Professor John Cooper, Lecturer Patrick Borja,
program
and Supervising Lead, Ms. Lousineh Hovsepian.
Cal State Vita Program is co-sponsored by the Internal Revenue
The
and State Farm. For the 37th consecutive year the Cal State
Service
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (Cal State LA VITA) Program will
LA
providing electronic tax preparation and electronic filing services
be
for Los Angeles residents, all at no cost to taxpayers.

29th Annual Student Symposium on Research, Scholarship, and
The
Activities, sponsored by the Office of Research,
Creative
and Creative Activities, took place on March 12th,
Scholarship,
On behalf of Faculty Mentor, Dr. Jongwook Woo, and the
2021.
CBE, we would like to congratulate CIS students Randall
entire
and Mohsen Alam on winning an Outstanding
Lunetto
Award for the “Hive on Yelp” project in the Business,
Presentation
and Arts sector.
Humanities,
event is held annually to recognize student accomplishments
The
research, scholarship, and creative activities, and provide a
in
forum for our students to gain experience in delivering a
local
presentation. Below is an abstract from their oral
professional
has served and will continue to serve as a data-driven
Yelp
Yelp has published a dataset containing business
application.
reviews, user information, and check-in information.
information,
research adopts Big Data platform “Hadoop” because the
The
set is 9.8 Giga-Byte that the traditional method cannot
data
In the presentation, we will examine this dataset to
handle.
descriptive analytics to understand business performance,
provide
distribution of businesses, reviewers' rating and other
geo-spatial
and temporal distribution of check-ins in business
characteristics,
With the analysis, we are able to establish that Yelp
premises.
tips, elite users and check ins have started to plummet
reviews,
the years. Coincidentally, the report also establishes that
over
have a more stable star ratings as well as sentiment
Canadians
when compared to Americans.
ratings
Alam’s industrial experience consists of working for LA County’s COVID-19 Contract-Tracing
Mohsen
Team, the Children’s Medical Services Web Administration, and as an Information Systems Tutor at
Data
San Antonio College. Randall Lunetto's industrial experience includes Special Projects in Sales at
Mt.
and work as a General Manager at Yogaworks. Both CIS students have an impressive research
Clutter
The CIS Department Represents the CBE at the
29th Annual Student Symposium on Research,
Scholarship, & Creative Activities
RANDALL LUNETTO
presentation:
MOHSEN ALAM
in big data analysis/science and can be viewed here.

to our first runner up winners of the
Congratulations
2021 International Collegiate Business
semester-long
Competition: Ma Ledi Ham Loot, Thitinun
Strategy
(New), Quyen Vi Ma, Clarence T.
Lerttanapong
Bhumi Ramani, and Isaac Marroquin.
Foryoung,
team (competing with Idaho State University,
Each
State University and UC Riverside) takes
Sacramento
the management of a simulated manufacturing
over
competing against other firms run by
company
teams in its Simulated World. Designed to
competitor
advanced business students to integrate and
enable
apply the theories of their business courses, the
and
Policy game allows students to become
Business
managers of simulated companies
strategic
against other business students acting as
competing
members have the experience of running their
Team
company and learn first-hand how a group effort
own
result in synergy and enthusiasm. On the next
can
you will learn a little about the team members
page,
represented the College of Business and
who
and their roles in the competition.
Economics
studentENGAGEMENT
2021
managers of their own companies.

Ledi Ham Loot, MBA/MS in Healthcare
Ma
Management
pursuing her MBA, Ledi is a registered nurse
Currently
has her M.A. in Nursing and MS in Healthcare
and
Her Role: As Chief Executive Officer,
Management.
focuses on driving the company to success. She
Ledi
all facets of the business and ensures the
oversees
of all departments.
productivity
Lerttanapong (New), MBA
Thitinun
is pursuing his MBA degree with an expected
New
in home improvement, FMCG, and real estate.
years
educated in the U.K. prior to his B.A. in
Formally
His Role: As Chief Strategy and Innovation
Economics.
he lays out strategies and oversees its
Officer,
Vi Ma, Masters in Accounting
Quyen
Ma earned his Bachelor’s in Business
Mr.
and is currently a candidate for a
Administration
in Accounting at CSULA. His Role: As Chief
Master’s
Officer, Quyen oversees the accounting,
Finance
support, financial planning and analysis,
business
real estate, investor relations, internal audit
treasury,
tax functions.
and
Taniform Foryoung, MBA
Clarence
obtained his bachelor’s degree in
Clarence
and is currently pursuing an MBA degree
economics
CSULA. His Role: As Chief Operating Officer,
at
oversees the business operations, focusing
Clarence
all operating activities ranging from production
on
to scheduling and costs. He lays down the
planning
strategy to meet the production goals.
production
Ramani, MS in Healthcare Management
Bhumi
completed her undergraduate degree in Public
Bhumi
Policy and minored in Business Management
Health
UC Irvine. She is pursuing her MS in Healthcare
from
at CSULA and has previously worked at
Management
Healthcare and Blue Shield of California.
Prime
Role: As Chief Human Resource Officer, Bhumi is
Her
for aligning HR goals with
responsible
and determining productivity
marketing/operations
savings levels.
and
Marroquin, MBA
Isaac
Isaac is pursuing an MBA degree in
Currently,
at California State University, Los Angeles.
marketing
is an experienced marketer, having gained a
Isaac
range of marketing experience working in the
broad
of real estate, entertainment, and healthcare.
fields
balances his work life with giving back to the
Isaac
through various organizations and
community
special thank you to their wonderful advisor, Dr.
A
Whitcomb, “for being so supportive and staying
Laura
late to meet with them,” team CEO Ledi tells us.
up
has been the advisor for the team these past
“She
years and indeed a valuable one to our college.
few
really shows that our students in our college are
This
competitive and ready to become future
very
executives.”
learn more about the competition, please visit their
To
here: https://icbsc.org/.
website
in December 2021. He has extensive
graduation
in business development planning with 10+
experience
implementation.
His Role: As Chief Marketing Officer, Isaac
initiatives.
alongside the executive team to devise and
works
implement business strategies.

