Watts Then and Now - CSUDH Dateline Dominguez
Transcription
Watts Then and Now - CSUDH Dateline Dominguez
DOMINGUEZTODAY THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS Watts Then and Now Honoring History, Transforming Our Community 2014-2015 DONOR HONOR ROLL Fall 2015 HO NO RI NG H I ST O RY This summer, California State University, Dominguez Hills embarked on an important and ambitious commemoration of the 1965 Watts Rebellion, which played a pivotal role in shaping our university’s history and mission. As you may be aware, in the aftermath of the 1965 Watts Rebellion, Governor Pat Brown determined there was a community in crisis and turned to higher education, a proven path to upward mobility, as a way of bringing greater opportunity and hope to individuals and the community at large. The governor made the historic decision to relocate our university from Palos Verdes to its present location in Carson, providing increased access to a college education to our surrounding communities. Our university’s enduring mission over the last five decades has been to provide education that is accessible and transformative. Five decades later, the campus community is engaged in examining the rebellion’s impact and legacy through a year-long series of interdisciplinary programs and activities taking numerous forms and expressions, including film screenings, workshops and conferences, days of service within the Watts community, academic symposia, and a founders’ dinner honoring individuals instrumental in shaping our university’s history and some of the remarkable individuals continuing to make a difference in our communities. One of the exhibits created in conjunction with the commemoration, Watts: Then and Now, is featured in this issue of Dominguez Today. The exhibit displays photos and historical exhibits from the six days of the 1965 Watts Rebellion alongside images of the present-day Watts community. As your schedule permits, I invite you to visit this fascinating exhibit, which runs through January 28, 2016, and also to consider attending some or all of the many other Watts commemoration activities taking place throughout the remainder of the academic year. Our university’s enduring mission over the last five decades has been to provide higher education that is both accessible and transformative. I am extremely proud of the impact CSU Dominguez Hills has had in shaping our communities and of the extraordinary work and accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff. Also in this issue of Dominguez Today, you can read about university faculty and alumni who are examining issues of social justice and developing programs fostering a diverse and inclusive community. By May 2016, CSU Dominguez Hills will have awarded nearly 100,000 undergraduate and graduate degrees. These graduates first came to Dominguez Hills as students, drawn almost exclusively from communities of the South Bay surrounding the campus. It is next to impossible to imagine our community absent CSU Dominguez Hills and the opportunities and hope the university continues to provide. I remain humbled by the opportunity to serve as president of such an outstanding institution of higher education and by the remarkable students and families we serve and support. 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. 06 President Willie J. Hagan Vice President of University Advancement Carrie E. Stewart (M.A. ’12) Director of University Communications and Public Affairs Brenda Knepper (M.A. ’09) 08 A CATALYST FOR CHANGE Providing Higher Education to a Community in Need EDITORIAL STAFF WATTS REBELLION A 50th Anniversary Commemoration Features Editor Amy Bentley-Smith Art Director Laura Drake Contributing Writers Amy Bentley-Smith Paul Browning Cathi Douglas Brenda Knepper Laurie McLaughlin Photographers Nate Brown (B.A. ’13) Petra Pream 16 2014-2015 DONOR HONOR ROLL Your Generosity Transforms Lives Departments ON THE COVER Spring 2015 “Watts Then and Now” exhibit features an in-depth series of photos of contemporary Watts by CSUDH assistant professor of art Ellie Zenhari. 02 22 26 28 30 33 SPOTLIGHT FACULTY FOCUS FACULTY NEWS ALUMNI PROFILE CLASS NOTES ATHLETICS facebook.com/CSUDH twitter.com/DominguezHills instagram.com/CSUDominguezHills CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 1 Campus News William Franklin: New Vice President of Student Affairs William Franklin has been a champion of students at CSUDH since he joined the Division of Student Affairs in 2007 as director of its support programs for firstgeneration and low-income students. Now he will continue to support student success beyond the classroom as the head of the division. Franklin was named the permanent vice president of student affairs in July, after a year of serving in the role on an interim basis. “I am honored to serve the students at CSU Dominguez Hills as the new vice president,” he said. “This is a unique place, with a unique mission and we arguably have one of the best student bodies in the CSU. I am excited and ready to partner with a phenomenal team in student affairs to move the division to the next level.” William Franklin (center) with students during Freshman Convocation. University’s DHTV Wins Three Telly Awards DHTV, the broadcast programming service of CSUDH, won three 2015 Telly Awards honoring outstanding local and regional cable and online video productions. The team received bronze awards for its “OSHA Entertainment Safety Certificate” commercial, “Freshman Convocation – Wrap-Up,” and “Dig It: Anthropology,” which featured anthropology students conducting research at Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum. TOP: Bernie Clinch, Kim McNutt. BELOW: Calvin Ko, Mario Congreve. 2 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 The latest innovation on college campuses nationwide is now at CSUDH. With the start of the fall semester, CSUDH opened the doors to two Active Learning Classrooms (ALC) in Welch Hall and a business Case Study ALC in the Leo F. Cain University Library. The rooms feature computer access and mobile device connections at each desk or workstation, with a centralized station for the instructor. Large flat-screen monitors are hung throughout the rooms so students and faculty may present materials to the entire class, and each desk grouping has a microphone for students to verbally interact with the class. “These cutting-edge classrooms provide an opportunity for our faculty to engage in rich, intense and lively problem-solving classroom interactions where all students communicate and test their knowledge with the support of their peers and faculty,” said Provost Ellen Junn. “Research shows that these active learning pedagogies significantly improve student academic motivation, interest, knowledge and course performance, and also result in greater student retention and success. University Bestows Honorary Doctorate on Forest Whitaker Forest Whitaker, an Academy Awardwinning actor, honored and respected humanitarian, director and producer — and native son of the City of Carson — was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters during the 2015 College of Arts and Humanities commencement ceremony. He also delivered a commencement address. “I’m grateful for this opportunity and was really humbled and touched that you have judged my work worthy of recognition at this degree,” Whitaker said in his remarks. “But my greatest honor today is to be able to stand alongside the graduates of 2015…. You’re an extraordinary group of women and men and it is my privilege to count myself now amongst you.” SPOTL IGHT What’s New on Campus? Active Learning Classrooms And that connection has deepened further in recent years. In 2013, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) was looking for a certification program for its peace keepers, and one of Whittaker’s colleagues mentioned CSUDH’s Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding program, and thus began a collaborative partnership between WPDI and CSUDH to jointly create a conflict resolution education curriculum for WPDI’s Domestic Harmonizer Program. “All that searching and the whole time the answer was waiting right here across the street from where I grew up. Right where it all began,” Whitaker said. Whitaker grew up a couple hundred yards from the campus as a child. He noted he and his family’s deep connection to this place — he used to run his dog through the field where the StubHub Center now stands, and his older sister graduated from the university. “As a campus, our top priority is to provide a high-quality, excellent student-centered learning environment for all of our students and faculty.” Male Success Alliance Helps Carson Win All-America City Award The City of Carson was named a 2015 All-America City by the National Civic League, thanks in large part to the role the California State University, Dominguez Hills Male Success Alliance (MSA) plays in the community. The All-America City award celebrates efforts in communities across the nation to tackle the most pressing issues of the day. This year’s award focused on how cities engage and support vulnerable young men and boys, aligning with national efforts such as the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative. MSA, with its mission to reverse the poor educational and social outcomes for young men of color through academic support, professional development, and mentoring, proved to be a perfect program for Carson to highlight. “This award recognizes MSA as one of the most stellar organizations in the country,” said Vice President of Student Affairs William Franklin. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 3 CSUDH Honored with Sustainability Best Practices Award for Creative LED Lighting System The honeycomb ceiling on a number of CSUDH buildings had baffled campus energy manager Kenny Seeton since he began working at the university in 2011. How could he improve the design’s inefficient lighting system? But with a bit of ingenuity, he and his team came up with a custom housing that not only blends with the distinctive architectural feature designed by CSUDH’s master architect, A. Quincy Jones, but also reduces energy use and brightens the walkways below. As a result of that creative approach, CSUDH received the 2015 California Higher Education Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Best Practices Award in the Lighting Design/Retrofit category. “I had the idea of creating something similar to indoor lights with ceiling tiles. I realized we could just make our own frames and then bolt them up. We spent hours working on the design ourselves. I’m pretty proud about that,” Seeton said. The project resulted in the replacement of 441 58-watt u-tube fluorescent fixtures with 179 45-watt LED fixtures. The estimated annual energy savings of the new lights is 101,188 kilowatt hours, with an annual cost savings of close to $13,000. The university spends approximately $100,000 a month on electricity. “The honeycomb architecture turned out to be very inefficient for lighting,” Seeton said. “Before our updates, there was a light in every fourth honeycomb. Now there are three-quarter fewer lights, but we have much better lighting and are saving a good amount of energy and money.” Mervyn Dymally Institute on Campus Continues Legacy of Namesake black people in Los Angeles during the 1960s and ’70s, and used his political voice to influence public policy to improve the social and economic development of the disadvantaged communities he represented. The California African American Political and Economic Institute that Dymally spearheaded into law and brought to CSUDH in 2003 now bears his name and is more poised than ever to ensure it lives up to his legacy, thanks to a $250,000 baseline appropriation in the state budget supported by the California Legislative Black Caucus and approved by California Governor Jerry Brown. As the first African American to serve in the California Senate and as a lieutenant governor, Mervyn M. Dymally helped break down barriers that marginalized 4 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 “The Mervyn M. Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute endeavors to be the convener and facilitator of issues directly affecting the well-being of African-American communities locally, regionally and nationally through open dialogue with elected officials, business leaders, academic and social justice research, civic engagement opportunities — all leading to new or enhanced policy initiatives,” said its director, Brenda Riddick. In the past year, the institute has hosted small business workshops for local African-American entrepreneurs, the Black Family Conference in association with the Awaken the Greatness Foundation, and a Women in Leadership: Path to Political Power Conference, featuring Congresswoman Maxine Waters and National Black Congress CEO E. Faye Williams, along with state and local female politicians, business leaders and economists. “We look forward to continuing the work of the institute with in-depth think-tank research on matters affecting African-American communities to drive public policy debates leading to meaningful and impactful legislation.” Riddick said. As many as 220 student-veterans annually will receive additional educational support and resources, thanks to a $1.1 million five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Campus Happenings SPOTL IGHT Veterans, First-Generation Students to Benefit from $2.3 Million in Federal TRiO Grants Special Olympics CSUDH partnered with the City of Carson as a Host Town for the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015. The campus provided the perfect base for 94 athletes and coaches from Dominica, Palestine, Turkmenistan, Syria and Mali to rest, practice, enjoy entertainment, and check out the sites in Carson before competing in the Games. Freshman Convocation CSUDH alumna and Olympic gold medalist Carmelita Jeter helped the university welcome approximately 1,000 new Toros to campus during Freshman Convocation 2015. The students received advice from administrators and peers on how to succeed in college and were feted with a party afterward. Julie Evans explains to Pine Ahsoon some of the services offered at the Veterans Student Program office. The new Student Support Services Veterans (SSS-Veterans) program is one of two university programs awarded federal TRiO grants this year in support of low-income, first-generation college students. CSUDH’s existing Student Support Services also received $1.2 million to continue its services to 160 students annually through 2020. Student Support Services offers individualized academic tutoring, advising, career counseling, and other resources to ensure students persist, succeed and graduate. As with Student Support Services, SSSVeterans will provide comprehensive support to student-veterans through a similar host of services, along with resources unique to the needs of veterans. The creation of a separate SSS program specifically for veterans arose from necessity: in 2014, more than 200 of CSUDH’s students who served in the military met TRiO’s criteria but could not be served under the regular SSS program. “Because of this grant, many of our veterans on campus now will benefit greatly, gaining access to a host of new and expanded support services,” said University President Willie J. Hagan. Chancellor White Visits Campus CSUDH was the first stop in Southern California of Chancellor Timothy P. White’s CSU 23-campus tour for the 2015-16 academic year. He spent the full day on campus with President Willie J. Hagan, meeting with prominent alumni, visiting new facilities, and engaging faculty and students involved in inventive new programs. Feria de Educación The seventh annual Feria de Educación proved to be another successful partnership event with Univision. It continues to be the largest Spanishlanguage education fair in Southern California, attracting more than 20,000 people to campus. The event’s overall goals are to encourage parental involvement in their child’s education, reduce the Latino dropout rate, and promote a college-going culture. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 5 A CATALYST FOR CHANGE In August 1965, the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles erupted in flames, fanned by years of racism and inequity experienced by its predominately African-American residents. When the smoke of the Watts Rebellion settled, a new state college was seen as a potential catalyst for change. And whether by chance or by fate, 346 acres of farm land just five miles from the rebellion’s epicenter became what is today known as California State University, Dominguez Hills. The debate over where South Bay State College would be built had been ongoing since Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown signed the new college into law in April 1960 — the same year the California Master Plan for Higher Education and the state college system were created. At one point approximately 40 site proposals for a campus were submitted to the state, according to Greg Williams, director of Archives and Special Collections at CSUDH. “By 1963 the legislature still couldn’t make a decision, and by early 1965 it was thought that there had to be a college that year or it would all fall apart. California Assemblyman Vincent Thomas was instrumental in getting $50,000 to open the college in the Rolling Hills bank building,” said Williams. Thomas’ stop-gap measure meant that approximately 40 students could enroll and begin taking classes at California State College Palos Verdes — as it had been renamed — in September 1965 while officials decided on a permanent site. Three locations under consideration were in San Pedro, south Torrance, and farther northeast on a portion of historic Rancho San Pedro land known as Dominguez Hills, which was brought into consideration in 1963 when the service area for the university was widened. A group of area residents seeking to incorporate the surrounding area into a city had lobbied strongly for it. “The committee was not just trying to move for incorporation, but discover an identity that best fit our area,” said Gilbert “Gil” The Dominguez Hills campus plan by noted modernist architect A. Quincy Jones. The original plan for the Palos Verdes campus included a Small College Complex with a view of the ocean. When the decision was made to locate the campus in Carson, Jones simply re-used the same building plan. Smith, a local resident and a founder of the City of Carson who went on to serve 13 years on the Carson City Council, including two as mayor. “Among our efforts were items related to city services, access to facilities, and a location for a state university. “Our incorporation efforts included buy-in from the Dominguez-Carson-Watson family, which owned many of the sites up for consideration,” added Smith, who made proposals to the state college trustees numerous times, including a meeting in July of 1965. According to a history of the university, written by emeritus history professor Jud Grenier, the trustees planned to decide on a campus site at their next meeting. SECTION In many ways the underlying causes of the Watts Rebellion spurred the civil rights movement of the 1960s and led the country’s growing minority population to demand greater equality and more opportunities for upward mobility. Higher education was seen as a major path toward better employment opportunities, higher wages, and a higher standard of living. Fifty years later, CSU Dominguez Hills continues to be shaped by its founding mission to be accessible and transformative to all who aspire to earn a college degree. The university has been credited for opening the doors of higher education wider, not only to a more ethnically diverse population, but to a high percentage of students who are first in their families to attend college. Photo courtesy of L.A. Fire Department Historical Society The Watts Rebellion But then on August 11, 1965, 21-year-old Marquette Frye, an African-American man, was pulled over for drunk driving, which escalated into a scene that drew larger and larger crowds. In the ensuing six days following the arrest of Frye, his brother and mother, Watts became a combat zone in which hundreds of businesses were destroyed, 34 people died and thousands injured. It was clear that more than just a traffic stop was at play. “It was not a riot, but a rebellion of a community directing their anger and frustration at the symbols of their oppression; racism and capitalism were attacked by police and burning exploitative businesses,” said Keith Claybrook, Jr., a lecturer of Africana studies at CSUDH. After the rebellion, Gov. Brown visited the Dominguez Hills location and was quoted by the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 21, 1965, as saying the site “would provide access to a college for minority group students in southern Los Angeles who do not now have a college close at hand.” That same month, state college trustees selected Dominguez Hills as the site for the new college. The decision wasn’t without controversy, however, with Thomas calling it ‘de facto segregation’ in which the college would become a minority campus; he proposed creating two small colleges, one in the South Bay and one at Dominguez Hills. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Torrance site proponents claimed the college had been taken from them, lamenting that the decision was a “sociological experiment in a troubled area.” But despite attempts to stop the sale by Thomas and others, the state legislature authorized it in early 1966, and that summer the campus was relocated from the bank to a temporary facility on the north side of Victoria Street while the permanent campus was built. In 1968 — the same year the City of Carson was incorporated — the first buildings were completed and classes officially started on the Dominguez Hills location. The college’s student body, which had been predominantly if not all white in 1965, steadily became more diverse as the years progressed, reflecting the region’s changing demographics. And curriculum began to reflect that change. “By 1969, minority students were calling for more classes in cultural studies,” said Williams, noting that Dominguez Hills students were empowered by protests at San Francisco State calling for curriculum that was more inclusive of all cultures. “An African history course started that year. It was around that time that the Black Student Union began on campus.” Today, CSUDH is continuously ranked high for conferring degrees to students of color, and its success in creating upward mobility for its students, community service programs, and overall contribution to the public good. Last year the university received the President’s (Barack Obama) Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll’s highest honor, the Presidential Award. JOYCE JOHNSON (B.A.’70; M.A.’72) was among the first local residents to enroll at CSUDH when it was moved to Dominguez Hills in its temporary location. “The college worked for me because I was a stay-at-home housewife in my 30s with a daughter,” said Johnson. “My neighbor behind me — DELORES LEMMONS (B.A. ‘70; M.A. ‘84) — we started taking classes, and those classes led to more classes. We both ended up with bachelor’s and master’s degrees [from CSUDH], and I went on for my Ph.D. [at the University of California, Irvine].” “Cal State Dominguez Hills has contributed immensely to this community. It serves as a place of culture when it comes to art and music and theatre, and it provides a centerpiece for this city [Carson],” said Johnson, CSUDH professor emerita of English. “It has changed the lives of so many people in this area who have gone on to use the education that they got at Dominguez Hills to better themselves and to build a future.” CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 7 In recognition of the Watts Rebellion’s historical significance to Los Angeles, the state, and the nation, and the pivotal role it played in shaping the university’s history and mission, California State University, Dominguez Hills is devoting the entire 2015-16 academic year to commemorating the rebellion’s 50th anniversary. Through a series of events and activities, the university is exploring the causes of the uprising, its civic, political, economic and cultural legacies, and the state of race relations, political and social movements today. Watts Commemoration Campus Banners Prior to the start of the fall semester, commemoration banners were installed along walkways around campus. The banners include thought-provoking and inspirational messages about social justice and racial equality and photos of worldrenowned leaders, activists, scholars, writers, and others. Academic Symposium A two-day academic symposium, Fire and the Quest for Transformation, featured CSUDH professors, alumni, and noted scholars from across the state examining the conditions for African Americans in the 1960s in Los Angeles that led to the rebellion, the influence of minority protest, and what has changed in the past five decades. Day of Service Armed with paint brushes, cleaning supplies and gardening tools, students and university leaders joined community members to give Fire Station 65 a droughttolerant native landscape that promotes sustainability practices in the community, and beautify the Bradley Milken Family Source Center to enhance the learning and work environments for children and families of Watts. Watts Writers’ Workshop Artists, poets and musicians from the legendary Watts Writers’ Workshop came together for a 50th anniversary gathering at California State University, Dominguez Hills to honor the legacy of the workshop that was formed in the wake of the 1965 Watts uprising. 1 1. Watts Rebellion Commemoration Banner. 2. Volunteers painted fences, installed new landscaping, and other jobs at the Day of Service in Watts. 3. Father Amde Hamilton, an original member of the 1965 Watts Writers’ Workshop, is pictured with a guest at the 50th reunion. 4. Artist Enkone live painted Watts Writers’ Workshop member Raspoet Ojenke. 5. Participants and members of the campus community listen to nationally regarded scholars at the Fire and Quest for Transformation academic symposium. 6. Keith Claybrook, Jr., lecturer of Africana studies at CSUDH speaks at symposium. 7. A film screening of “California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown” was followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Sascha Rice, granddaughter of Pat Brown. 