CSUDH News

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

strategic plan

New Solar Panels Reduce CSUDH’s Carbon Footprint

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New solar installations atop the Torodome, the Leo F. Cain Library, and the Science and Innovation building.

Within the past year, five of CSUDH’s largest buildings have gone from merely consuming energy to generating it.

Approximately 2,400 solar panels now adorn the rooftops of the Torodome gymnasium, the Science and Innovation building, the Leo F. Cain Library, the Social and Behavioral Sciences building, and Welch Hall.

The installations, which were completed between December 2021 and February 2022, officially came online in June as part of a broader campaign by Facilities Services and the Office of Sustainability to find more ways to increase renewable energy resources on campus to further reduce the university’s considerable carbon footprint.

Central Plant Manager Kenneth Seeton said the arrays will significantly reduce CSUDH’s dependence on the outside power grid and should generate nearly 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, which represents a savings of nearly $200,000 annually. What’s more, CSUDH paid almost nothing in upfront costs.

“We have a power purchase agreement with Duke Energy for the next 20 years. They installed the panels at no cost, and they are responsible for keeping them running. In turn, we will purchase the energy they produce over that period for 50 percent less than we currently pay for non-renewable energy,” Seeton said.

The new solar installations represent a critical step forward to ensuring that campus buildings are carbon neutral, said Ellie Perry, manager of CSUDH’s Office of Sustainability.

“Our broader sustainability goals are tied to becoming a net zero energy campus where our buildings run off renewable energy entirely without drawing from the outside grid,” Perry said.

She added that two other locations on campus – the Urban Farm shed and the Net Zero Center – have much smaller solar installations to allow those structures to operate at a net zero capacity, but that CSUDH hasn’t had any significant renewable technology deployed since the panels in Parking Lot 1, which went offline in 2016.

An SCE pilot project is helping CSUDH meet ambitious climate goals.

Renewable energy is also a central feature of the Office of Sustainability’s Climate Action Plan, approved in August 2022 by President Thomas A. Parham and his cabinet. The plan documents the university’s progress and continued efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2045.

Parham and CSUDH’s senior leadership highlighted the importance of a broad and comprehensive approach to sustainability in the university’s new Strategic Plan by including it among the university’s core values.

“We recognize and live up to our responsibility to our campus community, and the community at large, through the sustainable and equitable stewardship of our natural, social, and economic resources,” the plan states.

Deborah Wallace, vice president of administration and finance, has worked closely with Seeton and Perry to prioritize new approaches to sustainability within the cabinet. She said the new solar installations are another example of how CSUDH finds creative solutions to advance local sustainability efforts that have a global impact.

“The solar project is a 20-year investment in our future that will enable the campus to create renewable energy far beyond the purchase agreement itself,” Wallace said.

Seeton said the next two years will bring even more opportunities to increase renewable energy sources on campus. “We’re in the middle of a complete electrification rebuild that will include all the hardware necessary for SCE to extend rooftop solar to more buildings on campus.”

In the meantime, Facilities Services in partnership with the Office of Sustainability continues to increase efficiency wherever and however they can with a mix of renewable energy technology, sensor-based smart lighting systems, and educational campaigns to raise awareness about how even small actions can make a big difference.

“The campus now uses less energy than it did in 2017, and we’ve added 300,000 square feet of new building space since that time,” Seeton said.

Fall Convocation Highlights Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

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Fall Convocation Highlights Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham speaks at 2022 Fall Convocation.

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 are a genuinely student-centered university,” said Spagna. “We have rededicated ourselves to our core business–providing world-class education and co-curricular experiences to our students.”

Spagna then introduced CSUDH Marketing Professor Kirti Celly, who serves as the Chair of the Academic Senate. She began with a quick explanation of the senate’s role at the university, and invited those in attendance to “embrace this year and our return to a vibrant, growing, thriving campus.”

Celly asked the students in the audience to join her in envisioning their college careers and to imagine how taking advantage of the resources and opportunities at CSUDH can result in a university journey that is unique to each individual. She dubbed this approach 202U, or “2020-You”.

