Digital Media Arts

CSUDH Jazz Professor Teodross Avery Celebrates the Music of Thelonious Monk on New Album

November 6, 2020 By Kandis Newman

Saxophonist and California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Music Teodross Avery has felt a connection to the music of Thelonious Monk from an early age.

“I’ve been listening to his music since I was 15 years old,” says Avery. “He was one of my favorites and my heroes long before I started pursuing degrees in music.” Avery’s longtime love and respect for his music has resulted in a new album celebrating Monk’s work, “Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk,” released in September on Wj3 Records.

The title of the album refers to Monk’s strong New York roots. “I wanted to make sure that we brought the spirit of Harlem into the music,” says Avery. “Harlem was the center of Black American urban culture in the 1920s and I wanted to capture that feeling in the music. At different times the music is quick, soulful, complex, ugly, and beautiful. I hope those feelings come through to the listener.”

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Avery has vivid memories of his early engagement with Monk. “My dad lived out in the country, and we could play music as loud as we wanted,” he recalls. “He had these huge speakers, so when you turned them up, you really felt the music’s presence sonically. I would practice to Monk’s music with those speakers turned up all the way, and I really felt like I was in the studio or the club with him. It left a heavy musical impression on me.”

Avery’s connection to Monk continued when he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. As an 18-year-old, first-year student, Avery joined the Thelonious Monk Ensemble, a group dedicated to exploring the jazz master’s music. He played with the ensemble throughout his first year as an undergraduate.

There were other reasons Avery chose to explore Monk’s music on his new album, as he is quick to point out. “Regardless of my personal connection to his music, Thelonious Monk is one of the modern jazz innovators and geniuses of the 1950s and 60s. The bebop that he was playing and creating is part of the foundation of the modern jazz we hear today.”

“Monk has great compositions. He’s the second most-recorded jazz artist after Duke Ellington,” says Avery. “He’s a definitive voice in jazz – very complex yet at the same time very swinging. He had a very original voice, and a real clear message in his music. It doesn’t make concessions. I love his music and have always wanted to present it.”

Avery is joined on the album by bassist Corcoran Holt, pianists Anthony Wonsey and D.D. Jackson, drummers Willie Jones III and Marvin “Bugalu” Smith, and percussionist Allakoi Jones. They perform 10 timeless Monk compositions, including classics like “Monk’s Dream,” “Rhythm-a-Ning,” and “Teo.”

The talented players all contribute mightily to the album’s success, and Avery appreciates the skills they brought to bear on the recording. “The music doesn’t lie,” says Avery. “When you play Monk, there’s so much truth in the music that you really can’t fake it. It’s too solid musically. That’s why I like it, because it has that depth and complexity.”

“Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk” is available for purchase at Amazon, or for streaming at Spotify, Apple Music, and all major platforms.

Introducing: New Faculty for Fall 2020

September 10, 2020 By Paul Browning

California State University, Dominguez Hills welcomed 29 faculty members this fall semester. Join the CSUDH Campus News Center in congratulating them on their new appointments!

College of Arts and Humanities

Fernando Severino, Assistant Professor, Communications

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Minnesota
Master of International Affairs, Columbia University
B.S., Journalism, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Severino’s research areas and interests are in the intersection between mass media and international affairs, political communication, and journalism studies.

Prior to CSUDH:
Severino served as marketing communications specialist at 3M headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota.

What is he looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I want to engage students in meaningful conversations and learning experiences about the role of media in our lives. Also, I want to build a strong relationship with my colleagues in the Communications department and across the university to produce interdisciplinary research.”

Interesting/Fun Fact:
“I like spending time with my family (I am a dad of two). I love playing futbol (soccer), tennis, and biking!”

Tahereh Aghdasifar, Assistant Professor, Women’s Studies

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Cultural Studies, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies certificate, Emory University
M.A., Women’s Studies, Georgia State University
B.A., Middle Eastern Studies, Georgia State University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Aghdasifar specializes in transnational feminism, queer theory and queer of color critique, cultural studies of space, and affect theory. Her work focuses on questions of sociality, opacity, and the economy. Her current book project, “Queering the Quotidian: Everyday Homosociality in Iranian Bra Shops,” is a large scale rhythmanalysis of bra shops in Iran, exploring how neoliberal encroachment on such spaces impacts women’s sociality. She is also conducting research for a new project exploring how queer of color installations and performances which refuse audience legibility facilitate modes of relationality outside of identity politics, and completing an article developing a transnational framework for understanding race and and regionality in the U.S. Iranian diaspora.

Prior to CSUDH:
Aghdasifar was a visiting assistant professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Loyola Marymount University. She has previously taught at Sonoma State University and Georgia State University.

What is she looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am most looking forward to meeting all of the amazing DH students in person once it’s safe to be back on campus.”

Interesting/Fun Fact:
“Outside of teaching, I love cooking and hosting dinner parties. I’m looking forward to being able to do it again!”

Stephen McFarland, Associate Professor of Labor Studies

Academic background:
Ph.D., Earth and Environmental Science, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
M.R.P., City and Regional Planning, Cornell University
B.A., English, Trinity College, Hartford

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Labor Geography, Space and Urban Social Movements, Labor-Community Partnerships, GIS and Cartography. His dissertation was a spatial history of union halls in the U.S labor movement, 1880-1970. Has published recently on landscape, memory, and Confederate monument removal. Currently researching the role of organized labor in urban climate justice coalitions, and the use of GIS, mapping, and spatial analysis by labor organizations.

Prior to CSUDH:
McFarland served as an assistant professor of geography at the University of Tampa. He has also served as a visiting assistant professor of urban studies at Queens College, and guest faculty in geography at Sarah Lawrence College.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I’m looking forward to being a part of a vibrant and growing urban public university with a strong commitment to social and racial justice – and a top-notch archive of labor and social movement materials in the Holt Labor Library Collection!”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“While in Florida, I took an interest in community gardening, permaculture, and urban ‘food forests.’ It will be interesting seeing what grows in a very different climate!”

Katie Dowse, Assistant Professor, Theatre Arts

Academic background:
M.F.A., Theatre Design, Temple University
B.A., Theatre Design, Environment & Ecology, Pitzer College

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Professor Dowse is interested in the relationship in theatrical costume design between historical accuracy of a time period and audience expectations. Her most recent projects have been set in time periods that the majority of the audience was alive for, or of which film footage and photography of that time period is readily available. There is a delicate balance between what is factually correct and what the human mind remembers. This is all within the context of the script, subject matter, and what best serves the production. She has several upcoming productions that explore this phenomena of nostalgia.

