Crawford Alumni Center
Homecoming 2022 Grand Marshal
2022 Distinguished Alumna Award recipient Ellen J. Neufeldt to serve as homecoming parade grand marshal
Two-time Tennessee Tech graduate, 2022 Distinguished Alumna Award recipient and California State University San Marcos President Ellen J. Neufeldt will lead Tech’s homecoming parade as grand marshal on Saturday, Nov. 5.
“I don’t know that words can express what this means to me,” Neufeldt said. “I’m really honored that Tennessee Tech would think of me, and it means even more because I grew up on that campus. Tech has been a part of me all my life, and the honor really goes to my parents and the life they lived and created for Tech students. Anything I have accomplished started with them.”
Harvey Neufeldt was a professor in Tech’s College of Education for nearly 40 years, and Anne Neufeldt served as an administrative assistant in Tech’s Department of Electrical Engineering. All three of their daughters – Ellen Neufeldt, Sharon Carter and Beverly Wagner – are Tech graduates. Neufeldt says coming back to campus for homecoming is truly a feeling of coming home.
“It’s going to be a very special homecoming for me to be back at Tennessee Tech, a place that was such a big part of my life – and not just during college but almost my entire formative experience,” she said.
Neufeldt received her bachelor’s degree in marketing and master’s degree in educational psychology and counselor education from Tech and her doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
In 2019, Neufeldt became the fourth president of CSUSM and immediately focused on engaging, interacting, listening and building relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community constituents. A champion of innovation and entrepreneurship, Neufeldt oversaw the opening of CSUSM’s Innovation Hub, an on-campus home for meeting societal needs, less than a year into her tenure. A nationally-recognized expert in student social mobility, Neufeldt is a champion of student success and inclusive excellence. She was named San Diego Business Journal CEO of the Year in 2022.
“Tennessee Tech gave me the opportunity to really grow as a person,” she said. “It was where I learned I could achieve great things, from public speaking to connecting with students and the community. My education there was a springboard to my entire career. I can trace so many things I’ve been able to accomplish back to my journey at Tech.”
The 2022 homecoming parade begins at 10:30 a.m. along Dixie Avenue, followed by the football game at 1:30 p.m. against Lindenwood. Other homecoming activities include the Golden Grad reunion for the Class of 1972 on Friday, followed by the Tech Sports Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies Friday night. On Saturday night, the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association will present awards to Neufeldt, Frank T. Omiyale, Ron H. R. Johnson and J. Elizabeth Hendrix at the annual Evening of Excellence.
For more information about the events taking place during this year’s “Hollywood Homecoming,” visit tntech.edu/alumnievents.
