The Partipilos, Gohstand and 23 other dedicated volunteers were recognized by CSUN President Jolene Koester and Northridge Alumni Association President Gene Detchemendy before more than 300 faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

The Dorothea "Granny" Heitz Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership, honoring alumni who serve CSUN as outstanding volunteer role models, was presented to the Partipilos, the only husband and wife to have served both as presidents of the alumni association and as officers and members of the Cal State Northridge Foundation Executive Committee and board of directors.

Tony Partipilo, who earned degrees in political science and history from Northridge in 1969, helped launch a series of receptions and university newsletter profiles designed to keep high-profile alumni closely connected to CSUN. As alumni association president, he set his sights on scholarships and greater alumni benefits, including group insurance. Partipilo's efforts were realized: this year marks the 20th anniversary of group insurance benefits for Northridge alumni.

Director of consultation operations and a supervising attorney with The Cochran Firm's criminal defense section, Partipilo is among the few to earn emeriti status on the CSUN Foundation board, which he served for 16 years.

Chris Partipilo, who earned a degree in history from CSUN in 1982 and a senior technical writer for Alcatel Corporation, was elected to the first of two terms as alumni association board president in 1994. She pushed for creation of "Northridge Alumni," the precursor to today's "Northridge Magazine," in an effort to keep alumni informed and involved.

In addition, Partipilo helped launch the campus' first bank card alumni partnership.Her leadership resulted in the association's first strategic plan, considered the cornerstone of the university's modern alumni relations program.

Robert Gohstand received the 2005 Emeriti Merit Award, for emeriti or retired faculty or staff with strong histories of support for the welfare and intellectual progress of CSUN's students.

A 20-year member of the Faculty Senate Library Committee, Gohstand helped his brainchild--the Oviatt Library's Reading Room--come to life. With wife Maureen, he established an endowment to ensure the continual collection of new books for the Reading Room, where great literature can be read for pleasure.

Gohstand, who led a successful drive to preserve the CSUN orange grove as a historical treasure, also helped create CSUN's Old China Hands Archive, documenting the history of non-Chinese residents of China prior to 1949. He serves as volunteer project director for the archive.

Other 2005 Volunteer Award winners:

• Ann Bisno, special education professor emerita
• Jose Castellon, technology director, Space Technology Platforms & Integrating Technology, Northrop Grumman
• Ghassan "Gus" Elias, material control manager and senior certification engineer, Moore Industries International
• Claudia Garcia, business information technology consultant, CSUN's Office of Information Systems, College of Business and Economics
• Richard Gay, engineer, Rocketdyne
• Bert Glennon, Los Angeles Superior Court judge
• Joy Guihama, division manager, health promotion and policy development division, City of Pasadena Public Health Department
• Cindy Hanks, member, Matador Athletic Association Board of Directors
• Claire Herczeg, manager of resource projects, J.D. Power and Associates
• Pastor Herrera, director, Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs
• Dena Hall Ivancie, Dena Hall & Associates arts appraisers
• Lauren Kinast, coordinator of interpreting services, CSUN National Center on Deafness
• Fred Levy, president, Friends of the Oviatt Library
• Cynthia McAuley, associate director, Therapeutic Living Center for the Blind
• Lorraine McNaugton, home health physical therapy division, Kaiser Permanente
• Maria Ramos, director, Rigoberta Menchu Tum Foundation
• Anthony Rubino, weapons integration branch chief, Engineering Directorate, Edwards Air Force Base
• Richard Schweitzer, CFO and COO for Metropolitan West Securities, LLC
• Haroldeane "Deanie" Snell , knowledge management team member, Pratt & Whitney-Rocketdyne
• Kiho Sohn, knowledge management team member, Pratt & Whitney-Rocketdyne
• Marianne Stone
• Smith, speech pathologist and master teacher, Saugus Union School District
• Milt Valera, president, National Notary Association
• Cassandra Yeh, owner, real estate investment company