In Memoriam

Cal State LA Alumni (2024-2025)

Richard Alatorre (’65) served in the California State Assembly from 1972 to 1985, where he co-founded the Chicano Legislative Caucus, the first group of its kind focused on advancing the rights of Latino communities statewide. In 1985, he was elected to represent Los Angeles City Council District 14, becoming the first Latino to hold that seat in over two decades. During his tenure, he increased representation of women and minorities in public office, supported the development of the city’s mass transit system, and advocated for diversity within the Los Angeles Police Department. He was named Cal State LA’s 1988 Alumnus of the Year and was honored through the establishment of the Richard Alatorre TELACU Scholarship.

Enrique (Rick) Baca (’70) was a long-time high school teacher and dedicated coach. He began his teaching career at Rosemead High School where he taught math and coached football, track, and cross country. Baca eventually went on to work for Pacific Bell as a computer programmer / analyst and also owned his own consulting firm. Later, he taught math and electronics and coached track and cross country at Paso Robles High School.

Edward Barles (’50) was a parole officer for the California State Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Los Angeles. He rose to chief administrator in charge of a large team of psychiatrists and psychologists who evaluated inmates for parole consideration and supported their successful reentry into society with individual counseling and group therapy.

Leah Anne Boehne Beske (’86), a consummate educator, began teaching in Cali, Colombia, serving as an English language instructor for a year. Returning to the United States, she taught Spanish and French at Lutheran High School in Orange, CA. She taught adult education and Spanish at Kodiak College in Kodiak, AK, for two years.  Following her break from teaching to manage the family and raise her children, she returned to her calling as a substitute teacher for Coronado Unified School.

Octavio Gustavo Boubion (‘60) was the founding director of the Claremont Colleges’ Upward Bound program, which he led from 1968 until his retirement in 1995. He helped more than a thousand low-income, first-generation students access higher education through academic support, internships, and wilderness programs. His early work included social services and parole work, but he dedicated most of his career to supporting marginalized youth through education.

John Chen (’11), a retired physician and public servant, served for decades at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, dedicating his medical career to public service. After retiring from medical practice in 2004, he continued to train medical residents at Charles Drew University until 2008. Later in life, Chen pursued a second Ph.D. in history at Claremont Graduate University. He remained deeply engaged in community work through the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and the Chinese American Oral History Project, where he helped preserve and share the stories of Asian American communities.

Charles Cyphers (’71) was known for his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the Halloween horror film franchise. Cyphers initially worked on the 1976 action film Assault on Precinct 13, in which he played Starker, a police officer. After the original Halloween, Cyphers appeared in the 1980 horror pic The Fog and 1981 film Escape From New York. Cyphers appeared in multiple television series throughout his career, including Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Charlie’s Angels, Roots, Wonder Woman, The Betty White Show, Starsky and Hutch, Hill Street Blues, ER and more. He played Al Yaroker on the WB sitcom Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher, which aired from 1996 to 1998. Additional film credits include Truck Turner (1974), Coming Home (1978), The Onion Field (1979), Borderline (1980), Honkytonk Man (1982), and Major League (1989).

Marc Haefele (’91) was a prolific journalist and commentator known for his coverage of Los Angeles politics, culture, and civic life across multiple platforms, including the LA Weekly, Los Angeles Times, KPCC-FM, KNX, and KPFK radio. He began his journalism career after working as an editor at Doubleday and Random House, where he collaborated with authors such as Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov. From 1981 onward, Haefele became a recognized voice in both alternative and mainstream media, writing for outlets such as California Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Roberta Jane Hawkins (‘66) joined the FBI as a stenographer and moved to New York City at age 18, later transferring with the bureau to San Francisco. Following her service with the FBI, she joined the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, where she spent 25 years as a children’s social worker, retiring in 1990.

