The three will be honored at the university's annual Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood.

"The awards allow us to celebrate the many achievements of those being honored," said Northridge President Jolene Koester. "We are proud to have helped them prepare for their successful careers in journalism, public service and arts and entertainment. Their exceptional skills reflect the quality education and diversity of our programs that are hallmarks of our university. These three individuals and their outstanding accomplishments exemplify the best of Cal State Northridge."

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed by the university's Alumni Association. It is presented to individuals who have achieved a high level of success in their chosen fields of endeavor, thus bringing distinction to themselves and their alma mater.

Ron Insana, who earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1984, is anchor of CNBC's "Street Signs," which focuses on the New York Stock Exchange and commodities. Insana had previously co-anchored "Business Center" with Cal State Northridge alumna Sue Herera.

He is a regular contributor for NBC's "Today Show" and "The Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" as well as "Imus in the Morning" and other MSNBC programs. He also writes a monthly column for USA Today.

Insana began his career with Financial News Network (FNN) in 1984 and rose to managing editor and chief of FNN's Los Angeles bureau. While at FNN he was nominated for a Golden Ace award for his role in covering the 1987 stock market crash.

Insana has written three books on finance. The most recent, "Trend Watching: How to Spot and Profit From Wall Street's Latest Fads, Manias, Bubbles and Busts," was published in 2002 by Harpers Business.

Lingle, who graduated cum laude from CSUN in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, is the first female governor of Hawaii. During her campaign, she pledged to bring about a "new beginning" for Hawaii by restoring trust and integrity in government, strengthening the economy, fulfilling commitments to Native Hawaiians and reforming public education.

After graduating from Northridge, Lingle founded and published the Molokai Free Press. She first served the people of Hawaii on the Maui County Council in 1980. She went on to serve five two-year terms, three representing the island of Molokai. Lingle was elected Mayor of Maui County in 1990. At age 37, she was the youngest person and the first woman to hold that office. In 1994, she won a second mayoral term. She was elected Hawaii Republican Party chair in 1999.

First known as one half of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong, the multi-talented Richard "Cheech" Marin went on to earn a reputation as a respected actor and director, art collector, humanitarian and trailblazer for Latinos in the entertainment industry.

As the popularity of Cheech and Chong grew, they released a series of comedy albums which became best sellers and earned them a Grammy Award. Cheech and Chong's movie, "Up in Smoke," became the highest grossing comedy of 1978, topping $100 million at the box office. The partnership lasted 15 successful years.

Marin wrote, directed and starred in the highly acclaimed "Born in East L.A." His other film and television credits include "Tin Cup," "Nash Bridges," and "Judging Amy" as well as voice overs and children's projects like the "Lion King." He also had success with his first bilingual children's album, "My Name is Cheech, the School Bus Driver."

Marin's personal Chicano art collection, one of the largest in the world, is part of a blockbuster museum exhibit that opened at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, and is now on tour across the country. In September, Bulfinch Press published a coffee table book featuring highlights of Marin's art collection, titled "Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge."

A noted humanitarian, Marin received the 2000 Creative Achievement Award from the Imagen Foundation and the 1999 National Council of La Raza/Kraft Foods ALMA Community Service Award for his work on behalf of the Latino community. He is active in the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, El Rescate and the Inner City Arts Council.

For more information about the awards dinner, call the Office of Alumni Relations at (818) 677-2137.