Prior to CSUDH:
Dowse served as an assistant professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and as an instructor at Temple University. She continues to be engaged in freelance costume design.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to working with CSUDH students. I’m really excited to encourage their passions, and expand their technical and design opportunities in the Theatre and Dance department.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I work as a freelance costume designer outside of CSUDH, so I typically have at least one project going for that. Outside of work, I love to bake and decorate cakes!”

Maleda Belilgne, Assistant Professor of Global Africana Literature

Academic Background:
Ph.D., English, Duke University
M.A., English, Duke University
B.A., Hunter College

Research interests and current projects:
Belilgne’s research centers on 20th and 21st century African American and African Diaspora literature, spatial theory, and sound studies. She is working on a book that explores the connection between spatial imagining and the aesthetics of unreality in African American narrative. The book looks at representations of non-speech sound that alter the experience of space and introduce elements of the fantastic.

Prior to CSUDH:
Belilgne served as assistant professor of Africana Studies and English at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

What is she looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am excited to teach and research in a diverse community of students and scholars. The DH student body has a wealth of life and cultural experience, and I feel privileged to share my research and learn in this environment. I also look forward to getting acclimated to L.A. I’m a lifelong New Yorker, so my experience of urban living is all about density, height, and spatial organization. L.A. has a fantastical and chaotic quality that is intriguing.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love to bike ride! I also love reading mysteries. I am especially partial to Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins series, which got me interested in Los Angeles.”

Kerry Shannon, Assistant Professor, History

Academic background:
Ph.D, History, University of California, Berkeley
M.A., History, University of California, Berkeley
M.A., Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley
B.A., History & Asian Studies, Whitman College

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Shannon is a historian of modern East Asia. His current research examines the advent of public health systems in Japan and Korea at the turn of the twentieth century.

Prior to CSUDH:
Shannon was a visiting lecturer at UC Berkeley, and an adjunct lecturer at the University of San Francisco.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am excited to work with students and colleagues in order to better understand how the investigation of the past can lead to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the present.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“Before entering graduate school, I taught English in Japan. I have also worked for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. If you’re interested in similar professional opportunities, let’s talk!”

Iara Mantenuto, Assistant Professor, English

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Linguistics, UCLA
M.A., Linguistics, Syracuse University
M.A., Teaching Italian as a Second Language, UniversitÃ per Stranieri di Siena, Italy
B.A., Italian Language and Culture, ICoN UniversitÃ di Pisa, Italy

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Mantenuto’s research focuses on documenting and revitalizing undescribed languages and offering theoretical analyses based on novel data deriving from fieldwork. Her interests lie in morphology, syntax, fieldwork, typology, variation and syntax/semantics interface. She enjoys every facet of the work, from creating a relationship with a community, to learning about the speakers with whom she works, including their culture and customs, to learning the language and presenting it to others. She also cherishes the contributions she can make to linguistic theory in general.

Prior to CSUDH:
During graduate school, Mantenuto was a teaching assistant for Spanish and linguistics courses, and was the coordinator for the Test of Oral Proficiency at UCLA. She also served as a teaching mentor for T.A. training at the UCLA Center for the Advancement of Teaching, for the T.A. Program at Syracuse University, and for the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA) Summer Program at Syracuse University. Before graduate school. She has also worked as a language instructor in Japan for the Italian Cultural Institute and Berlitz.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I look forward to shaping future generations of professionals, teachers, and academics. I look forward to showing our students how linguistics offers a foundation for a wide variety of exciting career opportunities, which include, but are not limited to, teaching, computer science, forensics, social justice, data analysis, and more.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“In my free time I cook Italian food, I enjoy spending time with my infant son, and I am involved in activist work in L.A.”

College of Health, Human Services and Nursing

Samira Moughrabi, Associate Professor, Nursing

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Nursing-Biobehavioral, UCLA
M.S., Nursing, Cardioplumonary specialty, UCLA

Post-master’s Certification, CSU Los Angeles
B.S., Nursing, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Moughrabi’s research interest centers on the biopsychological determinants of cardiovascular health risks and behaviors among minority and underserved population. More specifically, her research examines the relationship between psychological distress and enhanced production of inflammatory markers, and adherence to prescribed therapy. She is also interested in enhancing academic success, leadership, and professional advancement in underrepresented students. Through multiple grants, she helped numerous students advance to graduate education and attain leadership careers. In addition, Moughrabi has been very involved in promoting evidence-based practice in nursing through her mentorship of students to design, implement, and publish projects that have improved the quality of patient care.

Prior to CSUDH:
Moughrabi was an associate professor and graduate program lead faculty at California State University, Northridge. She has also served as assistant professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am excited about the high diversity among students and employees. I plan to pursue funding opportunities to help underserved students succeed and advance their education. I also look forward to serving and making contributions at the department, college, and campus levels.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love nature and enjoy planting, hiking, and going on scenic road trips.”

John Spruill III, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program Coordinator

Academic background:
Dual-title Ph.D., Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences-Gerontology, Purdue University
M.A., Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Hampton University
B.A., Political Science, Hampton University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Spruill’s research interests lie in all aspects of diversity and its importance in the Speech Language Pathology. He does not have any projects currently active, but is looking forward to new collaborations, especially while being presented with the most recent societal challenges.

Prior to CSUDH:
Before coming to CSUDH full-time, Spruill served as a faculty instructor at California State University, Los Angeles, as well as a part-time CSUDH instructor.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to new experiences with the students and faculty, and learning new things that will assist me in being as effective as I can possibly be”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“Outside of teaching, I am a husband and father who deeply cherishes time with my family, as well as a creative with active projects in the music and television worlds.”

Angélica López-Fraire, Assistant Professor, Department of Child Development

Academic Background:
Ph.D. Developmental Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz
M.A. Psychology, California State University, Los Angeles
B.A. Ethnic Studies, Psychology and Language, University of California, Riverside

Research Interests/Current Projects:
López Fraire is interested in how children learn in informal settings, such as participating in everyday activities of their home and families (tending to younger siblings, helping with household chores, translating for adults, etc.). She studies how those values are related to cognitive skills that children bring with them to the classroom. Currently, she is working on a manuscript for a study that examines cultural differences in children helping in school-like settings and in values related to helping at home.

Prior to CSUDH:
Prior to joining the faculty at CSUDH, López Fraire was an associate professor of psychology at Marymount California University.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am very excited to become part of a growing university and department. Having grown up in the South Bay, I am also very excited to be working with a diverse group of students and community in a region that I consider home.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I enjoy being outdoors very much. I am a new mom and am always looking for new activities/adventures to engage in as a family.”