Mukund Kaushik leads the Digital
Accelerator team at Southern California
Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric
utility companies. He is responsible for
accelerating the development of SCE’s digital
products that reduce risk and improve
effectiveness to company operations using digital
technologies such as mobile tools, advanced
analytics and automation using digital practices
including Agile, DevOps, and Design Thinking.
Mukund is passionate about inspiring his team to
use digital, data, and cloud to find innovative ways
of helping Southern California Edison reduce
wildfire risk and support the company mission of
providing reliable, clean, and affordable energy to
our customers.
Prior to joining SCE, Mukund was the Vice
President of Digital and Innovation at Kimberly
Clark, where he led a global IT team in the
company’s transition to an e-Commerce world. He
also held several leadership positions at Honda
North America overseeing various departments.
When he’s not working or spending time with his
young son, he’s working on his golf game. Mukund
is also an advisor to the non-profit organization,
Data4Good, as well as an advisor in Design
Thinking for UC Riverside Extension Professional
Studies program.
Mukund earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical
Engineering from National Institute of
Technology, Kurukshetra, India.
1

Professor for a Day
1 2

can send your submissions to us via email: Marketing & Communications at
You
cbemarcom@calstatela.edu
to space constraints and time between issues, submissions may appear in
Due
upcoming issue or as a website feature.
an
contributions are welcome but subject to editing. Photographs may be
Editorial
as space permits; photos must be in 1MB in size or larger. We look forward
used
The CBE Dean's Report
welcomes news of your
recent accomplishments
and/or transitions.
to hearing from you!
From Telemundo
to Mentorship...
pandemic and war news reported in the
New York Times to capture the positive
effects of the end of World War I on stock
prices.
It is to no surprise that Telemundo called
on him to discuss why gas prices are so
high in California.
Dr. Del Angel was also recently selected to
AcademyHealth/ASHEcon’s Health
Economics Diversity Mentorship Program.
From Telemundo to
mentorship, Dr. Marco Del
Angel, Economics
department, has had quite the
year.
His study of the impact of the
1918 Spanish Flu on U.S. stock
prices was published in The
National Bureau of Economic
Research (NBER). He used the
death rate to control for the
impact of the global
He is currently working with his mentor to
publish papers in the top journals in the
areas of health and finance.
In 2020, Dr. Del Angel, alongside, Dr.
Shilpa Balan, Information Systems, were
named to the College of Natural and Social
Sciences (NSS) Big Data Research team as a
Faculty Community Scholar (FCS) for
Spring 2020.
These Scholars worked together and with
community partners including the City of
Los Angeles to develop big data literacy. We
are so grateful for his thought leadership.
Dr. Porschia Nkansa earned a Certificate of
Appreciation in the 2020-2021 Lybrand Awards for
Strategic Finance and Management Accounting
Quarterly for her pedagogical practitioner journal
article, “Using Reality TV to Enliven Learning,” in the
July 2021 issue of Strategic Finance and on
SFmagazine.com here.
Lybrand Awards recognize individuals who have made
exceptional contributions to the profession through
articles published in Strategic Finance & Management
Accounting Quarterly from May 2020 through April 2021. Their work has
advanced our knowledge of important topics in management accounting and
finance, and they have greatly strengthened the Institute of Management
Accountants' (IMA) reputation as a thought leader.

Hunt authored, “What is
Barry
and How Do You
Leadership
and Achieve It in
Recognize
Management and
Healthcare
Systems?”, in the
Information
2021 Newsletter for the
Spring
California
Southern
Information and
Healthcare
Systems Society
Management
(HIMSS).
asked, "What does
When
mean to you?"
leadership
brings decades of
Barry
as an LA County
experience
healthcare
DHS/DPH
and CBE
administrator
Dr. Shilpa Balan was recently recognized for the 2021 Assessment Ambassador Award
at the 5th Annual Assessment Faire held at California State University, Los Angeles.
The Assessment Ambassador Award is given to one faculty member from each college
who have led commendable assessment work. Dr. Balan showcased, “An Assessment
Model of the Information Systems Curriculum: Preparing Business Students for the
Workforce” (both undergraduate and graduate programs). Dr. Balan understands that
Information Systems (IS) is a critical part of the management of businesses, services,
and operations. Thus, the introductory Information Systems course that bridges the
IT-user gap is a core course for all Business student majors.
Her presentation ultimately walks you through how the Information Systems program in the CBE is
assessed using the IS Model Curriculum guidelines and an external certification exam for computing
professionals.
Earning the NSS
Big Data Grant...
Barry responded:
To me leadership
means: having a clear
vision to seize
opportunities, making
excellent decisions
under pressure, finding
the courage to do the
right thing consistently
and motivating others
in one’s 360-degree
sphere to do likewise.
Dr. Shika Upadhyaya has been
selected as community scholar for
the NSS Big Data Grant for course
redesign. She will serve as a
Community Scholar and
thematically integrate course
syllabi with Community Partners,
the City of Los Angeles and
associated non-profits to begin
building capacity in big literacy
across community, agency, and
university platforms.
The mini grants will provide for
course redesign/modification,
which includes working with the
City of LA Mayor’s Data Team and
Community Partners. The redesign
will consist of guest lectures and
administrating civic engagement
activities, allowing our evaluation
agency to collect data and provide
assessments and identify
transformational stories.
For civic engagement
activities (i.e., data collection,
data analysis and
visualization, and
presentations to the
nonprofits), students will be
matched with nonprofit
organizations by Community
Partners, a nonprofit fiscal
sponsor.
lecturer.

