Surviving a devastating decade-long war in his hometown of Arua in the West Nile region of Uganda, Africa, has led California State University, Dominguez Hills alumnus Mike Bugason (Class of ‘09, M.A., negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding) to a career of helping those affected to heal from the wounds of conflict. “The negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding (NCRP) degree greatly shaped my outlook on conflict, with the Restorative Justice and Peacebuilding (NCR 541) course particularly inspiring me to join global efforts aimed at healing the wounds of conflict associated with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA),” Bugason stated. Based in Bangui in the Central ... Read More
College of Business Administration and Public Policy
Alumna Karen Bass: Leading From the Hill
This article first appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of Dominguez Today, the university's magazine that is available in print and online, and is being posted in Dateline following her swearing in on January 3 to the 113th Congress as the 37th District of California representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Karen Bass didn’t set out to become the first African American woman to serve as California’s Speaker of the Assembly when her peers in the legislature tapped her for the job in 2008. In fact, if someone had asked about her aspirations four years prior, elected office likely wouldn’t have been on the list. “I was pushed to run for office by the former ... Read More
Early Alumnus James Waight Makes Adventure his Mission
Dashing young agent with top-secret clearance ferries confidential materials on international missions, lands in a few tight spots, and in the end gets the girl. An elevator pitch for a James Bond movie? No, but in many ways, it’s better. In a nutshell, it was the life of James Waight (Class of ’68, B.A., history/American studies) as a diplomatic courier for the U.S. Department of State. Unlike the famous fictional Brit, Waight doesn’t have the status: Secret service agent 007. However, he may very well be student 007. In 1965, he was among just 14 fellow juniors and 27 freshmen to attend the inaugural term at what would later become California State University, Dominguez ... Read More
Claudia Rodriguez: Becoming a Lawyer Takes Elbow Grease
Visiting from Mexico at 18, Claudia Rodriguez only meant to stay in California for one summer. Instead, without means to return, she remained in America, went to college, and became a lawyer. The California State University, Dominguez Hills alumna (Class of ’98, B.S., business administration; ’00, M.A., behavioral science, negotiation and conflict management), said it was the heavy load of required units and rigorous coursework at the university that helped prepare her for law school. “The bachelor’s got me into the critical thinking phase and the master’s degree helped me with the writing,” she recalled. Rodriguez, who transferred from Los Angeles Harbor College with an ... Read More
A New Dean, a New Vision for CBAPP
Most business and marketing experts likely will agree that conducting a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats) analysis is critical to developing a solid business plan. H. Joseph Wen, the new dean of the College of Business Administration and Public Policy at California State University, Dominguez Hills, has done just that and it has helped to shape his goals for the college. “High academic quality and positive university experience, that’s my vision,” Wen said. “My goal is to grow our program into an elite program.” How does that happen? Firstly, Wen stressed that accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), while ... Read More
