June 2009

Editor
Art Director
Designer
Hoyt Smith
Keith Kanzel
Jon Walker
Printing Manager
Photographer
Cover Photo Illustration
Copy Editors
Phil Carabet
Mark Dastrup
John Fretz
Ken David
David Neville
Sarah Weekly
Hoyt Smith Writer
Vision Magazine
National University’s Alumni Magazine
Issue No. 11
Published by National University
11355 North Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037-1013 www.nu.edu
For story ideas, please call the Alumni Relations Department at (858) 642-8111.
V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
All of the paper utilized for the printing of this edition of Vision Magazine is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.
In addition, National University employed an environmentally sustainable printer for the production of Vision Magazine.
Our printer has a zero landfill, 100 percent recycling policy for all hazardous and non-hazardous production waste by-products, generates its own electrical and thermal power, and is the only air quality management district-certified “totally enclosed”
(generating virtually zero volatile organic compound emissions) commercial print facility in the nation.
I am proud to present this issue of Vision this edition of Vision magazine provide an Please enjoy Vision and take hope from accurate reflection of our institutional values magazine as a proverbial dose of sunshine its pages. There is much for which to be and character, and speak to the broad, to illuminate an otherwise gray landscape, thankful, appreciative, and optimistic, even as positive, and lasting impact that the and as a promise of what is possible in even we face formidable challenges in the days and
University is making through its people, the most trying circumstances. I know that months ahead.
even under the most demanding of most of our alumni are familiar with circumstances.
difficult times and understand how Sincerely,
This issue also includes a significant commitment and tenacity can combine to portion of groundbreaking news and major overcome almost all adversity and create a announcements. You will be proud to learn better future. This is the promise of higher about the enhancement of our University education, a promise which attracts most web pages, the opening of our new Online students to enroll at National University.
Patricia E. Potter
Information Centers, our affiliation with a The following stories reveal several Interim President, National University university with a doctoral program, and qualities, including persistence, passion, and much more.
focus, that are commonly found in students and alumni alike. I believe the articles in

National University’s Alumni Magazine
June 2009
14
4 News Briefs
Five county Teachers of the Year, four new Online Information Centers, a new think tank, and more
8 Faculty Updates
Two new deans, award-winning faculty, a professor emeritus, and cyber-bully fighters
10 Eleven Alumni Profiles
Inspiring Stories for Challenging Times
34 The School of Business and Management
Educating a diverse group of leaders, including CEOs and vice presidents of major corporations
36 Introducing John F. Kennedy University
The newest National University System affiliate will provide students with access to a doctoral degree
38 Regional Report
New international programs in San Jose, Nevada’s new A.S. in Nursing program, and more
Maintained class amid wildfires
Cover Credit: National University alumni Derrick Pledger, Gary Cady, and Katie Kearney.
10-33
For challenging times
12
The ultimate sacrifice for freedom
David Dalby was there to rebuild
22
Increasing National
University’s reach
5
From dropout to motivational speaker
A breath of fresh air in the banking industry
20
28
Mr. Robert Freelen, Chair
Vice President of Public Affairs, Emeritus,
Stanford University
Ms. Jeanne Connelly, Vice Chair
President, Connelly Consulting
Mr. Thomas Topuzes, Secretary
President and CEO, Thomas Topuzes & Associates, LLC
Ms. Stacy Allison
Professional Speaker, Author
Mr. Felipe Becerra
Director of Operations/Client Development
Creditor lustus et Remedium, LLP
Mr. John Bucher
President, John Bucher Real Estate Company
Mr. Richard Chisholm
Managing Director, Banc of America Securities
Mr. Gerald Czarnecki
Chairman & CEO, Deltennium Corporation
Dr. Edwin Epstein
Dean and Earl W. Smith Professor, School of Economics and
Business Administration, Saint Mary’s College, Retired
Walter A. Haas School of Business, Retired
University of California, Berkeley, Professor Emeritus,
Ms. Kate Grace
President, Kate Grace Physical Therapy
Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Physician Assistant
Ms. Cheryl Kendrick
Community, National Volunteer
Mr. W. H. Knight, Jr.
Visiting Professor of Law, Seattle University
Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Washington
School of Law
Dr. Donald Kripke
Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry
School of Medicine, University of California San Diego
Dr. Jerry C. Lee (Ex Officio)
Chancellor, National University System
President Emeritus, National University
Ms. Jean Leonard
Educational Consultant, Retired, JM Leonard & Associates
Mr. Michael R. McGill, P.E.
President, McGill, Martin, Self, Inc.
Mr. Herbert Meistrich
President & CEO, TaylorMade Performance Labs
President & CEO, BumperMedic
Mr. Carlos Rodriguez
Public Affairs and Communications Consultant
Rodriguez & Company
Dr. Alexander R. Shikhman
CEO & Founder, Institute for Specialized Medicine
Mr. Jay Stone
Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.
Ms. Judith Sweet
Senior Vice President for Championships and Education Services,
Retired, National Collegiate Athletic Association
Ms. Jacqueline Townsend Konstanturos
Executive Vice President, JHG-Townsend
Mr. Michael Wilkes
CEO, Architects Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker
V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E

4 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
In the past year, National University opened Online Information Centers (OICs) in Sacramento, Temecula, and West Covina in California, and one in Summerlin,
Nevada, which is managed by National
University International. The OICs showcase comfortable settings, cuttingedge technology, and the outstanding customer service that define National’s commitment to quality and convenience.
Each center has a “media bar,” with up to six personal computers where visitors can take a self-guided tour of an online class.
LCD displays are mounted on the wall displaying key University images and attributes to visitors and passersby.
There is also a lounge where prospective students and their friends and family can consult with knowledgeable and helpful staff members. The four facilities are located in prominent retail centers, which are close to nearby campuses. The OICs are increasing awareness of National
University and its online programs, and aim to generate online admissions while encouraging more people to consider the benefits of higher education.
First impressions are important, and these days the National University website is the primary point of contact for prospective students and other newcomers.
With that in mind, the University redesigned and relaunched its site last fall as part of a series of enhancements to all
National University System affiliates. As with the other affiliate sites, National
University’s website was designed so that its programs and course offerings are easier to access and more engaging for the viewer. Highlights of the new website include:
• A robust degree finder that makes it easy to access specific programs
• A location finder for prospective students to map out the closest campuses
• Embedded video campus tours
• Interactive Flash elements
• Content that maximizes search engine optimization
To visit the National University website, go to www.nu.edu.
Twenty-one outstanding organizations were recognized last November, when the
National University Center for
Organizational Excellence (NUCOE) teamed with the San Diego Daily
Transcript to host the second Peak
Performance Awards. The awards identify and honor organizations, showcasing their exemplary practices as a means of educating and inspiring entities in business, industry, government, and the community to elevate their functional capacity and maximize their potential to achieve institutional missions and goals.
The honorees represented a broad range of industries, including defense, engineering and technology, information management, legal services, real estate development, insurance, nonprofit, and banking. The winners were: Elite-Systems Integrators,
Inc.; Gordon & Rees; NTC Promenade;
Rancho Santa Fe Technology Inc.; RBF
Consulting; SGIS; and Torrey Pines Bank.
The runners-up were: Alliant Insurance
Services; bkm OfficeWorks; Mitchell
International, Inc.; Nolte; Poseidon
Resources Corp; and Procopio, Cory,
Hargreaves & Savitch. Finalists included
American Internet Services; American
Specialty Health, Inc.; Bingham
Construction; Delta Dental; GES
Exposition Services; Occupational
Services, Inc.; Smarter Small Business,
Inc.; and USE Credit Union.
5

