Bobbie Porter's passion and enthusiasm for her work are evident the moment she starts speaking–and she's ready to put that energy to work as CSUDH's first vice president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. “Education changed my life,” she says. “If you look at the statistics, there's no way I should be where I am today. But I'm here. My mission is to help anyone that's choosing education as that bridge, as that gateway to a better life. I want to help create the conditions so students can do that–so they don't just survive college, but they thrive in it. And then they go out and change the world!” Porter grew up in a military family–her father was in the Navy, so she ... Read More
Toro Men’s Soccer Ready to Take Next Step
When CSUDH men's soccer coach Eddie Soto was hired in April 2019, it was with one goal in mind: returning the team to the heights it reached in the 2000s, when the squad won a pair of NCAA Division II national titles. Despite a 2020 season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Toros are proceeding right on schedule. The 2021 team finished the season with a 10-6-1 record, including a pair of tough losses to eventual national champion Cal State Los Angeles. “For us, it was a success,” says Soto, who previously served as head coach at the University of San Francisco and assistant coach at UCLA. “We got to the semi-finals of our conference tournament, were ranked as high as number 13 in the ... Read More
EOP Summer Bridge Builds Connections for First-Year Toros
The CSUDH Educational Opportunity Program's (EOP) Summer Bridge has been helping first-year students transition into college since 1978. After a temporary hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has come roaring back to life this year, with more than 400 incoming Toros participating. EOP Director Sean James says that after years of virtual learning, “It's really important to reconnect with our students, get them back on campus, and build community. We wanted to take charge and support the president's mission and new strategic plan. A big part of that is creating a 'culture of care,' developing that sense of belonging and community. We feel that EOP took that charge this summer ... Read More
Education Students Create Books for Local Children
Students in the College of Education's (COE) Early Language and Literacy LBS 310 course do more than study how children's books contribute to early childhood literacy. By the time the course is over, students have written and illustrated their own books. It's all part of CSUDH's Project CYCLE: Crafting Young Children's Literary Experiences, which brings the university and local community closer together. The goal of Project CYCLE is to provide the young children and families of CSUDH's Infant/Toddler Center, Child Development Center, and the surrounding community with books to read at home. It also gives the teachers-in-training hands-on experience in creating useful early literacy ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Fernando Goncalves
Long before most Toros are even awake, CSUDH grounds worker Fernando Goncalves is hard at work making the campus look great. For 11 years, he has arrived on campus at 5:30 a.m. every weekday to maintain and improve the landscape. “I really enjoy beautifying the campus for everyone to enjoy,” he says. Goncalves is responsible for maintenance of the grounds around Welch Hall, Extended Education, and the North Lawn. His regular “beat” includes one of the most engaging landscape features on campus: the Little Village located in between the Student Health Center and University Theatre. In fact, Goncalves helped design and create the tiny village in 2014, which he says is his proudest ... Read More
