Longtime Imperial Valley Professor Emeritus, Former Library Director are Honored for their Legacies
A recent SDSU NewsCenter story detailed how a mosaic mural and endowment fund have been created to recognize the contributions of Reynaldo Ayala and Marta Stiefel Ayala.
A mural for SDSU Imperial Valley, composed of mosaic tiles and devoted to themes of learning and nature, and a new endowed fund for the university will honor the life and lasting legacy of renowned educator Reynaldo Ayala, and his wife Marta Stiefel Ayala, former director of the SDSU Imperial Valley library, whose shared work shaped generations of students on both sides of the border.
Reynaldo Ayala, who died Oct. 7, 2023, was an SDSU Imperial Valley professor in geography and a former librarian for more than 26 years.
Current SDSU Imperial Valley librarian Mara Cota said, “While I only met Dr. Reynaldo Ayala very briefly, I have had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Marta Stiefel Ayala, his wife, fellow scholar, and fellow SDSU Imperial Valley librarian. But before that I encountered them both while doing research in our campus history archive. Dr. Marta Ayala was a librarian here at the IV campus from 1978-1979 after earning her MLS in 1975.” She continued, “Then, after a year's leave to earn his own MLS in 1984, Dr. Reynaldo Ayala directed library services from 1986 until 1990 (Marta, by the way, was earning her PhD in library science at the time). Clearly, they both loved learning and culture, which is the essence of libraries and librarianship. We are very fortunate that they gave so much of themselves to this campus and I'm especially grateful for the ways they nurtured this library individually and as partners."