6 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
National University and the San Diego
Chapter of the Association of Information
Technology Professionals (AITP) will host the 2009 International Computer Science and Technology Conference (ICSTC) at the University’s Spectrum Business Park
Campus June from 29 to July 1.
Researchers and practitioners from different backgrounds and countries will share their work on elements of new applications that can be derived from integrative activities. Technical papers will be complemented by panel discussions as catalysts for sharing and discussing novel solutions to emerging challenges, as academics and industry practitioners seek to create innovative applications through the integration of advances in computer science, software engineering, database, and business information technology. For more information regarding the 2009 conference, visit the ICSTC website at www.icstc.org.
Five National University alumni were named County Teachers of the Year for the
2008-2009 school year in San Diego,
Riverside, Los Angeles, and Fresno counties.
Patricia Blome (B.A., Interdisciplinary
Studies, 1998) and Bill Kvitli ( M.S., Ed.
Admin., 2004) are 2009 San Diego County
Teachers of the Year. Blome is a 9th- and
10th-grade English teacher at San Ysidro
High School in the Sweetwater Union
High School District. Kvitli is a 2nd-grade teacher at Valley Center Primary School in the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School
District.
Neriada Barba (M.Ed., 2002) is a 2009
Fresno County Teacher of the Year. She is a 5th-grade teacher at Liberty Intermediate
School in the Kerman Unified School
District.
Carol Shaw , (M.A., Teaching, 2006) a
2nd-grade teacher at El Portal Elementary
School in the Lowell Joint School District, is a 2009 Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year.
Katie Kearney (M.S., Ed. Admin.,
1996) is a 2009 Riverside County Teacher of the Year. She is a 7th-grade language arts teacher at James Day Middle School in the Temecula Valley Unified School
District.
For more information about Ms. Barba,
Ms. Shaw, and Ms. Kearney, see the
Regional Updates beginning on Page 38.
The Department of Accounting and
Finance in the School of Business and
Management (SOBM) initiated an alumni mentor program this past winter for students in accounting programs. Mentors who graduated from accounting programs at National University have volunteered to share how they successfully completed their degree programs, explain what opportunities new graduates can expect in the job market, and offer tips regarding time management and career advancement.
According to Professor Don Schwartz,
J.D., chair of the accounting and finance department, “Alumni are ideally qualified to guide and encourage accounting students. They have first-hand knowledge of the challenges and demands involved in studying while working and maintaining other responsibilities.” While alumni mentors are not tutors and do not provide job placement services, Mr. Schwartz said that they can offer valuable information and serve as an important resource to students. To participate in alumni mentoring programs or for more information, please e-mail Alumni
Relations at alumni@nu.edu.
The National University System is now the home of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, renamed as the
National University System Institute for Policy Research.
The Institute is a groundbreaking economic think tank that promotes high quality economic, policy, and public opinion research to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of local governments. Since its launch in
January 2007, the Institute has produced four major policy reports, four shorter policy briefs, four economic bulletins, nine public opinion polls, and more than
80 commentaries. Its staff and research have been featured more than 100 times in the media, including stories in the
Wall Street Journal and on National
Public Radio. The Institute’s efforts have had a direct impact on major decisions, including water policy, the
City of San Diego’s budget, the enhancement of regional fire protection, and the debate over Wal-Mart superstores.
7

Ahmad Hosseini, Ph.D.
Karla Berry, M.F.A.
John Bugado, M.B.A.
School of Business and Management
Names New Dean
Ahmad Hosseini, Ph.D., has been named dean of the School of Business and Management, effective June 1, 2009.
Dr. Hosseini is the former dean of the
School of Business and Economics at
Sonoma State University, where he was subsequently named dean emeritus. He was the founding dean of the School of
Business and Entrepreneurship at the
American University of Nigeria. He taught at the Leavey School of Business at Santa
Clara University and acted as Director of
Certificate and Advanced Accounting
Proficiency before joining National
University.
Dr. Hosseini earned a master’s degree in accounting from the Institute of Advanced
Accounting in Tehran, Iran before receiving his doctoral degree in accounting from the
University of Missouri-Columbia. He has held administrative positions with several international corporations, and also has an impressive array of published articles and conference activity.
Karla Berry to Lead School of Media and
Communication
John Bugado Named Professor Emeritus
Karla Berry, M.F.A., became the new
Dean for the School of Media and
Communication (SOMC), in December.
She replaced SOMC faculty member John
Banks, who served as interim dean for several months. Ms. Berry is president of the International Digital Media Arts
Association. She has also previously served as president of the University Film and Video Association. As a member of the South Carolina Film Consortium, Ms.
Berry also produced independent film projects. She earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of
Chicago. Prior to joining National
University, she was an associate professor of media arts in the Department of Art at the University of South Carolina.
Founded in 2005, SOMC is based in
San Diego and has a large presence in Los
Angeles, Costa Mesa, and San Jose.
John Bugado, M.B.A., a retiring professor from the School of Engineering and Technology, has been honored with the title of professor emeritus at National
University.
During his 24-year tenure, Mr. Bugado served with remarkable dedication, developing programs including the Master of Science in e-Commerce and the Master of Science in Database Administration. His accomplishments include establishing
National University as an official provider of Cisco Academy training and founding the University’s first student chapter of a technical society. He frequently served as lead faculty, and revised programs such as the Master of Science in Software
Engineering and the Master of Science in Technology Management.
Mr. Bugado also is a recipient of
National University’s Distinguished Teacher
Award and the Regional Operations Bridge
Award. His numerous legacies include the new networking and security laboratories at the University’s Technology and Health
Sciences Center in San Diego.
8 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Don Schwartz, J.D., C.P.A.
E. George Beckwith, Ed.D.
Wayne Reid, Ph.D., David Karell, Ed.D.
Donald Schwartz Earns President’s
Distinguished Teaching Award
E. George Beckwith Receives
Outstanding Service Award
Addressing Bullying and Cyber Bullying
Don Schwartz, J.D., C.P.A., a professor in the School of Business and Management
(SOBM), was the 2008 recipient of the
President’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
Mr. Schwartz has been with National for 27 years, educating an estimated 5,000 students during that time. He originally taught as an SOBM adjunct faculty member before taking over the Bachelor of
Science in Accountancy program as a fulltime faculty member. He served as lead faculty for that program before becoming chair of the accounting and finance department in 2004. As a faculty member and department chair, he possesses a collegial approach to his position. Fellow faculty members laud him for his willingness to consistently assist colleagues and share his best practices. With Mr.
Schwartz guiding and mentoring five fulltime accounting faculty and at least 50 adjuncts, he will have a hand in producing motivated, mature, and highly focused accounting graduates for years to come.
E. George Beckwith, Ed.D., assistant professor in the School of Media and
Communication, was presented with the 2008 Jerry C. Lee Faculty Senate
Outstanding Service Award. Dr. Beckwith has been described by his colleagues as the epitome of an engaged faculty member, consistently demonstrating a commitment to the University and his colleagues. He has served on the Graduate Council for two years, and is currently chair of the
Graduate Council Assessment Committee.
He has been a Faculty Senator for three years, serving as chair of both the Faculty
Development and the Academic Personnel committees. He has also served on several confidential Senate inquiries and was interim chair of the department of media through last summer and fall.
The Jerry C. Lee Faculty Senate Award was established in 1992 to recognize and reward faculty service. Faculty members nominate and vote for a recipient annually.
Wayne Reid, Ph.D., and David Karell,
Ed.D., both assistant professors with the
School of Education at the National
University campus in Sacramento, have teamed up to fight bullying and cyber bullying in their region. They have been frequent guests on KXTV Channel 10,
Sacramento’s ABC affiliate, making the same presentation they have shared at the
International Conference on Bullying in the Workplace, the American Business and
Social Sciences conference, and several other forums. In addition they have worked with several schools and school districts, putting on programs for school staff, students, and parents. Their work has been published in several journals and publications.
Dr. Reid and Dr. Karell are currently working on an arrangement with the
Sacramento Police Department and the
Sacramento County Sheriff’s department to assist them with juvenile problems.
9

