Helena Noronha (Mathematics) has received $340,232 from the National Science Foundation, in continuing support of a project entitled “CSU Alliance for Preparing Undergraduates through Mentoring towards PhDs.”

U.S. potato-grower cooperatives in the early 2000s deployed drones and scanned satellite images as they colluded to reduce the amount of potatoes grown across the country in an effort to increase their profits, according to a report by California State University, Northridge business law professor Melanie Stallings Williams.

The cooperatives’ plot meant Americans paid more for their french fries, while cooks of every stripe — from those at home to those in high-end restaurants and even manufacturers — paid up to 49 percent more for a staple of the American diet.

Melanie Williams

“If you had a potato in the last decade or so, then you paid significantly more because of widespread collusion in the potato industry,” Williams said. “Every time you went to McDonald’s, every time you had something that had potato starch added to it, you paid more.”

Williams and her colleagues — Michael A. Williams, director of Competition Economics, a legal research and consulting firm, and Wei Zhao, a consultant with Competition Economics — published their findings in a report titled “The OPEC of Potatoes: Should Collusive Agricultural Production Restrictions Be Immune from Antitrust Law Enforcement?” in the winter 2017 edition of Virginia Law & Business Review.

Their report is the result of an investigation of American potato farmers as part of an antitrust, class-action lawsuit brought by potato buyers against the United Potato Growers of America (UPGA) and the United Potato Growers of Idaho (UPGI), collectives of farmers and agricultural cooperatives that agreed to reduce the output of potatoes. Though the collectives settled the lawsuit in 2015 before it went to court, a look into collectives’ practices provided Williams and her colleagues evidence of how the UPGA, within one year of its formation in 2005, controlled more than 60 percent of the nation’s fresh potato-growing acreage, reduced the amount of potatoes grown and increased the open-market prices for the vegetable by 48.5 percent. By 2007, UPGA had reduced potato-growing acreage by 20 percent from its 2004 levels.

As a result, Williams and her colleagues concluded, the production caps “significantly increased the cost to buyers, with an average nationwide overcharge of 30 percent for fresh potatoes and 48.7 percent for Russet potatoes at the point of shipping, and 24.4 percent for fresh potatoes and 36.5 percent for Russet potatoes at the wholesale level. The social welfare costs are thus substantial.

“Potatoes are the leading vegetable crop in the United States,” Williams said, “and are a staple in every household in America. Even those who don’t eat potatoes on a regular basis may be surprised to learn how often potato starch is used in everyday items that we consume, as a supplement or a filler. That means every one of us was impacted.”

In 2005, America’s potato farmers, buffeted by market volatility and high supply, banded together to form the UPGA. The Capper-Volstead Act, a pre-Depression era statute, allows farmers to cooperate in marketing their goods as a way to counter the clout of industrial agricultural behemoths. Some people, Williams noted, have interpreted the act to mean that farmers can avoid antitrust laws. Others contend otherwise and have filed class-action suits, which is what happened in the recent case involving the UPGA and UPGI, she said.

The UPGA hosted conferences to monitor and set minimum prices for potatoes. To ensure compliance, the organization conducted on-site inspections, deployed drones, scanned satellite imagery and did surprise audits. Violators were subject to a $100-per-acre fine. Anyone who was not part of the association was pressured to comply with its rules.

“They called those farmers who didn’t comply ‘cheaters,’ and monitored what they did with flyovers, crop inspections and financial penalties,” Williams said. “By 2010, one cooperative reported that they had cut potato growing acreage by 38 percent.”

In 2008, the UPGA’s chairman said the goal was “to take potatoes to market in an orderly manner so that farmers make a profit,” and he noted that the organization has reduced potato acreage by 20 percent in just three years. The goal, according to documents Williams and her colleagues examined, was “a steady, planned and coordinated lifting of market prices across the country.”

Williams said the cooperatives’ leaders celebrated the higher prices, with one member observing, “growers who’ve historically competed with each other are now communicating and coordinating supplies for the betterment of the industry as a whole.”

Reporters with the Wall Street Journal did not question the legality of the UPGA’s actions, and, in a 2006 article, even noting that one farmer destroyed part of his potato crop to keep prices high. The reporter went on to observe that the UPGA “aspires to be to potatoes what OPEC is to oil by carefully managing supply to keep demand high and constant.”

But, Williams pointed out, no court has held that agricultural cooperatives that restrict output are exempt from antitrust law enforcement. While four class-action lawsuits have been filed in recent years against agricultural cooperatives — against milk, egg product, mushroom and potato producers — none of the proceedings have yet to reach a verdict.

“The potatoes case settled, but more cases are pending, with class-action lawsuits against the milk, egg and mushroom industries,” Williams said. “However, because of the expense, uncertainty of the verdict and potentially high awards, cases like these tend to settle. But while the legality of agricultural cartels is uncertain, what is indisputable is that such behavior raises prices — a lot.”

Williams said UPGA officials justified their efforts as “marketing,” which is allowed under the Capper-Volstead Act.

“But marketing does not traditionally include production restrictions, because those hurt consumers by raising prices and reducing incentives for innovation,” she said.

Williams said small farmers have used cooperatives for decades to reduce costs by sharing processing plants and to be more economically efficient in their marketing. She cited the example of Sunkist.

“There is no single farm called Sunkist, it’s a cooperative of orange growers who share processing, distribution and advertising. That’s what the (Capper-Volstead Act) is designed to do,” she said. “The fact is the law, in this instance, was not used to help in the production of potatoes. The potato cartels weren’t working together to distribute potatoes, they were working together to limit the supply and manipulate prices.”

In the spring, California State University, Northridge alumna Patricia Maloney ’80 (Chemistry) returned to campus. She was a few months away from being honored as one of CSUN’s 2017 Distinguished Alumni.

She stopped by professor Eric Kelson’s Chemistry 321 Quantitative Analysis class and spoke to the students briefly. Toward the end of her talk, she looked around for a second. It took her back to the late 1970s when she was in a chemistry class at CSUN. She was one of three females in the class. Then her mind shifted back to the present.

“I’m glad there are so many women in this class,” she remarked. Maloney was one of a few when she studied, and one of a small group in her industry when she started her career. She now serves as an inspirational figure for women in STEM.

