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CSUDH News

The primary source of news and information about California State University, Dominguez Hills, its students, faculty, and staff.

Human Services

Alumna Julie DeVaney Helps Lead Frontline Fight Against COVID-19

March 9, 2021 By Kandis Newman

Alumna Julie DeVaney Helps Lead Frontline Fight Against COVID-19

As a member of the San Diego-based Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), California State University, Dominguez Hills alumna Julie DeVaney (’05, MS, Nursing) has traveled across the country, assisting local health care workers in emergency situations. She has helped deal with the aftermath of everything from hurricanes to terrorism (her first deployment was in 2001, after the World Trade Center attacks).

So it is no surprise to see DeVaney on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19. In 2020, DeVaney spent time at rural hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients, working with or replacing overwhelmed staff and physicians.

“Recently, all our work has been very COVID-related,” says DeVaney, who also works full-time as a clinical nurse specialist at a Southern California hospital, and part-time as a clinical instructor for the CSUDH Clinical Nurse Specialist Program. “I’ve been to two very small hospitals in rural areas. They received a huge influx of COVID patients, but didn’t have the staffing or resources to care for them. The hospitals applied for federal assistance, and our team was flown in.”

DeVaney’s DMAT team consists of about 60 physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, EMTs, and other health care personnel. When deployed, about 30 members of the team are chosen to travel together to the site for a two-week stint. “If things haven’t calmed down in two weeks, they’ll replace us with another team,” she says.

The NDMS is a federal program run through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “When there’s a disaster or a natural event or a mass gathering of some sort, we are often called upon to provide medical aid,” says DeVaney. “We usually respond to hurricanes, fires, and things like that.”

The COVID-19 pandemic threw the nation’s health care system into upheaval, overwhelming hospitals and clinics–especially smaller ones in rural areas. During 2020, DeVaney’s team was called up to help out at two hospitals whose staffs weren’t large enough to handle the influx of patients.

In July, DeVaney’s team traveled to a small Arizona community about three hours from Phoenix. Sandwiched between two Native American reservations, the hospital didn’t have enough available staff to treat the COVID-19 patients they were getting. DeVaney and her team helped stabilize the situation before returning home.

In November, her NDMS team was called to Central Wisconsin, in another small community whose local hospital staff had begun to suffer under the strain of the pandemic, with many staff members ill from the Coronavirus. “The health care workers there were happy for the additional support,” says DeVaney. “We were one of several teams who came to support the hospital, each staying for 14 days at a time.”

The team aims to assist workers on the ground, and not to disrupt their on-going operations. Their Wis-consin deployment was so smoothly well-executed that DeVaney adds, “I’m not sure anyone outside of the hospital knew we were there!”

DeVaney has also been doing her part in the fight against COVID-19 through her regular full-time job and her part-time job at CSUDH, helping to teach and train nurses who work on the front lines. She continues to serve on the DMAT and is ready to roll if another situation arises that requires her team to deploy.

“It’s important to me to be able to offer professional medical support to those involved in community emergencies and disasters. I find purpose in the midst of chaos by supporting and providing health care when these types of situations arise.”

Providence Health Donates 1,500 COVID-19 Supply Kits to Students and Staff

February 21, 2021 By Paul Browning

Alumna Giselle Corral, an office support specialist in CSUDH's Toro Guardian Scholars program, helps the Toro Food Pantry distribute food and COVID-19 protection supplies to her peers.
Alumna Giselle Corral, an office support specialist in CSUDH’s Toro Guardian Scholars program, helps the Toro Food Pantry distribute food and COVID-19 protection supplies to her peers.

Kenya Beckmann felt good as she turned into Parking Lot 1 at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and saw students placing donated food as well as Providence Health bags filled with COVID-19 protection supplies into the trunks of cars for their peers in need.

Beckmann, the regional chief philanthropy officer of Providence Health, came to CSUDH to volunteer during one of the Toro Food Pantry food distribution drive-throughs. Operated through the university’s Basic Needs Office, the pantry has been providing students food every other week since the beginning of the pandemic.