Leland (Lee) Klein (’68) taught at Chapman University and Loyola Marymount University, where he received his MBA. He later excelled in management at GTE and Northrup Grumman. A passionate world traveler, Klein in 1983 founded The California Native, which guides adventurers across California and internationally.

Robert Laemmle (’58) was the former president of Laemmle Theatres. Laemmle joined the family business in 1963 and helped expand Laemmle Theatres into a leading exhibitor of foreign and independent films in Southern California. Under his leadership, the company opened several landmark cinemas and helped redefine the modern art house experience. He was named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for his contributions to global cinema. In 2000, the Laemmle family founded the Laemmle Charitable Foundation, which has since awarded over $2.3 million to local nonprofits.

Nancy Goings Knapp (’61, M.S., ’69) dedicated 38 years to teaching in the Los Angeles Unified School District and was a tireless advocate for learning and service. Her love of learning and teaching extended to her work with students at Eagle Tree High School and in LAUSD’s Independent Studies program, where she supported and inspired at-risk youth with compassion and patience.

Richard Maloof (’02, ’07) was best known as the bass and tuba player from The Lawrence Welk Show. He also worked with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Maureen McGovern, Mel Torme, and Henry Mancini. At 20, he toured with Carmen Cavallaro. While in the U.S. Army, he was stationed in Colorado with the prestigious NORAD Commanders Band.

Joseph Robert McGowan (’63) began his teaching career in woodshop at Flavian Elementary, which changed years later to Bert Lynn Middle School. Over the years, he took on side jobs and worked among others, the City of Torrance, making such things as “The Happy Wanderer” trailer, which gave free puppet shows around the city and “The Nature Museum,” which exhibited various insects and fauna.

Kathryn-Marie Gough Morgridge (’82) studied with Yusuo Kuniyoshi at the Woodstock Art Colony and at the Art Students League in New York. At USC, she studied with Francis de Erdely, whose paintings of immigrants, laborers, and social outsiders helped form her own style of surrealistic overlays of color and form on ordinary settings. She soon rented illustrator Norman Rockwell’s former studio, where she could paint larger, fanciful images. Her paintings of Avalon houses and lighthouses were featured in Avalon galleries and at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. In the late 1970s, she worked with Leonard Edmonson, Walter Askin, and Lydia Takeshita.

Robert Nelson (’70) dedicated 41 years of service for the California Department of Motor Vehicles, concluding as a regional manager.

Conrad Floyde Newberry (’71, M.A.’74) worked for numerous aircraft companies as well as taught for over 40 years. He taught Aeronautical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, for 30 years. He also taught aircraft and missile design at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA. He received numerous awards and recognitions for his service throughout his professional career.

Larry H. Parker (’70), a prominent Los Angeles personal injury attorney, founded the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker in the early 1970s. Since then, the firm has recovered more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements.

Ronald Paul Pini (’68) served his country dutifully during the Korean War as PFC in the Army and was stationed in an anti-aircraft battalion in and around the North Sea. Upon his return home, he embarked on a rewarding career as a civil and structural engineer working on countless Public Works projects for the County of Los Angeles.

Neil Alden Roberts (’64) was deeply passionate about teaching and shaping young minds and, later in his career, guiding college students toward careers in teaching. He was a competitive tennis player and a skilled musician. He played the clarinet in the Bellevue Community Band and, as founder, played the flute in the Neil Roberts Band.

Philip Rogers (’56) was a child and young actor under contract to 20th Century Fox, president of a film production company, film producer, television and film studio executive at Universal, and a literary and talent agent. He executive produced a theatrical film, Shoot to Kill, and television films, The Haunting of Lisa and The Hired Heart, and produced a TV series, Love on a Rooftop. He was a member of the Motion Picture Academy, the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences, and the Hollywood Radio and TV Society. Earlier in his career, he also played professional baseball with the Portland Beavers, a minor league team, and served two years in the Special Services-Entertainment Division of the U.S. Army as an emcee for the touring choral group and emissary for the Army. After moving to Las Vegas, Phil produced another movie, Blind Terror, and became a long-time board member of the Laguna Bay HOA and a volunteer for the Festival of Lights for several years.

