College of Humanities Newsletter

Spring 2012, Volume 6, Issue 2

In This Issue

Departments and Programs

  • Asian American Studies
  • Chicana/o Studies
  • English
  • Gender & Women’s Studies
  • Liberal Studies & Humanities Interdisciplinary Program
  • Modern & Classical Languages & Literatures
  • Philosophy
  • Religious Studies
  • Office of Interdisciplinary Studies:
    • American Indian Studies
    • Central American Studies
    • Jewish Studies
    • Linguistics
    • Queer Studies
    • Russian Studies
    • Sustainability Studies

Meet our new Director of Development

Submitted by June Penrod
June Penrod
Photo courtesy of
Jenny Donaire

June Penrod’s background is as diverse as the College of Humanities. She spent the last five years at a development marketing company, assisting charities nationwide and speaking at conferences on various topics in fundraising. She also has worked as a gift planner at a small liberal arts college, working with donors in achieving their giving goals.

June hails from New York City, where she worked with inner-city children for three years, raising their achievement standards in a Bronx public school. Currently, she resides in Simi Valley with her husband, Todd, and their little Bichon, Charlie Brown, a pup who seeks love and attention even in his sleep. She was kind enough during her first busy week on the job to sit down and tell us more about her decision to join the College of Humanities team.

Why development?

“I used to be in the for-profit field, working with many charities across the country in improving their development efforts. Whether it was feeding the hungry, healing the sick, or educating the youth, I had the opportunity to work with many different nonprofits. But the commonality of all these different organizations is the passion of the individuals who stand behind each of their missions. The greatest joy I had working with these nonprofits was building the relationships with the friends and donors of the institutions. Working with all these nonprofits made me realize how much I wanted to go back to working with donors.”

Why CSUN?

“I married into it! When I lived in the San Fernando Valley, of course I came across many friends who were alums of CSUN. But it wasn’t until I met my husband that I realized the importance of CSUN in this community. You see, CSUN saved my husband’s life. It made him work hard for his education and allowed him to set a goal to achieve something better for himself. I married my husband because of his persistent nature and resilience. I believe that achieving his college education at CSUN helped him obtain those great qualities in him today; qualities that help him succeed in his professional career, too!

“I want alums like my husband to realize the true value of a CSUN education. I want them to see how it changed their lives, too. I look forward to meeting many more alums like him and listening to their own stories of how CSUN changed their lives.”

Why the College of Humanities?

“I believe that we are all students of the humanities, no matter where your interests may lie or what you do as a career every day. With that said, it isn’t everywhere that you can speak about social justice, equal rights, and other provocative topics in a safe environment. CSUN is one of those places where the members of its community are privileged to be able to voice their opinions while learning to respect and listen to others. I have been craving that environment for quite some time and it’s very exciting that I can do that every day as part of my job.

“I am excited to partner with Dean Say, as I know she is a tremendous asset to this college. I feel very privileged to work with someone who is so well respected by students, colleagues, and friends of the community. It just makes my job here that much easier and more enjoyable.”

Next steps?

“My goal is to be out of my office, visiting with people and having meaningful conversations about the college. If you have a passion for the work at the College of Humanities, I want to hear from you! I would love to hear about your ideas and how they might make a greater impact in this dynamic college.”

To contact June Penrod, please call her at (818) 677-7135 or email her at june.penrod@csun.edu.