8. Honoree Pablo Portillo (center) with his family at the Founders’ Dinner. 9. Guests enjoy a reception at the “Watts: Then and Now” exhibit. 8 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 2 SECTION 3 5 7 4 6 8 9 S AVE TH E DAT E WATTS REBELLION BOOK CLUB Monthly Lunchtime Discussion Group Tuesday, December 1, 2015 through Tuesday, April 26, 2016 | Noon Library South | Fifth Floor | Piano Room The CSU Dominguez Hills campus community will discuss books and readings relevant to the 1965 Watts Rebellion, protests and activism, and race relations. Students, faculty, staff, and the general public are welcome to join this lunchtime brown bag meeting. Visit the Watts Rebellion Book Club website at wattsbookclub.wordpress.com for the group’s reading list. THE ALBERT MCNEIL JUBILEE SINGERS OF LOS ANGELES Community Concert February 4, 2016 | 7:00 — 9:00 pm University Theatre The Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers, a traveling company of 12 to 18 artists, have garnered international acclaim and focused worldwide attention on the vast body of folk music termed “African-American.” They will be performing on February 4, as part of the Watts Rebellion 50th Anniversary Commemoration. SEE CSUDH.EDU/WATTS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL EVENTS. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 9 Founders’ Dinner Elegantly set in the Loker Student Union Ballroom on campus, the Founders’ Dinner on October 8 honored civic leaders who were instrumental in the establishment of the university in the City of Carson, and recognized individuals and organizations dedicated to improving our local communities. Community Leadership Award “Sweet” Alice Harris Well-known for her vision and generosity, “Sweet“ Alice Harris has dedicated her life to providing assistance to disadvantaged people through her nonprofit, Parents of Watts (POW). “I can remember when I needed help, and a family in Alabama gave me help when I was nothing,” she said. “They gave me a job, and I promised them that whenever I find somebody in the same shape and wearing the same shoes I wore, I would do for them what they had done for me.” Today, POW operates more than 15 programs that provide shelter for the homeless, tutoring, parenting classes, and drug counseling for anyone who needs it. Harris is a proud alumna of CSUDH, as are a number of her children and grandchildren. 10 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 Community Builder Award Danny Bakewell, Sr. Today, he continues to combine activism and civic-minded entrepreneurship as owner of The Bakewell Company, one of the largest African-American commercial real estate development groups in the western United States and parent company of Bakewell Media, which owns the Los Angeles Sentinel and the LA Watts Times newspapers. “What motivates me every day is to make sure that the quality of life, particularly for black people in our community, is elevated to the quality of life for all people,” said Bakewell. Danny Bakewell Sr. STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Award Pablo Portillo, a senior human services major, is driven by his desire to help others, particularly those from underserved communities. It led him to volunteer with the CSUDH Center for Service Learning, Internships and Civic Engagement, where he assisted with the annual Pow Wow, hosting the Special Olympics athletes on campus this summer, and offering his expertise in landscaping for the Day of Service in Watts. Photo by Ellie Zenhari. Pablo Portillo “Community service has changed me as a person. It has opened my eyes to how it’s not about you, but it’s about everybody else. It feels really good when you give back,” said Portillo. Tim Watkins Community Impact Award Watts Labor Community Action Committee (Ted Watkins, Sr. and Tim Watkins) The Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) “sprang to life” in 1965 in the wake of the Watts Rebellion from Ted Watkins, Sr.’s compassion and drive to improve the quality of life in the area through community service, job training, and services for seniors. For the past 15 years, son Tim Watkins has led WLCAC as president and CEO and expanded his father’s vision to include sustainable community development programs and housing initiatives, and serve as an umbrella for coalitions and public policy institutes for the betterment of Watts. “My dream for Watts is it becomes a community where anyone can work, live or play,” he said. Pablo Portillo volunteers at the Day of Service in Watts. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 11 SECTION Danny Bakewell, Sr. arrived in Los Angeles in the late 1960s when African-American civil rights activism was at its peak. The New Orleans native quickly joined the efforts, first working for the anti-poverty Neighborhood Adult Participating Project before co-founding the nonprofit Brotherhood Crusade. founders’ Award Gilbert D. “Gil” Smith Gil Smith was a pivotal figure in the founding of the City of Carson, serving as first chair of the Citizens Committee for the Incorporation of Carson, which formed in 1963. His desire to create educational opportunities for this new city made him a zealous leader in the successful campaign to bring the proposed South Bay State College to the area. With support from the Dominguez-CarsonWatson families that owned the 346 acres known as Dominguez Hills, he and the citizens committee began lobbying the California State College Board of Trustees and legislature, touting its central location, ample land and strong support of residents. The same year the first buildings opened on the Dominguez Hills site in 1968, Carson officially became a city, and Smith was elected as one of its first councilmembers, serving for 13 years, two years as mayor. “It has been my privilege to work with every president of Cal State Dominguez Hills and with every chancellor of the CSU system to establish this university with an Gilbert D. “Gil” Smith educational program relevant to the needs of a very diverse student population,” said Smith. “It’s my university, and whatever this university requires, me and my family, we will try and do whatever we can to help it. Cal State Dominguez Hills is an oasis within a major industrial area and the educational opportunities it will provide to this growing population is beyond anything that we can imagine possible.” founders’ Award (Posthumous) Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Edmund G. “Pat” Brown served from 1959-1967 as California’s 32nd governor. A strong proponent of broad access to higher education, he signed the seminal California Master Plan for Higher Education that established the University of California, California State University and California Community College systems in 1960, the same year he signed the law that created a state college in the southwest portion of Los Angeles County. Gov. Pat Brown signs bill for the purchase of Dominguez Hills land for the college (1966). 12 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 In 1965, while touring the devastation from the Watts Rebellion, he asked to see the Dominguez Hills site that was proposed for the new college and decided its proximity to the underserved communities impacted by the uprising was the best choice to permanently locate the campus. On exhibit in the University Library Cultural Art Center through January 28, 2016, “Watts: Then and Now” is an exploration of the Watts Rebellion in vivid detail alongside an honest and intimate portrayal of the community 50 years later. Watts Then Curated by Greg Williams, director of Archives and Special Collections, the “Then” portion of the exhibit covers the six days of unrest in August 1965 through photos and news clippings, behind-thescenes government correspondences and reports, and reactions from both a black and white perspective, and also takes a look at the groundswell of artistic expression that arose in the days and years following. In compiling the collection, which also places the events in a historical context, Williams said he wanted to “reveal to students and the community the converging elements that brought about the Watts Rebellion, and this rather tumultuous time of the 1960s in which racial animosity was exposed.” (Continued on page 14) CSU Dominguez Hills students learn about the 1965 Watts Rebellion at the Watts: Then and Now archive exhibit. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 13 (Continued from page 13) The collection features items that depict early official reaction to the events that took place in Watts beginning on August 11, 1965. Included are early news headlines, telegrams, a draft of the resolution to deploy the National Guard, and photographs documenting the strife as it took place on the streets in Watts. Reports by the Los Angeles Police Department, National Guard, and other agencies document law enforcement’s response and perspective of the uprising. Selections focusing on state and community responses to the Watts Rebellion in the aftermath include the McCone Commission Report, and memorabilia from the Watts Writers’ Workshop, the Watts Summer Festival, Wattstax and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. Front page, Los Angeles Times, August 14, 1965. Map showing lives lost and damage and destruction of property that took place during the Watts Rebellion. Williams also includes items in the exhibit that illustrate the history and continual tradition of social unrest in the United States. Racial incidents in Detroit, Los Angeles, Little Rock, Chicago, St. Louis, and other cities “happened prior to Watts and negate any opinion that the rebellion came out of nowhere,” said Williams. Archive selections documenting the early development of California State College, Dominguez Hills depict the actions taken by state leaders to purchase the Dominguez Hills land to provide minority populations impacted by the rebellion with access to higher education. News clippings, magazine covers and other memorabilia from 1965 helps to place the startling events in Watts in a regional and national context. That memorable year saw the growth of the counter-culture, an evolutionary civil rights movement, and the assassination of Malcolm X. In addition, the Voting Rights Act and Medicare became law, combat troops arrived in Vietnam, Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston, the Dodgers beat the Twins in the World Series, and “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs was the number one song. In Los Angeles, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Department of Water and Power Building opened, the LA Rams’ Fearsome Foursome were at their peak, and the Watts Rebellion took place. 14 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 Collection of books with a focus on the Watts Rebellion, rebellions and race relations. The exhibit also features a looped video, “Watts Rebellion: Mapping Connections,” produced by students in Vivian Price’s social documentation class. The video was a student-faculty collaboration covering the background of the Watts Rebellion and exploring its meaning today. The film can be viewed at tinyurl.com/wattsfilm. Anarchy Los Angeles special event magazine. Western Union Telegram. Lt. Governor Glen Anderson received several telegrams from citizens concerned about the rebellion. Glen M. Anderson Papers. Watts NOW “I believe in the power of images as a tool to bring awareness and ultimately social change,” Zenhari said. “The Watts photo series intends to take a closer look at the complex realities of Watts communities and instigate visual interest and curiosity to see the extraordinary among the ‘ordinary.’” This fall, Zenhari is leading students from photography and motion design classes on trips to Watts to shoot images and video for a spring semester interdisciplinary exhibit that will showcase the students’ perspectives on the Watts community. Many of the students are from that community or nearby communities. “When you go as a group for a class project ... it gives it a different meaning which I think can be more powerful,” Zenhari said. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 15 SECTION Sixty-five photographs of contemporary Watts taken by Art and Design Assistant Professor Ellie Zenhari provide the “Now” portion of the exhibition. A snap-shot of Watts taken over the course of several months, the dramatic compositions capture the people and places that make up this multi-layered community. Zenhari had never visited Watts before beginning work on the project, but quickly realized the community was dynamic. 