Published in the Daily Breeze ALMOST five years ago, I arrived here in the South Bay as a transplant from New York to serve as the president of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson. In February, I was appointed to the presidency of one of our sister universities, Cal State Fullerton and will take my place there in June. As I look forward to the celebration of the 2012 Commencement Ceremonies on Friday and Saturday and look back on my tenure at CSU Dominguez Hills, it is with a sense of poignancy and pride. Three factors stand out that will make the transition much easier: the university's strong connections in the South Bay, pride in our graduates and the ... Read More
Administration
Toro Iron Chef V Cooks Up School Spirit and Great Dishes
Four teams of competitive student chefs cooked up some school spirit and Swai, an Asian catfish primarily found in the coasts of Cambodia and Vietnam, at the Fifth Annual Iron Chef event held on April 24 in the University Palm Courtyard. Contestants from the groups “Honey Dipped Chocolate,” “Pre-Health Society (PHS) Chefs,” “Peace, Love and Politics,” and “LSBA Skillet” were advised a week before the grand event that there were three possibilities for the secret ingredient: Swai, eggplant, or chicken thigh. They did not learn that Swai was the ingredient they would have to cook with until the day of the Toro Iron Chef challenge. The competition began at 4 pm, and the teams had one ... Read More
Outstanding Students Recognized for Leadership and Service
Some students accomplish so much during college, others endure so much to even get there, and still others manage to do both. For their outstanding leadership and extraordinary services to California State University, Dominguez Hills and surrounding communities, students nominated by their peers and members of the faculty were honored at the Second Annual President's Student Leadership and Service Awards held in the Loker Student Union ballroom on April 25. “We are acknowledging leadership. We are acknowledging relationships. We are acknowledging stewardship.” CSU Dominguez Hills President Mildred García said. This year, two female students were honored with both the Presidential ... Read More
Summit Aimed to Empower Minority Male Students to Succeed in School and Life
Ten young men, all African American and Latino students, stood in front of an audience of about 600 of their high school and college peers during the California State University, Dominguez Hills Male Success Alliance Third Annual Spring Summit held in the Loker Student Union ballroom on April 24 as part of an exercise to illustrate a point: the odds against male students of color completing high school or college are staggering. Making the point graphically real, motivational speaker and guest keynote Ernesto Mejia of CoolSpeak, a youth engagement company that campaigns for minority students to stay in and finish high school and college, asked the students why they want to go to ... Read More
Excellence Celebrated at President’s Scholarship Reception
“It takes a village” is an adage that can arguably be applied to excellence achieved at any institution, including California State University, Dominguez Hills, where the “village” includes a special group of students, a long-time professor, and the people behind Shell Pipeline Company LP. They were honored at the 2012 President's Scholarship Reception held in the University Library on April 26, in front of a crowd filled with university administration, faculty, students, and family and friends, as well as several notable community leaders including current Carson Mayor Jim Dear and former Carson Mayor Gilbert Smith. Accepting their awards on stage were the Presidential Scholarship ... Read More
