
Three university-wide awards — Distinguished Alumnus, Emerging Leader and Coyote Spirit — will be presented at the annual Alumni Hall of Fame Awards ceremony on April 25 at the Alumni Center.

Nathaniel Saavedra, who graduated with a degree in history in December, joined the university’s Wadi el-Hudi Expedition in Egypt in late December to late January. The experience was nothing short of transformative, expanding his perspective as a historian.

Isabel Quintero, a first-generation CSUSB graduate and award-winning young adult author, found her voice at Cal State San Bernardino. Inspired by her immigrant parents and growing up in the Inland Empire, she champions stories that reflect her heritage and underrepresented communities.

Carmine Minerals, a startup founded by CSUSB MSEI student Raymond Moorehead Jr. and MSEI alumna Jacqueline Gilyard Jones, has been selected to compete in the 2025 Rice Business Plan Competition, the largest and most renowned business plan competition in the world. The startup was selected as one of only 42 teams from a highly competitive pool of over 900 applicants.

Ahlam Muhtaseb (media studies) was interviewed for a feature on the “Phoenix of Gaza XR” project, David Yaghoubian (history) was a guest on “The Adnan Husain Show” to discuss the modern history of Iran, and Brian Levin (criminal justice, emeritus) was interviewed about the latest hate crime statistics.

CSUSB MBA alumnus Patrick Marshall, co-founder of the College Collaborative System, is now serving as vice president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley Branch of the NAACP and teaching criminal justice at Mission College. He remains dedicated to uniting people through education, advocacy and leadership.

“The Phoenix of Gaza XR,” a virtual reality endeavor developed by Ahlam Muhtaseb, professor of communication and media studies, and her former student, CSUSB alumnus Naim Aburaddi, was the topic of discussion on podcasts by Trevor Noah and WGBH’s “Culture Show.”

CSUSB Palm Desert Campus alumna Rhian Reyes was born and raised in the Coachella Valley and works as a campaign organizer at Audubon California in Palm Desert, where her work focuses on community outreach, organizing and education.

Stacey Ortiz, program specialist for the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program, will help lead the conference in Anchorage, Alaska, in March. NACADA is an association that consists of professional advisors, counselors, faculty, administrators and students who work together to enhance the educational development of students.