(Carson, CA) – California State University, Dominguez Hills University is pleased to announce the keynote speakers for its 2012 Commencement Ceremonies, scheduled to take place over two days, Friday, May 18, and Saturday, May 19, in The Home Depot Center Tennis Stadium on the CSU Dominguez Hills campus.
Robert K. Ross, president and CEO of The California Endowment
College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences and College of Extended and International Education
3 p.m., Fri., May 18
Antonia Hernández, president and CEO of California Community Foundation
College of Business Administration and Public Policy, 6 p.m., Fri., May 18
James Newton Howard, composer, conductor, arranger, and music producer
College of Arts and Humanities, 9 a.m., Sat., May 19
Lois Lee (M.A.’77), founder and president of Children of the Night
School of Health and Human Services and School of Nursing,
College of Professional Studies, noon, Sat., May 19
Mary Vixie Sandy, executive director, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
School of Education, College of Professional Studies, 3 p.m., Sat., May 19
“Each of these speakers represents not only the best and brightest in their field but also the strength of California’s intellectual resources,” said University President Mildred García. “I know their words of wisdom will serve as inspiration to our graduates as they seek to make their own mark.”
Approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students are expected to participate in commencement this year. The ceremonies will be broadcast live at http://dhtv.csudh.edu.
For more information, visit www.csudh.edu/commencement.
CSUDH Commencement Speaker Bios
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Robert Ross—As president and CEO of The California Endowment, Ross has worked since 2000 to expand the statewide private health foundation’s ability to meet the needs of California’s underserved populations. A licensed pediatrician with an extensive background in public health administration, Ross is a well-respected advocate in the area of children’s health, and has served on many state and national professional boards and advisory committees. He received his bachelor’s, Master’s in Public Administration and medical doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. |
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Antonia Hernández—Hernández has devoted her career to social justice issues, first as a staff attorney with the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, as counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and as president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and now as president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. Under her leadership the foundation has grown and deepened its commitment to supporting vulnerable populations, including adults with developmental disabilities, former foster care youth, and seniors. Hernández has a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA and a law degree from the UCLA School of Law. |
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James Newton Howard—The award-winning composer has had a prolific career in the entertainment industry, first as the backup or session keyboard player and arranger for the likes of Elton John, Neil Diamond, and The Pointer Sisters, and now as a sought-after film composer. An Emmy and Grammy Award winner and an eight-time Oscar nominee, Howard has composed the music for such movies as “Pretty Woman,” “The Prince of Tides,” “King Kong,” “Batman: The Dark Knight,” “The Hunger Games,” and the soon-to-be-released “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “The Bourne Legacy.” Howard earned his degree in music and orchestration from the University of Southern California School of Music. |
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Lois Lee—An alumna of CSU Dominguez Hills, having earned her master’s in sociology here, Lee has made it her life’s work to help young victims of human sex trafficking as founder and president of Children of the Night, which she created in 1979. The first comprehensive program in America that provides services to and advocates for individuals forced into prostitution, it is now a model for similar programs throughout the world. Her research and work in this area is used by legislators to craft tougher sentencing laws for pimps, and by law enforcement and social workers in their response to child sex trafficking victims. Lee aslo has a Ph.D. in sociology and a law degree. |
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Mary Vixie Sandy—Sandy brings more than 20 years as working in California’s education policy community to her role as executive director of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the state standards board that oversees the licensing and credentialing of teachers in California. She is a past director of the Cooperative Research and Extension Services for Schools Center in the School of Education at UC Davis and began her career as a consultant for the state Department of Education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Sonoma State University, a master’s in philosophy in education from the University of California, Davis, and is currently completing her doctorate in education from UC Berkeley. |
