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Symposium Highlights STEM Careers for Area High Schoolers

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Approximately 1,000 students from South Bay high school academies attended the Generation STEM Symposium on June 2 in the Loker Student Union. The event, which was presented by the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB), showcased careers in science and technology, with presenters from businesses throughout the Los Angeles region.

Jan Vogel,  executive director of the South Bay Workforce Investment Board,  addresses area high school students on careers in the STEM disciplines.

Jan Vogel, founder and executive director of SBWIB, says that the event was modeled after a conference SBWIB had previously conducted for teachers to help teachers in their efforts to instill in students a curiosity about STEM education.

“[The students] are going to hear from industry people, which will hopefully get them excited to stay in school,” said Vogel before the symposium. “They’re all enrolled in STEM academies, so they already have some math and science background. [Teachers] want to keep them doing that and show them what opportunities are available if they stay with the program.”

Jennifer Saito of SpaceX encouraged students to enter the space transport industry.

Guest speakers included Alicia Villarreal, regional representative for U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis; Jennifer Saito, university and corporate outreach for space transport manufacturer SpaceX; and Alex Gharagozlow, executive director of operations for Phenomenex, Inc., which specializes in chromatography.

Villarreal told the students that President Barack Obama regards STEM fields as the future of the nation.

“He has challenged us to excite you about the future possibilities if you stay in school and study science and math,” said Villarreal. “Our future depends on it. If we are going to remain a competitive country in our global economy, then it is up to you to take advantage of the education our country has to offer you.”

Rod Hay, associate dean of the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, appealed to the students’ interest in entertainment by describing the invention of automatic doors and ultrasound technology in “Star Trek” as prefigurement to their widespread use today.

“The science fiction of yesterday is the reality of today,” said Hay.

In view of the aging science and technology workforce, Hay said that a new generation will soon be needed in STEM fields.

“A lot of the scientists that we currently have are 50 years old or older,” he said. “[You] are the people who are going to create the inventions we’ll see tomorrow.”

Graduate student Nathan Nikotan (at far left) facilitates a program that introduces high school students to computers with the help of undergraduate computer science majors. L-R: Boian Kolev, Samori Price, Jesse Navas, and Brian Herrera

Vogel, an alumnus of CSU Dominguez Hills (Class of ’71, political science/economics; ’73, teaching credential), established SBWIB in 1984. He said that his organization and the university have always partnered to preserve, educate, and enhance the local workforce for nine cities in the South Bay, including Carson, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach.

“In the mid-1990s, when [aerospace professionals] were being laid off, we were right here at Cal State Dominguez with a teacher training program for engineers. You can make lemonade out of lemons, that’s what we try to do.”

CSU “Journey to Success” College Fair for Pacific Islander Families Held on the CSU Dominguez Hills Campus

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Pacific Islander families got a taste of university life at CSU Dominguez Hills, while learning about the steps one takes to go to college.

Journey to Success Speakers
l-r: Mitch Maki, acting provost at CSUDH; Sala Mataalii, community leader; Assemblymember Mike Eng. Photo courtesy CSU External Relations.

 

The “Journey to Success: Pacific Islander” college fair was held June 4 on the CSUDH campus and produced by the California State University’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative. The event attracted hundreds of Tongan, Samoan, Marshallese and Hawaiian residents from Carson, Compton, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Orange County. Parents, students and elders in attendance were encouraged by State Sen. Ted Lieu and Assembly Members Warren Furutani and Mike Eng to make college a family goal. The elected officials shared stories about their own academic and financial difficulties as students, and their efforts to overcome obstacles to graduate from college.

CSU Vice Chancellor Garrett Ashley welcomed the plenary session attendees. Ashley said the purpose of the initiative is to improve college access and graduation achievement for Asian American and Pacific Islander students from underserved communities.

Workshops focused on college admission, how to afford college, what parents need to know about college-bound children, and peer-to-peer discussions about college life, led by students of Pacific Islander background. Participants also received “How to Get to College” information brochures printed in English, Tongan and Samoan.

Event chair Mitch Maki, acting provost at CSUDH, and staff from the Chancellor’s Office and CSU campuses at Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Los Angeles and Long Beach worked with community leaders and volunteers to create an authentic Pacific Islander flavor for the college fair.

VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

 

CSU Dominguez Hills Sends Aid, Gesture of Hope to Japan

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Students at California State University, Dominguez Hills were at first perplexed by the idea of sending a senbazuru of 1,000 origami cranes to areas of Japan that are still affected by the 8.9 earthquake and consequent tsunami that occurred in March. However, the completion of more than triple that number of paper cranes, along with the campus’s collective effort of raising more than $1,000* [see fundraising update below] in aid served as a humanistic lesson in civics.

CSU Dominguez Hills showed its support for Japan with a monetary donation and a gift of more than a 1,000 origami cranes, a traditional symbol of good wishes and hope; names listed below.

In addition to the symbolic gesture, the university raised monetary support for Japan through the efforts of the Office of Student Life (OSL), public administration students taught by emeritus professor Carolyn Harris, and professor of marketing Kirti Celly. A total of $609 was raised by students through donations and proceeds from a silent auction by OSL; Celly and her family matched the amount for a total of $1,218.* The funds will be given to Japan Platform, a non-governmental organization that focuses on emergency aid worldwide.

In a true cross-cultural exchange, it was Celly, a native of India, who introduced the CSU Dominguez Hills campus to the Japanese custom of folding cranes as a symbol of hope.  She felt that such an exercise would become a teachable moment for students more than simply sending money or donations of goods to Japan.

“Normally, I would have just written a check,” she said. “But I thought as an educator, I had an opportunity to encourage the building of [cultural] awareness as well as participation in something that is bigger than myself.”

Representatives of the Japanese Business Association of Southern California received a check to aid emergency and rebuilding efforts in Japan.
Representatives of the Japanese Business Association of Southern California received a check from CSU Dominguez Hills to aid emergency and rebuilding efforts in Japan. L-R: Kirti Celly, Marco Dowell, Taisuke Kimoto, and Kurt Miyamoto

“It helped people realize that while [Japan] has its own culture, they’re a part of ours too,” said junior Victoria Grimes, who, with countless members of the campus community, helped to create the 3,247 paper cranes as symbols of goodwill.

On May 6 in the university’s Japanese Garden, a check was presented to Kurt Miyamoto, president and CEO of Quest International, a management consulting firm and Taisuke Kimoto, an attorney at ReedSmith, who both represented the Japanese Business Association of Southern California (JBA).

“This is a surprise to us,” said Miyamoto. “We were not expecting to receive such kind support from the students. We appreciate it very much.”

Miyamoto, who serves on the advisory board of the College of Business Administration and Public Policy, said that the JBA is a strong supporter of higher education.

Kurt Miyamoto, a member of the College of Business Administration and Public Policy advisory board, thanks the university for its support of Japan.

“We have 450 Japanese companies doing business in Southern California and over 100,000 local employees,” he said. “We need many educated local employees, so we value the higher education system.”

Marco Dowell, director of the Office of Student Life, said that students were initially skeptical about the origami project and wondered why the campus didn’t just send financial support to the stricken areas.

“They kind of thought that making cranes was a silly idea,” he said. “They thought we should focus on money and clothes and personal hygiene items. But they learned that, [just like here], certain things lift [people’s] spirits. For the Japanese people, the cranes were one of those [things]. It showed a commonality that was meaningful. In the end, they went from ‘I’m learning how to make cranes’ to ‘this is going to end up somewhere in Japan and it’s going to mean something to someone.’”

A junior majoring in human resources management, Grimes says that aside from donating money or provisions, the meaning behind a gift of 1,000 paper cranes will hopefully give comfort to the Japanese who receive them.

Marco Dowell and Virginia Grimes show off more than 3,000 cranes that were made by Dominguez Hills students and community.

“It’s the symbolism of the cranes themselves,” she says. “We can pray on behalf of Japan with that. That was really the thing I was trying to do, to show them that we’re here and trying to help somehow.”

