Department of Geography

College of Liberal Arts

California State University, Long Beach

Eileen Johansen Memorial Scholarship Reception

Dean Dorothy Abrahamse welcomed everyone and expressed the gratitude of the College of Liberal Arts for the formation of a new and important scholarship program in this CLA department.

Dr. Joel Splansky, Chair of the Department of Geography, gave a moving talk about the meaning of the scholarship to the department and the pride the department took in the accomplishments of this outstanding student during her time here and in the years afterwards.

Dr. Frank Gossette, who had supervised her internship with the City of Newport Beach, noted that she was the very first intern in Geographical Information Systems that the Department had ever hosted. He went on to describe how she quickly became indispensible to her agency and how, after her internship had turned into a (very handsomely paid) career, she maintained her ties with the department and hosted several interns after her.

Dr. Judith Tyner, who had taught Ms. Johansen in cartography, extolled her intellect and high energy while in the department. Ms. Johansen was a returning student who started her geographic calling as a divorced single mom raising two pre-teen and teen daughters. She worked full out to support her family and get through her academic program and managed to juggle all this and come out Magna Cum Laude.

Dr. Irisita Azary spoke about how the idea for the scholarship came from Dr. Gossette and how she had taken over as department liason with the family and the CLA Development Office when Dr. Gossette went on sabbatical leave. She noted that she did not know Ms. Johansen, but that she did get to know her family quite well through the process and was quite moved by the powerful impact Ms. Johansen had made on virtually everyone who'd ever come into contact with her. She also stated that CSULB geography students are preponderantly working their way through school and this scholarship would very significantly improve the conditions under which the awardees work.

At this point, one of Ms. Johansen's daughters, Ms. Shellee Johansen Ziller, rose to speak of the tragedy of her mother's premature accidental death and the lasting reverence that her mother had given her for education and the geographic profession. She read a statement describing her mother, her travails in accomplishing her education, and love for her discipline and the family's sense of being honored by helping lend immortality to her spirit and memory through putting together the endowment for this new scholarship.

Ms. Maryann Annunziata, the CLA Director of Development, concluded with an expression of gratitude to the family for providing this opportunity to other students.

Other faculty in attendance included Drs. Ed Karabenick, Jean Wheeler, and Chrys Rodrigue and Professors Willa Mann and Kris Jones. Staff present included Ms. Lisa Mikhail and Mr. James Woods (who was a contemporary of Ms. Johansen and volunteered anecdotes about their friendly competition as cartographers and GIS specialists). Many members of Ms. Johansen's family were there, including her mother and two daughters, as were many co-workers from her post- collegiate career. Ms. Eileen Johansen is deeply missed by many, and the Department of Geography is very proud to host a scholarship to perpetuate her memory and help other students struggling to complete their educations.

Photos

Photograph 1: Dr. Frank Gossette and Ms. Johansen's daughter, Ms. Shellee Johansen Ziller

Photograph 2: Ms. Johansen's family and Dean Dee Abrahamse

Photograph 3: Geography Department faculty and staff

Photograph 4: Ms. Johansen's friends

This document is maintained by Geography Webmaster: rodrigue@csulb.edu
Last Updated: 03/25/00