Oscar Sanchez (’77) was a retired aerospace professional who worked for Rockwell International and Boeing. He spent his career in contracts, pricing, and cost management, contributing to major developments within the aerospace sector.

Fumiko Sawamura (’60) begun teaching at Coliseum Street Elementary school as a first-grade teacher in 1970. She would spend the next 30 years mentoring and introducing the foundations of education to hundreds of young minds.

Edmond Charles Schaefer (’74) traveled globally procuring and selling machine tools to his clients. He then continued his 35-year career in international sales and marketing with Magnavox, Hughes, and Raytheon. He spent over 25 years volunteering for Junior Achievement, working with young students and teaching them about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness. He particularly loved his involvement with Reading Seed (Literacy Connects), coaching kindergarteners and first graders in the love of books and reading.

Mark Jules Silverman (’71) was an attorney who primarily practiced law in California. His career involved legal work for over 40 years in the Los Angeles area. He dabbled in acting. He was a proud member of the Kung Fu community, teaching and mentoring when possible.

Randi Snider (’69) was a certified scuba diver, avid skier, and general sports enthusiast. She was very knowledgeable about many of the players and game stats for several teams including football, basketball, and Formula 1 racing. She also was a quick study, and a fierce competitor. She entered the horseshow circuit and had a long successful career competing in many local and national jumping competitions. She, alongside her husband, enjoyed the thrill of racing Spec Racer cars.

Stuart K. Spencer (’51) was a legendary political consultant and confidant to three presidents. His consulting firm, Spencer-Roberts, managed 400 campaigns over more than a half-century. His most conspicuous success, however, was as architect of Ronald Reagan’s improbable rise to political fame. Reagan was elected governor in 1966 and reelected in 1970, launching a political career culminating with two terms as America’s 40th president and certifying Spencer as an extraordinary political rainmaker. Two days before leaving office in 1989, Reagan presented Spencer with the Presidential Citizens Medal, praising his “invaluable advice, guidance, and good sense for eight years and longer.” In 1993, Spencer was inducted into the Association of American Political Consultants in 1993.

Leslie Ann Taft (’77) established the Desert Fencing Academy over 20 years ago in Palm Desert. In 1976, Taft began her fencing career at Cal State LA, where she competed on the women’s foil and epee teams. Upon graduation, she continued to compete for the Los Angeles Athletic Club. She moved to the desert in 1984 and began teaching fencing classes at College of the Desert (C.O.D.) in 1986. In 1990, the C.O.D. fencing team was formed and has been successfully competing in foil, sabre, and epee. While she was an award-winning fencer with many medals, her proudest achievement was coaching youngsters and adults alike in the art of fencing.

Phillip Tavonatti (’66) coached actors for 30 years before retiring to write. He was a schoolteacher and college counselor during the 1960s.

Joseph Wambaugh (’60, M.A. ’68) was a bestselling author and former Los Angeles Police Department detective sergeant. Though he originally intended to teach, he joined the LAPD in 1960 and served for 14 years, rising to the rank of detective sergeant. During his time on the force, Wambaugh began writing fiction and nonfiction. His debut novel, The New Centurions (1971), was a commercial success and led to a film adaptation. He went on to write several acclaimed books, including The Onion Field, The Black Marble, and The Glitter Dome, many of which were adapted for film or television. Wambaugh also created the influential NBC series Police Story (1973–1978). A recipient of three Edgar Awards and a Grand Master honoree from the Mystery Writers of America, he retired from the LAPD in 1974 as his growing literary fame made it difficult to continue police work.

Timothy Doyle Waters (‘74) served as a real estate attorney specializing in real estate and business purchase and sale transactions, most recently at Higgs, Fletcher and Mack. During his 22-year tenure with the firm, he served as an equity partner and on the partner board. Among his many accomplishments, he was honored by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers in Southern California, a testament to his professionalism and the respect he earned in his field.