CHIDINMA, M.B.A.
KIPENZI
MARKETING

Los Angeles native with Caribbean roots
A tracing back to Turks and Caicos and the
Bahamas, Kipenzi Chidinma’s 24 hours consists of
teaching as a Marketing Professor in the CBE
(College of Business and Economics), working as
CEO & Founder of LINĒIJ, serving as a board
member for the Huntington's Disease Society of
America (HDSA) Los Angeles, and championing
diversity and equity.
After completing her MBA at Woodbury University,
she saw firsthand the difference in the
opportunities given to her by attending a private
institution – and wanted to change that. She
explained, “I wanted to bring what I learned and
experienced at Woodbury to Cal State LA. I
advocated for more than six years to teach here
because I wanted to be part of the change that is
taking place on campus. I could have taught
someplace else. But Cal State LA holds a special
place in my heart. I'm a third-generation graduate
of Cal State LA – my Nona (Grandma), Mama, and
now myself (along with my sister).”
travel cases, handbags, parent bags, weekend bags,
briefcases, and clutches.
When Kipenzi, and her entrepreneurial spirit,
discovered her great grandmother’s collection of
rare accessories and hand drawn patterns - she
was motivated to embrace her innate talents, and
launch her company.
When she is not busy making the world better or
making headlines in Forbes Next 1000, she unwinds
by meditating, working out, going to the spa, and
relaxing on the couch. Her students would be
surprised to learn, however, that she lives for thrill
sports. She recently jumped off a cliff that was
7,000 feet in the air – and will gladly do it again.
She is “If your friend jumped off a cliff, would you
do it, too?” personified, but in the best, most
adventurous way.
Kipenzi is living proof that when you find your joy,
you find your purpose; and if she can help her
students get one step closer to their joy – or a job –
Kipenzi continued,
“I saw a need for
more diversity not
only in the
department but in
the business
industry as a whole.
You don't see a lot
of BIPOC (Black,
Indigenous, People
of
Color)
“EVERY ASPECT OF WHO I AM RADIATES FROM A PART OF
THEM. BOTH MY MAMA AND NANA (GREAT GRANDMOTHER)
TAUGHT ME TO BE RESPECTFUL, EMBRACE MY CREATIVITY,
AND BE PROUD OF WHERE I COME FROM. THEY WERE
EXTREMELY HARD-WORKING, ETHICAL, AND BELIEVED IN
GIVING BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY. BE IT WITH THEIR TIME
OR WORK. I APPLY IT DAILY WHETHER I'M AT WORK, IN THE
CLASSROOM, AND FOR MY COMPANY.”
individuals in the
industry once you
graduate, or enter
the workforce. I hope that as my career progresses
at Cal State LA, I can be part of that change." A
beacon of light to her community, clientele, family,
and students, Kipenzi keeps the guidance of her
Mama and Nana (Great Grandmother) at the
forefront of everything she does. After losing her
mother in 2019 to complications related
Huntington’s Disease, Kipenzi has championed the
search of finding a cure and as a result, 100% of the
proceeds from her LINĒIJ HDSA collection is
donated to HDSA.
LINĒIJ is for those with discerning tastes, who
adore luxurious accessories - and don't want to
sacrifice functionality, unique design, style, or
sophistication. Filling the void of there being no
sustainably sourced, luxury accessory atelier in the
luxury market, they are certified through C.I.T.E.S.,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, so your new
accessory can be worn guilt free. The collection
features timeless portfolios, totes, backpacks,
then she has
succeeded.
“You only get one
life and I must have
joy. I think
everything you
accomplish comes
from a place of joy.
In my opinion, if it
wasn't enjoyable
there is no way you
can sustain it. At
some point, we all
search for what brings us joy so we can always do
that - because that thing is our purpose. If we are
lucky we have several joys. For me, my joy comes
from teaching and having my company."

scholarly NEWS
teaching journey
Marshall's
Cal State LA began in the
at
missed by the CBE
truly
as a whole.
community
From Wall Street to the Journal of
Financial Education...
In 2021, Dr. Roger Mendoza (Management) was the guest at a one-on-one
forum for Wall Street bankers and investors to address the implications of
the 2020 U.S. presidential elections on healthcare and the Coronavirus
pandemic.
The forum, which included a live interview from New York City, was hosted
by Third Bridge, Inc.
Academy of Business Education (ABE) on Sept. 17-19, 2020.
He also devised an instructional game simulation in capital budgeting for
use in his healthcare finance classes. He presented it as a peer-reviewed
study, entitled “From non-cooperation to cooperation in healthcare decisionmaking:
Instructional game simulation in capital budgeting,” during the 21st
annual joint conferences of the Financial Education Association (FEA) and
An economist by training, Dr. Mendoza teaches, publishes refereed research, and offers consulting in the
areas of health economics, healthcare finance, risk and insurance management, pharmacoeconomics,
outcomes valuation, and healthcare regulation.
IN MEMORIAM
Dr. Rika Houston, recently named
Director of Community Engagement,
and Dr. Shika Upadhyaya coauthored
an entry for the Journal of
Business Research.
The paper ultimately provides a
recommendation on how social
services can disrupt the generational
effects of poverty to help families
flourish.
Marshall
Vallelunga
To address this question, they highlight a less familiar, but resurgent, social
work model known as two-generation services that avoids serving only
individuals and instead orients around holistic family outcomes.
Their central goal is to develop insights for social service ecosystems that target
the intergenerational effects of poverty within a two-generation model.
of 2014. His joy of
winter
students was
educating
by both his family
witnessed
colleagues and
and
by his dedication
evidenced
the students and his
towards
towards
commitment
excellence.
teaching
treasured the company of
He
colleagues and will be
his
"Despite the optimism of leading think tanks and publicized exemplars, the
prevalence of the two-generation approach is rare. To empower these initiatives with
ideas to reach their potential, we synthesize two-generation principles with extant
research and data with social service participants to identify gaps in service design
and value creation that impede two-generation approaches. To stimulate progress
against these imbalances, we synthesize insights from Family Systems Theory and
Service-Dominant Logic to generate research propositions and practical insights for
services seeking to reduce the intergenerational effects of poverty and promote
family well-being."