Kenya Beckmann, regional chief philanthropy officer of Providence Health, hands a COVID-19 supply kit to a CSUDH student during a Toro Food Pantry drive-thru distribution event. Providence donated 1,500 kits to the university.
Kenya Beckmann, regional chief philanthropy officer for Providence Health, hands a COVID-19 supply kit to a CSUDH student during a Toro Food Pantry drive-thru distribution event. Providence donated 1,500 kits to the university.

Providence, the largest health care provider in Southern California, has committed $50 million over the next five years to help reduce the impact of health disparities on communities of color. The health supplies they donated to CSUDH are part of that effort.

“This is where it’s happening,” Beckmann said she was thinking as she pulled up to the row of pop-up shelters from where the supplies were distributed. “This is where people are going to leave with a little comfort, knowing that they have enough food to get them through the next couple of days, and some supplies to protect them. I think this image will stay with me for a while.”

The Toro Food Pantry continues to distribute donated fresh food to students in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The food includes prepackaged healthy meals from Everytable, which opened a takeout location in the Loker Student Union in 2019.

“We are thankful to Providence for their partnership and generosity to our campus community by helping our students and staff,” said David Gamboa, associate vice president for External Relations at CSUDH.

Gamboa added that students live in communities that have endured a disproportionate amount of suffering during the pandemic. “It is reassuring knowing that we have a partner in Providence that is as dedicated as we are to addressing this inequity in a tangible and immediate way,” he said.

This was the second time that Providence distributed its SOCAL Health Equity Kits on campus. Two weeks prior, students living in University Housing and CSUDH employees were given reusable bags with such safety items as hand sanitizers and masks, while larger kits included such items as pulse oximeters and digital thermometers will soon be distributed. Providence donated close to 1,500 kits in all to the university.

Facility Services employees show their COVID-19 kits from Providence Health.
Facility Services employees show their COVID-19 protection kits from Providence Health.

“We are a hospital system that considers itself a ministry, and we feel that we are called to be there for everyone, especially those who are vulnerable,” Beckmann explained. “Since last year, we have been seeing a rise in health disparities that are acute and disproportionately attacking communities of color, and other at-risk groups.”

Providence is also creating local health programs designed to address the needs of specific communities, such as the high rate of hypertension among Los Angeles’ black residents, and the need for better access to primary care in Asian and Latinx communities.

“We’re looking for partners like Cal State Dominguez Hills who want to lean into the success that they have had with their programs and research. These types of partnerships make a big difference,” Beckmann said.

She added that addressing health disparities is at the heart of what Providence is as an organization. “I’m grateful to Cal State Dominguez Hills for partnering with us, and everyone’s generosity and spirit. Like this university, we are about community, and we’re going to continue to look for other ways to make lives healthier, to reduce the impact of health disparities, and to be a good partner.”

Inside Higher Ed: Q&A with CSUDH Clinical Psychologist Norma Quintero

May 18, 2020 By Paul Browning

Norma Quintero
CSUDH Clinical Psychologist Norma Quintero

Source: Inside Higher Ed

Skip to the Q&A with Norma Quintero below.

Things are heating up. I encourage everyone to get out and grab some sunshine (with a mask on, of course).

Before we get to it, some fun things to cleanse your palate.

The Washington Post‘s TikTok guy, Dave Jorgenson, sat down with Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight from The Office) to talk about anxiety and breathing techniques. It’s a strangely calming interview to watch.

I found some nice wildlife shots for you.

And yes, there is yet more UFO news.

Before we move on, this is a gentle reminder that you’ll find our weekly Q&A if you scroll down. Last week, I talked with a university psychologist about what the switch to remote everything has meant for her work and her students’ mental health.

Now let’s get to the news.