Mark Withers (’91) was a television actor known for portraying Ted Dinard in the original Dynasty series. In addition, Withers had guest appearances on Wonder Woman, Magnum, P.I., The Dukes of Hazzard, Hart to Hart, Remington Steele, Dallas, L.A. Law, Days of Our Lives, Matlock, Kaz, The King of Queens, and Frasier. In recent years, he continued his television career with roles in True Blood, Criminal Minds, Sense8, Castle, Drop Dead Diva, Reckless, and Stranger Things. He also had various roles in production on films like Basic Training, The Ultimate Life, Turn Around Jake, and Bolden. He also went on to star in national spots for major brands like Folger’s Coffee, Irish Spring, Tartar Control Crest, and American Airlines.

David Wilkinson (’99) served in television broadcasting and was employed by television stations KFSN-TV (previously KFRE-TV) in Fresno, CA, and KCSM-TV in San Mateo, CA. As a television engineer, he assisted in the building of KFSN-TV’s G Street studio facility in Fresno. David also built, operated, and served as station manager and chief engineer of over-the-air UHF Channel 59 in Fresno. He also served as chief engineer of a number of Central California radio stations. He established, and served as first president of the California State University, Fresno chapter of Alpha Epsilon Rho, the National Honorary Broadcasting Society. He served on the board of the Fresno City and County Historical Society, which was responsible for the operation of Kearney Mansion, the former home of M. Theodore Kearney. He also served as a commissioner on the Fresno County Historical Landmarks and Records Commission. He also served in the field of academic librarianship and served at the UCLA University Research Library. He also held library faculty positions at two California State University (CSU) libraries, namely Cal State LA and CSU, Chico. He was tenured at Cal State LA and served two terms in its Faculty Senate. Also at Cal State LA, he served in several long-term interim administrative positions, including serving as University Librarian and Assistant University Librarian for multi-year periods. For the CSU system, he served on the CSU Council of Library Directors for two years.

Nabih Youssef (’71) was a renowned California-based structural engineer and seismic design pioneer. As founder and CEO of Nabih Youssef & Associates, he led the development of landmark seismic safety innovations, including the base isolation of Los Angeles City Hall and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. A key figure in shaping California’s earthquake engineering standards, he chaired seismic safety committees for both the state and the City of Los Angeles and contributed to national codes through the Building Seismic Safety Council. His firm’s projects, such as LA Live, The Broad Museum, and the upcoming UCSF Parnassus Heights hospital, reflect his commitment to performance-based design. He was also a former professor, a devoted mentor, and a cofounder of several educational initiatives.

Cal State LA Faculty (2024-2025)

Wayne Bishop, emeritus professor of mathematics, served as a distinguished former chair of the Department of Mathematics at Cal State LA. He began his career as a high school teacher before pursuing higher education, earning his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. In 1972, Professor Bishop joined the faculty at Cal State LA, where he taught various mathematics courses. His influence extended beyond the classroom through various state-level educational panels and a lifelong mentorship of students. His legacy is characterized by his commitment to mathematics education, his dedication to his students, and his enduring positivity.

Roger Raymond Bowers, professor of biology, earned his undergraduate degree at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, and his doctoral degree at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Bowers joined the faculty at Cal State LA in 1972. He taught premedical sciences courses at Cal State LA, including undergraduate courses in embryology and histology, as well as graduate courses. He was a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences, including those in Europe and Japan. Bowers received the Outstanding Professor Award in 1986 for his achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service. He retired from his full-time position in 2007 and then taught in the Faculty Early Retirement Program until 2012.

