Message from Humanities Dean Elizabeth A. Say

The end of any academic year is always a time of transition. As the 2010-11 Academic Year draws to a close, we celebrate the recent accomplishments of two of our faculty colleagues. With great sadness, we say goodbye to two of our esteemed faculty colleagues. At the same time, we anticipate welcoming to the College 13 new colleagues, whom we will profile next year. We will also introduce you to some recent developments in curricular offerings.

This issue of the newsletter contains tributes to Dr. Karin Durán and Dr. Howard Happ. Dr. Durán was a CSUN alum who—as a librarian at the Oviatt Library—provided support to students and friendship to her faculty colleagues. Dr. Happ retired from the Department of Religious Studies in 2005, after 34 years as a member of the faculty and a mentor to his students. Both Karin and Howard enriched the lives of all those they touched, and we are the poorer for their absence.

This edition will introduce you to Dr. Florence Kyomugisha and the truly life-saving work she will be engaged in as the University Research Fellow from the College of Humanities. Dr. Nayereh Tohidi has received a significant grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that will support the development of a new minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. We also introduce you to the new Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability.

Finally, we are honored to have L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel as speaker at the 2011 College of Humanities Commencement Ceremony. We will post her address on the College of Humanities website for all to read. Thank you again for your continued support throughout the year.

It would be difficult to name a more accomplished local role model for CSUN graduates than Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel, the 2011 Commencement speaker for the College of Humanities. A lifelong Angeleno who was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Greuel became just the second woman elected to citywide office in L.A. when she was sworn in as Controller on July 1, 2009.

Greuel’s service to the city began upon graduation from UCLA, when she went to work for Mayor Tom Bradley’s office. Later, she served in President Bill Clinton’s administration as Housing and Urban Development Field Operations Officer for Southern California, where she was instrumental in coordinating HUD’s emergency response and recovery programs after the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake, which caused $400 million in damages on the CSUN campus.

In 2002, Greuel was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, where she served as the Representative of the Second District in the Northeast San Fernando Valley until her election as City Controller. On the City Council, where she served as President Pro Tempore, Greuel concentrated on securing the San Fernando Valley’s fair share of city resources. She has also championed measures to reduce financial influence on the political process and to eliminate government fraud and waste. Throughout her career, her guiding principle has been to execute the practical over the political.

— Submitted by Teresa K. Morrison