Aileen Gonzalez, a criminal justice major at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), has experienced a lot of “hard moments” throughout her life. When she was an infant, she was diagnosed with Craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which the joints between the bones of the skull fuse before the brain is fully formed. The disorder left her eyes “bulging” by the time she entered kindergarten, which is when she began having headaches and other issues that made it difficult for her to play with other children. Her health worsened the following year, and she was frequently absent from her first grade class to address her condition. This affected her class work and prompted her ... Read More
Criminal Justice
Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes earns college degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills
LA Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes famously told MLS fans that his skill will blow their minds when leaving college four years ago, but on Friday he accomplished something with his own mind. The 25-year-old graduated college Friday morning, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Cal State Dominguez Hills. He attended Cal State Bakersfield for three years before leaving and signing a Homegrown Player contract prior to the 2013 season. Zardes, 25, who has appeared in six games for the Galaxy this season (starting five) was present at the morning graduation ceremony right on his home field, at StubHub Center, and picked up his diploma. He was expected to join his ... Read More
DACA Student Aimee Vaquera Welcomes Undocumented and Other Students with Support
When Adriana (Aimee) Vaquera asked her parents to go on a senior trip to Europe while in high school, they said no, “You won’t be able to come back.” “That’s when they told me I was not a U.S. citizen. I was a little bit shocked, but not that surprised because in middle school there was a school trip across the state, and my parents wouldn’t let me go on that trip either, telling me that they were just worried that something might happen to me,” said Vaquera, a California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) criminal justice major. “Even in high school I didn’t fully understand because you grow up feeling that you’re just like everybody else. But when I wanted to work and go to ... Read More
Terrorism Expert Mark Juergensmeyer: ‘Tolerance and Violence in the Mind of God’
Mark Juergensmeyer, author of the book “Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence” discussed his research on “religious terrorism” Feb. 7 to launch CSU Dominguez Hills’ (CSUDH) semester-long speaker series “Tolerance and Violence in the Mind of God.” Juergensmeyer, a professor of sociology and director of global and international studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is an expert in religious violence, conflict resolution, and the author of 22 books. His and other’s work served as inspiration for CSUDH’s speaker series, which explores the connection between religion and violence, solidarity, peacebuilding, and combating terrorism. “The rise of ... Read More
Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus Delves into ‘The Fiction of Memory’
The Social Justice Distinguished Speaker Series, co-founded by Shari R. Berkowitz and Jennifer Sumner, assistant professors in Criminal Justice Administration at the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), is delving deep into miscarriages of justice in the criminal justice system by hosting two nationally recognized experts. Steven Drizin, clinical professor of law and assistant dean of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, will speak about juvenile false confessions on May 2 on the fifth floor of the University Library South Wing. Drizin is the post-conviction attorney for Brendan Dassey. Dassey’s case has drawn international attention due ... Read More