By now many of you know that I have decided to retire from the position as your Cal State Fullerton president, effective July 31, 2023. This was an incredibly hard decision — I love CSUF and the Titan family deeply, and as president over the past five years, I have dedicated my entire being to this great institution and the students, faculty, staff and community we serve.
It is impossible to express to you in words what being your president has meant to me. I am so proud of all we have accomplished together. The stories in this issue of Titan magazine offer yet another example of that transformative work.
Cal State Fullerton is not only the largest undergraduate university in California, but it is also No. 1 in California for graduating women — like Kelsie Whitmore ’20, ’22, the first woman to play in a Major League Baseball partner league, and civil engineering alumna Chloe Gharios Osorio ’17, who is empowering other women to pursue careers in STEM through the #stompingoutstereotypes movement.
We, at CSUF, boast the second-largest business school in the nation, graduating Titans like Truff hot sauce co-founder Nick Ajluni ’15. He and communications alumnus Nick Guillen ’15 are just a few examples of the trailblazing entrepreneurs who gained knowledge, mentorship and hands-on opportunities here in our Titan halls.
You’ll also read the incredible success story of our “It Takes a Titan” comprehensive philanthropic campaign, which raised an astounding $270 million — surpassing our initial $175 million goal — to advance the university’s mission well into the future.
My fellow Titans, Julie and I could not be more proud of the life-changing work that we have done together with you, and the thousands of Titans we have met along the way who exemplify the Titan definition: “One who stands out for greatness of achievement.”
Of course, the journey is not yet over. We have the foundational groundwork for establishing a new strategic plan, and we cannot and will not take our eye off our continued commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. If there has been a single defining principle or emphasis of my time at CSUF, it has been our unwavering and complete devotion to creating a community where all can thrive and reach their full potential.
Julie and I look forward to supporting our beloved university for decades to come as it soars to even greater heights under the leadership of a new president. For now, I just want to say thank you. It has been a true blessing and honor to serve with you.
Always a Titan,
Framroze M. Virjee, JD
President
California State University, Fullerton
