Dominguez Today [Summer 2016] by California State University, Dominguez Hills

DOMINGUEZTODAY

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS

THE CARE IN HEALTH CARE A High-Touch Approach to High-Tech

Summer 2016

HU MA N C A RE Health care is an ever-present topic of national debate, and for good reason: The wellbeing of our citizenry at all ages and abilities is essential to moving this nation forward. Notwithstanding the political debate over affordable health care, most agree that ensuring Americans have access to prevention measures and medical treatments that are also affordable is important—so too is the delivery and the quality of that care.

What is most important about the education our professors and staff provide for students is the emphasis on ‘care.’

At Cal State Dominguez Hills, the programs within the College of Health, Human Services, and Nursing provide graduates with the foundation, knowledge, and skills to care for the people of California and beyond. What is most important about the education our professors and staff provide for students is the emphasis on “care.” There’s more to it than a polite bedside manner. Our students learn to understand the patient and his or her life goals along with the day-to-day activities he or she must accomplish in order to be happy and productive. A stellar example of this holistic approach is found in our Orthotics and Prosthetics master’s program, featured in this issue, which is one of only two such professional programs in the state. One in 10 practicing orthotists and prosthetists in the United States has been trained here at CSU Dominguez Hills. With a newly opened facility outfitted with the latest technology, the program is decidedly cutting edge. The education offered here gives equal weight to both the medical aspects of providing people with the devices they need to function and the face-to-face interaction and time required to really understand a patient’s needs. With a strong focus on quality of life, the Community-HELP (Health Enhancement Lifestyle Program), also highlighted in these pages, is an ongoing research and community service project offering wellness programs to seniors 55 years and older in the Carson area, which our students help conduct. This outreach and impact on our community is at the very heart of our mission as a university deliberately established 50 years ago among neighborhoods with acute needs in many ways, including health care. Our institution also draws students from across the state to our online Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in nursing, and hundreds of these students and alumni work in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, and other settings up and down the state, particularly in underserved areas in both urban and rural communities. As you’ll see in this issue, our current students in the nursing program not only fill their days with work and study but also spend volunteer time working with people in greatest need, including the homeless here in Los Angeles County. With all of the political rancor about health care we witness on the national stage, it’s important to remember where the literal health and care come from. This important area of scholarship, research, and training begins with remarkably dedicated and skilled professors and staff who guide and educate the students who have found their calling in the fields of health and science. This is a story we are honored to share about the “care in health care” at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Sincerely,

Willie J. Hagan, Ph.D. President

I N T H I S I SSUE Dominguez Today is published by University Communications and Public Affairs, an office within the University Advancement Division. President Willie J. Hagan Vice President of University Advancement Carrie E. Stewart (M.A. ’12) Associate Vice President of University Communications and Marketing John Axtell

A HIGH-TOUCH APPROACH TO HIGH-TECH

LIVING LONG AND PROSPERING

Community-Based Program Promotes Carson Seniors’ Health

Features

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Amy Bentley-Smith Art Director Laura Drake Contributing Writers Amy Bentley-Smith Paul Browning Cathi Douglas Laurie McLaughlin Photographers Nate Brown (B.A. ’13) Jeff Farsai Petra Pream

TAKING CARE OF THE GOLDEN STATE

Nurses on the Front Lines Tell Their Stories

Departments ON THE COVER

Spring 2015

Orthotics and Prosthetics student Matt Noel serves as a patient-model for his fellow classmates.

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SPOTLIGHT FACULTY FOCUS FACULTY NEWS PHILANTHROPY ALUMNI PROFILE CLASS NOTES ATHLETICS

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Campus News

LAUSD Local District-South Superintendent Christopher Downing signs the promise agreement.

CSUDH Guarantees Admission for Local LAUSD Students

When the last signature dried on the “promise agreement,” college-ready high school seniors in Los Angeles Unified School District’s Local District-South were officially guaranteed admission into California State University, Dominguez Hills. The signing represents the first time LAUSD has guaranteed enrollment to a university to graduates within one of its local districts. Local District-South includes approximately 4,700 students and 20 high schools stretching from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach and San Pedro. “We’re not just guaranteeing admission; it’s about students keeping in mind that college is a part of their future,” said President Willie J. Hagan of the program’s guarantee of priority admission to CSUDH for students who meet CSU course requirements.

President Hagan Joins Lionel Ritchie in City of Los Angeles Hall of Fame For his role in “reinvigorating” CSU Dominguez Hills’ mission for students and communities it serves, President Willie J. Hagan was honored in February with the City of Los Angeles Hall of Fame award for outstanding achievement

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in education during the city’s African American Heritage month celebration.

state, and hard-working students who want to transform their lives.”

“This is the kind of award that you don’t receive because of your actions alone,” says Hagan. “To receive an award honoring the achievement of a university, it really requires three things: a dedicated faculty and staff—and we have one of the best in the state of California—a group of supporters in our city and throughout the

California Board of Equalization member and CSUDH alumnus Jerome Horton (B.S. ’79, business administration) was also inducted into the Hall of Fame along with four-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lionel Richie and California Court of Appeal Justice Audrey Collins.

Student Success

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Re-Imagining the First Year of College

CSUDH students often engage in academic enrichment outside of the classroom and gain valuable knowledge and skills by presenting scholarly works to peers and experts within their fields of interest. This spring, a number of students returned from these conferences and competitions with awards.

CSU Student Research Competition Occupational therapy students Lisa Faust and Vanessa Dougherty (pictured with their faculty mentor, Associate Professor of OT Claudia Peyton, far left) took 1st Place in the Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences category at the systemwide CSU Student Research Competition for their research “Occupational Therapy Trauma-Informed Practice Using the Community Resiliency Model [CRM]: Narrative and Photo Voice with Veterans.” CSU Dominguez Hills is one of only 44 universities selected nationwide to participate in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) “Re-Imagining the First Year of College,” a sweeping initiative aimed at improving academic success, particularly among students from historically underserved populations. In 2014, CSUDH began institutionalizing a number of nationally recognized evidencedbased practices focused on student learning, persistence, and overall success. The results have been promising, with the university experiencing its highest retention rates in 22 years. CSUDH is also on track for an 11.2 percent increase in graduation rates in just three years. “We are excited to join with other universities in the CSU and nationally on this groundbreaking collaboration,” says Vice President for Student Affairs William Franklin. “While the focus is on eradicating critical barriers in the first year and being intentional about our institutional practices, the real purpose is to help every student who enrolls at CSU Dominguez Hills graduate and achieve their goals.”

Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association Members of the Toro Forensics team fared well at the Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association Cool-Off Tournament: Vince Richmond, theatre arts, took 4th Place in the poetry interpretation category; Alondra Carranco, criminal justice, 2nd Place in persuasive speaking; Kattye Soares, dance, won 1st Place in poetry interpretation; Arnaud Lukombo, political science, nabbed 1st Place in persuasive speaking.

Western Psychological Association Psychology students Daniel A-Haja, Kevin Munoz, Shelby Oppel, and Ray Jaquez won 1st Place in the International Honors Society in Psychology poster session at the Western Psychological Association Convention for “The Bones Effect: Television Influence on Perception of Forensic Science.”

Western Model UN Political science students in the university’s Model United Nations program returned from the WESTMUN Conference with several recognitions, including: Anthony Farley, Best Speaker, for representing the U.S. on the UN Security Council; Maria “Bea” Gadduang, Most Diplomatic Delegate, representing the Philippines on the High Commission for Refugees; and Arnaud Lukombo, Best Speaker, representing the Russian Federation on the Security Council. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS

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Digitizing Japanese-American History Thanks to NEH Grant The university’s Archives and Special Collections Department has received $260,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to continue its work digitizing artifacts that detail life for Japanese-Americans held in internment camps during World War II and during the first half of the 20th Century. This is the second grant CSUDH has received from NEH in addition to funds from the

National Park Service—together totaling $621,510—to lead a collaborative effort scanning and uploading letters, photographs, media reports, and other materials currently in archive holdings at 15 California State University campuses. Thousands of documents have already been digitized, and it is expected that another 10,000 documents and oral histories will be digitally cataloged and available via csujad.com.

“The central goal is to virtually unite the CSU Japanese American collections to make them discoverable and accessible on the project website,” says Greg Williams, CSUDH archives director and principal investigator of the project. “We are thrilled to receive additional support.” The CSU Japanese American Digitization Project is expected to be completed in mid-2018.

Watts Rebellion Commemoration Concludes The university continued to engage the campus and community in an interdisciplinary conversation on the root causes and legacy of the Watts Rebellion in the spring semester with a full schedule of special events and activities. The year-long commemoration strengthened the university’s commitment to the social justice mission it was founded on after the tumultuous events in August 1965, and fostered renewed relationships and new connections that will be key to continuing the critical work within the Watts community.

