When Thomas A. Parham joins California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) as president on July 16 he will grab the reins at a very energetic time in the university’s history. Over the last decade, CSUDH has grown physically and academically, bolstering its long-standing mission to be a vehicle for upward mobility and an influential presence in Los Angeles County. Parham will spend the first months of his presidency engaging the campus community. He plans to meet with faculty, staff, student groups, alumni, the CSUDH foundations, and the broader community to seek pathways for a fresh infusion of energy to further the university’s trajectory. “There is a high degree of congruence ... Read More
Features
Laura Talamante Makes History Personal for her Students
For Professor Laura Talamante, teaching involves more than instructing students on how to analyze and write about history; it’s about weaving her personal stories into her teaching to help students discover connections to the past. Talamante, who teaches European and women’s history at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), focuses her teaching and research on issues related to human rights and social justice. Her expertise centers on the 18th century philosophical movement “the Enlightenment” and its effect on Revolutionary France, with a specific focus on women and citizenship development. “There are a lot of steps to becoming a researcher and writer, and ultimately a ... Read More
Jeff Sapp Seeks Authentic Connections with Students
Becoming more authentic in his life was a challenging journey for Jeff Sapp, professor of teacher education, and a fundamental reason why he believes his students engage so well with him. “The great American educational philosopher, author, social activist, and teacher Maxine Green said only a teacher in search of her or his freedom can inspire others to go in search of their own,” shared Sapp. “Coming out [as gay] was a difficult journey, and my students relate well to how that has changed me. They see that I am tenacious, real, and authentic, as do my husband, my daughter, and my family and friends. That is the cornerstone of what makes a great teacher. If you can touch people in not ... Read More
Suzette Mitchell Provides Validation for African-Native American Students
When alumna Suzette Mitchell visited her tribe’s reservation as a child, the children weren’t allowed to play with her. “Some even called me the n-word,” she said. Her grandmother was Goshute—a western branch of the Shoshone nation—and was ostracized after being the first in the tribe to marry an African American, a similar fate her mother shared after being stereotyped as a half-breed. Mitchell’s family experienced what many African-Native American individuals who stand on the border between two worlds do; they are often not readily accepted as Native American, and misunderstood as bi-racial persons with dual social identities. “It was very unpopular to marry a Black man back then. ... Read More
Graduate Tiffany Hall Finds an Angel in Uniform
There was a time when Tiffany Hall did all she could to avoid Long Beach Police Officer Jim Foster, even frantically knocking on the door of a stranger’s home pleading “Help me, the police are coming. Can I go out your back door?” She got away, that time. Run-ins with Foster were the norm for Hall in the early 2000s when she was on the streets and addicted to crack cocaine and PCP, but the usual outcome placed her in handcuffs cursing and pleading to be released from the back of his cruiser on the way to the police station. Clean for nine years, Hall was greeted by Lieutenant Foster on May 18 not with cuffs, but with a hug. After shaking the hand of California State University, ... Read More