Jeremy Green, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Health Policy and Management, Yale University
B.A., Economics, University of Chicago

Academic Focus:
Green is interested in the application and extension of case teaching methods to contemporary topics, and quantitative methods in health policy, economics, and management. He is currently working on integrating the COVID-19 pandemic into the health administration curriculum.

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Green’s recent research interests have related to immigrant health, in relation to variation in pre-migration environments, globally. For example, he has estimated the long-term, transnational effects of peace agreements and political violence, on immigrant health and social outcomes.

Prior to CSUDH:
Green has held research and teaching positions at Princeton University and Saint Louis University.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I’m excited about the university’s focus on undergraduate teaching and the opportunity to develop new graduate programs.”

Tracy Ann Becerra-Culqui, Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy

Academic Background:
Ph.D, Epidemiology, UCLA
M.S., Public Health, UCLA
B.S., Occupational Therapy, USC

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Becerra-Culqui’s research interests are in the area of maternal and child population health, etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and access to services and treatment by people with ASD. Current projects include finishing manuscripts in access to prenatal vaccines, the prenatal influenza vaccine and ASD, and perceived gender and outness in the workplace among gender non-conforming adults. In the future, she hopes to be involved in research on early childhood life experiences, disparities and its impact on altering the trajectory of health from a life course perspective.

Prior to CSUDH:
Becerra-Culqui served as a postdoctoral research fellow, epidemiology/health services researcher at Kaiser Permanente Southern California

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I already love that DH embraces diversity and communicates it in so many ways, for the benefit of students and society. I am looking forward to contributing to that mission of providing accessible education to students and preparing them to serve diverse communities.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I like to exercise and cook nutritious meals for my family. I love to spend my time outdoors exploring with my 2-year-old son.”

Margarita Villagrana, Associate Professor, Master of Social Work

Carolyn Oudiz, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology

College of Business Administration and Public Policy

Sarah Britto, Assistant Professor, Public Administration

Academic background:
Ph.D., Criminology & Criminal Justice, Florida State University
M.S., Criminology & Criminal Justice, Florida State University
M.L.I.S., Library & Information Science, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
B.A., Criminal Justice, Louisiana State University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Professor Britto’s research focuses on the forces that shape crime-related public perceptions, with an emphasis on the role of radicalized and gendered media representations. In addition to public-perception research, she has also studied gender inequality and violent criime, and the use of restorative justice with violent crimes. She is currently working on a project on the portrayal of offenders, victims, and criminal justice professionals in Canadian crime dramas, and on a project exploring public attitudes toward guns and gun laws.

Prior to CSUDH:
Britto was a professor of justice studies at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“We are in the midst of a national movement to address racial injustice in our criminal justice system, and I look forward to working with CSUDH students, the criminal justice professionals of the future, to explore ways that they can be part of a more just society.”

Diego Avalos, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice Administration

Academic background:
Ph.D., Justice Studies, Arizona State University
M.A., Sociological Practice, California State University, San Marcos
B.A., Criminology and Justice Studies, California State University, San Marcos

Academic Focus:
U.S. Borderlands and Social Movements, Border Policing and Criminalization, Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, and Activist Research Methods.

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Avalos is currently finishing a project that examines migrant workers’ organizing strategies to navigate the emergence of internal borders and border policing measures – many miles inland from the designated international border across the U.S./Mexico borderlands.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“As a community-based scholar with years of experience organizing with construction workers, incarcerated women, and youth of color across San Diego County youth centers, I am most looking forward to collaborating with CSUDH student activist and community members in the area.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“During the summer of 2019, my friends and I would get together on Wednesdays for ‘Wu-Tang Wednesdays’ to watch new episodes of the series Wu-Tang: An American Saga and nerd out on Wu-Tang trivia.”

College of Education

Amina AmXn Humphrey, Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Race and Ethnic Studies/Qualitative Research, UCLA
M.A., African American Studies/Children’s Literature, UCLA
B.S.E., English and Special Education, Henderson State University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Humphrey is passionate about curriculum and instruction. Her research and teaching interests are framed in social justice, including the following areas: African American studies; children’s literature; literacy; the social and cultural contexts of education; culturally responsive teaching and learning; critical race theory; critical race feminism; qualitative research; and action research. Her latest book is titled “Reading Black Girls’ Hair: Race and Empowerment in African American Children’s Picture Books.” (DIO Press, 2021).

Humphrey’s photography (artist’s name Amina AmXn) was featured in the 2020 African American Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide, presented by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Prior to CSUDH:
Humphrey was an assistant professor of education and child development at Whittier College.

Susan Porter, Associate Professor, Special Education Department

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Education, UC Davis
M.A., Special education, University of the Pacific
B.A., Psychology, UC Davis

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Porter’s current work includes investigation of technological tools (including bud-in-ear and video feedback) to increase student-teachers’ inclusive practices in clinical practice settings. She is also investigating district and schools’ policies and challenges related to Response-to-Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation, especially at the secondary level. Porter’s dissertation research investigated the effects of Tier 3 interventions for English Language Learners who were also struggling readers.

Prior to CSUDH:
Prior to joining the faculty at CSUDH, Porter served as department chair/associate professor for National University, San Diego, as department chair/tenured associate professor at the University of Redlands, and as an assistant professor at CSU Chico.

Prior to her higher education experience, Porter served as a consultant at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). During this time, she recommended state policy on standards for bilingual teacher preparation and for teachers of English Language Learners, convened and facilitated advisory panels for the purpose of developing teacher preparation standards and test specifications, oversaw accreditation visits, and represented CTC at state legislative hearings on issues pertaining to teacher preparation policies. She has more than 15 years of K-12 special teaching experience in public and non-public school settings and over 10 years of experience working with struggling readers in private practice settings.

Interesting/fun facts about her:
“When I had more time, I was an avid rower and competed in national and international master’s competitions. Currently, I ride Elliptigo to satisfy my need for speed and exercise!”

Nallely Arteaga, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Education, UC Riverside
M.A., Education, USC
B.A., Sociology, UC Santa Barbara
B.A., Chicanx Studies, UC Santa Barbara

Research Interests/Current Projects:
As a critical race scholar, Arteaga’s research examines the racialized pushout of Black and Latinx students into alternative schools. Her work unpacks inequitable policies and practices in the K-12 school system that result in school pushout that are supported by deficit framed ideologies that often result in internalized racism, anti-black racism, and linguistic racism.

Prior to CSUDH:
Before arriving at CSUDH, Arteaga was a lecturer at UC Riverside, and a high school teacher

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am formerly from Huntington Park, just a few miles from campus, and I’m excited to return to work with students from my own community. As a first-generation Latina and daughter of immigrant parents, I see myself in the amazing students at CSUDH.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I enjoy swimming and running with my dog, Marvo.”