2014–2015 Donor Honor Roll Your Generosity Transforms Lives Dear Friends, California State University, Dominguez Hills recently concluded our second-best fundraising year on record, with $5.7 million in cash gifts, pledges and in-kind donations received between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Whether your gift went to scholarships, facilities, or student and faculty research, there is no question that it is contributing to student success. Thank you for your generosity! The past year had many highlights; first among them was a terrific show of support from our alumni, friends, and partners in the surrounding community. Significant gifts from the Pritzker Foster Care Initiative, Kaiser Permanente, and Southern California Edison, among many others, all made a significant impact on the university. Furthermore, a generous legacy gift by Bruce Johnson, the son of an alumnus, will provide crucial scholarship resources to the students of the future. In addition to these critical gifts, another highlight of the year was an inspiring display of Toro spirit from the university community. The Senior Class Gift had a record-breaking year, with the Class of 2015 raising $6,000 and increasing giving by over 400 percent! Four filtered water stations were installed around campus as a result of their efforts. The Faculty and Staff Campaign for Student Support was extraordinarily successful as well, raising over $15,000 for grants. The Toro Fund, which benefits the most pressing campus needs, recorded a 14 percent increase in giving over previous years. It is our privilege to recognize all who gave $100 or more during this fantastic year through the Annual Donor Honor Roll. Thank you, again, for your thoughtfulness, your giving spirit, and above all, for investing in our students and the future of Dominguez Hills. Go Toros! Sincerely, Philanthropist $500,000 + Michael Agron Benefactor $100,000 - $499,999 Consulado General de Mexico en Los Angeles Bruce Johnson The Molina Foundation Patron $50,000 - $99,999 The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Kaiser Permanente The Laurence Korn MD Foundation The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation Leader $25,000 - $49,999 The Carson Companies Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Edison International Follett Higher Education Group The Maureen P. McCarthey Foundation Pritzker Foster Care Initiative Shell Pipeline Company Southern California Edison STEM Advantage Toyota Motor Sales, USA., Inc. UCLA Medical Center Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Univision Associate $10,000 - $24,999 99 Cents Only Stores Alcoa Foundation American Honda Motor Co. CA Retired Teachers Scholarship Foundation of Division #44 Chevron Products Company Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Code Four Georgia and Nolan Payton Foundation Good Samaritan Hospital Huntington Memorial Hospital Louise Loether Providence Health & Services Little Company of Mary Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute of Valencia, INC Maria Romero ‘00 State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company StubHub Center & LA Galaxy Kathleen Tibone ‘75 Watson Land Company Scholar $5,000 - $9,999 Carrie E. Stewart, M.A. ’12 Vice President, University Advancement Executive Director, CSUDH Philanthropic Foundation California Collegiate Athletic Association California Water Service Company City of Carson Lee and Miguel Dominguez l u DoubleTree Hotel-Carson Enterprise Holdings Foundation Beverly and Donald Gerth Intuit, Lacerte Software Carmelita Jeter ‘06 Mrs. William A. Little T. Roy Nakai Toro $1,000 - $4,999 Aidan’s Red Envelope Foundation Anonymous Gayle Arnise Ball-Parker ‘78 u Shirley Benson Vernon Blackburn ‘73 n Gwen Yoshiko Brockman ‘96 u Cheryl Browne ‘82 California Faculty Association California Retired Teachers Association California Retired Teachers Association South Bay Div. 46 Todd Carcelero ‘92 Cerritos Regional Soccer Club Lois u and Henry Chi Audrey Christie City National Security Services Computer Comfort Controls Group SSA-JCI Inc. James Cooper u Crossfit 5150 Phil D’Amato Nancy and Edward Alexander Jean Egan u Karen and James Ellis ExxonMobil Robert Fenning u Jean C. Ferguson Friends of Golf Suzanne Gemmell u Naomi Goodwin u Sharrell Hardy ‘15 Joy ‘93 and Douglas Heiner Jackson N. Henry u Kai-lih Kelly and Tsungchi Kenny Hsu Dorota Huizinga u ILWU Credit Union Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Ellen Junn u and Allan Greenberg Kaplan Higher Education Keith S. Feder, MD, Inc H. Keith u and Yonnie Lee Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association Chris Manriquez u Milken Family Foundation Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Northrop Grumman Corp. Mary Sue and Donald Herman Pepsi Beverages Co Katy Pinto u Jeffrey H. Pitler ‘91 Ricoh USA Laura J. Robles u Barbara Rodney Larry Rosen u Hamoud Salhi u Marcine E. Sankey ‘01 Rosetta Skelton Shirley and Gilbert Smith So. CA. Pensioners Group Jose Solache ‘06 South Bay Workforce Investment Board Southern California Gas Company Southern California Junior Bach Festival Spectrum Industries Carrie Stewart ‘12 u Tom and Marilyn Sutton u The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California The Moore Family Foundation Carol u and Randahl Tubbs u UFCW Union Local No. 324 Christine ‘13 and Brent Walker Luz C. Watts u Friend $500-$999 Anonymous Aquarium of the Pacific Janna Bersi u Keith Boyum u Jessica Burchett Dennis G. Butler California Association of Professional Music Teachers California School Employees Association City National Bank Lenora u and Roger Cook CSUDH Academic Affairs Office CSUDH College of Education CSUDH Loker Student Union Judy Daley Jamie L. Dote-Kwan u Traci A. Goodbar Aletheia Gooden Garry Hart u Rodrick Hay u Hearts and Hands United in Giving John M. Hemmans ‘93 Robert D. Hendricks Ivy Heritage Foundation Operation Fund Josephine A. Jackson Cheryl A. Jackson-Harris ‘82 u Robert Joplin ‘72 Eric David Kaplan ‘87 David J. Karber l u Eunice Krinsky u L.A. Electrical Workers Credit Union Michael Li ‘02 u Robert Lovitt Marin Community Foundation Laurel and Stephen Mastro u Mu Phi Epsilon Palos Verdes Alumni Chapter Music Teachers Association of California Jack P. Newburn ‘82 Laura M. Phillips u Jeffrey Poltorak u Primary Care Associates of California Medical Group RollGiving Michael Rouse ‘83 SEIU Local 721 NOTE: Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the information published in this Honor Roll. Please accept our apologies for any inadvertent omission or error, and contact the Office of Development at (310) 243-2182 so we can correct our records. 16 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 PHIL ANTHRO PY Being a mother and a full-time student puts some hardships on our family’s budget, especially when the semester starts and there is a need to buy book and supplies. The scholarship award is definitely a big help. — Veronika Honda, a junior majoring in business administration with an accounting concentration, is recipient of the Chiou-Hsiung “Bear” Chang Scholarship. Clementine Sessoms n Janet C. Smith ‘90 StubHub Kathleen T. Taira ‘74 u Target Corporation Teamsters Local 986 Charity Fund United Way California Capital Region University of California, Los Angeles University of West Los Angeles Vanguard University Betty ‘76 and Neil Watanabe Brenda Watts Woodbury University Supporter $250 - $499 6th Medical Recruiting Battalion Achieve Beyond Pediatric Therapy & Autism Services Paul Agbonkpolo ‘77 Jill Allison Aguilar ‘84, ‘97 u Joyce Allen ‘80 Alpha Vista Services Faye Williams Arnold ‘75 u Karen and Anthony ‘84 Ayala Ava Battle ‘90 Betty Dixon Bell ‘99, ‘04 Jake Bernstein Big 5 Sporting Goods Boice M. Bowman u Peter M. Detwiler California Native Plant Society So. Coast Chapter California Faculty Association Dominguez Hills Chapter Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Lanece M. Carpenter ‘05 Children’s Hospital of Orange County Lewis Colick Krista Cordoza ‘10 CSUDH Athletics Department CSUDH Black Faculty and Staff Association CSUDH College of Arts and Humanities CSUDH College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences CSUDH Information Technology CSUDH Latino Faculty and Staff Association CSUDH Library CSUDH Office of the President CurtisCARE Child Development Programs Jackie Dixon ‘93 Sarah and Herman ‘84 Duncan Ensign Facility Services Leena Furtado u Rachel Gleckman Aegis Therapies Denise Govan ‘97 Muhammad Hassan ‘11 Paul Herrera Pamela Hillman u Barbara Hobbs ‘96 Interface Rehab Steven D. Johnson ‘84, ‘08 Reza Karkia Carole Keen Mary F. Kehew Kellogg Garden Products Robert Kelly ‘69 William Kelly ‘79, ‘82 Maria Elena Ubago-Khachaturians and Andre Khachaturians u Kindred Healthcare Operating Karla Knauss ‘97 Gary M. Kuwahara ‘83 u Kimberly Larson ‘98 u Denise ‘02 and Aden Leonard ‘93 Los Angeles County Federation of Labor - AFL-CIO Los Angeles Party Designs Inc. Jonathan P. Marmor ‘79 Clarence A. Martin u Masada Homes Stephan Mayhew ‘87 Ali Mazhin ‘01 Kevin Mc Elroy ‘07 Mediscan Staffing Services Viola Mitchell ‘02 Jerry D. Moore u Mozart Piano Studio My Therapy Company Newport Language Speech & Audiology Center Veronica Njoku ‘06 Occupational Therapy Association of California Arinade Olaluwoye ‘82 Diane Oley Orthopaedic & Neurological Rehabilitation Gemma ‘88 and Mustapha Olatoye Oyewole ‘88, ‘97 Pacific Child & Family Associates Michael A. Perez ‘75, ‘84 Janice A. Plank ‘75 Preferred Healthcare Registry Progressus Therapy Rockstar Recruiting Michael Rudberg ‘91 Herbert Y. Sato ‘83 Sea World San Diego Steven F. Sedrak ‘01 Beth Shibata ‘90 Steven Robert Silbiger ‘88, ‘94 Karlton D. Skindrud u Roblyn Smith ‘76 Mark Sotzkowski South Coast Therapy Speech, Language & Educational Associates St. Joseph Hospital Stephen Laurel Mastro Family Trust Henry Taboada ‘72 John Thomlinson u Kathleen Tornow Chai ‘90 Total Education Solutions Mary Kresevich ‘75 University of California Los Angeles Medical Center Starleen and George Van Buren Clare and F. Aguilar u Wellness Works Joseph Wen u Contributor $100 - $249 Anonymous (4) Nicole and Steve Agee Kimberly Agosti ‘78 Alahambra Place Partnership Kathleen ‘82, ‘04 and Richard ‘81 Alvarez Thomas and Elizabeth Anderson Barbara Ann Aranguren ‘86 Linda ‘85 and Dana Aratani Glenda and Joel Arellano Attorney’s Certified Services Mary Auth ‘81 u Alta Ballard Beth Ballard Laura E. Baril ‘02 Donald Joseph Barnett l u Alejandra Barrales ‘13 Marisol Barraza ‘11 Asten Barta Virginia Becker ‘72 Wanda Bell ‘92 Belly Bombz Kitchen Delores Benjamin u Julie Berthiaume ‘92 Virginia Jane Bixler ‘92 Joy Bland ‘11 Sharon and William Blischke u Damon Blue ‘93 Lela Bohannon ‘98 Regina Bohorquez ‘05 Elsa ‘01 and Rigo Bonilla Frances ‘95 and Thomas Booth Jennifer ‘10 and Christopher Bordewich Bowermaster and Associates Insurance Agency Roberta Allen Bowman ‘87 Datoya Bradley ‘11 Khaleah Bradshaw ‘09 u Loyce and Joseph Braun u Anne and Paul Brenner Delisa S. Brister ‘10 Betty Brookens ‘81 Delarie Elaine Brooks ‘82 Lee Broussard ‘96 Carla D. Brown ‘84 Mark Burgan ‘83 Cynthia Burgess l Brenda ‘05 and Vincent Burr Theodore Emmett Burton ‘89 Lilia Bustamante ‘96 Judy ‘88 and Marc Butsumyo Moses Calhoun ‘91 California Community Foundation Reeva Castillo Aaronn Castro ‘12 Janet Detrick Cazares l Ernestina Chavez ‘93 Lisa Marie Chavez ‘08 Emily and Robert Murphy Marleen and Gareth Ching Carlota Cinco ‘09 Suzanne ‘07 and Anthony Cistulli Stanley Clark u Jean Clary ‘09 Magdalene Cobb ‘76 Linda M. Cohen ‘77, ‘83 Mihoko Abe Colletti ‘87 Joan ‘01 and Gayle Collins John E. Conklin Jr. ‘93 Lori Conlan Loretta Mack Cooper ‘00 Mia and John Cornejo Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Westside/Culver City Jose S. Cuervo u Tatum and Joseph ‘93 Curran Custom California Painting Milton F. Daniels ‘74 James Davenport ‘91 John Davis ‘92 u Cordella Davis-Raymond l Ylla and Mario ‘80 DeLeon Cecilia ‘09 and Jose Delgado Ronald Michael Delhomme ‘83 Kara Dellacioppa u Aderonke and Afolabi ‘83 Denloye Elizabeth Yuki DeSoto l u Dolores Doll-Sales ‘00 Deborah Douglas u Howard Douglas ‘84 Philip Douglas ‘78 Timothy Dowell ‘75 Joanna l u and Alfred Dunklee Alnita Rettig Dunn ‘78 Tiffany Edlin ‘08 u Adria R. Edwards ‘95 u El Pescador Family Restaurant Haywood Epperson l Joseph M. Escobar Monica and James ‘01 Essilfie Etonomous Arts & Apparel Daryl Evans ‘96 Miriam Falk ‘13 Salim Faraji u Allison and Aaron ‘93 Farish Susan Farma ‘07, ’09 Anna-Marie Farquhar ‘08 Janet J. Favreau Kristy and Ronald Fedrick Christine C. ‘94 and Christopher T. Fernandez H. Fetcenko ‘97 u Ricardo Fimbres ‘00 Dorothy M. Fisher u Fluor Foundation Cheryl Ford Boyce ‘80 Kenneth Ford ‘79 Linda Forment ‘92 Esmay ‘86 and Gordon Fraser Robert Gallinari ‘13 Dana J. Galvin ‘89 David Andres Gamboa ‘05 u Blanca ‘11 and Ross Quintana Eugene Garcia u Lawrence Garcia ‘75 Donna Garnier ‘92 Karen and James ‘92 Garza Cristina Gaytan ‘04 GenCorp Foundation Dawn and Rodney Gentry Judith and Richard Gibson Cynthia Gilkeson ‘92 Patrick Gillespie ‘05 John R. Goders u Arthur Lewis Goldman ‘92, ‘94 Melissa ‘93 and Armando Gomez April Gonzalez ‘05 and Scott Wood Kumari Devi Gossai ‘91, ‘99 Lawrence Edmund Gray ‘70 u Ronald Green ‘99 Nancy and Judson Grenier u Maria Guerrero l Jason Guidry ‘09 Helen and Allen Gulbradsen Gregory Haeseler ‘85 Jeffrey Hale ‘13 Solomon Hamburg Kamal Hamdan ‘95 u Rochelle C. Hamilton ‘97 Tracey Haney ‘00 Wesley Y. Harada ‘78 Roshone Harmon ‘01 Dovie Harness u Carmen and Robert Hedges ‘86 Gayle A. Heifetz ‘04 u Charles Heins Eve and J. Maxie Hemmans Tiffany Herbert u Gary Hercules Wanda Sunami Higaki ‘96, ‘00 Kay ‘79 and Lewis Hiigel Coawetta Hinnant ‘83 Jill Hirschman ‘75 Malaika W. Horne ‘99, ‘07 u Fumiko Hosokawa ‘84 u Hubert Watson’s Property Management Lynn Hutcheson ‘81, ‘92, ‘97 u Alan