Maloney is the Principal Director for Joint Operational Programs in the NASA Programs Division at The Aerospace Corporation, which provides technical and scientific research, development, and advisory services to national-security space programs. She was named Aerospace’s 2005 Woman of the Year.

She manages relationships and oversees a team working with some of the most noteworthy partners in The Aerospace Corporation’s portfolio — including NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Corporation.

Prior to this prestigious position, she worked in an equally demanding and high-responsibility job. She worked for Mobil Oil and served in numerous leadership capacities where she traveled (and in some cases lived) across the map for the global giant. She was a critical figure for the company during the Gulf War as its Worldwide Trading Coordinator and balanced the entire supply of Mobil’s crude oil during the crisis.

CSUN, Maloney said, helped take her there.

She recalled a story about her days after graduation when her father, Army Colonel James Maloney was on a ladder outside the family home clearing leaves out of the rain gutter.

“Imagine it’s a summer day in Woodland Hills, California,” Maloney said, recounting her story. “It’s a few days after my graduation in 1980, and my dad was up on a ladder repairing — I think it was the gutters — and I’m down below, handling tools and parts and we’re talking life. … And I didn’t have a job at the moment, so dad sort of says to me, ‘What did you learn at CSUN?’

“And after thinking about it for a few seconds, I said, ‘I think I learned how to attack a problem,’” she said. “And dad said, ‘Well, if that’s what you learned, you’ll be fine.’”

Maloney’s intent upon enrollment at CSUN was to become a math teacher. However, she grew passionate about the physicality and creative process of chemistry. She was one of the first participants in CSUN’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) group, which was chartered at the university in the spring of 1976. And she was a star in the classroom. 

“We like to think that our students are good at analytic thinking, and most of them go into some field of chemistry. Patty was different. She was a leader in the chemistry club and sort of a cheerleader for the whole department,” said Henry Abrash, CSUN professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry. “I often referred to her as the department spark plug. Good things happened when she was around.”

After graduation, Maloney took her first job as an associate research engineer at Arco Solar in Chatsworth. She recalled making $17,100 annually in the beginning. She was charged with finding ways to efficiently and more cost-effectively develop non-silicon solar cells.

Maloney then decided to go east where earned her MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

She began working for Mobil Oil and quickly the global giant noticed her talent and leadership skills and tapped her to work in numerous capacities.

“The best job I ever had was trading coordinator,” she said. “It was so action packed, where I say that I saw Mobil’s whole world. I had the whole view of our refining and supply in front of me and I had to balance it.”

Maloney worked in other capacities, such as corporate planning and manufacturing and refining planning. Her travels eventually took her to Jakarta, Indonesia where in 1998 she had to eventually evacuate during violent riots in the country.

“I was in an apartment complex and we get the call to grab the important stuff and leave,” she recalled. “We were put into convoys loaded to an undisclosed location. Driving through you could see fires and machine guns. We ended up at the military airport in Jakarta and sent to Singapore.”

In 2000, Maloney left Mobil, but she also left a significant impact, said Nancy Lin — who also served in numerous leadership capacities, including strategic planning senior advisor for Mobil and what later became ExxonMobil.

“We started out working together in 1984,” Lin began. “She joined Mobil as a summer intern fresh out of Tuck, and I still remember what she looked like the first day. Bright-eyed. So bright, fully engaged, asking questions, fully taking ownership of her desk and asking people questions like, ‘Couldn’t we do this? Why can’t we do this?’ And pushing everyone, pushing seasoned colleagues to have to pause and answer why something couldn’t be done, or have to admit, ‘Gee, I never thought of it that way. Let’s give it a try.’ So she took ownership from day one.”

In 2001, a new opportunity arose in a different environment. She was brought in to work for the nonprofit The Aerospace Corporation. She began working in a group called the economic marketing analysis center for the corporation. After a year, she was the director of the group.

Maloney takes great pride in leading the development of Aerospace’s “Smarter Buyer” course, which taught high-level government officials about finance and corporate strategic planning to help them better understand the private sector and build partnerships.

Today, Maloney manages about 40 people whose expertise is vital for NASA and the Air Force.

Maloney, who lives in Virginia, still keeps CSUN close.

She has long given to many causes — faith-based and education being the nearest and dearest to her. But she also created the Patricia A. Maloney Student Travel Endowment in CSUN’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The endowment provides funding to send students to national conferences where they display and speak about their work in a public setting, thus elevating their drive and confidence.

“It’s community. We’re not here for ourselves,” she said. “We’re here to make the world a better place and have good relationships to make sure there’s a next
year. If you’ve been blessed like I have [been] financially, you give back.”

On April 29, she was recognized for all she has accomplished and what she represents to CSUN as one of three recipients of the 2017 Distinguished Alumni
Award, alongside investment banking titan Milton Berlinski and reality TV trailblazer Mike Darnell.

“CSUN took what my parents had birthed and gave it so much more, and engendered that so that an education at CSUN launched me, well, into the stars, because I do work on satellites,” Maloney said that evening.

California State University, Northridge faculty and staff came together to partake in fun activities at the Summer Celebration on June 26 at the Student Recreation Center (SRC).

Summer Celebration is an annual event that celebrated the completion of the 2016-17 academic year with an evening of food, games and mingling. The festivities help the administration show appreciation for CSUN’s hard-working faculty and staff, as well as their loved ones.

Throughout the SRC, those in attendance had the opportunity to take on the 46-foot rock wall, play bingo, pose for souvenir snapshots at a photo booth, play basketball and enjoy face painting.

At the main stage in the Red Ring Courts area, there was a lively Zumba session for all ages, a Family Feud competition and raffle prize drawings where participants could win CSUN Men’s Basketball tickets, a free membership to the SRC, free massages from the Klotz Student Health Center, a $100 campus store gift card and a pair of tickets to a John Mayer concert. Attendees also feasted on a variety of food and danced along to the tunes of DJ Mal-Ski. Here are photos from the event.

Avid cyclists Kayla and Mike Kaiser have been married for 10 years and share a passion for health and public service, which inspired their nonprofit organization, BikeCar101.

As professors at California State University, Northridge in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the pair promote travel by train and bicycle to increase environmental sustainability and public health. The couple has been commuting to campus via Metrolink and bikes since 2013.