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1. Danza Azteca Xochipilli helped CSUDH dedicate a peace pole in the Sculpture Garden during Unity Fest to mark the end of the year-long commemoration. 2. Students like graphic design major Olympia Woods used art to explore the rebellion’s legacy and impacts on Watts in a “Watts Now: Student Exhibition.” 3. USC Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity Laura Pulido was among the featured speakers at the two-day academic symposium “Envisioning Transformation” who looked at the racial, economic and social problems that continue to exist today and how to move beyond them to a more unified future. 4. The Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers of Los Angeles captivated an audience in the University Theatre with its world-renowned harmonized choral arrangements of African-American spirituals. 5. Best-selling author Walter Mosley shared personal reflections of the Watts Rebellion as the English Department’s 2016 Patricia Eliet Memorial Lecture speaker.

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Commencement

The 2016 CSUDH Commencement Ceremonies were full of pomp, circumstance, and celebration. The university unveiled a new look for commencement this year and included some surprises, such as streamer cannons that showered the graduates after the conferral of their degrees by President Willie J. Hagan. More than 3,000 of the 4,200 eligible graduates—a campus record on both accounts—took part in the five college-based ceremonies.

Freshman Convocation

A Student Becomes an Alum Like That To reinforce to graduates that “Once a Toro! Always a Toro!” Cal State Dominguez Hills has instituted the Alumni Pinning at the end of each commencement ceremony. Five notable alumni led the graduates through the pinnings, noting, “We alumni have an obligation to help advance the academic mission for future generations and uphold the traditions of our university.” They then instructed graduates to place the alumni pin they had been given onto their gowns or their neighbor’s to signify their college achievements and their transition from students to alumni. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES Keynote Speaker: Ms. Lela Rochon (B.A. ’86, Communications) Actress Alumni Speaker: Ms. Towalame Austin (B.A. ’04, Interdisciplinary Studies) Executive of Philanthropy, Roc Nation

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY Keynote Speaker: Mr. Luis Patiño Sr. Vice President and General Manager, Univision Local Media Los Angeles Alumni Speaker: Mr. Jerry Arredondo (B.S. ‘04, Business Administration) Creative Director/Owner, AC Grafx Multimedia Design Lab and Commercial Printing

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COLLEGE OF HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, AND NURSING Keynote Speaker: Mr. Gary Radine (M.A. ’77, Applied Behavioral Science) President and CEO (retired), Delta Dental Alumni Speaker: Mr. Glenn Matsushima (B.S. ’84, Health Science) Certified Prosthetist - Orthotist, Prosthetic and Orthotic Group, Inc.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION COLLEGE OF EXTENDED AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Keynote Speaker: Dr. Arturo Delgado Superintendent of Schools, Los Angeles County Office of Education Alumni Speaker: Mr. Jose Solache (B.A. ’06, Liberal Studies) Interim CEO, Oldtimers Foundation

COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Isadore Hall, III California State Senator Alumni Speaker: Ms. Lula Davis-Holmes (B.A. ’83, Behavioral Science/Sociology; M.P.A. ’92) Councilwoman, City of Carson

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A HIGH-TOUCH APPROACH TO HIGH-TECH BY LAURIE MCLAUGHLIN

Al Krueger lost his lower left arm in combat during the Vietnam War. “I received multiple gunshot wounds and white phosphorous burns,” he says. “Ten months later, we lost the battle to save the arm.” Today, Krueger has an active life of skydiving, piloting planes, and helping others, especially veterans, who have had amputations. For the last 12 years, he’s also served as a patient-model for the CSUDH Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) Program, where students work with him and learn from his personal experience. “It’s nice to have all the attention and see the new, cutting-edge technology that is available to people with limb difference,” he says about his time working with the program. “Patient-models let students cast and build new prosthetics for us so that they can have that experience.” CSUDH has been educating specialists in the making and fitting of orthotics (braces) and prosthetics (artificial limbs) since 1983 when it launched a certificate program. Today, CSUDH O&P offers a Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics degree, one of just two such graduate programs in California. With the support of U.S. Department of Defense grants in the early 2000s, assistance from local businesses, and development within the College of Health, Human Services, and Nursing, the program

has tripled the number of graduates in the last several years.

second-largest orthotics and prosthetics facility at a public university in the U.S.

“Approximately one in 10 practicing orthotists and prosthetists in the United States has been trained at Dominguez Hills,” says Scott Hornbeak, clinical coordinator of the program. “We prepare professionals to go into the workforce and serve in urban, underserved and rural communities.”

With the new, spacious facility and its modern equipment, the students’ experiences are decidedly high-tech. However, it’s the “high-touch” aspect of the master’s program that is most important, according to Mark Muller, one of the program’s clinical instructors. “The hands-on experience and our patient interaction are vital to developing our students into competent practitioners,” says Muller.

In January 2015, the program reached new heights with the opening of the 12,000-square-foot CSUDH Orthotics and Prosthetics Education Center in Los Alamitos, 13 miles south of campus. It is the

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(Continued from page 9) Understanding patients’ day-to-day activities, their rehabilitation goals, and what they require to achieve these goals is paramount in creating a prosthetic or orthotic device. “A newly created prosthetic hand or foot may be technologically sophisticated and look realistic, but if it doesn’t meet the user’s needs, they will never wear it, and it becomes a very expensive piece of furniture,” says Muller. “On top of the technological aspect of physically making these devices, our students must incorporate an understanding of the disease process, anatomy, biomechanics, psychology, therapy, and practice management into their diagnoses as well as work with physicians, therapists, case managers, and family members to create the best device for each individual.” Student Matthew Noel plans to graduate with a master’s in orthotics and prosthetics

in 2017. He was born two months prematurely and had a trans-tibial, or below-the-knee, amputation shortly after birth. “I received my first prosthesis when I was two years old,” says Noel. “Without the devices that the prosthetists gave me in the past, I wouldn’t be able to walk, run, or be active. I want to have that same impact on the patients I will see when I enter clinical practice.” There are about 5,000 certified orthotic and prosthetic practitioners in the nation, says Muller, who compares that number to about 600,000 physical therapists nationally. “Our profession is so unique, so small, and so interesting that whenever one of us attends a function, we tend to be at the center of the conversation, because our job is so fascinating and people want to learn more about it,” he adds. The program’s new center houses state-ofthe-art technology, including a 3-D printer

TOP: A 3-D printing machine is among the newer technology in the CSUDH O&P Education Center. ABOVE: Student Matthew Chen works with patient-model Al Kruger on a fitting of a prosthetic arm and hand. RIGHT: Students in the O&P program help prepare participants of the Challenged Athletics Foundation Triathlon at the annual Ossur Running Clinic.

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for manufacturing prosthetic and orthotic components along with CAD/CAM technology, an instrumented gait analysis system to help diagnose patients’ walking styles, myoelectric and EMG sensor technology that senses muscle movement to control a prosthetic hand, and biomechatronic devices that incorporate robotics and human movement. “More than 20 percent of professional practices are currently using CAD/ CAM shape capture, modification, and manufacturing technology, so it is important that our students learn and use the technology,” says Hornbeak. “Modern materials such as silicone gel and carbon fiber prosthetic feet and knees have made a very positive impact on patients’ lives. These kinds of technologies, which we teach in our applied technology course, help people lead more active lives and decrease the chance of falling among older adults.

APPROXIMATELY 1 IN 10 PRACTICING ORTHOTISTS AND PROSTHETISTS IN THE U.S. HAS BEEN TRAINED AT DOMINGUEZ HILLS.

Getting a Master’s

The 22-month orthotics and prosthetics master’s degree program immerses students in both technical and clinical skills to care for people with neuromuscular or musculoskeletal disorders as well as those with partial or total loss of limbs. The CSUDH program is one of 12 accredited master’s programs in the country and the only one offered within the California State University system.

“As our program develops, we plan on incorporating research in burgeoning areas of innovation, such as new ways to incorporate 3-D printing, robotics, and mind-control using brain waves to operate prosthetic limbs.” As he works toward finishing his master’s and launching his career, Noel is excited for innovation in the industry. “Growing up with an amputation, I know the kinds of limitations that children have with sports and activities,” he says. “I would like to see the technological advances that give children the ability to be more active and participate in more sports.” Krueger takes his work as a patient-model with students like Noel seriously by not

only allowing the students to make new devices for him but also in helping them understand what patients need. “The most important thing a practitioner provides the patient isn’t so much the mechanical device or to simply come up with a solution for their activities for daily living,” says Krueger. “The greatest thing they offer is to give them hope that they can do what they did before, whether it’s riding a motorcycle or skydiving or skiing. The answer is ‘yes, you can.’ “These students understand that, and they partner with the person with a limb difference to get the best solutions for the patients and their needs. The students are providing a service in addition to providing a device.”