Huynh ‘10 Carolyn and William ‘90 Insalaco Louise Ivers u Stephen Craig Iverson ‘88 Vincent Jackson ‘87 Sharon Jerrell Jakes-Williams ‘96 Lina ‘01 and Willie James Elaine and Luis ‘94 Jauregui Linda and George Jennings u Joyce Johnson, ‘70, ‘72 u Claudette Jones ‘86 Maisha Jones ‘04 Patricia Ann Jones ‘92 Ray Judy l Patricia u and Robert Kalayjian Jay Kaufman ‘82 Lauren ‘96 and David Kennedy Joann Kennelly l Marjan Khorashadi-Zadeh ‘09 Jamie Lytle Webb-King l u Judith Alnette King-Rundel ‘98 u Nancy Jean Kingston ‘72 Amy Knight ‘91 Kogi Group Corp Kathryn Kramer Eloise and Larry Kroeze Alicia L. Lee ‘71 Andrew John Leist ‘08 Janice Lentz-Brennan ‘94 Katherine Lewis ‘84 Rosalind Lilly ‘94 Michael Lin ‘05 Janice K. Lloyd-Govaerts ‘91 Patricia ‘02 and Timothy Lowe Grace Loya Dennis P. Luzon ‘98 Peter David Mack ‘10 Margaret and Richard Madrigal Irma D. Maggio l Cayleen and Mitchell Maki u Antoinette Marich ‘81 u Denise Marrufo ‘12 Ebony K. Martin ‘10 Phyllis Martin ‘83 Danielle Martinez ‘05 Preston Mason, Jr. ‘73 Lorraine ‘11 and Craig Mautner Justin May ‘13 Verna Anne McBride ‘03 Jean McKelvie Esther C. McKinley ‘79 Nancy McManus Susan and J. Dennis McQuaid Martha Medina ‘10 Ronald Meier ‘97 Stephana ‘75 and Robert ‘78 Metoyer Dorothy Stephens Michel ‘81 LEGEND: l Alumni Certificate or Credential u Faculty/Staff CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS n Deceased | www.csudh.edu 17 2014–2015 Donor Honor Roll Jamie and Andrew Michell Cindy and Douglas ‘05 Miscikowski Octarve F. Mitchell ‘13 Cecila and Dick Monod De Froideville Monster Fuses Morongo Casino Resort and Spa Dorothea S. Mosby ‘82 Maria Mosquito Naomi l u and Terrence Moy PJ Moysset ‘84 Mulligan Family Fun Center Jan Murphy ‘82 Mary Murphy Marion Annabelle Murray ‘77, ‘79 Museum of Contemporary Art P. and H. Newmark Russell Newton ‘84 Valerie u and Peter Nguyen Norman Lloyd Nishizu ‘90 Ramona Nostaja Oakland Velocity Lisa Orman l Erlinda and Ryan ‘09 Ortega Karen and Ronald ‘84 Otsuji Camille Y. Page ‘92 Betty ‘80, ‘85 and Victor Paieda Anthony Parker ‘95 Linda Cataldo Parker ‘78 Barbara Parlapiano Nenad Pasic ‘12 Deborah L. Pavich ‘10 Rosi l and Curtis Pedersen Thomas E. Philo u Harry Wendell Poole ‘85 Steven Portugal ‘07 Sudha S. Prakash ‘06 Roy Pugh ‘76 Frances A. Pullara ‘81, ‘86 Sean Quinn ‘87 Patricia Rahman ‘93 Patricia Reed-Cunningham ‘81 Elena Taborda Reigadas ‘92 Nola ‘79 and David Satcher Patricia ‘81, ‘84 u and James Riple Andrea Riser- Zanders ‘11 Gary Rivera ‘99 Riviera United Methodist Church Diane M. Henschel u and John W. Roberts u Joann and Ronald ‘97 Rodriguez Sylvia Rodriguez ‘02 Carol Rosauer ‘99 Ormond Rucker ‘99 Veronica ‘96 and Juan Sanchez Gary Sayed u Deborah J. Scaife ‘94 Schools First Federal Credit Union Timothy Woods Scott ‘84 Lyndra and Oliver Seely Julio J. Sequeira ‘11 Ramon Session ‘92 Mahmooda Shaikh ‘91 Karen ‘96 and William Shore Eric Silbiger ‘90 Regina and Steven Silver Susan Lee Silverstein ‘90 Matt W. Skeahan ‘06 Alonzo Slade ‘75 Chelia Smith Lisa and Tony Smith Melvin Smith ‘78 Michael P. Smith u Danny Sneed ‘80 Maxine ‘84 and Karl Spingarn Dennie S. Stansell ‘79 Paula Starr ‘14 Jennifer L. Steffen ‘88 Diana Dean Stevens ‘02, ‘06 Floyd Stevens ‘79 Mary Ann Talbert ‘76 David Still ‘71 Anne Stone Frank A. Stricker u Georgia Stuart ‘97 Subbotin Family Trust Alicia L. Sutton ‘94 Earl Swope ‘73 Sycuan Casino Laura Talamante u Minerva and Robert ‘99 Tate Cathy and James ‘72 Taylor Oliver Taylor ‘93 Ann H. Terrill ‘85 The Betty J. Blackman Revocable Trust The Ice House Comedy Nightclub & Restaurant The iO West Theatre The Jeffrey and Niedenthal Family Trust The Lobos Truck The Michael and Laureen Paolozzi 2007 Trust Marsha Ann Thomas ‘70 Jimmie L. Thompson ‘92, ‘94 Janice and Thomas ‘82 Thompson Sandra Timmons ‘11 Ann ‘82 and Clinton Tompkins Anorene and Thomas Townsend Son Tran ‘15 Karen ‘84 and Navin Triverdi Lynette Truesdale ‘09 Thao Truong ‘09 Kathryn and Marco Turk u Cynthia ‘88, ‘96 u and Gregory Turner Mary Umekubo ‘85 Yajaira Uribe ‘06 Lorraine and Joseph Valinches Brett Vanliew ‘01 Nicole Vazquez u Ana and Salvador ‘91 Vega Kathryn and Carlos Velasco Carlos Velez u Ruby Jane Villanueva ‘07 Veronica Villanueva ‘04 Alfred Viramontes Marcia Melton Wade ‘95 Joyce Marie Wagner ‘91 LEGEND: l Alumni Certificate or Credential u Faculty/Staff 18 DOMINGUEZ TODAY n Deceased | Fall 2015 James Waight ‘67 Joshua Walden ‘12 Virginia ‘89 and Willard Warden Christine and Stuart ‘05 Watanabe Lorenzo Watkins ‘93 Kimberly Watson ‘11 William Webb ‘80 Lethia Wedgworth ‘90 Rose Welch u Deni and Kenneth Weller Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Geraldine Lucille Whaley ‘94 Arthur Williams ‘83 Brian Williams ‘06 Michelle R. Williams ‘94 Patricia and Steven ‘71 Williams Judith and William ‘81 Williams Dorothy E. Wilson Ralph Ensign Wilson, Jr. Anne F. Wittels ‘75, ‘79 Diana Wolff l u Donna Wong ‘77 Mimi Worth ‘07 Juanita L. Wright ‘95 Michelle ‘91 and Philip Yapelli Maite Zabala-Alday u Florence Zamperini Josephine Zarro ‘71 u Emy Lou and Vincent Zimmerer Leo F. Cain Society Lee Anderson n Anonymous (4) Sharon and William Blischke u Margaret Blue ‘80 u Boice Bowman u Hansonia Caldwell u Eleanor Chang Lois u and Henry Chi Lynn Chu Lynne Cook n Garold Faber n Jean Gress-Gordon Harlan Hahn n Jackson Henry u Winston Hewitt n Woodell Jackson ‘79 Yvonne Johnson n Bruce Johnson Johnetta Jones ‘77 Helen Kawagoe Monica Little Katherine Loker n Mary McFall ‘74 Victoria Peasley ‘85 Helen Proctor ‘95 Charldene Schneier ‘84 Carolyn Sensabaugh ‘92, ‘99 Carole Shea u Frank Stricker u Jean Thompson ‘99, ‘00 Roselyn White ‘71 Senior Class Gift Develops Culture of Philanthropy Graduating students who give toward their senior class gift are learning what it means to contribute to future generations — the gift they make now will benefit the students who come after them. “It’s great to know we’re giving something back,” noted Jesica Rodriguez, last year’s executive vice president for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) and one of the contributors to the Class of 2015 campaign. That’s exactly the sentiment the Office of Alumni Relations wanted seniors to leave with when it established the iGave Senior Class Giving Campaign in partnership with ASI three years ago. “We want to nurture a culture of philanthropy among our alumni, and one way to do that is to start while they’re still students on campus,” said David Gamboa, assistant vice president of external relations, which oversees alumni relations. The seniors give what they can afford — typically the minimum donation is their class year in dollars: $20.13, $20.14, $20.15. They also choose what their class gift will be. The first year of the campaign, it was laptops for the library loan program; the following year, a treadmill for the campus fitness room; and in 2015, seniors wanted a water bottle filling station where students could get fresh water and reduce plastic bottle use. The campaign has grown year over year, and as a result of the Class of 2015 raising $6,000, they were able to purchase not just one water station but four. “We hope our seniors see that by giving even a small amount they are collectively making a difference,” said Andre Khachaturians, senior director of annual giving and advancement services.“ We hope they feel a sense of pride in helping to make CSUDH even better.” For more information about the iGave and other annual giving campaigns, call Andre Khachaturians at (310) 243-3276. Being a part of the fabric of the communities it helps furnish is part of the philosophy of Aki-Home, the Japanesebased furniture store, and its parent company Nitori Holdings Co. Ltd. So when Nitori opened Aki-Home stores in Southern California — including one in Torrance — it looked to give back in much the same way it has done in Japan and throughout Asia. The company has hosted beach clean-ups, funded school supplies for children in need, and this summer, committed $200,000 to support scholarships for students at five Southern California universities through its Nitori International Scholarship Foundation, which has been awarding monetary scholarships to students in Asian nations since 2005. The universities chosen were Chapman University, UC Irvine, Cal Poly Pomona, USC and CSU Dominguez Hills. “We are honored that the Nitori International Scholarship Foundation chose to support CSU Dominguez Hills and its students,” said Joseph Wen, dean of the College of Business Administration and Public Affairs. “The Nitori Scholarship is just another example of building win-win partnerships with our business community.” The $25,000 Nitori Foundation gift to CSUDH will provide $2,500 scholarships to business students during the 2015- PHIL ANTHRO PY Aki-Home: Furnishing Scholarships to Business Students 2016 academic year. In addition to the scholarship awards, Aki-Home is interested in developing internship opportunities for CSUDH students in the near future. “Community and social contributions are among the pillars of all Nitori divisions, including Aki-Home,” said Marwa Cabell, chief human resources and compliance officer with Nitori USA Division. “We at Aki-Home look forward to continuing this great tradition of social responsibility here in our local communities and throughout the United States. Nitori’s scholarship to CSUDH and the four other universities is definitely one way in which Nitori and Aki-Home want to be involved in supporting our local communities.” Center for Innovation in STEM Education Takes Off Through a $1 million endowment established by the Annenberg Foundation, the Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) launched in 2014 and this year has really gotten off the ground in a big way. Led by Wallis Annenberg endowed professor Kamal Hamdan as director, and professor of mathematics Matt Jones as associate director, CISE is fulfilling its multi-pronged mission to not only serve as a facilitator of regional resources toward the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in K-16 education, but also build a pipeline of future students into careers in STEM and STEM education. CISE is actively working with faculty in the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences — 13 of whom are newly hired — on a number of STEM in education research and curriculum development initiatives in collaboration with colleagues across colleges, disciplines, K-12, community colleges and businesses. The center has also brought together education and corporate leaders to form the CISE Council of Advisors Associate professor of chemistry Kenneth Rodriguez led students through an electrolysis experiment during FUSE (First-Year Undergraduate STEM Experience), a CISE summer program for incoming STEM students. to share their experience, expertise and connections to benefit CISE. Through its efforts to inspire engaged STEM teaching and learning, the center hosted a number of activities this year, including two STEM in Education conferences — one for youth and one for educators — along with multiple seminars and professional development institutes for local teachers. CISE also announced the creation of Women in STEM Education (WiSE) and selected the first cohort of students, 12 from Dymally Senior High School in Los Angeles and two CSUDH STEM majors. WiSE aims to increase the number of women in STEM-related fields through opportunities for female students to engage in STEM activities and mentorship. .For more information about CISE, visit www.csudh.edu/CISE. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 19 PHIL ANTHR O PY BELOW: Leslie Nakai with her grandmother, Mitsuyo Nakai. MAIN: Tsuyoshi Roy Nakai. “GAMAN” in the Face of Tragedy Tsuyoshi Roy Nakai has donated $60,000 over the years in scholarships to the Department of Communications. His generosity has created opportunity for many students and celebrates the life of his vibrant daughter and CSUDH alumna, Leslie. There’s a 1943 photograph of a baby boy sitting on his mother’s lap in the Library of Congress archives. The image was taken by Ansel Adams while he was documenting life at the Manzanar War Relocation Center in California’s Owens Valley, where Japanese Americans were sent during WWII. That little boy is Tsuyoshi Roy Nakai. 