2024 HHD Conference Sponsor Profile: Alumna Maral Farsi (’03)
Maral Farsi, MPH, MS, (BS, ’03, Health Sciences), a champion of HHD for many years, was a Bronze Sponsor of the 2024 HHD Research Excellence and Innovation Conference. Currently, she is Deputy Director of Governmental Affairs at the California Department of Public Health in the Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs and reports to the Department’s Director and State Public Health Officer. Farsi collaborates with elected officials regarding issues related to legislation that impacts the department. She serves as an appointee of Governor Gavin Newsom.
After graduating from CSUN, Farsi went on to earn a Master of Public Health Degree from UCLA School of Public Health, and after further professional experience, earned a second Master of Science Degree, this time in Law from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
We asked Farsi about her early years at CSUN. While every student’s path is unique, we hope the common experience is that students are motivated and that their time at CSUN leads them to the route they want to take. Farsi is a great example of a student who arrived with uncertainty about where she was going, but who asked questions—of others, and of herself—to discover her interests and strengths. She knew she liked to help others, and pursuits in HHD affirmed the value of this trait. She let her curiosity lead her to establish relationships with students, faculty, and administrators, as well as to community engagement opportunities, all of which would help her find her way to a career in Public Health.
HHD: Maral, thank you for sharing your story with us. Let’s start with a philosophical question: What does your CSUN Education mean to you?
M: Like many undergraduates, my time at CSUN was a journey of firsts, failures, and growth. I came to better know and understand myself and what I wanted for my future. My first job at the University was as a student advisor for incoming freshmen in the College of Health and Human Development [HHD]. In this role, I affirmed my desire to help people. It was through my coursework that I came to love the field of Public Health. It was through my extracurricular activities on campus and volunteering off-campus that I came to love advocacy and policy. Two decades later, I still attribute my experiences at CSUN for helping me grow into the person I am.
HHD: You went on to get further degrees after your Bachelor’s from CSUN. As a student at CSUN, what did you see for your future?
M: There were several years I spent bouncing around majors, questioning my academic pursuits, and feeling completely lost in myself. Thanks to VP of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dr. William Watkins’ encouragement and support, I decided to settle on a Health Sciences degree (now split into Public Health and Health Administration) simply to find a path to graduate.
Unexpectedly, though, after the first day in my first upper division class, I knew that I had found the right program for me. The course was called Motivating Health Behavior Change and everything about it made sense to me. The subject matter felt innate. Every course from that point forward built the foundation of the work I do today. Over the course of the following semesters, I knew I wanted to continue my education through a Master’s in Public Health, focusing on Health Policy & Administration.
HHD: So this is the way you discovered your path while at CSUN…
M: A person’s life and career are rarely a direct path. Mine certainly was not. There was a lot of… off-roading, if I stay with the analogy. I would say that the foundations of who I am today, both professionally and personally, were established at CSUN. This journey was most definitely inspired by professors like Dr. Ron Fischbach and Dr. Louis Rubino—both of whom encouraged me through my program and challenged me to pursue graduate school. Vice President Watkins was my champion. Dr. Greta Madjzoob was an advisor and became a friend.
I was also very involved on campus—with the Associated Students and the Orientation program. Some of my closest friends to this day are those who knew me then and keep me grounded today.
HHD: Getting to know people is another aspect of getting a degree that sometimes doesn’t get enough mention. Thank you for sharing those key factors with our audience. What do you hope to convey to students through this profile?
M: In my final two years at CSUN, I worked harder than I can describe. I raised my grades and focused on my next step: to get admitted to a graduate school. In 2003, I was honored to be awarded one of the University’s four Outstanding Graduating Senior awards. I was also accepted to some of the best graduate schools in the world and enrolled at the highest ranked Public Health program in California.
I am very proud of my achievements but there were also personal struggles and missteps every step of the way. There were many things I wish I could have done or believe I should have done when I was at CSUN so I try to give back by mentoring or elevating the programs at the school whenever I can.
I suppose I would want any student to know that nothing is easy and everything is possible. I hope they make the absolute most of their short time at CSUN and stay focused on whatever is the next step in their journey.
HHD: The time does pass quickly, though it may not seem to while we’re in the midst of it. I’d like to talk about your sponsorship of the HHD Conference. Can you elaborate on the value of the Conference and why you chose to support it?
M: The greatest value I can attribute to my education at CSUN was the practical knowledge that is taught in the classroom. As a student, I learned both foundational theory and application of those ideas into valuable professional skills.
When I read about the HHD Research Excellence and Innovation Conference, I immediately felt the need to support it in some way because this is what the University does best—takes ideas, evaluates them, and primes them to be put into action. I hope to see the Conference grow and that our faculty and students benefit from grants in the health and human development fields based on the great work that was presented.
HHD: Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us!
M: Go Matadors!
F2024
Jean O’Sullivan/HHD