The ”‹National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators conducted a survey that found many colleges were confused by guidance from the Education Department on how to disburse emergency aid provided through the CARES Act to students. Many said the guidance released April 21 delayed their disbursement of the funds to students.

Sixteen subcontracted workers at Appalachian State University have tested positive for COVID-19. University leaders say those affiliated with the institution are not at risk.

The University of Akron is eliminating three sports: men’s cross country, men’s golf and women’s tennis. The athletic department’s budget is being cut by nearly 25 percent.

A popular work permit that lets international students in Canada work in the country for three years postgraduation will now accept time spent attending courses online due to the pandemic.

Here’s a quick roundup of our latest stories, in case you’ve fallen a bit behind (we don’t blame you):

In a talk with Vice President Pence, leaders at 14 colleges said they’d be less hesitant to reopen campuses if there was some assurance they would be protected from lawsuits, Kery Murakami reports.

Kery also has a story on state budget cuts and how they just keep getting worse and worse.

Remember when Wells College said it would have to close if it can’t reopen its campus in the fall? Emma Whitford spoke with the college’s president about its stark reality.

Marjorie Valbrun wrote about how educators are dealing with the loss of colleagues during the pandemic.

News From Elsewhere

Open-access publishing may be getting a boost from the pandemic, Times Higher Education reports.

A new website compiles resources, experts and information on what happens when colleges close.

The Chronicle of Higher Education wrote about a department chair whose daily emails to staff provided a glimpse into the full force of the pandemic.

Percolating Thoughts

This is a time when everyone has an opinion. As journalists, we try not to have opinions, but we’ve gathered some interesting ones from others.

The president of Paul Quinn College wrote a blisteringly blunt piece in The Atlantic about why colleges shouldn’t be reopening.

A security expert and former police commissioner makes the case for reforming the Clery Act.

The president of Lasell University says higher education needs to save itself in a piece for Education Dive.

Q&A with Clinical Psychologist Norma Quintero

Thanks for sticking around. Below is our Q&A for this week. I spoke with Norma Quintero, a clinical psychologist at California State University, Dominguez Hills, about how her work has changed due to the coronavirus pandemic and how people can support their own mental health during this time.

Q: How long have you worked at Dominguez Hills?

A: I’ve been going on five years now. I started as a doctoral intern, and they kept me on.

Q: How was the switch to remote services for you?

A: The transition was difficult, because we were clinic-based. So students on campus just would walk into the clinic if they needed services, or they would schedule an appointment to begin treatment. All of our assessments were in person; all of our treatment was in person. There was very limited phone contact. So, transitioning to telehealth was a challenge, and it continues to be a challenge in different ways.

The first is the technical. Because we were clinic-based, our charts were in the clinic. Even though we have an electronic system, our charts were still in the clinic. In order to serve our students, we need to have their charts. So we had to, or the IT department had to, create a remote desktop link so that we could access our desktops remotely. That took a while. For me, particularly, it was a pain because I had a really old phone and was having all sorts of technical difficulties. I became very anxious, because I’m now off-campus, I have students that I’m working with, I’m worried about them, I’m worried about how can I get this stuff.

We were off for a week and then we went back to the clinic, just the counselors, to devise a plan of how we would potentially transition. The transition process was very painful in some ways. Once we recognized what we were going to do, we used Zoom. We were also looking at confidentiality, because it’s confidential information, so what’s the best way to serve our students and still try to make it as confidential as possible? We know we’re using the internet and there’s flaws in that. We finally started to reach out to students. Some had already returned back to their homes.

A lot of our students are very low-income, so they live in small homes with a lot of relatives. Psychotherapy involves some sort of quiet, personal space where you can speak to someone about your life. Some of these students couldn’t continue with counseling because they didn’t have that privacy, which is another factor that’s adding stress. Because when they’re trying to do remote learning, they just don’t have the privacy. They have little siblings or parents or tías [aunts] or uncles — there’s just a lot of people.

