Commencement speaker announced for 2018 ceremony

President Pamela A. Eibeck announced Friday, March 27, that Regent Dianne Philibosian '68, Pacific alumna and former director of the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing at California State University, Northridge, will give the Commencement address on May 12 as we celebrate the graduating class of 2018.  

"I am delighted that Dr. Dianne Philibosian has agreed to serve as this year's featured commencement speaker," said Eibeck. "In her 20 years of service as a member of the Pacific Board of Regents, including being the first woman to serve as chair, Dianne has provided important leadership to Pacific. She also is a highly respected educator having had an exemplary 40-year career in higher education."  

In addition to serving as director of CSU Northridge's Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing, Philibosian also served 11 years as associate dean of the College of Health and Human Development. She also held faculty positions in the Elementary Education, Communication Studies, Child Development, and Recreation and Tourism Management departments at Northridge. She served as a governor's appointee and chair of the State of California Child Development Policy Advisory Board and is frequently asked to consult on child development issues.  

Philibosian is the daughter of immigrants who arrived in the United States over 100 years ago through a fortuitous circumstance: her father had booked passage on the Titanic but was delayed and missed the ill-fated voyage. Once here, the family prospered through hard work and education.  

After graduating from University of the Pacific, Philibosian taught elementary school in Stockton for several years before entering graduate school. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees at Southern Illinois University and spent several years helping establish and train the workforce at the first Head Start program in the state of Illinois.  

Philibosian has been recognized on numerous occasions for her leadership and contributions in education, including being the first recipient of the Excellence in Education Award from the Child Care Resource Center of Los Angeles, receiving recognition for Outstanding Community Contributions in Child Care Development from the Northridge Chamber of Commerce, the Outstanding Faculty Award from the CSU Northridge Child Development Alumni Association, and the Medallion of Excellence from the University of the Pacific Alumni Association for outstanding and exceptional service to the university.  

During the commencement ceremony, Philibosian will receive the Order of Pacific, the highest honor the university bestows to regents, administrators, faculty, or staff who have made outstanding contributions and demonstrated distinguished service to the university.  

Alumnus and New York Times best-selling author Matt de la Peña '96 was previously scheduled to speak at Commencement but is now unable to attend due to the anticipated arrival of his second child.