ehalf of the College of
On
and Economics, we
Business
like to congratulate the
would
4470-Golden Eagle
Fin
Fund Class on
Opportunity
their 20-year
reaching
2001, the equity investment
In
the Marshall Geller
fund,
Eagle Opportunity
Golden
(GEOF), was established
Fund
a Cal State LA alumnus and
by
by students in the
managed
to provide real-world
CBE
in investment and
experience
management. Unlike
portfolio
investment or
traditional
analysis courses, the
securities
employs real money
GEOF
than paper transactions
rather
stock simulation games. It
or
as a bridge to link
serves
finance theories to a
academic
Dr. Maryam Tofighi will serve as the Editorial Assistant to the International Journal
of Research and Distribution Management (IJRDM). The journal is prestigious in the
retail marketing discipline with an A Ranking in the ABDC list and 2.321 impact
factor.
IJRDM focuses on issues of strategic significance in retailing and distribution
worldwide and provides a forum for researchers in academia, business, consultancy
and management. The competitive retail sector is under pressure to provide
efficient services to hold its share of the market. As consumers demand higher
levels of service and supply, they are simultaneously wooed by other alternatives
like mail order and out of-town-shopping. The International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management
provides a link between production and consumer, and by understanding their relationship it allows retail
personnel to study operations practice in other organizations, and to compare methodologies.
First-ever Women's
Leadership Development
Program...
Dr. Maria Akopian's
research concludes
that even though 56%
of the country’s
workforce are
women, they only
occupy 15% of C-level
executives’ positions.
According to the
same research, nine
out of 10 participants
of her study had
confidence issues.
milestone.
“This says a lot about how women perceive themselves and are viewed in
society,” she shares.
She dug even deeper during her doctoral studies at the University of
Southern California (USC) and finally decided to create a specific program
made according to the needs of women: “Women First: Leadership and
Professional Development Program.”
The program has been adopted by the California State University, Los
Angeles’ College of Professional and Global Education. Akopian also serves
as a marketing professor for the university’s College of Business and
Economics. It is the first women’s leadership program in the university’s
history; those finishing the course will qualify for a certificate.
Akopian’s research shows that organizations measure leadership according
to masculine traits: Being assertive, demanding, more aggressive.
practical fund investment.

faculty UPDATES
OUR RETIREES & FERP
On behalf of the College of Business & Economics, we want to thank you for your
peerless performance during these past years, as we congratulate you on this remarkable
milestone in your professional careers. The years you have worked here have been
marked by unsurpassed efficiency and excellence. You have been an inspiration to us
all.
WHITCOMB, RETIREE
LAURA
Management, 32 years of service
KERN KWONG, FERP
Management, 35 years of service
KNOX WASLEY, FERP
Information Systems, 40 years of
service
TAEWON KIM, FERP
Finance, 34 years of service
CARRINGTON, FERP
SAMANTHA
Economics, 35 years of service
KATHY HANSON, FERP
Accounting, 33 years of service

FACULTY EMERITUS
On behalf of the College of Business & Economics, we want to recognize our Faculty
Emeritus. We thank you for carrying on your scholarly endeavors as contributing
members of the academic community of the University, through your teaching, research,
writing, and consultation.
SLUSKY
LUDWIG
36 years of service
H (JEAN) LOO
CHING
36 years of service
KON SUN LAI
34 years of service

faculty UPDATES
NEWLY PROMOTED FACULTY
Congratulations on your well-deserved promotion! You make the CBE better.
(CHRISTINE) SUN
XIAOJIE
Accounting
XIAOHAN ZHANG
Economics & Statistics
(FRANCES) FENG
YALAN
Finance, Law & Real Estate
HAEJUNG (AUDRIE) NA
Finance, Law & Real Estate
BO LI
Management
UCOK HUGHES
MINE
Marketing & Director of
MBA/MSBA/FEMBA programs
SHARPE
STACEY
Marketing
DR. RIKA HOUSTON
CBE Director of Community
Engagement

NEW DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
We want to thank you for your peerless performance during these past years.
LEE
DONG-WOO
Accounting
CASTILLO
RAMON
Economics & Statistics
JONG-HWAN YI
Finance, Law, & Real Estate
GANESAN
NANDA
Information Systems
MIN SHI
Management
MOHANTY
MADHU
Marketing

TO THE TEAM
WELCOME
A special welcome to our new faculty member. We are thrilled to have
you join the CBE family.
J O S E O R T I Z

staff UPDATES
NEW STAFF
Welcome to the CBE. We are so thrilled to have you apart of our team.
LENNIX
ADRIENNE
Dean's Office
TOLENTINO
CJ
Student Advisor
BROWN
FARAAH
Student Advisor
PIMENTEL
KARISSA
Student Advisor
SANTANA
LUZ
Student Advisor

staff UPDATES
NEWLY PROMOTED STAFF
On behalf of the College of Business & Economics, we want to thank you for your
peerless performance during these past years, as we congratulate you.
IN MEMORIAM
HERRERA
MIRIAM
Dean's Office
DEPOMPA
LYSSA
Accounting
UBAGO
MARIA
CIS & Economics
LILIANA LOPEZ
Finance, Law & Real Estate
BETH YUAN
Student Services
BELEM ENCISO
Graduate Admissions