It’s been absolute challenge. The day-to-day stress and anxiety, that’s worked out OK with telehealth. We’ve been doing it now for about month and a half. The big challenge, for me, is crises. When we have students in crises, I feel very ill equipped working from home. At least in my office, I have psychiatrists, I have coworkers I can consult with and I have my director. And I still have them — I can pick up the phone and call them. But it’s isolating and different.

People in private practice, this is probably their norm. But I’m a community psychologist. I love being in the community; I love being with the students. For me, it’s a bit of a challenge. But I’m acclimating.

Q: Are there any other challenges you’re facing?

A: I don’t think we’re seeing everyone. I do feel that, because students are not on campus, they might forget that we are here to support them. We keep trying to remind them through social media, like, we’re here, come see us, give us a call so we can start treatment. But I think because we’re off-campus it’s a little bit remote in their minds.

Not having a community is a challenge. Not having a team of experts or a team of psychologists to connect with on cases. I think we’re making more decisions on our own without consulting as much, and I think that can be a challenge.

With the students, I feel like students with whom you’ve already worked, they’re easier to transition to telehealth than those who haven’t done counseling. For students who have never attended counseling, it can be a very anxiety-inducing process. There might be a stigma to accepting that one needs counseling. I think it might be a little bit more challenging for students to seek us through telehealth.

Q: Have there been any positives from this?

A: I feel that, because we were relegated to our homes, a lot of what we avoid when we [are distracted] and are rushing around has come to the surface. The counseling itself has been very rich in helping students identify things that maybe they want to run away from or avoid or ignore. So in terms of the work itself, it’s been very good to see students slow down and deal with their sadness or their anxieties or their loneliness or their existential crises.

I’ve heard a lot of our students say they work while they attend school, so they don’t spend a lot of time with family because they’re so busy. So some have enjoyed that, getting to spend more time with relatives. For other students it’s been more difficult because there’s been more tension at home. Also, there has been a lot of financial disruption. Maybe parents have lost their jobs or they’re unemployed, so tensions are higher.

We have undocumented students on campus, and they’re struggling with losing their jobs and then not being eligible for unemployment benefits. Also, some of their families are not eligible for the stimulus checks. We have mixed-status households, so that support isn’t coming their way.

There’s an upcoming Supreme Court decision in June with the potential to end [the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program], and that’s raising that level of anxiety among those students. So it’s different stressors affecting the community. I think it’s a little harder for us to offer that support when we’re remote.

The other thing that has seemed to be beneficial is some of my students are exercising more, for example. Some of my students are taking up crafts like knitting or sewing or gardening. Some are cooking a bit more. Some are getting acclimated to the online classes. Those who have resources, they’re starting to get the hang of it.

Q: Has there been more interest in counseling services?

A: I’ve seen a reduction in new clients. In terms of existing students, they’ve kept up, except the ones who have gone back and have decided I’m going to pause on counseling until I’m back on campus, or I don’t have internet at home so I’m going to take a break. As a whole, there’s been a reduction. This would not be the case if we were on campus. If we were on campus, we would have a wait list, probably.

Q: What are you hearing from students — what are the biggest issues for them right now?

A: There’s a lot of fear, there’s a lot of anxiety.

Our graduating seniors are very sad that they’re not going to have their ceremonies and very worried about work. I have a couple of seniors who are very concerned about, where am I going to work when this is all done, because who is hiring at this time? There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of anxiety around that.

And sadness. Sadness around not being able to celebrate this big accomplishment with family. As of now, I hear that they’re delayed or postponed. I really don’t know what that means for ceremonies. We just got word that we are going to be online through the fall, so that’s going to be a big adjustment for students.

Unfortunately, I think we’re going to see a drop in enrollment next semester. For some students, it’s just incredibly difficult and challenging, one financially, and two, for some students it doesn’t make sense to enroll in school if it’s not a way that they’re learning. Being at home is not the same as being at school; it’s just a different motivation. The motivation level, I think, has dropped for some students. The longer we stay remote, the more difficult it is to engage our students.