Over the past few years, the Kaisers have seen a growing interest in public transit and healthier commutes among CSUN students, professors and others in the workforce, they said. According to metro.net‘s active mode of transportation page, they state that, “Active transportation improves public health by providing more opportunities for physical activity and safe places to walk, bike or travel by other human-powered means improves access to transit and provides more travel choices.”

“We were on the same [Metrolink] line with other professionals, and we’d start bringing our bikes on there,” Mike said. “They saw us bringing our bikes [to campus to ride together], and they started to bring theirs.”

He also pointed out that students are the biggest advocates for sustainability and alternative modes of transportation.

“Ultimately, students have the greatest voice in change with respect to where the university heads toward sustainability,” Mike said. “That’s powerful. I can’t overstate that.”

The nonprofit BikeCar101 promotes using alternative forms of transportation, such as traveling by train and biking to destinations. The Kaisers hope to lobby the Metrolink Board to add additional Metrolink Bike Cars with more bicycle stalls for greater bicycle storage. In the future, the Kaisers hope to expand their lobbying efforts toward the Metro Transit Agency to follow Metrolink’s Board initiative and provide a dedicated ‘Bike Car’ to each Metro light rail train. Similar to what Amtrak does with its Surfliner line.

“We rode the train with a group of about five commuters with bicycles, and there was only enough room for three bicycles,” Kayla said. “The conductor started to give us a hard time [because we had] too many bicycles, so I said, ‘We’ve got to petition the transit agencies for more space.'”

BikeCar101 uses the 3T Program to educate those who need help riding Metrolink and need help mapping their destination. According to BikeCar101’s website, the 3T program is about educating the public about bringing bicycles on board Metro rail and Metrolink trains to encourage them to engage in future active transportation. The nonprofit’s 3T Program provides the three “Ts” a t-shirt with BikeCar101’s logo, a train ticket to the transporter’s destination, and that the transporter provides a testimonial for their website. ​​The user does not have to pay for their ticket, all the nonprofit hopes is that they educate someone else from this program.

The pair is determined to promote carbon-neutral travel and use secondary forms of transportation to get around town.

​”We wanted to improve the environment, live in a more sustainable fashion,” Mike said. “[Incorporating] a bicycle into our commute with a train relieves the stress of driving. It’s amazing what a stress reduction it is when you don’t have to drive, and you get your workout through a bicycle.”

Riding the train also helps the community interact, Kayla added.

“Rather than being stuck in a car, or by yourself, you can chat, catch up, meet new people, talk about current events or what you’re doing this weekend,” Kayla said. “It makes for a nice community, [and] it’s a lot more friendly and relaxing.”

For more information about BikeCar101, please visit their website at https://sites.google.com/site/bikecar101test/. 

For Executive Director of the University Student Union (USU) Debra Hammond, leadership starts with a great team and a close community.

Initially, Hammond thought that she would probably work at CSUN for five to seven years at most, but the creative freedom and connection she gets with her students has kept her coming back. She has been leading the USU for more than 23 years.

“Northridge as an institution has a way of pulling you in, and I was allowed to be very creative here,” said Hammond. “I was very supported by my supervisors and board of directors, and our team. That’s what kept me here — I get to do what I love.”

Hammond believes that broader opportunities for students to participate on campus can connect them more closely to CSUN.

“Students who feel a close connection and a good sense of community on campus tend to graduate,” said Hammond. “My vision was always about the students and making sure that they were grounded in CSUN.”

Once she was set on expanding the USU, she added the Student Recreational Center (SRC) in 2012. The vision was making sure students are grounded in CSUN, which directly led to the creation of the SRC. Hammond hoped to create a positive impact on students by promoting exercise and a safe place to alleviate everyday stress. She also went the extra mile to create the Oasis Wellness Center, a recent addition, to promote student wellness. The Oasis Wellness Center opened in the fall of 2015, giving students a place to relax and destress, offering massages, nutrition counseling and mediation.

Hammond notes that her greatest accomplishment, however, is still all about the students.

“My greatest accomplishment has always been the development of the students,” said Hammond. “If I see a student who comes in and they’re not confident, I want them to be able to increase that confidence level. I want them to use their voice more, to able to ask for assistance, to able to lead themselves and others.”

In addition to working at the USU, she was also given the opportunity to teach at the Michael D. Eisner College of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling. She enjoys being able to mentor students and assist them in the right career path.

“I love the mentorship part of the experience because if it wasn’t for the people who mentored me, I know I wouldn’t be where I am today. My job is to continue in that way so that I can help somebody else,” said Hammond.

Hammond’s goal is to make CSUN as inclusive as possible. To do so, she has contributed to CSUN’s Pride Center and Veteran’s Resource Center by allowing students to voice their opinions by stating these spaces were needed and acting on their voices.

In 2012, CSUN students advocated for a safe space for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, plus (LGBTQ+) community and the veterans of the campus. Hammond listened to their requests and granted them.

“The students are the catalyst for these kinds of changes. The second thing is to listen to the students’ voices as well, it’s not just about hearing but also listening and choosing to act,” said Hammond. “Our job is to assist students and give them the tools to present. ”

Coordinator of the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) Patrina Croisdale stated working with Hammond is amazing because she’s a great role model.

“She’s a humble leader, she’s a caring leader, but she also can provide really strong direction for the people who are under her,” said Croisdale. “And she is a really great example of a strong female leader. As a woman, I really admire and respect that.”

Croisdale stated that the addition of the VRC and Pride Center have added the diversity initiative that the USU needs. The VRC supports students who are veterans and creates a community for them to interact in. The Pride Center provides the LGBTQ+ community a place to be themselves, as well as receive extra support and guidance.

“The VRC and the Pride Center have brought an element of diversity that didn’t necessarily exist before,” said Croisdale.

Sarina Loeb, coordinator at the Pride Center and a former student of Hammod stated why she believes that Hammond is an inspirational woman. She supplies a lot of guidance to the CSUN community. While Loeb was graduate student, she took one of Hammond’s courses and was mentored by her.

“She’s an inspirational woman and she’s definitely one of my mentors,” Loeb said. “She provides a lot of freedom to develop services or projects for the Pride Center.  She’s not my direct supervisor, but I work under her leadership.”

“Debra teaches a graduate-level course in the college counseling services program and she was one of my professors; that’s where I first met her,” said Loeb. “I’ve always looked up to her. I think she’s an inspiration — she’s an amazing public speaker and really is focused on students.”