can send your submissions to us via email: Marketing & Communications at
You
cbemarcom@calstatela.edu
to space constraints and time between issues, submissions may appear in
Due
upcoming issue or as a website feature.
an
contributions are welcome but subject to editing. Photographs may be
Editorial
as space permits; photos must be in 1MB in size or larger. We look forward
used
The CBE Dean's Report
welcomes news of your
recent accomplishments
and/or transitions.
to hearing from you!
Luis Patiño Empowers Latino Small Business Owners at
Univision's 4th Annual POSiBLE LA Expo
“Now more than ever Latino business owners need our help,” said Luis
Patiño, president and general manager, Univision Los Angeles. He
continued, “They continue to be among the hardest hit during the
pandemic, struggling to keep their businesses open and their employees
paid, all while ensuring the health and safety of their own families. This
year’s free, virtual event is perhaps the most relevant and timely expo we’ve
ever produced, and one that is poised to help businesses of every size power
through these challenging times.” Through POSiBLE, local Latino
entrepreneurs can learn strategies and acquire new skills to help sustain and
grow their business.
David Tetreault Named Chief Business Officer and Equity
Partner in Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions
Collectively, Tetreault will strategically drive in all TV and streaming licensing deals, media,
entertainment, marketing, communications, corporate development, sponsorships and comanaging
all financial aspects of the company.
Mike Sarian Acquires Randolph
Health's Operating Assets
American Healthcare Systems (AHS) founder,
Mike Sarian, has acquired Randolph Health's
operating assets. His plan for sustainability
includes investing in existing facilities, increasing
the services offered, and jupgrading equipment
to make the hospital profitable within 90 days.
AHS is an integrated healthcare system of
hospitals, medical groups, and captivated
members.
ALUMNI NEWS

2021
billie jean king
ennis Legend and CBE Alumna, Billie Jean
T King, was recently awarded the Muhammad
Ali Legacy Award at the 2021 Sports Illustrated
Awards hosted by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
and Casino.
Established in 2015, the award celebrates athletes
who have dedicated their careers to both
sportsmanship and utilizing their platform to
make a positive global impact.
The first LGBTQ+ recipient of the award, King says
it’s a “better world” than she found it, noting that
“people can talk about their sexuality now and not
get in trouble or lose their endorsements
immediately.”
A champion for gender equality and social justice,
King is best known for establishing the Women’s
Tennis Association in 1973. She also founded the
Women’s Sport Foundation which Laila Ali,
Muhammad Ali’s daughter, served as president
from 2011-2012.
King stated, “I knew him so it means a lot more to
me knowing him as a person and a friend.” She
added, “Just being in the proximity of him, being
near him, and being able to look in his eyes and
have a great discussion about family, sports, or
whatever.”
With 39 Grand Slam titles, the Billie Jean King
Leadership Initiative, and World TeamTennis – a
mixed-gender professional tennis league – under
her belt, at the age of 78, King continues adding to
her legacy.
C B E S O A R S P A G E 1 3

Billie Jean King and her partner, Ilana Kloss, are
part owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Angel
City FC, and the Philadelphia Freedoms.
"Our for-profit company, Billie Jean King
Enterprises, and a nonprofit, the Billie Jean King
Leadership Initiative, which does DEI work.
I want more women in ownership positions in
sports. Women are not taught to follow the money.
I want us to follow the money, understand it, and
learn from it.
The challenge is that guys are always mentoring
other guys. I used to see it all the time in the
lounge or lunchroom, especially as an amateur:
these former, now rich, male players talking to the
young male players, making sure they got into
schools of their choice or had jobs lined up for
them when they stopped playing.
So I’m asking men out there to at least think about
mentoring women, including women of color and
women with disabilities, just as much as you do
with the guys."
With that said, King told Harvard Business Review,
"I am going to fight the good fight with my last
breath."

dean's ADVISORY BOARD
Sal Mendoza Spearheads $15,000 Grants Project to Pan-Asian Communities
City National Bank announced Community Reinvestment Act grants totaling $15,000 for two nonprofits,
Accessity and Union of Pan Asian Communities in San Diego, including their businesses, families, individuals
and children. Supporting many nonprofits in San Diego for over 40 years, senior vice president and CRA
manager for City National, Sal Mendoza, states, “We take great pride in supporting the communities where
we work and live, and we commend the work being done by these wonderful nonprofit organizations to
enhance the vitality and well-being of our communities.”
Dr. Karin Kricorian Named New Board Member on Yale Alumni Association
Annually, six board members are elected by YAA delegates (representing regional clubs, classes, interest groups, alumni
associations, and more) and two are appointed by a board nominating committee.
Dr. Karin Kricorian is the Director of Management Science and Integration at the Walt Disney Company. She has over 20 years of
experience as a data scientist and business strategist in the entertainment industry. Dr. Kricorian earned a BA in Psychology at
Yale University and her PhD in Marketing at the Stanford University School of Business. She is dedicated to increasing female and
minority representation in STEM fields. She is vice chair of the Cal State LA dean's advisory board for College of Business and
Economics and served as a mentor for the ASA DataFest at UCLA and Chapman University.