Q: How do you think the pandemic will affect students’ mental health in the long term?

A: I think that’s hard to know. I think that there will be consequences. In terms of social relationships, for example, they’ve changed. The nature of relationships has changed because we’re being asked to be physically distant. So people are spending a bit more time in their homes again or in the unit that they have, so some of those friendships are straining, some of those romantic relationships are straining.

The people who are socially anxious — they’re very comfortable right now, because they’re home, they’re in their safe space. They don’t have to deal with that anxiety in a social setting, they don’t have to break out of that shell and connect and interact with people. So I do feel that the levels of social anxiety will rise when we are allowed to socialize again, among people who do struggle. As a society, I think we will continue with anxiety, because there are a lot of unknowns.

It’s hard to know in what ways people will be affected. When you are heightened for a chronic period of time, that has an impact on you, mentally and physically. I foresee something, but I can’t say exactly what.

Q: Do you worry about possible cuts to counseling services in the future?

A: Other universities have already furloughed their staff, so that is of course a fear. It’s difficult to know, because it’s taking such a hit on the economy, and we work for the state public system. I would hope that we don’t.

Because I do think that, when we return physically on campus, we’re going to be extremely busy. It will be a huge readjustment for students, and that always brings up anxiety and fear because there has been a major break in their routine. We’ve been busy; it slowed down a bit, but we’re all still seeing students.

I hope there aren’t any cuts, because we’re going to need more psychologists. We already did before we went remote. So when we are physically back, we will need additional support. So I hope not. I hope the university and the CSU system recognize that mental health is essential and that they don’t cut us.

Q: As a mental health professional, what is one thing you would like to tell people about how to weather this pandemic in a healthy way?

A: Creating a routine is important. From the beginning I would tell my students: get out of bed, shower, change out of your clothes, and then if you have enough space and there’s a table you can go to or a desk somewhere, go plant yourself there and work. It’s almost like you have to create separation between home and work.

The second thing is exercise is really essential, whatever that looks like. Whether it’s yoga, whether it’s — one of my coworkers sent me an African dance class that I do at home. I try to go for walks whenever I get any breaks. Some level of exercise is healthy for the mind, and it’s healthy for the body. I think the fitter you are, the better you are able to face any kind of illness.

I think any craft or reading or anything that slows the mind. I recommend students try to limit their screen time, whether that’s TV or video games or laptops or phones, and allow their mind to just naturally slow itself down, because distractions don’t help us do that. So gardening or cooking or baking, or anything that people can start to do.

I think also just remembering to take it all in stride, one day at a time. It is a time of a lot of emotions, a lot of mixed emotions. Just welcoming them and having an attitude of acceptance and compassion towards yourself with whatever is coming up.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

A: I think it’s important for society at large to have sympathy for students. It’s been difficult for students who have not chosen online courses to suddenly get thrown into an online scenario. I think sometimes parents, especially parents of first-generation students, they struggle to understand what education looks like. So it’s easy for them to ask the kids to take care of younger siblings or do their chores while a student is attending class online.

It’s good for all of us to have some empathy toward their struggles. They’re going through their college education in a very different way.

Nine Toros Receive Top Honors During Statewide CSU Student Research Competition

April 29, 2020 By Paul Browning

Jose Espinoza earned first place in the Creative Art and Design category at the 2020 CSU Student Research Competition.
Jose Espinoza earned first place in the Creative Art and Design category at the 2020 CSU Student Research Competition.

Showcasing the high standards for student research and faculty mentorship at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), nine students garnered top honors in four categories during the statewide 2020 CSU Student Research Competition, which was hosted via Zoom by CSU East Bay on April 24-25.

Saray Valenzuela Jaime and John Price, professor of physics and interim dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

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

Espinoza’s work has its origins in his lifelong fascination with history, and his belief that stories found in history books are often not accurate. His award-winning art 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.

