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Chico State

2022 Hall of Honor Inductees

A view of Kendall Hall at Chico State
Jason Halley / University Photographer

An early morning view of the Kendall Hall on Friday, March 27, 2020 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/University Photographer/CSU, Chico)

This year, eight influential campus faculty will be inducted into the California State University, Chico Emeritus and Retired Faculty and Staff Association’s (ERFSA) 2022 Hall of Honor.

With leadership and support from the Offices of the President and the Provost, ERFSA established the Hall of Honor program in 2010 to recognize the “best of the best” of the University’s retired faculty. The program was expanded the following year to include outstanding retired Chico State staff, becoming the Emeritus and Retired Faculty and Staff Association.

Each of the Hall of Honor inductees have provided numerous years of dedicated service to the University and its students and programs, as well as to their own professions. They have also contributed in major ways to the greater Chico community and beyond by serving on boards and advisory councils, and as expert consultants. A complete list of past and present Hall of Honor members is available for review.

This year’s inductees will be honored at a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium on the Chico State campus. Tickets are now available for purchase.

Douglas Alexander

Douglas Alexander

Department of Biological Sciences

19652000

Professor Emeritus Douglas “Doug” Alexander’s lifelong passion for ecology and his crucial research and advocacy regarding vernal pools have inspired generations of Chico State biology students.

Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was hired at Chico State in 1965 and taught biology on campus for 35 years before retiring.

Alexander focused his research on local native species and habitats. He gave particular attention to the distinctive and ephemeral vernal pool ecosystems found in Butte County, which became the subject of many class trips, student papers, research projects, and peer-reviewed publications.

The vernal pools at the Vina Plains Preserve were the primary location for Alexander’s research. He wrote the management plan for the area and received an award from the Nature Conservancy for his work on its behalf. His expertise also led to him being named to the Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan Implementation Team by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“He was an amazing man, enthusiastic teacher, and a mentor,” said Heidi West, program manager for San Joaquin River Conservancy.

Alexander collaborated with other community members, many of whom were former students of his, to advocate for the preservation of vernal pools. He was involved in the founding of the Butte Environmental Council, and had also been an active member of AquAlliance, which seeks to protect the northern Sacramento River watershed.

Alexander’s love for and knowledge about ecology inspired many of his former students to enter the field.

“Doug Alexander had a significant impact on his students, his major field of research, and the environment of Northern California,” said Barbara Vlamis, executive director of AquAlliance. “I took ‘Conservation Ecology’ in the fall of 1989, and I still have a file with handouts, tests, and reports from that class.”

Alexander was a member of Phi Sigma, the biological sciences honor society, the Ecological Society of America, and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

Alexander and his wife, Kathy, were longtime supporters of many Chico community organizations, including the North State Symphony, North State Public Radio, and the Chico State Herbarium. Alexander also enjoyed sharing his infectious curiosity about science in occasional columns in the Chico News & Review. He died in 2019.

Robert Cottrell

Robert Cottrell

History Department

19842019

Professor Emeritus Robert “Bob” Cottrell made a name for himself at Chico State as a prolific and well-regarded author, dedicated teacher, beloved colleague, and respected community member over the course of his 35-year campus career.

Cottrell joined the History Department in 1984, and his scholarship is remarkable in its breadth. Before his 2019 retirement, he had published 24 books, 75 scholarly articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries, and more than 300 book reviews. He has written books on the history of London, wildland firefighters, Vietnam, Czechoslovakia, rock music, 1960s counterculture, and baseball.

His biography of the iconoclastic journalist Isidor Feinstein “I.F.” Stone, titled Izzy, received rave reviews after its original publication and is now being reissued as a new edition 15 years later. Another of his important works, Roger Nash Baldwin and the American Civil Liberties Union, was singled out by Choice and Booklist magazines as one of the best books of 2001.

Along with his prodigious publication output, Cottrell taught two dozen different history courses, and he was well known in the department for his willingness to step in and teach a class even if it was outside his main area of expertise. In addition, he was a long-serving member on multiple committees in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and he participated as a frequent presenter in summer institutes and other programs for teachers with the North State History-Social Science Project.

Early in his tenure, Cottrell coordinated the History Forum lecture series on campus and brought a number of the country’s leading historians to the University, including former history professor and presidential candidate George McGovern. The lecture series was one of the highlights of the academic year.

