Peter J. Taylor. Photo: ECMC Foundation.

A new scholarship fund at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) honors the contributions of Peter J. Taylor, a transformational leader in education whose service to the California State University system and ECMC Foundation brought visionary focus on systemic change to provide higher education opportunities for underserved students.

ECMC Foundation’s board of directors recognized Taylor’s retirement after nine years of service as president by creating an endowed scholarship at CSUN in his honor. The scholarships will benefit students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in business administration and STEM programs, especially those who transfer from California community colleges and who demonstrate financial need.

As a group, transfer students make up more than half of incoming undergraduate students each academic year. In 2022, almost half of our incoming undergraduate transfers were first-generation college students, and most are from historically underserved communities.

“Peter’s service to the CSU, and his work to open the doors of possibility through higher education, will benefit our communities for generations to come,” said CSUN President Erika D. Beck. “And by honoring his impact with scholarships at CSUN, ECMC Foundation is making a real difference in the lives of students and the communities they go on to serve.”

“As organizations dedicated to helping students succeed, ECMC Group and ECMC Foundation are proud to support this new scholarship fund in honor of Peter’s service,” said Dan Fisher, president and CEO of ECMC Group. “We look forward to the impact this fund will have on CSUN students as they progress along their chosen postsecondary pathways toward meaningful careers.”

Taylor has served as president of the UCLA undergraduate alumni association and as a member of the University of California Regents. He served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for the University of California system during the Great Recession, reinforcing to him the importance of higher education in addressing issues of equity as a CSU trustee from 2015-2021, during which time he chaired the Finance Committee, the Educational Policy Committee, and the Investments Sub-committee.

ECMC Foundation significantly expanded its impact under Taylor’s leadership, helping the organization evolve into a strategic grant maker. Since he assumed the helm in 2014 through the end of his tenure, Taylor oversaw more than $250 million in grants and investments for more than 1,000 organizations, and the foundation is recognized as a leading national postsecondary funder.

“I am honored to be the namesake of a program so emblematic of what we have worked toward at ECMC Foundation: catalyzing opportunities and removing barriers for underserved students to complete their higher education journeys and proceed to great careers,” Taylor said. “California’s community colleges offer an incredible inroad to a bachelor’s degree, and I am deeply moved to be part of expanding this pathway for more students at CSUN.”

To contribute to the Peter J. Taylor Scholarship Endowment or create one of your own, please contact the CSUN Office of Development at (818) 677-2786 or development@csun.edu.

College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Science and Mathematics, CSU Board of Trustees, David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, Giving, Philanthropy, transfer students