Hammond’s achievements aren’t just on campus, as she recently received the Lifetime Achievement award at the 16th annual Women in Business Awards presented by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal (SFVBJ). She said she is humbled to be awarded and describes herself as a servant leader, situational leader and a transformational leader. Her goals are to serve people, lead people to their strengths and transform people’s experiences.

“[I thought I was] too young for a lifetime award yet, but I guess I’m not,” Hammond said. “I’m very humbled and was very surprised. I didn’t even believe it.”

“And it’s more about recognition — not just about my leadership, but about all the people who I work with at Northridge, because my job is to be an influencer,” Hammond added. “I can create a vision for something and then I get incredible people around me that want to work toward that vision. They are the executors.”  

For the future, Hammond is exploring the idea of creating a Cross Cultural Center at the USU. It would possibly house the DREAM Center Veteran’s Resource Center, the Pride Center and the Women’s Research and Resource Center in the same building.

“I love CSUN; it’s where my heart is,” Hammond said. “I believe in giving back to CSUN, I’m proud that we can make an impact on the lives of students because I believe that going to an institution like CSUN really changes people. It can change future generations of families and I believe it’s a part of our obligation to give back that way.”

Roles playing a child in Welcome Back, Kotter, Sanford and Son, and Kojak were in Mike Darnell’s rearview mirror. While the 20-year-old was at an audition for a commercial, he had an awakening.

“That day I had an epiphany,” Darnell said. “I called my agent and told him I wasn’t auditioning any more. And I got serious about college, which meant going, and I decided I was going to work [as a non-actor] in the television industry.”

Darnell went to California State University, Northridge and through it got an internship at Los Angeles’ KTTV station. It helped launch his career as a pioneer in reality television, and as one of the most important figures in the genre’s history.

In April, Darnell ’87 (Communication Studies), president of unscripted & alternative television at Warner Bros., and former president of alternative entertainment at FOX, was one of three people honored with a CSUN Distinguished Alumni Award.

“I learned to hone my ability to do things differently, and that has served me extremely well over the course of my career,” Darnell said of his experience at the university. “And who knows where I would be without the internship I got through CSUN?”

Darnell has long been unconventional. At 12 years old, he was studying television ratings. In junior high and high school, he would go to the library and pull out the almanac to study and memorize what the top 40 TV shows were each year. He’d look at the fall preview of TV Guide and predict what new shows would hit, and which ones would miss.

“I was pretty accurate,” he recalled.

He reminisced about a moment during a speech class at CSUN that speaks to his outside-the-box thinking.

Students were given an assignment to speak for two minutes on the definition of a word. Darnell chose the word “entertainment.”

A couple of lines in, he got strangely emotional, then angry. He ran out of class, eliciting a reaction from the other students, and then he waited. He walked back in to a room enthralled with confusion.

“I went up back to the podium and I said, ‘Now that’s entertainment,’” he exclaimed. “I got a thundering round of applause from the students, and an A+ from the teacher. I was being rewarded not only for doing a good job, but for the clever way in which I did it.

“I never liked doing things in a conventional way. My entire life and career have been spent looking for ways to stick out, going against the grain, trying to do things in a way no one else was doing them. At CSUN, I found a school that embraced me.”

After two unfulfilling internships — one as a baseball umpire — Darnell struck gold at KTTV. Or as it would turn out, a network struck gold with him. He showed a willingness to learn all and do all. At that time, FOX television became a network and KTTV became its Los Angeles affiliate, and Darnell’s work was attracting attention.

He was a runner, a messenger and a part-time writer. Eventually, he was promoted to executive producer of specials and later director of specials.

It was in that position where he had another breakthrough moment. He was shown an 18-minute video of what was claimed to be an actual alien autopsy.

“I said [to the producer] is there any way you can get the footage dated. He came back with a letter from Kodak that [the footage] was either from 1947 or 1967 because they mark [film] in a certain way,” Darnell explained. “I said, that’s enough for me.

“I went to my boss, and my boss’ boss, where there was marketing and everyone else [in a meeting]. And my boss said ‘This is completely Mike’s project, I have nothing to do with it.'”

The show Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? aired three times on FOX. One of the airings attracted 11.7 million viewers, according to Time magazine.

Darnell had momentum and kept building it. Shows like When Animals Attack!, World’s Scariest Police Chases, and Breaking the Magician’s Code: Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed followed.

In 1999, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? debuted on ABC and in 2000, Survivor arrived on CBS. Both shows signaled a change in television and showed that non-traditional, unscripted series appealed to mass audiences.

Darnell pounced.

He developed and oversaw hundreds of specials and series for FOX, such as Joe Millionaire, Family Guy, Temptation Island, The Simple Life, Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef and So You Think You Can Dance, among other hits.

“He has an incredible tuning fork for things that are going to be big attention getters,” said producer Chris Cowan, who worked with Darnell on numerous projects. “He was kind of leading the charge on how to get attention and draw audiences to one-offs and specials that you don’t have big budgets in order to bring an audience to. And he was just a master at it.”

Darnell rose to become president of alternative entertainment at FOX and was the executive who said “yes” to American Idol, and saw it become the top-rated show on TV for a historic eight consecutive seasons.

“It was shortly after 9/11 and we needed something aspirational, and so I went to work selling it,” Darnell said. “The U.K. version [Pop Idol] aired and it took like a rocket. I knew we had to import Simon Cowell. I could see he was the key to the show, and ironically when we tried to launch that summer I had a lot of people arguing with me in the promotion department that we couldn’t show someone being nasty to contestants. That people wouldn’t like it. I said, ‘That’s the whole show! That’s what makes it different!’ He’s honest. And he became a star immediately.”

“What Mike was brilliant at was looking at it when it was put together and saying ‘I’m not happy with that, but if you do this, I think it’ll work,’” said Nigel Lythgoe, who was an executive producer on American Idol. “And normally you don’t get that from executives. You normally get, ‘I don’t like this, I don’t like that, and I don’t like the other. End of.’ Because of Mike’s creativity, it was much easier to work with him than anybody else I’ve ever worked with.”

In 2013, Darnell left FOX and brought his team with him to Warner Bros.

