Kathleen Scott, director of Administrative Operations and Organizational Excellence, was presented with the Leader of Change award during the California Higher Education Collaborative (CHEC) Conference on Oct. 2.

CHEC convenes administrative leaders and professionals from the three segments of California public higher education (CSU, CCC, UC) to encourage the exchange of ideas and practices, which may improve administrative performance, service and outcomes. Assistant Vice Chancellor Mike Redmond, who presented the award said, “We look for someone that exemplifies or models positive change and present only to heavy hitters. We include Kathleen in this group. It’s not her resume (degrees, national associations, etc.). It’s not her professional demeanor/talent/technical and interpersonal skills. It is that she is the person that people go to when they are looking to really make a difference for higher education. I personally have sent people to her as she is a mentor and model for change makers. Our committee has called on her to lead sessions at our conference because she has this skill. She is a Leader of Change.”

Scott was one of the speakers during the Building Organizational Excellence pre-conference full-day workshop and has also presented at various other Leadership and Change Management Conferences. As director of Organizational Excellence, Scott oversees organizational and professional development programs at Fresno State that are designed to nurture a culture of change and innovation and build organizational and individual capacities. Scott is a certified Change Management Practitioner and Trainer and Lean/Continuous Improvement Specialist. She is also certified in Integrated Planning by the Society for College and University Planning and a certified Dare to Lead Facilitator. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI).

“Our campus community has most definitely benefited from Kathleen’s expertise and passion for being a leader of change. We are so proud of her accomplishments and that she was recognized by CHEC for her work in this area. Kathleen’s contributions are making an impactful difference,” said Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Debbie Astone.

Congratulations Kathleen!

The Maddy Institute was presented with a Focus on Efficiency Award at the 2019 California Higher Education Collaborative (CHEC) Conference at UCLA on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The Maddy Institute received the award for its ground-breaking agreement with the San Joaquin Valley’s four public universities (California State University campuses — Fresno, Bakersfield and Stanislaus — and University of California, Merced) to create a working partnership to advance public understanding of public policy issues impacting the San Joaquin Valley, as well as support the development of future Valley leaders.

The Focus on Efficiency Award, given by the 2019 CHEC Conference Committee, recognizes those programs at California’s community colleges, California State University and University of California campuses that demonstrate innovative practices that have been implemented to improve operational performance, services and outcomes for California Higher Education.

Over 100 children received free dental care during the 13th annual TeamSmile event at Fresno State. Dr. Scott Sailor (Kinesiology) and Dr. Xavier Gutierrez (Athletics) led the efforts, which was held on Oct. 5, in collaboration with Feria de Educación. Belinda Munoz (Kinesiology/Staff Assembly Executive Committee) led the volunteer efforts. Each child received free dental services, such as cleanings, cavity checks, tooth extractions and oral education.

Marie Gilbert (Central California Center for Excellence in Nursing) has qualified to run in the Boston Marathon on April 20, 2020.

Neelam Chanda’s (Nursing) article "Using the Great Cookie Experiment to Teach Concepts in Undergraduate Nursing Research" was published in the Journal of Nursing Education.