E L E V E N A L U M N I P R O F I L E S
I N S P I R I N G
10 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Ten years ago, an emerging global community celebrated the coming of the 21st century. For many, the end of the Cold War and the advent of remarkable new technologies promised the coming of a prosperous and peaceful new age.
National University provided a shining example of what was possible. Completion of the Spectrum Business Park Campus represented a new model in higher education, a shining paradigm of educational technology built upon the site of a former General
Dynamics missile factory. It was the ultimate swords-intoploughshares statement.
Then came September 11, a tragic day that altered the course of history. The nation was in shock; it was difficult to focus on anything positive or productive in those tumultuous days and weeks following the attacks, yet it was essential for each institution and every individual to demonstrate courage, gather hope, and carry on the best they could.
At the University’s annual Fall Assembly that year, Chancellor
Lee hosted a gospel choir and delivered a message of encouragement, realizing that challenging times require decisive, well-educated leadership and that National University played a vital role in preserving and promoting a more promising vision for the future. Indeed, in the months and years to come, the University and its alumni contributed to a robust recovery from the blows of
September 11.
Since 2001, the nation has been engaged in two wars. Americans have endured unprecedented natural disasters, including the nearwholesale destruction of one of our great cities and not one, but two of the worst wildfire seasons in Southern California history. This past year, anxiety built over energy issues as the price of gasoline rose above $4 per gallon. The Dow Jones Industrial average dipped below 8,000, and seemingly rock-solid financial institutions crumbled as home prices plummeted and foreclosures skyrocketed.
Consumer confidence reached historic lows as the unemployment rate climbed menacingly upward.
As we face challenging times once again, it is important to reiterate Chancellor Lee’s message from 2001. The National
University community is called upon once more to inspire and rally faith in better days to come. The following articles highlight the hope, determination, triumph, and even the ultimate sacrifice that our alumni have provided under challenging and demanding circumstances. Their stories emphasize the transformative power of higher education, reaffirm that the 21st century is still ours to shape, and elicit a strong sense of reassurance regarding a brighter tomorrow for everyone.
11

Yvette Borjas admires many of her father’s qualities, including his commitment to public service and his dedication to constant self-improvement through education.
12 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
These men and women are willing to risk everything for their country and possibly pay the ultimate price for our freedom. Sadly some, like Sgt. Borjas, do. An officer with the San Diego Police
Department, he also served in the
Reserves as a staff sergeant with the U.S.
Army Rangers.
Sgt. Borjas was called to duty last
August to deploy overseas with the 416th
Civil Affairs Battalion of the 351st Civil
Affairs Command. The 33-year-old family man was killed in action when his convoy was ambushed on October 16, in
Afghanistan’s Paktia province.
“National University is honored to have Federico Borjas as an alumnus,” said Associate Regional Dean of Military
Students Doug Barr. “We are extremely proud of our graduates in law enforcement and the armed forces, and Sgt. Borjas was exemplary of the fine character and outstanding citizenship that so many of them display. His willingness to serve was unparalleled. He was a true hero in every sense of the word.”
Borjas joined the Marine Corps at age
18. After four years of service, he joined the San Diego County Sheriff’s
Department, then later joined the San
Diego Police Department (SDPD). He enjoyed a distinguished career in law enforcement, serving with the Department’s
SWAT team and its color guard.
Dedicated to constantly improving himself and expanding his abilities, Sgt.
Borjas earned a Bachelor of Arts in Legal
Studies in 2005, while employed as a policeman. Last year Sgt. Borjas enlisted in the Army Reserves, returning to military service in a time of war.
Sgt. Borjas was the first SDPD officer to be lost in combat in Afghanistan or
Iraq. He was buried with full military honors at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery.
His memorial service was attended by
SDPD Chief William Lansdowne and
San Diego Mayor (and fellow National
University alumnus) Jerry Sanders.
“He was very well-respected, and we’ll miss his commitment and sense of humor,” said Chief Lansdowne.
Sgt. Borjas is survived by his parents, a brother, two sisters, and an 11-year-old daughter, Yvette. He always emphasized education as a means for enlightenment and self-improvement, according to
Yvette’s mother, Gloria Lopez, who is also a National University alumnus.
“Education will likely play an important role in Yvette’s future,” Ms.
Lopez added. “She plans to follow closely in her father’s footsteps.”
13

14 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Alumnus Michael Mosgrove, Principal of Westwood
Elementary School in Rancho Bernardo, was a steadying force in his community after the Witch
Creek Fire of 2007.
Michael Mosgrove (M.S., Ed. Admin.,
1997) is principal of Westwood
Elementary School, a California
Distinguished School and a National Blue
Ribbon School located in the heart of some of the worst destruction from the infamous
Witch Creek Fire, in the Poway Unified
School District.
The communities which Westwood
Elementary serves suffered devastating losses, including the complete or partial destruction of close to 1,100 homes. As
Poway and Rancho Bernardo progressed toward recovery in the aftermath of the wildfires, Mr. Mosgrove dedicated himself to making things as normal as possible for his students and helping them to continue to learn while rebuilding their lives and homes.
“I try to take everything down to the student level,” said the veteran educator.
“A principal faces numerous challenges, but seeing the kids improve is always my bottom line.”
Wildfires of the magnitude that burned through Southern California in 2007 represent a rare disaster. Another challenge that every principal in California faced in the year following the fires was managing an uncertain state budget for public education while maintaining the highest of standards and quality with fewer resources and dollars.
Whether working on campus with teachers and students, or going off campus to meet with parents and business leaders,
Mr. Mosgrove is committed to finding solutions and adapting accordingly to the social and economic environment.
“We depend highly upon community support,” he said. That may mean tapping into the high-tech business sector along the
Interstate 15 corridor in San Diego’s North
County and developing contacts with nearby companies such as Sony, Hewlett-
Packard, Nokia, Wells Fargo Bank, Longs
Drugs, Time Warner Cable, and the
Rancho Bernardo Chamber of Commerce.
It may also require an informal sit-down with PTA mothers or attending a band concert in the evening.
“These are the sort of things that often keep me at school four nights a week,” Mr.
Mosgrove added, insisting that the greatest satisfaction comes in seeing his students succeed.
15