Mike’s division is the No. 1 provider of primetime unscripted programming with hits including The Voice, The Bachelor franchise, Little Big Shots, and several new series including Little Big Shots: Forever Young for NBC, Love Connection hosted by Andy Cohen for FOX, and The Ellen DeGeneres-hosted Ellen’s Game of Games for NBC, among others. In addition, Mike is responsible for a large slate of programming in cable and syndication, including The Real Housewives of New York City, Who Do You Think You Are?, TMZ, The Real, and the Emmy-winning The Ellen DeGeneres Show, among others.

He has been called the “king of reality TV” by Vanity Fair and a “latter-day P.T. Barnum” by The New York Times.

Carolyn Darnell ’83 (Theatre), a CSUN alumna, calls him her husband. But she has another word for him.

“Well, I’m his wife, but I’m telling you, it’s fact — he’s a genius,” she said. “He’s so smart and so creative. He’ll think up an idea just out of the blue or somebody will give him an idea and he’ll broaden it and make it bigger than it is. And he has a really good instinct about what people would really want to watch.”

Darnell said he has much more to create. His desire to innovate and his enthusiasm for the business is the same as when he first started.

As to how he’s gotten this far, Darnell said a couple of qualities stand out.

“Gut instinct and the love of the genre — television,” Darnell said. “And then the willingness to take a risk. I’ve put my neck on the line so many times. I was going to end Western Civilization with some of my products. But inevitably, when it was successful, I would be copied in a year.”

Gang Lu (Physics and Astronomy), Donna Sheng (Physics and Astronomy), and Nicholas G. Kioussis (Physics and Astronomy) have received $200,000 from the National Science Foundation, as supplemental support of a project entitled “PREM- Computational Research and Education for Emergent Materials.”

Scott Appelrouth and David Boyns (Sociology) have received $5,000 from California Humanities, in support of a project entitled “Understanding the lived experiences of grandparents as parents and the children in their care through their visual stories and testimonies.”

Hamid Johari (Mechanical Engineering) has received $57,744 from the US Army, in support of a project entitled “Deformation of MC-4 Ram-Air Canopy due to Control and Suspension Line Retraction”. 

MariaElena Zavala (Biology) has received $496,703 from the National Institutes of Health, in continuing support of a project entitled “RISE@CSUN: Preparing Students for Careers in Basic Biomedical Sciences.”

Robert Conner (Manufacturing Systems Engineering & Management) has received $323,903 from the National Science Foundation, in support of a project entitled “Collaborative Research: Closing the Bulk Metallic Glass Data Gap in the Supercooled Liquid Region”.

Sally Spencer (Special Education) has received $400,000 from the US Department of Education, in support of a project entitled “Literate Adolescents (LA) Intervention Model Demonstration Project”.

As the bass guitarist for Los Angeles rock band Love and a .38, Justin Emord ’12 (Communication Studies) is used to being in front of crowds of rock ‘n’ roll fanatics.

But in May, Emord’s audience shifted to politicians and senators as he advocated on Capitol Hill with the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) about the importance of having music education in K-12 schools.

NAMM, a non-profit organization that hosts annual music trade shows in Anaheim and Nashville, Tenn., advocates throughout the year on the importance and benefit of music.

Emord said he initially felt out of his comfort zone, but he adapted quickly. Emord credited California State University, Northridge for giving him the tools to spread a passionate message about why music programs are so vital in schools.

“The public speaking classes I took [at CSUN] was how I was able to not choke and die when I was in D.C.,” Emord said. “I was the youngest person and the only musician there, so I was initially worried politicians wouldn’t take me seriously. But as soon as I started talking, they were surprised.”

Emord more than held his own during numerous meetings on Capitol Hill and credited part of that to the classes he had at CSUN, particularly with Communication Studies professor Peter Marston.

“The classes I had [with Marston] were some of the hardest I had to take in college, but I really learned a lot from him. He was a great professor, and I felt like he made me a better person,” Emord said. “I also did so many presentations and projects at CSUN that talking to policy makers wasn’t that big of a deal.”

According to Emord, his trip to D.C. almost didn’t happen.

“I had about a 1 percent chance of going because musicians aren’t typically allowed to go to these meetings,” Emord said. “But because I’ve been working with NAMM for so long, I was the exception to the rule and the underdog in the political arena.”

Emord advocated for more funding for music programming in elementary and junior high schools.

“Unfortunately, music is always the first thing to go in schools,” Emord said. “Many schools don’t have the money set aside because they’re hurting [financially]. It’s a shame because kids should have equal access to a flute as they do a basketball.”

NAMM’s main purpose on Capitol Hill was to talk with members of Congress about the implementation and funding of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was signed by President Obama in 2015. The act is intended to provide schools with $1.65 billion for music programs, but so far only about $4 million has been allocated to the proper programs, Emord said.

To Emord, the trip to Capitol Hill was a success in making sure more of the allocated funds will soon be given to schools across the country.

“A lot of people were very interested and receptive to our message, and in the grand scheme of things, $1.56 billion in the federal budget isn’t that much to ask for,” Emord said.

Emord is a real-life example as to why having music education in schools can have a life-changing effect. His passion for music was initially sparked by his fourth-grade music teacher.

“I tried taking private music lessons and it didn’t work,” Emord said. “But once I was in the classroom and learning music from my teacher, the light bulb went off and I couldn’t stop playing.”

The teaching Emord received in his youth is a main reason why — when he’s not traveling the West Coast with his band — he devotes his time to schools in Anaheim a couple times a year with NAMM’s Support Music Coalition, a program that helps children learn and grow with music.

On the first day Emord was in D.C., he stopped by a local elementary school to show students how to play basic notes on the guitar.

“Just handing these kids a guitar, you could tell they treated it like a gift,” Emord said. “Giving these kids access to music, even if it’s only for an hour, exposes them to it and lets them see if this is something they want to pursue.”

Emord’s passion for music, as a performer, teacher and advocator, comes as no surprise to the professor that knows him best.

“Justin is a rare person who combines the ambition for success in the entertainment field with the sensitivity and compassion needed to be an outstanding music educator,” Marston said. “I think his accomplishments are exemplary.”

California State University, Northridge professor of Chicana/o studies Denise Sandoval is curating a new exhibit on lowrider cars, The High Art of Riding Low, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibit features sculptures, paintings, installations and, of course, lowrider vehicles as art.

