Christopher Carson once found himself on a dangerous trajectory. He was born and raised on 107th Street and South Vermont Avenue, an area long acquainted with gang culture and the violence that accompanies it. “It’s what you’re used to when you live with it,” says Carson. “It’s what you know.” In 2016, a court convicted Carson of attempted murder and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. But for the steadfast love of family and friends, and the timely intervention of unexpected mentors, Carson might have succumbed to the hopelessness of the prison industrial complex and come to believe that he would only ever be defined by his mistakes. Instead, he joined some 4,400 other students on ... Read More
Administration
Kennedy Center Honors Toro Student Playwright
Whenever CSUDH student and aspiring playwright Wayne Sam needs inspiration or motivation, he glances over at an old typewriter that was given to him by his late grandfather. “He was a writer as well,” says Sam. “He really wanted me to write and pushed me forward. He promised me his old typewriter when he passed. It doesn’t work, but that’s not the point. It’s always there to remind me that there have always been people who believed in me.” All that motivation, inspiration, and belief has led to Sam being awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award at the inaugural Nathan Louis Jackson Playwriting Awards, part of the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival. He won for his ... Read More
2024 Faculty Awards Honor Six Outstanding Educators
2024 Faculty Awards Recognize Six Outstanding Educators The 2024 Faculty Awards Reception was held on April 30, with six members of the CSUDH faculty receiving honors for their contributions to the university. The awards are presented each year to selected faculty members for outstanding achievement in a variety of areas—from research and scholarship to lecturing and service to the community. The 2024 CSUDH Faculty Award recipients are: Jenn BrandtLyle E. Gibson Distinguished Teacher Award The founding faculty member in the Department of Women’s Studies, Jenn Brandt has been teaching at CSUDH since 2018. She has been one of the driving forces behind the program, developing the ... Read More
CSUDH Professor Uncovers Secrets About Snake Evolution
After almost a decade studying and researching the evolution of snakes, CSUDH Biology Professor Sonal Singhal has come to one undeniable conclusion. “Snakes are so cool!” Since 2014, Singhal has been one of the leaders of a project attempting to discover why snakes have been so successful in evolving traits that allow them to survive and thrive almost anywhere in the world. Their findings were published as the cover story of the February 24 issue of Science magazine. “Snakes are actually lizards if you use a technical definition,” says Singhal. “But if you look at them from an evolutionary perspective and how aspects of their biology are changing —what they eat, what they look like, ... Read More
Toro Men’s Basketball Earns NCAA Tournament Berth
For the first time since the 2010-2011 season, the CSUDH men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The team’s strong 22-7 overall record and 17-5 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference record earned them an at-large berth in the tournament. The Toros will start their quest for a national championship on Friday, March 15, against Central Washington University at 7:30 p.m. Their first- and second-round games will be played at Cal State L.A., the number one seed in the eight-team regional round. CSUDH is the fourth seed in the regional. The weekend brought more exciting news for the Toros when the CCAA announced its awards for the 2023-2024 ... Read More