 

Photo above, back row, L-R: Kirti Celly, professor of marketing and management; Sonja Daniels, associate vice president, Student Life, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs; unknown student; Donald Hata, emeritus professor of history; Tom Philo, archivist, University Library; Irene Vasquez, chair, Academic Senate and professor of Chicana/o studies; Marco Dowell, director, Office of Student Life; and Mitch Maki, acting provost

Middle row, L-R: Virginia Grimes, junior, human resources management; Dylan Lewis, audio/video media specialist, Instructional Media Services; Cheryl McKnight, director, Center for Service Learning, Internships and Civic Engagement; Yayoi Kato, lecturer, history; Kaye Bragg, acting dean, College of Business Administration and Public Policy; Susan Borrego, vice president, Student Life, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs

Front row, L-R: Hatsuko Mary Higuchi, artist; Taisuke Kimoto, attorney, ReedSmith; and Kurt Miyamoto, president and CEO, Quest International

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*6/14/2011 update: The final amount raised by CSUDH students came to $1,000. With matching funds from the Celly family, a total of $2,000 was raised to support Japan Platform.


Agents of Change: Class of 2011 Celebrated with Messages of Hope

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Graduates of the Class of 2011 at California State University, Dominguez Hills were celebrated on May 20 with words of hope and encouragement. Remarks by President Mildred García and keynote speakers at the day’s four ceremonies focused on their hopes for the new graduates as agents of change in a world full of social and economic challenges. García commended the Class of 2011 and reminded them to thank family, friends, professors, and all of those who supported them through academic success. She also charged them with three things to remember as they enter the working world as alumni of CSU Dominguez Hills.

“One, continue learning,” said García. “This degree will open doors for you, but we all know that the world is changing rapidly. Secondly, give back. We all know that within your chosen profession, you will be doing such great work. We ask you to reach out and help others. Tell them how important it is to get a college degree. If each of us just took one person, grabbed them by the hand and brought them to college, what a wonderful world this would be.

“And three, remember your alma mater, CSU Dominguez Hills. Today, you become alumni. You are our points of pride, you are our ambassadors. Come back and help us reach newer heights. Go out and continue to make us proud, go out and make a difference in the world.”

Thalia Gomez, president of Associated Students, Inc. celebrated her new bachelor’s degree in Chicana/o studies and encouraged fellow graduates to be agents of change.

Thalia Gomez, president of Associated Students, Inc. celebrated her new bachelor’s degree in Chicana/o studies. She commended her classmates for raising the bar for their fellow Americans by earning their diplomas and charged them with not only professional success, but ensuring the success of others.

“According to the 2010 census, only 28 percent of all Americans receive bachelor’s degrees,” said Gomez. “But all of you here today, through your hard work and dedication, are changing that. I know you will all do excellent in the next steps of your lives. Whether you go to graduate school, become a doctor, a professor, or a lawyer…no matter what you do, make sure you give back to your communities so that others can have the same opportunities you have had.

“Remember that your own experiences have been shaped by those who came before you,” Gomez continued. “Continue to be agents of change, for yourselves, for your families and for your communities.”

Khaleah Bradshaw (Class of ’08, B.A., English literature), vice president of academic affairs, Associated Students, Inc. encouraged new graduates to support their alma mater.

Khaleah Bradshaw (Class of ’08, B.A., English literature), vice president of academic affairs, Associated Students, Inc., encouraged the graduates to pursue advanced degrees and remain engaged in their alma mater and their communities. This spring, she graduated with her master’s degree in Africana studies and English literature.

“Now that you have made it to this point, there are three things you need to do,” she said in her address to the graduates of the College of Business Administration and Public Policy. “One is to pursue a master’s or doctorate degree. Two, register with the Alumni Association and support your university so that other students can have the same opportunities that were afforded to you. And number three, find a career where you can give back to your community.”

Dr. John Tracy (Class of ’76, B.S., physics) greeted the graduates and audience of the College of Professional Studies with the first keynote address of the day, and was bestowed with an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the CSU during the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences/College of Extended and International Education ceremony. The chief technology officer and senior vice president of engineering, operations and technology at The Boeing Company set a scene of success for graduates by recalling the history of his company’s founder, William Boeing, who witnessed the Air Meet of 1910 on the very land on which CSU Dominguez Hills sits.

Dr. John Tracy (Class of ’76, B.S., physics) chief technology officer and senior vice president of engineering, operations and technology at The Boeing Company received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the CSU; with President Mildred García and acting provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, Dr. Mitch Maki.