The term “lowrider” has a dual meaning, said Sandoval MA ’95 (Chicana/o Studies), who previously curated the Petersen exhibitions Arte y Estilo (2000) and La Vida Lowrider: Cruising the City of Angels (2007).

“The term can be applied to a certain style of customizing [cars] — lower to the ground, fantastic paint jobs … chrome,” she said. “But also it’s a term used to define a person that either owns the car or sees themselves as part of the lowriding scene.”

As all cultures do, the lowrider lifestyle holds certain values and beliefs, including “pride, respect, corazón (the Spanish word for heart), family and brotherhood,” said Sandoval, who in 2003 completed her dissertation on lowriding traditions at the Claremont Graduate University.

The professor noted that the opportunity to curate this exhibit has special significance for her because of the overlap of the subject matter in her personal and professional life.

“[This exhibit] is bringing together two worlds that have really played a big part in my professional and personal life,” she said. “I’m trained in ethnic studies and Chicano studies, [so I see] my role as continuing to document our stories — our Chicano stories — in academia, but also always being connected to the community.”

According to the Petersen website, the exhibit will run through July 2018, in the museum’s Armand Hammer Foundation Gallery.

For more information, please visit petersen.org.

Bingbing Li (Department of Manufacturing System Engineering Management) has received $70,755 from the National Science Foundation, in support of a project entitled “Collaborative research: creating an upper division additive manufacturing course and laboratory for enhancing undergraduate research and innovation.”

Nicole Wilson ’05 (Political Science), M.A.’17 (Education) is a prime example of a hardworking Matador.

In April, Wilson was invited to the California State University Chancellor’s office by Sheila A. Thomas, assistant vice chancellor/dean of Extended Education, and honored with the Emerging Leader for Extended Education award for her work in California State University, Northridge’s Near Peer Mentoring program.

“It was an honor to be recognized for doing something that I really love,” Wilson said. “I enjoy working with students [and] improving their experience in higher ed.”

Wilson is the co-creator of CSUN’s Near Peer Mentoring program — where students help one another by acting as mentors in developmental math courses. The program’s development began in 2015 and launched this past spring. As graduate students, Wilson studied faculty diversity and developmental math and her partner Jesse Knepper, studied autism. The two decided to focus and collaborate on the developmental math research.

The Near Peer Mentoring program was proposed to The Clinton Global Initiative campaign, named after President Bill Clinton. In 2015, Knepper and Wilson learned about the initiative from CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison’s announcement and call for entries. CSUN fully funded the program after it was accepted by the campaign.

“We proposed a mentoring program where students placed in remedial math could partner with other students [taking] remedial math, so they can help each other succeed,” Wilson said.

Knepper, program manager at CSUN’s Tseng College for Graduate, International and Midcareer Education, said that the partnership with Wilson and the peer mentoring program were great experiences.

“Part of the challenge of bringing a new program onto campus is going through networks and speaking to the right people,” Knepper said. “[Wilson] was an instrumental part in facilitating some of those relationships that we needed to build.”

While Wilson was earning her master’s, she used her time responsibly. She said she had a knack for being productive and finding time to help others or study.

“I would plan ahead and get all my work done, [and would use] my lunch breaks to study or to volunteer for the mentoring program,” Wilson said.

Wilson also developed relationships with several organizations on campus [to further the Near Peer program]. She is part of the CSUN Graduate Leadership Council, ExCel Board (Experience Confidence and Enjoyment in Learning), CSUN Student Outreach and Recruitment, CSUN Black Alumni Association and had participated in the CSUN Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Graduate Student Orientation. These opportunities gave her the chance to help others and contribute to student success, she said.

“It’s all about developing relationships with people, and people hearing my passion for all students,” she said.

Wilson remains involved with ExCEL, which provides resources to help students learn about some of the psycho-social challenges that may be interfering with their academic success. The goal of the program is to provide a class for students on academic probation, to help boost their grade point averages.

Wilson said she appreciates her support system of family, co-workers and former professors.

“The support that I [received] motivated me to keep going,” Wilson said. “I feel like I am where I’m at because of all those elements.”

As an educator, Wilson aims for student success by focusing on marginalized students and collaborating with university colleagues to help boost graduation rates. She hopes to meet the CSU’s 2025 graduation initiative to increase CSUN’s four-year graduation rate to 40 percent and six-year graduation rate to 70 percent, she said.

“I want all students to [feel] represented,” she said. “Sometimes students face different obstacles, and I aim to make things equitable. The graduation rates can always be improved. I want all students to be successful.”

When Milton Berlinski retired from Goldman Sachs in December 2011, it made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Bloomberg Television. The media coverage was just one indicator of Berlinski’s imprint on Wall Street.

For 26 years, Berlinski ’78 (Computer Science) was critical to the private equity business of Goldman Sachs. In fact, he was the architect behind Goldman Sachs’ private equity advisory business, ran its corporate strategy group and became one of the most important dealmakers in the country.

His retirement was brief. Berlinski co-founded the private-investment firm Reverence Capital Partners LLC in 2013, and today he is the company’s managing partner and still a major player in the business world. In April, he was one of three Matadors honored at California State University, Northridge’s 2017 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Berlinski, whose father was born in Poland and mother was born in Brazil, was raised on the island of Aruba. He has lived the American dream, and the dream began at CSUN.

“CSUN allowed me to dream big,” Berlinski said. “I always knew being successful in Aruba would be nice, but my real ambition was to be successful in America.”

Berlinski chose CSUN because of the strong reputation of its College of Engineering and Computer Science. He came from an island country, which at the time had a population of approximately 60,000, and entered a university with nearly half that many students. He wasn’t intimidated by this new environment, though. Instead, Berlinski said, he decided to dive right in and get involved with numerous organizations on campus.

He was a founding member of the Sigma Pi fraternity. He served in student government with Associated Students. He was also a leader in Student Productions and Campus Entertainment (SPACE) — a group that started a jazz festival on campus (Stevie Wonder showed up in 1979 as a guest artist) and a World Hunger Conference.

Berlinski said he developed leadership, teamwork and project management skills that he would often use later in life. But he also developed a better perspective on diversity and culture.

“CSUN embodied so much more than just an excellent education,” Berlinski said. “The university, even at that time, enjoyed a significant international student body, which helped contribute to a rich and global perspective in the classroom — but also allowed me to continue to learn more about customs and values, which would be invaluable in my life and career.”

