College of Business Administration and Public Policy

School of Public Service and Justice Names First Director

January 20, 2022 By Kandis Newman

School of Public Service and Justice Director Gus Martin — The new director of CSUDH’s School of Public Service and Justice, C. Augustus “Gus” Martin.

The College of Business Administration and Public Policy’s new School of Public Service and Justice has named its first director – C. Augustus “Gus” Martin, professor of criminal justice administration.

A nationally recognized expert on terrorism, homeland security, and criminal justice, Martin has been with the university since 2001. He has served CSUDH in a variety of roles, including associate vice president for faculty affairs and associate vice president for human resources management. Martin has authored several books on terrorism, including Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues, now in its seventh edition (2020), and Understanding Homeland Security, now in its third edition (2019).

In announcing the new school in September 2021, President Thomas Parham said, “The School of Public Service and Justice (SPSJ) will focus on promoting ethical public service and justice to address our nation’s ongoing societal challenges such as poverty, homelessness, and affirming the rights of historically marginalized populations. The level of systemic intervention required to address these dilemmas mandate that we bring a greater intentionality around public service and social justice. This new school will prepare the Toro Nation to meet this moment and address these challenges.”

The School of Public Service and Justice is now the home of the public administration and criminal justice administration degree programs that have traditionally been part of the College of Business Administration and Public Policy (CBAPP). “You can consider the school to be an umbrella for our current programs, undergraduate degrees as well as master’s programs,” says Martin, adding that he envisions adding other master’s level programs to the school. “The sky’s the limit. We are going to become quite proactive in promoting other avenues and other degrees in the school.”

Fynnwin Prager, associate professor of public administration and co-director of the South Bay Economics Institute at CSUDH, was one of the driving forces behind establishing the new school, which reflects the growing importance and impact of criminal justice and public policy disciplines within CBAPP. “The school gives us a chance to elevate the criminal justice program, which is enormous for an undergraduate program in that discipline, with over 1,200 students enrolled,” says Prager. “It grows every year, yet we felt it got relatively little visibility.”

“At CSUDH, the Criminal Justice Administration program is extremely unique,” adds Prager. While most programs in the field focus primarily on the criminal justice or criminology elements, CSUDH’s program emphasizes the administrative side of criminal justice. “It’s grown to be a hugely popular and significant program. We wanted the school to really emphasize the justice element,” he says.

The college’s vision for the new school is that it will build on their relationships with other local institutions–from developing more community partnerships and sponsorship opportunities to developing grants to support Toro students. “We would love to expand opportunities for our students to do meaningful work out in the community, to improve their internship and externship opportunities, and also to conduct research in these public-facing organizations that we collaborate with,” says Prager.

Martin adds, “Our mission is to promote the education and training of our students within the realm of public service. With the social unrest that we’ve seen recently, we believe that there’s a role for government and the public sector to bring an ethical vision to bear, to try and stop or reduce some of the disturbing scenes we’ve seen in the last couple of years. There’s a role for the public sector, and there’s a role for government–and we can provide the training and education for our students to step up and step into these roles.”

CSUDH Alum Donates Historic Gift

November 16, 2021 By Kandis Newman

With a $700,000 donation to CSUDH, Doug Le Bon made university history for donating the largest gift to CSUDH from a living alum.

Le Bon, who earned two business degrees from CSUDH, a BS in Business Administration (1976) and an MBA (1979), is the co-founder and senior managing director of Pathway Capital Management, one of world’s most successful private markets investment firms, managing over $85 billion in assets.

Remembering his days as a student driving a soft drink delivery truck around the South Bay, he said he was motivated to give to the university to help reduce the financial barriers students today face in pursuit of their education.

“I think it can be really difficult now for young people to go to college,” says Le Bon. “It’s not only the actual cost of college, but students have to put food on their tables. My motivation was to try to make it easier for people to get their degrees and not leave college with so much debt.”

“That’s a really difficult thing now for students to do,” Le Bon adds. “Especially if you’re if you’re studying liberal arts, or studying to be a teacher or social worker. A businessperson or lawyer can expect to make money and pay off their debt, but for students in other disciplines it can be problematic.”

With his donation, Le Bon earmarked $500,000 to establish the Le Bon Family Scholarship at CSUDH. The gift will provide funding for the Presidential Scholars program, the new Pay It Forward initiative, and the CSUDH general scholarship fund. Another $200,000 for technology in the new Innovation & Instruction Building.

As a graduate of the business school, Le Bon was eager to help equip the new Innovation & Instruction Building, which now houses the College of Business Administration and Public Policy (CBAPP). His largess enabled the university to purchase several Bloomberg Terminals, software systems that enable users to monitor and analyze financial market data.

