Fall 2025 marks the arrival of three faculty members who promise to enrich the CSUDH community with their subject expertise, teaching experience, and research interests. Welcome our new Toro faculty!
College of Health, Human Services & Nursing
Lauren Newhouse, OTD, OTR/L, SWC
Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy
Lauren Newhouse earned her clinical doctorate in occupational therapy from the University of Southern California. She has extensive experience in pediatric practice, with positions at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Long Beach and Children’s Hospital Orange County. For the past 13 years, she has also served as adjunct faculty in CSUDH’s Occupational Therapy program. Her exemplary teaching skills, anchored in a commitment to serving a diverse student population, have been an asset to the department’s mission and goals.
“CSUDH has a stellar reputation for producing excellent clinicians and scholars,” she says. “I am honored to be part of a university that values lived experiences and is committed to ensuring higher education is diverse, accessible, and affordable. I am excited about the opportunity to further collaborate on future research and scholarship, continue to advance our teaching excellence, and give back to our surrounding community.
“Occupational therapists are professional problem solvers,” she adds. “We instill hope when it’s needed most, and balance the art and science of our practice to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Cynthia Sanchez, DNP, MSN, FNP
Associate Professor of Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner Program Director
A Southern California native and proud CSUDH alumna, Cynthia Sanchez has served as a registered nurse and family nurse practitioner with Los Angeles County for 29 years and Orange County for 8 years. She also taught at the University of Southern California for seven years, mentoring future health care leaders.
Her research interests include sexual health, public health, and working with marginalized communities.
“Nurse practitioners are a vital part of the health care team,” Sanchez says. “We bring nursing’s holistic approach to the medical model, ensuring patients are cared for with expertise and compassion.”
Reflecting on her return to CSUDH, she says: “As an alum, I am excited to give back to the program that started me in a career that I love.”
College of Education
Jose Vargas, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Critical Quantitative Methods
Jose Vargas is a social psychologist, theorist, and methodologist whose research focuses on the reproduction of inequitable and discriminatory ecosystems, especially in the context of education and mentorship relationships. He earned his doctorate in Interdisciplinary Social Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno.
“Critical social research and Quantitative Critical Theory are essential because they challenge the false neutrality of science and highlight how data often reflect systemic inequities,” he says.
“By integrating critical race theory with research methods, Quantitative Critical Theory ensures that social science not only measures inequities, but also centers justice, equity, and the lived experience of marginalized communities.”
Vargas added that he is “thrilled” to join CSUDH because of its commitment to equity, inclusion, and student success.
“The university’s vibrant, diverse community and its dedication to empowering first-generation and underrepresented students align perfectly with my lived experiences as a college student and values as an educator and researcher.”
