May 2, 2006 :: No. 233

Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell and Rueben Martinez, owner of Libreria Martinez Books and Art Galleries, will address Cal State Fullerton’s Class of 2006 as the keynote speakers for this year’s commencement ceremonies.

Martinez will step to the podium for the Saturday, May 27, ceremony, while Campbell will address attendees at the Sunday, May 28, ceremony.

Campbell, who was first elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2003, represents residents in the cities of Anaheim, Brea, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park and Yorba Linda, as well as unincorporated areas of North Tustin, Orange Park Acres and canyon areas. He was elected chair of the board in January 2005 and is now in his second term as board leader.

In addition to his duties on the county board, Campbell is vice chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority and serves on several county groups, including the Audit Oversight and the Children’s Services Coordination committees, the Emergency Management Council, the MCAS El Toro Local Redevelopment Authority, Orange County Housing Authority and the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission.

Prior to his election to the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Campbell served in the California Legislature from 1996 to 2002. He served as assembly minority leader, vice chair of the Committee on Appropriations and was a member of the Banking and Finance, Education, and Utilities and Commerce committees.

Campbell earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Loyola Marymount University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Rueben Martinez began Libreria Martinez Books and Art Galleries as a lending bookshelf in his Santa Ana barbershop. By 1993, the lending library had become a full-time bookstore that hosted book readings and community events and a second store located in Lynwood.

Martinez, an advocate for literacy and cultural education in the Latino community, partnered in 1997 with actor Edward James Olmos to establish a Latino Book and Family Festival. Seven years later, Martinez was honored with a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation fellowship, awarded to him for “fusing the roles of marketplace and community center to inspire appreciation of literature to preserve Latino literary heritage.”

During the Sunday, May 28, all-campus ceremony, the university will honor alumnus and business leader James D. Woods with an honorary doctorate of humane letters in recognition of his success as a business leader and philanthropist. Woods (B.A. business administration ’67) joined Baker international in the 1950s and worked there while attending classes at Cal State Fullerton. He moved up the corporate ladder to become president, chief operating officer and director of the firm in 1985. Two years later, he was CEO and presided over the merger of Baker International and Hughes Tool Co. In 1989, he became chairman of the board and in 1990, acted to acquire Eastman Christensen and ChemLink. He retired in 1997.

On campus, Woods has been a major supporter of Titan athletics and the College of Business and Economics, where he is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board. He has served as president of the Titan Athletic Foundation and campaign co-chair for the Titan Sports Complex, as well as a member of the CSUF President’s Advisory Board.

The honorary doctorate, awarded jointly by the campus and the California State University, is conferred in recognition of excellence and extraordinary achievement in significant areas of human endeavors. Woods is the fourth alumnus to be recognized in this manner.

Universitywide ceremonies begin at 8 a.m. both days on the sports fields north of Titan Gym. College and department celebrations will follow at various locations throughout campus.

Cal State Fullerton 2006 Commencement
College and Department Exercises/Celebrations
(Approximate starting time is about 9:45 a.m. except where noted.)

SATURDAY, MAY 27

College of the Arts — Patio west of Titan Gymnasium

College of Health and Human Development —
Child and Adolescent Studies, Health Sciences, Human Services and Kinesiology — Lawn north of Titan Gym
Counseling — Titan Student Union’s Portola Pavilion
Nursing — Courtyard east of Titan Shops

College of Humanities and Social Sciences —
American Studies and Comparative Religion — Performing Arts Center’s Little Theatre
English, Comparative Literature and Linguistics — West entrance of Humanities–Social Sciences Building
Liberal Studies — Titan Stadium
Modern Languages, TESOL and Latin American Studies — Performing Arts Center’s Little Theatre (begins at 11 a.m.)
Psychology — Titan Gymnasium
Women’s Studies — Ruby Gerontology Center’s Mackey Auditorium

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics — Lawn west of Engineering Building

ROTC Commissioning Ceremony — 1 p.m. Titan Student Union’s Portola Pavilion

SUNDAY, MAY 28

College of Business and Economics — Lawn north of Titan Gymnasium

College of Communications —
Communications — Titan Stadium
Human Communications and Radio-TV-Film — Courtyard east of Titan Shops

College of Education — Titan Gymnasium

College of Engineering and Computer Science — Lawn west of Engineering Building

College of Humanities and Social Sciences —
Anthropology — Titan Student Union’s Portola Pavilion (begins at 11 a.m.)
Geography and Environmental Studies — Performing Arts Center’s Little Theatre
History/European Studies — Titan Student Union’s Portola Pavilion
Sociology and Gerontology — West entrance of Humanities-Social Sciences Building
Philosophy, Afro-Ethnic Studies, Asian American Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies — Performing Arts Center’s Little Theatre (begins at 11 a.m.)
Political Science, Public Administration and Criminal Justice — Patio west of Titan Gymnasium

Editor’s Note:   News media covering commencement ceremonies are advised to use the Dorothy Lane/W.                           
Campus Drive entrance off State College Boulevard for parking in the lot adjacent to the Golleher Alumni House.     

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