College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences

Justin Valliere, Assistant Professor, Biology

Academic Background:
Ph.D, Plant Biology, UC Riverside
B.A., Biology, Green Mountain College

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Valliere is a plant ecologist whose research is motivated by a lifelong fascination in plants and a passion for conservation. The goal of his research is to explore the impacts of human-caused global change on native plant communities, identify mechanisms of change, and inform land management and ecological restoration. Valliere’s research approach integrates bio-geochemistry, community ecology, ecophysiology and soil ecology, and he utilizes observational studies, manipulative field experiments, and greenhouse studies. This allows him to address hypotheses at multiple scales, from plant traits to community- and landscape-level patterns. More recently, Valliere researched how a physiological approach can inform ecological restoration in the highly biodiverse and threatened plant communities of Western Australia.

Valliere’s past research has explored how different drivers of global change (air pollution, drought, invasive species) impact native plant communities of California. He has also studied how we can best restore native ecosystems in the face of global change.

Prior to CSUDH:
Valliere has served as a research fellow at the University of Western Australia, and as a postdoctoral fellow for the La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science at UCLA.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I’m really looking forward to working with students at Dominguez Hills and guiding them in research. I really enjoy introducing students to concepts in ecology and getting them excited about exploring the ecosystems and plants in their own communities.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“I’m an avid hiker and amateur photographer of plants/flowers. I also enjoy tending my ever-growing cactus and succulent collection.”

Kaylie Amanda Carbine, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Psychology, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience and Health Psychology, Brigham Young University
B.S., Psychology, Cognition, Brigham Young University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Carbine uses electroencephalography (EEG) to examine brain/neural responses to food. Her research is mainly focused on testing how neural responses to food are affected by nutritional properties of food, are affected by individual characteristics, such as weight and eating tendencies); are affected by external health behaviors, such as exercise, sleep, and diet; and how they predict food intake and eating behaviors.

Prior to CSUDH:
Carbine was a graduate student and Instructor at Brigham Young University.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am really excited to get to know the students at CSUDH- I’ve heard so many wonderful things about them. I am most excited to interact with them in my research lab. I think EEG is an amazing tool that is uniquely positioned to answer a wide variety of research questions and I look forward to being able to introduce and teach students this new skill so they can answer their own research questions and expand on their research and academic skills.

Interesting/fun facts about her:
“I am a tap dancer and danced with a tap dance company throughout my undergraduate career. I am also a certified scuba diver and love it!”

Jessalyn Bolkema, Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
M.A., Mathematics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
B.A., Italian Language and Culture, ICoN UniversitÃ di Pisa, Mathematics, Hope College Italy

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Bolkema’s research is in coding theory: the mathematics of reliable transmission or storage of information. This work involves a broad spectrum of tools and techniques, drawn from graph theory, algebra, combinatorics, information theory, topology, and beyond, and the research questions she works to address live at the interface of theory and practice. Bolkema is enthusiastic about collaborations with students and colleagues in mathematics, computer science, and engineering. Her current topics of interest range from quantum error correction to iterative algorithms on graphs to combinatorial properties of path algebras.

Prior to CSUDH:
Bolkema served as a visiting assistant professor at Harvey Mudd College.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am so happy to be joining the amazing CSUDH community. I’m really looking forward to getting to know my colleagues and students, and I can’t wait to get some student research projects going.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“My not-strictly-mathematical interests include hiking and biking, sewing and crafting, playing cello, and hanging out with my cats.”

Amy Sewart, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Academic Background:
Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychology (clinical), UCLA
B.S., Psychology and Sociology, Florida State University

Research Interests:
Sewart’s research interests include anxiety disorders, exposure therapy, reward and threat learning, translational clinical psychology, and evidence-based psychotherapy.

Prior to CSUDH:
Sewart served as a doctoral student at UCLA, and as a clinical psychology intern for the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“Fostering the next generation of psychological scientists and clinicians.”

Ali Jalooli, Assistant Professor, Computer Science

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Michigan Technological University
M.S., University of Malaya
B.S., Staffordshire University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Jalooli’s research interests are in the areas of “Internet of Things” and cyber-physical systems, mobile computing and cybersecurity, and ad-hoc and heterogeneous wireless networks. In the past several years, he has focused on the optimization of vehicular networks, which are the backbone technology to implement emerging connected and autonomous vehicles in smart cities.

Prior to CSUDH:
Before joining CSUDH, Jalooli was a researcher and instructor in the Department of Computer Science at Michigan Technological University.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to working with talented students on interesting projects to solve real-world problems.”

Sanaz Rahim Moosavi, Assistant Professor, Computer Science

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Information and Communication Technology, University of Turku, Finland
M.Sc.: Information Technology – Networked Systems Security, University of Turku, Finland

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Rahimi Moosavi’s research interests include lightweight cryptographic techniques, information security, security and privacy Issues in Edge Computing, IoT systems, e-Health, biometrics, and Blockchain. Her technical abilities have been in the field of scalable and lightweight security solutions for IoT systems. Rahimi Moosavi has been extensively working on peer authentication and authorization, ley management systems, and secure end-to-end Communication on which she has received several research excellence awards, including two from Nokia Foundation.

Prior to CSUDH:
Rahimi Moosavi served as a post-doctoral researcher at UC Irvine in the Department of Computer Science.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I look forward to joining a diverse community of students and faculties at CSUDH. True reward comes from watching students learn, inspiring them to believe in their capabilities, and engaging students in research projects.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I cannot imagine my life without working out!”

Cynthia H. Sanchez Tapia, Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Mathematics, UC Irvine
M.Sc., Applied Mathematics, UC Irvine
M.Sc. Pure Mathematics, Research Center in Mathematics (CIMAT), Mexico
B.Sc. Mathematics, Universidad de Colima, Mexico

Research Interests/Current Projects
Sanchez Tapia’s research is focused primarily on modeling phenomena in the biological and medical sciences. She is interested in a diverse number of biological disciplines. During the last few years, she has focused her research on the evolution and dynamics of cancer, the emergence of drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as to discover optimal treatment protocols. More recently, Sanchez Tapia has been involved in the analysis of enzymatic biological circuits.

Prior to CSUDH:
Sanchez Tapia served as hill assistant professor at Rutgers University, and as lecturer and math CEO coordinator at UC Irvine.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I look forward to building new collaborations with faculty and students to contribute ideas and projects, such as the creation of seminars, new courses, and outreach programs for the benefit of the CSUDH family.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love cooking and baking. I started creating my own recipes a few years ago. My goal is to create many delicious recipes so I could have my own recipe book.”

