Engineering Professor Doubles Her Financial Support for Program She Helped Found

Bonita Campbell, chair of Cal State Northridge's Department of Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management, believes so much in the department she helped found that last year she created a $25,000 endowment to ensure that the engineering management program has financial support in the future.

In a new demonstration of her commitment to the work of students and colleagues in the department, Campbell has doubled the size of the Bonita J. Campbell Engineering Management Endowment with the contribution of another $25,000.

"I've been fiscally conservative and invested my money wisely. Now it is time for me to do something with it-however small the amount," Campbell said. "I believe in what this department is doing and what the university is trying to do. This is just my small way of supporting it."

S.T. Mau, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, called Campbell's decision to double her gift a reflection of the commitment she has for her students and colleagues.

"Bonita Campbell is a dedicated educator whose determination to ensure that the students in her department have the best opportunities possible is outmatched only by her generosity," Mau said.

Campbell has been supplementing her initial gift with monthly paycheck deductions, generating even greater yields. Funds from the endowment go toward supporting student and graduate assistants. The endowment also helps cover program-related expenses, such as guest lecture fees, as determined by the engineering management faculty in the department.

Bonita Campbell has been teaching at Cal State Northridge for 30 years, starting out in what was then the Department of Mechanics and Materials. Campbell later chaired the department when it was called the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering and Applied Mechanics.

Campbell spearheaded the creation of the Department of Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management four years ago in response to demand for systems and production specialists who can serve the vast number of manufacturing production companies in greater Los Angeles. The department's programs are the only ones of their kind in the area.