College of Arts and Humanities
Arts and Humanities 2007 Department Nominees and Awardees
Undergraduate Nominees
Art and Design
Jamie Ibey
Ms. Jamie Ibey has been on the President’s list every semester at Fresno State while
taking class loads of up to 21 units per semester. She is graduating with a BA in
Studio Art with a GPA of 3.94. She is a member of both the Golden Key International
Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society. An accomplished portrait
photographer, she started her own business 7 years ago, specializing in children and
their families and is also considered to be one of the most accomplished painters
in the department. Jamie’s strengths as a natural leader and commitment to community
are demonstrated by her volunteer efforts such as 2003-04 Baha’I Youth Service Corps
where she taught art and spiritual values to children. She has also donated hundreds
of dollars of artwork for auctions benefiting non-profit organizations such as Fresno
Covenant Foundation and Scholarship Uganda. As co-curator of the Annual Student Art
Exhibition for CSUF Conley Gallery, she developed a computer program for organizing
the inventory of student entries in the exhibit, which is now being used for all following
shows.
Communication
Brittany Cooley
Brittany Cooley embodies the well-rounded student most specifically characterized
by her self-discipline, academic acumen, and future promise. Ms. Cooley is a model
student-athlete and Team Captain. As a leader on the Fresno State women’s golf team
she played in 80% of her tournaments and worked ahead of schedule in her classes often
learning the material without aid of class discussion. For three years she has been
recognized for academic achievements at the Kiwanis Torch of Excellence. Her future
holds much promise-her leadership in academic, athletics and in her community is something
we can all be proud of.
English
Jill Buettner
Jill Buettner will graduate in May 2007 with a major in English and a minor in French.
She has a 4.0 GPA and has been a Smittcamp Honors student during her four years at
CSUF. In 2003-05, she was one of the seven professional members of the Fresno Ballet,
balancing the demands of that position with 15-17 units each semester. She is currently
working as a tutor in the English Department Writing Center. She plans to earn a Ph.D.
in English with an emphasis in British Romanticism.
Linguistics
Amanda K. Mewbourn
The Linguistics Department is proud to nominate Amanda K. Mewbourn for the 2007 Dean’s
Medal. She is the first person in her family to earn a B.A. degree. Amanda stands
out as an outstanding linguistics major (TESL option) who is also completing two minors:
one in Asian studies and the other in Japanese. In addition to studying Japanese,
she is trying to master Mandarin (Chinese). She has developed a passion for Taiwan
and spent a year studying at the National Taiwan University. To prepare for her career
as an EFL teacher, Amanda has completed linguistics courses that are part of her TESL
option. In addition, she has taken advantage of opportunities at the on-campus American
English Institute (AEI), where she served as a volunteer conversation partner, as
a volunteer teacher’s apprentice for two semesters, and as a teacher of pronunciation.
Media, Communications and Journalism
Jamie Gard
Jamie Gard is a Smittcamp Family Honors College scholar and a MCJ student majoring
in Public Relations with a minor in Business Administration. Even though Jamie works
full-time and is involved with numerous community projects, she has maintained a 4.0
GPA. Jamie works as a Communications Coordinator for the Central Valley Nutrition
Network and for Tutoring Club of Clovis where she tutors a variety of students ranging
in age from 5-17 in areas of math, reading and writing. Jamie’s dedication to the
community is overwhelming and has given numerous hours of service to her community.
She volunteers in Clovis Elementary kindergarten classes, served as an application
reader for the Smittcamp Family Honors College, worked with the American Cancer Society
and Fresno media to publicize Relay for Life, and provided the initial concept and
inspiration for the Arts & Humanities Honors Program. Aside from giving of her time
to the community and college, Jamie has also served in a variety of leadership roles:
founding and editing the Smittcamp Family Honors College student-run newsletter (Smittcamp
Scoop), organizing the first-ever Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
Regional Activity at CSUF as the PRSSA President, and serving on a variety of Associated
Students (AS) committees including the Strategic Planning Committee and the AS Election
Commission. Jamie has been recognized for her academic achievements through the Northern
California Scholarship Foundation Academic Achievement Awards (in 2004 and 2006),
by seven semesters on the President’s List and the Dean’s List for academic achievement,
and as a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society and Kappa Tau Alpha Honors Society.
