Kicking, screaming, bobbing, and splashing… Nothing quite says summer camp like making new friends, having lots of fun in a sparkling swimming pool, and learning new skills. But for many children from underserved Los Angeles area communities, this experience is hard to come by. Working to offer kids more opportunities is Sharefest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening underrepresented communities by providing services for the children and families who live in those communities. For the past seven summers, they have partnered with California State University, Dominguez Hills to offer the Summer Youth Development Academy (YDA) on the university's campus. “We teach a ... Read More
Service Learning
Adjunct Professor, Fulbright Scholar Elizabeth Jackson Melds Disciplines for International Instruction
Elizabeth Jackson, an adjunct professor in negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding (NCRP) at California State University, Dominguez Hills, has been a guest lecturer in 17 countries, with her latest assignment taking her to Russia. Through the Fulbright Specialist Program, Jackson spent a 30-day residency this past April at Ural Federal University (UFU) in Ekaterinburg, Russia, where she presented lectures to 26 graduate students studying communications on objectivity in international journalism from the perspective of psychological biases. “[The students] were absolutely mesmerized. They had never had this kind of offering before, because it was a cross-cultural discipline,” ... Read More
Alumna Alexxandra Salazar Immersed in Cambodian Culture
Alexxandra Salazar, 24, has come a long way since graduating magna cum laude as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar in May of this year with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from California State University, Dominguez Hills. In fact, the California native is about 8,000 miles away immersed in Cambodian culture. Salazar was selected in spring by the nonprofit Teach Cambodia, Inc. to serve for a month as a volunteer and intern in Cambodia. Within days following commencement, she arrived at the South-East Asian village of Wat Bo in Siem Reap to assist Sambour Primary School with the undertaking of an international Peace Pals project, which teaches children about peace through various art ... Read More
Pedro Valles: Sky’s the Limit for Air Force Veteran and University Graduate
Sometimes it's dramatic and heroic measures that go into saving a life, but sometimes it's simply the choices one makes. For Pedro Valles, it was his decision to alter the path he was on and join the military that saved his life and led to him graduating from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology with an emphasis in homeland security this past weekend. While a student at San Pedro High School, Valles fell into a bad crowd and was slipping in school. Aware that his behavior was destructive, he sought help from his parents. “I told my parents, 'Look, I'm getting in a bad mix. I need some help,'” Valles recalled. They enrolled ... Read More
2013 Faculty Awards Reception Honors Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Service
In front of an estimated 100 colleagues, supporters, and students, four individuals were presented with the university's highest honors bestowed to faculty, and 46 faculty members–with service ranging from 5 to 30 years–were recognized for their 430 combined years of service commitment to the university and its students during the California State University, Dominguez Hills Faculty Awards Reception held on March 14 on the fifth floor of the University Library South Wing. “That's 430 years of helping students achieve their dreams, transforming their lives and the lives of their families and their communities. That's 430 years of an opportunity to take vicarious joy in the success of our ... Read More