Rudy Medina Named U.S.
Bancorp's Top Commercial
Regional Executive
Amid U.S. Bancorp's recent acquisition of MUFG
Union Bank's banking franchise for $8 billion, Rudy
Medina was named the bank's top commercial
regional executive.
“With the acquisition, U.S. Bank will gain more than 1
million loyal consumer customers and about 190,000
small business customers on the West Coast in
addition to approximately $58 billion in loans and $90
billion in deposits based on MUFG Union Bank's June
30, 2020 balance sheet,” U.S. Bank said in a statement.
C B E S O A R S P A G E 1 3

change MAKERS
Cárdenas is a leading expert in
Rosalina
power and complexities of the Latino
the
and how to speak to it
community
For over 16 years, Rosalina
effectively.
been involved at all levels in helping
has
advocacy and political
educational,
understand how best to win
campaigns
hearts, minds and votes of Latinos
the
the U.S.
across
360° approach to developing
Rosalina’s
strategic marketing campaigns
effective
a deep knowledge and
includes
of market and voter
understanding
broadcast and digital
demographics,
analysis, cross-platform campaign
media
total-concept value-added,
design,
development and paid media
content
Chacon is an experienced
Oscar
Technology Audit Partner
Information
a demonstrated history of working in
with
accounting industry. He currently
the
as an IT Risk & Advisory Services
serves
at Vasquez & Company, LLP, a
Partner
and small business enterprise.
minority
is highly skilled in Business Process,
He
Risk Management, Internal
Enterprise
Analytical Skills, and Banking.
Audit,
strong finance professional, Oscar
A
a Bachelor of Science (Double)
earned
in Computer Information
focused
Business Administration
Systems,
minor in Economics from
(Accounting),
State LA's CBE.
Cal
THE
DEAN'S
ADVISORY
BOARD
Rosalina Cárdenas, '89
President, Cardenas Strategy Group
Oscar Chacon
Partner, IT Risk & Advisory
Services, Vasquez & Company, LLP
solutions, messaging and production.

Faggiolly attended the CBE
Vanessa
January 2005 to June 2007. She
from
from Cal State LA with a
graduated
of Science degree in Business
Bachelor
with an option in Finance
Administration
is the Co-owner and CFO of
and
Foods LLC.
Amerisal
greatest achievement was
Vanessa’s
a company that was on the
purchasing
of bankruptcy and transforming it
brink
a food empire.
into
most important thing Vanessa
The
while at the CBE was being
learned
This resilience has helped her
resilient.
challenges in life and her career.
face
advice to current CBE students is
Her
give up.” Vanessa states that life
“never
about making your opportunities
is
and making your dreams come
happen
true.
serves on the Dean’s Advisory
Vanessa
and recently sponsored teams of
Board
in the CBE’s first C.A.S.E.
students
Vanessa is a true Golden
Competition.
and now helps others soar!
Eagle
Guibert is serving as Senior Vice
Gary
at The Northern Trust Company.
President
Trust Corporation is a financial
Northern
company headquartered in
services
that caters to corporations,
Chicago
investors, and ultra high net
institutional
individuals.
worth
expertise in corporate and
With
services, Gary Michael has
institutional
and developed an exemplary
built
career.
professional
the President of ICM Resources, Inc.,
As
Hung is responsible for running all
Isaac
of the business. Isaac has a
facets
executive management track
proven
with over 34 years of experience
record
quality service in real estate
providing
management.
also serves on the Dean's Advisory
Isaac
at Cal State LA's CBE.
Board
earned a BS in Business
He
from the University of
Administration
California.
Southern
Vanessa Faggiolly, '07
CFO, Amerisal Foods LLC
Gary Guibert
Senior Vice President, Public Fund
& Taft Hartley Northern Trust
Isaac Hung
President, ICM Resources, Inc.

change MAKERS
Kang was first certified to
Steven
in California in 1985. He is the
practice
Managing Partner of KSGA, LLP,
current
known as KAGW, LLP. He was
formerly
of Kang & Associates, an
President
Corporation and
Accountancy
of KAGW, LLP. He has
predecessor
of demonstrated experience in
decades
financial consulting,
international
and tax services.
auditing,
he was previously president and
While
of Korean American Certified
chairman
Accountants Society of Southern
Public
from 2013-2014, Steven
California
serves on the Dean's Advisory
currently
for the CBE.
Board
earned his Master of Business
Steven
from the University of Southern
Taxation
Master of Business
California;
from Cal State LA; and BS
Administration
Indiana University.
from
is also trilingual (English, Korean,
Steven
French) and a US Private Pilot.
and
Kricorian is a data science
Karin
at the Walt Disney Company,
executive
corporate analytics consulting
leading
across several business units. At
services
she is a management champion
Disney
diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
for
and sponsor of Disney Data
efforts
Women, a program that makes
Analytics
possible for outstanding college
it
to attend Disney’s popular annual
women
& Analytics Conference.
Data
developing this program at Disney,
After
partnered with Yale’s Office of
she
Services to pilot it at Yale; the
Career
has since expanded to attract
program
from more than 150 other
applicants
universities.
is on the board of directors at MiOra
She
vice chair of the Dean’s Advisory
and
at the CBE at Cal State LA.
Board
earned a PhD from the Stanford
Kricorian
School of Business. As a Yale
Graduate
she is a founding member of
volunteer,
an agent for the Class of
1stGenYale,
and a long-time interviewer for the
1994,
Schools Committee. She has had
Alumni
opportunity to speak at several Yale
the
and events, including First Year
panels
and Careers, Life and Yale.
Scholars
Lam is a co-founder and CPA at
Donald
Robinson & Company, a tax firm in
Lam
California.
Southern
"they believe in the value of
Here,
We view every client
relationships.
like a partnership, and truly
relationship
that our success is a result of
believe
success.
your
are committed to providing close,
We
attention to our clients. We take
personal
in giving you the assurance that the
pride
assistance you receive comes
personal
years of advanced training,
from
experience and financial
technical
Our continual investment of
acumen.
and resources in professional
time
education, state-of-the-art
continuing
technology and extensive
computer
relationships is indicative of our
business
to excellence."
commitment
Steven Kang, CPA
Partner, KSGA, LLP
Karin Kricorian, PhD
Director, Management Science &
Integration, Walt Disney Company
Donald Lam
CPA, Lam Robinson & Company