In addition, CBAPP students will get access to Bloomberg Market Concepts, a self-paced e-learning course that provides an interactive introduction to financial markets. CSUDH students who pass the course will be receive a free certification.

“Technology is key, and access to technology is key,” says Le Bon. “If students are going to go into money management or anything like that, they are going to have to be facile and adept at using technology like Bloomberg Terminals in order to keep up.”

“I would really like it if more Dominguez Hills business students ended up in asset management, because there are just not enough young people from diverse or underserved communities in the disciple. If having these terminals in place helps spur interest and gives those students a background that makes them more attractive to employers, that would be great.”

“Sometimes, the passions of our alums remain more latent than visible, but once revealed, they point a way to a brighter future. Mr. Le Bon’s extraordinary generosity represents everything that’s special about our Toro Nation,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. “His contributions will make a huge impact on the lives of scores of CSUDH students and faculty going forward. When our successful alumni extend a helping hand to those coming after them, it both establishes a legacy to build on, and illustrates exactly what we mean by ‘Go Far Together.’ We are all more than grateful for and appreciative of Mr. Le Bon’s stunning philanthropic support.”

Fynnwin Prager’s Influenza Economic Research Pays Dividends During COVID-19

April 11, 2021 By Paul Browning

Fynnwin Prager is an expert on the economic repercussions of epidemics and pandemics. In the article, Prager draws parallels between the study he co-published in 2016, “Total Economic Consequences of an Influenza Outbreak” and recent economic predictions about COVID-19. He also touches on economic and business resilience, the need for better support for communities of lower socio-economic status during health crisis, and a new research partnership with colleagues at USC CREATE and ImageCAT that uses satellite-imaging data to explore various economic factors related to COVID-19.

In 2016, Fynnwin Prager, associate professor of Public Administration at CSUDH, co-published the study the “Total Economic Consequences of an Influenza Outbreak.” The study and his more recent research have provided Prager a knowledge base well suited for examining the impact of COVID-19 on the local and national economy.

Prager is co-director of CSUDH’s South Bay Economics Institute (SBEI), where he works with colleagues Assistant Professor of Finance Jennifer Brodmann and Professor of Economics Jose Martinez to provide innovative and forward-thinking economics education and research for the region.

2020 Vision: South Bay Economic Forecast

In October 2020, the nation was seven months into the pandemic, with fears of a post-holiday spike on the horizon. That month, the SBEI released its annual South Bay Economic Forecast report, which optimistically projected that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would reach pre-pandemic levels by mid-2021, and employment would follow suit a year later.

Fynnwin Prager presents during CSUDHs annual South Bay Economic Forecast. — Fynnwin Prager presents during CSUDH’s annual South Bay Economic Forecast.

Economic uncertainty persisted, and at the end of the year the U.S. economy had shrunk by 3.5 percent, the worst year for growth since 1946. However, Supply Chain Management Review and other sources reported in late March 2021 that GDP is now projected to increase to 5.7 percent by the end of the year and 4.1 percent in 2022, before settling to a more sustainable 3.1 percent pace.

These projections align closely with the SBEI’s 2020 economic forecast.

“There are many fundamental truths to cycles of economic activity. One is that markets will rebound at some point. The question is, ‘When?’” Prager asks. “Those economies around the world (especially in the Asia-Pacific region) that were able to contain the virus quickly and engage in effective test-and-trace programs have also bounced back quickly following the lockdowns.”

Prager adds that consumer spending is expected to increase into this summer. “There is lots of pent-up demand and the federal stimulus checks will start to kick in. So, while there will always be uncertainty, there is still good reason to be hopeful for 2021 and 2022.”

Drawing Parallels

While the institute did not use Prager’s influenza outbreak paper as a model, it did consider economic factors outlined in the paper when doing research for its 2020 forecast. They include key dimensions of pandemic-related economic impacts, such as behavioral effects – avoiding schools, workplaces, public spaces, and travel – as well as such business resilience factors, such as working from home, substituting to new products and services, and vaccination schedules.

“The paper continues to inform the work we are doing at the South Bay Economics Institute in a number of ways,” explains Prager. He says that the SBEI uses it for computable general equilibrium modeling, and that the institute now has a model for the South Bay region that can be used to examine the regional economic impacts of different events, such as a pandemic.

Other parallels that Prager draws from his previous pandemic research to COVID-19 include behavioral factors; for example, highlighting the importance of wearing face masks in public, when is best to send kids back to school, and economic resilience.