Tianjun (Luke) Lu, Assistant Professor, Earth Science and Geography

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Planning, Governance, and Globalization, Virginia Tech
MURP., Master of Urban and Regional Planning, Virginia Tech
B.E., Urban Planning, Guilin University of Technology

Research Interests:
Lu’s research interests center on using geospatial analysis, data science, and sensor technologies to develop health-promoting cities and communities. To date, his scholarly contribution falls into three areas: quantifying spatial patterns of air quality for exposure assessment; assessing urban form’s impact on air quality; and measuring and modeling non-motorized traffic. Lu is currently working on developing next-generation urban air quality models with crowd-sourced and new data sources for the U.S., and exploring active transportation amid COVID-19. His overarching research goal is to ensure the work can improve neighborhood sustainability, inform urban policies, and engage communities.

Prior to CSUDH:
Lu served as a research Scientist for the Department of Civil Engineering and Environment at the University of Washington.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to learning from the fantastic colleagues and students at CSUDH and working to develop healthy and clean neighborhoods through partnerships with local communities, non-government organizations, tech-companies, and research institutions.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“I can draw water/color painting of architectures and landscapes. I tried multiple ways to be able to come to the US including winning a lottery ticket (~$800) right after I got my offer from the graduate school.”

Samantha Leigh, Assistant Professor, Animal Physiology

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Irvine
M.S., Physiology, UC Irvine
B.S., Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Leigh is an animal physiologist interested in how organisms acquire energy based on their specified feeding mechanisms and digestive strategies. Her research uses a blend of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to answer questions about digestive performance in response to varying ecosystem fluxes, mainly in marine organisms.

Leigh’s current projects include: understanding the mechanisms involved with the digestion and assimilation of seagrass in the bonnethead shark; investigating how the ingestion of microplastics by important marine food web foundation species impacts their physiological processes; and phylogenetic and functional analysis of the morphology of the spiral intestine in sharks.

Prior to CSUDH:
Leigh served as a postdoctoral researcher at CSU Fullerton.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to working with the students, both in the classroom as well as the lab. The incredible students are what drew me to CSUDH in the first place!”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love communicating about science and have worked as a writer for the radio show the Loh Down on Science on NPR and served as a science mentor on the PBS Kids television show “SciGirls.”

University Library

Hannah Lee, Discovery and Systems Librarian

Academic Background:
MLIS, UCLA
MHOD, Fielding Graduate University
B.A., English, UCLA

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Lee is working on exploring the intersection of information (particularly digital information), technology, and accessibility with a focus on social inequalities and justice.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“The population at CSUDH is so diverse that I’m looking forward to helping as many people as possible. The library is such a key component in the life of a university. I want to use my skills and knowledge to make sure that the students and faculty of CSUDH know that libraries and librarians are here to help.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I enjoy playing video games, cooking and baking, binge watching Netflix, and watching cat videos.”

Ryan Bowles Eagle Honored with the 2020 Lyle E. Gibson Distinguished Teacher Award

May 18, 2020 By Paul Browning

Ryan Bowles Eagle has been presented with the 2020 Lyle E. Gibson Distinguished Teacher Award.

Ryan Bowles Eagle doesn’t just research and teach media activism–she considers teaching as a form of activism, as well. “The activism that I get to do is through my teaching, through what I can do to build up our students, who have so much to contribute, whose voices are so important and needed in media,” she says.

Bowles Eagle, an assistant professor of communications at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), and program director of the Film, Television, and Media (FTVM) program, wants her students to use what they learn in her courses to help change the media landscape.

“I see our students as having the potential to be change-makers in media storytelling,” she says. “If I can help them see in themselves what I see in them, I know that they have all the potential in the world to make that kind of change.”

Her teaching has been recognized by CSUDH, as Bowles Eagle has been presented with the 2020 Lyle E. Gibson Distinguished Teacher Award. The honor recognizes faculty who manifest in their teaching an understanding of broad areas of knowledge, and whose teaching is not only exemplary and demonstrates an active interest in student progress, but also seeks new and creative ways to engage them.

Assistant Professor of Communications Ryan Bowles Eagle

In addition to teaching classes, Bowles Eagle helped design the FTVM program and curriculum, which officially launched in fall 2018. Having collaborated on the creation of the program, she is understandably enthusiastic about its direction. “We’re teaching students how to think about the importance of telling media stories and to recognize decisions that media creators make about the stories that they tell,” she says. “How do they tell stories? Whose stories get told at all?”

In courses such as Media and Representation, Media Audiences, and Global Media, Bowles Eagle encourages her students to analyze and interpret the stories they find in the media. Once students understand what stories are being told and how they are being presented, they are empowered with the skills they need to express their own voices across the media landscape.

“I really try to use my teaching at Dominguez as a way to give our students the tools to start to notice problematic patterns of representation that we see happen across film and television, because I think that our students are exactly the people who can be the kind of creators, decision makers, and audiences who can support telling better, different, and important stories.”

Deep Knowledge, Deep Understanding

Bowles Eagle began her journey in higher education at the University of Southern California, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Cinema-Television and Creative Writing. She then studied abroad in England, attaining a master’s degree in Modern Literature and Culture at the University of York.

She returned to California to pursue her studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies, with a doctoral emphasis in Feminist Studies. She has also worked in independent documentary production.

Her primary research areas concern issues of media activism, documentary film, and feminist media studies. Bowles Eagle has had her work published in Feminist Media Studies, European Journal of Cultural Studies, Media Fields Journal, Red Feather Journal, and Social Semiotics. She joined the faculty at CSUDH in 2013.

Bowles Eagle finds teaching at CSUDH particularly rewarding. “Our students at Dominguez Hills are really remarkable,” she says. “They have the potential to change the way that other people see themselves and see the world, if they’re able to tell their stories.”

Bowles Eagle’s teaching philosophy revolves around what she calls “The Six E’s:” empathy, equity, enthusiasm, expectations, expertise, and exchange. “I see these six priorities as being at the center of what I try to do and who I try to be in the classroom and in all my interactions with students,” she says.

During the COVID-19 crisis, her emphasis on empathy has been a driving force behind Bowles Eagle’s conversion to online instruction. “Everyone is facing different, and unprecedented, challenges–whether it’s access to technology, not having adequate study space, job loss or loss of income, balancing caretaker duties with schoolwork–as well as the general stress and anxiety that comes with a global pandemic.”

“When we went online, the first thing I did was share a video with all my students checking in with them and expressing concern for their well-being,” says Bowles Eagle. “I’ve tried to use my role as instructor to be as reassuring, encouraging, supportive, and flexible as possible.”

