A festive time is always the rule during staff recognition events at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), and the 2019 Staff Awards ceremony on Nov. 7 was no exception.
While the announcement of the Staff Awards of Excellence winners and their exemplary service to the university stole the show, the fond memories of those with 25 or more years of service to the university ran a close second. Their shared memories were a new addition to the annual event.
One standout story involved Director of Student Health and Psychological Services Janie MacHarg, whose 50 years at CSUDH is among the longest tenures in university history.
In the early 1980s, MacHarg asked a mounted police officer visiting campus if she could ride his chestnut colored stallion. “Be my guest,” he said. She saddled up and rode the horse several times around the small parking lot behind the university’s Student Health Center.
“This was before the university had risk managers,” joked Vice Provost Ken O’Donnell, who served as emcee.
After recognizing the years of service of 112 staff members, the Staff Awards of Excellence winners were honored in three categories: innovation, student success, and customer service. The award recognizes the vital role staff plays in successfully carrying out CSUDH’s mission.
Staff Awards of Excellence
The Innovation Award was presented to Justin Hathaway, instructional support technician in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The award honors those who “use creativity and innovation to streamline and/or improve business processes and services for students and the campus community.”
Hathaway quickly proved his prowess for innovation when he worked in the chemistry department as a student assistant. After he graduated, he was hired as an instructional support technician. His colleagues applauded Hathaway’s many successes in that role, such as his installation of new instrumentation that streamlined the way hazardous liquid used as a cleaning agent for specialized equipment is dispensed in the organic chemistry laboratories. Hathaway was also recognized for the many hours he put in streamlining processes to mitigate risks to students, faculty, and staff.
Irma (Gaby) Gomez Dominguez, administrative assistant in the Department of Biology, received the Student Success Award for “creating and supporting an environment of teaching and learning that assists in the recruitment, transition, retention, and graduation of students.”
Dominguez’s serves the administrative needs of 30 faculty and 750 students in the biology department, but also works closely with the Department of Clinical Science, which offers several biology courses for undergraduate students. Dominguez makes sure every student receives academic advisement each semester, and manages course enrollment in the most impacted courses, to ensure students with graduation deadlines get priority registration.
Dominguez also helps administer the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program at CSUDH. In that capacity, she recruits students, organizes workshops on graduate admission and preparation, and manages the grant program that funds the student research.
Jackie Haynes, coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) and Labor Studies Departments, was honored with the Customer Service Award. The award recognizes staff who “demonstrate exemplary customer service for students, employees, and/or guests.”
Haynes is well known among her colleagues for her high standards for customer service to students. In spring 2019, after more than a decade in the Small College Complex, IDS moved to the fourth floor of the University Library. Haynes supervised every aspect of move, while continuing to provide a high level of customer service for students and faculty, and creatively providing the necessary support: working in the hallway outside the new office suite using a publicly accessible phone. She was also responsible for making sure faculty and students had everything they needed as they transitioned to the new space.
CSUDH staff members were honored for five to 50 years of commitment and support for CSUDH faculty and students.