In the community, Cottrell was equally active, volunteering at homeless shelters and

serving on the executive board of Congregation Beth Israel, including terms as president and vice president.

Cottrell was the first campus faculty member to be awarded the CSU systemwide Wang Family Excellence Award, and one of only two Chico State professors to earn it to date. He also received a Fulbright Award, and grants from the American Philosophical Society and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“Bob Cottrell personified the ideal professor—one who was an extraordinarily accomplished scholar, a dedicated and inspirational teacher, and a willing and effective contributor to the University and his community,” said Professor Emeritus and Hall of Honor member Dale Steiner.

James Luyinka-Sewagudde Jr.

James Luyinka-Sewagudde Jr.

Office of International Education, Academic Advising

19752019

Few, if any Chico State staff members, have had a longer tenure and greater impact on students’ lives than James Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr. With a long and mellifluous last name, he was known to colleagues simply as “James.”

Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr. worked on campus for a remarkable 47 years, spending most of his time in what is now the Office of International Education and Global Engagement, and Academic Advising Programs (AAP) office. As an advisor for international students and scholars, he helped hundreds of young people adjust to life in the United States and in Chico, and to successfully navigate Byzantine immigration policies and find classes, housing, jobs, and other necessities.

“He is a phenomenal adviser,” said Frank Li, former director of the Office of International Education. “He really connects with students, and students love him. He has touched so many lives in so many ways.”

Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr. was a leader in the National Association of International Educators (NAFSA) for many years, including serving as a regional chair and coach for the NAFSA Academy. He received two prestigious awards from the organization: the KC ISSS Award of Excellence in 2013 and the Ron Moffatt Award in 2019.

In 1977, Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr. established Chico State’s membership in the National Student Exchange (NSE) program, which led to approximately 3,372 students participating in an exchange between the University and other member institutions. He also served on the NSE Council and was awarded the NSE Exemplary Coordinator Award.

On campus, Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr. was a widely respected member of countless committees and groups, including the Chico State Black Faculty and Staff Association. In 2004, Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr. was named a Fulbright Scholar and traveled to South Africa with other staff and faculty to explore how life had changed in the 10 years since the end of apartheid. In 2011, he was honored as the Chico State Staff Employee of the Year.

One of Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr’s campus accomplishments was helping to establish the International Education Fund, which provides emergency funding for international students typically not eligible for traditional financial aid. After his retirement in 2019, the fund was renamed in his honor.

Luyirika-Sewagudde Jr. came to the U.S. from Uganda in 1964 and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. He came to Chico State and earned master’s degrees in both psychology and education, and then began his long working career on campus as a graduate student assistant in 1972 and later as staff in 1975.

Jana Lawton

Jana Lawton

University Services

19872001

Through hard work, creativity, and an abiding desire to help others, Jana Lawton has quietly and significantly enhanced the quality of life at Chico State and throughout the greater Chico community.

Lawton was hired in 1987 as a clerical assistant II in University Services, progressed to CA-Ill and administrative operations analyst positions, and eventually became interim director of the department.

During her tenure with University Services, Lawton improved the efficiency and effectiveness of a number of campus procedures. She was also instrumental in researching and developing specifications for several service initiatives new to the campus. Among them was making campuswide mail delivery easier, and holding departments accountable for outgoing mail services.

Lawton also led the process of changing photo ID cards from Polaroids to a card system with a computer database that included a magnetic strip that allowed cash purchases, building access, and other features, and she helped build training programs to implement the transition.

Before her retirement, Lawton worked to improve many more aspects of campus work life, including vehicle and facility reservations, printing services, and the campus copier program.

“Jana was in a tough position—implementing improvements across University Services that were not always welcome changes,” said retired staff member and Hall of Honor member Anne Russell. “However, she always conducted herself with civility, understanding, empathy, and encouragement.”

Lawton has long had a focus of helping young women within the community achieve their goals. She has been a member of the Chico branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) since 1988, serving in all leadership roles including president.

Through the AAUW, Lawton was involved in setting up an exploration day at Butte College for middle school girls to encourage interest in science and math careers. In her spare time, she partnered with campus faculty to develop a similar program, “Expanding Your Horizons,” at Chico State.