“In the 95 years since he sat right here, the company that [William] Boeing founded grew to be the world’s largest aerospace company, with customers in more than 90 countries and 160,000 employees,” said Tracy. “And it all started with one young person sitting close to where you’re sitting right now, wondering how he could make the world a better place. And so, graduates, today marks the beginning of an era in your lives when you can demonstrate to the world, that you can, as Bill Boeing said, ‘build a better one.’”

Tracy told the graduates that although they were about to enter a world of many economic, social, and environmental challenges, they would be equipped to meet them.

“These are the types of challenges that require the insight, determination, and leadership of people such as you, our graduates,” Tracy said. “Find something to work on that captures your imagination. Let any disappointment spur you on to pursue your goal. Know that you can achieve absolutely anything that you set your mind to and that you can and should work to make the world a better place.”

Dr. Wanda Austin, president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, highlighted parallels of progress and challenge in the last 50 years of CSU Dominguez Hills and the nation.

Dr. Wanda Austin, president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, delivered the keynote address at the ceremony for the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Extended and International Education. She commented on the mutually beneficial relationship between the university and her company, which has hired more than 100 employees from CSU Dominguez Hills graduates.

“Graduates of Cal State Dominguez Hills are obviously high achievers and hard workers. And that’s what our nation needs,” Austin said. “Knowing the strengths and abilities of Cal State Dominguez Hills graduates as I do, I’m convinced that each of you will be distinguished alumni in your own right. I see the drive and determination in the faces before me today. That drive and determination will be needed to sustain our goal of leadership. We face a future when strong, decisive leaders will be needed because there are many challenges to be addressed.”

The first African American female to be named a CEO in the aerospace and defense industry, Austin highlighted the 50th anniversary of CSU Dominguez Hills by comparing the challenges faced by the nation today to those of the early 1960s.

“Fifty years ago, we were immersed in civil rights issues, proliferation of nuclear weapons, escalating crime rates, and a president’s mandate to walk on the moon by the end of the decade,” said Austin. “Today, the issues are different but just as compelling: natural disasters, such as those experienced in Japan, man-made ecological disasters like the Gulf oil spill, serious budget deficits, terrorism, wars, no-fly zones in Libya to address humanitarian crises, and an education crisis across the United States. We also have a mandate by another president to develop new approaches and new strategies in a bid to increase the reach and reduce the cost of human space flight.

“The challenges of the two ages are different, but they have the same potential for awe and wonderment, for accomplishment,” she continued. “They represent an opportunity to excel and improve the world. There is now, as there was then, a need for our best and brightest to embrace the challenges and be the inclusive leaders of the future.”

Judge Scott Gordon (Class of ’80, B.S., public administration), keynote speaker for the College of Arts and Humanities, congratulated the new graduates, including his son Joseph Gordon, who earned a bachelor’s degree in negotiation, conflict resolution and peace building.

Judge Scott Gordon (Class of ’80, B.S., public administration), who served as keynote speaker for the College of Arts and Humanities ceremony, was on hand to congratulate his son Joseph Gordon, who earned his bachelor’s degree in negotiation, conflict resolution and peace building, and his classmates. He spoke for the audience full of parents, siblings, significant others, and all those who supported the graduates on their journey toward a higher education.

“We are awed by who you have become,” he said. “We are overwhelmed by how hard you have worked to get here. You’ve inspired us, you humble us, and we love you tremendously.”

Gordon, who serves as assistant supervising judge in the Family Law Department of the Los Angeles Superior Court, said that while clichés about the journey ahead are standard in commencement speeches, the stories they portray are true. As an undergraduate, he had looked forward to a career in law enforcement but found that “the path from Dominguez [Hills] goes wherever you want to go and will go to places that you could never have conceived you will be.”

“The journey has taken me to all over this country, it has allowed me to teach law school, it has taken me to Prague to teach judges from Iraq on how to build democratic courts, it has taken me to the killing fields of Rwanda to help the government try to bring [democracy] there,” said Gordon. “There are places that I never could have foreseen that I would be; there are places that I couldn’t have gone without Dominguez Hills.”