“It was shocking and surprising when I heard I won first place. I was happy just to be part of the competition,” said Espinoza, whose research mentor was Devon Tsuno, assistant professor of art and design. “What I learned most from the experience is hard work pays off.”

Margott Dela Cruz, Gabrielle Makrdichian, Yadira Ramirez, and Ceferino Vinas
(left to right) Margott Dela Cruz, Gabrielle Makrdichian, Ceferino Vinas, and Yadira Ramirez.

Taking second place in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category was Saray Valenzuela Jaime, for her solo research project “A Mindful Approach to Improving Work Performance among College Students.” Kevin Montes, assistant professor of psychology, provided guidance with her research.

Margott Dela Cruz, Gabrielle Makrdichian, Yadira Ramirez, and Ceferino Vinas took second place for their probe into the impact of “fake news” through their team research project “www.fakenews.you: Cognition’s Influence on People’s Reactions to False Internet Information.” Mentoring the psychology students to a win in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (graduate) category were Mark Carrier, professor of psychology, and Nancy Cheever, professor of communications.

Ciara Nagao, Kelsey Santos, and Madison Werchowsky
Ciara Nagao, Kelsey Santos, and Madison Werchowsky.

Occupational therapy (OT) graduate students Ciara Nagao, Kelsey Santos, and Madison Werchowsky also placed second with their research project, “Experiences of Occupational Therapists Working with High-Needs, High-Risk Youth,” under the mentorship of Heather Kitching, academic fieldwork coordinator in the OT Department. The research team competed in the Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences (graduate and undergraduate) category.

John Price, professor of physics and interim dean of Graduate Studies and Research, said that the student researchers did exceptional despite the many challenges related to COVID-19. “Most research activities have been paused while we wait to return to campus. This also made us almost completely unable to work closely with the student presenters in preparation for the statewide research event,” Price said. “Even so, they all rose to the occasion, and we had one of our best results ever.”

Faculty, Students, and Staff Heed the Call for Medical Face Shields

April 8, 2020 By Paul Browning

Occcupational therapy student Deborah Han programs 3D printer to laser cut medical face shields.
Occupational therapy student Deborah Han prepares a 3D printer to laser cut medical face shields.

Heeding the call of health care professionals, two faculty-led groups at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) are using 3D printing to help supply local hospitals with the face shields they need to reduce the risk of infection on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Taking on the challenge are Paul Penoliar, lecturer and clinical instructor in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (OT) Department, and Kamal Hamdan, Annenberg-endowed professor and director of the Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) at CSUDH.

Resourceful and Nimble

Medical face shield designed by CSUDH lecturer Paul Penoliar and occcupational therapy students Elvy Fuentes and Deborah Han.
Medical face shield designed by CSUDH lecturer Paul Penoliar and occupational therapy students Elvy Fuentes and Deborah Han.

In mid-March, CSUDH converted all in-person instruction to online classes to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This compelled Penoliar to solicit the help of two of his OT students, Elvy Fuentes and Deborah Han, to move his department’s four new 3D printers to his home in Glendale to manufacture face shields.

To create the designs, the students downloaded a free file from Prusa Research. “3D printing is new to us, but we quickly jumped into the fight to help, while adhering to infection control protocols within the confines of my home,” said Penoliar. “We started fiddling around with the printers and figured it out. My computer-savvy students modified the designs to make the parts, and we were off.”

Occupational therapy student Elvy Fuentes,
Occupational therapy student Elvy Fuentes.

The following day, Penoliar began laser cutting parts for the shields at his home. He ran the printers for 12 hours a day for more than a week to produce the smaller components of the face shields, while also conducting online lectures for his students and preparing for midterm exams.

Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), the clear material needed to produce high-quality protective shielding, is currently in short supply. Penoliar’s students began cold-calling dozens of vendors and were fortunate enough to find the supply they needed to laser cut the main clear part of the shields.

