When Professor of Biology Terry McGlynn writes about teaching on his blog Small Pond Science, he often receives comments from science instructors who are dedicated to their students but admit they lack formal pedagogical training. With his new book The Chicago Guide to College Science Teaching, McGlynn offers a practical guide for anyone teaching STEM disciplines at the college level, from newly appointed faculty and graduate students teaching lab sections, to well-seasoned professors seeking new and creative ideas. McGlynn, a recognized expert in the biology of ants and how insects respond to challenging environments, orients his research program around providing students the ... Read More
Faculty
2020 Staff Awards Recognizes 117 Toros for Years of Service
Most of the outstanding work performed by California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) staff members this year has been done from home, so it was only fitting that the 2020 Staff Awards was a virtual celebration, as well. During the Nov. 3 ceremony, the university thanked all staff members for their tireless work, flexibility, sacrifice, and commitment to the entire campus community during COVID-19. One hundred and seventeen employees with five to 40 years of service were recognized during the Staff Awards Ceremony. Those with 25 years or more sent in fond memories about their time on campus. Vice Provost Ken O'Donnell had his work cut out for him as he read all the notes and ... Read More
CSUDH Jazz Professor Teodross Avery Celebrates the Music of Thelonious Monk on New Album
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 ... Read More
Matthew Luckett’s Book Explores Horse Stealing on the Western Great Plains
Riffling through dusty files in an old shed behind a courthouse in Chadron, Nebraska, External Master’s in Humanities academic coordinator Matthew Luckett scanned ledgers and criminal case files that had not been touched in decades. He was looking for horse thieves as part of his research for his book "Never Caught Twice: Horse Stealing in Western Nebraska, 1850–1890." The book, published by the University of Nebraska Press, documents the widely misunderstood crime in American mythology of horse stealing, revealing that it was perpetrated by four main Western Plains groups whose crimes inadvertently transformed plains culture and settlement. For some, violence was the solution for ... Read More
Study Finds Megadroughts and Humans Caused Extinction of Giant Species on Madagascar
Ashish Sinha, a professor of earth sciences at CSUDH, has co-authored a recent research study which found that while droughts on the island of Madagascar contributed to the extinction of such giant species the Dodo bird, gorilla-sized lemurs, and the Elephant Bird, it may have been humans that ultimately sealed their fate. Published Oct. 16 in Science Advances, the study shows that the crash of megafauna (large or giant animals, especially of a given region) that happened around 1,500 years ago took place after a couple of centuries of human settlement. This heightened human activity, in combination with a particularly severe spell of region-wide drought, may have doomed the large birds ... Read More
