J. Michael Straczynski doesn’t much care for rules. As a student at San Diego State University, he risked expulsion by bluffing his way into two writing courses taught by celebrated writer and educator Norman Corwin. Straczynski didn’t get expelled, and Corwin became a lifelong friend and cherished mentor. But he understood the risks, and therein lies an important lesson. “In order to be any kind of creative person, you have to be willing to push outward and engage with the world in ways that sometimes break the system,” Straczynski told students and faculty during his 2024 Patricia Eliet Memorial Lecture at the LSU ballroom on April 11. “When you do that, strange and wonderful things ... Read More
Mental Health Takes Center Stage at Town Hall
CSUDH welcomed U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA) and the Born This Way Foundation (BTW) to campus on Feb. 22 for a Gen Now Youth Town Hall on mental health. The event brought together youth mental health advocates, students, faculty, and administrators for a panel discussion on ways to better identify the mental health needs of young people and improve the quality and availability of services in the spaces where they’re most needed. Butler was appointed to the Senate in October 2023 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Dianne Feinstein. Since her appointment, she has conducted listening sessions with young people across the state on ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Alex Oliva
Women earn only about one-fifth of the engineering degrees awarded by universities each year in the United States, according to data from the National Science Foundation. Cultivating an interest in engineering at a much earlier age is often touted as an effective way to bridge the gender gap. That’s how it worked for Alex Oliva, the only female building service engineer (BSE) on the CSUDH campus and one of the few across the entire CSU system. “I’ve always loved working with my hands and figuring out how things work,” says the 30-year-old Oliva, the eldest of three daughters. “My dad told all of us growing up that we should never have to rely on a man to do things for us. So, I was ... Read More
CSUDH Partners with LA Community Colleges
California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding during a Board of Trustees meeting at the district’s headquarters on Dec. 13 that will ensure the seamless recruitment, retention, and graduation of LACCD students at CSUDH. The partnership will provide better support to LACCD students intending to transfer to CSUDH, increase the transfer rate of LACCD students to CSUDH, and improve the number of students from the district attending a four-year college. Under the agreement, CSUDH will guarantee admission to all LACCD applicants who complete minimum CSU admissions requirements, and will also expand ... Read More
Laura Warrell Talks Books, Jazz, and Publishing
It took more than two decades, four unpublished manuscripts, and scores of rejection letters before Laura Warrell brought her first book into the world—the acclaimed novel Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, which was published by Pantheon Books last year and recently issued in a paperback edition. A lecturer in the English department at CSUDH since 2017, Warrell discussed the challenges she’s faced as a writer, her approach to the craft, and the inspiration for her debut novel during an evening of conversation on Oct. 4 at the Marvin Laser Recital Hall. The event, co-hosted by the departments of English and Women’s Studies, was introduced by Debra Best, professor of English, and featured a ... Read More