Dev Chahil was all set. As a high school senior in Thousand Oaks, he had made his plans for college. He had been accepted to a university in San Diego. He already knew he wanted to pursue a science career.
But things change. Family finances made it difficult to enroll at the San Diego university. Instead, he decided to attend Moorpark Community College so that he could live and work near home. The college also featured a two-year biotechnology program--his primary area of interest.
By the time he was ready to transfer to a university, the fledgling California State University Channel Islands was a reality. Dev jumped at the opportunity--even though his specialized courses in the Moorpark College biotech program would not be transferable.
Dev drove down to the campus--which was still more hospital than university--to register. He was sure; it was a perfect choice. CSUCI was tailored to his goals, with coursework that fit his career choice and which already had ties to Amgen, the company he aspired to work for in the near future.
He did not know that on that day he would be the first student to register at the University. “I didn't plan that, but I guess it's something to tell my kids one day,” he said, just days before he was to graduate with honors with the Class of 2005.
When Dev came to the campus in the fall of 2002, he saw the transition stage from hospital to university. He recalls taking classes with as few as five or six students, most of them in the Bell Tower Building. Sometimes, students didn't have to move to another classroom between classes.
Phil Hampton, CSUCI professor of chemistry and one of the original instructors, recalls his first class on campus. “We had a very small class that first semester in the fall of 2002, with only seven students,” he said. “As a result, I was able to get to know the students extremely well. Dev was one of the brightest students that I have had in the ten years that I have taught organic chemistry. I know that any company that manages to hire him will be extremely fortunate.”
That link to business is one of the hallmarks of the University. And even in its early days, community and business connections had already been developed. Dev had internship opportunities outside the classroom at companies such as Biosource and Amgen.
At Amgen, Dev worked in the company's pharmaceuticals department, studying protein stability and reviewing candidates for new drugs--areas he would like to pursue professionally. “I can apply my love and background in science to creating new therapies that can help people,” he says.
“I'm very happy with my education. I liked the interdisciplinary approach. I took courses such as “Science and Professional Ethics” and science combined with English, where I learned how to write science papers. Both of them will be necessary in my profession.
“As one of the first students here, I knew that I was part of something new and special. I don't think I could have gotten this kind of education anywhere else.”