20 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 “If you Google my mother’s name and Ansel Adams, you’ll see the photo,” says Nakai. His mother, Mitsuyo, his father, Nori — both graduates of San Pedro High School — and extended family were forced to relocate to Manzanar. Roy Nakai was born in the camp, and he grew to understand the Japanese term used by the internees, gaman, which means “to persevere.” Perseverance has been the byword in Nakai’s life. When the camp closed in 1945, his family moved back home to Lake Elsinore and ran a hot springs spa. Nakai excelled in academics in high school, and went on to become a pediatric dentist — a vocation he was passionate about. He also became a proud father to his only child, Leslie. All had commenced as planned, until a series of life-changing events would alter his path. By Laurie McLaughlin “In 1993, a dental chair fell and crushed two of my fingers, and one finger was amputated on my dominant hand,” said Nakai. He could not be insured, so he sold his dental practice and reinvented himself with a career in computer software and put his energy into being Leslie’s dad. He went to her soccer and tennis games and encouraged her as she worked toward her undergraduate degree in communications at CSUDH. “Leslie had a wonderful time at Dominguez Hills,” said Nakai. “She wanted to work in radio and television.” Leslie graduated in May 2000, and just seven months later, at the age of 25, she suffered a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day and died 11 days later. Leslie had a lifelong “I lost my way after that. I went into therapy,” said Nakai. He had to find a way to bring gaman back into his life. To meet Nakai today, you would not sense the tragedy he has endured. In the last 15 years, his perseverance allowed him to turn his anguish into purposeful acts helping others. In 2009, he published the self-help book, Elephant a la Mode: An Epicurean Guide to Life, a title that’s a play on the old joke: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The book comprises notes to Leslie, filled with life lessons, and he followed it a year later with more “father’s insights” in his second book, Oh Butterfly, By the Way. He founded a summer camp for children and is an avid supporter of Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and The San Diego Foundation. In 2001, Nakai established the Leslie Nakai Memorial Fund at CSU Dominguez Hills. Since that time, he’s donated $60,000 toward the fund, which provides $5,000 in scholarships to communications students each year. Ultimately, his trust will go to The San Diego Foundation with annual distributions to CSU Dominguez Hills, and he hopes the scholarship will go on in perpetuity. “Leslie got a lot out of being at Dominguez Hills, and I want to honor her,” he said. “I present the award to the students at the communications banquet, and I meet every recipient. I know the scholarship is meaningful to them.” Nakai hopes the financial assistance these students get from Leslie’s fund helps them persevere in life — the gift of gaman. “My aim is that because someone helped them, these students will also give back. Each person’s small contribution adds up.” For information on how to establish a scholarship, contact the Office of Development at (310) 243-2182 or email [email protected]. Supporting FUTURE GENERATIONS of Students. 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 [email protected]. OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT (310) 243-2182 | [email protected] | www.csudh.edu/investinus CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 21 PHIL SECTION ANTHRO PY heart condition, but several successful treatments and surgeries had allowed her to be very active throughout most of her life. Her death was a terrible shock. 22 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 By Paul Browning V I V I AN PR I CE DELVES IN TO LABOR A N D W O R KPLA CE IS S U ES WITH H ER S T U DE N T S AN D C OLLEAGUES helped steer Price toward activism and a career focused largely on race and gender, labor studies, and social justice. As an associate professor of interdisciplinary studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills since 2005, Price now teaches and researches those and related topics with her students and colleagues. Working in a pharmaceutical factory in the 1970s, Vivian Price and her co-workers were asked during a meeting “Why are so many bad products slipping by?” She said, “The line is moving too fast,” and was promptly fired the next day for having a “bad attitude.” “I was just trying to point something out, which was really about the working conditions,” said Price, who worked several manual labor and trade positions after graduating with a master’s degree in history at a time when jobs in teaching were scarce. “You weren’t supposed to do that as a worker. You were supposed to keep your opinions to yourself and just nod your head. The only way you could have a voice and work security was to be in a union.” A reinforcement of her interest in the civil rights and anti-war movements, the incident was one of many during that time that “I feel this is really important for our students for a variety of reasons,” said Price, who coordinates the on-campus Labor, Social and Environmental Justice Fair each year with her students. “When it comes to work, they are all going to end up being employers and employees, and they gain a lot of practical knowledge from labor and women studies, which can be applied in nearly every profession.” Working with students as fellow researchers, Price has delved deep into such issues as disability in the workplace, migration, service learning, and women in non-traditional fields. In February 2015, Price and three students presented findings from their research on the global experience of women seafarers at the Pearls of Power Conference, which took place at the California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo, At the conference, the research team presented their examination of what women seafarers identify internationally as major issues, challenges, and coping mechanisms, and offered recommendations for women’s longevity in the industry. “Professor Price is an amazing resource and she really cares about us being engaged with our work and connecting it to our personal realities,” said Jennifer Ovalle, a CSUDH child development major who presented at the conference. “I learned so much doing the reading and research for this project, and it will stay with me throughout my life.” “Our women seafarers research was a lot of fun and a good example of the types of trade work women do around the world,” said Price. “It’s not something that you would traditionally expect women to do, so that research really opened the students’ eyes.” Price is also a documentary filmmaker and has released her work to a worldwide audience by producing three feature-length films: “Hammering It Out: Women in the Construction Zone;” “Harvest of Loneliness,” a film about the Bracero Program, which recruited Mexican laborers for temporary work in the United States; and “Transnational Tradeswomen,” which focuses on the historic role of women in Asia’s construction industry. Her students recently produced the short documentary “Mapping Connections: The Watts Rebellion and California State University, Dominguez Hills,” which examines CSUDH’s historic connection to the Watts Rebellion and that community. “At this point in my life and career I find it very satisfying to do these research projects and films with students, along with teaching,” she said. “They had such a great response during the film debut that they launched a campaign on social media to draw more attention to it. I’ve been fortunate to be successful with documentary filmmaking, and it just thrills me to see my students engage their passion in the same way.” CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 23 FAC U LTY F OC U S Education for Social Justice Calif. The project was one of several Price has conducted through CSUDH’s Faculty Scholar Program, which awards qualified faculty one less course to teach per semester to help support collaborative work with students. A Change is Going to Come. But When? By Laurie McLaughlin What happens after a community rises up in protest and demands an end to inequality, brutality, racism and economic injustice? Justin Gammage, CSU Dominguez Hills assistant professor of Africana studies, examines whether or not civil rights movements — both past and present — have effected change. For the last couple of years, an angry chorus of protest has risen in response to a string of police shootings that have resulted in the deaths of unarmed African Americans across the United States. The Black Lives Matter movement, along with other activist groups, have newly elevated an old, persistent issue into the national dialogue. 24 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 “In the last three years, there have been the largest gatherings of people since the civil rights era — and not just African Americans — who have had issues with the use of excessive force by law enforcement,” said Justin Gammage, assistant professor of Africana studies. “I think it has heightened peoples’ consciousness. It has encouraged youth to advocate for themselves, to voice their concerns, and it has provided a venue for them to engage in a public discourse. “But in terms of practical and structural changes in policy, I’m not sure it’s found its way there yet. Some states have made changes regarding law enforcement procedures — and the Confederate flag came down in South Carolina — but we will have to see if there will be structural change on the horizon.” Gammage’s research examines historical African-American social movements to see if they have resulted in improved economic security for local communities. “During the civil rights and black power movements decades ago, a number of demonstrations were centered on providing equal opportunity in employment. In other sectors, it was equal access to home ownership, access to schools, ending discrimination in awarding government contracts, and membership in trade unions,” added Gammage. “All of this was a quest for economic resources, which should lead to financial stability for communities and, more particularly, families.” The results of these movements have been mixed, Gammage said, noting that President Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty and initiatives he enacted in the 1960s to engage and address issues of poverty ultimately weren’t sustainable. “Three-quarters of the current AfricanAmerican community is largely impoverished, and that’s consistent with prior generations,” he said. However, some areas of inequality have seen degrees of improvement. “There have been huge strides in the sphere of voting, and African Americans as well as other groups have had more access to higher education within the last decade,” said Gammage. “African Americans and other ethnic groups also are more present in entertainment. So gains have been made, but it hasn’t translated to better economic conditions for the collective community.” Gammage is working to find solutions for this gap in opportunity. He is part of San Francisco-based Afrometrics, a think tank focused on solution-based suggestions and analysis addressing African Americans’ concerns. “Our position is to provide the necessary research to produce viable solutions for transforming the conditions we face,” he said. Afrometrics serves as a forum where scholars and activists can research challenges within the Africana community and provide datadriven solutions. Like the discipline of Africana studies, the coalition encourages discussions about cultural differences that lead to consciousness raising. Gammage has also played an active role in hosting teach-ins so that people are informed of the laws and their rights with the hope of diffusing tensions when engaging law enforcement. NEW B OOKS F ROM FACULTY Hugo Asencio and Rui Sun, assistant professors of public administration, co-edited Cases on Strategic Social Media Utilization in the Nonprofit Sector (IGI-Global, 2015), which brings together cases and chapters examining the practical and theoretical components of creating an online social community for nonprofit organizations. Nancy Erbe, professor of negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and Anthony H. Normore, professor of graduate education, co-edited Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Leadership in Modern Organizations (IGI-Global, 2015), an interdisciplinary analysis of how organizations can responsibly embrace complex problemsolving and creative decision making. Kenneth Roth, adjunct instructor in digital media arts, Kirti Celly, professor of marketing and management, and Charles Thomas, assistant professor of accounting and finance, contributed chapters. Nationally, the ultimate results of the most recent public demonstrations are yet to be seen, said Gammage, but they have spawned an ongoing and spirited national conversation. M.C. Kate Esposito, professor of special education and Anthony H. Normore, professor of graduate education, coedited Inclusive Practices and Social Justice Leadership for Special Populations in Urban Settings: A Moral Imperative (Information Age Publishing, 2015), a volume in the series Educational Leadership for Social Justice, which comprises educational research and practice that supports more inclusive school environments. “Movements like Black Lives Matter have had impact, because police brutality, racism and inequality have become societal questions. They’re not just discussions in the small spaces where people feel like they’ve been mistreated. It’s on CNN and on social media. This discourse is happening right now all over the country.” Larry Rosen, professor of psychology, Nancy Cheever, professor of communications, and L. Mark Carrier, professor of psychology, co-edited The Wiley Handbook of Psychology, Technology and Society (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015), an evidence-driven examination of contemporary technology’s impact on society and human behavior. “Ultimately, it comes down to exchanging information between the two entities,” said Gammage. “We approach our research