Envision California Conference looks at state’s infrastructure

The 17th annual Envisioning California Conference, “Retrofitting California: Rethinking Policy and Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future,” will be held Thursday and Friday at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills. The conference is sponsored by CSUN’s Center for Southern California Studies and the Center for California Studies at CSU Sacramento. Political, business and community leaders, including state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, will join with academics in exploring the state of California’s infrastructure -including its physical, political, social, economic and environmental systems – in an effort to align the state’s existing and emerging needs with its capacity to meet those needs during normal times or during an emergency. Conference organizers said that much of California’s infrastructure, from its roads and schools to its energy systems and medical services, was created in the 1950s and 1960s. California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D–Los Angeles, will give a keynote address on the evening of Sept. 22. Los Angeles Times columnist Patt Morrison and former presidential candidate and Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis will speak at the conference on Sept. 23.

CSUN searches for new ITR Chief Information Officer

CSUN hired Chicago-based Moran Technology Consulting to measure the effectiveness of the university’s Information Technology enterprise. The review was recently submitted to CSUN President Jolene Koester, Provost Harold Hellenbrand and the president’s cabinet. A key recommendation in the review emphasized making changes in Information Technology Resources. One of the changes recommended for ITR was to find a new chief information officer. “ITR is looking for an interim position CIO now that Dr. (Spero) Bowman has requested going full time as being associate vice president for Academic Resources,” said Steven Fitzgerald, ITR chief technology officer. As said in a letter to the campus community, Bowman served as both the CIO of ITR and associate vice president for Academic Resources and Planning. The CIO position is a Section 600 position, Fitzgerald said, meaning that people who applied for the job were required to have a faculty and administrative position beforehand. The last day applications were accepted was Sept. 12. Fitzgerald said the interim CIO position will be filled by late October or early November.

CSUN’s Chief Financial Officer wins business officer award

Mohammad Qayoumi, vice president for Administration and Finance and chief financial officer, was given the Distinguished Business Officer Award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers this month. Qayoumi is the first person from the California State University system. The award is given to individuals who have made yearly contributions in the field of business and financial management. Qayoumi has nearly 30 years of experience in industrial and higher education. Previous to his work at CSUN, he served as an adjunct faculty member and administrator at the University of Missouri-Rolla, San Jose State University, and the University of Cincinnati. The NACUBO membership includes more than 2,500 colleges and universities.

Philosophical roundtable on race, racism set for weekend

Philosophical questions involving race and racism will be examined at the “California Roundtable on Philosophy and Race” event on Friday and Saturday at CSUN. Philosophers from American University in Washington D.C., the University of San Francisco, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as CSUN, will be on hand to discuss issues like the status of race, veiling and Muslim women, racial politics, racism and interracial intimacy. The philosophy departments at CSUN and the University of San Francisco are organizing the roundtable jointly. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. on both days, and will be held in the Whitsett Room of Sierra Hall and the English Reading Room of Jerome Richfield Hall.