The day will begin in the center's commissary at 10 a.m. with CSUN's Entertainment Industry Career Marketplace, a "must-attend" event open to all Northridge students eager to network with key industry insiders.

Sponsored by CSUN's Entertainment Industry Institute, the annual marketplace this year will present panels of experts from ABC, American Women in Radio and Television, CBS, Disney, NBC, the Southern California Broadcasters Association, Universal, Warner Bros., the William Morris Agency and other entertainment organizations.

Panels will include "SPIN--Selling Your Positive Image Naturally," moderated by Carole Kirschner of the CBS Television Diversity Institute; "Where the Opportunities Are--and Aren't," Mary Beth Garber, president of the Southern California Broadcasters Association (SCBA) and SCBA Community Affairs Director LaFern Watkins, co-moderators; "The Road to the Executive Suite: How to be a Great Assistant," with moderator Brian Wright, director of staffing and recruitment, The WB Television Network; and "The Toughest Part of Show Biz: How to Get In," moderated by Jeff Gilbert, former account manager, NBC4, and current president and CEO of Conceptual Sales Dynamics.

"In show business, it's about access," said Entertainment Industry Institute director Robert Gustafson. "The marketplace is one of the few places where ambitious students can not only meet but share a meal and talk informally with people who carry real clout in the industry."

At an evening reception honoring the university's friends in the industry, the Entertainment Industry Institute will join with the CBS Studio Center, the Southern California Chapter of American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT) and the CSUN Alumni Association in hosting "CSUN Celebrates the Entertainment Industry." The event will be held on the Studio Center's New York Street back lot.

The first Entertainment Industry Institute Awards will be presented that evening to alumnus Michael Klausman, president, CBS Studio Center; alumnus Bruce Rosenblum, executive vice president, Media Research, Warner Bros., and Joseph Soukup, vice president and general manager of CBS Studio Center.

CSUN alumnus Michael Bessolo, senior vice president, marketing, promotion and publicity, 20th Century Fox Television, will be among the special guests, and Fritz Coleman, four-time Emmy winner, comedian and NBC4 weathercaster, will serve as master of ceremonies for the event.

"Northridge prizes its relationships with individuals in the entertainment world," said Gustafson. "They have been generous, even eager to donate their time, resources and expertise on behalf of our students."

The American Women in Radio and Television and the David S. Somerville Media Research Scholarship awards will be presented at the reception. Junior Amy Lou Ferrer and senior Gonzalo Valdivia III, both cinema and television arts students, will accept the Somerville scholarships. The AWRT application process is ongoing.