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COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM PROMOTES CARSON SENIORSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; HEALTH BY CATHI DOUGLAS

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On a recent Thursday morning, Paul Penoliar and his CSUDH student assistant, Isabelle Guevera, help 15 older adults do a series of stretching exercises. “Stretching will give you a better quality of movement,” the longtime occupational therapist and CSUDH lecturer tells them. “It helps you to become more flexible. Stretching helps joint issues and provides stress relief.” Some of the seniors have back pain, others are recovering from broken bones and from surgery; Penoliar shows them how they can adapt the exercises to accommodate their abilities. It’s no secret that one of the most pressing health care concerns in the United States is the increasing demand for innovative, cost-effective, community-based programs to address the needs of the burgeoning population of adults aged 50 and older. A recent report jointly produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AARP, and the American Medical Association states that seniors—particularly racial and ethnic minorities—do not receive the preventive services they need to stay healthy. In fact, according to the report, seniors often are unaware of the clinical preventive services recommended for their age, gender, and risk factors, and do not receive systematic referrals for treatment. Clinicians and public health practitioners agree that community-based programs must provide more and better affordable, preventive care to vulnerable seniors. With that in mind, Cal State Dominguez Hills professors in the Department of Occupational Therapy have developed Community-HELP (Community-based Health Enhancement Lifestyle Program) and have teamed up with the City of Carson to study its effectiveness on seniors at the Carson Community Center, just a few minutes’ drive from the Dominguez Hills campus.

Paul Penoliar works with Gloria Young on stretching exercises.

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their individual needs and sets future fitness goals, such as increasing the time of outdoor walks or pace on a treadmill. “We help our clients realize how they can fit exercise and fitness into their schedules,” Penoliar says, noting that sedentary seniors often are inspired to change their routines to become more physically active and mentally engaged. “They are so supportive of each other.” The program’s holistic approach centers on the individual’s personal life, occupation, environment, motivations and interests, Penoliar says. “We look at body symptoms, pain and fatigue, their personal habits and routines, which affect their successful engagement. What are their social support networks? (Continued from page 13) Data is collected from participants before and after the program to assess areas of lifestyle improvement. Community-HELP also serves as a clinical service-learning experience for students in CSUDH’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program. “This effort is part of our department’s vision and our program’s mission to serve the community,” says Associate Professor Terry Peralta-Catipon, department chair and the project’s principal investigator. “It has been quite successful serving people literally in our backyard as a collaborative research project.” Community-HELP is an interdisciplinary collaboration that addresses the broad spectrum of senior health issues as perceived by occupational and physical therapists, nurses, kinesiology specialists, and social workers. The program offers seniors readily accessible lifestyle exercises, strategies, and support to improve their overall wellness and wellbeing. The program is largely based on Associate Professor Eric Hwang’s research in geriatric occupational therapy. That research led him to create the Health Enhancement Lifestyle Profile, a series of assessment tools that includes an in-depth health and lifestyle survey, a shorter questionnaire, and a clinician’s guide that scores the answers and provides metrics to help clinicians devise a plan specifically for their clients that promotes more healthful practices based on their needs. 14

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Hwang became interested in how seniors live healthy lives after observing his wife’s 93-year-old Taiwanese grandfather, who hadn’t seen a medical doctor in nearly 30 years. “I stayed with him for a couple of days and observed his lifestyle,” Hwang recalls of his visit to Taiwan. “It was healthy and natural, the way our lives should be.” The man rose at 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning and practiced tai chi, then went to the vegetable garden and did some physical work. He ate a Japanese macrobiotic diet. The example prompted Hwang to think deeply about healthy senior lifestyles. “It inspired me to create something to encourage people to look deep into their lifestyle,” says Hwang. “Most people deep inside know how unhealthy their lifestyle is, so we bring that awareness to a conscious level,” he adds. “And it’s not just about exercise and diet, but stress management, social participation, and emotional health.” After assessing each client at the Carson Community Center using Hwang’s HELP survey, Penoliar tailors a plan that reinforces

“We can determine community resources that can help, such as transportation, and we can show them how to perform activities using adaptive techniques,” he notes. “We discover the values and interests of our clients and the things they desire to do. When they can perform these things again, their self-esteem improves along with their health.” Community-HELP participant Gloria Young of Los Angeles recalls that she noticed signs advertising the program recently when she dropped her grandson off at the Carson Community Center. “I’m so happy I took a moment to stop by to see what was going on,” Young says. “I need this so much. I procrastinated so much. This class has helped me to reach some very important health goals.” Fellow participant Jane Galazo of Carson says the class helps her manage a host of physical ailments, including high blood pressure, heart issues, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, and osteopenia. “I want to share this with my husband,” Galazo says. “He can’t stay away from the computer so he has issues with joints and muscles.”

TAKING CARE OF THE

GOLDEN STATE Nurses on the front lines tell their stories. BY LAURIE MCLAUGHLIN

Counties where current CSUDH nursing students live.

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“I RECENTLY CARED FOR A MAN IN HIS EARLY SIXTIES WHO HAD BEEN WITHOUT INSURANCE AND OUT OF HIS MEDICATION FOR OVER A MONTH. WE WERE ABLE TO HELP HIM REFILL ALL OF HIS PRESCRIPTIONS, GET CURRENT ON ALL OF HIS LAB WORK, AND FIND MORE PERMANENT SHELTER FOR HIM AND HIS WIFE. IN TODAY’S BUSY HEALTHCARE WORLD WITH 15- AND 30-MINUTE APPOINTMENT SLOTS, IT WAS NICE TO SEE THAT WHILE HIS VISIT TOOK WELL OVER AN HOUR, HE GOT THE CARE HE NEEDED. SOMETIMES, WE JUST HAVE TO SLOW DOWN AND REALIZE WHAT MATTERS MOST FOR THE PATIENT SITTING IN FRONT OF US.”

Kendall Galvez works in the rural

town of Cloverdale in Northern California with a population of about 9,000. She graduated in 2011 from CSU Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and has returned to earn her family nurse practitioner master’s degree. Galvez is among the thousands of nurses up and down California who have enhanced their nursing careers through CSUDH programs over the last three decades. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees at Dominguez Hills are both offered online, allowing the university to provide an education for nursing students in far-flung areas of the state, many of which are rural, poor, and underserved.

“We see all ages from birth to geriatrics and all walks of life from the homeless to those who are better off and have health insurance,” says Galvez, who works in the Alexander Valley Health Care Center, the only health-care clinic within a 15-mile radius. “We have a large population of migrant workers in our area, and many of them frequent the clinic to take advantage of some of our free programs.” CSU Dominguez Hills first offered the online option to nursing students in 1999, effectively removing geographical barriers for students—especially those who do not live near a university with a nursing program. This allows for working professionals to tailor the time, location, and pace of study to their personal lives and work schedules. “Many of our students attend an online program because they work full time, have families to raise and can eliminate time

commuting to and from campus,” says Kathleen Tornow Chai, interim director of nursing at CSUDH. “Instead of lectures, students gain knowledge through readings and group work. Courses are capped at 25 students or less, the same ratios that on-site courses have.” The program helps address the shortage of nurses in underserved areas, serving to mitigate a potential exodus from the profession, as some trend-watchers predict, when young baby boomers and older members of Generation X begin to retire in the next decade. The BSN and MSN programs have more than 1,000 students currently enrolled. Galvez is one of several CSUDH students able to offset the expenses of her education with the support of two Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act grants, totaling $136,000 through 2017, awarded to CSUDH from the state specifically to support students who work in underserved locations. “Our students are doing clinical work from Butte County to Compton,” adds Chai. “They work on Indian reservations and in inner cities. As far as serving the underserved, I think that it also relates to social justice. Nurses have the ability to serve through their work, involvement in the community, and involvement in other organizations. They impact the health of the community.”

“THIS WILL BE THE THIRD SUMMER MY HUSBAND AND I WILL JOIN A TEAM PROVIDING MEDICAL SERVICES TO INDIGENT FAMILIES IN THE BORDER TOWN OF VICENTE GUERRERO IN MEXICO. I GREW UP IN A HISPANIC FAMILY OF EIGHT WITH NO HEALTH INSURANCE. MY PARENTS EMIGRATED FROM MEXICO, AND I ONLY SPOKE SPANISH WHEN I STARTED SCHOOL. I KNOW FIRST-HAND THE STRUGGLES WITH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE MANY HARDWORKING FAMILIES EXPERIENCE TO GET THE MEDICAL SERVICES THEY NEED.”

