Many of the retired or semi-retired members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at California State University, Dominguez Hills will undoubtedly see themselves reflected in “Songs for the Second Half,” by Barry Bortnick. A performance of the one-act musical will take place on Oct. 10 in the Recital Hall, Rm. A-103, in La Corte Hall. “'Songs for the Second Half' deals with themes that OLLI members will find familiar, especially as they look at retirement, other transitions in their lives and the goals they want to set for the 'second half,'” says Jim Bouchard, coordinator of OLLI at CSUDH. “The musical has a very positive message about being productive and happy in the second ... Read More
Archive
Brandilynn Villarreal: Alumna Finds Path to Doctorate By Mentoring McNair Scholars
When Brandilynn Villarreal (Class of '09, M.A., clinical psychology) took a job as a grad assistant for the McNair Scholars Program at California State University, Dominguez Hills, she had thought the responsibility of helping underrepresented, first-generation college students prepare for advanced degrees was interesting. So much so, that as a doctoral candidate in social and personality psychology at the University of California, Irvine she decided to analyze how that same student population copes with graduate school. “I had to come here and see that I was really interested in doing that,” says Villarreal, who had earned her bachelor's degree in psychology at UCLA with a focus on ... Read More
John Tracy: Senior Vice President Gives Boeing Technology its Wings
The 50th anniversary of California State University, Dominguez Hills also coincides with the centennial of the 1910 Air Meet, the first aviation exhibition to take place on the West Coast. Among the attendees of that historic event was William Boeing, who went on to create his own aviation company six years later. Today, a CSU Dominguez Hills alumnus is leading the technology efforts at The Boeing Company, the world's largest aerospace manufacturer. As senior vice president of engineering, operations and technology and the chief technology officer for Boeing, John Tracy (Class of '76, B.S., physics) is responsible for the strategic direction of more than 100,000 employees ... Read More
Susan Needham: Partnership with CSU Long Beach Continues With Cambodian History Project
For the last two years, students at California State University, Dominguez Hills and CSU Long Beach have been participating in a unique opportunity to gain field work experience through community-based service learning and hands-on research. The institutions, who signed a memo of understanding in 2008, have been creating the Cambodian Community History and Archive Project (CamCHAP). The project is directed by Susan Needham, professor and chair of anthropology at CSU Dominguez Hills, and Karen Quintiliani, assistant professor of anthropology at CSU Long Beach, with support from the Historical Society of Long Beach (HSLB), which has provided space in their offices for the physical archive and ... Read More
Chicana/Chicano Studies Department’s 40th Anniversary Recognized by City of Carson
In 1970, an interdisciplinary program called Mexican American studies was offered at California State University, Dominguez Hills. In 1994, it was designated as a stand-alone program and the Chicana/Chicano studies department was established. On Sept. 1, Irene Vasquez, chair and professor of Chicana/Chicano studies was recognized with her students at a meeting of the Carson City Council in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the discipline at CSU Dominguez Hills and in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month. Vasquez, who arrived at the university in 2005, said that she was attracted to teaching Chicana/Chicano studies at CSU Dominguez Hills because of the student demographics and ... Read More
CSU Dominguez Hills Students to Work with Local Preschoolers through New Jumpstart Partnership
California State University, Dominguez Hills has become the newest Jumpstart early childhood education location in Southern California. Jumpstart Los Angeles County at CSU Dominguez Hills will pair college students with preschoolers at Rainbow Child Development Center and Immanuel Children Development Center in Compton for twice-weekly sessions that will include helping the children with basic language and math skills, reading, and assisting teachers. The corps will also be working with children in the university's Child Development Center. Among the first activities the new location will participate in is Jumpstart's nationwide “Read for the Record” read-a-thon campaign on October 7. ... Read More
Unveiling of “Manifest Diversity” Celebrates Mural of Diverse American History
On Sept. 9, students, faculty and staff, alumni, and other community supporters gathered near the Loker Student Union at California State University, Dominguez Hills for the unveiling of “Manifest Diversity,” a mural that was created under the guidance of muralist Eliseo Art Silva. The large-scale work with its depiction of a multiethnic view of American history as painted by students and volunteers from the university community is now on view in the Multicultural Center. “Manifest Diversity,” which was inspired largely by the writings of historian and social activist Howard Zinn, features approximately 95 images of individuals and iconic scenes in American history, from Pre-Columbian ... Read More
Pete Van Hamersveld: Fight Against Cancer Won at Marathon Finish Line
In December, 2007, Pete Van Hamersveld (Class of '92, M.A., sociology) was told on his 50th birthday that he had colon cancer. It had been discovered during a routine colonoscopy, and the resulting surgery revealed that the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes. Van Hamersveld had Stage 3C colon cancer, which is one level before a terminal diagnosis. That was in January 2008, and throughout more than a year's worth of chemotherapy, radiation, and a second surgery, he decided to take on a regimen of physical conditioning that included running–thus entering a race to save his life literally and figuratively. “When I was going through chemo, I was given a lot of material by the American ... Read More
Jumpstart: CSU Dominguez Hills Launches Partnership with National Mentoring Program for Preschoolers
In the early weeks of the fall semester at California State University, Dominguez Hills students are not just buying textbooks and reading syllabuses for their new classes. Students from a wide variety of majors are preparing to serve 300 hours over the course of the 2010-11 academic year as Jumpstart Corps members. The students will be working to ensure that preschoolers in Carson and Compton receive mentoring and encouragement that will propel them to do well in school and to begin to think of themselves as college-bound. Jumpstart, a nonprofit focused on early childhood education, addresses school readiness among preschool children in low-income communities. The 30 members of the ... Read More
Monika Martinez: Life’s Work is a Sustainable Journey
As Lomita's assistant city clerk, Monika Martinez (Class of '00, B.A., public administration) is proud to be part of a local government that has always operated lean enough to ensure that getting through the state's economic crisis would not be as dire as the circumstances other communities are facing. As a fiber artist whose knitted and felted creations will be featured in the prestigious Contemporary Crafts Market in November, her personal philosophies of green living and sustainable practices are interwoven through both her personal and professional life. “I'm very much into the green lifestyle,” she says. “When I wash my dishes, I'll use the [leftover] water to water my garden. ... Read More