Alumna Ruth Shykowski returned to National University after raising four children. Her income as a teacher was supposed to supplement the family income, but she became the primary bread winner after her husband was laid off.
For the large number of Americans born after World War II, the coming decade was viewed as a harvest time, a period to slip into senior citizenship and enjoy the fruits of years of labor. Their children have grown, along with the equity in their homes. Retirement accounts had matured, and plans were being made for travel and leisure.
In the meantime, many “empty nesters,” such as National University alumnus Ruth
Shykowski (M.A., Teaching, 2005), figured they would launch second careers to supplement their incomes and contribute to their communities. She represents a surge of female baby boomers that were projected to return to the workplace in substantial numbers.
The year Ms. Shykowski graduated, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasted that the number of women over 50 entering the job market would increase by more than 50 percent between 2000 and 2010.
As it turns out, in the current economic downturn, empty nesters who return to work are providing much-needed supplemental income or, in some cases, are becoming the chief earners when husbands and wives lose their jobs.
The 52-year old mother of four from
Roseville, California, certainly fit the bill.
She deferred her career ambitions for more than 30 years, earning a Master of
Science in Special Education and a teaching credential at National University after her parental duties were complete.
“I always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was a little girl,” said Ms.
Shykowski just before graduating. “Thanks to National University, I’ve been able to successfully pursue that goal as a grandmother. Age should never inhibit anyone from achieving what they want in life.”
Ms. Shykowski’s decision to return to school has paid off in several ways. Today, she teaches special education students at Powers Elementary School in the
Loomis Union School District. She said she loves her job, and considers her education a “good investment.”
Two years ago, her husband was laid off from his construction job and she took over as the primary bread winner. This year she will qualify for her district’s highest pay scale. Last year, Ms.
Shykowski wrote a proposal to fund a life-centered career exploration program, and earned a $1,200 grant for her school district.
“It’s a program I learned about during one of my courses at National,” she explained.
Of course the extra income was supposed to be earmarked for travel and leisure, but now families like the
Shykowskis are counting on the additional paycheck to make ends meet.
They believe in the American dream and have confidence in better times ahead for their 401Ks and their property values, but in the meantime, this empty nester is the first to say that “a good education pays priceless dividends and the best investment you can make is in yourself.”
17 16 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E

18 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Alumna Rose Tijerina-Swearingen says personal and financial problems can quickly magnify with substance abuse issues, including the burden of legal expenses.
Some studies indicate a link between economic downturns and increased consumption of alcohol. As financial hardship spreads across the country, the fear is that binge drinking and chemical dependency will increase as well. Both chemical dependence and process addictions devastate people’s lives.
Following 10 years as a counselor at the
Betty Ford Center, Dr. Rose (as her patients call her) went on to launch the Life’s Journey
Center, a long-term residential treatment facility in Palm Springs, California, that specializes in the treatment of addictions, relapse prevention, and family reunification.
She says that her dream has been to help addicts accept their addiction as a disease, which is treatable with abstinence, and spiritual and emotional enrichment, while also persuading change.
Dr. Rose was featured in the October
1999 edition of Vision magazine, almost a decade after earning her Master of Arts in
Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in chemical dependency. At that time, she shared her personal experiences regarding her father’s affliction with this disease.
When her brother, Joe, received treatment for alcoholism, Dr. Rose realized that helping others through recovery was her calling.
“I want to work with the patient about who you’d say, ‘this is it, he’s been through
10 treatments and there’s no hope,’ because
I’ll prove you wrong,” Dr. Rose said, adding that self-love, self-respect, and personal accountability begins with encouragement and role modeling.
In the 12 years since she was first featured in Vision , Dr. Rose’s facility has expanded and become one of the country’s most successful treatment centers specializing in treatment for the complex addict. The facility offers medical detoxification, psychiatric and psychological testing and assessments, spiritual and emotional treatment, along with bilingual services. She has also written a book, Life’s Journey: Making Sobriety a Way of Life (2006), and earned a Doctor of
Philosophy degree in Addiction Psychology.
Dr. Rose measures her success by the percentage of her residents who, through contact with the center, report success in their journey to sobriety. “They are doing very well, and I feel blessed,” said the entrepreneurial psychologist, mother, and grandmother. Dr. Rose’s son, Jonathan, is currently attending National University. “It’s the best university anywhere,” she added, emphasizing that her daughter, Denise, attended National as well.
As difficult as it can be dealing with layoffs, shrinking investments and retirement portfolios, and other negative aspects associated with a recession, Dr. Rose said personal and financial problems can quickly magnify with substance abuse issues. Those suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction may experience dramatically diminished job performance, exacerbate health issues, or even incur additional financial stress with legal issues. The good news is that a professional counselor such as Dr. Rose can help an addict to enter and stay on the recovery path, and find purpose in their life.
“Addiction affects the entire family as does stress, often due to the overwhelming changes occurring in their day-to-day life,” she explained. “People want to escape with drugs and alcohol, but it is only a temporary fix that brings on monumental negative consequences.”
While some addicts may use an economic downturn as justification for avoiding the costs of treatment, Dr. Rose counters that cutting drug and alcohol expenses is a great motivation for seeking treatment during a recession.
19

Derrick Pledger’s workshops are
“aimed at aiding organizations and invigorating their most vital resource: people.”
20 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Pursuing his General Education
Diploma (G.E.D.) proved to be a pivotal decision. It helped the young Mr. Pledger to land a job and lead him to enroll in a training program to become a building maintenance professional. For nearly two years, he never missed a day of work, before he decided there had to be a better path. The military was a way out.
While stationed at Nellis Air Force
Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Pledger aspired to complete his associate’s degree.
“One day, I saw an advertisement for
National University on Highway 15,” he explained. “The next day, I went straight to the base education office to inquire about enrolling.” Mr. Pledger attended classes almost every month from 1986 through
May of 1992, ultimately earning his
Bachelor of Business Administration and
M.B.A. degrees. His road to enriching others’ lives started with a part-time faculty position in the business department at the Community College of Southern
Nevada. Two years later in 1995, he was recognized by that institution as the
Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year.
In 1996, Mr. Pledger received a scholarship to pursue a post-graduate degree in urban studies at Cleveland State
University. During that time, he founded his own company, Advanced Concepts in Personal Development, a firm that initially specialized in serving individuals in welfare-to-work programs, disheartened college students, and downsized employees.
“I began giving motivational speeches to this segment of the population on how to pull themselves up… the same way I did,” said Mr. Pledger.
His first clients that included the Urban
League of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland
Employment Training, and Catholic
Charities. Since then, Advanced Concepts’ portfolio has expanded to provide more than 90 professional workshops to a broad array of institutions and organizations, including the Cleveland Metropolitan
School District and Cleveland Job Corps.
According to Mr. Pledger, his workshops are “aimed at aiding organizations and invigorating their most vital resource: people.” Mr. Pledger has written and published numerous books to motivate and assist students with emotional and behavioral issues and challenges. Now he’s writing Economics: The Science of Choice and Trade-Offs . But one thing hasn’t changed; his hunger for knowledge. He’s back in school, pursuing a doctorate degree in special education.
21

