The 15th annual "Envisioning California Conference," jointly produced by Cal State Northridge's Center for Southern California Studies and the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento, will take place on Thursday, Sept. 25, and Friday, Sept. 26, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City.

This year's conference, titled "Dynamic Diversity: Expanding the California Dream," presents a rare opportunity for business leaders, community activists, politicians and educators to have frank discussions on what California's diversity means and on how they envision the state's various sectors serving its diverse populations.

"California is a state where many of us come because we believe it is a place that will allow a way of life that is abundant with opportunities and choices we might not have been exposed to elsewhere," said Stella Theodoulou, interim dean of CSUN's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, where the Center for Southern California Studies is housed. "It is true that we are rich in the diversity of our people and environment. However, in 2003, concerns remain about equal access to all of the state's resources.

"As the nation's largest and the world's seventh largest economy, California's dynamism and attitudes make it a bellwether of social, economic and environmental trends in the United States and internationally," Theodoulou said. "It is incumbent upon us to consider the consequences of social, spatial and environmental inequity and its potential to spark conflict or create positive solutions. That is what we hope to do at the conference."

Conference topics include transportation, urban justice, developing downtown housing stock, diversity in business and technology, sustainable communities, the state's informal and formal economies, education, health care, food, literature, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities.

Cisneros, a key player in national Latino politics, is currently chairman and CEO of American CityVista, an urban construction venture. He will deliver the keynote address on Sept. 25.

Martin Saiz, director of CSUN's Center for Southern California Studies and a coordinator of the conference, said the event was a product of a new partnership between Northridge and Cal State Sacramento. Traditionally, he pointed out, the conference is held in Sacramento.

"Bringing the conference to Los Angeles is our attempt to impress upon those who make policy and budget decisions in Sacramento the unique problems and opportunities in Southern California," Saiz said.

Saiz added that the event has a long-standing reputation for thoughtful, balanced and open discussion.

"At the risk of hubris, I believe the conference represents the best thinking in the state and often leads to changes in legislation and public policy," he said.

For more information about the conference, call (818) 677-6815 or visit the Center for Southern California Studies' Web site at http://www.csun.edu/~cscs/CSCSmain_new.htm.

CSUN's Center for Southern California Studies was established in 1996 to promote the study, documentation, and understanding of the cultural, historical, and ecological resources in the Southern California social and environmental setting. Housed in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the center provides a bridge between diverse disciplines across the campus while strengthening research ties between the university and the community. The Center provides locational and policy analysis to the university and Southern California communities, local businesses, and government agencies.