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Kendall Galvez

“This will be the third summer my husband and I will join a team providing medical services to indigent families in the border town of Vicente Guerrero in Mexico. I grew up in a Hispanic family of eight with no health insurance. My parents emigrated from Mexico, and I only spoke Spanish when I started school. I know first-hand the struggles with language and culture many hardworking families experience to get the medical services they need.”

Lupe Rincon who lives in Napa just finished a portion of her clinical work at Ole Health

and is working on her CSUDH master’s in nursing with the help of a Song-Brown award. At the clinic, she recently cared for a Spanish-speaking woman with a bulging disc on her spine who had come from another clinic where she was refused care because they had no interpreter. “This experience was very similar to those I had growing up,” says Rincon, “but this inspires me to improve the system.” “I work at Harbor-UCLA in a trauma and surgical intensive care unit, and we get really busy. I take care of two critically ill patients at a time, and most of the patients are victims of vehicle accidents or were hit by a car, have had a stroke, have fallen or are gunshot victims. We accept everyone regardless of their ability to pay, including homeless people and those with no identification.”

Khaing Zarchi Nwe is currently a

registered nurse pursuing a BSN degree at Dominguez Hills. She describes her day-today work and the reasons she pursued this profession: “Working in an underserved community is deeply personal to me. I came from Myanmar, which was ruled by a dictator, and people could not express their opinions. No health insurance exists, and when you were sick, you had to pay first to get treated. I’ve seen people die from diseases that could easily be treated,” says Nwe. “My mother was a physician, and when I was young, I helped out in her private clinic, and the joy of seeing people get better, and their appreciation inspired me to become a nurse.”

“My family left the communist Soviet Union without anything and migrated to the U.S. in 1992 in search of a better life. We depended on public support, and I was 10 when I became ill and was transported to a county facility. We felt vulnerable and thought we were being taken to the ‘poor’ hospital and worried about the treatment. But, it was the best medical service we’d ever received. Today, when I see patients, I see myself and my family more than 20 years ago, and I have a special place in my heart for the underserved population.”

Vahagn Nacharyan is a registered nurse and will finish his master’s in nursing at

CSUDH this year with the help of a Song-Brown award. Nacharyan works at Olive ViewUCLA Medical Center. “This is a county hospital, and there is nothing ‘poor’ about the services we provide; our services are pure quality and pure care,” he says. However, Nacharyan has witnessed the influx of patients in the emergency room waiting for as long as 10 hours with ailments that could be treated at an out-patient clinic. “There are important new initiatives and funding for greater collaboration between county and community clinics,” he says. “I want to be part of this movement.”

“A few years back, my son was born prematurely, and I was told he would die. But I kept my faith in God, and with the help and constant support of all the nurses, I was able to take my healthy son home in two months. Those nurses made a difference in my life, and I changed my major from accounting to nursing because I wanted to give the same kind of hope, comfort, and care those nurses gave me.”

Anne-marie Bialeu works for Maxim Healthcare Services as a home health

nurse in Garden Grove. She’s currently pursuing a BSN at Dominguez Hills and plans to earn a master’s at the university. She was among several undergraduate nursing students who recently presented health information to residents at the Midnight Mission on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles. “The visit gave me a much better understanding about their daily battles against poverty, drugs, alcoholism, and the importance of a structured environment,” says Bialeu. “First-hand encounters with diverse patients make me a better person and a better nurse.”

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Freshwater fish tank owners have a love/ hate relationship with zebrafish. The voracious eaters scour the water’s surface sucking down half the flake food before other fish even know it is feeding time. On the other hand, zebrafish are so hearty that aquarium enthusiasts often purchase them to help establish the right amount of bacteria in their tanks, ensuring an optimal environment to add more expensive fish species. The resiliency of the zebrafish—as well as its similar genetic structure to humans—is not lost on CSU Dominguez Hills Assistant Professor of Biology Fang Wang, who is among a growing number of scientists around the world who see them as the model organism for molecular and cellular research. “As vertebrates, zebrafish relate well to human biology, so they make good models and test subjects, and they are easy to maintain in a laboratory. So they are cost effective, too,” says Wang, who opened a zebrafish laboratory on campus in April 2015 and has received a CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology grant to conduct her research. “Zebrafish are externally fertilized, which means their entire development process is done outside the mothers’ bodies, making it easier to observe embryonic development and make genetic alterations by injecting molecules into their embryos.” Wang’s research focuses on the somatosensory (touch-sensing) neurons, primarily on their interactions with zebrafish skin cells. The peripheral axons, or nerve fibers, of these neurons enter skin early in development so that they can eventually be the mechanical, thermal, and chemical sensors for the fish. This innervation of skin is crucial for all vertebrates, including humans, so that animals can sense their environment and respond appropriately.

damaged and are not receiving stimuli or not receiving it properly.”

“Many anomalies may arise due to genetic disorders or injuries and damage occurring later in life. People with these problems may have impaired touch senses [peripheral neuropathy],” Wang says. “Suppose you get a deep cut on your skin. You may notice that you don’t really feel much around the injury site for a while. This means the neurons—the axons in particular—have been

“If someone with diabetic foot was to step on a nail, there’s a good chance that person may not feel it. This can result in serious infection if the person does not discover the injury in time. This is why some diabetes-related foot injuries result in amputation,” Wang explains. “This type of nerve damage is a complication of diabetes, but not what causes diabetes.

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Wang says there are two components to peripheral neuropathy. Along with the inability to feel pain, stimuli may be felt or interpreted incorrectly by the brain. Many patients with diabetes have nerve damage and may be unable to feel their extremities, such as their toes, a condition known as “diabetic foot.”

We’re trying to understand the basic biology of those neurons to help pave the way for treatments for those with the disease.” Maricruz De La Torre, one of Wang’s graduate students, has come to appreciate working on zebrafish embryos in a laboratory setting. She has spent hours in Wang’s lab gazing through a microscope to inject DNA and other molecules in the embryos with extremely fine glass needles. “When people ask, ‘What do you work with?’ and I tell them zebrafish, it doesn’t seem to be that much of an issue for them because it’s not mice or larger animals,” says De La Torre, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences. “That works for me because as vertebrates, zebrafish are very similar to humans. This makes it

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MODEL ORGANISM Z EBR A F I SH SH O W S T R IP E S IN NE R V E R E SE A R CH By Paul Browning

easier to understand them, but at the same time, it’s difficult to work with them because they’re so small. So you can imagine how hard it is to work on their embryos.” Wang and her students have been using various web-based analysis tools to analyze RNA sequencing data from their experiments. “When the data comes back, the students are the ones who interpret it. So they are doing a lot of the basic bioinformatic analysis,” says Wang. “They are also going to do a lot of molecular cellular procedures to manipulate the genes we have chosen from the analysis.” Stacy Nguyen, an undergraduate majoring in cellular molecular biology, teamed up with De La Torre and fellow cellular

molecular biology student Jueun Kim to present their work this year at CSUDH’s Student Research Day, where they took second place in the biological and agricultural sciences session. “We get to do both the bioinformatics side and molecular work in the lab. It’s the best of both worlds. We work with large data sets and narrow down what we are particularly interested in,” said Nguyen. “It’s also great getting so much hands-on experience by working with the zebrafish. We’re learning to be responsible, to keep a controlled environment, and performing microinjections, which will be a very valuable skill to have in my future.” MAIN: Student Jueun Kim performs molecular experiments on zebrafish. TOP RIGHT: Student Stacy Nguyen. CENTER RIGHT: Student Maricruz De La Torre. RIGHT: Assistant Professor of Biology Fang Wang in the lab. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS

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The Science of Touch R E S E A R CH MAY HELP MED ICAL PROF ESSION AL S G E T M O RE IN TOU C H WIT H PAT IEN T S’ PAIN By Paul Browning If all goes well, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Scott Cheatham’s research could open doors for new methods of examining people who suffer from fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome—two chronic conditions that cause widespread pain in the muscles and tissues of the body—and related issues such as fatigue. For over a year, Cheatham, who also serves as the director of the university’s Pre-Physical Therapy Program, studied more than 90 individuals with fibromyalgia and myofascial pain. Normally, a doctor will apply a self-prescribed amount of pressure to a body region using touch, then document the patient’s reaction to the graded pressure. With Cheatham’s new scale, doctors would still use touch to examine a patient, but instead would rank the patient’s level of discomfort ranging from 0 to 4, which is displayed on the scale. This enables doctors to quantify the level of the discomfort and use it as a means to retest the patient in future visits. “For the study, we utilized a computerized thumb sensor to measure the amount of pressure applied, which helped the researcher gauge their pressure in real time,” Cheatham explains. “This was the 20