She encouraged students to engage with the various university communities and “take advantage of the opportunities that abound” on campus–including advisors, the Career Center, community engagement organizations such as the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement (SLICE), intramural athletics, and workforce integration programs.

Held at the University Theatre, Fall Convocation was also livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.

ASI President Obioha “Obi” Ogbonna spoke next. Ogbanna, a cyber security major, hails originally from Nigeria, and he opened his remarks by relating how in Africa, “community means a place for growth, a place to be the best of yourself, [and] a place where you’re guided to fulfill your potential.”

To illustrate his point, he told the story of how a chaplain at his boarding school in Nigeria got Ogbanna involved in choir practice when an injury had knocked him out of competing in sports. “He kept telling me and my group of friends that being in the choir was going to change our lives,” he recalled. “We laughed. What was music ever going to do in my life? I wanted to be an engineer!”

Ogbanna ended up falling in love with music, and in 2019 was named Nigeria’s Composer of the Year for his work. “This shows that as teachers, as elders, as faculty–simply being diligent in your duty has the capacity to change a student’s life,” he continued. “Being proactive, looking out for your students, and being a guide takes a student that much closer to fulfilling their potential. Don’t just be nice to us, guide us, challenge us to be our best selves.”

President Thomas A. Parham then took the stage, reflecting on the fact that this will be his fifth year leading CSUDH. “What a whirlwind it has been,” he said. Parham went on to enumerate the university’s many accomplishments of the past four years, from new buildings, departments, and majors, to increased community outreach, philanthropic investment, and grant productivity.

Parham took time to highlight the new Once a Toro, Always a Toro program. “We have too many students who stopped their journey, who have some college but no degree,” he said. “Those days are over. We reached out to them and said, ”˜Welcome back home, your journey is not done.’ We are going to journey together. That’s what we do at CSUDH.”

“In the CSU, and at Dominguez Hills in particular, we do not measure our worth by selectivity ratios and privilege,” Parham continued, “but rather we measure our worth by providing broader access to the state’s and nation’s citizenry, and cultivating and growing the talent and potential of the everyday students who come to us, changing and elevating their social mobility.”

Parham then discussed the university’s new strategic plan, titled Going Far Together. “It charts our path forward as we continue to grow and evolve into a model urban university,” he said. It supports the goal of social justice and equity, and “articulates and reveals who we are at the core of our being as an institution.”

The president then touched on several challenges that lie ahead for the university, including enrollment growth, recruitment of new students, and the retention of those who do decide to attend CSUDH. “We must be more intentional about wrapping our arms around and serving the needs of students who occupy seats at our tables of knowledge and our buffets of learning and discovery,” said Parham.

Parham noted that the campus is still in need of infrastructure improvements, new office spaces, upgraded athletics facilities, while also being buffeted by uncertainty about funding. Despite these hurdles, the president ended his speech on an up note.

“The administration and I will continue transforming this campus into the model urban university that we can become,” he said. “I refuse to discard those hopes or abandon those dreams. I am convinced of their worth and necessity, and I pledge to continue the fight for all of those things that will help us continue to climb the ladder of educational excellence we want to be known for.”

New MSA Director Hakeem Croom Aims to Inspire

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New MSA Director Hakeem Croom Aims to Inspire
Male Success Alliance Director Hakeem Croom

“I think my life’s purpose is to inspire and influence people to be their best selves–lifting as I climb, and leaving a positive impact in people’s lives,” says Hakeem Croom. As the new director of CSUDH’s Male Success Alliance (MSA), he’s in a position to do just that.

Initially formed on the CSUDH campus in 2009, MSA is a support program and campus resource designed to improve access, retention, and graduation rates for undergraduate men of color. MSA aims to support the college and career success of its members by providing academic support, professional development, and mentoring.

Croom says that his primary goal in his new position is to “help others recognize what they have inside of them, then take their gifts and spread them throughout the community.”

Born and raised in Harlem, the third of five children, Croom is a first-generation college student whose lived experiences help him connect with Toro students–particularly those in MSA. “I’ve had the pleasure of having a lot of folks really help in my personal and professional growth. They say it takes a village to raise a child. It took about three or four for me!” he laughs.

