“The commitment to this performing arts center was a recognition that the university deserved a facility that would be a magnet for others who lived around it”

About: Dr. Jolene Koester served as fourth President of California State University, Northridge from 2000–2011. During her tenure, the University enrolled more than 35,000 students, employed nearly 4,000 faculty and staff, and celebrated its 50th anniversary as the only public university located in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, home to about 1.8 million residents. Koester led the effort to construct The Soraya (formerly  Valley Performing Arts Center), which celebrated its 10th anniversary on January, 2021.