“What I think CSUN did for Milton was challenge him because he was part of so many circles … he was able to see the diversity in people,” said Carlos Fuentes, his fraternity brother and CSUN Alumni Association President from 2015-17. “He’s very much a people person.”

After graduating from CSUN, Berlinski earned his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and was recruited to work at Goldman Sachs in 1986. He was a star for the company for 26 years.

By 1996, he had become a partner. He was one of the founders of Goldman’s Financial Institutions Group and served as its vice chairman until 2002. From 1999 to 2004, he was head of the firm’s Strategy and Corporate Development Group. In 2001, he assumed additional responsibility as head of firmwide strategy. Eventually he took leadership responsibilities for the Financial Sponsors Group and rose to global head.

“I was well aware of Milton because he had a distinguished record of accomplishments at Goldman Sachs, where he was a major partner and [was] very successful,” said Kenneth Langone, co-founder of The Home Depot. “He is certainly one of the most accomplished dealmakers there is in his chosen field.”

After leaving Goldman, Berlinski focused on building his own firm. He leveraged the relationships he made from more than 30 years on Wall Street and used his own funds to jumpstart Reverence Capital Partners.

Quickly, Reverence has developed into a winner. Examples of the company’s rapid ascent are investments made in global asset management firms Victory Capital and Russell Investments. In 28 months, Victory has experienced exponential growth, including going from $17 billion to $56 billion in assets under management and increasing the company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) from $25 million to $155 million. In nine months, Russell’s EBITDA increased from $145 to $220 million. In addition, Reverence Capital has been able to return 37 percent of invested capital to its investors in 28 months, the speed of which is unique in the private equity industry.

Beyond his success in the financial industry, Berlinski’s legacy will include what he has done for sick children and their families. He is the Vice Chairman of the Ronald McDonald House New York.

“Our hope here at the Ronald McDonald House and as a board, is that one day when Milton looks back on his life and his successes, that he considers his time spent with the kids and with the board to help out children with cancer as truly one of the greatest successes of his life,” said Tina Lundgren, chairman of the board of the Ronald McDonald House New York.

Berlinski also has given back to CSUN through the President’s 21st Century Fund and he and his wife, Jena, are trustees for the Milton and Jena Berlinski Foundation.

“I believe CSUN was the springboard that led me to realize the importance of being involved and giving back,” he said.

California State University, Northridge was well represented July 20 with five alumni among the 22 teachers honored by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) at the annual Teacher of the Year Luncheon.

Roxana Brock ’08 (Teaching Credential), ’09 (Early Childhood Special Education); Dana Brooks ’07 (Teaching Credential); Jonathan Rubio-Garcia ’16 (M.A., Mathematics Education); Ximena Rodriguez ’08 (Educational Administration), ’16 (Credential); and Grace Maddox ’05 (Teaching Credential), M.A. ’11 (Education) were honored by LAUSD at the University of Southern California.

“Having five alumni from the Michael D. Eisner College of Education honored at the LAUSD Teachers of the Year luncheon illustrates the CSUN legacy of excellence,” said Shari Tarver-Behring, interim dean of the Eisner College. “We pride ourselves in the outstanding work by these teachers and view this honor as a testament of their commitment to student success. This is also a prime example of how CSUN continues to have one of the best teacher-preparation programs in California.”

This notoriety continues a trend where CSUN alumni have been honored annually by the second-largest school district in the country. Though they are all products of CSUN, the five honorees traveled very different paths to educating young minds and reaching this great honor. Here are their stories.

Roxana Brock 
Brock teaches special-needs children age 3 to 5 at Telfair Avenue Elementary School in Pacoima. She has been a special education teacher for 20 years. Receiving this recognition from the district placed her in fine company.

“It’s an honor to be recognized, especially to be recognized for something that I love to do,” Brock said. “It’s [not only] validation for the things I do every day, but [also inspiration] to improve as a teacher.”

Brock said she taught special education in the jungle of her home country of Argentina before emigrating to Northridge in 1999, without knowing the English language.

“I brought with me [from Argentina only] my teaching credential. I had no English … so I went back and took all the English as a second language (ESL) classes from ESL 1,” Brock said.

Once she was fluent in English, Brock applied to CSUN based on recommendations from friends and community members.

“I decided to enroll at the college that everyone recommended to me,” Brock recalled. “And I was not disappointed. I love CSUN.”

Along with her husband, who has supported her throughout her academic journey, Brock said CSUN has been one of the biggest support systems in her tenure as a teacher.

“CSUN has helped me since I started my credential in 2003,” Brock said. “I really wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the support of Dr. Deborah Chen and Dr. Michele Haney. They are very special to me, even today.”

Dana Brooks 
A social studies high school teacher at John H. Francis Polytechnic Senior High School (“Poly High”) in Sun Valley, Brooks practiced law for 20 years before switching careers to public school education.

“I wasn’t sure how I would like teaching because I came from law, but I feel like I’ve made a difference,” Brooks said. “I have one of my former students studying law in the fall, and seeing that and how I was able to guide him was amazingly rewarding.”

Brooks chose to study for her teaching credential at CSUN because of the welcoming nature of the Eisner College faculty and staff. The college staff showed her how to apply and enroll in courses and gave her the tools needed to be successful, she said.

“I went to CSUN a week after classes started and presented myself to the Eisner College school office and said, ‘Hey, can I enroll in your credential program?'” Brooks said. “[The college] was amazing and supportive — I enrolled in their classes, which gave me the chance to teach.”

Brooks recalled the cultural studies and pedagogy courses as her favorite classes because they gave her the history and background on Title I students. Title I, part of the federal Elementary and Secondary Educational Act of 1965, provides funding to states and districts to improve education for disadvantaged students.

“I had a pedagogy class taught by a history professor that I distinctly remember fondly and a cross-cultural class as well, and they both helped me better understand the kind of students I would be teaching in Los Angeles,” Brooks said.

Brooks added that she is grateful for Poly High, noting that teaching is one of the most enriching things in her life.

“It’s the students — they get me up in the morning, I think about them every day and how I can be a better teacher and help them with their learning,” Brooks said. “They’re amazing, they’re sponges, they’re funny and heartbreaking sometimes, but it’s the students.”

