Sitting offshore in a small boat in the Florida Keys, CSUDH Assistant Professor of Biology Samantha Leigh tosses chum into the shallow water. The pungent slurry of chopped-up fish parts is the best way to attract her targets, so she keeps a close eye on the long gillnets she has laid perpendicular to the shoreline. When Leigh spots a disturbance in a net, she jumps in and makes her way to a snared bonnethead shark, which she untangles and places in a live tank inside the boat. After netting a couple more, Leigh takes her catches to a lab facility, where the bonnetheads are released into tanks with ocean water flow-through systems. These allow the sharks to acclimate to their new ... Read More
Features
Commencement Delivers an Intimate Feel with Heartfelt Moments
While the number of graduates, and the family and friends cheering them on in person, was substantially less this year due to COVID-19, the scaled-down ceremonies for the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 Commencements helped mark a return to normalcy for the Toro Nation, and were some of most intimate and heartfelt in recent memory. Seven commencement ceremonies in all took place May 24-26 in the Tennis Stadium at Dignity Health Sports Park. To comply with public health guidelines, seating was restricted, with graduates sitting in the stands with two guests, instead of on the stadium floor. To close each ceremony, graduates were recognized individually from the stands, and were shown on ... Read More
Class of 2021: Sallyanne Payton Bestowed CSU Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
As a force for change on the national stage, and for her wide-ranging contributions to education and Black culture and history, Sallyanne Payton was bestowed a California State University Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by CSUDH during its 2020-21 Commencement on May 26. Payton’s career is marked by major milestones and prominent appointments. From the early years at Stanford University and in the administrations of two U.S. presidents, to her work as an educator and leader of the preservation of sacred music, Payton has remained a principled advocate for societal change, and those she inspires. “It’s wonderful to be recognized by the university. It's always thrilling when someone ... Read More
Class of 2021 Graduate Matthew Hernandez Takes First at Statewide CSU Student Research Conference
Matthew Hernandez is on a roll. On May 1, the English literature major took first place at the 35th Annual California State University Student Research Competition (SRC) in the Humanities and Letters undergraduate category. The win comes two months after he advanced to the statewide competition, having placed first in the same category at the CSUDH Student Research Conference. Hernandez says the two SRC wins were a memorable way to cap off his final semester at CSUDH. “It was a wonderful experience competing with others in the CSU system,” says Hernandez, who was one of seven CSUDH students selected to represent the university at SRC. “But I didn't feel any more daunted going into ... Read More
Comic Jesus Trejo Speaks To Fellow Toros at Dolores Huerta Grad Celebration
When CSUDH alum Jesus Trejo first saw his invitation to speak at this year’s Dolores Huerta Graduation Celebration, he thought he was in trouble. “To be completely honest, I was freaking out,” he laughs. “I thought they were reaching out because of some parking ticket I forgot to pay when I was going to Dominguez Hills, or maybe an overdue book that I never returned back in 2010.” Then the up-and-coming comedian opened the letter and discovered it was an invitation to speak at the annual event. “I was genuinely at a loss for words,” says Trejo. “I’m truly honored and humbled by this opportunity to be able to come back to my home turf and be able to speak at the Dolores Huerta Graduation ... Read More
