CSUN Professor Creates Scholarship for South Asian Students Interested in Engineering, Computer Science


Cal State Northridge professor emeritus Nirmal Mishra has established a scholarship for students from South Asia interested in studying engineering and computer science.

Mishra has donated and pledged more than $20,000 to the university to create an endowment to support the scholarship.

"Professor Mishra is someone who believes strongly in giving back to society what he feels has been bestowed upon him," said S.T. Mau, dean of CSUN's College of Engineering and Computer Science. "By establishing this endowment, he is leaving a lasting legacy at CSUN as a caring faculty member who has made a difference and will continue to do so."

Mishra, who taught electrical and computer engineering at the university for more than 20 years, said the scholarship endowment was the least he could do. He said he would not have gotten his education without financial assistance.

"I am from India, and I got a scholarship so I could finish my education here," he said. "I know what it means to international students who come here to study to get a scholarship."
Mishra said during his time at the university, he would regularly get calls from international students, particularly from South Asian countries like India and Pakistan, asking how they could study at Northridge.

"I wanted to help them as much as I could," he said. "The fund I created is actually a very small token. I hope it will grow as my former students and colleagues who teach at Northridge learn about it."

For more information or to contribute to the endowment, call Tammy I. Glenn, director of development for the college, at (818) 677-6078 or e-mail her at tammy.glenn@csun.edu.

Cal State Northridge's College of Engineering and Computer Science is home to several nationally recognized programs where students gain valuable hands-on experience working alongside faculty members and industry professionals on cutting-edge research.

Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler, (818) 677-2130, carmen.chandler@csun.edu