Philip Vieira, associate professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant totaling more than $228,000. Created for early- and mid-career researchers, the funding will enable Vieira to conduct rigorous fundamental research in STEM education by examining retention among students in STEM majors through a First-Year Seminar course. Vieria's project is funded through NSF's Education and Human Resources Core Research: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) program. “This grant an important first step in developing a robust research program in STEM education on our campus in order to support ... Read More
Alumna Rhiannon Chavez Named LAUSD Teacher of the Year
Hearing “Mrs. Chavez, we miss you!” from her 4th grade class encouraged Rhiannon Chavez to set up a weekly summer Zoom call to check in with her students. Some have shared their Lego creations, while others just talk about their day. One asked “Can we do this every day?” and she thought, “Wait, this is my summer vacation, too.” Summer had been a welcome break for teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Like her colleagues, Chavez has had to adjust to online teaching methods during the pandemic, and her role at Gardena's 186th Street Elementary School as teacher of the English Learning Development (ELD) class presented unique challenges. Fortunately, the California ... Read More
CSUDH Earns High Marks in Three National Rankings
(Carson, CA) Three national magazines have placed California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) high in their annual rankings of top universities in the United States, which include significant improvement in some categories. “To be ranked among the best public universities in the nation is a flattering recognition of our efforts to continue transforming our campus," said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. "The steady climb is a tribute to our faculty, staff, senior executives, and alumni; and a signal to our community and region that the quality of academic and co-curricular learning opportunities at Dominguez Hills is a great value and investment.” Money Money magazine placed ... Read More
Alumni Offer New Student Orientation Tips and Advice
In a typical year, CSUDH's New Student Convocation is a chance for the university to welcome and greet its new freshmen and transfer students. At the convocation, new Toros begin to acclimate themselves to the campus, meet fellow students and faculty members, and generally get acquainted with what college life is all about. As we all know, though, 2020 has not been a typical year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's convocation took place virtually, as has almost all instruction and campus business since the lockdowns began in March. Faced with our current virtual reality, the CSUDH Alumni Association decided to use the unique situation to do something a little different to help new ... Read More
Cheryl McKnight Honored with CSU’s Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award
In the 1990s, when gang violence in Los Angeles County was at its peak, Cheryl McKnight was a member of the Gang Prevention and Intervention Unit in Long Beach. She helped initiate a truce between the East Side Longos and Insane Crips gangs, resulting in a long-standing peace that remains to this day. She soon became director of the city's Future Generations Youth Center, where she enabled marginalized youth to take some ownership of the program. In 2007, she joined California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and used what she learned about empowering to expand experiential learning and service opportunities for students as coordinator for the Center for Service Learning, ... Read More