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first time this technology had been used with these patients, which helped to further validate the scale.” A researcher, practitioner, and expert consultant for various organizations and government agencies, Cheatham believes his new method will enhance the standard examination process used to diagnose fibromyalgia, which was developed by The American College of Rheumatology in the 1990s. His approach would allow practitioners the ability to more accurately rank a patient’s pain level, which will help guide examination and treatment. “No tool can replace the touch of a hand,” says Cheatham (’97, B.A. physical education), who after graduating from CSUDH went on to earn two doctorates, a D.P.T. and a Ph.D. in physical therapy. “However, if we can objectify the examination process with a scale, then we may be more accurate with our diagnosis. This scale may help standardize how patients are examined, which may make us better doctors and educators.” When a patient is in a lot of pain it’s a challenge to examine them due to their low tolerance and sensitivity to touch,” he adds. “The

Thomas Landefeld, professor of biology, wrote and published Sex: Understanding What You Know, What You Want to Know, and What You Have Not Even Thought About examining basic principles and little known facts about sex. Anthony H. Normore, professor of graduate education, co-edited Legal Frontiers in Education: Complex Law Issues for Leaders, Policymakers and Policy Implementers (Emerald Group Publishing, 2015), a volume in the Advances in Educational Administration series featuring research and case studies from professors, attorneys, and administrators.

scale enables doctors to step out of the box and measure their examination findings in a different way.” Cheatham’s motivation for conducting the study was his mother, who has suffered from fibromyalgia for over 20 years. “People with these chronic conditions have limited function due to the wide-spread pain that they suffer from,” says Cheatham, who added that in some patients the extreme pain fibromyalgia causes can lead to severe functional deficits. “While growing up, my mother was an enthusiastic teacher and educator. During her 40s, she began to suffer with muscle pain and fatigue that eventually led to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. So I watched her go from being this vibrant educator to a state where she can’t really do much because of her pain.” To conduct his study, Cheatham reached out to the CSUDH campus community and fibromyalgia community groups in Southern California to find participants. “I want to help find a cure for these chronic conditions and also help educate people. This study wouldn’t have occurred without all the wonderful study participants. I am grateful for their willingness to help,” Cheatham says. “There is still a lot we don’t know about fibromyalgia, but I think we’re one step closer with the Pressure Pain Threshold Scale, because now there is something that’s valid and useful for future studies.”

Clarence (Gus) Martin, professor of criminal justice administration, authored Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversies, Fourth Edition (SAGE Publications, 2016) presents new information regarding homeland security, emerging terrorist movements, genderselective terrorism, the Internet and terrorism, social networking and terrorism, religious terrorism, and media coverage of terrorism. Mekada J. Graham, professor and chair of the master of social work program, co-edited the textbook Social Work in a Diverse Society: Transforming practice with black and minority ethnic individuals and communities (Bristol: Policy Press, 2016), which includes case studies from academics and practitioners to illustrate the many dimensions of working in a diverse society. Jung-Sun Park, professor and coordinator of the Asian Pacific Studies program, co-authored the Korean-language book After Hallyu: The Potential and Future Task (Academy of Korean Studies Press, 2015), an interdisciplinary discussion of the strengths and challenges of the cultural phenomenon known as the “Korean Wave.”

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Faculty Awards

The university’s Faculty Awards are the highest honors bestowed on faculty, acknowledging their excellence in scholarship, service, and the engaging ways they educate their students. LYLE E. GIBSON DOMINGUEZ HILLS DISTINGUISHED TEACHING AWARD Recognizes exemplary teaching and active interest in new and creative ways to engage students. Marisela Chávez, Professor, Chicana/o Studies Marisela Chávez teaches and researches a wide range of cultural and gender-related topics, including Chicana/o history and identity; women of color feminisms; U.S. social movements; oral history; and Latino/a immigration; and politics. Her instruction seeks to engage students with assignments, co-curricular activities, undergraduate research, and collaborative learning and writing that “connect beyond the walls of the classroom.”

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY AWARD Recognizes professional activities essential to CSUDH’s mission and provides intellectual stimulation and motivation for student learning. Jeff Sapp, Professor, Teacher Education Jeff Sapp researches the impact of gay and lesbian identity on teaching and learning, and how new gay and lesbian teachers “negotiate their identities” as educators. He is an accomplished leader in the field of critical multicultural education, and his extensive portfolio encompasses scholarly work in anti-racist and anti-bias interventions, peer-reviewed work in gender studies, and research on issues of diversity and equity in schooling.

PRESIDENTIAL OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD Recognizes excellence in teaching and overall contributions in research and service. Keisha Paxton, Professor, Psychology Keisha Paxton’s students benefit from her drive as an educator and researcher—her colleagues do, too. She currently serves as director of the Faculty Development Center, where she develops programming that facilitates teaching effectiveness. Paxton’s research in the field of sexual risk behavior among people of color has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including American Journal of Community Psychology and the Journal of HIV and Infectious Diseases. She is a co-investigator for the California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP).

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EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE AWARD Recognizes contributions to university governance and development and acknowledges that service is essential to CSUDH’s mission. Ivonne Heinze Balcazar, Associate Professor and Chair, Modern Languages Ivonne Heinze Balcazar’s service to her department has included the creation of numerous minor and major courses and participation in “Academia del Español” (Spanish Academy), where students learn to teach Spanish to English-speaking children, and Spanish literacy to Spanish-speaking children in local schools. She has also helped develop California State University and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing standards for obtaining bilingual authorization. Heinze Balcazar played a vital role in the reestablishment of the Women’s Resource Center. She is president of CSUDH’s Latina/o Faculty and Staff Association, serves on the Academic Senate in addition to some 11 committees and task forces, and she lends her leadership and guidance to several studentfocused organizations on campus. Thomas Philo, Archivist Thomas Philo’s work cataloging local, regional, and national archival materials provides a valuable resource to students and researchers. He has also co-taught information literacy sessions and trained students on such programs as digital collection management. His service extends to numerous campus committees, including the University Curriculum Committee and the WASC Steering Committee. Off campus, he is a founding member of the Carson Historical Committee.

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Kamal Hamdan Honored with 2016 Wang Family Excellence Award

$47 million in funding from federal, state and local agencies for the college to develop and implement a variety of innovative teacher-education programs.

The California State University selected Kamal Hamdan for a 2016 Wang Family Excellence Award that recognizes outstanding faculty or staff across the system who have “distinguished themselves by exemplary contributions and achievements.”

“Dr. Hamdan is admired and respected as a colleague and has given generously of his time and talents to students, our university community, school teachers and districts, the CSU and many national learning communities,” says CSUDH President Willie J. Hagan. “His vision and contributions have solidified a sustainable foundation for improving STEM education and preparing effective and passionate teacher-leaders for underserved communities.”

Hamdan is CSUDH’s Wallis Annenberg Endowed Professor for Innovation in STEM Education and Director

of the Center for the Innovation of STEM Education on campus. He was honored for his unwavering vision and contributions toward developing top math and science educators, particularly in under-served communities. Hamdan (’94, M.A., educational administration) began teaching in CSUDH’s College of Education in 2000, and he has garnered more than

Study Finds Sleep Deprivation Increases Risk of False Confession Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Shari R. Berkowitz and fellow researchers provide the first empirical evidence that sleep deprivation increases the risk that an innocent person will falsely confess to an act of wrongdoing. The researchers’ breakthrough study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that after a single request, the odds of participants providing a false admission were 4.5 times higher if they had been deprived of sleep for 24 hours than if they had slept eight hours the night before. Berkowitz assisted

in designing the experiment, creating the research materials and writing the paper. “Further research on the effects of sleep deprivation on innocent and guilty suspects is needed, but it is exciting to know that these findings provide an important first step linking sleep deprivation and false confessions,” says Berkowitz. Along with Berkowitz, the research was conducted by Steven J. Frenda of the New School for Social Research; Elizabeth F. Loftus, University of California, Irvine; and Kimberly M. Fenn, Michigan State University.

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LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY Longtime Educator Leaves Generous Legacy to Endow Faculty Mini-Grants

Gemmell also had a dry sense of humor, loved laughing with friends, attending the opera and symphony, and learning new things by exploring the world. “Sue loved to travel,” says Wolff, recalling that in recent years Gemmell had combined her love of music and travel and joined KUSC radio groups on classical music tours to Europe, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Emeritus Mathematics Professor Jackson Henry, a longtime friend who is the executor of her estate, chuckles as he remembers what Gemmell did when she discovered that her cancer had returned: She first said she wanted her friends to throw a party instead of mourning at her funeral. Then she realized that she wanted to be at the party herself.

