Ivan Pitts, Pastor and CSUF Professor - March 10, 2021

03/17/21 • 60 min

Rev. Ivan S. Pitts, a native of Los Angeles, is the 11th pastor of Second Baptist Church (SBC) in Santa Ana, CA. Prior to pastoring at Second Baptist Church, Rev. Pitts served 10 years as the senior pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in Danbury, CT. Known for his unique style and enthusiastic delivery of the Word, Rev. Pitts earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from San Diego State University; a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Clark Atlanta University; a Master of Arts in Religious Education in Pastoral Studies from Fordham University; and a Doctorate of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling from the New York Theological Seminary. Having traveled the globe while and after serving in the United States Navy, Rev. Pitts now leverages the power of his education, training, and worldview to enhance pathways to Titan degrees as an adjunct professor at Cal State Fullerton. Rev. Pitts is a devoted husband to his wife, Tanishé, and a loving father to his four children.

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Asha Bhattacharya, President's Scholar and Business Marketing Student - February 25, 2021

Asha Bhattacharya is a President’s Scholar as well as a University Honors and Business Honors student at Cal State Fullerton. Poised to graduate Summa Cum Laude this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Marketing and a Minor in Psychology, Asha is currently conducting her Honors Senior Thesis on the relationship between mindset and leadership emergence in class settings, and has been selected to present her findings at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Throughout her time at CSUF, Asha has taken on myriad leadership roles, including serving as a Senior Resident Advisor, the Executive Director of Media Marketing for the Business Honors Program, the Programs Director for the Resident Student Association, and the VP of Public Relations for the Business Honors Program. Asha’s most meaningful area of impact with the university is also the avenue by which she met President Virjee: her dedication to provide CSUF students with better mental health care. In 2019, President Virjee appointed her to represent the university at the American Council on Education’s Mental Health Summit in New Orleans where she advocated for more accessible mental health resources for all CSU students. Upon graduation, Asha will begin a full-time position working for Amazon, but her leadership and legacy will continue to shine at her alma mater.

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Ted Mitchell, ACE President - April 6, 2021

Ted Mitchell is president of the American Council on Education (ACE) and served as the U.S. undersecretary of education during Barack Obama’s presidency. In every facet of his wide-ranging career — from president of a private liberal arts college and senior administrator at a state university, to a trustee of a major research institution and professor at an Ivy League university — President Mitchell has focused on equity, access, and academic success for all students. Mitchell received his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees from Stanford University. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Christine, and their two children.