A talented artist herself, Lawton expanded opportunities for other artists through her longtime engagement with the Chico Art Center. Along with serving on the board, she and her husband, Dave, wrote a grant to purchase a rail car that, as a coffee shop, would provide a revenue stream to benefit the Art Center. Lawton also organized the popular Open Studios Art Tour for many years.

Bill Loker

William Loker

Academic Affairs, Anthropology Department

19962018

Chico State’s national reputation as an innovator in student success is due in large part to the leadership of professor and former dean William “Bill” Loker.

While serving as dean of undergraduate education, and in other administrative posts, Loker was responsible for overseeing the redesign, approval, and implementation of the campus general education program; initiating and implementing features of the First-Year Experience (FYE) program; and helping institute rigorous assessment processes to make evidence-based decisions across all levels of the University.

These institution-wide innovations led to inquiries and visits from other universities looking to make similar changes, as well as numerous scholarly articles and media stories discussing Chico State’s role as a leader in educational effectiveness.

In particular, FYE, designed to help students transition successfully to college life, is a well-established success on campus that has been imitated at other universities. In collaboration with Professor Thia Wolf and others, Loker also helped devise and champion “U-Courses,” which feature project-based, collaborative learning, and high-impact practices like the Town Hall Meeting, the Chico Great Debate, and the Book in Common.

“Dr. Loker has been responsible for initiating, leading, directing, and assessing programs that now so characterize Chico’s dedication to student learning and student success,” said former dean and vice provost Arno Rethans.

Loker played a key part in developing many significant campus efforts, including the Chico Student Success Center, Office of Civic Engagement, the Honors Program, and the University’s Graduation Initiative Plan. In collaboration with Professor Frank Li, he also expanded international enrollments on campus and strengthened opportunities for Chico State students to study abroad.

Loker joined the Department of Anthropology as an assistant professor in 1996 and became full professor in 2003. Along with serving as department chair, he taught a wide range of courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He also did extensive fieldwork in Honduras and elsewhere in Latin America, studying the political ecology of rural development.

In 2004, Loker served as interim associated dean of the School of Graduate, International, and Interdisciplinary Studies. The following year he became dean of undergraduate education, beginning a 13-year stint working in the Academic Affairs administration.

Prior to joining the Chico State faculty, Loker was an assistant professor at Mississippi State University and lecturer at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He completed his undergraduate work at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, and earned his master’s degree and PhD at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Carol Rudolph

Carol Rudolph

Student Financial Services, Procurement and Accounting

19952014

Carol Rudolph combined technical expertise, communication skills, and a giving spirit to touch the lives of countless people on and off the Chico State campus.

Rudolph worked in several financial services departments throughout her 19-year career on campus, including Student Financial Services, Procurement and Contract Services, and Accounting. When the campus converted to the complex PeopleSoft enterprise software in the early 2000s, Rudolph was part of the purchasing implementation team.

After the PeopleSoft conversion, Rudolph moved to Financial Services to create the necessary purchasing and accounting system training materials. Not only did Rudolph develop training for the new system, she also led the trainings herself, providing a huge service to campus. With great success, she held classes on a requisition basis and made herself available for questions and assistance.

“Before Carol left, her personal training was transferred into online guides, but it hasn’t been the same without the personal touch,” said Jessica Westbay of Procurement and Contract Services.

“I particularly remember her in her PeopleSoft support role, providing crucial training and support to many across campus.” said Jan Burnham, retired director of Student Financial Services.

Rudolph’s campus accomplishments were recognized in 2012 when she was named Outstanding Staff Employee of the Year.

“Carol Rudolph was one of those employees that after they retire, staff on campus are still talking about her,” said Stacie Corona, associate vice president of Financial Services. “She had a sense of grace, patience, and genuine care for everyone she worked with on campus.”

Rudolph served on Staff Council and was also an ardent supporter of the Needy Children Program. Before gifts were distributed to family members, she would check to see if there were requests that remained unfilled, and then she would fill in the gaps, said Katy Rollo of Financial Accounting and Reporting.

“If she could get away with it, Carol wouldn’t log in her name as the person buying items—she didn’t want that attention,” Rollo said.

Office-mates in Procurement and Contract Services also recall how she provided them with reusable forks and plates for special occasions: “Carol being sustainable before it was even cool to be sustainable,” said Jennifer Thayer, procurement specialist. “Most of us still use those items today, all in Carol’s honor.”