Students appreciate her style and philosophy, which is one of the main reasons Bowles Eagle has been awarded the Distinguished Teacher Award. She says that some of the best moments of the nomination process were when she was able to read what current and former students had to say about her work.

“Getting to see what my students think about my teaching was rewarding in itself,” says Bowles Eagle. “They know that I value them, and that I believe in them. I think that’s what helps people, ultimately –knowing that you see them as an individual and care who they are and know that they matter. Really, that’s what all of us are here for.”

“Even being nominated was really exciting,” says Bowles Eagle. “Then, when I found out I had won, I was absolutely floored. Because other than my family and friends, teaching is the most important thing in my life. It’s really rare to be recognized for something that you care so much about. So that’s been really special for me.”

Campus Community Comes Together to Elevate Student Researchers

February 24, 2020 By Paul Browning

Studio arts major Jose Espinoza earned first place in the Creative Arts and Design II category for his art presentation “Illustrating Historical Truth through Visual Research.”

Nearly three dozen students received top honors for their scholarly research and creative activity during California State University, Dominguez Hills’ (CSUDH) 15th Annual Student Research Day (SRD) competition on Feb. 12 and 13.

Since 2005, the highly anticipated showcase of comprehensive faculty mentorship and student achievement has brought together the campus community, and an enthusiastic group of volunteers.

This year, 110 faculty mentors guided the nearly 400 students who delivered oral and poster presentations during SRD, while 96 judges evaluated the students’ research in a wide range of academic disciplines, from history to health, business to biology, Chicana/o studies to computer science.

“Student Research Day is special for us at CSUDH because we bring together students from all of our academic disciplines to share the original discoveries that they are contributing to the field,” said Terry McGlynn, professor of biology and director of undergraduate research, who served as chair of the 18-member SRD Organizing Committee. “As more faculty on campus are engaging with undergraduates in research, inside and beyond the classroom, we continue to see growth in the quantity and impact of the student research.”

From CSUDH’s winning pool, 10 student researchers will be selected to represent the university at the statewide 2020 CSU Research Competition on April 24-25 at CSU East Bay. Visit the competition webpage for more information.

Saray Valenzuela Jaime placed first in the Behavioral and Social Sciences IV category for her research, “A Mindful Approach to Improving Work Performance among College Students.” Her faculty mentor is Kevin Montes, assistant professor of psychology.

Most research on this topic has been narrowly focused on the relationship between mindfulness and emotions, according to Jaime. Instead, she surveyed CSUDH students to discover if emotions mediate the relationship between mindfulness and productivity, if mindfulness causes lower levels of negative emotions, and if it could be used to foster better work productivity.

“You’ll often read in the news about the increase of college students seeking psychological services. The demand for these services is high everywhere, even on our campus,” she said. “Students may be placed on long waiting lists to speak to a psychological counselor, which can be detrimental for those suffering from anxiety, depression, and other negative issues.”

“Most students experienced some type of psychological issue during their college careers,” said Jaime, who plans to pursue a career in industrial organizational psychology, with a more specific focus in subfield of occupational health psychology. “We focus so much on the ultimate outcome of going to college–receiving a degree or a Ph.D.–but we don’t often look at the process of getting there. It can be very draining.”

Studio arts major Jose Espinoza earned first place in the Creative Arts and Design II category for his art presentation “Illustrating Historical Truth through Visual Research.” His SRD mentor is Devon Tsuno, assistant professor of art and design.

Espinoza has always been fascinated with history, and believes that stories found in history books are often not accurate. His work reflects the colonization of Mesoamerica that began in the 1500s, drawing attention to the “imprisonment of the descendants of the Mesoamericans” being detained at the U.S.-Mexico border today.

“Winston Churchill famously said, ‘History is written by victors.’ When you look at history– not written history, the actual art history of a culture–you find that truth is illustrated there,” said Espinoza. “Since there hasn’t been an honest account of what’s going on at the border with families being separated and locked up, I am trying to help provide a visual representation of true history for future generations.”

Espinoza’s long-term goal is to show his work in galleries, and to “stop being a spectator” and become entrenched in the art community.

Erik Martinez, a cellular and molecular biology student, placed second in the Biological and Agricultural Sciences II category. Under the direction of his faculty mentor Associated Professor of Biology Karin Kram, Martinez studies the evolution of E. coli bacteria, testing for essential genes in long term survival by cultivating them over a long period of time, and recording the subsequent gene mutations that have an effect in the long-term stationary phase of its life.

Erik Martinez placed second in the Biological and Agricultural Sciences II category.

Martinez, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. and continue his research in pathogenic bacteria as a career, hopes his findings will help other researchers expand their work on E. coli.

“There hasn’t been a lot of time dedicated to researching the long-term stationary phase of E. coli, which is in the later stages of its life cycle. This stage reflects more of the natural environment of E. coli,” said Martinez. “We have identified 102 different genes in this stage that may play a role in E. coli’s long-term survival, but we’re still confirming if all these genes have an affect on the cell.”

2020 Student Research Day Winners

Oral Presentations

Behavioral and Social Sciences I

First Place: Mary Gauthier, Elijah Arzate. “Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Procedural Justice Theory to Assess the Intent to Report Crime.” Faculty Mentor: Heather Butler

Second Place: Kresh Reil, Michelle Ruvalcaba, Tiffany Conejo, Leticia Estrada, Tania Salgado Gonzalez, Sara Sosa. “Manipulating Resilience in an Everyday Setting: The Effects of Self-Efficacy Priming and Social Support.” Faculty Mentor: Steven Frieze

Behavioral and Social Sciences II

First Place: Cassie Mingoia, Kallie Miller, Elisabeth Lawson. “Maneuvering the Minefield: The Lived Experience of Dating for Individuals with Congenital Disabilities.” Faculty Mentor: Sheryl Ryan.

Second Place: Ryan Butler, Stephanie Torres, Yoslin Caro. “Can Google Cardboard’s Virtual Reality Platform Aid in Learning and Memory?” Faculty Mentor: Larry Rosen.

Behavioral and Social Sciences III

First Place: Margott Dela Cruz, Gabrielle Makrdichian, Yadira Ramirez, Ceferino Vinas. “www.fakenews.you: Cognition’s Influence on People’s Reactions to False Internet Information.” Faculty Mentor: Mark Carrier

Second Place: Violet Quann, Eva Levingston, Jason Hawes. “Effects of General Self-Efficacy on the Stress-Sleep Relationship.” Faculty Mentor: Erin Merz.

Behavioral and Social Sciences IV

First Place: Saray Valenzuela Jaime. “A Mindful Approach to Improving Work Performance among College Students.” Faculty Mentor: Kevin Montes.

