While all aspects of health care are growing fields, Eric Lavold ’10 recognizes that success in these careers may come slowly. “ You have to be patient and persistent to get in the door, and then once inside, patient and persistent to get the job done.” 

Brea-based Beckman Coulter is one of the world’s leading biomedical manufacturers with more than 10,000 employees worldwide, many of them in North Orange County.  Mihaylo MBA alumnus Eric Lavold ’10 is in charge of one of their clinical chemistry instrument product lines.  He discusses his career journey and how to get started in this growing field. 

With an aging population, biomedical advances and the digitalization of health-care data and delivery, all sectors of the health-care industry are experiencing significant growth. 

North Orange County is at the forefront of the health-care revolution as the home of Beckman Coulter, which has the led the way in global medical advances over the past 80 years by developing cutting-edge laboratory equipment, diagnostic tools and patient-care products to ensure optimal outcomes throughout the human lifespan. 

Mihaylo MBA alumnus Eric Lavold ’10 leads one of the company’s clinical chemistry instrument product lines, which involves the creation of products for the analysis of proteins in bodily fluids to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.  Continue reading →

Spur, Texas, a community of less than 1,200 about 70 miles east of Lubbock, became the nation’s first official tiny house-friendly community when the city council passed a unanimous declaration in 2014. 

Over the past 50 years, new American homes have been getting larger, even as household size has decreased.  In 2015, the average size of new homes built in the United States reached a record 2,687 square feet.  But some housing developments, including a proposed community in Anaheim, are moving in the opposite extreme, constructing tiny homes that offer affordability and minimalist living. 

A mile south of Knott’s Berry Farm in West Anaheim, Newport Beach developer AML Family LLC is proposing a new infill housing development of upscale single-family detached homes of about 600 square feet each.  Each of the 10 units would feature a single bedroom, kitchen facilities and a small living area, with a shared courtyard. 

While such small houses might resonate with Orange County residents seeking homeownership despite soaring costs, developments with tiny homes are a small but growing movement in American real estate. 

The Diverse Residents of Tiny Homes: From the Homeless to CEOs

From housing the homeless to providing chic accommodations for singles, young couples, empty-nesters and others seeking environmental and financial efficiency, homes of as little as 400 square feet have the potential to transform communities, create a novel way of filling vacant land in urban areas, and provide an alternative to large new constructions, smaller older homes in need of repair and apartment living.  Continue reading →

Whether you seek to develop an innovative entertainment concept such as an escape room or a more traditional business such as an accounting firm, Julie Hom ’14 says now is the time to get started on your vision. “ One of my favorite quotes is ‘if not now, then when?’  This resonates with me and motivates me to use my time wisely and continue moving forward in my vision and goals.’”  Photo credit iHeartCostaMesa.com

Entrepreneurship provides the opportunity to find your personal niche and make your mark on the world.  Mihaylo students and alumni have launched many types of businesses, including financial institutions, marketing agencies, restaurants and web-based startups.  One recent alumna developed an innovative business concept with her launch of TrapZone Escape Rooms in Costa Mesa. 

Escape rooms, which task players to solve puzzles in a physical room within an allotted time period, have become a sensation this decade.  Mihaylo alumna Julie Hom ’14 (marketing and ISDS) is the co-founder of TrapZone Escape Rooms in Costa Mesa, providing 60-minute adventure games at a location a few blocks from South Coast Plaza and adjacent to the hip shopping scenes at The CAMP and The LAB Antimall. 

Hom discusses her business concept, what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur and how a Mihaylo education prepared her for her career. 

How did you develop the concept of your business, TrapZone Rooms? 

I started TrapZone with two friends I used to work with at my previous job.  We launched the business and escape game on our own.  I manage our marketing and escape room design for our game, which is called “The Asylum.”  Continue reading →

By reaching the College World Series, members of the 2017 Titan Baseball Team will have opportunity to develop their athletic career potential and carry with them lifelong memories.  Photo by Matt Ulfelder ’17

The Cal State Fullerton baseball team made it to the NCAA College World Series this year for the 18th time in 42 years.  The team was honored at a reception at Goodwin Field on June 20.  Among the team members are several Mihaylo business students. 

Cal State Fullerton’s baseball season concluded on Monday after the Florida State Seminoles edged out the Titans 6-4, eliminating Fullerton from the best-of-three series held at T.D. Ameritrade Field in Omaha.  In their first game on Saturday, Oregon State defeated the Titans 6-5.  The losses capped a postseason in which CSUF defeated Stanford University in the Pac-12 conference and Long Beach State University, the Big West champion and archrival, in a super-regional. 

CSUF students and alumni joined fans from the Orange County community to welcome home the Titan baseball team on June 20, 2017.  Photo by Matt Ulfelder ’17

The Cal State Fullerton baseball program is among the university’s best-performing athletic programs, having 18 World Series appearances since beginning division play in 1975, including four national championships, for an average of an appearance every 2.3 years and a world championship every decade.  For more information, visit CSUF baseball online. 

Need an iPad or laptop for the day while working on an assignment or group club project?  Check them out at the Student Genius Center or Titan Student Union.  Photo from Pexels

Cal State Fullerton wants to ensure that students have access to the technology needed to succeed in classes and career development.  Here are five resources available to students for free or discounted cost. 

Adobe Creative Cloud

Want to hone your photography, graphic design or computer programming skills?  Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver are some of the software titles available to students with a one-year free license for use on their home computers.  While students of all majors who are actively taking courses are eligible, you will need at least 12 GB of free space on your device to successfully complete the download.  Only need one or two Adobe Creative Cloud programs?  You can choose which programs you need before downloading, thus saving space on your computer. 

Dropbox

College courses often involve assignments you might want to work on remotely.  Make accessing the latest version of your documents easy with 50 GB of free storage, available to students as a pilot program to offer Dropbox for Business for university students.  Upon graduation, you have the option of purchasing Dropbox Plus (formerly Dropbox Pro) at a discounted rate.  Continue reading →