Division of Academic Affairs
5 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Elena Christova, College of Extended and International Education
- Charlotte Furusa, University Library
- Kim McNutt, College of Extended and International Education
- Claudia Medina, College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
- Melanie Paz, College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
- Katrina Rhodes, College of Business Administration and Public Policy
- Stephanie Sterling Brasley, University Library
- Erika Torres, Faculty Development Center
- Susanne Walker, Academic Senate
- Hasina Zaman, College of Education
10 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Elena Harrold Henriquez, College of Education
- Gregory Mocilnikar, College of Arts and Humanities
- Salvador Valdez, University Advisement
- Dionne Williams, College of Extended and International Education
15 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Lauren Ansorge, College of Education
- Margarita Narez, University Advisement
- Gregory Williams, University Library
20 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Alisa Banks, University Library
- Tigress Briggs-Wroten, Foundation
- Patrick Naranjo, Toro Learning Center
- Michelle Ortega Bacalso, College of Extended and International Education
- Carolyn Parker-Hutchinson, College of Education
- Sayon Sau, College of Health, Human Services and Nursing
25 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Leslie Bayless, College of Arts and Humanities
- John Davis, College of Education
- Cynthia Ford-Verdine, College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
- Gayle Heifetz, College of Extended and International Education
- Gabrielle Meachem McKeney, College of Extended and International Education
- Diana Osejo, College of Health, Human Services and Nursing
- Kimberly Patton, University Library
- Sheila Wood, College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
30 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Yvette Mack, University Library
Division of Administration and Finance
5 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Andrea Alvarez, Office of Administration and Finance
- Nancy Anderson, Foundation
- Giselle Atallah, Loker Student Union
- Laura Avendano, Foundation
- Efrain Carlin Perez, Human Resources
- Raul Escamilla, Foundation
- Stephanie Estrada, Foundation
- Concepcion Garcia, Foundation
- Jessica Garcia, Parking Services
- Andrew Lyons, University Police
- Mike Marquez, Custodial Services
- Wayne Nishioka, Office of Administration and Finance
- Sandra Ramos, Foundation
- Maria Sandoval, Custodial Services
- Trini Yanez, Building Maintenance
10 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Lawrence Harris, Custodial Services
- Fernando Solorio, Foundation
15 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Xiomara Benitez, Foundation
20 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Nathaniel Colbert, Building Maintenance
- Luis Hernandez, University Police
- Fabiola Tene, General Accounting
- Janet Vanniroth, General Accounting
25 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Angela Holmes, Custodial Services
- Dennis Lawson, University Police
- Jeffery Morrow, Engineering Services
30 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Raymond Ortiz, Grounds Maintenance
- Patrick Thomas, Parking Services
35 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Vincent Mangielli, Logistical Services
- Jean McTaggart, Office of Administration and Finance
- Vernesta Johnson, Procurement
Division of Information Technology
5 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Laura Drake, Reprographics Services
- Cara Furman, Project Management Training
- Fidel Garcia, Academic Technology
- Benjamin Guerrero, Instructional App and Design
- Payman Khani, User Services
- Calvin Ko, Academic Technology
- Janet Phu, Business Analyst
15 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Adelbert Baylis, User Services
- Joli Brown, User Services
- Shon Lee, Web and Mobile Services
20 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Cristina Arroyo, User Services
- Steven Williams, Academic Technology
25 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Bernie Clinch, Academic Technology
- Glenn K. Masuda, Network Services
30 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Yusuf Abdullah, User Services
- Cynthia Jones-Hunter, Reprographics Services
Division of Student Affairs
5 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Silvia Alvarez, Male Success Alliance
- Alicia Amerson, University Housing
- Toumik Asatoorian, Office of Student Affairs
- Paola Carbajal, Residential Life
- Lourdes Ciau, Registrar’s Office
- Rosie Coleman, Student Health and Psychological Services
- Vince Flowers, Male Success Alliance
- Anna Liza Garcia, Office of Student Life Programs
- Victoria Herrera, Admissions Office
- Cecily McAlpine, Office of Student Affairs
- Sara Perry, Athletics
- Christina Rios, Enrollment Management
- Garrett Leonidas Sloan, Male Success Alliance
- Chris Torres, Supplemental Instruction
- Cailin White, University Outreach and School Relations
- Joshua Williams, Toro Guardian Scholars
10 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Brian Cruz, Financial Aid
- Leah-Anne Kram, Student Health and Psychological Services
15 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Shana Garrett, Student Health and Psychological Services
- Brenda Hernandez, Admissions Office
- Julieta Martinez, Registrar’s Office
- Marcela Vega, Financial Aid
- Ernest Williams, Residential Life
20 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Lourdes Lopez, Admissions Evaluations Unit
- Cynthia Turner, Registrar’s Office
25 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Christopher Manley, Student Health and Psychological Services
- Nancy Rudolph, Admissions Office
30 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Suwanna Stickney, Financial Aid
50 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Janie MacHarg, Student Health and Psychological Services
Division of University Advancement
5 YEARS OF SERVICE
- Paul Browning, Communications and Public Affairs
- Leo Garcia, Advancement Services
- Andre Khachaturians, Annual Campaigns
- Marilyn McPoland, Ceremonies and Events
- Valerie Nguyen, Advancement Services
- Carrie Stewart, University Advancement
- Jasmina Zuljevic, Development