and activities in a way that produces truthful information so that everyone is operating with fact versus opinion.” CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 25 Meet the Faculty Fall 2015 welcomed 33 new faculty, part of a multi-year strategy to increase the number of tenure-tenure track faculty on campus. These new professors bring a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields and have already settled into life as Toros. We reached out to a new professor from each of the colleges and asked them to tell us the one question they strive to answer in their research. HOW DO YOU MANAGE SPORTS VENUES AND A PORTFOLIO OF SPORTS BRANDS IN A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT? Yann Abdourazakou, Associate Professor, Management and Marketing As faculty in the business administration’s sports entertainment and hospitality management program, Abdourazakou is interested in using the major arenas and teams in the region as case studies to examine effective management models. He’s also looking into innovative models and strategies in sponsorship, naming rights and other partnerships in the entertainment industry. COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF TRADITIONAL AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN CONTEMPORARY ART? Devon Tsuno, Assistant Professor, Art and Design Throughout art history, innovations in technology have played a key role in visual arts by developing visual language, research and cultural documentation. Artists developed needs and applications for traditional technologies like hand tools, the camera obscura, and oil paint that later influenced the need for new technologies like 3D printers, high-resolution digital cameras, and software programs like AutoCAD and Photoshop. In Tsuno’s paintings, prints and installations documenting the Los Angeles watershed and horticulture in Los Angeles, he utilizes traditional and new technologies as tools of art making. COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 26 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 HOW DO BELIEFS ABOUT DISABILITY AND RACE INFLUENCE THE RETENTION OF URBAN SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS? Saili Kulkarni, Assistant Professor, Special Education Using qualitative case studies, Kulkarni seeks to highlight the rewarding and challenging experiences faced by special education teachers in large urban districts. She is looking into how to shift special education teacher dispositions using critical special education frameworks that focus on social models of disability and cultural critiques of traditional schooling. COLLEGE OF EDUCATION HOW DOES VISUAL/SPATIAL COGNITION IMPACT SUCCESS IN PHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCES AS CAREER TRAJECTORIES? Ximena Cid, Assistant Professor, Physics Cid’s research in physics education seeks to identify effective approaches that make the sciences, particularly physics, more accessible. She is currently writing 3D simulations for areas that are abstract in nature, such as magnetic fields, electric fields, etc. By creating 3D simulations the goal is to reduce cognitive load that is typically used to create mental images, allowing the user to use their working memory more efficiently. COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES HOW CAN SOCIAL WORKERS PROVIDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SERVICES TO ENGAGE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT? Hannah Nguyen, Assistant Professor, Human Services Nguyen’s research engages the voices and lived experiences of consumers and communities to inform culturally relevant mental health services for immigrant families. She is also interested in examining mental health within cultural, migration, and socioeconomic contexts. Her current work explores how culture shapes the beliefs about mental illness and the help-seeking practices of Vietnamese-American families. COLLEGE OF HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND NURSING Biology professor Terry McGlynn and his research team at the La Selva Biological Station in the tropical rainforest of northeastern Costa Rica have evidence to suggest a distinctive thieving caste within the ant Ectatomma ruidum. This thieving behavior has been previously documented, but this is the first time that a specialized caste of thieves has been described in ants. McGlynn and the team, which included students from CSUDH, studied the behavior and composition of these robber ants over the course of three FAC U LTY NEW S Why You Little Thief! Biologist Discovers Robber Ant Caste months last summer, documenting consistent behaviors that helped thieves steal from neighboring colonies. They avoid detection, walk more quickly when in the territory of their victims, and when physically caught, drop their food; whereas non-thieving ants are not inclined to do so. The team concluded that because these particular ants are unlike their fellow foraging ants in these ways, they form a distinct caste. Their findings have been published in the journal Animal Behaviours (November 2015, Vol. 109; 243-247). Instilling Gratitude in Children (All Year Long) Assistant professor of psychology Giacomo Bono, a leading scholar in the social and psychological benefits of gratitude, is among a team of national experts working with the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center to lay the scientific foundations of gratitude and apply that science through education and intervention strategies. Bono recently was awarded a $1.3 million grant from the Templeton Foundation as the principal investigator on phase two of the Center’s Expand the Science and Practice of Gratitude Initiative. He will be leading the development of a preschool gratitude curriculum and a separate one for grades 4 through 12. The curriculum will be piloted throughout the United States. “The overall goal of this latest research is to provide a resource for improving/ strengthening social emotional learning and character education programs — by helping teachers and students connect more deeply so that students can start working on their inner game and life planning.” Bono is the author of Making Grateful Kids: The Science of Building Character, published by Templeton Press in March 2014. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 27 ONCE A TORO, ALWAYS A TORO! Dear Toro Alumni, As a proud alumnus of California State University, Dominguez Hills, I was honored to have been named the new assistant vice president of external relations overseeing alumni relations. Being a part of a team of fellow alumni all working to strengthen the legacy of our great alma mater is very rewarding, both personally and professionally. Our alumni are vital to the growth and success of Cal State Dominguez Hills and its students, and it is my goal to strengthen the bond between the university and alumni and showcase the great things you are doing in your careers that demonstrate the value of your degree. In just 50 short years, CSUDH has graduated more than 95,000 individuals — alumni who have gone on to distinguish themselves in various industries. What better way for students to feel pride in their university than to hear those stories about graduates who have walked through the same campus, sat in the same classrooms, and gone on to establish themselves in their careers? Our programs and services are designed to reconnect you to the university, while also allowing you to share your expertise and connect with other professionals. Examples include Professor for a Day, where we bring alumni back to the classroom; Speed Mentoring, where alumni talk one-onone with students; and our successful alumni summer series, which included kayaking, networking socials, and the third annual CSUDH Alumni Dodger Day. To learn about upcoming programs and events and receive special alumni benefits, join the Alumni Association. A lifetime membership is free and one of the best ways to show your Toro Pride. Visit www.csudh.edu/alumni and click on “Join Now.” Thank you to all our alumni for your continued support, engagement and advocacy. Sincerely, David A. Gamboa, ’05 Assistant Vice President of External Relations Voice for Change By Cathi Douglas HUMANITIE S ALUM NU S , NOTE D AUTHOR AND ACTIV IS T WOR KS FOR E QUALITY As a teenager, Earl Ofari Hutchinson stood on a street corner in Watts, transfixed as protesters clashed with police officers, buildings burned, and crowds looted and destroyed businesses. Today, Hutchinson (M.A. ’89) often taps into that vivid adolescent experience in his work as a noted author, activist and political commentator who appears frequently on national news broadcasts to offer thoughtful insights on topical, breaking and controversial news stories. “Coming of age for me involved the harsh realization that race is a dominant factor in America,” Hutchinson recalled. “I saw it up close and personal, the impact of neighbors who had almost nothing but couldn’t live anywhere else, and the realization that America unfortunately is a racially Balkanized country.” Witnessing these serious social conflicts energized young Hutchinson, prompting him to become politically involved as a Cal State Los Angeles undergraduate sociology student in the late 1960s. He volunteered with the Young Democrats and got involved in the black consciousness movement, including as a founding member of that campus’s Black Student Union. Hutchinson continued his political activism beyond college, establishing the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, maintaining a subscription newsletter, hosting a radio show, and authoring 15 books, including 1996’s Betrayed: A History For the most part, he remained behind the scenes, but during a 1997 segment of his KPFK live radio show, Hutchinson took a call about Sherrice Iverson, a 7-year-old black girl who had been found murdered in a casino restroom in Primm, Nevada. Summoned to a news conference in Leimart Park by the attorney representing Iverson’s mother, Yolanda Manuel, Hutchinson suddenly found himself in the spotlight. Surprisingly, he discovered that he was a good spokesman who could think on his feet and understood the news media. “I realized the power of one,” Hutchinson said. “One person can make a difference. It was a defining moment and prompted me to figure out how to take an issue and engage the community to prompt policy change.” Since then, he speaks out forcefully, most recently on the issues of police abuse and misconduct. As he challenges police commissions and government leaders to recognize their responsibilities, however, he keeps in mind his late father’s advice that “people are people.” “You find despite problems, biases, hatred and ignorance, people are no different than you,” he noted. Hutchinson takes pride in his CSUDH humanities degree and recognizes the university’s role in the Watts community and surrounding cities in changing lives through the transformative power of higher education. Fittingly, he served as master of ceremonies for the university’s Founders’ Dinner, which honored change agents in the community and individuals who contributed to CSU Dominguez Hills’ history. Photo by Angela Hoffman. In his rare free moments, Hutchinson, who lives in unincorporated Windsor Hills, studies tai chi, practices yoga and continues his lifelong devotion to fitness and running. He is a father of two grown children, who in many ways have followed in his footsteps: his daughter Sikivu Hutchinson is a feminist author and activist, and his son Fanon Hutchinson is a videographer and producer of short films, who is also a CSUDH alumnus (B.A. ‘10). His grandson, Sean Collins, is currently a senior at CSUDH. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 29 ALU M NI PR O F IL E SECTION of Presidential Failure to Protect Black Lives. All the while, he worked a full-time position as a safety engineer for the State Compensation Insurance Fund. 1970s 1980s SHAWN ASHLEY (B.A. ’76; M.A. ’84) IRMA ARCHULETA (B.A. ’81; M.P.A. ’98) retired in June 2015 after 37 years of service at Long Beach Unified School District, the last four of which were as principal at Jordan High School. Ashley holds the distinction of the second-longest serving principal at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. During his 15 years as its principal, Poly received numerous academic recognitions from Newsweek and U.S. World & News Report, and athletic recognitions from Sports Illustrated. JAMES REEVES (B.A. ’77; M.A. ’88) was appointed in July 2015 as interim co-president of Marymount California University. Reeves joined Marymount in 1978 as a member of the faculty, eventually taking on leadership roles, including dean of student affairs, vice president and senior vice president. Reeves has been instrumental in growing the student body and expanding the San Pedro campus and a second campus at the Marymount Castle in Lucerne, Calif. was elected in July 2015 as vice president of the Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees by her fellow trustees. Archuleta has served on the board since 2014. In October, she retired after seven years as vice president of student affairs at Evergreen Valley College in northern California. TANYA FISHER, Ed.D. (B.A. ’81) was named superintendent of Selma Unified School District in Selma, Calif. in July 2015. Fisher previously worked as assistant superintendent of education services at Santa Clara Unified School District. She is a past recipient of the California School Boards Association Golden Bell Award for innovative programs focusing on culturally responsive teaching practices. KAREN KNUEVEN (B.S. ’89; M.S.N. ’96) was named Citrus Valley Health Partners’ chief nursing officer in July 2015. She has been CBHP’s chief nursing executive (CNE) for Inter-Community Hospital in Covina, © Daniel Herlensky/Columbus Crew SC Communications. 