In honor of their accomplishments in their respective fields and their service and support of the university, Cal State Fullerton recognized four Distinguished Alumni and two Honorary Alumni on Feb. 24 as the 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Award recipients. Established in 1994, the biennial awards are the highest honors presented by CSUF to alumni and community supporters.
Fran Colwell knew early on that he wanted to pursue a career in science and conservation. Inspired by the first Earth Day in 1970, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in forest watershed management in his home state at the University of Arizona in 1977.
Colwell went on to have a 40-year career with the United States Forest Service at several locations across the West. After his retirement in 2012, he found a new outlet for his love of conservation and public service through volunteering at the Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton.
In recognition of all the ways he has served the community at the Arboretum, the Friends of the Arboretum and the many Titan students who are being trained up as the next generation of conservationists, Colwell has been named a 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Honorary Alumni award winner.
Early interest
Growing up, Colwell and his family spent countless hours outdoors, hiking and camping in the desert and the mountains of Nevada and Arizona. The 1970 Earth Day sparked his interest in the environment, and as a first-generation college student, he felt fortunate to study forestry at a school in the middle of the desert in Tucson.
After graduation, Colwell’s first job opportunities were as a wildland firefighter and a forestry technician. His eventual positions with the U.S. Forest Service took him to various locations across Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado and eventually Southern California, his last stop, where he served as the San Bernardino National Forest director of Public Services and managed the Recreation Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers program. He was also the liaison to several local nonprofits that provided thousands of forest volunteers.
“It was a really rewarding, interesting, challenging and satisfying career,” Colwell said.
Even after retiring, Colwell had no intentions of slowing down. The Placentia resident got connected with CSUF through the Osher Lifelong Living Institute, where he took classes and volunteered on committees. As he was walking to class one day, he discovered the Arboretum, and he figured there was no better place for a retired forester to get involved than with a tree sanctuary, so he asked how he could help.
“In the Forest Service, we have a motto of caring for the land and serving people,” Colwell said. “So that’s a pretty good description of the ethic that I brought to my support for the Arboretum. To me, it was like a little ranger district integrated right there on campus with a multiple-use mission — serving the community and supporting students through conservation, education and research.”
Combining passions
Colwell began his volunteer service at the Arboretum by pulling weeds, a task he still happily takes on to this day. But his contributions haven’t stopped there. He has served on the Friends of the Fullerton Arboretum nonprofit organization, including three years as president. He also participated in the campus master plan, helping to transition the Arboretum from the 40-year Arboretum Joint Powers Agreement to University governance in 2020.
“It’s really helped me with my progression and passion for conservation and the environment,” Colwell said. “I love staying engaged with all the learning and opportunities there at Cal State Fullerton. There’s a lot of energy and diversity on campus, and it combines with my passions for plant conservation and student success.”
Additionally, Colwell assisted with the transfer of a $1.4 million gift to the CSUF Philanthropic Foundation for the permanent Arboretum endowment, and he and his wife, Sandy Koizumi, are sponsors of CSUF students through the Engaging Environmental Experiences program, an initiative that helps students develop their academic experience and leadership skills by engaging in real-world environmental service projects.
“Sandy and I believe it’s really important to help in any way that we can to develop that next generation of conservation leaders,” Colwell said of E3. “It’s a really unique opportunity, a relevant example of experiential learning … and it’s a program that we’re very happy to continue to support.”
Advancing the mission
Upon learning that he was a 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Honorary Alumni selection, Colwell was “surprised, honored, delighted and humbled to be in such rarified company.” He feels fortunate to be able to continue his passion for conservation, research and education through advancing the mission of the Arboretum, and he knows that these Titans are well on their way to doing great things.
“You read about challenging issues like climate change, biodiversity and habitat loss and environmental justice. … they’re in the headlines every day,” Colwell said. “We’re so fortunate to have a high-quality university like Cal State Fullerton in Orange County that offers that focused education, research and outreach through the Arboretum for the students to be able to take these projects on and be successful in developing their skills in learning about the environment.”