Marc Cherry, creator and producer of the popular television series "Desperate Housewives," graduated with a B.A. degree in theater arts in 1995. His show made its debut in 2004 and has won several Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Art Directors Guild awards. Cherry began his career in show business as the personal assistant of actress Dixie Carter ("Designing Women"). In 1990, he became a writer for the sitcom "The Golden Girls." He later created a sitcom called "The Five Mrs. Buchanans" (1994) and wrote for other series such as "The Crew" (1995) and "Some of My Best Friends" (2001).

Julia Christy, who received her B.A. in theater arts in 1984, and her husband Greg Christy, who earned the same degree in 1985, are co-founders and owners of Brite Ideas, Inc. in Foothill Ranch. The 17-year-old company has been recognized for its lighting design and technical direction by various industry magazines, including Special Events Magazine, which honored the company with its Best Use of Lighting Award for the opening of the Orange County Performing Arts Center in 1987. Greg Christy also has been honored by Events Solutions Magazine, which presented him with the 2004 Technical Producer of the Year Award.

The company's lighting design credits include the 2000 Republican National Convention in San Diego and the 2003 Louis Vuitton United Cancer Front Gala. Among the major theatrical and motion picture projects this company has designed are "Mama Mia," "Rent," "Austin Powers" and "Lord of the Rings/The Return of the King." Greg Christy also has coordinated complete technical productions for Elton John, Seal, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley and Ray Charles. Brite Ideas, which has been instrumental in staging two of the university's signature events, "Concert Under the Stars" and the annual "Front & Center" Gala, will sponsor the majority of the cost for staging the Performing Arts Center gala opening dinner Jan. 14.

For her work on Broadway in "Life x 3," actress Linda Emond received a Tony nomination and won the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. She also won Obie and Lucille Lortel awards for her off-Broadway performance in Tony Kushner's "Homebody/Kabul." She was nominated five times for Joseph Jefferson Awards for excellence in Chicago theatre for her work in "Chicago," an honor she received for acting in "Pygmalion" and "The Winter's Tale." The Cal State Fullerton alumna, who earned a B.A. degree in theater arts in 1982, has had acting roles in such films as "North Country," "City by the Sea," "Pollock" and "Almost Salinas," and guest-starring roles in television shows "Law & Order," "Wonderland," "Third Watch" and "The Sopranos." She lives in New York and will appear in the upcoming feature film "Across The Universe." Emond is the co-star in a PBS-TV special, "American Experience: John and Abigail Adams," which will air in January.