30 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 Calif., since 2014, a position she continues to hold. Before joining CVHP, Knueven served as CNE at several southern California hospitals, including Olympia Medical Center in Los Angeles, Kaiser Baldwin Park, and Verdugo Hills Hospital. 1990s LINDA ROSE, Ed.D. (B.A. ’91; M.A. ’93) is one year into her tenure as president of Los Angeles Southwest College. Rose previously served as vice president of academic affairs at Santa Ana College, and spent 17 years at Cerritos College, where she was dean of the Liberal Arts Division and a tenured faculty member in the English Department. MICHAEL J. BOWLER (M.A. ’95) was awarded first place in the young adult category at the 2015 Hollywood Book Festival for his novel, Spinner. Bowler has authored eight books, including A Matter of Time (Silver Medalist from Reader’s Favorite) and The Knight Circle series’ novel, Children of the Knight (Gold Award Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards). KEI KAMARA is fast becoming a Major League Soccer superstar. A top goal scorer this season, he led the Columbus Crew to the 2015 playoffs. Kamara played soccer at CSUDH from 2004-2005, earning All-American, first-team All-Region, first-team All-CCAA, and CCAA MVP honors. The Sierra Leonean footballer was drafted to the MLS in 2006. STEPHEN SCHATZ (M.A. ’98) is the new deputy superintendent for the Hawaii State Department of Education. Schatz brings 20 years of educational experience to the leadership post. He most recently served as assistant superintendent for the Office of Strategy, Innovation and Performance, overseeing assessment and accountability, data governance and analysis, and policy, innovation, planning and evaluation. MARTIN ROSENBLATT (M.A. ’93) has been promoted to regional executive director of InnovAge Greater New Mexico’s Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Rosenblatt previously served as center manager for the Albuquerque PACE location, and worked as the bureau chief of quality, fraud and abuse detection and control for the state of New Mexico’s Medicaid program. JACQUELINE HERD (B.S. ’94; M.S. ’99) has been hired as vice president and chief nursing officer at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus, Ga. She previously was chief nursing officer at Atlanta Medical Center, Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Calif., and Centinela Freeman Health System in Inglewood, Calif. 2000s MARC ALVILLAR (B.A. ’01) returns as head coach for Los Angeles Harbor College’s baseball program, which he previously led from 2004 to 2010. For the past four years he was assistant varsity coach at Los Alamitos High School. KAMISHA MCCARGO (B.S. ’01) has been hired as a project manager by WNC, a national investor in real estate and community development initiatives. Prior to WNC, McCargo served as a vice president of acquisitions for Alliant Asset Management. CINDY CLARK (M.A. ’02) JEZELLE FULLWOOD (M.A. ’03) has been appointed principal of Grant Elementary School in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Fullwood previously was (CRT ’11) was awarded a 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Award for her recent children’s fiction book Broccoli Chronicles. In 2008, Bourgeois-daSilva started TCD Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides youth with tutoring, mentoring, service learning, community-based projects JORDAN YALLEN (B.S. ’14) played the 2015 season with the Arizona White Sox, a farm club of the Chicago White Sox, which signed him as an undrafted free agent. Jordan played baseball at CSUDH in 2013 and 2014. He was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2014. NIECY NASH is on a role — or two — this past year. The former theatre major at CSUDH was nominated for a 2015 Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category for her role as Denise “DiDi” on the HBO comedy sitcom “Getting On,” and she’s been getting attention for her scene-stealing performance on the current Fox show “Scream Queens.” director of curriculum and instruction with Palmdale School District and principal of Palmdale’s Tumbleweed Elementary, a Turnaround Intervention Model School. In addition she is an adjunct faculty member in the CSUDH College of Education’s Graduate Education division. ADAN PULIDO (B.A. ’06) became the new head golf coach for Culver City High School, where he also teaches Spanish. Pulido is a native of Culver City. CUAUHTÉMOC AVILA (M.A. ’08) has been named the new superintendent for the Rialto Unified School District. He brings to the position more than 20 years in education, as a teacher, curriculum specialist, and principal at every level. He previously worked in Compton and Glendale Unified School Districts, and most recently was assistant superintendent for educational programs for the Los Angeles County Office of Education. © 2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Matthias Clamer/FOX. recently retired as the director of communications of the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where she was employed for the past 30 years. As director, she oversaw communications, marketing and outreach for the entire Scripps Institution. TANEEKA BOURGEOIS-DASILVA and more. Bourgeois-daSilva also founded Building Voices, an independent publishing company that specializes in children’s fiction. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 31 C L ASS NOTES © Toronto Blue Jays. KEVIN PILLAR had what can only be called a dream season this year with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, beginning as the fourth outfielder and moving up to the starting lineup. His highlight reelworthy catches and solid batting helped the Jays reach MLB’s American League Championship Series playoffs. At CSUDH, Pillar was an All-American center fielder and set the NCAA Division II record with a 54-game hitting streak in 2010, and holds the CSUDH all-time record career batting average of .367. 2010s I N M EM O RIA M JOEL L. AVANT (M.A. ’73) passed away on September 28, 2014. Avant worked as a math teacher for the ABC Unified School District for 31 years until he retired. During those years he was elected adviser of four different culture clubs and organized the multicultural club, peer assistant leaders club and the cheerleading squad. During his time at Whitney High School he was the author of Writing Across The Curriculum, which was a proposal that led to Whitney High receiving the “Golden Bell Award” from the California State Superintendent of Education. Summer 2015! DOROTHY MORRISONGORDON (B.A. ‘73; M.A. ‘82) passed away on October 9, 2015. She was 89 years old. MorrisonGordon owned and operated an educational institution for over two decades before her retirement in the 1990s. The institution later developed into a full-service educational learning center named Applied Behavioral Science Institute. MARLENE PADILLA AGUILERA (B.S. ’15) unexpectedly passed on August 27, 2015, while teaching abroad in South Korea. Aguilera spent her last three years of college as a CSUDH corps member and team leader for Jumpstart for Young Children, serving preschool children from low income families in Compton, Calif. Aguilera made a tremendous impact in many lives, especially the children she served. Share your career, family, and personal news with the Dominguez Today magazine. Please submit a class note, with photo(s), by email to [email protected]. 32 DOMINGUEZ TODAY | Fall 2015 ABOVE: More than 50 alumni and their family and friends were brought together July 11 to paddle kayaks in the calm ocean channels around Naples Island in Long Beach, and to enjoy the sun, sand and good conversation. The Office of Alumni Relations upped its cool and hosted their first Alumni Summer Series of events this past summer. The series kicked off with an Alumni and Family Kayak Day in Long Beach, followed by networking socials in Culver City, downtown L.A. and Long Beach, and concluded at Dodger Stadium for CSUDH Alumni and Friends Dodger Day. The summer series allowed CSUDH alumni to connect with fellow Toros who live within their surrounding communities while also connecting back with their alma mater. LEFT: Culver City-area Toros Sam Obembe (B.S. ‘06), Gabrielle McKeney (B.S. ‘01), Khadija Cooper (guest), Oliver Mbolo (B.S. ‘01) were among those who came out to the social at Rush Street. BELOW: Toros gathered at Feugo at Don Chente Bar and Grill rooftop in downtown Los Angeles for refreshments and fun. Pictured: Inez Ayala (B.A. ‘04) showing off the license plate holder given out. BELOW: Maroon and gold cheered on the boys in blue at the 3rd Annual CSUDH Alumni and Friends Dodger Day. ABOVE: A group of fun-loving Toros got to know each other at BO-Beau Kitchen + Roof Tap in Long Beach. FOR UPCOMING EVENTS VISIT WWW.CSUDH.EDU/ALUMNI ATHL ETIC S Toros’ Enthusiasm Impresses New Athletic Director SO U T H BAY NAT IVE C O MES HOM E T O RU N C SU DH AT HLET IC S By Cathi Douglas A Gardena native, Jeff Falkner began as CSUDH’s director of athletics in August after serving one year as athletics director at New Mexico Highlands University, following a four-year stint as AD at Graceland University in Iowa. He lives in Gardena once again, with his wife, Hannah, and their two young children. He recently sat down with Dominguez Today to talk about his journey back home and his student-athletes’ success both on and off the field. What is it like returning to your Southern California roots? I feel like I’ve come home at the end of a long journey. I was a student-athlete at West Torrance High School and played baseball at Grand View University in Des Moines, but I always knew I wanted to coach sports. I found a coaching job on an American Legion summer team in North Dakota and since then have gone where the opportunities have taken me — to Ohio, Kentucky and New Mexico. Why did you want to lead Toro Athletics? I loved my job and the community at New Mexico, but when I witnessed the passion the Dominguez Hills administration has for serving students — particularly the underserved population — I thought, ‘Why not do this in my own backyard?’ For some people, the image they have of Dominguez Hills is the athletics program. If athletics can facilitate campus pride, add to university culture, generate alumni interaction, and boost awareness, the program is something to be passionate about. What has impressed you about the university’s coaching staff and students? Both the athletes and coaches impress me with their enthusiasm about being a Toro. As a coach, you play a pivotal role in a young person’s life and you get to work with athletes, which is a cool job. Which issues and challenges make Cal State Dominguez Hills distinctive? Our students are high-energy. They are committed to success; they’re dedicated. They’re good kids who come from all walks of life. That makes this place special. Many of our students are non-traditional and might not feel engaged with the university, but involvement in athletics and attending games creates attachment to the institution. How will you measure student-athletes’ success in the coming year? We want to help prepare students for success. Wins and losses aren’t our only measuring stick. We’ll focus on the student experience and the ways we can help student-athletes maximize their abilities in all areas. We’ll look at retention rates and graduation rates — there are lots of factors that go into student-athletes’ success. It takes all of us doing our part to make sure our students have a good experience. Why are academics important for studentathletes’ future success? Student-athletes face challenges balancing classroom studies and athletics competition. I think a lot of us realize that we would have been better off approaching our college classes with more intensity. There are benefits to getting the marks that can help launch you in your chosen career, and we want to help arm our student-athletes with the tools necessary for whatever comes next. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS | www.csudh.edu 3 605 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage 1000 East Victoria Street, WH 490 Carson, CA 90747 If you do not wish to continue receiving this magazine or you are getting more than one copy, please e-mail [email protected] or call (310) 243-2182. PA I D Permit No. 2056 Los Angeles, CA PARENTS PLEASE NOTE If your son or daughter is no longer at this address, please e-mail [email protected] or call (310) 243-2182. your gift opens doors Higher education provides pathways to opportunity and success. 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