Gordon warned graduates against letting any obstacles stand in the way of their success, despite the challenging professional climate they were about to enter.

“You are graduating at a very interesting, challenging, and I’m going to argue, a very wonderful time. There’s one thing to be cautioned of as you go forward, and that is the word ‘no.’” You’re here in spite of hearing ‘no.’” There were people who told you that you couldn’t get here, you couldn’t finish, you don’t work hard enough. But you ignored that and pushed through and you are here.

“In many ways, the road to success is just like driving on the 405,” Gordon noted. “There are a lot of people on there with you, a lot of people in your way. It’s easy to get off and real hard to get back on. If you haven’t prepared, you’re probably going to stall. But if you keep at it and keep your course true, you’re going to get there.”

Janet Murguía, president and CEO of National Council of La Raza, received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the CSU; with President Mildred García and acting provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, Dr. Mitch Maki.

Finally, Janet Murguía, president and CEO of National Council of La Raza, addressed the graduates of the College of Business Administration and Public Policy. After receiving an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the CSU, the leader of the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the nation shared stories of her parents, who emigrated from Michoacán and raised her and her six siblings—two of whom are federal judges—to believe in the promise of the American dream through acquiring a college education.

“I share my parents’ story because I believe that they are primarily responsible for what I and my brothers and sisters have been able to do,” said Murguía. “This is an extraordinary nation when you think about it. Two people with very few means from a small town in Mexico, who worked very hard, sacrificed much, and dedicated themselves to the education of their family and service to community—I am a witness to and in many ways, evidence of their American dream. I have seen it come true for me and my family and if it can come true for me, it can come true for each and every one of you.”

Murguía said that achieving a college education afforded the graduates the ability “to chart your own course and write your own American story.” She also encouraged them to help others to gain the same ability.

“On a day like today, you must know that the world is a better place because you are here,” she said. “As you go forward on your journey and in your life, my hope is that you will help to open the door to the American dream a little wider so that others can see that their dreams are also possible.”

For archived footage of commencement at CSU Dominguez Hills, visit youtube.com/csudhtv.

President García Closes Lecture Series on Gender and Diversity in Higher Education

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L-R: Irene Vasquez, chair, Academic Senate; Susan Needham, chair and professor of anthropology; Carol Tubbs, acting dean, College of Arts and Humanities; President Mildred García, Anupama Joshi, acting director, School of Health and Human Services; Nancy Erbe, professor and director of negotiation, conflict resolution and peace building; Kaye Bragg, acting dean, College of Business Administration and Public Policy; Vivian Price, coordinator of labor studies; and Margaret Gordon, dean, College of Extended and International Education

The “Gender + Diversity in 21st Century Higher Education” panel series culminated on May 3 with a talk by President Mildred García on “Gender and Diversity Leadership.” Introduced by Sue Needham, professor and chair of anthropology, the CSU system’s 11th female and first Latina campus president discussed the growth of women and persons of color in the academy, from faculty members to college and university presidents.

A scholar in the field of equity in higher education, García recently visited Oman and Jordan as one of seven university and community college presidents on a Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Programthat focused on higher education in the U.S. and the Arab world.

“Today, our higher education system is the most diverse in the world,” she said. “As I visited Jordan and Oman, [I learned that] they look at us still as the model for the world.”

The youngest daughter of a Puerto Rican family from New York, García underscored the personal aspects of becoming a college president, a career that she says “takes up your life 24/7.”

“There is no such thing as being on vacation,” she said. “Even if you’re away, you’re never away from your institution.”

García, who is the seventh president and the first female president of CSU Dominguez Hills, stated that has been fulfilled by serving as president of such a diverse institution.

“It is one of the most gratifying jobs I’ve ever had,” she said. “It’s about finding the right match to an institution where you can put your skills [to work with others]. We have a diverse student body, faculty and administrators, and we are in a community that needs education. The presidency does give you and opportunity to engage in what you are passionate about.

“My favorite day is graduation day,” she continued. “That’s when you see first-generation students and students from all walks of life getting that education that will lead them to change their lives and the lives of the generations after them. You have played a role in establishing policies and procedures to ensure that they would have a good academic environment. You are in a position to give voice to the groups that need it the most.”