Engineering holds golf tournament March 5
The Engineering Chapter of the Alumni Association is having its annual golf tournament on March 5 at Riverside Golf Course. All proceeds go to the Col. Rick Husband Memorial Alumni Scholarship Fund. To play or to become a sponsor, please call Roxanne Hinds at 278 8597 for detailed information.

Winemaster's Weekend 2010 is March 5-6
The ninth annual Fresno State Winemaster's Weekend will be held March 5-6 at the Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, where experts on grapevine grafting and pairing wines with fine chocolate will be featured attractions this year. Reservations may be made by calling Tenaya Lodge at 888-514-2167 or online at TenayaLodge.com/Winemasters.

Top Dog nominations due March 5
The Fresno State Alumni Association is accepting nominations for the 2010 Top Dog Alumni Awards, which are presented at the Top Dog Alumni Awards Gala during October’s homecoming activities. The Top Dog honors are highlighted by the Distinguished Alumnus Award, presented each year to a former Fresno State student who has made a significant contribution to the university, the San Joaquin Valley and California. Any faculty member, department chair, school/college dean, administrator, staff, student, alumnus or friend of the university may nominate any Fresno State graduate/alumnus for awards. All nominations are due to the Fresno State Alumni Association no later than March 5. See the full story here.

Maddy Institute looks at Valley education
The Maddy Forum, a public affairs radio program produced by the Maddy Institute, examines one of the San Joaquin Valley's biggest challenges in its next broadcast March 6-7, "Improving Education in the Valley: Our Unique Challenges" with businessman and community leader Dick Johanson, a former Fresno Unified School District trustee, and Dr. Larry Powell, Fresno County schools superintendent. The Maddy Forum airs at 1 p.m. Saturday and is repeated at 11 a.m. Sundays on 90.7, KFSR, the campus radio station. Maddy Institute executive director Mark Keppler is the moderator.

Next Dean's Series to be held March 11
The College of Science and Mathematics is sponsoring a dean's series on conversations about leadership in the academy. It includes reflections, musings, metaphors and confessions to foster a campus community of dialogue and lively conversation on leadership and professional development. The meeting will be held March 11, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Madden Library, Auditorium 2206.

Armenian Studies offers public lectures
Armenian Studies is offering public lectures with speaker Abraham Terian, Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies. The lectures address issues of the Armenian Genocide to increase awareness and inspire activism as the centenary of the most tragic event in Armenian history draws closer. “The Loud Cry: Early Responses to the Genocide in Armenian Literature“ will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 11, in the University Business Center, Room 191, Peters Auditorium. “The Less-Known Victims of the Armenian Genocide“ will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, in the University Business Center, Room 191, Peters Auditorium. The public lectures are free and open to the public. Contact the Armenian Studies Program, 278-2669, for more information.

Peach Blossom Festival March 18 and 19
The 52nd annual Peach Blossom Festival of Oral Interpretation will be held on Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19 at Fresno State. Approximately 6,000 children representing nearly 200 elementary schools from the San Joaquin Valley will participate in this year’s festival, which is hosted by the Department of Communication. The festival has grown tremendously since it began 52 years ago and now attracts schools from as far north as Livingston and as far south as Delano.The festival was created to help young people gain knowledge and appreciation of literature through oral interpretation and performance. For more information, visit the Peach Blossom Web page at www.peachblossom.net or call 278-4419.            

Fresno State plays major part in Big Read
Graphic novelist Tim Hamilton discusses his authorized adaption of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 on March 19 from 7-9 p.m. On March 20, a daylong tribute symposium on Bradbury will bring lectures, panel discussions, book signings and a video conference with the famed author to the Student Recreation Center. The Arne Nixon Center is teaming up once again with the Fresno County Public Library as part of this year’s Big Read event. The featured book, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, will be celebrated throughout Fresno County. Hamilton’s presentation will be held in the Woodward Park Branch Library located at 944 E. Perrin in Fresno. Refreshments and parking are free. For more information please call the Arne Nixon Center at 278-8116 or e-mail arnenixoncenter@csufresno.edu.

Kegley speaks March 23 on moral behavior and moral psychology
Jacquelyn Kegley, professor of philosophy at California State University, Bakersfield, speaks from 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23 in the Alice Peters Auditorium on the ethical side of new neuroscience. In her lecture, "Are We Our Brains? New Ethical and Legal Challenges from Neuroscience," she will discuss assumptions about persons, questions about privacy and informed consent, and the proper use of science and expert judgment in law. Kegley is the author of many books and articles, including Genuine Individuals and Communities and Josiah Royce in Focus. She has written extensively on bioethics and is an expert in the field of American philosophy. The lecture is free and open to the public. The lecture is sponsored by the Ethics Center, the Leon S. Peters Foundation, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and an IRA Grant. Visit the Ethics Center’s Web site for more.

Centennial celebration promotional deadline is April 1
The deadline to submit your centennial celebration plans is rapidly approaching. To ensure your college or program is included in promotions, calendars, and planning, please turn in your plans no later than April 1. It's going to be an exciting year on campus and the university wants everyone represented to tell their story of the last 100 years. If you'd like additional information or a copy of the guidelines, please contact Centennial Project Coordinator, Tracy Newel, at tnewel@csufresno.edu or 278-5660.

Common Threads Awards Program honors local women
Six women representing Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties have been selected as the 2010 honorees for the Common Threads Award, which recognizes women from the San Joaquin Valley for their agricultural, philanthropic and community service: Barbara Bigelow, Madera (Madera County); Robin Rogers-Dale, Reedley (Fresno County); Judy Walt Jameson, Tulare (Tulare County); Sue Lafferty, Hanford (Kings County); Jean Okuye, Livingston (Merced County); and Susie Snedden, Maricopa (Kern County). The 14th Annual Common Threads luncheon will be held Friday, April 16 at the University Courtyard Dining Hall. The luncheon starts at 11:15 a.m. and will feature award-winning Fresno State wines, a raffle and the Common Threads Award presentation. An educational workshop on education, community gardens and philanthropy will kick off the morning’s events in the University’s Henry Madden Library. Tickets are $35 prior to April 9; $50 per person after the deadline. Space is limited. Net proceeds raised from the luncheon go to the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation. For ticket information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Christy Melvold at Ag One, 278-4266

Vintage Days 2010 celebrates centennial
"Hang '10" is the theme of Vintage Days 2010, the annual spring festival April 15-18 that will help launch the university's 13-month Centennial celebration. The Centennial kickoff will look back to Fresno State's founding in 1911 as Fresno Normal School and peview events through Commencement 2011. The Centennial celebration will offer numerous opportunities during the 2010-11 school year for alumni from all academic disciplines to join the community on campus. Vintage Days includes social, cultural and recreational activities on the Maple Mall, accompanied by a wide variety of food, concerts and special events. On April 16, such popular attractions as the Boomtown Carnival, Casino Night, the Crafts Faire and Kid's Zone will begin their three-day run.

Yellow Brick Road leads to Fresno State
The Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Fresno State and the International Wizard of Oz Club are hosting a national Oz conference, “Oz: The Books,”
May 14-16, on the Fresno State campus. Featured speakers will include authors Gregory Maguire, Michael Patrick Hearn, John Fricke, and Kathleen Krull, as well as graphic novelist Eric Shanower. For more information, contact Angelica Carpenter, curator of the Arne Nixon Center, at angelica@csufresno.edu or 278-8116. For more information. See the full story here.