Teacher Education

California State University, Dominguez Hills welcomed 29 faculty members this fall semester. Join the CSUDH Campus News Center in congratulating them on their new appointments!

College of Arts and Humanities

Fernando Severino, Assistant Professor, Communications

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Minnesota
Master of International Affairs, Columbia University
B.S., Journalism, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Severino’s research areas and interests are in the intersection between mass media and international affairs, political communication, and journalism studies.

Prior to CSUDH:
Severino served as marketing communications specialist at 3M headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota.

What is he looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I want to engage students in meaningful conversations and learning experiences about the role of media in our lives. Also, I want to build a strong relationship with my colleagues in the Communications department and across the university to produce interdisciplinary research.”

Interesting/Fun Fact:
“I like spending time with my family (I am a dad of two). I love playing futbol (soccer), tennis, and biking!”

 

Tahereh Aghdasifar, Assistant Professor, Women’s Studies

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Cultural Studies, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies certificate, Emory University
M.A., Women’s Studies, Georgia State University
B.A., Middle Eastern Studies, Georgia State University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Aghdasifar specializes in transnational feminism, queer theory and queer of color critique, cultural studies of space, and affect theory. Her work focuses on questions of sociality, opacity, and the economy. Her current book project, “Queering the Quotidian: Everyday Homosociality in Iranian Bra Shops,” is a large scale rhythmanalysis of bra shops in Iran, exploring how neoliberal encroachment on such spaces impacts women’s sociality. She is also conducting research for a new project exploring how queer of color installations and performances which refuse audience legibility facilitate modes of relationality outside of identity politics, and completing an article developing a transnational framework for understanding race and and regionality in the U.S. Iranian diaspora.

Prior to CSUDH:
Aghdasifar was a visiting assistant professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Loyola Marymount University. She has previously taught at Sonoma State University and Georgia State University.

What is she looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am most looking forward to meeting all of the amazing DH students in person once it’s safe to be back on campus.”

Interesting/Fun Fact:
“Outside of teaching, I love cooking and hosting dinner parties. I’m looking forward to being able to do it again!”

 

Stephen McFarland, Associate Professor of Labor Studies

Academic background:
Ph.D., Earth and Environmental Science, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
M.R.P., City and Regional Planning, Cornell University
B.A., English, Trinity College, Hartford

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Labor Geography, Space and Urban Social Movements, Labor-Community Partnerships, GIS and Cartography. His dissertation was a spatial history of union halls in the U.S labor movement, 1880-1970. Has published recently on landscape, memory, and Confederate monument removal. Currently researching the role of organized labor in urban climate justice coalitions, and the use of GIS, mapping, and spatial analysis by labor organizations.

Prior to CSUDH:
McFarland served as an assistant professor of geography at the University of Tampa. He has also served as a visiting assistant professor of urban studies at Queens College, and guest faculty in geography at Sarah Lawrence College.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I’m looking forward to being a part of a vibrant and growing urban public university with a strong commitment to social and racial justice – and a top-notch archive of labor and social movement materials in the Holt Labor Library Collection!”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“While in Florida, I took an interest in community gardening, permaculture, and urban ‘food forests.’ It will be interesting seeing what grows in a very different climate!”

 

Katie Dowse, Assistant Professor, Theatre Arts

Academic background:
M.F.A., Theatre Design, Temple University
B.A., Theatre Design, Environment & Ecology, Pitzer College

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Professor Dowse is interested in the relationship in theatrical costume design between historical accuracy of a time period and audience expectations. Her most recent projects have been set in time periods that the majority of the audience was alive for, or of which film footage and photography of that time period is readily available. There is a delicate balance between what is factually correct and what the human mind remembers. This is all within the context of the script, subject matter, and what best serves the production. She has several upcoming productions that explore this phenomena of nostalgia.

Prior to CSUDH:
Dowse served as an assistant professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and as an instructor at Temple University. She continues to be engaged in freelance costume design.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to working with CSUDH students. I’m really excited to encourage their passions, and expand their technical and design opportunities in the Theatre and Dance department.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I work as a freelance costume designer outside of CSUDH, so I typically have at least one project going for that. Outside of work, I love to bake and decorate cakes!”