Marin is an entrepreneur, an
Rosario
public speaker, author, and
international
as advisor to two corporations in
serves
and Mexico.
Australia
served in Governor Arnold
She
cabinet as Secretary
Schwarzenegger’s
the State and Consumer Services
of
Agency.
appointed by President George W.
Later
and unanimously confirmed by the
Bush
Senate, Rosario served as the 41st
U.S.
of the United States.
Treasurer
Chairwoman of the California
As
Waste Management Board
Integrated
2004 to 2006, Rosario presided
from
the successful attainment of
over
50 percent recycling
California’s
mandate.
addition, Rosario served as elected
In
and Mayor of the City of
councilmember
Park.
Huntington
has held numerous leadership
She
with nonprofit boards. Currently
positions
is a member of the Cal State LA CBE
she
Board and formerly served for
Foundation
years in the Special Olympics
nine
Board of Directors.
International
her contributions, Rosario has been
For
countless recognitions including
awarded
Honorary Doctorate degrees.
four
over 35 years of experience in
With
and financial services, Rudy
banking
serves as the Southern California
Medina
president for U.S. Bank, the fifth
market
commercial bank in the United
largest
States.
currently serves as board member,
Rudy
Coast Banking School and
Pacific
emeritus of the Fresno Hispanic
chairman
of Commerce. Previously
Chamber
served as chairman, Business
Medina
Committee, Craig School of
Advisory
at California State University
Business
and board member, California
Fresno
Association. He has also shared
Bankers
time and expertise with Reading and
his
and the Fresno Food Bank
Beyond
organizations.
earned a bachelor’s degree in
Rudy
from University of the Pacific and
finance
a previous winner of the Kermit
is
Award of Excellence from the
O’Hansen
Coast Banking School. Rudy and
Pacific
wife, Susan, and their two sons reside
his
the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
in
Mendoza serves as Senior Vice
Sal
and Manager of City National
President
Community Reinvestment
Bank’s
Department.
​
is responsible for managing,
He
and reporting on the bank’s
monitoring
qualified lending, investment and
CRA
activities and spearheads
service
and related outreach
advocacy
activities.
​
is chairman of the board of directors
Sal
the Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing
of
the largest, non-profit
Services,
homeownership provider in
affordable
California. He also is a member
Southern
the boards of directors of People
of
the Homeless and the San
Assisting
Valley Financial Development
Fernando
and a member of the
Corporation
Council of the City Scholars
Executive
He also chairs the bank’s
Foundation.
Advisory Board which supports
Latino
development in the Latino
business
community.
Rosario Marin, '83
Former U.S. Treasurer, Owner of
Marin & Marin
Rudy Medina
Market President, U.S. Bank
Sal Mendoza
Sr. Vice President, City National
Bank

change MAKERS
May 2016, Berta Montoya was
In
by Thrivent Financial, a Fortune
recruited
Non-for Profit faith base
300,
to create, build, launch, and
organization
the organization's Latinx
execute
Initiative Nationally. In this
Community
Ms. Montoya gets to build a whole
role,
business unit within a 110+ year
new
and most important she
organization
to provide resources,
continues
and be a gateway to
opportunities
America for the Latinx
corporate
as the first Latinx Director
community
into an executive level position
hired
the organization.
within
Montoya holds a bachelor’s degree
Berta
business administration with an
in
on Management from
emphasis
State University, Los Angeles.
California
commitment and involvement in the
Her
of the Hispanic community
empowerment
unwavering, having launched and co-
is
her own nonprofit at age 19,
funded
to serve the community in
G.A.T.E.S,
LA. Ms. Montoya serves as a
South
on multiple boards such as
director
Pasadena, Saint Francis Center
YWCA
Advisory Board member for Cal
and
LA's College of Business and
State
and many others across Los
Economics,
county for over a decade.
Angeles
Patiño is the senior vice president
Luis
general manager of Univision Local
and
in Los Angeles, at Univision
Media
Inc., the leading media
Communications
serving Hispanic America.
company
Local Media owns and/or
Univision
128 local television and radio
operates
in major U.S. Hispanic markets
stations
Puerto Rico.
and
his role, Patiño is responsible for the
In
management of station
day-to-day
sales, news, marketing and
operations,
for Univision Los Angeles.
promotions
to his current position, he served as
Prior
vice president of Univision
senior
Group (UTG) where he led
Television
sales, news, marketing and
operations,
for Univision’s owned and
promotions
TV stations in San Francisco,
operated
Fresno, Bakersfield, Phoenix,
Sacramento,
San Antonio and Austin. Earlier in
Tucson,
career, Patiño worked for Univision
his
stations in Los Angeles in several
flagship
including national sales
positions
and local sales manager.
manager
joining Univision, he worked as
Before
Sales Manager for Entravision
National
Co.
Communications
de la Rocha may be the President
Remi
CEO at AltaMed Health Network,
and
a team of over 70 individuals
managing
spearheading the growth of the
and
Independent Practice
company’s
(IPA), their first Limited Knox
Association
license, as well as their very own
Keene
Service Organization
Management
but his visions did not come to
(MSO),
overnight. In fact, he first honed
fruition
conscious-leadership chops at the
his
which required many of late nights,
CBE,
collaboration, and hard work.
planning,
2001, he obtained his B.S. in Business
In
and in 2006, he earned
Administration
MBA with an emphasis in Health
his
Management.
the current President and CEO of
As
Health Network, Remi continues
AltaMed
live by the CBE way by as a business
to
in healthcare management. He
leader
to one day return to teaching at
hopes
alma mater and “give back to the
his
that gave me so much.”
university
the meantime, he would like to leave
In
CBE students with this, “Enjoy this
current
Make friends and learn how to work
time.
teams. Find a mentor and work to
in
Berta M Montoya, '02
Director, New Business
Development Latino Market,
Thrivent Financial
Luis Patiño
Senior Vice President & General
Manager, Univision Local Media
Los Angeles
Remi de la Rocha, '01, '06
Vice President, Managed Care,
Altamed Health Services
become the leader you want to be.”

