Christopher Carson once found himself on a dangerous trajectory. He was born and raised on 107th Street and South Vermont Avenue, an area long acquainted with gang culture and the violence that accompanies it. “It’s what you’re used to when you live with it,” says Carson. “It’s what you know.” In 2016, a court convicted Carson of attempted murder and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. But for the steadfast love of family and friends, and the timely intervention of unexpected mentors, Carson might have succumbed to the hopelessness of the prison industrial complex and come to believe that he would only ever be defined by his mistakes. Instead, he joined some 4,400 other students on ... Read More
Features
CSUDH Awards $935,000 in Scholarships Through the Toros Teach LA Program
Nearly 150 future educators will soon be ready to join the teaching ranks now that California State University, Dominguez Hills has awarded them almost a million dollars in scholarship funds through the university’s new Toros Teach LA program. In this first year of the program, a collaborative effort between the university’s College of Education and College of Health, Human Services and Nursing, 146 CSUDH students who plan to work in early childhood education will receive a total of $935,000 in scholarships. Funding for the scholarships came from the Ballmer Group’s historic $22 million gift to CSUDH, a bold, multi-year investment announced last August that is intended to tackle the ... Read More
New Initiative with Toyota Aims to Improve Mobility for Underserved Communities
On April 30, CSUDH and Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) launched a multipronged program focused on transportation equity for the university and its surrounding communities based on the idea of “Mobility for All.” The initial phase of the program will establish the Center for Resilient, Equitable, and Sustainable Transportation (CREST) at CSUDH, made possible by a $1.2 million grant from Toyota. Housed within CSUDH’s Center for Innovation in STEM Education, CREST will engage faculty and students in research, curricula, and paid internships to find solutions to the myriad mobility challenges faced by members of the university and wider community. “Toyota believes that when people are ... Read More
CSUDH Professor Uncovers Secrets About Snake Evolution
After almost a decade studying and researching the evolution of snakes, CSUDH Biology Professor Sonal Singhal has come to one undeniable conclusion. “Snakes are so cool!” Since 2014, Singhal has been one of the leaders of a project attempting to discover why snakes have been so successful in evolving traits that allow them to survive and thrive almost anywhere in the world. Their findings were published as the cover story of the February 24 issue of Science magazine. “Snakes are actually lizards if you use a technical definition,” says Singhal. “But if you look at them from an evolutionary perspective and how aspects of their biology are changing —what they eat, what they look like, ... Read More
Toros Advocate in Sacramento
In February, a CSUDH delegation traveled to the California State Capitol to discuss the critical need for investment in the CSU with government officials and policymakers. This year’s visit included meetings with Secretary of State Shirley Weber, State Senators Steve Bradford and Lena Gonzalez, and Assemblymember Mia Bonta, and also marked the first time that CSUDH brought a corporate partner to advocate for higher education. The delegation included CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham, administrators, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Edgar Mejia-Alezano, ASI Director of Legislative Affairs Adilene Tinoco, and Glenn Choe from Toyota Regulatory Affairs. Throughout their ... Read More