 

Maleda Belilgne, Assistant Professor of Global Africana Literature

Academic Background:
Ph.D., English, Duke University
M.A., English, Duke University
B.A., Hunter College

Research interests and current projects:
Belilgne’s research centers on 20th and 21st century African American and African Diaspora literature, spatial theory, and sound studies. She is working on a book that explores the connection between spatial imagining and the aesthetics of unreality in African American narrative. The book looks at representations of non-speech sound that alter the experience of space and introduce elements of the fantastic.

Prior to CSUDH:
Belilgne served as assistant professor of Africana Studies and English at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

What is she looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am excited to teach and research in a diverse community of students and scholars. The DH student body has a wealth of life and cultural experience, and I feel privileged to share my research and learn in this environment. I also look forward to getting acclimated to L.A. I’m a lifelong New Yorker, so my experience of urban living is all about density, height, and spatial organization. L.A. has a fantastical and chaotic quality that is intriguing.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love to bike ride! I also love reading mysteries. I am especially partial to Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins series, which got me interested in Los Angeles.”

 

Kerry Shannon, Assistant Professor, History

Academic background:
Ph.D, History, University of California, Berkeley
M.A., History, University of California, Berkeley
M.A., Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley
B.A., History & Asian Studies, Whitman College

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Shannon is a historian of modern East Asia. His current research examines the advent of public health systems in Japan and Korea at the turn of the twentieth century.

Prior to CSUDH:
Shannon was a visiting lecturer at UC Berkeley, and an adjunct lecturer at the University of San Francisco.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am excited to work with students and colleagues in order to better understand how the investigation of the past can lead to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the present.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“Before entering graduate school, I taught English in Japan. I have also worked for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. If you’re interested in similar professional opportunities, let’s talk!”

 

Iara Mantenuto, Assistant Professor, English

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Linguistics, UCLA
M.A., Linguistics, Syracuse University
M.A., Teaching Italian as a Second Language, Università per Stranieri di Siena, Italy
B.A., Italian Language and Culture, ICoN Università di Pisa, Italy

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Mantenuto’s research focuses on documenting and revitalizing undescribed languages and offering theoretical analyses based on novel data deriving from fieldwork. Her interests lie in morphology, syntax, fieldwork, typology, variation and syntax/semantics interface. She enjoys every facet of the work, from creating a relationship with a community, to learning about the speakers with whom she works, including their culture and customs, to learning the language and presenting it to others. She also cherishes the contributions she can make to linguistic theory in general.

Prior to CSUDH:
During graduate school, Mantenuto was a teaching assistant for Spanish and linguistics courses, and was the coordinator for the Test of Oral Proficiency at UCLA. She also served as a teaching mentor for T.A. training at the UCLA Center for the Advancement of Teaching, for the T.A. Program at Syracuse University, and for the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA) Summer Program at Syracuse University. Before graduate school. She has also worked as a language instructor in Japan for the Italian Cultural Institute and Berlitz.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I look forward to shaping future generations of professionals, teachers, and academics. I look forward to showing our students how linguistics offers a foundation for a wide variety of exciting career opportunities, which include, but are not limited to, teaching, computer science, forensics, social justice, data analysis, and more.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“In my free time I cook Italian food, I enjoy spending time with my infant son, and I am involved in activist work in L.A.”

College of Health, Human Services and Nursing

Samira Moughrabi, Associate Professor, Nursing

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Nursing-Biobehavioral, UCLA
M.S., Nursing, Cardioplumonary specialty, UCLA

Post-master’s Certification, CSU Los Angeles
B.S., Nursing, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Moughrabi’s research interest centers on the biopsychological determinants of cardiovascular health risks and behaviors among minority and underserved population. More specifically, her research examines the relationship between psychological distress and enhanced production of inflammatory markers, and adherence to prescribed therapy. She is also interested in enhancing academic success, leadership, and professional advancement in underrepresented students. Through multiple grants, she helped numerous students advance to graduate education and attain leadership careers. In addition, Moughrabi has been very involved in promoting evidence-based practice in nursing through her mentorship of students to design, implement, and publish projects that have improved the quality of patient care.

