Our faculty members participate in conferences around the world, conduct groundbreaking research, and publish books and journal papers that contribute to their field and highlight their expertise. We feature those accomplishments and more in this section. To share faculty news, email ucpa@csudh.edu. College of Arts and Humanities Salim Faraji, professor of Africana Studies, was featured on a panel hosted by the U.S. Africa Institute and U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa on June 24, 2021. The discussion centered on Juneteenth 2021, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. Mara Lee Grayson, assistant professor of English, had her poem ... Read More
education
Class of 2021: Sallyanne Payton Bestowed CSU Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
As a force for change on the national stage, and for her wide-ranging contributions to education and Black culture and history, Sallyanne Payton was bestowed a California State University Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by CSUDH during its 2020-21 Commencement on May 26. Payton’s career is marked by major milestones and prominent appointments. From the early years at Stanford University and in the administrations of two U.S. presidents, to her work as an educator and leader of the preservation of sacred music, Payton has remained a principled advocate for societal change, and those she inspires. “It’s wonderful to be recognized by the university. It's always thrilling when someone ... Read More
CSUDH Alumna Gracie Ann Dinkins Impacts Lives at Home and Abroad
From an early age, CSUDH alumna Gracie Ann Dinkins (’87, BA, Chemistry) was taught the value of giving back to the community. “My mother instilled the importance of service and sacrifice very early in all of her children,” she says. These days, Dinkins is living out those lessons, working as a trauma and acute care surgeon at a pair of Southern California hospitals while also helping rescue an elementary school in Liberia. Dinkins, who grew up in Liberia, was attending the University of Liberia in 1984 when political and social upheaval that would devolve into a 14-year civil war in the country disrupted her educational journey “The country experienced serious civil unrest and student-led ... Read More
Alumna Rhiannon Chavez Named LAUSD Teacher of the Year
Hearing “Mrs. Chavez, we miss you!” from her 4th grade class encouraged Rhiannon Chavez to set up a weekly summer Zoom call to check in with her students. Some have shared their Lego creations, while others just talk about their day. One asked “Can we do this every day?” and she thought, “Wait, this is my summer vacation, too.” Summer had been a welcome break for teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Like her colleagues, Chavez has had to adjust to online teaching methods during the pandemic, and her role at Gardena's 186th Street Elementary School as teacher of the English Learning Development (ELD) class presented unique challenges. Fortunately, the California ... Read More
CSUDH Awarded $2.9 Million NSF Grant to Create a Master Teacher Fellows Program
(Carson, CA) – The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Foundation a grant of more than $2.9 million to create a Master Teacher Fellows program, with the goal of developing exemplary teacher-leaders in science and mathematics for high-need K-12 schools. The Master Teacher Fellows (MTF) program is a partnership between CSUDH, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) – Local District South, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The six-year grant was awarded through the NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. The MTF’s goals are to increase participants’ content knowledge and pedagogical and ... Read More