22 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Witnessing the resilience and determination of the town of Bayou La Batre to return to normal after Hurricane Katrina “was truly uplifting” according to alumnus David Dalby.
David Dalby (B.B.A., 1989) was one of the few alumni living along the Gulf
Coast that National University was able to reach following the devastation in
Katrina’s wake.
Mr. Dalby, who lives in Mobile,
Alabama, approximately 140 miles east of
New Orleans, described the sight of 250foot container ships washed ashore like bathtub toys and left high and dry nearly
150 yards inland from Mobile Bay in the aftermath of Katrina, and lamented the mind- boggling destruction of coastal communities in neighboring Mississippi.
As the manager of a shrimp processing plant at the time, Mr. Dalby felt the brunt of Katrina’s impact upon his business, community, and family. Later, he gained a broader perspective of the damage by serving as one of 10,000 volunteers who worked through his church to provide aid and assistance to hurricane victims. He appreciated the offer of free tuition to
National University Virtual High School to victims of Hurricane Katrina made by
Chancellor Jerry C. Lee at the time, saying
“at this point, every contribution is going to help.”
Since 2006, Mr. Dalby has been working for the Federal Emergency
Management Administration (FEMA), helping families in the neighboring town of Bayou La Batre to find shelter and rebuild their homes. Surveying the near total destruction is one thing, but Mr.
Dalby said that witnessing the resilience and determination of a community to return to normal under such circumstances was truly uplifting.
He left his job at FEMA last February to work for the U.S. Census Bureau as it prepares for the 2010 Census, but remains active as a volunteer. “Few people have had it rougher than the folks in Bayou La
Batre,” he said. “The way they’ve picked up and carried on, it’s an inspiration to everybody.”
The former resident of San Diego joked about trading wildfires and earthquakes for hurricanes, and had words of gratitude for a relatively mild hurricane season in the United States in 2008, remarking that the citizens of Mobile made it through the past summer “relatively unscathed.”
“All the hurricanes that came into the Gulf of Mexico missed us in 2008,” he added.
If disaster does strike again, however, he’s ready to lend a helping hand and do what’s necessary to rebuild. As he said in
2005, “When the going gets rough, the community really pulls together.”
23

Consequently, music programs are
“falling like leaves in a dense autumn forest,” according to the American Music
Conference, an advocacy organization which has been active in preserving musical curricula in public schools.
Few appreciate the academic value of music more than National University alumnus Richard Kravchak (Cred., 1988).
More than an accomplished concert musician; he is also a musical scholar, having earned a bachelor’s degree from the
Eastman School of Music, a graduate degree from the Juilliard School, and a
Doctor of Music degree from Florida
State University. And yet, Mr. Kravchak seems to shine brightest as a mentor to young people.
As a music teacher at Canoga Park
High School, Mr. Kravchak was named the
2003 Los Angeles Unified School District
Teacher of the Year. Initially, he was only going to teach briefly until he landed a professional music gig. But the oboe virtuoso soon discovered his true passion, teaching the classics to students. He went on to become a National Board Certified
Teacher, and became a leading advocate for K-12 music curricula, serving as vice president of the California Music
Educators Association, Southern section, and as president of the College Music
Society, Pacific Southwest Chapter.
Mr. Kravchak describes music as “a distinct form of cognition” and a valid form of mental discipline, as relevant as math or science to the intellectual development of a high school student.
“It is important and critical to have music programs in our schools,” said Mr.
Kravchak, who has led Canoga Park High
School’s jazz ensemble, marching band, choir, and chamber orchestra. Today, he is instructing teachers how to teach music as chair of music education at California
State University, Dominguez Hills. He also chairs the music department there, and serves on a panel for the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing, which reviews
Single Subject Preparation Programs in
Music.
Mr. Kravchak remains active as an oboe soloist and chamber musician, having toured last summer in El Salvador and the
Czech Republic. Despite his multiple commitments, he continues to teach for the
Los Angeles Unified School District, working with 3rd- through 5th-graders at three elementary schools. He remains involved with music education as a teacher, as he says, “to walk the walk.”
Like all music teachers in public schools, Mr. Kravchack is currently “under the shadow of mid-year budget cuts. It’s tough for us all to plan.” He added, “One of the points I try to make to budgeting officials is that music presents educators with the opportunity to stimulate higher order reasoning and problem solving in our students. This is absolutely what music teaches. Arts are also a way for us to express our humanity. It’s what distinguishes us from robots.”
25 24 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Alumnus and musical scholar Richard
Kravchak wants public education budgeting officials to know that music is as relevant as math or science to the intellectual development of high school students.

26 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Alumnus William “Memo” Muñoz combines his childhood experience as a “low achiever” with his experience as a “high achiever” later as an award-winning journalist.
As a high-profile on-air personality in the nation’s top radio market, William
“Memo” Muñoz (M.Ed., 2004) lived, breathed, and sometimes dictated the headlines. Working for two of Los Angeles’ most prominent news radio stations – KNX and KFWB, then later writing a number of articles for the Los Angeles Times , the former gang member distinguished himself as an outstanding journalist in the 1980s and early ‘90s, covering major newsmakers and events such as President Reagan, the
1984 Summer Olympics, and Pope John
Paul II’s 1987 visit to Los Angeles.
Only the best reporters matched the passion and performance that Mr. Muñoz brought to his job. He was the recipient of three prestigious Golden Mike awards from the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California. Being a Latino in a market with one of the world’s largest
Latino populations, Mr. Muñoz offered a valuable and balanced perspective to his reporting, utilizing his cultural experience to accurately address issues that were previously misunderstood or misinterpreted. But even the most illustrious journalism career eventually left him feeling flat.
“I wanted to continue helping people, but I wasn’t sure how,” Mr. Muñoz explained. “So I left the news business in
1990 and eventually decided to become a teacher. My first day in the classroom, I knew that it was a calling and I still feel that way today after teaching for eight years.”
Mr. Muñoz currently teaches 8th-grade
English at Washington Middle School in the Pasadena Unified School District. He describes himself as a strict, yet fair and consistent teacher, who has been able to combine his childhood experience as a
“low achiever” with his experience as a
“high achiever” later as an award-winning journalist. All the schools at which he has taught have been low-performing.
Earning his credential and master’s degree in crosscultural teaching while working full-time, the former reporter is representative of hundreds of other Latinos in Los Angeles and throughout California who have graduated from National
University’s School of Education. In fact,
National University ranks first in the nation in granting master’s degrees in education to Hispanics. Mr. Muñoz represents several self-motivated individuals with an unquenchable calling to lead and serve in the classroom. He was all the more driven by the daily stories of inequity and inopportunity that he delivered as a news reporter, along with his first-hand understanding of the hopelessness that many inner-city youth face.
Instead of growing jaded, however, by the harsh realities he covered in urban
America, Mr. Muñoz decided to become an engaged participant, bringing much-needed encouragement and direction to struggling students, a few at a time. He walked away from a rewarding profession at the top of his game to make a bigger difference and fulfill a more promising destiny for himself and his community.
27

