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Some of our alumni who have impacted the media, culture and design industries include:
Filmmaker Julian Wilson (Bakersfield, ’87,’91) is executive producer of Nu Dawn Productions.
Artist Tobie Roach (Channel Islands, ’05) is one of the “chalk artists” who helped draw the 3D portrait displayed at the USA House throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Entrepreneur/designer Jackie Headley (Chico, ’73) founded the handmade collectibles company Woof & Poof.
Actress Lela Rochon (Dominguez Hills, ’86) has starred in Any Given Sunday, Waiting to Exhale and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Comedy writer J.R. Havlan (East Bay, ’87) has supplied the words that have yielded laughs for big names in TV comedy including Bill Maher, Steve Carell and Jon Stewart.
Robert Hanashiro (Fresno, ’78) has been a staff photographer with USA Today since 1988.
Cynthia Popp (Fullerton, ’85) adds a little drama to her life as the director and producer of CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful.
Stephen Hillenburg (Humboldt, '84) is the creator of the cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants.
Steven Spielberg (Long Beach, ’01) has directed and produced works such as Schindler's List, E.T. and Jaws.
Shannon Lindsey-Frugis (Los Angeles, ’10) co-founded Loveart&, a nonprofit that allows artists and designers to sell their work to raise money for underserved populations.
Puppeteer Nathan Danforth (Monterey Bay, ’09) just wrapped up a stint for the new Muppets movie.
Mezzo-Soprano Michelle De Young (Northridge, ’09, ‘10) won two Grammy Awards for Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording in 2002.
Eddy W. Hartenstein (Pomona, '71, '72) keeps it “newsworthy” as the Los Angeles Times’ publisher and chief executive officer.
Internationally acclaimed artist Wayne Thiebaud (Sacramento, '51, '53, ‘98) earned numerous accolades for his paintings, particularly his series of still-life pastels devoted to desserts.
Nicole Cerwin Nichols (San Bernardino, ’91) serves as senior vice president of communications and strategy for The Oprah Winfrey Network.
Julie Kavner (San Diego, ’71) creates chuckles as the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons.
Actress Annette Bening (San Francisco, ’80) and writer/director Lisa Cholodenko (San Francisco, ’87) received numerous Academy Award nominations for their work in The Kids Are All Right.
A. Robert Pisano (San José, '65) is
president of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.
Scott Peterson (San Luis Obispo, ’97), lead effects animator for DreamWorks, has films like Megamind, Shrek and Antz under his creative belt.
Joshua Sandoval (San Marcos, ’07) combines diversity and laughter as associate producer for Sí TV's Latino 101.
The music never stops for American jazz saxophonist Jason Robinson (Sonoma, ’98).
Robert J. Ulrich (Stanislaus, ’79) was recently nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Achievement in Casting for the pilot of Glee.
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Many of the CSU campuses directly supply graduates to industry giants like Disney, HBO and Warner Brothers, among others. To ensure that students acquire working knowledge in the industry, the CSU has established the CSU Entertainment Industry Initiative, which coordinates and integrates activities to help individual campuses leverage resources. 
Los Angeles is one of the world’s largest entertainment centers, and the CSU offers an in-depth education that gives students the tools they need to succeed in the television, music, radio and film community. CSU campuses have established partnerships with media powerhouses that offer students opportunities and career paths in highly sought-after industries. 
With the development of new technology, the design industry has grown rapidly and significantly. The CSU takes pride in creating professionals with a niche in all facets of the trade, including apparel, industrial, art, product, interior, Web and graphic design. 
The CSU awarded 59 percent of California’s bachelor’s degrees in fine and studio arts in 2007 and continues to contribute to the arts community with programs such as CSU Summer Arts. 
