He’s a a Netflix star, New York Times bestselling author and the visionary founder behind a one-of-a-kind gourmet food truck movement. On May 22, chef Roy Choi will be able to add to his illustrious resume that he’s a recipient of an honorary doctorate of fine arts from his alma mater, Cal State Fullerton. Choi will also deliver the 2024 commencement address to the university’s College of Business and Economics. This Titan of the culinary arts graduated from Cal State Fullerton 30 years ago with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy before he proceeded to study at the Culinary Institute of America ..read more

It’s one thing to appreciate what Dominic Gates has done on a track in his young collegiate career, one of those careers that necessitates a closer examination to fully appreciate. To fully appreciate the Dominic Gates Experience, it’s best to start by quoting from the Book of Gates. Which means a full dive into a sense of humor that is Sahara Desert-dry in its wit, prisoner-free in its subjects and all-encompassing as a coping mechanism. Gates on sitting through an accounting class: “I know the creases of my hands better now. I twiddle my thumbs watching the clock tick by.” Gates on the impor ..read more

For the third consecutive year, Cal State Fullerton coordinated a campus Student Mental Health Resource Fair to kick off Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Hosted by the Counseling and Psychological Services department along with Partners4Wellness/Connect OC, this year’s fair, held April 23, was a success, according to Jacquelyn Gerali, a faculty counselor/prevention education coordinator with the department. “We received a lot of positive feedback about the variety of low-cost and free resources, doggy therapy, art activities, affirmation wall and yoga,” she said. Approximately 500 student ..read more

About a year ago, Annabella Pritchard, a local art curator, was chatting with a good friend, an learned about a recently acquired,  unique collection of Salvador Dali’s artwork. The owner of the collection, financier Benjamin Feldman, the friend told Pritchard, was interested in sharing the art with a nonprofit and preferably showing it as its own exhibition. Guests view the Dali artwork during the Muckenthaler Cultural Center’s opening reception for an exhibit of Salvador Dali’s lesser known works from the personal collection of Benjamin Feldman in Fullerton on Thursday, April 25, 20 ..read more

Motivated by its mission to give male students of color in ninth and 10th grade insight into college life, Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Educational Partnerships started the Male Youth Empowerment Conference in 2016. Offering workshops, panel discussions, keynote speakers and other features, the conference drew hundreds of young male students of color from throughout Southern California each year and helped to demystify the uncertainties of a post-secondary education, particularly for those students who think they lack the wherewithal to attend college or that the cost of a college educatio ..read more

A nearly third-of-an-acre parcel in Santa Ana entitled for 15 apartments sold April 5 for $1.16 million, according to CBRE and public records. “The buyer was drawn to the strategic location of this fully entitled property, situated in an opportunity zone and less than a mile from Downtown Santa Ana,” said Michelle Jefcoat at CBRE. The development at 1212 East 4th St. has been dubbed 4G Lofts and will include studio units and one- and two-bedroom units, with one apartment home designated as “very low affordable. The complex will also include 17 parking spaces. CBRE offered no timeline on the pr ..read more

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week. Wait. What? Only one week to appreciate teachers? To celebrate those tireless workers dedicated to shaping the minds of future generations, Raising Cane’s, famous for its chicken finger meals, is offering 10 lucky teachers a chance to win an all-expenses-paid summer vacation: two round trip tickets to any destination within the contiguous United States, a two-night hotel stay, and a $200 gift card for vacation spending. For  more information and to enter go to RaisingCanesTASweepstakes.com, but hurry. Friday is the last day to enter. Raising Cane’s currentl ..read more

High inflation, the most aggressive rate-hiking cycle in 40 years, rising geopolitical risks, two wars and an emerging cold war between China and the U.S. In normal times, such unfavorable conditions would signal disaster for an economic recovery, said economist Anil Puri, director of the Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting at Cal State Fullerton. But the recession predicted by the world’s leading economists never materialized, the economist said. Puri opened with those remarks at the 2024 Spring Economic Forecast on April 30 at the Westin South Coast Plaza. Hundreds of business ..read more

You love the mom in your life, right? But you don’t have the money this year to take her somewhere pricey. Well, not to worry. Mom won’t feel slighted when you do one of these special things for her, and it won’t even be obvious that you didn’t break the bank to do it.  Here are some suggestions: The Mickey Mouse plant (Ochnea serrulata) is shown at the Mathias Botanical Garden on the UCLA campus in Westwood. (Photo by Joshua Siskin) UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden. Los Angeles: One of the few free public gardens around, encompassing 7.5 acres including California natives, desert, ferns, pa ..read more

In honor of their accomplishments in their respective fields and their service and support of the university, Cal State Fullerton recognized four Distinguished Alumni and two Honorary Alumni on Feb. 24 as the 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Award recipients. Established in 1994, the biennial awards are the highest honors presented by CSUF to alumni and community supporters. Growing up in Placentia, the emerging campus of Cal State Fullerton was a “backyard playground” for Scott Coler when his parents moved to the area in the 1960s. As such, Coler never considered attending anywhere other th ..read more