Croom left New York City at the age of 16 to attend an all-male military boarding school in Virginia. He went on to attain a bachelor’s degree in economics from Virginia’s Hampden-Sydney College, one of only four all-male colleges in the country. “With my background, it’s kind of like I’ve come full circle being here at MSA and working for a program that assists male students,” he says.

A post-graduate internship at Columbia Teachers College in New York helped turn Croom’s career trajectory around. “I had planned to go into finance or investment banking,” he says. “But working there, I felt a different sense of purpose and fulfillment. I decided that I was going to pivot and go into education instead.”

A call from one of his mentors at Hampden-Sydney led him back to his alma mater, where he served in a variety of positions including assistant dean of inclusion and assistant dean of first-year transition. In 2016, he met his future wife, Ashley, a native Californian who hails originally from Rancho Cucamonga. The following year, he moved west to be closer to her. “As a New Yorker, I always wanted to live in California,” he says. “It’s 70 degrees in January? I want a piece of that!”

Croom worked as resident director at University of California, Davis from 2017 until 2019, when he moved to Sacramento State University to take the position of coordinator of their Martin Luther King Jr. Center. During this time he also completed his master’s degree in educational leadership and policy from Sac State.

When the position at CSUDH became available, Croom felt that it was a natural fit. “I was looking for an institution in Southern California that’s in line with my goals and my values. Seeing that clear alignment with who I am and my story and the things I’ve been able to do so far–it was like a perfect union. So here we are!”

Croom finds a special connection to the ”˜Culture of Care’ pillar of the university’s new strategic plan. “Care is what guides the work I do, especially when working with students from underrepresented backgrounds,” he says. “I lead with love, which is something you can’t fake. The culture of care really resonates with me on a personal level. I try to be somebody that gives positivity into the world.”

Although he’s only been on campus a few months, Croom has been impressed by the passion of those he’s met at CSUDH. “People have a lot of pride working for DH,” he says. “I’ve already met quite a few folks who went to DH, then decided to return to work here, to dedicate their time, energy, resources, skills, and expertise to the next generation of Toros. That’s really impressive.”

“From what I’ve been able to see, there’s a willingness to listen and a willingness to take in that feedback and try to make the appropriate changes in that regard. So far, it’s been a pleasure, just being on campus and experiencing the energy. I’ve seen a lot of students coming into our space, so I’ve had an opportunity to talk to them in great detail and start to build that bond and connection.”

Croom has already led one MSA event, a two-and-a-half-day summer retreat that drew 19 Toro students ranging from youthful first-year students to those in their mid-30s. “We had a wide spectrum of young men of different backgrounds, races, ethnicities, cultures, and age ranges. The theme of our retreat was building community and igniting scholastic endeavor. It was really impactful.”

The MSA staff and students stayed in cabins, had breakfast together, then attended workshops on everything from social-emotional learning to navigating their academic careers. “I think it really helped us to build a strong momentum going into the fall semester,” says Croom. “It was so powerful to provide a space where young males could share like their deepest, innermost vulnerabilities–those that society doesn’t often allow them to do, given how we’ve been socialized, particularly as men of color.”

“Being able to be vulnerable, shed tears, and have nobody judge is vital,” he continues. “To talk about the things that you’re vulnerable about or things that you’re insecure or worried about, your trauma, your pain, whatever that may be. We were able to provide that space, to cultivate that and really build a sense of closeness with the group. People just met each other for two and a half days but it seems like they’ve known each other for a long time. You can’t get that in too many places.”

He’s currently busy planning MSA’s activities for the rest of the year and has one major goal in mind. “My biggest thing is how do we ensure that our students don’t fall through the cracks academically while also participating in the social components of college life? How do we become more proactive in our approach, to ensure that our students get the appropriate resources they need to really hone in to their studies?”

Croom stays busy when he’s not working. A former NCAA Division III basketball player, he still loves to play and participates in a local men’s league. He loves reading, watching TV, or spending time outdoors at to the beach or park.

These days, he spends a lot of his free time working on the house he and his wife just purchased. “Coming from my impoverished background to being a homeowner has been amazing,” he says. “We’re having fun and making the space our own. Now every weekend is like, let’s do some home projects! I’m having a good time learning about that process.”

