Mary Anne Sobieraj is retiring after 18 years of teaching in the Mathematics Department. Throughout her tenure here she has been an outspoken advocate for increasing the number of under-represented students in mathematics and the sciences. Sixteen years ago she helped launch the first annual Expanding Your Horizons Conference in the North Bay whose purpose is to encourage young women to study more mathematics and science in order to expand their educational and career options. Around the same time Sobieraj, along with two other colleagues, attended a conference at San Jose State University to discuss establishing Uri Treisman-type workshops at SSU. These workshops gained national prominence because they successfully encourage students from ethnic minorities to attend and succeed in mathematics courses. Sobieraj helped establish workshops at SSU in precalculus and calculus, and they continue to this day.
In 1993, Sobieraj encouraged SSU Vice-President Don Farish to take advantage of the opportunity to join the CSU-wide Alliance for Minority Participation to support underrepresented students so they could major in engineering, science or mathematics. The campus agreed to provide matching funds in order to be part of the project, and Sobieraj coordinated it for the next ten years. Dozens of students from SSU, as well as local community colleges, have successfully passed through the program and become science and mathematics majors. "SSU can be proud of this veteran fighter for extending the opportunities of education to all students, regardless of race and gender. She will be sorely missed," says colleague Sharon Cabaniss.
Hardisty Takes Post as Staff Sue Hardisty has accepted the position of Staff Assistant to the President effective Monday, May 21. She replaces Diane Young who will be retiring on May 30 after working at SSU for five years. Hardisty has been at SSU since 2001 where she has worked in the Office of the Provost where she has served as Receptionist, Administrative Assistant for Faculty Affairs and Academic Resources and as Assistant to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. Her past employment history includes seven years as a banker at Bank of America, and six years in public education K-12. She was the school secretary at Bodega Bay Elementary School, Vice Principal's secretary at Terra Linda High School, Principal's secretary at Madrone Continuation High School and Office Manager at Rancho Cotate High School. Hardisty and her husband Craig also work together as volunteer club manager, webmaster and bookkeeper for a junior girls volleyball club here in Sonoma County. She has also been a Girl Scout Leader, PTA Treasurer, and classroom aide. Craig and Sue have three children - Shannon, 21, Caitlyn, 18 and Brian, 17.
Dear Colleagues, I have decided to retire from the University as of May 30 and wanted to express to all of you how great it has been to work with such talented and wonderful people. I have many lovely memories and will cherish the friendships I have made during my years at Sonoma State. I am looking forward to fun, travel and being a gypsy with the love of my life, spending more time with family and all of the new adventures life will bring. If you have a chance, please stop by the office before May 30. I would love to see you before I leave. - Diane Young, President's Office