28 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Alumnus Gary Cady is regarded as one of the most successful and promising leaders in the U.S. banking industry.
Under the leadership of CEO and
National University alumnus Gary Cady
(M.B.A., 1982) the San Diego-based community bank became profitable within eight months of operation. In the five years since it was founded, Torrey Pines Bank has grown from $20 million in initial capital commitments to accrue total assets of $850 million. Of the 230 banks that have opened since the beginning of 2003,
Torrey Pines Bank is one of the top 10 largest and safest by all regulatory standards.
Mr. Cady is a San Diego native, an experienced banker with deep roots in the community. He serves on the boards of several local not-for-profit organizations, including the Continuous Quality
Insurance Corporation and the San Diego
Symphony. As the father of five sons, Mr.
Cady is an avid supporter of youth sports, serving as a coach and board member on several local Little League baseball teams and basketball leagues.
In January 1982, when National
University had just celebrated its 10th anniversary, an ambitious young Cady completed his M.B.A. A few years earlier, he had been a quarterback at Iowa State
University. Like many college football players who reach the zenith of their athletic abilities, he began searching for other ways to apply the lessons he had learned on the gridiron.
Realizing that discipline, preparation, and planning don’t always lead to the
NFL, Mr. Cady appreciated that the values he learned in sports could also translate to success in academics, business, and family.
“It was quite a rigorous time,” said Mr.
Cady, who pursued his degree while his wife was pregnant with their second son.
Like many alumni, he took advantage of
National’s flexible schedule, which allowed him to balance the demands of being a student, parent, and executive.
Amid the pressures of an extremely busy schedule, Mr. Cady was consistently tested by the varied demands of small children, large clients, and hefty homework assignments.
“It was a confidence-building experience,” he recalls, “and it prepared me to compete with anyone in the marketplace.”
Mr. Cady’s education served him well. From the 15-month M.B.A. program a leader emerged, degree in hand, ready to advance in the workplace. At each key juncture, he was prepared to step up to a higher position or a new job opportunity, rising to become vice president and head of business banking for one of the nation’s most reputable financial institutions.
Although it took him several years to reach the pinnacle of his profession, Mr.
Cady is today regarded as one of the most successful and promising leaders in the U.S. banking industry. His success at Torrey Pines Bank, along with his years of experience, conservative instincts, and keen knowledge of the community he serves, offer up a blueprint for other aspiring community banks and bankers to follow. His steady approach and impressive track record attract confidence in an industry that could use more role models like him during these difficult times.
29

Alumnus Dana Deasy is consolidating and streamlining a highly complex and partly decentralized IT function that includes approximately 4,000 staff.
30 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
A key player in the energy sector is Dana
Deasy (M.B.A., 1987), group vice president and chief information officer for BP. He is one of the few group vice presidents recruited externally by the global energy company, having left General Motors in
October 2007 to take on the challenge of restructuring one of the largest IT departments in the world.
“BP is about exploring for oil and gas, then extracting it, refining it, and bringing it to market,” said Mr. Deasy. “It’s a great company, highly respected, with a 100year-old heritage.”
Mr. Deasy’s mission at BP is to consolidate and streamline a highly complex and partly decentralized IT function that includes approximately 4,000 staff with dozens of separate processes to serve thousands of software applications.
Within 90 days of being hired in October
2007, he presented the BP executive team with a plan to consolidate a wide array of
IT responsibilities, including support roles that span the long energy chain from exploration and production to shipping, trading, and retailing.
The energy chain is an incredibly broad network that extends from drilling platforms in the North Sea and the oil fields of Angola to fleets of supertankers around the world. Information technology connects geologists and engineers to brokers and buyers in the trading pits of the New York
Stock Exchange, links suppliers to retailers, and ultimately leads directly to millions of
BP customers at gas stations.
The National University alum says he’s having fun in his new position and enjoying the daily challenges. He also is sharing his experiences with students, and has lectured at several prestigious institutions, including
Columbia University, Virginia Tech, Boston
College, and MIT. The most frequent question that students ask: How did he rise so quickly to become one of the world’s foremost CIOs?
Mr. Deasy was profiled in the 2000 edition of Vision magazine for his challenging role as vice president of
Siemens of the Americas. At the time, he was engaged in bringing 25 companies onto a unified IT platform. Leaving Siemens in
2003 to join TYCO as vice president and global CIO, Deasy became part of the executive team that turned the scandalridden company around in the post-Dennis
Kuslowski era. He left TYCO in 2006 to serve as CIO for General Motors of
North America.
Mr. Deasy says it is beneficial to work for an international company, and he highly recommends the experience to those seeking opportunities in increasingly global markets. Having worked for a German multinational (Siemens) and now a Britishbased global company, he emphasizes that the experience “exposes you to a diversity of cultures and provides you with a lens into real global and international markets.”
Such experience offers the best route for individuals who wish to make an impact upon global challenges, and that is right where Mr. Deasy wants to be.
31

Alumna and former Army Reservist Shannon
Hough-Duncan says National University has provided working adults and military personnel like her with hope through extremely difficult times.
32 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
The psychological impact of 9/11 and the accompanying stress were substantial, and few appreciated that more than Shannon Hough-Duncan (B.A.,
Interdisciplinary Studies, 2002), who attended classes at the time while working at National University in Los Angeles and serving in the Army Reserves.
Within days of the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., Ms. Hough-Duncan was placed on standby for active duty. Her unit provided frontline support and officer training for tactical maneuvers. If the orders came, the 24-year-old student/soldier knew she would have just 48 hours to be packed and ready to go.
“I could go to class tonight and get called up tomorrow, then regret not spending my last night at home with my family,” Ms. Hough-Duncan said. And yet, she maintained her schedule and held to her belief in a brighter future, studying to be a teacher and fulfill a lifelong dream.
The world had been robbed of normalcy, daily routine seemed to be turned on its head, but Ms. Hough-
Duncan’s steadiness and optimism proved inspiring.
“My unit did get called up,” she recalls eight years later. “Three times, actually.
However, because I was in school to be a teacher, my commander made the decision that I could better serve my community as well as my unit by not leaving the states.”
Ms. Hough-Duncan worked evenings and weekends with her unit’s family support group to ensure that deployed members’ affairs were all taken care of.
Unfortunately, there were many attacks on her unit as it supported front line troops.
“No fatalities,” said Ms. Hough-Duncan.
“But several severe and life-altering injuries from various blasts and gunfire.”
Just after her unit’s first tour, Ms.
Hough-Duncan was placed into Inactive
Ready Reserve (IRR). She earned her
Master of Arts in Education in 2002, and served an additional two years in IRR before receiving an honorable discharge in
June of 2004.
Ms. Hough-Duncan currently teaches at Community Day School, an alternative high school in Orange, California. Some of her students have just been released from jail. “It definitely requires the patience and self-control I learned in the military,” she said. “Sometimes it takes all my willpower to stay calm and not let things get to me personally. I do love it though, and can’t see myself anywhere else at this point.”
Life has had its challenges over the past eight years, and still presents some major hurdles on a daily basis, yet Ms.
Hough-Duncan’s education has been a blessing to her, her fellow service men and women, the students she teaches, and the community she serves.
“National University has had a huge impact on working adults and military personnel like me,” she added. “It has given a lot of us hope through extremely difficult times.”
33