“We have seen the importance of working from home, but also impressive resilience from small businesses, which, thanks to nimble business practice changes and government supports, have weathered the pandemic at much higher rates than first feared,” he says. “Finally, I would hope that there is a renewed appreciation of the importance of vaccinations. The 2016 influenza outbreak paper highlights the economic benefits of such programs, and recent events have more than confirmed those findings.”

New Directions

Prager’s views about working from home (telecommuting) have shifted now that he has lived through a pandemic.

“Telecommuting had always been touted as a disaster-resilience strategy but had rarely been studied during a major event,” Prager reveals. “At SBEI, Jose Martinez and I had studied telecommuting prior to the outbreak. We were interested in why working from home had not increased all that much since the 1990s. It had only reached between 5-15 percent. COVID-19 changed all that.”

Estimates suggest telecommuting has jumped to between 45-55 percent during the pandemic, says Prager. “We anticipate these trends will continue for some time. This shift has demonstrated significant economic resilience, but has also highlighted important side effects, such as the significant impact on the commercial real estate market.”

These and other findings have revitalized Prager’s interest in pandemic research.

“COVID-19 has brought a new interest in examining these issues, as well as many more types of data and methods,” he shares. “For example, a project I am currently working on with colleagues at USC CREATE and ImageCAT uses satellite-imaging data to explore the extent to which people were complying with government mandates, how quickly the public returned to businesses following softening of restrictions, and to what extent businesses increased operations to recapture lost output.”

Prager is discouraged by the severe disparity in health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color and those of lower socio-economic status. The issue will be examined in his new research project given its effect on the economic impact of the pandemic and the communities CSUDH serves.

“These communities have been particularly burdened by illness, loss of life, increasing unemployment, and educational impacts among others,” he says. “Opportunities to mitigate the harms of the COVID-19 pandemic are also less available to these communities. Those in wealthier communities have been more likely to be able to take advantage of the new home-based economy. They can afford to shop online, and they have the resources to support their children’s online education. This inequality is very disturbing and important to consider when distributing government support.”

In the meantime, Prager points to a couple of recent COVID-19 developments that have boosted his economic optimism.

“There is good news all around, as a brighter public health outlook enables more businesses to reopen, especially in key employment-heavy service sectors,” he says. “The Federal Government stimulus package has also been passed, which will have important short-term stimulative impacts, especially for vulnerable households, and education and government sectors.”

Professor for a Day Aces the Virtual Format

March 24, 2021 By Paul Browning

Alumnus Keith Arem taught his first Professor for a Day class to Lecturer Kelly Herman's “Acting for the Camera” course. — Alumnus Keith Arem taught his first Professor for a Day class to Lecturer Kelly Herman’s “Acting for the Camera” course.

While it is hard to compete with in-person instruction, the lectures delivered by CSUDH alumni during the annual Professor for a Day event on March 15-18 offered a unique glimpse at how faculty can work with guest lecturers to elevate engagement in the virtual classroom.

Organized by CSUDH’s Office of Alumni Relations, Professor for a Day (PFAD) pairs each alumna/us with classes that match their fields. Since its launch eight years ago, and despite the challenges of navigating the virtual space during COVID-19, the popularity of PFAD has continued to grow.

This year, a large pool of alumni from diverse industries served as honorary professors over several days, including several first-time PFAD lecturers. Among them was alumnus Keith Arem, CEO and president of Los Angeles-based PCB Productions, who taught his first PFAD class to Lecturer Kelly Herman’s “Acting for the Camera” course.

Keith Arem, CEO and president of Los Angeles-based PCB Productions in Encino. — CSUDH Alumnus Keith Arem, CEO and president of Los Angeles-based PCB Productions in Encino, California.

Arem has been directing, producing, and providing creative leadership at PCB, Virgin Interactive, and Electronic Arts for more than 20 years. He is one of the leading directors in the video game industry, with a focus on immersive content creation that blends technology with entertainment.

Using the remote lecture format to his advantage, Arem sat at a recording console in his studio and took the students on a deep dive into the gaming industry, starting with what’s required to become successful in the competitive industry. He began with core principles and concepts, such as how to build your wheelhouse, developing your ear, understanding gaming mechanics, and building your business.

“It was fulfilling to come full circle and return to my university to share my experiences since graduation,” he said. “It’s rewarding to see students excited about new opportunities and a side of the industry that they were not aware of before.”

Over the past seven years, Arem and his wife, who is also a director, have been teaching technical acting workshops for the gaming industry to both new and experienced actors, including such celebrities such as Gary Oldman, Ed Harris, and Michael Keaton. In their PCB facilities, they work with students on facial and motion capture, how to protect and project their voices as video game characters, and many other skills.