After her retirement in 2014, Rudolph returned as a much-valued retired annuitant, serving as an administrative analyst for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and Intercollegiate Athletics.

Susan Long

Susan Long

Human Resources Information Systems

19922015

Susan Long was an exemplary employee that other staff depended upon to effectively implement payroll systems across campus. In particular, she was an indispensable expert during the important campus transition to enterprise software systems, ensuring that human resources data was secure and accurate in order to pay employees.

One of her key responsibilities was oversight of an essential back-end process that checked for errors in Chico State’s PeopleSoft-HR application.

“Because of her critical eye for attention to detail and comprehensively documented business processes, access to HR data was secure and audit outcomes were successfully free of findings,” said Rebecca Cagle, director of Payroll, HRIS & BITS, and the Human Resources Service Center (HRSC).

Long also trained and mentored other staff involved in the complex PeopleSoft-HR system.

“Susan was naturally collaborative and cooperatively worked across campus divisions and systemwide to share knowledge and expertise,” said Yvonne Martini, administrative analyst/specialist for Human Resources Information Systems. “She gave kind and caring support to hundreds of staff across campus. She willingly helped anyone at any time.”

Long’s extra effort, interpersonal skills, and technical understanding were greatly appreciated. During her tenure, HRIS received only wonderful feedback regarding Long and her approaches to helping, communicating, and responding to questions and user needs.

Long started her 23-year career on campus as a clerical assistant II in the Personnel Office in Human Resources. She later became a payroll technician II and then payroll technician III, eventually transitioning to HRSC. At HRSC, she was closely involved in the laborious installation, testing, documentation, and implementation aspects of PeopleSoft-HR.

“Susan had amazingly high productivity and excellent quality of work,” said Beverly Gentry, manager of Professional Development. “She had extremely high attention to detail in everything she did, and did it with a positive attitude and smile.”

After her retirement in 2015, Long was a highly sought-after retired annuitant for her knowledge of PeopleSoft-HR and ability to accomplish projects prior to deadlines.

Her community service includes being a volunteer driver for the Orland Food Pantry, as well as other activities to support the community of Orland through her membership in the Tau Alpha chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. During her campus tenure, Long was also active in the Needy Children Program.

Rick Ostrom

Charles “Rick” Ostrom

Political Science Department

19672008

Political Professor Emeritus Charles “Rick” Ostrom was instrumental in the development of a number of social science initiatives during his 41-year career at Chico State, but none was more impactful than the distinguished Model United Nations program.

After forming a Model UN team in the 1970s, Ostrom created a program where hundreds of students learned the intricacies of international diplomacy in order to write and speak on behalf of any given country.

“Under Dr. Ostrom’s expert guidance and leadership, the Chico State Model UN team became one of the most exceptional teams in the world, regularly achieving at significantly higher levels than teams from elite Ivy League universities,” said Department of Political Science Chair Mahalley Allen.

Beyond the many accolades won, the most important result was the benefit to team members.

“Rick, with his immeasurable depth of knowledge and insight regarding world issues, taught and mentored students to gain a deep and vital understanding of the world,” said current Model UN advisor John Crosby. “The Model UN program here at Chico State is a life-changing experience for the students who participate.”

After arriving on campus in 1967, Ostrom also led the social science program, the international relations program, and co-directed Research in International Studies Education (RISE), a California International Studies Project Center. RISE provides in-service training for K-12 teachers, which has special meaning for Ostrom as a former high school social studies teacher.

As an expert in international studies, Ostrom received several prestigious grants to conduct research in Asia, including a Fulbright Research Scholar grant to Singapore, a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad grant to Malaysia, and a Southeast Asia Curriculum Project grant to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Ostrom was also a well-known expert on political films and cartoons, publishing articles on the topic in leading journals nationally and abroad. Among the subjects he taught during his long Chico State career were international relations, comparative government, and American foreign policy.

Following his retirement in 2006, Ostrom continued his campus involvement, returning to teach a few classes and, not surprisingly, volunteer to help the Model UN team.

“Rick Ostrom’s lasting legacy to Chico State is embodied in the generations of students who have benefitted both personally and educationally by his direct actions and immeasurable skills and talents,” said Crosby.