Complementing her diverse experiences as a CSUF student, Jamie participated in a 2005
study abroad program to Egypt that emphasized historical and cultural roots of Middle
Easterners and African Americans.
Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
Viviana Asencion
Viviana Asencion and her younger sister joined their parents when they came to the United States. She has supported herself through high school and college with a series of part-time jobs and grants, because education and improving her future has always been her most important goal. When she came to CSU Fresno from the L.A. area, her plan was to be a school counselor. Having almost finished her Liberal Studies degree, she took a Spanish literature class from Dr. Saul Jimenez-Sandoval. It was at this time that it became clear to her that the Spanish language and literature are as valuable as any other in the world, even though many may not appreciate it. A member of the International Honor Society, MECha (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano) and Entre Nosotras (a club for Hispanic women), she also volunteers at the American English Institute at Fresno State as a conversation partner for international students. She works as a Bilingual Aid substitute for Fresno Unified School District, and as a para-educator substitute for special education classes for Fresno County. Viviana plans to begin the M.A. program in Spanish this Fall, and ultimately wants to finish a Doctorate degree in Spanish at the University of Arizona. She has a special interest in how women are perceived in the Latin-American culture, especially Mexican culture and feels her goal to become a professor, joining the few Mexican women with Ph.Ds, would set an example and be of encouragement to Mexican women, showing it is possible to reach their goals and dreams. Viviana feels that Spanish is essential in the United States, and that by teaching Spanish she would aid in preserving the language here in the US.
Music
Jessie Fox Brunner
Jessie Fox Brunner is a musician of depth and ability, actively involved as both a
classical and jazz saxophonist. In 1999, he was selected as lead tenor saxophonist
for the Kern County Honor Jazz Band, which opened for saxophone extraordinaire, Kirk
Whalum, at the Bakersfield Jazz Festival. Previously in 1997, Jesse and his mother,
Shirley, began maintaining a website for saxophonist Nelson Rangel. During the summers
of 1998 and 1999 Jesse attended the Mile High Jazz Camp at the University of Colorado
in Boulder, CO. It was there that he spent time with Nelson Rangell, and studied with
Dave Pietro along with many others. Jessie has played lead saxophone for Bakersfield
College jazz band and CSU, Bakersfield. In 2003, he relocated to Fresno to attend
California State University, Fresno and continued his jazz studies by making the top
jazz band. After only one semester Jesse's interests became more heavily involved
with classical music in all areas, but specifically with classical saxophone and saxophone
quartet. During performances as a solo classical saxophonist and with his saxophone
quartet at Fresno State he has had opportunities to perform at many different venues.
In December, 2006, his saxophone quartet recorded and received extensive radio play
on KJWL 99.3 F.M. In the summer of 2006, Jesse attended the prestigious Idyllwild
Arts Academy under a full scholarship. A highlight of his career was performing as
principal saxophonist with the Idyllwild Arts Wind Ensemble at the Disney Concert
Hall in Los Angeles, CA. Jesse has received scholarships from Tehachapi High School,
Tehachapi Newspaper, U.S. Marine Corps, Bakersfield College, California State University
Bakersfield, California State University Fresno, the Loretta Anne Price Memorial and
Idyllwild Arts Academy. He is currently a member of IAJE and the North American Saxophone
Alliance. Jesse is a G.P.G Publications recording artist and is published through
Dorn Publications. He is currently preparing for his Senior Recital on March 10, 2007
and will be a featured soloist with the Fresno State Wind Orchestra during their concerto
concert on May 6, 2007. Jesse has been privileged to study with Steven Mettler, Tower
of Power saxophonist Paul Perez, and Dr. Alan Durst. He is also equally privileged
and fortunate to have saxophonist/recording artist, Nelson Rangell, as a mentor and
dear friend. In his formal studies, he is currently in his senior year at California
State University, Fresno working on a B.A. degree in Saxophone Performance and is
on track to graduate in May, 2007 with honors, Cum Laude. Above all, Jesse enjoys
spending time with his wife, Katie. They look forward to beginning a family together
as they support each other throughout the many joyous journeys of life.