Jonathan Garcia  
The students inside Garcia’s math class at Arleta High School in Arleta aren’t the only ones learning each day. Part of Garcia’s philosophy — and one that’s led to him being named an LAUSD Teacher of the Year — is to treat teaching as a learning process.

“As teachers, we continue to learn who our students are and try and adjust [our teaching style] to fit their needs,” Garcia said. “If the curriculum you did last year doesn’t fit the students that you have this year, then you have to change it.

“[I’ve learned that] having a personal rapport with students is also essential,” Garcia added. “Knowing the students’ strengths and building a relationship helps them to be more open to learning and becoming free thinkers.”

Originally from the Philippines, Garcia moved to LA in 2007. His education at CSUN helped mold him into the teacher he is today, Garcia said.

“The education I received at CSUN better prepared me in teaching mathematics to diverse populations, and allowed me to improve my research skills by helping me reflect on my teaching practice,” Garcia said. “The program also helped me know my students’ needs and guide them in achieving their goals of being college ready.”

Garcia’s biggest reward as a teacher is having former students express the impact he’s made in their lives, he said.

“Students I’ve taught have come up to me many times, and the feeling is amazing that I was able to touch people’s lives in a positive way,” Garcia said. “It drives me to continue on further.”

Grace Maddox 
When Grace Maddox was 15 years old, her high school art teacher, Mrs. Butcher, influenced her to teach. Years later, Maddox followed her advice — she went to the Art Center of College of Design for art and California State University Northridge to obtain her credentials.

At the Art Center College of Design, Maddox earned her undergrad in illustration. She developed strong skills in figure drawing, painting and perspective. In addition, she learned how illustrations have the ability to define social, political and cultural ideas, making them an ideal solution for creative and communications projects.

At CSUN, Maddox received her teaching credential and received her master’s in educational leadership.

She was motivated by her professors and looked up to them as role models.

“Once I began studying at CSUN, I understood why so many great teachers graduated from there,” she said. “My professors were all very knowledgeable and inspirational — which made me want to become a teacher like them.”

One of the most important lessons Maddox learned from professors was how to create a safe and inviting classroom to make her UCLA Community School students eager to learn.

“[Students will] try to meet you half way,” she said. “[They will] try and see themselves get better and better. That gives them confidence. That confidence makes them want to come to school.”

As a South Korea native, Maddox is also grateful for the support she received from the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, which provided her a Bilingual Teacher Scholarship. The scholarship offers individuals of Asian descent and those who maintain a 3.0 grade point average with scholarships for tuition, textbooks and other expenses.

With the scholarship’s help, she earned her master’s without financial worries.

“While at CSUN, I truly felt that the school wanted all of us to succeed [and] become great teachers,” said Maddox.

Maddox is humbled to have received the Teacher of the Year Award and honors Mrs. Butcher, the Art Center College of Design and CSUN for helping her get where she is today.

“It’s truly an honor, and I’m grateful,” said Maddox.

Ximena Rodriguez 
Throughout her elementary and middle school years, Rodriguez and her family hardly had the opportunity to set down roots. Originally from Chicago, Rodriguez constantly moved from place to place before ultimately calling the San Fernando Valley — and CSUN — home.

“I chose to come to CSUN because it had a wonderful reputation, and I received a warm welcome when I first stepped onto campus to explore my opportunities,” she said.

To Rodriguez, CSUN provided not just a valuable education, but a cornerstone in her life.

“I know I can always return and connect with educators when there is a new challenge before me,” she said. “I have connected with superstars in the world of education thanks to the programs offered at CSUN, and I am always grateful for the support.”

As an English teacher at James Monroe High School in North Hills, Rodriguez said she firmly believes in the power of writing. She encourages her students to write every day and consistently has her classroom stocked full of pens, pencils and paper.

“I believe in using writing as a tool for growth and learning,” Rodriguez said. “Usually, the writing will take a stress-free form like journaling or a quick-write, so that my students develop confidence in their writing.”

Rodriguez’s dedication in the classroom led to her nomination for the district’s highest teaching honor.

“Every time I stand next to my seniors at graduation, I feel such pride and joy in their accomplishments,” she said. “Being recognized as a Teacher of the Year makes me feel that same pride and joy a thousand times over.”

The culmination of months of hard work and long hours paid off for California State University, Northridge’s Matador Motorsports as the team finished seventh overall — the best of any California school and the team’s best finish since 2007 — in June’s Formula Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) event in Lincoln, Neb.

The Matador Motorsports team consists of CSUN mechanical engineering students who work together throughout the year to design a Formula-style race car as part of a two-semester senior design class.

Students compete in a series of driving events, such as vehicle acceleration, maneuvering, endurance and non-driving events that include business pitches, a vehicle cost report and a design competition.

This year’s competition, which featured a total of 110 schools from the United States, Japan, Mexico, Canada and Brazil, saw CSUN near the top of several categories. The Matadors finished in the top 10 in car design (seventh), presentation (fifth), car maneuvering (fifth), endurance (fifth) and fuel efficiency (third).

“Every year is difficult, taking a group of students, putting them together and expecting them to design and build a Formula-style race car against the best schools in the world,” said Stewart Prince, CSUN mechanical engineering professor and race car team faculty advisor. “But [the students] pulled together and built a great car, the lightest in the entire competition. From an engineering prospective, that’s quite an accomplishment.”

The CSUN’s Tseng College contributed to the student team’s success by donating smartsheet online project management tool licenses. To show their gratitude, the Motorsports team brought its 2015 car, which finished 12th overall in the competition, to the Tseng College on July 25 and let staff take pictures inside the car and ask the team questions.

Shortly after the event ended, the new crop of mechanical engineering students who will take part in next summer’s SAE competition were hard at work in Jacaranda Hall’s Haas Lab.

Led by student Alicia Eugenio (who Prince said is the first female to be the team’s project manager), the 25-person team has worked throughout the summer on the initial stages of the upcoming race car.

“We have people on this team who are very passionate,” Eugenio said. “Some of the students have been coming in [to work on the car] six or seven days a week.”

Following the great performance in June, Eugenio said the Matador Motorsports team hopes to up the ante in 2018.

“We are definitely hoping for a top three finish [in 2018],” Eugenio said. “I think we have a winning car, but just need to tune a couple of things.”

For more information, visit the Matador Motorsports website.