Mostly, though, it’s family that drives Croom. “I just love hanging out with my wife and son,” he says. “I’m also still really close with all my siblings. We have Zoom calls every other week to connect, talk smack about each other, and just have a good time. I love spending as much time as I can with my family.”

On campus, Croom is ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work. “I’m doing a lot of observing and a lot of listening. I want to figure out how do we hold on to the traditional things that MSA does, while also pivoting and evolving into areas that will make our program more impactful in the long term? I’m super excited to get going!”

Fun Facts About Hakeem Croom
Favorite movie:
Love and Basketball

Favorite Book:
From the Browder File: 22 Essays on the African American Experience by Tony Browder

Favorite song:
“My Cherie Amour” by Stevie Wonder and
“DNA” by Kendrick Lamar

First concert/last concert/best concert:
First: A Summer Jam show back east; Last: H.E.R.; Best: Jay-Z

Cats or dogs?
Dogs, for sure!

Favorite food:
I love really good fish and sushi. I could eat sushi a couple of times a week.

Least favorite?
Beets

Favorite childhood memory?
Sunday dinner with my mom and my family, when we would all eat at the house together.

If they made a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?
Anthony Mackie or John David Washington

Something interesting about yourself that people probably don’t know?
I’ve skydived. One of my friends is a professional skydiver, and he’d been trying to convince me for a couple of years. I finally went down to the jump site and did it. I won’t do it again! (laughs)

What is one thing you could not live without?
Family.

Describe yourself in three words:
Passionate. Compassionate. Complex.

New Student Convocation Welcomes Incoming Toros

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A new Toro adds her name and future aspirations to the Memory Wall during New Student Convocation.

Hundreds of new students received a warm Toro welcome on Friday, Aug. 26, at the university’s annual New Student Convocation. The afternoon featured a formal ceremony followed by an hour of carnival games and prizes, all meant to welcome incoming undergraduate and graduate scholars to the Toro family and celebrate the start of a mutually transformative collaboration between learners and educators.

DJ Juan Young energized the crowd of several hundred during pre-ceremony events with the help of Teddy Toro and the CSUDH Dance Team. Students swayed to songs from Cali Swag District and DJ Tunez before President Thomas A. Parham and his cabinet members danced their way to the stage to officially open the convocation.

Showcasing his charismatic Toro spirit, William Franklin, vice president for student affairs, introduced the university’s new strategic plan as CSUDH’s commitment to create a reciprocal learning environment that is socially just, equitable, and inclusive, where students and educators alike can thrive.

“When I was a freshman at Cal State Northridge, nobody could have told me what a strategic plan was. I didn’t know what it was. What did I want to know? I wanted to know if you cared about me,” Franklin said. “I wanted to know if you cared about my humanity, my culture, my race, my gender, my sexual orientation. I wanted to know if you cared about who I was. That’s in [our] plan.”

Parham then took to the podium and urged students to invite transformational experiences, to meet and learn from one another, and to accept every chance for personal growth and discovery.

“Embrace the opportunity to challenge bias and preconceived notions about others who are culturally different,” Parham said. “We have gyms to build muscles, yet haven’t learned how to love our way through the darkness of our adversities and appreciate the richness and diversity that we represent.”

Deborah Wallace, vice president of administration and finance, then welcomed alumnus Jonathan Head, an entrepreneur and member of the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, to deliver this year’s keynote speech.

Head (BS, Business Administration ’10) spent more than a decade working in IT for the County of Los Angeles before joining the parent company of Snapchat as IT program manager last year. He urged incoming students to pay attention to all that they have already accomplished when they feel overwhelmed–as he did during his first year as a Toro.

Jonathan Head in commencement regalia and glasses, having his photo taken by someone with a phone.
Keynote speaker Jonathan Head.

“You have done special things already to get to this point today,” he said. “You have everything you need inside of you to make whatever you want to happen. You may not realize it, but now that you have made the choice to start here at CSUDH, you also have a community to support you.”

Michael Spagna, provost and vice president for academic affairs, concluded the ceremony by asking students to look beyond themselves and remember that the degrees they seek are important, but they represent the start of the journey, not the end.

