CSUN Renames Building For Alumni After Record $10M Gift

NORTHRIDGE, CA — Cal State Northridge on Monday announced it will rename one of its buildings in honor of philanthropists Ronni and Shepard Goodman, who met as students at the university in the 1960s.

The couple recently made a $10 million gift to CSUN's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the largest gift in the college’s history. Following that, and the death of Ronni Goodman in June, the university will rename Maple Hall as Ronni and Shepard Goodman Hall.

“Ronni and Shepard’s legacy embodies the transformative power of higher education,” CSUN President Erika D. Beck said in an announcement. “Their extraordinary generosity reflects their deep belief that success carries with it a responsibility to empower others to reach their own highest aspirations. This gift will open doors for generations of students, creating pathways to opportunity that strengthen entire families and communities.”

The building opened on the west side of campus in 2024; it was the first new academic building since 2009. The hall houses lecture rooms and classrooms for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Shepard Goodman earned his degree from CSUN — then called San Fernando Valley State College — in 1964, while Ronni Goodman graduated with a degree in history in 1966. They married in 1964.

Shepard was the longtime president and CEO of Mechanical Refrigeration Enterprises and in 1980 founded MRE International Corporation, which specializes in refrigeration and air conditioning components for global markets.

“My beloved Ronni’s legacy is one of love, service, generosity and promise,” Shepard Goodman said. “We have long believed in education’s power to transform lives, particularly for first-generation students like we were. In tribute to her life and legacy, I am honored to continue championing the causes most important to her and to us, ensuring that CSUN’s students will be able to achieve their academic dreams for generations to come.”