Local doctor donates to CSUN to create scholarship
Some college students are able to get through their years in school without needing a job, but others take on one or more jobs to pay for their education.
Dr. Celina Barba-Simic, an emergency medicine doctor and co-director of Burbank Emergency Medical Group at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, was familiar with the latter during her time at Cal State Northridge.
Humbled by her experience, the CSUN graduate recently made a donation to the university’s College of Science and Mathematics to help create the Dr. Celina Barba-Simic Biology Scholarship in honor of Dr. Steven Oppenheimer.
The annual scholarship will be available to a student who is conducting laboratory research in the department of biology in the College of Science and Mathematics.
Other details, such as the amount of the scholarship and the deadline for applications, are still being finalized, Barba-Simic said.
During her undergraduate studies at Cal State Northridge, Barba-Simic worked multiple jobs — as a teacher’s assistant at an elementary school in her hometown of Pacoima, a restaurant hostess and a cashier at a car wash — to help pay her way through school.
She would eventually graduate from CSUN in 1992 with a degree in cell and molecular biology and later graduate from Stanford Medical School. However, Barba-Simic said she never forgot about the amount of work she had to put in and obstacles she had to overcome to get to where she is today.
With the new scholarship, Barba-Simic said she hopes it will help students focus on their studies without having to worry about paying for their classes.
“I hope it protects them from having to do work-study, taking out a loan or other types of financial aid so they can focus on exploring labs and finding a professor that will guide them,” she said. “Hopefully, it gives them a better vision of what they want to do with their career in science, whether it’s teaching, medicine or a PhD.”
Although she was able to persevere and overcome her financial obstacles, Barba-Simic said she couldn’t have done it without the encouragement and education she received from Oppenheimer.
She said Oppenheimer, who was a professor at CSUN for 41 years and is now at emeritus status, helped her navigate all of her options during her undergrad years, and he wasn’t hesitant to write a letter of recommendation for his students.
“He just took care of business,” Barba-Simic said.
Having taught thousands of students over the years, Oppenheimer said he still vividly remembers having Barba-Simic as a student and recalls how dedicated and focused she was during her time in the biology department.
“What really stood out about her was her tremendous enthusiasm and her tremendous organizational skills,” he said. “I had no doubt that she would go on to be a leader in her field. She was absolutely motivated and hard working.”
Oppenheimer added he wasn’t surprised Barba-Simic would do such a selfless act for her alma mater, let alone dedicate the scholarship in his honor.
“It’s probably partly due to my personality,” Oppenheimer said. “I’m screechingly enthusiastic with students. I try to be an enthusiastic mentor and supporter. Some students don’t pick it up like she may have. She probably picked up my enthusiasm and my personality.”
anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
