The President’s Dinner: Yearly Benefit for Scholarships to be Held on April 7

The 8th Annual President's Dinner Benefitting Scholarships at California State Dominguez Hills will be held on Friday, April 7 at the Torrance Marriott Hotel, with the theme, "Changing the World, One Student at a Time." This year, a silent auction has been added to the evening’s proceedings, including opportunities to bid on items ranging from tickets for a "Dr. Phil" taping to gift certificates for spas, restaurants and hotels. In addition, a movie poster for “Brokeback Mountain,” autographed by Oscar-winning screenwriter Diana Ossana is available for bidding on eBay, celebrating her visit to CSUDH prior to her triumph at the Academy Awards ceremony in March. All proceeds from the poster's sale will go toward the scholarship fund.

The proceeds from this event fund scholarships to graduating high school students, which can be renewed throughout their education at CSUDH. Scholarships are also awarded to community college transfer students, and are renewable for one additional year.

Each year, two awards are bestowed upon individuals and entities who have supported CSUDH with financial gifts, services, or educational facilities. The Katherine B. Loker Friend of Education Award, is named to honor the longtime friend and benefactor of the University. This year's honoree is Lee Anderson, widow of Glenn M. Anderson, former California legislator, Lieutenant Governor of California and United States Congressman. The couple began their connection to CSU Dominguez Hills when they participated in the capital campaign for the Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker University Student Union.

Among her numerous civic achievements, Anderson has served as a member of the CSU Dominguez Hills Foundation Board of Trustees. The University Library archives serve as the repository of the Glenn M. Anderson papers, chronicling his career in state and federal government. Lee Anderson currently serves as co-chair of the Library Enhancement Capital Campaign for the Library Expansion Project with former CSUDH President Donald R. Gerth.

The Corporate Partner Award is given to a business or industrial organization that has worked most closely in support of the University to address an issue of community importance. This year’s recipient, Centinela Freeman HealthSystem (CFHS), has partnered with the CSUDH School of Nursing in innovative approaches to address the shortage of trained nurses in the California health care system. The School of Nursing was provided with laboratory and classroom space from CFHS, enabling Dominguez Hills to hold live nursing courses that would not have been possible otherwise for the predominantly online program.

The School of Nursing will partner again with CFHS to launch the Clinical Nurse Leader Program, which will provide registered nurse licensure to students who have the minimum requirement of a bachelor’s degree, and have not yet been trained as nurses.

CFHS is the official hospital of Los Angeles athletic organizations the Dodgers, the Sparks, the L.A. Avengers, the Clippers, and the L.A. Galaxy. The Centinela campus of the three-hospital system is the home of the Tommy Lasorda Heart Institute.

The President’s Dinner will begin with a reception and silent auction at 6 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m., and dancing beginning at 9 p.m. For more information on the President’s Dinner, including tickets, a catalog of silent auction items, and directions, visit http://www.csudh.edu/InvestInUs/PresidentsDinner/
or call (310) 243-2666.

To read about some of the Presidential and Honors Scholars, click here.

- Joanie Harmon