Music
Jennie Gray / Vocal Performance
Since an early age, Jennie had a passion to be involved in vocal music, singing in
church and high school choirs and, later, at Merced Junior College, where she received
several scholarships. When she began her formal music studies at Fresno State, she
quickly became involved in Sigma Alpha Iota, serving as VP/Ritual. She has been active
in Choir Council, Concert Choir, Opera Workshop (singing leading roles), Chamber Singers,
and The New Music Ensemble, currently volunteering as a Choral Assistant, and page-turner
for not only student convocation and recitals, but for Music Faculty concerts. Jennie
was the recipient of the department’s Martha Hagen and Arthur Wahlberg Scholarships,
placed 2nd in the Fresno Opera League Competition for her age division and received
the Encouragement Award for the Fresno Music Club’s Bell T. Ritchie Scholarship. In
addition to her numerous activities in the Music Department, she has also sung with
the Fresno Grand Opera Chorus for the past two and a half years, giving her the opportunity
to gain professional experience and the honor of performing and learning from many
world-renowned singers, conductors and musicians, including Placido Domingo, William
Boggs, Walter Attanasi, and Theodore Kutchar. Jennie has been able to maintain a 3.87
GPA, working both full-time and part-time jobs along with her many curricular and
non-curricular activities.
Philosophy
Michael Edward Olsen, Jr.
Michael Olsen has a double major in philosophy (pre-law option and in psychology.)
He is a member of the Smittcamp Honors Program and recipient of the Floyd Burks, Liliane
D. Wells, and the Vivian I. Pickford memorial scholarships. He carries a perfect 4.0
GPA in over 150 units of college courses. His paper on philosopher Richard Rorty’s
epistemology was awarded a Juliana M. Bissett Philosophy scholarship and was published
in our undergraduate philosophy journal Voicing Ideas. He has also participated in
sponsored research in the College of Mathematics and Science. He served as President
of the CSUF Recycling Club and volunteered with the Big Brothers, March of Dimes,
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the International student Volunteers conservation
group. He was elected to the Golden Key Honor Society. He also tutors students at
Hanford Union High School in math and science. He served as an intern at the Central
California Legal Services, helping to clear the name and secure the liberty of a client
who was a victim of mistaken identity. Department Chair Scott Moore speaks for the
entire department when he writes: “Truly Michael is an exceptional individual with
a principled conscience for social justice.”
Theatre Arts
Kristopher Cadieux
Kris came to us from Stockton as a freshman in 2004 with a passion for theatre and
teaching. Students rarely excel in as many areas of theatre as Kris, and he has achieved
these significant accomplishments while earning a GPA of 3.84 in the major. He designed
sets for our main season, including last fall’s Intimate Apparel. He also represented
us at the National Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival acting competition
in Washington D.C. for an unprecedented two years in a row. This spring, he combined
his talents for the educational outreach production of Step On a Crack by designing
the set, acting, and serving as tour/stage manager all at once. Recipient of the Scholars
for Service Grant for four years, Kris has volunteered for Stone Soup, Fresno, worked
with Kinesiology to develop a Young Sports program, and has maintained his own non-profit
organization “Mitts 4 Kids” since 2002. Kris says with what he has learned at Fresno
State, he plans to put gloves on the hands and joy in the hearts of children in every
pocket of every town. We hope he does.
Graduate Nominees
Art and Design
Erin Webster
A professional artist and single parent, Erin Webster “wanted to model her life for
her daughter, teaching her to follow her aspirations even in the face of adversity.”
