Adele Corvin to be awarded honorary degree from CSU

San Francisco State University will celebrate Commencement 2013 on May 25

SAN FRANCISCO, April 29 2013 -- Lifelong volunteer, community leader and philanthropist Adele Corvin will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the California State University and San Francisco State University at SF State’s 112th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 25.

Corvin serves as the president of the Morris Stulsaft Foundation, which supports Bay Area children with programs in early childhood education, participation in the arts, services for foster care children and youth, and pathways to work.

Adele Corvin, center, pictured with President Les Wong and Phyllis Wong, will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters at SF State's 112th Commencement ceremony on May 25.

In all, Corvin has served on boards of more than 20 organizations and is the recipient of 20 awards for her community work, having been honored by the National Adult Day Services Association, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the San Francisco Foundation, the San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association (SPUR), the League of Women Voters, and the Bay Area United Way, among others.She has held leadership positions in numerous community organizations, including the San Francisco Adult Day Health Network which she established in 1980; the Institute on Aging, where she is a lifetime honorary director; the Jewish Home for the Aged; KQED; Mount Zion Hospital, San Francisco; and as chair of the board of directors of the Bay Area United Way, the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter and the Jewish Community Federation of the Bay Area.

Corvin said it is “beyond her imagination” to be recognized by SF State for doing the community work that has been key to her life, and she urges the 2013 graduates to explore a similar path. “Being involved in your community adds a wonderful ingredient in your life, regardless of what career you choose.”

Corvin’s daughter Dana, now a member of the SF State Foundation board, received her master’s degree in special education from SF State, and Adele Corvin said she “is proud of the university’s growing influence in the Bay Area community over the last few decades.”

A native San Franciscan, Corvin also takes pride in her city’s long history of civil rights advances. “We’ve been fortunate to witness all these social changes,” she said, “and as a result, we’ve been part of making these advances happen, simply by being aware of other people’s needs. There's still work to be done. We don't see change overnight, but by degrees at a time."

Her first board appointment was to Camp Fire Girls, a start that laid the foundation for her tremendous contributions to San Francisco for decades to come. The volunteer spirit is a simple one, Corvin says: “Take advantage of opportunities that come your way, and do so with enthusiasm.”

SF State is the only master's-level public university serving the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. The University enrolls nearly 30,000 students each year and offers nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema and biology to history, broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies. The University’s more than 219,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.

To learn more about the 2013 Commencement, visit the SF State Commencement website.

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