The CSUDH Gerth Archives and Special Collections just got a lot “freakier” with the acquisition of the archives of the L.A. Free Press, one of the first and most important underground newspapers of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The collection had belonged to Art Kunkin, the publisher and editor of the Free Press from its inception in 1964 until 1972. When Kunkin passed away in 2019 at the age of 91, his daughter began looking for an archive to house the large collection. She chose the Gerth Archives due to their dedication to archiving alternative voices from the local community. “The L.A. Free Press was really one of the first newspapers for the community during the 1960s,” says ... Read More
Faculty
President Parham Addresses CSUDH’s Present and Future at Fall Convocation
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham welcomed the Toro Nation back to campus for the fall semester with a stirring, wide-ranging speech at the 2021 Fall Convocation on Sept. 8. The event was held at the University Theatre, and was livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Provost Michael Spagna opened the proceedings with some light-hearted remarks about reassimilating onto campus after 18 months in COVID-19 seclusion, joking that he never wanted to use the words “unprecedented” or “pivot” again. Spagna introduced CSUDH Senate Executive Team member Terri Ares, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. Ares noted that this year marks 30 years since she stepped ... Read More
New Student Convocation Welcomes Toros to Campus
New Student Convocation has become an annual tradition at CSUDH–and it took place in person for the first time in two years on Friday, Aug. 27. Several hundred first-year, transfer, and graduate students turned out for the afternoon to learn more about the many student resources available to them during their time at CSUDH, and get to know each other and their new academic family. The event was also a chance for President Thomas A. Parham, senior leadership, faculty, and alumni to welcome these new students into the Toro community. After a DJ and the CSUDH Dance and Cheer teams pumped up the crowd, new students were introduced to the various Toro sports teams that will represent the ... Read More
CSUDH Philanthropic Gifts Top $8 Million in Record-Breaking Year
California State University, Dominguez Hills received a total of $8.3 million in philanthropic gifts and pledges during the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The record-breaking amount continues the upward trend of CSUDH giving, almost doubling the total of $4.5 million raised in 2019-2020. Vice President of University Advancement Scott Barrett shared his excitement for the success of the university's fundraising efforts. “We set a very aspirational goal for the university, and we were very fortunate to meet that goal,” he said. “It's clear that our campus is doing inspiring work, and our donors are answering the call to support the needs and opportunities across our campus.” One important effort ... Read More
Chemistry Lab “Bootcamps” Help Get Students Up to Speed
Among the many unfortunate side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the loss of in-person instruction for most courses at CSUDH. Some fields of study were impacted more than others by this loss, but for students in the chemistry department it was especially troublesome. Because so much chemistry education relies on in-person lab work, most students missed out on vital hands-on experience. This summer, faculty members of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry decided to do something about it. They created and held a pair of “Chemistry Lab Bootcamps” that were designed to get students up to speed–teaching them all the valuable lab skills they missed during their many months of ... Read More
