Eleanor Fishburn
2024 Awardee
Eleanor is the Chair of the Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians, Treasurer of the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians, a member of our President’s Chumash Advisory Council, and an Anthropology student. The concept of One Health aligns with indigenous worldviews, acknowledging relationships and responsibilities between and among all living beings and the environment. Tribal partners, like Eleanor, have helped us to translate this idea into practice at CI by helping us to learn about the cultural significance of this place. Her perspective and presence have been invaluable to the President’s Chumash Advisory Council, helping to shape its creation and evolution. Eleanor has dedicated her time and energy to helping us foster better relationships not only with tribal partners, but also with government agencies and non-profit organizations that we collaborate with, inspiring us all to do better. Her commitment to work with and across groups has inspired professional development opportunities, fostered approachable community relations, and inspired the importance of public outreach that's inclusive of multiple tribal communities.
Trent Ruiz
2023 Awardee
Trent Ruiz received the 2022 President's Award for Student Innovation for leading the establishment of the groundbreaking Augmented Reality and Simulation Lab at CI, supported by a prestigious grant from NASA. The ARSL is a cutting-edge Hololens 2 Augmented Reality Lab, equipped with 14 headsets dedicated to simulating corrosion damage in aerospace metals. By embracing this technology-driven innovation, Trent is actively showcasing the value of integrative approaches, a foundational aspect of our campus’ mission statement, by providing CI students with opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary research.
Sheradyn Ruef
2022 Awardee
Sheradyn received the 2022 President's Award for Student Innovation, a Computer Science student, Data Analyst Student Assistant for Career Development and Alumni Engagement, and last but not least, a President’s Scholar.
She was nominated for having “established several post-graduate outcome data projects
which have a significant contribution to CSUCI and our regional communities.”
Sheradyn’s work has helped us share our student success stories with external communities
and help programs further identify their post-graduate outcomes. Her nomination letter
said, “Ms. Ruef is an engaged student who possesses strong values and ethics required
of professionals in the technology industry. While her work ethic is stellar, it is
her ingenuity, positive demeanor and professional skills that tremendously impress
us.”
Cameron Bartosiewicz
2021 Awardee
Cameron is the recipient of the 2021 President’s Award for Student Innovation for his work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. Cameron saw a need in his community and took active steps to address it -- beginning a new nonprofit 501c3 organization to support LGBTQ students called The Youth Pride Association (YPA). YPA works to promote and foster the acceptance of LGBTQ+ people through education, support and advocacy.
In supporting his nomination, a colleague of Cameron’s and fellow CSUCI student stated: “Cameron is a driven, exceptional individual that wanted to help his community and found a way to do that through creating the Youth Pride Association (YPA) that strives to educate, support, and advocate for the LGBTQ community. This is an organization that focuses on community engagement and learning to decrease misinformation and hate. Cameron’s journey began through attending a communications class on Disparities for LGBTQ individuals, taken at CSUCI. Cameron utilized his knowledge that he learned through his education that he received to found the YPA.”
Cameron received this award and shared his experience with the CSUCI community at Fall Convocation on August 19, 2021.
Melissa Soriano
2019 Awardee
Melissa received this award because of her remarkable and innovative efforts to encourage students from under-resourced communities to seek educational and professional opportunities in STEM. Melissa's innovative efforts founded the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science student organization, SACNAS at CI, and served as an officer and president within the campus' Louis Stokes' Alliance for Minority Participation group, again helping STEM students raise their aspirations and meet them.
In addition, Melissa's leadership in organizing, and then expanding upon, the STEM Social is a prime example of her extraordinary work. Her efforts are inspiring others to seek careers in the STEM fields.
Professors nominated Melissa noting: "Melissa is devoted to opening the doors to higher education and to careers in STEM to those from populations underrepresented in both. She has been engaged in a number of outreach activities, both as a volunteer and as an outreach STEM assistant through Project PROMESAS. She has volunteered for the Science Carnival annually, preparing activities and training other students on how to present them."