CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham and others laid out their thoughts on the state of CSUDH and their goals and hopes for the future of the university, as they welcomed the Toro community to a new academic year at the 2022 Fall Convocation on Sept. 22. Provost Michael Spagna began the event with a short address, touching on the ways in which the past three years have transformed the university–despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted the work that had been completed recently, from new campus construction to the university's new strategic plan. “We have reconfigured and revitalized our advising and student support models, using an integrated model to ensure that we ... Read More
Staff
Staff Spotlight: Catherine “Cat” Jermany
The program director of CSUDH's Rose Black Resource Center (RBRC), Catherine “Cat” Jermany is dedicated to helping Toro students succeed. When the center opened in 2017, it was the only space of its kind on campus, and its success has paved the way for the Queer Culture & Resource Center, Latinx Cultural Resource Center, and more. Located on the first floor of the Loker Student Union, the RBRC provides a network of academic, personal, and professional support services for Black students at CSUDH. After coming on board as a program coordinator in 2019, Jermany was named the center's first program director in July 2020. “I'm proud of the fact that I have been able to contribute to ... Read More
Bobbie Porter: Fighter for Equity and Diversity
Bobbie Porter's passion and enthusiasm for her work are evident the moment she starts speaking–and she's ready to put that energy to work as CSUDH's first vice president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. “Education changed my life,” she says. “If you look at the statistics, there's no way I should be where I am today. But I'm here. My mission is to help anyone that's choosing education as that bridge, as that gateway to a better life. I want to help create the conditions so students can do that–so they don't just survive college, but they thrive in it. And then they go out and change the world!” Porter grew up in a military family–her father was in the Navy, so she ... Read More
Toro Men’s Soccer Ready to Take Next Step
When CSUDH men's soccer coach Eddie Soto was hired in April 2019, it was with one goal in mind: returning the team to the heights it reached in the 2000s, when the squad won a pair of NCAA Division II national titles. Despite a 2020 season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Toros are proceeding right on schedule. The 2021 team finished the season with a 10-6-1 record, including a pair of tough losses to eventual national champion Cal State Los Angeles. “For us, it was a success,” says Soto, who previously served as head coach at the University of San Francisco and assistant coach at UCLA. “We got to the semi-finals of our conference tournament, were ranked as high as number 13 in the ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Fernando Goncalves
Long before most Toros are even awake, CSUDH grounds worker Fernando Goncalves is hard at work making the campus look great. For 11 years, he has arrived on campus at 5:30 a.m. every weekday to maintain and improve the landscape. “I really enjoy beautifying the campus for everyone to enjoy,” he says. Goncalves is responsible for maintenance of the grounds around Welch Hall, Extended Education, and the North Lawn. His regular “beat” includes one of the most engaging landscape features on campus: the Little Village located in between the Student Health Center and University Theatre. In fact, Goncalves helped design and create the tiny village in 2014, which he says is his proudest ... Read More