Second Place: Bonnie Perez.” The Influence of Cultural Differences in Attention: A Study on Preschool Children Books.” Faculty Mentor: Megumi Kuwabara.

Biological and Agricultural Sciences I

First Place: Alondra Pena. “Adverse effects of In Utero exposure to E-cigarette and High Fat Diet on Fetal Hearts.” Faculty Mentor: Kamrul Hasan (Charles Drew University).

Second Place: Diane Aguilar, Patino Romero. “Investigating Protein-Protein Interactions in the Chp Chemosensory System of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Faculty Mentor: Joanne Engel (UC San Francisco).

Biological and Agricultural Sciences II

First Place: Ann Lobo. “Assessing the function of genes involved in aromatic compound metabolism in Escherichia coli survival.” Faculty Mentor: Karin Kram.

Second Place: Erik Martinez. “Identifying Gene’s essential to E. coli in long term stationary phase.” Faculty Mentor: Karin Kram.

Business, Economics, and Public Administration

First Place: Lisa Vihlborg. “Generations and Influencer Marketing.” Faculty Mentor: Orie Berezan.

Second Place: Michael Aguilera. “Revealing the hidden risks in gig work: From the perspective of Uber and Lyft drivers.” Faculty Mentor: Nancy Deng.

Creative Arts and Design I

First Place: Sandra Lopez, Aileen Pena, Jessie Bustillo, Sandra Lopez, and Elexus Gilliam. “Street Takeover.” Faculty Mentor: George Vinovich.

Second Place: Trina Vargas, Aileen Pena.” Smartphone Addiction.” Faculty Mentor: George Vinovich.”

Creative Arts and Design II

First Place: Jose Espinoza.” Illustrating Historical Truth Through Visual Research.” Faculty Mentor: Devon Tsuno.

Second Place: Brianna Correa. “Curvaceous Beauty.” Faculty Mentor: Greg Mocilnikar

Education

First Place: Kaitlyn Pardo. “Sometimes I Just Want to Lie on the Floor and Do Nothing: Mindfulness Practices in a 5th Grade Classroom.” Faculty Mentor: Edward Curammeng.

Second Place: Kristian Kennedy “I don’t get it!”: Culture, Classrooms, and Cultivating Student Engagement Faculty Mentor: Edward Curammeng

Engineering and Computer Science

First Place: Aishwarya Murkute, Aditya Lalchandani Parking. “Lot Detecting.” Faculty Mentor: Bhrigu Celly.

Second Place: Jaspreet Singh Jaspreet “Redundancy Check.” Faculty Mentor: Bin Tang.

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences I

First Place: Ciara Nagao, Kelsey Santos, Madison Werchowsky. “Experiences of Occupational Therapists Working with High-Needs, High-Risk Youth.” Faculty Mentor: Heather Kitching.

Second Place: Ashley Mooney. “Success Rates of Cranial Remolding Orthoses in Male vs. Females in Cases of Brachycephaly.” Faculty Mentor: Jennifer LuÄareviÄ‡.

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences II

First Place: Amy Vernetti, Hilary Vedder, Kathy Nguyen, Jasmine Okamoto.”Through the lens of veterans with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): The impact on perceived quality of life.” Faculty Mentor: Heather Kitching.

Second Place: Brianna Heath. “Measuring Proprioception Changes in Transtibial Amputees.” Faculty Mentor: Jennifer LuÄareviÄ‡

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences III

First Place: Elvy Fuentes, Josiah Gibson, Rebecca Hawkinson Gonzalez, Thelma Iwuchukwu.”The Experience of Participants in a Community-Based Arts Center. “Faculty Mentor: Sheryl Ryan.

Second Place: Monique Sanchez, Micaella Salunga, Jocelinne Torres-Lizarde, Michelle J. Wong. “The Lived Experiences of Survivors of SCI After a Separation.” Faculty Mentor: Heather Kitching.

Humanities and Letters I

First Place: Bailey Britton. “Analysis of Stephen Colbert’s 2006 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Speech with Politeness Theories.” Faculty Mentor: Vanessa Wenzell.

Second Place: Orji Ezieme. “Dual EPA Superfund Sites: A Community Cries for Justice and Safety Out for Justice and Safety.” Faculty Mentor: Margaret Manning.

Humanities and Letters II

First Place: Bryan Cantero. “Mexican (American) Corridista students: Resisting educational oppression through Corridos Faculty.” Mentor: Corina Benavides Lopez.

Second Place: Porscha Singh. “Oh No You Didn’t!”: Understanding Sapphireness and Unpacking Media Essentializing of the Angry Black Woman Trope in Television.” Faculty Mentor: Ryan Bowles Eagle.

Humanities and Letters III

First Place: Roberto Ortega. “Empowerment Through Ancestral Roots.” Faculty Mentor: Marisela Chavez.

Second Place: Makonnen Tendaji. “Poetry, Power, and Pistols: Analyzing the Cultural Consumption of Black Male Trauma Expressed in Hip-Hop.” Faculty Mentor: Donna Nicol.

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

First Place: Omar Santizo, Claire Ladan, Justin Hathaway. “Hacking Electrochemistry: Improving Undergraduate Chemistry Education Analyzing Biochemical Redox Analytes Using a Student-Built Potentiostat. “Faculty Mentor: Barbara Belmont.

Second Place: Stephanie Gaston. “An Average of Generalized Dedekind Sums.” Faculty Mentor: Matthew Young (Texas A&M).

Poster Presentations

Behavioral and Social Sciences, Session I

First Place: Michelle Sov, Ana De La Torre, and Elizabeth Mallonnee. “Integrating Community Engagement in CSUDH’s General Education Program.” Faculty Mentor: Sarah Taylor.

Behavioral and Social Sciences, Session II

First Place: Tania Lugo, Stacy Zamora, Peter Jerome, and Ishmael Paulino. “Chronic administration of ethanol and the brain: a role for Î”FosB?” Faculty Mentor: Philip Vieira.

Biological and Agricultural Sciences

First Place: Jocelyn Molina-Mancio. “Metabolic Changes in Adipose Tissue in Response to Chronic Electronic Cigarette Exposure .” Faculty Mentor: Jorge Espinoza-Derout (Charles Drew University).

Business, Economics, Creative Arts, Education, and Computer Science

First Place: Nicole Santillan. “Applying Community Cultural Wealth into Classrooms: An Ethnographic Study Examining Cultural Wealth in the City of Gardena.” Faculty Mentor: Jen Stacy.

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences, Session I

First Place: Ashley Mooney. “Success Rates of Cranial Remolding Orthoses in Male vs. Females in Cases of Brachycephaly.” Faculty Mentor: Jennifer LuÄareviÄ‡.