“These are unfamiliar techniques to typical acting classes. It is a chance for actors to come and work with us directly on real scripts from the game industry, and get real direction and feedback,” he says. “It also gives them the opportunity to make mistakes, which is the best way to learn. And you want to make those mistakes with us instead of in front of one or our clients at Sony or Nintendo.”

Alumna Jeana Somers, a vice president of compliance and operations for Emigrant Bank in New York, addressed Assistant Professor of Finance Jennifer Brodmann’s business and finance class. Somers has more than 25 years in the banking and financial services industry, primarily in commercial lending and private equity.

Somers provided the students a nuanced glimpse at the security industry, touching on such topics as how it has changed, environmental governance, and the new job market demands during the pandemic. She also offered sound advice, such as the importance for business majors learning environmental, social, and governance (ESG) compliance, an increasingly complex and challenging regulatory environment for companies to navigate.

“No matter where you want to go after you graduate, ESG is important to understand. State and banking regulators look closely at how companies are pivoting to ensure that they are building disclosure into the business model,” Somers explained. “It’s a good idea, as a business major, to learn how businesses are putting themselves out there in terms of the way the world is evolving, even if this work is not a goal for you.”

Instead of a prepared presentation, Somers spoke freely and encouraged students to engage with her during the lecture. Brodmann pitched in, using the session chat board in Zoom to share with her class information about Somers’ background, and to offer question ideas to help keep the conversation fluid.

“Virtual learning offers several advantages for students in the personal finance course, including the opportunity to hear from and engage with business leaders like Jeana Somers,” Brodmann said. “They had the option to engage in the discussion through chat and ask questions, real-time access to resources in relation to the topic, as well as the flexibility of joining the course from anywhere.”

CSUDH Student Turns Hobby into Start-Up Business

March 23, 2021 By Kandis Newman

When the COVID-19 lockdown first took effect in March 2020, CSUDH student Alexandra Carrasco suddenly found herself stuck at home with a lot of extra time on her hands. She decided to put that time to good use, building a customized computer keyboard for herself. In the months since, she’s been able to turn those skills into a fledgling business, creating custom keyboards for clients by hand.

Carrasco, a junior majoring in business administration with an entrepreneurship concentration, first became interested in “mechanical keyboards” when she was still in high school. “Mechanical keyboards have a physical switch in them,” Carrasco explains, “so when you press it, it actually hits a switch, and you can feel that.”

Carrasco, who also plays on the CSUDH Esports Association “League of Legends” team, says, “People generally prefer mechanical keyboards because of the physical feel. It’s also a performance issue for gaming. Often, the key press is much quicker and smoother than with a traditional keyboard, which provides a quicker reaction time for the user. The switches are more reliable and durable. There’s also less chance of accidentally hitting the incorrect key.”

From the age of 16, Carrasco was a regular on Internet forums and communities devoted to discussing mechanical keyboards. “Back then, there were only about 10 of us who had ever heard of them,” she laughs.

When the pandemic hit and the community was hit with stay-at-home directives, Carrasco suddenly found that she had to time to pursue her hobby more directly. “Despite knowing so much about mechanical keyboards, I had never tried to build one. When the lockdown started, I was able to get a soldering iron and all the required parts, and I built my first mechanical keyboard by hand.”

Carrasco loved the experience, so cajoled her mother into letting her create a custom keyboard for her. “She’s a writer, so it was really important to her that it feels really nice, and it’s artsy and premium and cute,” says Carrasco. “I really enjoyed the process of going through it with her and selecting the case, switches, the features the motherboard would have, and even the key tabs that go on top. I had a really good time working with her, and thought, ‘Wow, I should keep doing this.’”

She soon scaled up the operation, setting up a website (awckeyboards.com) and Instagram account (@Awckeebs) devoted to creating custom keyboards for customers. She’s currently processing several orders a month, sourcing parts and building every aspect of the keyboards by hand. From order to delivery, it typically takes her about a month to create each one.

Carrasco recently met with David Ochi, executive director of the CSUDH Innovation Incubator, who gave her some helpful tips on making her business more profitable. While she may one day expand her keyboard business even further, for now Carrasco is happy where she’s at.

“I’m really enjoying having it as a bit of a pet project,” she says. “I can take the stuff I’m learning in my classes and put it into this project and see how it works out in the real world. In my entrepreneurial finance class, where we have a big project that we present at the end for investors, so I’m using my business for that class because I already have everything set up!”

“It’s something I really enjoy working on. Eventually, if this does become something I could do full-time, that would be really cool, but I’m not depending on it. It’s mostly just something I’m doing for fun right now.”

School of Public Service and Justice Names First Director

CSUDH Alum Donates Historic Gift