National University’s programs and people at its 28 campuses are impacting numerous communities
SOBM graduates fill a vital role for new and established companies that require a highly educated management team.
A broad array of SOBM degrees – including 24 undergraduate and 15 graduate majors, as well as 11 certificate programs – provide a strong foundation and comprehensive understanding of worldwide business practices that has led to professional recognition, advancement, and higher incomes for thousands of alumni.
Cementing SOBM’s commitment to quality is its new d ean, Ahmad Hosseini,
Ph.D, who brings a wealth of experience and leadership along with a clear strategic direction to National University’s third largest school.
Close to 30 degree programs and eight certificate programs are offered online, which along with National’s flexible, evening-based one-course-per-month format, makes higher education and lifelong learning more accessible to working adults than ever before. SOBM is a member of the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
“It was a confidence-building experience,” said Gary Cady, president and
CEO of Torrey Pines Bank, who earned his
M.B.A. with National (see related story on page 28).
Mark Blackwell (B.B.A., 1985), vice president for Victory Motorcycles (who appeared on the cover of the 2007 edition of Vision magazine) said that “National worked perfectly for me.” The former motocross champion pursued his B.B.A.
degree while still competing as a professional athlete.
SOBM graduates fill a vital role for new and established companies that require a highly educated management team, including managers who rise up from within the company ranks and blend their institutional knowledge with classroom-learned theory and practice, giving their employers a decisive edge.
An M.B.A. from National helped
Georgia Dutro (M.B.A., 1983), turn her family company, D&D Tool and Supply, into one of the nation’s most successful woman-owned businesses. “I know how
34 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E important education is to business owners,” she told Vision magazine. “One of my managers is currently attending
National University at the company’s expense.”
National University’s M.B.A. program, which was ranked the number one program of its kind in San Diego County in 2008 by the San Diego Business Journal for its enrollment of more than 1,100 local students, is currently undergoing key revisions as it strives to expand its reputation as a regional leader. Changes in the curricula are placing greater emphasis on international business and information technology, and may lead to accreditation from AACSB.
“Currently our format and our firstclass facilities are our strength,” said
Bruce Buchowicz, Ph.D., lead faculty for the M.B.A. program, attributing National
University’s flexible schedule, accelerated pace, and accessible locations to its popularity and growth. “By enhancing our course content, we add to the program’s appeal while positioning ourselves for possible AACSB accreditation.”
Led by Professor Donald Schwartz, a
2008 recipient of the President’s
Distinguished Teaching Award, SOBM’s accounting department has distinguished itself with reputable and innovative programs. Accounting graduates have consistently fared well in the C.P.A. exam pass rate among California universities, and alumni in this field hold numerous prominent positions in accounting firms throughout the state. Last year, SOBM launched a new Master of Arts in
Accountancy program designed as a gateway for people with no accounting background who are interested in entering the accounting profession.
“There is a lot of growth potential with this degree,” said Gregory Merrill, Ph.D.,
C.P.A., a professor who has taught accounting for more than 30 years. “The accounting profession is expanding so rapidly right now that businesses can’t find enough people to fill their openings.”
National University aims to help meet that important demand.
Rounding out SOBM’s contributions to and involvement with the business community is its Center for Organizational
Excellence (COE), a consortium of business and academic professionals which was organized in accordance with the University’s strengths and principles to offer a premier source of outstanding organizational expertise.
COE provides consulting services and management development, and hosts executive workshops and seminars along with custom management courses on topics that are practical and relevant to modern organizations. It is the only organizational consulting practice in the nation that is attached to a business school.
35

Since its inception, the National
University System has been recognized as a network of affiliated institutions committed to meeting the emerging demands of education in the 21st century. The depth of that commitment was demonstrated earlier this year when John F. Kennedy University became an affiliate of the National University
System.
With the addition of JFK University and its doctoral programs, the National University
System now has the potential to provide lifelong learners with access to a complete range of educational offerings, including K-
12, technical programs, certificates, teaching credentials, and associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
“John F. Kennedy University reflects the
National University System’s mission of connecting students with innovative educational programs,” said Dr. Jerry C. Lee,
Chancellor of the National University
System. “The System has become a unique model in higher education; a multi-tiered alliance of institutions offering traditionally underserved student populations multiple pathways to educational opportunities.”
“For 45 years, JFK University has given students an innovative education that serves to advance the well-being of our diverse local and global communities,” said Dr. Steven
Stargardter, President of John F. Kennedy
University. “The National University System shares this educational vision. By working within and leveraging the System’s model and resources, JFK University’s ability to educate and inspire positive change will be strengthened.”
The combined affiliates of the National
University System have a fair market value estimated between $700 million and $1 billion. Including JFK University, the affiliates of the National University System are: National University; National
Polytechnic College of Science; National
University International; the Division of
Pre-College Programs, consisting of
National University Virtual High School and National University Academy;
Spectrum Pacific Learning Company
LLC; and WestMed College. Other entities related to the System include the National
University System Institute for Policy
Research and the Center for Integrative
Health.
The addition of JFK University’s
Doctorate in Psychology program means that for the first time National University
System students will have the option of obtaining a doctoral degree from a System affiliate.
Based in Pleasant Hill, California, JFK
University consists of five schools: Education and Liberal Arts; Holistic Studies; Law;
Management; and the Graduate School of
Professional Psychology. JFK University allows students to earn a degree while balancing work and family commitments.
“All of the affiliates of the System are committed in one form or another to providing access to education to students interested in healthcare, and JFK University’s programs, specifically the Doctorate in
Psychology and its School of Holistic
Studies, fit seamlessly into that commitment,” said Chancellor Lee.
36 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E
Founded in 1964, JFK University consists of five schools: Education and
Liberal Arts, Holistic Studies, Law,
Management, and the Graduate School of
Professional Psychology.
37

