Higher learning was the furthest thing from Pamela Hernandez's mind when she was an adolescent and young adult struggling through a life fraught with danger and despair. Abused as a child, and addicted to drugs by her early teens, she eventually spiraled into a perilous existence in a junkyard, where an attacker nearly ended her life, before her unborn child would come to save it. Hernandez's mother and father divorced when she was six months old. The only sibling to be raised by her abusive, alcoholic father, she became the recipient of his physical and emotional assaults. By the time she was 18 years old, Hernandez was a parent herself, and she too became an addict; her daily focus was ... Read More
Archives for August 2014
New Semester, New Classrooms
When students returned to campus for the Fall 2014 semester, many walked into classrooms that looked a bit more modern. Over the summer, a total of 16 classrooms underwent top-to-bottom renovations, with not only new paint, lighting and window coverings, but upgraded furniture and technology. “The learning environment is absolutely a fundamental ingredient in supporting student success and learning,” said Ellen Junn, provost and vice president for academic affairs about the upgrades. Most classrooms on campus have not changed in years, maybe decades, and with the modern classroom going through somewhat of a paradigm shift in terms of layout, technology and use to accommodate new ... Read More
Faculty Highlights: Summer 2014
Our faculty members participate in conferences around the world, conduct groundbreaking research, and publish books and journal papers that contribute to their field and highlight their expertise. College of Arts and Humanities Jung Sun Park, professor of Asian studies, attended and presented at several workshops and conferences this summer. On May 15, she was invited to present a talk on “The Emergence and Success of the Korean Wave (Hallyu): With a Brief Note on 'Gangnam Style'” at the annual Korean American lecture series at the University of California, Riverside's Young Oak Kim Center for Korean American Studies. Also in May, Park traveled to Osaka, Japan, to attend a workshop on ... Read More
CSU Dominguez Hills Ranked in Top 10 Nationally for Contribution to Public Good
California State University, Dominguez Hills has been ranked 10th in the nation for its contribution to public good by the D.C.-based magazine Washington Monthly. This is the third year in a row the university has been in the top 10 among more than 650 universities across the country whose highest degree granted is the master's degree. “CSU Dominguez Hills' mission is to 'provide education, scholarship and service that are, by design, accessible and transformative,' which is at the core of the Washington Monthly's rankings,” University President Willie J. Hagan said. “We are extremely proud to be among the nation's top universities that are opening the doors of higher education wider ... Read More
Move-In Day: Freshmen Settle in to New Home at CSUDH
Two-hundred forty eight (248) first-time freshmen now call California State University, Dominguez Hills home. Arms loaded with paper towels, sheets and comforters, pots and pans, and other living essentials (read TVs), family and friends helped the young students get settled into their new apartments during Freshman Move-in Day on Monday, Aug. 18. It was welcome help, but for individuals like new roommates Deja Maduro and Leandra Reye, the prospect of being more independent was what they said they were most looking forward to about living on campus. These freshmen won't be completely on their own however. They'll be surrounded by a community of nearly 500 continuing and transfer ... Read More