Berken Chang, professor of physics, was trained in the postwar physics boom and established his career in the space race. Berken started college at New Mexico State University before transferring to Caltech on a full scholarship. In 1958, he received his degree in physics with honors, beginning work at Hughes Aircraft, testing missile guidance systems and radiation effects on electronics. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from UC Berkeley in 1967, specializing in optics and spectroscopy. After graduation, he held research positions at many prominent institutions, including UC Berkeley, Bell Labs, and NASA Ames. He joined the Cal State LA faculty as a physics professor in 1969. He taught more than 10,000 students throughout his career, many of whom became prominent physicists and engineers in their own right. He took an interest in mentoring underprivileged students to help them gain a foothold in engineering, later funding a scholarship at Caltech to provide the next generation with the same opportunities he had.

Philip C. Chinn, emeritus professor of multicultural education and special education, served multiple terms as chair of the Division of Special Education. Previously, he was an administrator at the University of North Texas and taught at the University of Utah. He was the special assistant to the executive director for minority affairs at the Council for Exceptional Children, where he coordinated the first national conferences on the Exceptional Bilingual Child and the Exceptional Black Child. He coauthored two special education texts. The 12th edition of Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society, coauthored with Donna M. Gollnick, was published in 2024. He also served on the California State Advisory Commission for Special Education and was on the Board of Examiners for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). He served on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) from 1995 to 2001 as a regional director and vice president. He also served as the coeditor of the NAME journal, Multicultural Perspectives, with Penny Lisi from 1999 to 2002 and has been honored by NAME with an award in his name—the Philip C. Chinn Book Award.

Ricardo J. Gómez, emeritus professor of philosophy, was a philosopher of science who earned degrees in Buenos Aires in math and physics as well as philosophy. His full-time academic career there ended in his early 1940s after teaching and serving as a dean at the Universidad Nacional de la Plata. He started graduate school again at the University of Indiana, receiving a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1982. He began teaching at Cal State LA in 1983, retired in 2011, and continued to teach as a FERP faculty member. He developed new courses, such as “Latin American Philosophy,” for which he had bilingual students translate articles that he compiled in an anthology in order to have appropriate course material. He also developed a program that brought Argentinian philosophers to Cal State LA as visiting scholars for a term. He was honored with a University Outstanding Professor Award in 1996. In 1998, the Honors Program named him their Professor of the Year. In 1996, he received the Konex prize (Premio Konex), a national award given to scholars for achievements in the humanities, and in 2016, he was further honored by the even more prestigious prize, the Platinum Konex Prize.

Darrell Wesley Guillaume, professor of mechanical engineering, was a senior mechanical engineer at the first Aetek/McCrometer Division and then at Bird (Medical) Products Corporation. A registered professional engineer, he earned two patents for designing components of medical ventilators. He earned his bachelor’s (1983) and master’s (1987) degrees at San Diego State University. After earning his Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering at University of California, Irvine (1997), Guillaume joined the faculty of Cal State LA’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was esteemed as a teacher and served as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for eight years until his retirement in 2016.

Ellen King Kravitz, emerita professor of music, was a music educator, scholar, and advocate for the arts. She served in the music department at Cal State LA from 1967 until her retirement as professor emerita in 1999. She also taught at Immaculate Heart College and Loyola University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music from Georgian Court College and later completed a master’s degree and Ph.D. in music education at USC. Kravitz was a noted scholar of Arnold Schoenberg, co-publishing the first catalog of his visual works and contributing to the Arnold Schoenberg Institute. She authored Music In Our Culture (1997) and lectured widely on music history and related arts. With her husband, Dr. Hilard L. Kravitz, she cofounded Friends of Music at Cal State LA, raising scholarship funds for students and organizing musicales and major fundraising events.

Theresa Larkin, professor of theatre arts, pursued her MFA at UC Irvine, studying drama and Shakespeare performance. She directed many productions and delivered indelibly strong performances in The Visit, Coriolanus, The Threepenny Opera, and Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, among others. She began her professional life teaching and directing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, followed by an assistant professorship at San Jose State University. Back in Southern California, she served on the faculty of National University and embarked on a long career at Cal State LA as tenured professor before her retirement in 2018. A lifelong learner, she studied activism, cultural studies, and media at Claremont University, where she received her master’s degree in 2009 and her Ph.D. in 2011.