By Cathi Douglas

“A Party to Die For,” which she titled, drew more than 100 attendees from all aspects of Gemmell’s life to her residence in Rancho Palos Verdes on Dec. 7, 2015. Before she passed away, she made sure one of her final wishes was in place—a $250,000 planned gift to the Faculty Legacy Fund.

ABOVE: Sue Gemmell. RIGHT: Sue Gemmell with friends at her “Party to Die For.”

Emerita Professor of Teacher Education Sue Gemmell dedicated more than 40 years of her life to supporting the educational mission of Cal State Dominguez Hills. “She loved this place. It was home to her,” says fellow Emerita Professor of Teacher Education Diana Wolff of her longtime friend who passed away last December.

Emeritus Professor of Physics Sam Wiley recalls heated exchanges with Gemmell when she was leading student affairs and he was vice president for academic affairs. “We had different ideas about admissions standards,” Wiley says. “We disagreed sometimes, but it was for the right reasons.”

A career educator who taught sixth grade for a number of years and then served in various counseling and administrative positions, Gemmell joined CSUDH in 1974 as associate dean of students. She was named dean of the CSUDH University College in 1977, and vice president for student affairs and professor of teacher education in 1985. She retired from fulltime teaching in 1988.

Wiley and Wolff remember when Gemmell worked an entire semester of long hours and weekends to write the document justifying the College of Education’s first accreditation. “It was a monstrous undertaking,” Wolff says. “But she was diligent. She was the right person for the job.”

Wolff was just one of many emeriti faculty members who shared tales of Gemmell’s impassioned commitment to CSUDH.

Remembered by peers as a woman who was invested in student success, kept detailed records, and did not mince words,

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The Faculty Legacy Fund is an endowment that awards mini-grants to current faculty to support their research and scholarly activities. It is administered by the Emeritus Faculty Association, of which Gemmell was an active member for many years. With her gift to the association—the largest donation to date—close to $10,000 in interest will be generated annually from the endowment, resulting in more and larger grants to faculty members. The mini-grants are a fitting tribute to Gemmell, who cared deeply for CSUDH. By including the university in her estate plans, Gemmell’s legacy will continue to be felt by future generations of faculty. Gemmell also left gifts to the schools of education at two of her alma maters, the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and Indiana University, where she received her doctorate, as well as to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. For more information about planned gifts, contact Beri Eisenhardt, senior director of development, at 310-243-3156 or email beisenhardt@csudh.edu.

PHIL ANTHRO PY Toro Call Center students and coordinator Hillary Griffin (seated) have fun connecting with alumni.

New Call Center Links Generations of Toros to Alma Mater By Paul Browning

When studio art major Marie Bourgeault began making calls to alumni from the university’s new on-campus Toro Fund Call Center, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that her outreach made them feel “happy” and that they appreciated her “taking the time to speak with them.” The Toro Fund Call Center is part of a comprehensive annual giving program developed and managed by CSUDH’s University Advancement and staffed by student “phonathon ambassadors.” The center reaches out to CSUDH’s approximately 90,000 alumni to seek donations for various needs, including student scholarships, campus improvements, and faculty research. Since the center opened in October 2015, the students have received 3,000 commitments totaling approximately $140,000. The call center is about more than just fundraising. Bourgeault and her fellow ambassadors engage with alumni,

and share a genuine interest in their experiences at CSUDH and in the workforce. The alumni have responded in kind, curiously asking the students about campus life today and what is on the horizon for the university. “A big part of our job is getting to know people and letting the alumni get to know us as the students who are here now,” says Bourgeault. “It’s definitely not all about raising money.” Hillary Griffin, the call center’s coordinator, says it’s important to make the alumni feel a part of the campus. “Many of the alumni we call graduated back in the 1970s, and for some there has been a good amount of time since they were on campus,” says Griffin. “So, we want them to know that ‘Once a Toro! Always a Toro!’” The students have been very eager to be part of the experience, says Andre

Khachaturians, Senior Director of Annual Giving and Advancement Services. “That’s why we call our students ‘phonathon ambassadors.’ Their role is not only to ask our alumni for contributions for our scholarship programs, colleges and departments, but also to act as a direct extension of the university, particularly in reaching out to alumni who have never returned to campus, as well as newer alumni who may still be looking for the right job. These interactions have been enjoyable on both ends of the line.” One of the center’s charismatic student callers is freshman biology major Nasari Woolfolk who believes that having a student call from their alma mater about contributing to the university makes a difference. “Our alumni really like talking with and getting to know us because we are currently doing what they did. They really open up to us,” she says. “I think it’s more of a personal feeling for them when they hear from someone who is just starting out at their university, and knowing that by giving to the campus they are helping students like us.”

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PHIL ANTHR O PY

STEM Advantage Renews Commitment to CSUDH Students STEM Advantage has renewed its commitment to CSU Dominguez Hills with a three-year, $225,000 gift to provide tuition and career assistance to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. Founded in 2012 by a group of business, technology, and talent-acquisition executives who sought to address the employment needs facing STEM industries in the United States, the nonprofit encourages young women and students from underserved communities to pursue careers in the STEM fields. With this new agreement, STEM Advantage will provide on average 15 students each academic year with a total of $75,000 in scholarships for the next three years.

Kline and her colleagues recognized the potential impacts their program could have if they concentrated specifically on the support of women and minorities. Through a meeting with Mohsen Beheshti, professor and chair of the CSUDH Department of Computer Science, Kline agreed that CSUDH—with a 67 percent female and nearly 90 percent minority student population—fits perfectly with the STEM Advantage mission, and originally selected the university to pilot the STEM Advantage program in 2013.

“To keep and grow skilled jobs in the U.S., be competitive and remain a global leader, we need to help more students graduate with STEM skills,” says president and founder Lee Ann Kline. “While there is significant attention to STEM education for the K-12 population, there is notably less focus on college students.”

“Dominguez Hills serves such a diverse talent pool with the most diverse students in the California State University system,” Kline says. “We want to open doors and provide opportunities for these students.”

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One such student is Edith Young, who graduated in May with a degree in

computer science. The first in her family to attend college, Young admits she was unsure of her educational path and where it would lead her. She says that the financial support and mentorship through STEM Advantage allowed her to accomplish her educational goals, and her two internships with Toyota Financial Services and Sony Pictures Entertainment helped prepare her for success. “Being a STEM Advantage scholar has given me the confidence and knowledge I need in order to be prepared for my future career,” says Young, who on June 6 began a full-time position as an associate business analyst at Sony Pictures Entertainment. The STEM Advantage model addresses three critical areas for student success: scholarship, mentorship, and internship.

CSUDH STEM Advantage Scholars were the guests of honor at a fundraising gala in Downtown L.A.

Supporting FUTURE

GENERATIONS

of Students.

Students receive a scholarship to cover educational expenses, and are paired with STEM professionals who provide them with one-to-one guidance on education and career opportunities. Real-world experience helps students fully develop their skills via paid internships in the IT departments of such prominent companies as DirecTV, Toyota, and the Farmers Insurance Group.

Being a STEM Advantage scholar has given me the confidence and knowledge I need in order to be prepared for my future career. Based on the pilot programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success, STEM Advantage continued to expand its support, and for the 2014-15 academic year included not only CSUDH students but also students from Cal State Los Angeles. Its ultimate goal is to offer programs for students in campuses throughout the CSU system, Kline says. CSUDH will serve as the STEM hub.

Bruce Johnson recently set up two charitable gift annuities at CSUDH. One of these annuities will benefit the existing Philip Johnson Endowed Scholarship in Physics in honor of his father, Philip, who went back to college after retirement and earned a Bachelor of Physics from CSUDH in 1980. The second annuity is toward the creation of a music scholarship to honor his mother, Yvonne, who taught piano throughout her life and passed down a love of music.

Leave a legacy of support that will help future generations of students receive an exceptional educational experience. Find out how you can create or contribute to an endowment like the Johnson family, create a scholarship named in honor of someone special, or make another type of planned gift. Contact Beri Eisenhardt, Senior Director of Development at (310) 243-3156 or email beisenhardt@csudh.edu.

OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT (310) 243-2182

giving@csudh.edu

www.csudh.edu/investinus

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PERKS FOR TORO ALUMNI Greetings Alumni, With the class of 2016, we welcomed approximately 4,200 more graduates to our alumni family, which means we are reaching nearly 100,000 alumni worldwide. That number is a mark of pride for the university. The professional accomplishments of our alumni in an array of industries, both locally and globally, represent us well and showcase the boundless opportunities available to our students. Your success is our success.

Modern-Day Renaissance Man A Q UE ST FOR K N O W L ED GE

By Laurie McLaughlin

As our alumni ranks continue to grow, so too does our university. I’m excited by the changes I’ve seen at CSUDH since my days as a student and during my time employed here. I invite you to return to campus and experience these changes firsthand and take part in all the university has to offer. We have innovative and thought-provoking lectures, art and cultural exhibits throughout the year, all free to attend. Our Theatre and Dance Department offers excellent performances in our University Theatre, which as members of the free alumni association, you may enjoy at a discounted rate. We also have men’s and women’s NCAA Division II athletic games, which are also free to association members. There is so much to do on campus, but if you are unable to visit, our Office of Alumni Relations comes to you. We held a series of events this summer and are planning fall activities for our alumni throughout the greater L.A. and Orange County regions. These activities are open to all alumni, but certain activities are exclusive to association members. Our team in the Office of Alumni Relations looks forward to connecting with you soon. To learn more about our alumni activities or how to join the alumni association, visit www.csudh.edu/alumni. Sincerely,

David A. Gamboa, ’05 Assistant Vice President of External Relations

For the last 17 years, Eugene Hubbard Jr., M.D. (B.S. ’72, M.S. ’08) has been coming back to his alma mater on Saturday mornings to teach math and science to children of all ages. “I encourage them to go into one of the sciences as a career,” says Hubbard of his volunteer time with the Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers’ Excell Program, which provides weekend PSAT, SAT, and science enrichment classes on the Cal State Dominguez Hills campus. “If there’s no technology in your education, you will have no future.” When he was a kid, his own love of technology and science shaped who he was to become. “My mom was an executive secretary at Rockwell and worked for the man who ran their space program,” says Hubbard. “She took my sister and me to work, and he asked me ‘What do you like?’ And I said, ‘I like space and stars.’ He gave me the Complete Book of Astrophysics, and I read it until all the pages came out.” From then on, to the surprise of those who asked what the 10-yearold Hubbard wanted to be when he grew up, he said “astrophysicist.” “I kept saying it, and I wound up doing it,” adds Hubbard.

ALU M NI PR O F IL E SECTION

A Compton High School graduate, he attended CSUDH with the aid of the Cal State University system’s Educational Opportunity Program and earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1972. He soon landed a part-time position at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a systems engineer for the space program and simultaneously worked as a math teacher and department chair at Marymount High School. He also graduated from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Academy and became a Compton Police Department reserve officer. Despite his love of the sciences, his work in the community with the police department helped him realize there was more he could do to help others. “I heard there was a need for young people with science and math backgrounds to attend medical school,” says Hubbard. He enrolled at UCI Irvine, and moved to Orange County—a short drive, but worlds away from his hometown of Compton. He encountered racism, but with the support of the medical school’s dean, he worked to increase the diversity within the student ranks. “We had a class of 70 people, and about 12 were minorities,” says Hubbard. “That was remarkable at the time.”

While working at Marymount and JPL, Hubbard completed medical school in 1977 with honors—his focus was in orthopedic surgery— and returned to South Los Angeles to work at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital for several years before opening a private practice with a specialization in trauma cases. “For example, if someone was in a motorcycle accident, I’d put them back together,” he says. He had a thriving medical career, but his love of science and the wonders of space was still strong. “I wanted to be the first man on Mars,” says Hubbard. “So, I learned to fly an airplane.” He joined the Flying Physicians and flew regularly to Mexico to examine children with polio and fly them back for treatment. Hubbard also returned to CSUDH to earn a master’s in health care management in 2008, and having suffered a back injury, he has been semi-retired for six years. “Most of my time is spent helping young adults develop a future,” he says of several programs he works with including his 17 years with Excell. “You can’t do it all through a textbook, though, you have to get the knowledge through life. I’d hate to think where I’d be if my parents hadn’t said, ‘As long as you’re not hurting anyone, you can do anything.’” CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS

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1970s

LELA ROCHON (B.A. ’86) had appeared on such television shows as “21 Jump Street,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” throughout the 1980s and ’90s, but her break-through role in Hollywood was the movie, “Waiting to Exhale.” The adaptation of Terry McMillan’s best-selling novel celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015. It remains one of the only movies starring an allblack female cast to have mainstream success. Rochon was the keynote speaker for the 2016 commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Humanities.

JEROME HORTON (B.S. ’79)

was inducted into the City of Los Angeles African American Heritage Month Hall of Fame in February 2016 and received the Outstanding Achievement in Government award. Horton is a member of the California State Board of Equalization. He was first appointed to the board by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009 and subsequently elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He served as chairman of the board from 2010 to 2015.

1980s DANI MONROE (B.S. ’80)

has been appointed the first chief diversity and inclusion officer for Partners HealthCare. Monroe has led diversity efforts for some of the country’s largest organizations through Center Focus International Inc., which she founded. At Partners Healthcare, she will be responsible for the development and implementation of an innovative diversity and inclusion strategy at the Boston-based company. was selected as the 2015-16 Huntington Beach Business Person of the Year by the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce for his service to the community.

1990s DEB VANESSE (M.A. ’91)

recently published Cold Spell, the 16th book she has written. She is also co-founder of the 49 Alaska Writing Center and founder of the author collective Running Fox Books.

Alumni reconnect and show off their Toro Pride in the Big Apple for the 6th Annual CSU New York/Tri-State Alumni Reception in March 2016.

DOMINGUEZ TODAY

| Summer 2016

JEFFREY SNOW (B.S. ’89)

In particular, Snow was honored for his role as an Orange County ambassador to the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 and his leadership with the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, Rotary Club of Huntington Beach, and Huntington Beach Education Foundation. Snow is senior municipal services manager for Rainbow Environmental Services.

HAROON AZAR (B.S. ’04) received the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Award for Excellence from Secretary Jeh Johnson and Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for outstanding achievement in advancing the mission of Department of Homeland Security. Azar is regional director of strategic engagement in Los Angeles and has led a community-based engagement effort with law enforcement and local Islamic organizations to build trust and strengthen relationships within the Muslim community to counter extremism.

JOHN D. SPIAK (B.A. ’93)

CHERYL MCKNIGHT (B.A. ’01; M.A. ’06)

BEVERLY STELLY (B.A. ’95; M.A. ’98)

was recently honored with the 2016 Meritorious Women Award by the Los Angeles NAACP Youth Council in recognition of her humanitarian contributions and her published biography of her great-grandmother’s life, Gone but Not Forgotten: The Florence Lishey O’Brien Story.

ALEX VARGAS (B.S. ’95)

was elected mayor of the City of Hawthorne in November 2015. Vargas had served on the Hawthorne City Council since November 2009. He also works as an educator with New Opportunities Charter School.

PILAR DE LA CRUZ-REYES (B.S. ’96; M.S. ’01)

was appointed to the California Board of Registered Nursing by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. in November 2015. In her more than 45 years in nursing, De La CruzReyes has served in numerous administrative and leadership positions at medical facilities, universities, and for the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California. She is currently director of the Central California Center for Excellence in Nursing at California State University, Fresno. has been re-appointed by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. to the California Physician Assistant Board, where she has served since 2013. Earley has been a physician assistant and diabetes educator at the Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group since

2007, and instructor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine since 2004.

ALICIA ROMERO (B.A. ’96)

was appointed as mayor of Bell, Calif., by her peers on the Bell City Council. She took office March 23, 2016. Romero was elected to the council in 2013 and appointed vice mayor in 2014 and 2015. Romero is dean of students at Los Angeles Academy Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

2000s DAVID HUGHES (B.S. ’01)

was recently hired as the manager of clinical education for College Park Industries, where he oversees upper-limb clinical education, provides customer support domestically and internationally as a project application expert, and assists in research projects and new product development.

VICTOR HUGO (B.A. ’01)

was tapped to lead the newest Telemundo Responde unit, investigating and reporting on concerns from local viewers for Telemundo’s KTAZ Phoenix and KHRR Tucson stations. Hugo returns to Telemundo after having

MARKETTE SHEPPARD (B.A. ’02)

is the co-host of “Great Day Washington,” the morning talk show on WUSA, the CBS station in Washington D.C. Sheppard was named to the position in September 2015. She previously was featured on NBC’s “Today,” was a guest panelist on VH1’s national morning show, “Big Morning Buzz Live,” and was a finalist for ABC’s Live! with Kelly Coast-to-Coast Cohost Search. In addition to hosting in the nation’s capital, Sheppard has launched a natural and organic cosmetic e-boutique, Messenger Beauty.

