Chapter News
Zuniga selected for USDA fellowship
Diane Podolske, director of CSUSB's Community-University Partnerships program and project director for the university's Title V program, was also chosen for a fellowship earlier this year. She has helped Cal State San Bernardino gain recognition as one of the nation's top universities for civic engagement and service learning programs. Podolske was recently honored with a 2010 Golden Apple Award. Participants are selected from among highly accomplished staff and faculty members at Hispanic-serving institutions from across the nation and are chosen based on the compatibility of their research interests with the mission of USDA. The goal is that their fellowship experiences will add to their institution's educational capacities. "I am honored to receive this fellowship," said Zuñiga. "My goal is to facilitate change in our community by bringing together different stakeholders to create change for the good. I will do my part to raise graduation rates and help with this drop out crisis." The USDA's Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program promotes the continued growth of Hispanic enrollment in higher education through strategic partnerships with colleges and universities across the country to identify, educate, mentor, and develop future leaders. Zuñiga serves as chair of CSUSB's Hispanic Alumni Board and currently serves as president pro tem of the university's Association of Latino Faculty, Staff and Students. On July 1, he will assume the position of president. As the recipient of the education fellowship, Zuñiga will spend three weeks in Washington, D.C., to learn about the USDA and other federal agencies. Education fellows experience first-hand the education policymaking process and create linkages to research and funding opportunities. In addition to meeting with USDA personnel, fellows connect with other federal agencies and organizations, including the Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This past year Zuñiga, along with other community members, was honored at the annual "30 Under 30 Latino/Native Americans" recognition event sponsored by Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter. The event recognizes those individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the community through their talent, skill, imagination and achievements. By serving as role models to other young people in the community, these individuals demonstrate what is possible through their passion and dedication, according to district office officials. In addition, Zuñiga was an integral member of the LEAD planning committee of this past March 2010 summit, Latino Education and Advocacy Day at CSUSB. The LEAD conference was the first of its kind in the Inland Empire using technology to break barriers and gain international exposure on the crisis in Latino education. The event drew nearly 200,000 viewers across the country and three Latin American universities. Zuñiga currently serves on CSUSB's College of Business and Public Administration's graduate business task force, which provides professional support services to graduate business students and fosters community relationships that result in internships and fellowships, especially for historically underrepresented groups. He earned dual bachelor's degrees in information technology and accounting from CSUSB in 2001 and dual master's in business administration degrees in information technology and entrepreneurship in 2006. For more information about the fellowship program, visit USDA's Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program website, or contact Daniel Wueste at (202) 720-6506, daniel.wueste@ars.usda.gov. |