James “Jaime” A. Regalado was a respected political scientist, educator, and public affairs leader whose career spanned more than five decades. A U.S. Navy veteran and professor emeritus of political science at Cal State LA, he served from 1991 to 2011 as executive director of the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, where he advanced nonpartisan policy research, civic engagement, and youth violence prevention across California. A widely published scholar and sought-after political commentator, Regalado taught at Cal State LA, Cal Poly Pomona, and Occidental College. He founded the California Policy and Politics publication. He received his bachelor’s degree (1971) and his M.A. (1973) from Cal State LA.

Sidney Richman, emeritus professor of English, was often described as a gifted teacher, who was loved and respected by his students and influential in their lives. His primary teaching area was 20th Century American fiction, but he also taught courses over the whole range of American literature, in the European novel, in poetry and fiction writing and in composition. His most significant achievement was his 1965 book on Bernard Malamud for the Twayne United States Authors Series. His was one of the first important studies of Malamud’s work, widely admired by critics and sufficiently popular both to sell well and warrant two foreign language translations. In addition to serving on a number of department committees, he was instrumental in developing a department honors program during the 1960s and also played a significant role in the creation of the English Department Writing Center. From 1974 to 1977, he served as chair of the Department of English. He also served on the committee organized to dedicate the John Palmer Wing of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library.

Simeon Peter Slovacek, emeritus professor of education in the Division of Applied and Advanced Studies in Education, was an educator, researcher, and longtime professor at Cal State LA, where he served for 39 years. He earned his undergraduate degree in physics from Syracuse University and completed a master’s degree, Ph.D. in educational research and evaluation methodology, and post-doctoral work in economics at Cornell University. He joined Cal State LA in 1981 as director of institutional research before becoming a full-time faculty member in the then-Charter College of Education. In 2011, he received the university’s Outstanding Professor Award for excellence in teaching and scholarship. With his wife, Camille, he also established the Simeon and Camille Slovacek Scholarship for Education Foundation and Advanced Studies.

Robert John Stull (“Bob”), emeritus professor of geology, initially pursued architecture at Carnegie Mellon University, but his passion for the outdoors led him to study geology in Texas and ultimately earn his Ph.D. from University of Washington in Seattle. Stull began his career at Cal State LA in 1969. He was an inspiring teacher, leading many students to pursue careers in geology. Stull was Geology Department chair for many years, and his sabbaticals took him to New Zealand and deep into the Mojave Desert.

Ralph S. Spanswick, emeritus professor of accounting and chair of the Department of Accounting, attended Albany Business College, where he earned a B.A. in accounting in 1959. He then went on to get an M.A. degree from New York University in 1961. He continued his journey in higher education and received an Ed.D. from Northern Illinois University in 1967, as one of the youngest individuals to do so. Prior to working at Cal State LA, Spanswick was a professor at Hunter College, which is part of the City University of New York. He began his academic career at Cal State LA in 1970 and earned his tenure in 1972 in the Department of Business Education and Office Administration. He served as chair of the department from 1985 to 1990. The department was later renamed as the Department of Office Systems and Business Education. He was given a joint appointment in both OSBE and accounting in 1988. In 1993, he transferred to the Department of Accounting and later served as chair from 1995 to 1999. He earned his bachelor’s (1983) and master’s (1987) degrees at San Diego State University.

Stewart Mark Venit, professor of mathematics, attended Queens College, where he was valedictorian and won the Paul Klapper Scholarship in 1966. He then went on to get a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, before embarking on a 43-year career as a professor of mathematics at Cal State LA, where he received the university’s Outstanding Professor Award for teaching.