To get assistance cutting the large sheets of PETG, the students reached out to Glen Morgan, owner and managing director of Studio eQ in Hermosa Beach, who generously cut all 200 shields for free.

Face shield visors
Face shield visor production.

“There were a lot of obstacles, and we didn’t know what to expect. We had to learn to problem solve together. We divided and conquered and figured out how to use the laser cutters for the small parts,” said Han. “We did need some help with the clear face shields, so we reached out to different companies that were trying to do the same thing, and found Glen. He was also printing shields, but didn’t know which hospital to send them to. So we became each other’s missing link. It is a wonderful example of people coming together in uncertain times.”

Han said they have already distributed shields to Glendale Adventist Medical Center. More will go to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, and to CSUDH faculty who may need them at the hospitals where they work.

Innovation Experts

Monica Angel, a CISE student fab lab technician.
Monica Angel, a CISE student fab lab technician.

CISE brings science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education – including 3D printing – directly to middle and high schools in the region through its fabrication laboratory (fab lab) programs.

 Daily Breeze: Attention, hospitals: CSU Dominguez Hills students have created 1,500 face shields to protect against coronavirus

Hamdan knew he couldn’t let CISE’s nearly 400 3D printers sit idle during the pandemic. He set up a Zoom call with staff and undergraduate STEM students to brainstorm ways to repurpose the fab lab equipment.

“I said let’s find a way to print face shields,” Hamdan said. “Our team is amazing. Within half an hour the right file was located online, the software was identified and downloaded, and others began trying to locate materials to purchase. We soon had three protypes of the face shields.”

Hamdan ran into the same problem as Penoliar’s team – a lack of PETG to buy and print the clear part of the shields. CISE purchased transparencies instead.

CISE staff member disinfects face shield visors.
CISE staff member disinfects face shield visors.

“We drove to many office supply stores to buy transparencies, and we were fortunate to find enough to start production,” he said. “We were poised and ready to help.”

CISE is using approximately 50 of its larger 3D printers to print the face shields. They set up an assembly line to program the printer, run the laser cutters, and assemble the parts. Production is taking place in the Toyota Center for Innovation and STEM Education, located in CSUDH’s new Science and Innovation Building.

Their initial attempt to cut a shield took nearly three hours. The team has reduced that to 27 minutes, with the potential to produce 100 face shields per hour. CISE is now exploring adding filtered facemasks to its production.

“We have the most amazing team, and our STEM students are just brilliant and so driven. Both dropped everything and began working day and night trying to figure out how to get this done,” Hamdan said. “These are forward thinking, decent people, who are so motivated to make a difference in others’ lives. I am so proud of them all.”

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Press Releases

Installation view of “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family”

CSUDH University Art Gallery Presents “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family” by Mario Ybarra, Jr.

September 19, 2023

Student walking near Science and Innovation building on campus.

CSUDH Recognized as a Top Performer in the 2023 Sustainable Campus Index

September 15, 2023

Map showing geography of Southern California

Getty Foundation Awards CSUDH $180,000 for Brackish Water Los Angeles

May 9, 2023

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CSUDH in the News

Installation view of “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family”

Daily Breeze: Upcoming CSUDH Exhibition Takes on Mass Incarceration

September 27, 2023

Students working on computers.

Daily Breeze: CSUDH Offers New Master Program for Incarcerated People for Fall 2023

September 11, 2023

Woman doing work on a computer.

KTLA: California Department of Corrections, CSU Dominguez Hills Unveils Graduate Program for Inmates

September 5, 2023

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Faculty Highlights

Headshot of Carolyn Caffrey.

Faculty Highlights: September 2023

Headshot of Jonathon Grasse

Faculty Highlights: August 2023

Rama Malladi

Faculty Highlights: July 2023

Staff Spotlight

Cesar Mejia Gomez

Staff Spotlight: Cesar Mejia Gomez

Staff Spotlight: Ludivina Snow

Staff Spotlight: Gilbert Hernandez

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