Erin is now graduating with a MA in Art in Drawing/Painting with a GPA of 3.88. An
exceptionally talented artist, she just completed her first show since her residency
at the Fresno art Museum in 2002. Erin has been deeply involved in the Fresno Art
Community while pursuing her Master’s Degree. She has taught classes at the Fresno
Art Museum Summer Art Academy, served as Art Link Coordinator in the FAM Education
department, worked for the FAM in conjunction with the San Joaquin River Parkway Trust
to develop and teach curriculum for the Nature of Art summer camp for children ages
9-12. Erin recently wrote the entire art curriculum for the City of Fresno Parks &
Recreation Department’s After School Program and is teaching beginning painting at
Fresno City College. She is an outstanding artist and an even more outstanding community
asset.
Communication
DawnMarie McIntosh
Dawn Marie McIntosh will graduate with an MA in Communication with a 3.9 GPA. In only
four semesters she accomplished so much. She has presented four self-authored research
papers, nationally and regionally, while acting as TA or individual instructor for
five different courses. Additionally she completed her thesis, an ethnography of how
race and gender is critiqued by local Latina drag queens. From her research, she is
readying two manuscripts for refereed journals. Also, she is currently choosing between
four different PhD program acceptances where she wants to focus on gendered communication.
Eventually she hopes to return to California as a Communication professor.
English
Guiseppe Getto/MA in English/MFA Creative Writing
Guiseppe Getto is a graduate student in both composition theory and creative writing
at California State University-Fresno, where he teaches in the first-year writing
program. His scholarly interests have included ethnographic studies of the academic
labor movement and the development of a working class studies curriculum for the composition
classroom. His creative interests are largely poetic, and usually involve paradoxes
of duality: self and landscape, psyche and memoryscape, disappearance and the trace,
fading and etching, remembering and trying to forget. Currently he is working on finishing
his MFA and begins doctoral study in composition and rhetoric in the fall at Michigan
State University.
English
Jefferson Beavers
MFA in creative Writing
Born and raised in Dinuba, California, Jefferson Beavers had established an enviable
career as a journalist and editor when he returned to CSUF to focus on creative writing,
and earn his Master of Fine Arts degree. Not content with his reputation as a top
student (with a 4.0 GPA in all graduate coursework), an outstanding teacher in both
the English and Mass Communications and Journalism Departments, and an exceptionally
talented writer of creative nonfiction, Jefferson has distinguished himself through
his service to the MFA Program, the English Department, and the community at large.
His contributions include founding and coordinating the San Joaquin Literary Association,
which has enhanced the life of campus and community by sponsoring and planning conferences,
workshops, student and faculty reading events, and a Visiting Writers Series that
brought world-renowned writers to campus including Jonathan Franzen, Marilyn Chin,
and Joyce Carol Oates. Jefferson edited the university’s literary magazine, the San
Joaquin Review, and helped usher the English Department into the 21st century by creating
a weekly online newsletter, MFAFresno.blogspot.com. His contributions to the community
have included coordinating the MFA Program’s participation in the local Rogue Festival,
writing about campus events for FresnoFamous.com, and teaching in the Central California
High School Journalism Conference. Jefferson’s efforts on behalf of the university
were recognized recently with the Associated Students’ Outstanding Student Leadership
Award.
Linguistics
Sande Wu
Sande Wu graduated in Fall 2006 with a degree in Linguistics with an option in TESL.
With a GPA of 4.0, Sande proved herself to be an exceptional graduate student. The
high quality of her research is particularly noteworthy. For example, the abstract
of one of her papers ({Literacy Games for Adult Immigrant Students”) was accepted
for the 2007 TESOL International Conference, which is one of them most prestigious
conferences in the field. In addition to maintaining excellence in academics, she
has been actively engages in a variety of extracurricular activities. Since 2004 Sande
has been teaching a variety of courses at the American English Institute and is considered
an invaluable instructor. She also taught in the Department of Linguistics as well
as the Learning Resource Center.