Rodriguez served as the managing
Larry
of the Ernst & Young's Honolulu
partner
before retiring in 2007. His 40-
Office
career was spent serving companies
year
the financial services, healthcare,
in
retail, hospitality, real estate and
airlines,
industries.
insurance
received the Pacific Business
Rodriguez
"Leadership Legacy Award" for his
News
and contributions to local
services
and community groups.
charities
twenty one years ago, Luis Rojas
Over
his sister, Virginia Campos founded
and
developed Del Terra Real Estate
and
Inc. Luis has been the
Services,
President and CEO where he
company’s
hands-on and continues to lead,
remains
and oversee the
manage,
program/project/construction
general contracting, and
management,
firm with over $3.2 billion in
consulting
managed and implemented of
projects
and institutional funded Capital
public
is also the founder of Evergreen
Rojas
Solutions, LLC, a renewable
Energy
development firm. Evergreen is
energy
with the California Energy
registered
Additionally, the Rojas
Commission.
founded the Del Terra Education
family,
a non-profit to support
Foundation,
seeking higher education and
students
educators that support them. The
the
of the foundation is to increase
mission
number of students obtaining college
the
with the school districts and
degrees
colleges that Del Terra Group
community
throughout California.
serves
Sarian was recently honored by the
Mike
American Medical Society at
Armenian
32nd Anniversary Gala for his positive
its
as an executive and his
influence
community service. He has over
extensive
years of executive management
25
in healthcare and is currently
experience
of Hospital Operations for
president
Healthcare.
Prime
Sarian was born in Lebanon and
Mr.
with his family to the U.S.
immigrated
he was a teenager. He earned a
when
in Business Administration from
Masters
University of La Verne and a
the
of Science in Business
Bachelors
Accounting and Finance,
Administration,
Cal State LA.
from
Sarian is also active in various
Mr.
charity, and civic
community,
and donates countless
organizations
hours as an executive board
volunteer
of the California Hospital
member
and a board member of the
Association
Family Clinic. He actively supports
Venice
hospital, Armenian churches,
Armenia's
schools, ANC, and the ARS.
Armenian
his company, he recently helped
Through
medical equipment in excess of
donate
million to hospitals in Armenia. In
$2
Mr. Sarian received the prestigious
2015,
Island Medal of Honor for his
Ellis
contributions to his
exemplary
Lawrence "Larry" Rodriguez
Retired Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Luis Rojas, '88
President & CEO, Del Terra
Mike Sarian, '83
President of Operations, Prime
Healthcare
Improvement Bond Programs.
community.

Sasaki is a partner at Crowe LLP
Carl
a member of the Deans Advisory
and
Carl is a past student president of
Board.
Alpha Psi and graduated in 1983
Beta
a B.S. Business Administration,
with
in Accounting.
Option
on time spent at Cal State LA,
Reflecting
recalls an influential professor, Dr.
Carl
Stone, who taught Carl’s first
Ronald
course. The two have
accounting
in contact over the years.
remained
best memory of the CBE was
Carl’s
involved with Beta Alpha Psi and
getting
the camaraderie and
enjoying
experience.
transformative
believes that the diversity that the
Carl
State LA student body represents
Cal
an important learning process
supports
students can share many different
where
“I think that’s important as
perspectives.
make your way out into the world
you
as we all know, the world is a
because
place.”
diverse
a long history of advocating for the
With
community, Susan joined Southern
Latinx
Gas Company (SoCalGas) in
California
and eventually became one of the
1982
Latinas in the External Government
first
department.
Affairs
of Susan’s professional and
Some
highlights supporting the Latino
personal
include the National
community
of Latino Elected Officials
Association
MALDEF, the nation’s leading
(NALEO);
legal civil rights organization;
Latino
a pioneering institution
TELACU,
to service, empowerment,
committed
and the creation of
advancement
self-sufficiency within minority
economic
the Mexican American
communities;
Foundation (MAOF) which
Opportunity
socio-economic betterment
provides
the Southwest Voters
opportunities;
Project; her alumni USC
Registration
Alumni Association and HOPE
Latino
Organized for Political
(Hispanas
Equality).
served as Chair of the USC Latino
Susan
Association and was instrumental
Alumni
raising approximately $2 million of the
in
to establish a permanent $5 million
goal
endowment.
is proud of receiving the
Susan
Award for her support of the
Corporate
program “Girls Today, Women
mentoring
Tomorrow.”
a proven track record in the TV and
With
industry, David Tetreault
entertainment
drives in all TV and
strategically
licensing deals, media,
streaming
marketing,
entertainment,
corporate development,
communications,
and co-managing all
sponsorships
aspects of the company.
financial
Tetreault joined Golden Boy in
David
as the Executive Vice President of
2015
and Entertainment, following
Media
executive stints in the
major
industry with FOX, Warner
entertainment
and Sony.
Bros.,
Tetreault also serves as an Adjunct
David
for the University of San
Professor
in the prestigious Sports
Francisco
Masters' program. Tetreault
Management
a BA and MA from Cal State LA, as
holds
as a Master of Fine Arts degree from
well
He also serves as Chairperson of
UCLA.
Board of Directors for the Dean's
the
Carl Sasaki
Partner, Crowe LLP
Susan Sifuentes-Triqueros
Regional Public Affairs Manager,
Southern California Gas Company
David Tetreault, '89, '94
Executive Vice President, Media &
Entertainment, Golden Boy
Promotions
Advisory Board at Cal State LA.

2021
DEAN'S REPORT