| SFSU Public Affairs Press ReleasePublished by the Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University, Diag Center. |
SAN FRANCISCO, August 22, 2000-The College of Business has received a pledge of $150,000 from San Francisco State University alumnus Manny Mashouf, founder and president of bebe stores, inc.
The gift of $50,000 a year over the next three years is intended to help the College of Business recruit and hire new faculty.
"I believe that the most effective way to improve the quality of our lives for the future is to improve the quality of our children's education," said Mashouf. "When I realize that with so little a contribution, so much, and so many lives I can touch, I know that I am making a difference in our society."
"This gift comes at the right time for the College," said Ray Maghroori, dean of the College of Business. "A number of our professors will retire in the next few years and this gift will assist us in hiring high quality faculty to replace them and continue to effectively serve our students."
Maghroori also said that the gift will most likely be used to bolster hiring in the field of Management Information Systems.
Mashouf founded bebe in 1971. What began as a small boutique has since grown into a successful chain of stores featuring women's clothing and accessories. Forbes magazine put bebe stores in the number two spot on its 1999 list of 200 Best Small Companies. Business Week ranked bebe seventh on its 2000 list of Hot Growth Companies. bebe's signature line of stylish apparel is worn by a number of actresses and performers and regularly featured on television shows such as "Ally McBeal" (Calista Flockhart) and "The Practice" (Lara Flynn Boyle). Mashouf's wife Neda, an alumna of SFSU, is a member of the company's board.
In addition to being an alumnus of SFSU, Mashouf serves on the College of Business's Advisory Council.
Said Maghroori, "We were honored when Manny joined our board two years ago. He brings experience, enthusiasm, and a commitment to the College of Business's mission of providing a variety of programs to a diverse group of students. This gift shows that he realizes the challenges of attracting professionals to an area with such a high cost of living, and that he is committed to making sure we can continue to offer students quality instruction from top-notch faculty."
The College of Business at San Francisco State enrolls more than 5,000 students and has more than 120 faculty members. Business administration is the most popular undergraduate major at SFSU, chosen by nearly one in four undergraduates.
San Francisco State University is a highly diverse, comprehensive, public and urban university with an enrollment of 27,000 students. It is one of the largest campuses in the nationally-recognized 23-campus California State University system.
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Last modified August 24, 2000, by Office of Public Affairs