CSUMB's Eduardo Ochoa here to stay

Eduardo Ochoa, interim president of Cal State Monterey Bay, will be interim no more.

The California State University Board of Trustees today appointed Ochoa as the permanent president of CSUMB, effective immediately. Ochoa has held the position on an interim basis since July 2012.

“I am honored by the action taken by the Board of Trustees in making permanent my appointment as president of Cal State Monterey Bay," Ochoa said in a statement. “Since arriving in July, I have been most impressed with the people I have met on campus and in the community. I believe this university is poised for great things, and I look forward to continuing to serve as its president.”

Ochoa returned to the CSU after serving from 2010 to 2012 in the Obama Administration as the U.S. assistant secretary for postsecondary education – advising the secretary on higher education issues, administering more than 60 programs and overseeing financial aid policy and accreditation.

“President Ochoa brought to Monterey Bay his unique blend of national expertise and a homegrown connection to the university mission,” said CSU Board of Trustees chair Bob Linscheid. “He has connected with students and faculty to move the campus forward on its core values of diversity, sustainability and community service.”

Ochoa grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before moving to Portland, Ore., with his family while in high school. He has earned degrees in physics, nuclear science and economics from Reed College, Columbia University and the New School for Social Research, respectively. His plans to return to work in his native Argentina were sidetracked by a military coup.

He refocused his energy in California, teaching at Fresno State as well as at California State University, Los Angeles, where he was a full professor and chair of the economics and statistics department. He also led the university’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, and served as acting dean of its School of Business and Economics.

In 1997, Ochoa was hired as the dean of Cal Poly Pomona's College of Business Administration, where he served for six years. This was followed by seven years as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Sonoma State University.

Colton students learn and have fun at California Academy of Sciences

It's a trip that Walter Colton Middle School Science teacher Justine Hochstaedter organizes every year -- and that students happily vote to take as their year-end celebratory trip.

It's a $10,000-trip for which Hochstaedter spends many hours fundraising -- to bring prices down and make it affordable to students. The 10-hour trip translates into countless hours of arranging transportation, purchasing tickets, organizing groups, and fundraising.

All in  Hochstaedter's spare time.

"It is many, many extra hours of work," Hochstaedter wrote in an email. "I do get the support of my school site, our PTA, from the principal Kim Cooper and fellow teachers. I couldn't do it without them,"

This year, 214 students took the trip, along with 40 chaperons (10 Colton staff, 30 parents) in five passenger tour buses. What a odyssey!

They all had a great time, she said of the trip in early May. That's how Hochstaedter celebrated teacher's day. What a class act!

Carmel students pick the local non-profits they want to benefit

It's kind of complicated. The Rotary Club of Carmel Valley gives $1,000 to its local schools. But the money's not to keep -- it's for the students to allocate to the non-profits they think are most deserving.

So Carmel Middle School gave $1,000 to the Kinship Center; Tularcitos Elementary School $1,000 to the American Red Cross; Carmel River School $1,000 to the Make a Wish Foundation; All Saints’ Episcopal Day School $1,000 to Voices for Children, formerly CASA; and Junipero Serra School, $500 to First Candle and $500 to Meals on Wheels specifically for the Save Our Breakfast campaign.

The "Partners in Community Service" process, now in its seventh year, begins in January when leadership members at the five schools are provided $1,000 each by the Rotary Club. The students then begin a planned procedure to select recipients of the money. They learn first hand about the work of many local charities and non-profits and how to help them financially.

“Recipients are thrilled that there’s a whole new generation that’s becoming aware of the needs in the community and doing something about it,” says Rick Shea, the Rotarian in charge of the program. “I enjoy it because I get to see young people make decisions and form a consensus.”

“PICS cultivates that connectedness that children have to their community,” says Carmel River School Principal Jay Marden. “It also promotes their awareness of the good they can do in terms of having a direct impact on the lives of those who are served by the charities and are fortunate to receive the grants.”

Over the years, organizations chosen to receive the money have included Meals on Wheels, Dorothy’s Kitchen, CASA of Monterey County (Court Appointed Special Advocates), the SPCA, the Salvation Army, Shelter Outreach, American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and First Candle.

To learn more about the project, watch this video:




Carmel Valley Rotary PICS from Rotary Carmel Valley on Vimeo.