Media, Communications and Journalism
Christine Park
Christine is the Consumer and Morning Reporter for ABC 30 Action News, having joined
the station in October 2000. She won an Emmy for her reporting on the Valley's number
one morning show, AM Live. She was hired as a Production Assistant and Newsroom Trainee
at KRON-TV in San Francisco upon graduating with honors from UC Berkeley. Prior to
her current position at ABC-30, she was the Special Projects Producer and Weekend
Assignment Editor. Christine earned her Master's Degree in Mass Communications and
Journalism from Fresno State in the summer of 2006. She taught broadcast writing and
reporting to undergraduate students as a graduate assistant and was honored with the
Outstanding MCJ Graduate Award. She was also selected for Kappa Tau Alpha, a national
honors society for journalism students and awarded “top scholar.” Christine’s master’s
project was a case study analysis of the Scott Peterson case and the over-exposure
of media coverage. Her project explored the reasons and motivations behind the extensive
media coverage of the Scott and Laci Peterson case, and raised issues of agenda setting
as well as race, gender, and class in determining coverage-worthy victims. In addition
to analyzing this case from a scholarly perspective, Christine also produced a short
documentary on the event and coverage. The documentary-style video contained interviews
with local journalists, legal experts, and media professors, who all agree that the
case contained a perfect storm of events and characters that made it the perfect story.
She currently lives in Fresno with her husband Gene and her baby girl Sydney.
Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
Karla Suarez
Karla Suarez is the first member to graduate from college from a low-income family
that works in the fields. She is also a nominee for the Outstanding Thesis Award,
and is on the Dean and President’s lists. Karla has been admitted to the Ph.D. program
in Spanish at Stanford University; she was one of 5 applicants accepted into this
prestigious program –out of a total of 125 candidates that applied. It is Karla’s
goal to critically analyze and revise the position of women writers within the Spanish
literary canon. It is her belief that due to a lack of community and tradition, as
well as the historically recognized hostility of established male writers towards
women writers and citizens, women faced a series of hurdles that prevented them from
being considered important within literary circles. Karla has been heavily involved
with non-profit organizations that promote a community awareness within the Latino
community. She was a volunteer high school tutor for three years thorough the Teaching
Fellows Program at Fresno State, and has been an active member of University Migrant
Services. Karla has also been an active member at various Catholic charity groups
in three different communities. Karla has had to work in the fields, packing houses,
and has been a translator, a nurse assistant and a community liaison for a non-profit
mobile clinic in order to support her studies.
Ryan Nyberg
MA in Music Composition
Ryan T. Nyberg is a graduate student in the Department of Music, and is finishing
the MA Degree in Music with a major in Composition with a 4.0 GPA. He received his
BA in Music from the Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California,
where he graduated cum laude, and received the Student Leadership Award for his work
in the Concert Choir. Before that he received Associates degrees from Fresno City
College in Music with an emphasis in Piano and in Business Administration, where he
graduated with highest honors. A native of Fresno, he was homeschooled K-12, graduating
from high school in 1995. Currently, Ryan works nights full-time as an office administrator,
and goes to school full-time during the day. He is also a teaching associate in the
Music Department, teaching beginning keyboard as a general education course. He plays
flute, piano, and drums in his church worship team, and has conducted, run rehearsals,
and done transcription work for his church as well. In his spare time, he writes music
for student films and promotional videos. On campus, Ryan plays with the Fresno State
Flute Ensemble and the Fresno State Early Music Ensemble, and has taken part in the
New Music Ensemble and numerous student recitals. He worked with the interdisciplinary
research group researching pitch perception in dyadic conversations, and helped plan
the inaugural Fresno State New Music Festival. For his thesis project, he is putting
on an on-campus recital of original music in March, and will include a performance
of his Concerto No.1 for piano and orchestra.
Related Links:
- Student Affairs
- Associated Students
- Go Bulldogs!
- The Collegian
- Career Services
- Jeanne Clery Disclosure (Campus Crime and Security Report)