For many college students, summer is a time for relaxing and putting their studies behind them for a few months. But for three talented recipients of the 2022 Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, summertime meant conducting in-depth research that helped them prepare for graduate school. “The Mellon Mays Fellowship allows arts and humanities students from underrepresented backgrounds or who are studying underrepresented aspects of research to apply for funding to help get them to go to graduate school,” says Andrea Johnson, an assistant professor of history and faculty coordinator for the program. “We prepare them for what life will be like in the academy as they continue on with their ... Read More
Fall Convocation Highlights Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham and others laid out their thoughts on the state of CSUDH and their goals and hopes for the future of the university, as they welcomed the Toro community to a new academic year at the 2022 Fall Convocation on Sept. 22. Provost Michael Spagna began the event with a short address, touching on the ways in which the past three years have transformed the university—despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted the work that had been completed recently, from new campus construction to the university’s new strategic plan. “We have reconfigured and revitalized our advising and student support models, using an integrated model to ensure that we ... Read More
CSUDH English Lecturer Connects with First Novel
Author and CSUDH Department of English faculty member Laura Warrell has found that much of her writing revolves around a similar theme. “Everyone is interested in certain aspects of living, which keep showing up in their work,” she says. “I'm noticing that my patterns are about a desire to connect, a desire to have intimacy, and the blockages and challenges around that, whether they're societal or internal.” That striving for connection is one of the major themes of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, Warrell’s debut novel, which was published Sept. 27 by Pantheon Press. “These are characters who are trying to connect. I think that we all are like that. Every woman I know has been in a ... Read More
New MSA Director Hakeem Croom Aims to Inspire
“I think my life's purpose is to inspire and influence people to be their best selves—lifting as I climb, and leaving a positive impact in people's lives,” says Hakeem Croom. As the new director of CSUDH’s Male Success Alliance (MSA), he’s in a position to do just that. Initially formed on the CSUDH campus in 2009, MSA is a support program and campus resource designed to improve access, retention, and graduation rates for undergraduate men of color. MSA aims to support the college and career success of its members by providing academic support, professional development, and mentoring. Croom says that his primary goal in his new position is to “help others recognize what they have ... Read More
Physics Student Wins 2022 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement
When CSUDH physics major Jeisson Pulido was a child growing up in Las Cruces, an impoverished neighborhood in Bogotá, Colombia, he used to stare up at the stars in wonder. He never imagined that he would one day be working with the European Space Agency (ESA), helping to create a cutting-edge research satellite. “The resources in my neighborhood schools were very low,” he remembers. “I didn't receive a lot of education in math or physics, just the basics. I was never able to see myself studying in college or pursuing a science degree, because of the lack of funding in my schools. I was very good at math, but I didn’t even know that subjects like astronomy or physics existed.” After ... Read More
