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Sustainability that would coordinate research projects and teaching programs in this area. The Sikand family’s gift would be a cornerstone of this Institute.”Mark Sikand says he thinks his father hoped that by funding the Foundation, his family would continue contributing to the College and community in ways that would extend well beyond his own lifetime.“I don’t think he would like that his name is attached to it,” says Sikand, with a laugh. “He was very unassuming. But it’s a nice tribute to him, and I know he wanted to provide for the College’s future.”A Leader’s LegacyGunjit Sikand emigrated from India when he was 20 to attend Auburn University. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Colorado, where he met his wife Margarete, before moving to California and founding Sikand Engineering Associates in 1958.Sikand began his teaching career at Cal State L.A. that same year and provided many internship and employment opportunities to students over the years. One such student, Ron Horn, has worked at Sikand Engineering Associates for 54 years and is now vice president and co-owner. Horn also served as a part-time instructor at the College in the 1980s.“After serving in the Marine Corps, doing some construction work in Oregon, and attending junior college in California, I transferred to Cal State L.A. and had a couple of Gunjit’s classes,” says Horn. “I really enjoyed them, and toward the end of my junior year, he offered me a summer job at his company. I worked for him that summer, assisting some of his lab classes, and when I graduated, the company was looking for full-time employees. So I went to work there and never left.”Horn says Sikand was his mentor throughout his time at Cal State L.A. and Sikand Engineering Associates.“I was honored when he asked me to work with him,” says Horn. “He was one of the premier professors at Cal State L.A., and if you stuck with him, you learned a lot. Whenever I needed advice, I’d go and talk to Gunjit. So, when Mark was talking about the endowment, I thought it was a wonderful idea. I want to support the endowment and become a sustaining member to show my appreciationto the College and my mentor by ensuring the College can retain the best teachers.”Sikand was highly respected by his colleagues throughout his university tenure. Young Kim, emeritus professor and chair of civil engineering, says Sikand’s contributions shaped the College and left an indelible mark on the school.“When I irst came to Cal State L.A., Professor Sikand had already been a faculty member for several years,” says Kim. “In those days, the University was called Los Angeles State College, and the College of Engineering was called the Department of Engineering. Professor Sikand was one of the early pioneers of the College of Engineering, proposing countless new engineering courses and teaching a wide range of classes.”Kim says Sikand was a versatile educator, teaching a variety of disciplines in civil engineering, including engineering mechanics, surveying, soil mechanics, and water supply.“He brought with him practical engineering experience and the knowledge he gained from the private sector,” says Kim. “His students greatly beneited from his real-world experience. He was a great advocate of practicality in engineering education as a supplement to the academic curriculum.A man of conviction, high principles, and high standards, he was above all a kind, warm-hearted, friendly, and gentle person – a solid teacher who was always available to his students and eager to help them.”Shortly after establishing The Sikand Foundation, Sikand began his philanthropic relationship with the University. Over the last two decades, he established three endowments: the Sikand Scholarship Fund, the Gunjit Sikand Civil Engineering Endowed Guest Lecture Fund, and the Gunjit Sikand Civil Engineering Endowed Senior and Freshmen Design Fund.The Gunjit S. Sikand Faculty Endowment for Research in Urban Sustainability is the culmination of a lifetime of both personal and inancial contributions of Gunjit Sikand to Cal State L.A. •GUNJIT SIKAND“The Sikand Senior Design and Freshman Design Fund has tremendously affected project-based civil engineering education at Cal State L.A. This funding was critical in creating our senior designcourse, which won two national awards from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) in 2010 and 2011. We very much value the Sikand Foundation’s support,” says Dr. Rupa Purasinghe, chair of civil engineering and course coordinator of the Civil Engineering Senior Design course, who has worked closely with the Sikand family.InSights | 3