University Honors Outstanding 2024 Graduates

University Honors Outstanding 2024 Graduates

President Ellen Neufeldt (far right) and Provost Carl Kemnitz (far left) honored six students as outstanding graduates from the class of 2024 (left to right): Patricia Tulloch, Miranda Grzywaczewski, Megan Hosfield, Jack Norwood, Jocelyne Dates and Nick Melanese (not pictured). Photo by Alicia Lores

More than 4,000 students are expected to graduate from Cal State San Marcos this academic year, including six standouts from the Class of 2024 who are receiving special recognition for their achievements.

Honorees were nominated by faculty or staff and endorsed by their college's dean. Here is a closer look at each award recipient:

Jocelyne Dates, master's biological sciences

President's Outstanding Graduate

Dean's Award, Graduate Studies

Dates' work ethic in the laboratory has inspired her peers and instructors, and her research will leave a lasting impact. Dates has mastered and established techniques that require the manual dexterity of a neurosurgeon while participating in the lab. She has impressively designed the lab logo and built custom-made research equipment, which increased data acquisition rate for an intricate bioassay from 50% to 100%.

Dates has taken the role of a mentor to multiple undergraduate and graduate students and creates a nurturing learning environment. In her role as a Summer Scholars mentor, she provided guidance to 13 undergraduate students and one graduate student, which resulted in a total of 25 conference presentations and several publications prepared.

Dates' outstanding scholarship and research contributions are the pinnacle of excellence. Her hard work has led her to be accepted into 12 Ph.D. programs (she'll attend Vanderbilt this fall) and she has secured over $1 million in external fellowship funding to date. Dates will graduate with four manuscripts and one invited book chapter while having delivered 10 conference presentations and co-authored another 15 conference contributions as a mentor.

Megan Hosfield, sociology

Dean's Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Hosfieldhas sought out all the opportunities available to her on campus. After she successfully completed Jonathan Trinidad's statistics course, she volunteered to audit his class. Trinidad quickly saw her deep understanding of the course, and he recruited her as a paid teaching assistant. In this role, Hosfield actively engages with students and provides them with clear explanation and personalized assistance during class and office hours. She has become a role model to students in lower and higher division statistics courses by leading by example and being responsible and reliable.

In addition to her remarkable work as student teaching assistant, Hosfield leaves an impact on her peers. While in Marisa Salina's large lecture sociology 311 class, Hosfield shared her own experiences with the intersections of various systems of oppression. It was a powerful experience for Hosfield's classmates about inequities within public health and social services.

Hosfield's hard work has led her to be accepted into eight Ph.D. programs in sociology and public health. She plans to study how people with mental health and substance abuse issues begin to rehabilitate socially.

Jack Norwood, business administration, management

Gerevas Family Dean's Award, College of Business Administration

Norwood works as a programming specialist for Associated Students, Inc., at the Temecula campus where he helps students by developing and managing student-focused programs and initiatives. In this role, he also works with other university student affairs departments and organizations in support of Temecula students.

Norwood has volunteered his time as an ambassador for the Temecula campus. He has participated in an Extended Learning marketing campaign, outreach events to prospective students, and represented the campus on efforts with community partners and Mt. San Jacinto College. Norwood has also represented the Temecula campus as part of the Business Organization for Student Success, the ASI Student Advocacy Committee, the Extended Learning Student Fee Advisory Committee, and has been the university representative for the Temecula Student of the Month.

Beyond the university, Norwood has participated in community service activities. He has been a site lead for the Cesar Chavez Day of Service for two years. Beyond his leadership, Norwood explicitly defines the day of service to the volunteers and its comprehensive benefit to the communities served.

Miranda Grzywaczewski, kinesiology

Dean's Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services

Grzywaczewski has shown a consistent and unwavering commitment to the CEHHS mission and vision as well as consistent engagement in community service and leadership activities. Through class discussion and peer assignments, she leads by example with her outside-the-box thinking. The effort and hard work she put into her coursework shows in her 3.94 CSUSM GPA, as she is one of the top-performing kinesiology students.

Grzywaczewski possesses a certification to do vascular stiffness measurements, which makes her one of four students to achieve this status. This process takes over 30 clinical screenings to perfect these vascular analysis skills.

Grzywaczewski also serves as the CEHHS representative for Associated Students, Inc., where she holds office hours and encourages student engagement. She has a clear passion for service and care toward others.

Patricia Tulloch, biological sciences

Dean's Award, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Tulloch has pushed through barriers and has emerged as a motivated leader who is dedicated to helping underserved communities. She leaves a positive impact while conducting biomedical research as a teaching assistant and working to make a difference in her local and international community.

Tulloch has been a dedicated researcher in biology professor Julie Jameson's lab for three years. She always brings a positive attitude to the lab, and she was excited to learn about mouse surgery, anesthesia delivery and dissection. Tulloch has shared her findings at the University of Irvine Immunology Fair and received funding to present at the American Association of Immunologists meeting in Chicago. She is committed to the study of skin diseases, diabetic wounds and psoriasis and she is a co-author on a manuscript that is soon to be published.

In addition to her work in the lab, Tulloch is a dedicated teaching assistant for Molecular Medicine, BIO 456. In this role, Tulloch demonstrates a natural ability to guide students through a team-based learning strategy while they work on case studies focused on medical therapeutics.

Nick Melanese, business administration, marketing

Dean's Award, Dean of Students

Melanese was recruited to the men's cross country and track and field team where he became CSUSM's record holder for the 800 meters, a multi-time California Collegiate Athletic Association champion and an NCAA qualifier.

Melanese was elected as a Leadership Council Member for track and field, where he oversees and facilitates conflict management, team-bonding, apparel and social media during council meetings. He has also been awarded the Elite 13 Award, which recognizes the athletic and academic achievement of a student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average in their sport.

In addition to Melanese's athletic achievements, he joined the University Student Union team as a video production student assistant in 2021. Melanese's creativity and dedication to the USU's mission and values were quickly recognized, which led him to transition to becoming the USU's marketing coordinator.

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