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences, Session II

First Place: Rylie Weldon. “Changes in Self Selected Gait Speed with Visual and Vestibular Challenges.” Faculty Mentor: Julie Werner.

Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Session I

First Place: Jose Garfias, Nadia Hirbawi. “Theoretical Study of 3FC-TZN and its Host-Guest interaction in the Determination of Stable Electroactive Materials.” Faculty Mentor: Kenneth Rodriguez.

Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Session II

First Place: Elvis Carrillo. “A Story of California’s Seismic Hazards: Studying Historical and Simulated Earthquakes Through Geovisualization Platforms .” Faculty Mentor: Parveen Chhetri.

2019 Economic Forecast Shows Slowing yet Stable Economy in the South Bay

November 6, 2019 By Paul Browning

Frank-Mottek-hosts-2019-South-Bay-Economic-Forecast — Frank Mottek, anchor for KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO, hosts the 2019 South Bay Economic Forecast

After years of solid economic growth, the South Bay’s local economy will experience some slowing in 2020, but will remain stable due in part to the federal government’s high level of defense spending in the region.

Such was one of the many economic projections presented in the 2019 South Bay Economic Forecast and Industry Outlook, which California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) released on Oct. 29 as part of the fifth annual South Bay Economic Forecast conference hosted on campus. Approximately 200 guests representing cities and businesses throughout the region attended.

CSUDH developed the report and the conference to provide a focused look at the current state of the region’s economy and forecast for the coming year. This year’s conference, titled “A Region in Transition: Advances in Innovative Technology,” was organized into two panel discussions focused on the regional economy and local businesses, with participants fielding questions about their research, services, and industries from host Frank Mottek, anchor for KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO.

Economic Panel: South Bay Economic Forecast Report

The economic panel included UCLA Anderson Forecast Economist William Yu, and CSUDH faculty members: Assistant Professor of Finance Jennifer Brodmann, Assistant Professor of Public Administration Fynnwin Prager, and Professor of Economics Jose Martinez. The professors conduct much of their research through CSUDH’s South Bay Economics Institute.

CSUDH partners with Yu and the UCLA Anderson Forecast to produce the annual economic forecast report.

“As the southern part of Silicon Beach, South Bay’s economy grew at a steady pace in 2018-19. With its high productivity and wages, technology jobs are the pillar of the region’s economy,” said Yu. “We predict that South Bay’s growth rate will slow down over the next year, mostly due to the slowing of the U.S. and global economies, while SpaceX and the local aerospace industry will continue their pursuits in space expedition.”

According to the economic report, the South Bay employed approximately 452,000 individuals in the private sector during the third quarter of 2018, representing nearly one-tenth of the L.A. County’s workforce.

The report shows that at $62,300, the average annual wage of a worker in the South Bay was slightly higher over the past year, and remained higher than wages throughout Los Angeles County, due to the fact that many jobs in the South Bay require more human capital and skills than work available throughout the rest of the county.

South Bay Wages by Sector
Manufacturing: $1.48 billion
Scientific and technical services: $820 million
Health care and social services: $610 million
Wholesale trade: $500 million
Transportation and warehousing: $430 million

The three sectors with the highest salaries in 2018 were the information industry, with an average salary of $111,000, finance, with an average close to $108,000, followed by the professional, scientific, and technical services industries, with an average salary of $103,000.

Martinez’s research on the South Bay housing market found a modest increase in prices during 2018-2019, and predicted that the region will continue to see a similar increase in 2019-2020. Recent home sales in the South Bay have been helped by declines in mortgage rates, and rates are not predicted to drop much further.

Martinez believes that the potential for a recession due to the housing market is “not likely.” “The relaxation of lending practices that we saw in the previous crisis and subsequent recession has not returned,” Martinez said. “At the same time, speculative investing in housing is relatively mild, so we might be able to say that housing will not cause another mortgage crisis and subsequent recession, at least not in the short run.”

(Left to Right) The economic panel: William Yu, Jennifer Brodmann, Fynnwin Prager, and Jose Martinez.

Brodmann, whose research includes entrepreneurial trends, found that company startup activity is primarily concentrated in four cities in the South Bay: El Segundo, Hawthorne, Torrance, and Inglewood. The main industries obtaining startup funding in the South Bay are aerospace and defense, Internet, mobile and software services, e-commerce, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals.

“With all of this growth in entrepreneurship in the South Bay, there are still means of continuing improvement, such as increasing growth in women and minority entrepreneurships, which face barriers in accessing startup resources and capital,” Brodmann said.

Prager shared his research on flexible workplace practices, where he has found that trends in the adoption of alternative workplace practices, particularly working from home, are not increasing as much as expected across the region.

He also reported on the growth of Blockchain transactions. “Blockchain could displace or increase competition for numerous occupations in the South Bay, especially those currently involved in the verification of contracts and supply chain operations, trade brokerage, data management and processing, and accounting systems management,” he said.

Technology Panel

During the technology panel, representatives from regional technology, automotive, and aerospace companies shared the latest advancements in electronic mobility technology and business models, aerospace innovations in rocket-to-space delivery, and support for aerospace startup companies.

(Left to Right) Monica Jan, Phillip Weicker, and Van Espahbodi.

The panelists included Monica Jan, senior director of strategy and customer experience of Virgin Orbit; Phillip Weicker, energy storage and conversion innovator for Canoo, a Los Angeles-based company developing a subscription-only electric vehicle membership program; and Van Espahbodi, co-founder, manager, and partner of Starburst Accelerator. Starburst Accelerator provides startups with mentoring and access to aerospace and aviation stakeholders, and connects aerospace and defense leaders with innovative startups worldwide.

The panelists were asked a variety of questions about their companies’ technology and products, and to share their thoughts about the economic outlook for their industries.

“We’re always hiring. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the national security apparatus is very intrigued by what’s happening in the commercial sector, and on the space front in particular,” said Espahbodi. “The DOD will continue to tap into the sector for what they call ‘rapid acquisition.’ I see the future for us as being very bright.”

Jan also predicts continued growth in the private U.S. aerospace sector over the next five years, and sees similar developments internationally. “I track the space economy closely and we’re still seeing growth and investment coming in,” she said. “I’m seeing an accelerated pace of capital being deployed in international governments, which are starting to pay attention to the potential for their own space programs.”

Weicker is optimistic about his company’s business model and the progression of the electric vehicle industry. “Business has been generally robust, even with the economic slowdown that we’ve seen in the last 20 months that Canoo has been in existence,” said Weicker. “In terms of perceived volatility, people still believe that they have a lot of options in our industry.

Watch the entire 2019 South Bay Economic Forecast Conference below.