CSUN gets $2 million to start entrepreneurial program.

This regular feature focuses on philanthropic activities by Valley-area companies and businesspeople.

California State University, Northridge, received a $2 million gift from Calabasas-resident Ernie Schaeffer for its Entrepreneur Program.

Schaeffer's gift will go toward the Center on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in his name at the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The center will connect students to real-world inventors and entrepreneurs.

Schaeffer, who used to run Schaeffer Magnetics in Chatsworth has had a long standing relationship with the university. At age 81, Schaeffer continues to lead a group of volunteers discussing how to integrate entrepreneurial themes into academic teaching.

CSUN president Jolene Koester called his gift, "Transformational. His generosity and inspiration will be the foundation of a center where imagination and creativity will be encouraged and flourish. It is from such an environment that true innovation emerges, and we are proud to partner with Mr. Schaeffer in fulfilling his vision," Koester said.

S.T. Mau, dean of CSUN's College of Engineering and Computer Science said Schaeffer's gift is the largest the college has ever received.

Gift for Center

California Lutheran University (CLU) in Thousand Oaks received a $500,000 gift for the construction of a new Early Childhood Center from philanthropists Marvin and Mariclare Suomi. Plans are being developed to build a $1.7 million, 3,500 square foot facility on the west side of the north campus property. Former director of the program Joy Brooks will host a fundraising event in July in order to raise additional funds. Serving on the Board of CLU's Regents, Marvin Suomi is the president and CEO of KUD International and chairman of KUD Limited, subsidiaries of construction and development company, Kajima Corporation. Suomi and his wife, have three children. The Center, now accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, is a part of CLU's master's degree project that originally opened in 1974 offering pre-school programs to children in the Conejo Valley.

Donation to Fund

The government operations division of Health Net Inc., Health net Federal Services donated $250,000 to the Pentagon Memorial Fund to contribute to the memorial for the 184 people that died from the jet crash into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

The $32 million memorial will have 184 benches in honor of each person who died as a result of the crash. The benches will be centered over a pool of water in the 1.9 acre park near the Pentagon.

Construction is expected to cost approximately $22 million and $10 million will be allotted to provide maintenance.

The contribution is a part of Health Net's giving program "Supporting Those Who Support Our Military Heroes" to help offer programs to assist those in the military and their families.