GARY RADINE (M.A. ’77) has been responsible for the oral health care of millions of Americans for the past 14 years as the president and CEO of Delta Dental of California, Pennsylvania and New York, and affiliate companies under Dentegra Group. After 37 years with the company that was the first in the U.S. to offer dental benefits, Radine retired in December 2015. He returned to CSU Dominguez Hills in May as the keynote speaker for the 2016 commencement ceremony for the College of Health, Human Services, and Nursing.

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS

SONYA EARLEY (M.A. ’96)

Past Associated Students Incorporated presidents returned to campus to celebrate ASI’s 50th Anniversary.

was honored as a 2016 70th District Women of Distinction by California Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell. McKnight was nominated based on her overall commitment and loyalty to her community.

| www.csudh.edu

C L ASS NOTES

worked as an anchor, reporter, correspondent, and news producer for various local television stations in Arizona and California, including Telemundo 52 Los Angeles KVEA and Univision’s local television stations in Sacramento and Phoenix. Most recently, Hugo worked as a public affairs specialist for State Farm insurance in Tempe, Ariz.

received the 47th Annual ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Multimedia Award as executive producer of “Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch’s Accuser,” an opera created for episodic release via broadcast and online media by Cal State Fullerton’s Grand Central Art Center in partnership with KCET television station. Spiak has been director and chief curator at Grand Central Art Center since 2011.

taking a position as student assistant in the Office of Student Activities and later was appointed assistant dean of students. In 1977, he accepted the position of director of student development, a newly formed department which he helped build from the ground up. He served in that role until his retirement in 2008.

MARGARET BLUE (B.A. ’80)

Orange County alumni gather at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach for a special reception in March 2016.

NIKAN KHATIBI (M.B.A. ’05)

has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the California Health Professions Education Foundation by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. Khatibi has been a pain and addiction medicine physician at the Riverside Medical Clinic since 2015. He held several positions at Loma Linda University Medical Center from 2009 to 2015, including physician anesthesiologist, neuroanesthesia researcher, and pain medicine physician. Khatibi served as vice chair and commissioner at the city of Loma Linda Planning Commission from 2012 to 2015. was honored with the 2015 Oregon Distinguished Principal of the Year award and was the state’s nominee for the 2015 National Distinguished Principal of the Year. He was recognized for his outstanding leadership at Aloha-Huber Park K-8, the highest-ranked Title I school in Beaverton School District.

DANIELLE LAFAYETTE (B.S. ’09)

was honored in April 2016 with the Spirit of the Kings Youth Award by the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable for her involvement in community development and the advancement of social justice. Lafayette is president and CEO of Unite a Nation, a nonprofit committed to youth and community development. was hired as the director of communications at Irvine Chamber of Commerce. Prior to Irvine, Perdew was the director of communications and events for the North Orange County Chamber of Commerce, where she managed

DOMINGUEZ TODAY

ROB SMITH (B.A. ’09)

was honored to have his short film, “Racing to 500,” about an autistic boy who triumphs over a school bully to become a part of his high school varsity swim team, screened at the 2016 Pan African Film Festival. Smith wrote and directed the film.

2010s KATRINA MANNING (B.S. ’10)

SCOTT DRUE (M.A. ’05)

LAURA PERDEW (B.A. ’09)

graphic design and written communications to ensure branding was consistent with the chamber’s mission of supporting the region’s business community.

received a number of recognitions in 2015, including City of Hawthorne Citizen of the Year, Los Angeles County Democratic Party Democrat of the Year, Outstanding Community Leader from Holly Park Little League and Los Angeles Sparks #WeAreWomen Ambassador.

LARRY KLINGAMAN (M.P.A. ’13)

has been appointed senior director of infrastructure services at CSUDH. Klingaman returns to his alma mater from the city of El Segundo where he served as information technology manager for seven years.

passed away December 31, 2015. After graduating from CSUDH she went on to earn her Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate School and returned to CSUDH as a faculty member in the political science department in 1988. Blue served as chair of the CSUDH Academic Senate while also serving as the president of the California State University Alumni Council and vice president of the CSUDH Alumni Advisory Council. She retired from the university in 2006 but remained active as an emeritus faculty member.

LINDA S. WISE (M.A. ’91)

passed away on December 19, 2015. Wise taught elementary school in both Denison and Ottumwa, Iowa. She was a devoted and nurturing educator who spent countless hours providing encouragement, smiles and instilling a love for learning in her students. She also served as an adjunct professor of English at Westmar University in LeMars, Iowa.

ANNE HANSFORD (B.A. ’85)

passed away on April 25, 2016. Hansford was a long-time resident of San Pedro who was known as the keeper of San Pedro’s history. She served as archivist for the San Pedro Bay Historical Society, managing the collection of historic files, maps, books and ephemera, making them available to countless individuals, groups and government officials looking for pieces of San Pedro’s past. Hansford is survived by three sons, Doug of San Pedro, Wes of El Segundo, and Greg of San Diego; and a sister, Peggy Rose of Washington, D.C.

JEFF GUEVARA (B.S. ’15)

passed away on November 1, 2015. An active student in the physics department, Guevara was a scholar in the MARC U-STAR program, which allowed him to pursue research in astrophysics, particle physics and medical physics with Physics Professor Kenneth Ganezer. He had recently entered the doctoral program at UC Merced to continue his studies. A former United States Marine, Guevara served as an electronic systems engineer for Harrier jet fighters.

Share your career, family, and personal news with the Dominguez Today magazine. Please submit a class note, with photo(s), by email to alumniprograms@csudh.edu.

I N M E M O R IAM LARRY GRAY (B.A. ’70)

passed away on March 31, 2016. Gray was in the second freshman class at CSUDH. After graduation he remained with the university, first

| Summer 2016

Alumni and friends enjoyed a summer evening listening to Pete Escovedo and the Latin Jazz Orchestra at StubHub’s Pitch & Pale.

T E A M W I N S 2 N D - S TR AIG H T PG A M I N OR I T Y C O L L EG I AT E GO LF CH AM PIO N SHI P “When you mess with the bull, you get the horns.” That’s what Texas A&M International University learned the hard way when they left Cal State Dominguez Hills’ men’s golf team in a 0-2 hole after the first two rounds at the 30th Annual PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship at the Wanamaker and Ryder Golf Courses in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Like the cape of a matador, the Toros finally saw red—the number color on golf course scoreboards for players below par—after charging back from a one-stroke deficit to shoot 291 in their final round. They beat the Dustdevils by 10 strokes, and a “staggering” 17 shots overall, to win the Men’s Division II championship for the second year in a row. The championship comeback was driven by three Toros who shot 73 (72 is par) or better in the final round. Andrew Banuelos shot 224 (77-74-73) and grabbed 3rd place

overall in the tournament for individual play, while Christopher Pham (75-79-71) and Drew Dufresne (76-77-72) both shot 225. “After the second round we went to hit balls at a local practice facility. During the first two rounds, I wasn’t hitting too many greens. My coach and my teammates tuned me up for the final round. They helped me fix my alignment, and I hit more greens and made a few more putts,” says Banuelos, a kinesiology major, who also said the team will be “deep” next year since six out of eight of the players will return next season, as well as a couple of “new recruits.” Bret Gleason continued his “solid play” with a 227 (76-76-75), while William Yang rounded out the team at the tournament with a 245 (85-83-77). “It was a very competitive tournament and we were trying to stay close to the lead over the first two rounds,” says Ron Eastman,

The season was Pham’s first year on the team. After a disappointing second round (79), he “got angry” and refused to play bad his third round, in which he scored one under par.

ATHL ETIC S

Toros Golf ‘See Red’

who is in his fourth year as head coach of the CSUDH golf team. “All in all, they all stepped up in the last round of the season, tying our lowest round of the year, and just at the right time.”

“The season was a good initiation for me into college golf,” says Pham, a communications major, who played on his high school golf team but didn’t play on a team in community college before transferring to CSUDH. “There is a lot of pride involved in representing a university where you have teammates who care as much as you do about winning. There is a lot more pressure.” The Toros’ championship win has Pham looking forward to the 2016-17 season. “Winning this title shows us that we have what it takes to be winners, and that even through adversity we can come together and succeed,” he says. “This mentality will help us succeed next season.”

CALIFORNIA DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 3 Yang. LEFT TOSTATE RIGHT: UNIVERSITY, Christopher Pham, Drew Dufresne, Bret Gleason, Andrew Banuelos, and William

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