We hope you enjoy this series where we will meet and get to know employees from across campus. Would you like to be featured? Contact us at campusnews@csufresno.edu.

Name: Laura L. Clark
Title: Director of Development, Kremen School of Education and Human Development
Academic Degrees: BA in Communications (Radio/TV/Film) with a minor in Women's Studies from California State University, Fullerton, 1990. MPA in progress here at Fresno State. Graduation date is fall 2021.

How long you have worked at Fresno State: Five years as of August 2021.

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important? I have really enjoyed introducing the Kremen donors to the great work done in our college. One of my favorite tours was of our Sanger Teacher Residency Program. We took donors to observe student teachers and their mentors in the act of doing the good work they do best. Then, donors were taken to lunch to debrief. Their reaction to the experience was priceless.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why? I am honored to raise money for the Kremen School of Education and Human Development where we prepare educators, counselors and educational leaders who will make a positive difference in the Central Valley. Our college places considerable emphasis on an educator who can function effectively as a leader in a culturally and linguistically diverse society.

What is a memorable moment you had in class? As a Fresno State student during the past three years, I have had the opportunity to experience our campus from a different perspective. It was wonderful to sit in a classroom and understand what it is like to be a student in this era, especially since the last time I was in a classroom was in the 1980s. Learning how to use today's technology to study, go to class and to work with other students was very enlightening. Now I feel like I can add more depth in my description of the Fresno State experience.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time? The pandemic has allowed us to spend more time with our college-aged daughter because she is attending Cal Poly Pomona from home. This past year has introduced a Saturday Night Family Game Night with my daughter, her boyfriend and my husband that normally would not have happened while she was away at school. We even included other family and friends via Zoom for games that we can all play together.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know? The title of my thesis in progress is The Role of the Administrator in the Transition of Students, with IDEA Services in California, from K-12 to Post Secondary/College during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Is there something else you would like to share that was not asked? My husband and I had a COVID wedding via Zoom on March 23, 2020!