“As you go through this experience, be kind to one another. Support one another. Everyone is here with a culture of care to make sure you’re successful. We want you to do what we all need to do, which is make this world a better place when you’re out in it.”

EOP Summer Bridge Builds Connections for First-Year Toros

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Collage of CSUDH EOP Summer Bridge students enjoying activities during the program.

The CSUDH Educational Opportunity Program’s (EOP) Summer Bridge has been helping first-year students transition into college since 1978. After a temporary hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has come roaring back to life this year, with more than 400 incoming Toros participating.

EOP Director Sean James says that after years of virtual learning, “It’s really important to reconnect with our students, get them back on campus, and build community. We wanted to take charge and support the president’s mission and new strategic plan. A big part of that is creating a ”˜culture of care,’ developing that sense of belonging and community. We feel that EOP took that charge this summer and really got out there and engaged with our students.”

Summer Bridge helps acclimate incoming EOP students to college life through a six-week mini semester during the summer before their first semester. Students take preparatory English and math courses through CSUDH’s Early Start program, as well as participate in a slate of co-curricular activities designed to ease their transition and help them become part of the Toro family.

When planning for this summer’s activities, the EOP team sought activities that were fun, engaging, and would support their success as students. Each day was given a theme, from Mental Health Mondays to Advisory Thursdays. Fridays were reserved for a fun recreational activity, such as a day at the beach, roller skating, bowling, hiking, and movies. “We’ve been doing a lot of cool things,” says James. “Our whole goal was getting back to basics after the pandemic and giving students lots of different ways to connect.”

The student response has been very positive. “Attending the Summer Bridge program is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life,” says Cesar Alejandro Becerra Jr., an incoming first-year student. “I not only got a head start on my classes, but I got to make connections with lots of people on campus. I’m now very comfortable calling CSUDH my second home.”

Making Peer-to-Peer Connections

One of the most important aspects of Summer Bridge is the Peer Mentor program. Peer Mentors are current CSUDH students who offer their help and wisdom to the next generation of Toros–not just during Summer Bridge, but throughout the year. Each Peer Mentor works with about 50 students, helping them navigate the inevitable hurdles they’ll face during their first year on campus.

After a detailed selection process, Peer Mentors attend a few weeks of training sessions before meeting the incoming Toros. “We focus a lot on relationship building, emotional intelligence, and other aspects of communication, because that’s what our incoming students need,” says Daniela Choto, EOP office coordinator. “If our representatives are able to provide that, it’s more welcoming. Our motivation is to make connections, and we feel that first-year students can really relate to our mentors.”

“I wanted to help students find the path to their career or help them get back on track,” says Peer Mentor David Sandoval, a graduate student in pre-physical therapy. “I’ve been in their shoes, so I know the sacrifices, the challenges, and the dedication it takes to stay on track. I don’t want anybody to go through the struggles I went through.”

For Sandoval, the best part of being a Peer Mentor is watching the students succeed. “Nothing can ever beat that feeling,” he says. “They start off shy, afraid, not knowing what they want to do in college. After Summer Bridge, they’re eager to take their classes, create clubs, or be involved on campus. Just hearing them say ”˜Thank you’ for helping is the best feeling.”

Yannet Martinez, a senior Sociology major, has seen the program from both sides. She participated in Summer Bridge as an incoming student, and now helps plan the events as a student assistant in the EOP office. “As a first-year student, it was a super-engaging program that gave me the chance to meet new students from all over,” she says. “Now, I’m helping plan the activities, and it’s great to see such exponential growth in the students since the beginning of the summer. I’m proud and very happy to be a part of it.”

“I think our program is successful because we really focus on complete care for our students,” says James. “They get a head start on their courses, get familiar with the campus, and learn about the resources we have here. But we believe building community and a sense of belonging is most important first. So that’s what we really aim to do with a lot of our support services–help them see themselves in our staff and our mentors.”

“Many of these incoming students have been through a lot,” he adds. “We want to show them that they still have the potential to make it. ”˜You can do it!’ That’s the mission that we’ve taken on. Our goal is that CSUDH provides great support from the very beginning of your college career.”

Words of Encouragement