The red curtain dropped, and a CSUN love story was honored in big letters on the side of the university’s newest academic classroom building.
The building formerly known as Maple Hall was introduced as Ronni and Shepard Goodman Hall at an unveiling ceremony March 23 on the west side of campus. The name honors a couple who met at the university in 1963 and were married for more than 60 years. They built a family and spent their lives lifting others through philanthropy and other efforts.
“Together, Ronni and Shep have built something remarkable: the family they created, the relationships they nurtured, the opportunities they enabled and the lives they quietly and generously changed along the way — their work has been extraordinary by any measure,” said CSUN President Erika D. Beck. “But anyone who knows them will tell you that Ronni and Shep understood that success is not measured by what you achieve, but by what you make possible for others.”
Ronni Goodman ’66 (History) passed away in 2025. To honor her memory and carry on her legacy, Shepard ’64 (Business Administration) donated $10 million to CSUN’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the largest gift in its history.
Nearly 200 people attended the unveiling ceremony, including students, faculty and staff, and CSUN Foundation board members. Several members of the Goodman family were there to witness the unveiling, including sons David and Adam; his two grandchildren, Spencer and Emily; and many close friends.
“May Ronni’s memory and inspiring legacy be a blessing,” Shepard Goodman said in brief remarks. “May all who enter this sacred shrine and pathway to the future of education and commerce recognize what a rare, gifted, special, selfless, brilliant, enduring and transformative leader she was, with an unwavering commitment to elevating CSUN’s inspiring and boundless commitment to academic excellence and student success.”
The Goodmans’ gift creates life-changing opportunities for students through scholarships and support for student travel, faculty research and educational innovations, said Yan Searcy, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, who served as master of ceremonies for the event.
“It’s through the generosity of Shepard’s gift that the college will better serve students, increase the visibility of our work, provide scholarships for students, and assist us in living out that vision in our tagline, which happens to be ‘locally engaged and globally prepared,’” Searcy said. “This gift is making it possible for us to continue those efforts at a top-tier level.”
The building now called Ronni and Shepard Goodman Hall first opened in 2024, becoming CSUN’s first new academic classroom building since 2009. It serves a critical need, Provost Meera Komarraju said, providing flexible classrooms, lecture rooms and collaboration spaces. Hundreds of Social and Behavioral Sciences classes, and classes from other colleges, convene there.
“We know that where we learn shapes how we learn and ultimately who we will become,” Komarraju said.
Marcelo Cabrera Figueroa, the Social and Behavioral Sciences’ student senator, spoke of the opportunities he’s had at CSUN, including the Model United Nations and CSUN in D.C. programs, a scholarship and engagement with faculty. He said these experiences gave him the confidence to be active on campus and in the community.
“I say all this to emphasize the impact investments make on a student, and to emphasize that the investments into education like Mr. Goodman’s donation are what create leaders and pioneers of the future,” Cabrera Figueroa said.
Comments are closed.