[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 69 (Tuesday, May 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING DR. HAMID SHIRVANI, PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE 
                         UNIVERSITY, STANISLAUS

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 15, 2012

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Mr. Cardoza, and I rise today 
to acknowledge and honor Dr. Hamid Shirvani, President of the 
California State University, Stanislaus, to thank him for his 
leadership and dedication to the academic advancement of the Central 
Valley.
  Dr. Hamid Shirvani faithfully served California State University, 
Stanislaus, as its President for seven years since his appointment on 
July 1, 2005.
  Under his leadership, the academic reputation of the university grew 
in stature and the university received national recognition for its 
excellence, including its first appearance in the Princeton Review's 
Best Colleges list in 2007, and then every year since.
  Dr. Shirvani carefully managed the resources of the university: 
eliminating a budget deficit that existed upon his arrival, building a 
reserve, and guiding the university through severe budget reductions 
that were not fully replaced by tuition increases. While these cuts 
were made more catastrophic by rising enrollment, Dr. Shirvani 
maintained and even improved the academic quality of the university by 
providing a high level of service to the students.
  Demonstrating his deep commitment to support and strengthen the 
region, he proactively and tirelessly reached out to the region's 
business community to learn about their workforce needs, build 
partnerships, and create new academic programs to address those needs. 
He did all this while also providing high-quality, educational 
opportunities for students that would prepare them for well-paying jobs 
in the region after graduation.
  President Shirvani tenaciously advocated on the university's behalf 
and established relationships with diverse educational partners and 
businesses and secured more than $118 million of external resources--
the fruit of which included eight newly endowed professorships and many 
large donations used to provide scholarships to students with financial 
need, fund the development of new academic programs, and build and 
upgrade campus facilities.
  His dedication to serving the students and putting their needs first 
was recognized when he was twice selected as President of the Year by 
the system-wide student body government, representing 430,000 students 
across 23 campuses, in 2007 and 2009.
  He is a visionary leader who made substantial contributions to higher 
education in the Central Valley and worked hard to raise the profile 
and stature of the university.
  In June 2012, President Shirvani will be leaving CSU Stanislaus to 
become the Chancellor of the North Dakota University System.
  Mr. Speaker, please join us in honoring and commending Dr. Hamid 
Shirvani, President of the California State University, Stanislaus, for 
his numerous years of selfless service to the education of our 
community.

                          ____________________