Cynthia Babich, founder of the Del Amo Action Committee (DAAC), doesn't mince words when assessing the environmental hazards that have put residents of West Carson–predominantly low-income residents of color–at significant risk for decades. “We're choking here. We're absolutely choking,” Babich said during a recent community open house, referring to the findings of a DAAC health report on airborne contaminants. In fact, air pollution is just one of many environmental risks that residents face. The DAAC office stands just a few blocks south of the Del Amo Superfund Site. The office was founded in 1994 to inform residents about the high levels of soil and groundwater ... Read More
Archive
Asian & Pacific Cultural Center Opens Its Doors
After over a year of struggles and delays, the CSUDH Asian & Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) finally has a space to call its own. Located on the second floor of Welch Hall, in the offices formerly occupied by Financial Aid, the center is open to all Toro students, although its primary focus is on supporting the success of Asian and Pacific Islander students at the university. The APCC was established in Fall 2021, in response to student requests for an API-focused resource center. Inaugural program director Nathan Nguyen was hired in October 2021, and spent over a year working with administrators to secure a home for the center. “When I came on board, I assumed it would maybe take a ... Read More
Toro Women Advance to Elite Eight
The top-seeded CSUDH women's basketball team stormed their way into the NCAA Elite Eight with a dominant 73-51 win over Cal State San Marcos in the final of the West Regional Championship. The Toros won behind a stifling defense effort, holding San Marcos to just six points in a pivotal second quarter. It is the Toros' first-ever trip to the Elite Eight, where they will start play as the third seeded team. They will play sixth-seeded Catawba College of North Carolina on Monday, March 20, at 10 AM PST. The winner will advance to the Final Four on Wednesday. Against San Marcos, the Toros were led by NCAA West Region Most Outstanding Player Asia Jordan, who led all scorers with 19 points ... Read More
Rex Richardson Strengthens Ties to CSUDH
"Dominguez Hills is an important partner. We are counting on you to contribute your expertise to help us solve our big challenges.” That was the central message Mayor of Long Beach Rex Richardson conveyed during an official campus visit on March 9. Three months into his first mayoral term, the Toro alumnus is eager to establish partnerships between the city and CSUDH, with the intention of creating more opportunities for Toros to enter public service. Richardson began his visit with a meeting with President Thomas A. Parham, then embarked on a campus tour before sitting down with students, faculty, and staff to discuss his goals as mayor and his personal connection with ... Read More
Faculty Highlights: March 2023
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. We feature those accomplishments and more in this section. To share faculty news, email ucm@csudh.edu. Recent quotes and/or interviews in the media from faculty College of Arts and Humanities College of Business Administration and Public Policy College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences ... Read More
CSUDH Hosts Girls in STEAM Day
Some 400 students from more than a dozen middle schools in Compton gathered at the CSUDH campus on February 27 for the second annual Girls in STEAM Day. This year's event came together through the collaborative efforts of GEAR UP Compton, CSUDH, and the University of California Irvine. GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federal grant program with projects across the United States. It works with local school districts, community-based organizations, colleges, and universities to build long-term relationships with students starting in middle school. Girls in STEAM Day is one of several programs held each year by GEAR UP that seeks to ... Read More
Toro Women’s Basketball Squad Earns Top Seed, Will Host NCAA Regionals
After a record-setting season that found the team rolling to a 28-2 record, the CSUDH women's basketball team has earned a number one seed in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship for the first time in the program's history. As the top seed, the Toros will host the eight-team West Regional tournament on campus at the Torodome on March 10-13. The Toros' strong regular season was enough to convince the selection committee to give them a number one seed, despite a tough loss in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament final. CSUDH's loss to second seeded Cal State San Marcos wasn't enough to bump them from the top spot. The Toros will kick off their ... Read More
Toros Showcase Scholarship at Student Research Conference
CSUDH convened its 18th annual Student Research Conference (SRC) on Feb. 22-24. The three-day event highlighted the extraordinary depth and quality of scholarly research by 330 undergraduate and graduate students in fields ranging from anthropology and history to chemistry and behavioral and social sciences. Cheyenne Cummings, an Earth Sciences lecturer and co-chair of the SRC, says the conference demonstrates the importance of research to overall student learning and provides crucial experience for students considering graduate and post-graduate education. “The SRC gives students the opportunity to learn how to present, which is one of the most amazing aspects of this program. It ... Read More
Africana Studies Professor Puts Students First
Everyone who attended the Black History Month opening celebration at CSUDH in early February was struck by the passion and energy of the woman who kicked off the proceedings. As she recited two poems and performed an original song, it was clear that Africana Studies Adjunct Professor Meryah Fisher had a palpable connection to the students in attendance, who enthusiastically cheered and danced along. Such connections are by design. A large part of Fisher's teaching is formulated to center her students as people before delving into the coursework. “We start out every single day with the question 'How are you?',” she says. “I didn't even bother going over the syllabus during the first week ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Ricardo Magallanes
As the Chemical Hygiene Officer for the CSUDH Environmental Health and Safety Department, Ricardo Magallanes is responsible for making sure that students, faculty, and staff are safe while on campus and working with chemicals. This can mean everything from working with administrators to develop good hygiene policies to maintaining accurate inventories of the chemicals that are stored here. To that end, he says he spends most of his days “going through emails, conducting lab inspections, leading a variety of safety training events, reviewing CSUDH safety programs–and going to lots of meetings.” Magallanes has been at CSUDH for three years, and is proud of the work he's done building up and ... Read More
