
Mary Jane McCoy, a graduate of CSUSB who had a long career as an educator in the Inland Empire, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on May 17. A member of the Class of 1967, the university’s first graduating class, she served as an elementary school teacher and a principal in San Bernardino.

Paul Granillo, a CSUSB alumnus and president and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, will be honored at the May 17 Spring Commencement with a CSU Trustee-Nominated Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

CSUSB three-time alumna Michelle Smith will assume the role of superintendent of Hesperia Unified School District on July 1.

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.