Carol Shaw, M.A.
Carol Shepherd, Ed.D. Neriada Barba, M.Ed.
Los Angeles Sacramento
For the 11th straight year, a National
University alumnus has been named Los
Angeles County Teacher of the Year. Carol
Shaw (M.A., Teaching, 2006) a 2nd-grade teacher at El Portal Elementary School in the
Lowell Joint School District, earned the title for 2009. She brings excitement to her classroom on a daily basis by meeting students at the door and infusing a sense that
“every day is an adventure.” She is proud to be Teacher of the Year, but says she is more focused on being “Teacher of the Day.”
A teacher for the past 25 years, Ms.
Shaw’s ability to teach is in the family blood.
Her father was a teacher, and so are both sisters and a brother. She said her father taught her to make education relevant, interesting, and applicable. Ms. Shaw is the same way. She is an advocate of “three dimensional learning,” and is always looking for something real that will help her students to learn.
“I sometimes spend 12 hours a day, working to make sure education isn’t flat on a page,” Ms. Shaw added. “Kids should be able to see it, touch it, feel it, smell it, wear it, make it.”
Carol M. Shepherd, Ed.D., an associate professor with the School of Education in
Sacramento, was honored with National
University’s Scholar of the Year Award in
2008. The award is given out by the Research
Council, which was originally established by the provost’s office to provide leadership in fostering a culture of research and enhancing
National University’s distinction in research, scholarship, and creative activities among faculty and students.
The majority of Dr. Shepherd’s research was published and presented at conferences, and was written in collaboration with colleagues from other campuses and universities. “Thanks to the excellent
National University library facilities, I was able to conduct thorough literature searches to support the research in these papers,” said Dr. Shepherd.
Fresno
National University alumnus Neriada
Barba (M.Ed., 2002) has been named Fresno
County Teacher of the Year for 2009. Ms.
Barba is a 5th-grade teacher at Liberty
Intermediate School in the Kerman Unified
School District. She was raised in the agricultural fields of the San Joaquin Valley, the daughter of farm workers who traveled from town to town in search of seasonal employment.
She now serves the children of itinerant farm workers as her school’s migrant student specialist. According to the Fresno Bee , Ms.
Barba estimates that farm workers’ children comprise 80 percent of her class. In spite of the many obstacles that her students face, they are extremely dedicated to their education, so much so that they attend afterschool tutoring, as well as Saturday School.
Ms. Barba says it proves what she has always known, that students will always work to the level of expectation that is set before them.
As a child, Ms. Barba and her parents moved frequently. Her father, who did not speak English, had traveled by foot from
Mexico to find a better life. Her mother only had a 3rd-grade education. Her personal experiences give her valuable insights into the challenges that her students face, and help her to be more patient and understanding.
39
38 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E

Katie Kearney, M.S.
San Jose
National University’s San Jose campus is launching five international programs beginning in March, according to Associate
Regional Dean Charlene Ashton, Ed.D.
Global Campus Management entered into a management agreement with National
University in July 2007 that will recruit students from the Pacific Rim to attend the new degree programs: A Bachelor of
Business Administration, a Bachelor of
Science in Computer Science, a Master of
Science in Software Engineering, a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Entertainment, and a
Master of Fine Arts in Digital Entertainment.
A Master of Business Administration program, which is currently in place in San
Jose, will also be accessible to international students.
San Bernardino Redding
Another National University alumnus distinguished herself in Southern California’s
Inland Empire this past fall, as Katie Kearney
(M.S., Ed. Admin.,1996) was named the 2009
Riverside County Teacher of the Year. She is a 7th-grade language arts teacher at James
Day Middle School in the Temecula Valley
Unified School District. Ms. Kearney sees herself as an enthusiastic storyteller, and attributes those qualities to her success in the classroom.
“I greet my students every day with the thought that ‘This is going to be fun.’ I think students see my class as high energy. They can laugh and be goofy. I’m fun, but I’m also very strict,” said Ms. Kearney.
She believes that a teacher can get a child to buy into a lesson with any kind of story, and so she incorporates an almost theatrical element to her teaching style. She said her kids know they are going to be entertained while being educated. “More importantly, they also realize that they have to entertain themselves,” added Ms. Kearney
It is an approach that teaches her students to be storytellers too. Consequently, Ms.
Kearney said, “I have students who have published articles, and I know they go on to use their writing skills in many ways.”
National University has formed a partnership with Shasta College in Redding that will deliver five different bachelor’s degree programs on its campus, according to
Associate Regional Dean Bernell Hirning,
Ph.D. The programs will consist of psychology, criminal justice, interdisciplinary studies, English, and early childhood education. Students in these programs will have access to National’s California
Community College Transfer Scholarship, including a waiver of the $60 application fee for transfer students and a tuition waiver for transfer students’ final two classes.
Dr. Hirning says the Redding campus also has initiated a new offsite partnership whereby the City of Redding and Shasta
County employees have joined two cohorts, one earning a Master’s in Public
Administration and the other earning a
Bachelor of Arts in Management. Classes are held at the City of Redding Police
Station and the United Public Employees of
California Building.
Henderson, Nevada
Word is spreading regarding National
University’s Associate of Science in
Nursing (A.S.N.) degree program in Nevada, according to Lara Carver, Ph.D., R.N., assistant professor in the School of Health and Human Services, and director of the
Nevada Nursing Program.
The 15-month Nevada program was approved in November 2006. Dr. Carver says the first cohort of eight students started last
July, and a second cohort of 12 students started in February. A third cohort of 24 is expected to begin coursework this summer as
Nevada seeks to address a critical staffing shortage within the state.
“Those who graduate with the A.S.N.
degree are eligible to take the test for national licensure,” added Dr. Carver. “We are opening up a door to the profession where it is needed most. A nursing student here recently told me that National University is making her dreams come true.”
40 V I S I O N M A G A Z I N E 41

N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y
1 1 3 5 5 N o r t h T o r r e y P i n e s R o a d
L a J o l l a , C A 9 2 0 3 7 - 1 0 1 3
C H A N G E S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
San Diego, CA
Permit No. 1107
J O I N Y O U N T I O N A L U N I E R S I T Y P E E R S o ™ .
C o n n e c t w i t h t h e U n i v e r s i t y , o t h e r a l u m n i , c u r r e n t e s s r e so u r c e s .
L e a r n a b o u t e x c i t i n g u p c o m i n g e v e n t s e r a l u m n i a n d s t ud e p e rr ii e n c e ss a tt N a tt ii o n a ll U n ii v e rr ss ii tt y .
n t s a r e s a y i g a b o u t t h e i r
V i e w N a t i o n a l U i v e r s i t y ’ s l a t e s t v i d e o s o n YouTub ™ .
fr o m C o mm e n c e m e n t , t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e O n l i
I n f o r m a t i o n C e n t e r s , a n d t h e U n i v e r s i t y ’ s c a m p u s e s o n Flickr .
n e i n u s i n c o n t i n u i n g t o m a k e N a t i o n a l U n e n c e a n d a g r e a t pl ac e f o r n e t w o r k i n g .
i v e r s i t y a s i oof f a l u e