Longtime Imperial Valley professor emeritus, former library director are honored for their legacies

A mural for the SDSU Imperial Valley library, 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 former librarian for more than 26 years. Ayala was recognized for his dedication to higher education, student mentorship, and border-focused scholarship. He played a key role in expanding educational opportunities for students in both Imperial Valley and Mexicali, Baja California, fostering crosscultural understanding, bilingual education and international collaboration.

The tributes to Ayala were announced Feb. 13 as family and community members gathered to celebrate the contributions of Ayala and his wife and see the unveiling of the early stages of a mural gifted by the family and created by artist Jesus Corral.

Attendees at the event had the opportunity to contribute to the mural, by adding mosaic tiles. When completed, the mural will be installed in the LA building at SDSU Imperial Valley, Calexico. 

The mural focuses on themes of education, nature, cultural knowledge, and the shared responsibility of shaping future generations. 

At the center, a tree rises from an open book, its roots intertwined with pages and its branches encircling a globe. Toward the bottom, the mural depicts children walking across the book’s open pages, symbolizing curiosity, learning and the belief that youth carry the future forward. On either side of the mural, the mentors represent tradition, guidance, and intergenerational wisdom.

In honor of their parents, the Ayala family also launched the Imperial County Adelante Endowed Fund, an endowment of $25,000 designed to support SDSU Imperial Valley students and faculty-led initiatives related to Imperial County and/or the U.S.--Mexico border region.

Reynaldo Ayala in an undated photo at SDSU Imperial Valley.

“One of Reynaldo’s impacts was his fearless spirit of adventure as he moved from Coahuila to Minneapolis as a young kid and later moved his family to the border here in Calexico,” said Carlos Ayala, his eldest son. “He gave us one of his ways of being, his unwavering spirit of adventure and his lifelong love for his partner and our mother. It was all a gift to us.”

Ayala immigrated to the U.S. from Coahuila, Mexico in 1952. He earned a bachelor's degree in geography from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, a master's and doctorate in geography from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and a master's degree in library science from Texas Woman's University. His professional focus spanned geography, anthropology, border studies, bilingual education and library sciences.

“One of Reynaldo’s legacies was his recognition that communities know what it needs to be successful,” said Guadalupe X. “Suchi” Ayala, daughter of Ayala and distinguished professor in the SDSU School of Public Health. 

“He believed communities need to be empowered with the tools and resources to make it happen,” she added. “We try to live up to his legacy every day in our public health work here in Imperial County and elsewhere.”

During his time at SDSU Imperial Valley, he organized educational trips to Mexico and Latin America, allowing students to experience their heritage firsthand. As an active community member and advocate for education, Ayala became an elected member of the Calexico Unified School District Board of Trustees in 1988 and again in 1992 and 1996, and served for many years as a member of the Calexico Neighborhood House Board of Directors and the Concilio de Estudios Chicanos. He worked to promote bilingual education through Nana's Books Warehouse.

In 2000, he received the Ohtli Award, the highest honor given by the Mexican government to Mexican citizens living abroad for service and achievement. The following year, he was awarded the Sol Azteca by the California State Senate in recognition of his professional and civic accomplishments.

“Dr. Reynaldo Ayala was one of the key people that prepared generations of future teachers, administrators and judges since SDSU Imperial Valley started as a campus that was focused on teacher education,” said Guillermina Gina Nuñez–Mchiri, SDSU Imperial Valley dean. “We’re here to honor the great legacy of Ayala and when people see his mural on our campus, they’ll know he was part of our story as a university and as a community.”