Prior to CSUDH:
Moughrabi was an associate professor and graduate program lead faculty at California State University, Northridge. She has also served as assistant professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am excited about the high diversity among students and employees. I plan to pursue funding opportunities to help underserved students succeed and advance their education. I also look forward to serving and making contributions at the department, college, and campus levels.”  

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love nature and enjoy planting, hiking, and going on scenic road trips.”

 

John Spruill III, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program Coordinator

Academic background:
Dual-title Ph.D., Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences-Gerontology, Purdue University
M.A., Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Hampton University
B.A., Political Science, Hampton University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Spruill’s research interests lie in all aspects of diversity and its importance in the Speech Language Pathology. He does not have any projects currently active, but is looking forward to new collaborations, especially while being presented with the most recent societal challenges.

Prior to CSUDH:
Before coming to CSUDH full-time, Spruill served as a faculty instructor at California State University, Los Angeles, as well as a part-time CSUDH instructor.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to new experiences with the students and faculty, and learning new things that will assist me in being as effective as I can possibly be”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“Outside of teaching, I am a husband and father who deeply cherishes time with my family, as well as a creative with active projects in the music and television worlds.”

 

Angélica López-Fraire, Assistant Professor, Department of Child Development

Academic Background:
Ph.D. Developmental Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz
M.A. Psychology, California State University, Los Angeles
B.A. Ethnic Studies, Psychology and Language, University of California, Riverside

Research Interests/Current Projects:
López Fraire is interested in how children learn in informal settings, such as participating in everyday activities of their home and families (tending to younger siblings, helping with household chores, translating for adults, etc.). She studies how those values are related to cognitive skills that children bring with them to the classroom. Currently, she is working on a manuscript for a study that examines cultural differences in children helping in school-like settings and in values related to helping at home.

Prior to CSUDH:
Prior to joining the faculty at CSUDH, López Fraire was an associate professor of psychology at Marymount California University.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am very excited to become part of a growing university and department. Having grown up in the South Bay, I am also very excited to be working with a diverse group of students and community in a region that I consider home.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I enjoy being outdoors very much. I am a new mom and am always looking for new activities/adventures to engage in as a family.”

 

Jeremy Green, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Health Policy and Management, Yale University
B.A., Economics, University of Chicago

Academic Focus:
Green is interested in the application and extension of case teaching methods to contemporary topics, and quantitative methods in health policy, economics, and management. He is currently working on integrating the COVID-19 pandemic into the health administration curriculum.

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Green’s recent research interests have related to immigrant health, in relation to variation in pre-migration environments, globally. For example, he has estimated the long-term, transnational effects of peace agreements and political violence, on immigrant health and social outcomes.

Prior to CSUDH:
Green has held research and teaching positions at Princeton University and Saint Louis University.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I’m excited about the university’s focus on undergraduate teaching and the opportunity to develop new graduate programs.”

 

Tracy Ann Becerra-Culqui, Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy

Academic Background:
Ph.D, Epidemiology, UCLA
M.S., Public Health, UCLA
B.S., Occupational Therapy, USC

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Becerra-Culqui’s research interests are in the area of maternal and child population health, etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and access to services and treatment by people with ASD. Current projects include finishing manuscripts in access to prenatal vaccines, the prenatal influenza vaccine and ASD, and perceived gender and outness in the workplace among gender non-conforming adults. In the future, she hopes to be involved in research on early childhood life experiences, disparities and its impact on altering the trajectory of health from a life course perspective.

Prior to CSUDH:
Becerra-Culqui served as a postdoctoral research fellow, epidemiology/health services researcher at Kaiser Permanente Southern California

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I already love that DH embraces diversity and communicates it in so many ways, for the benefit of students and society. I am looking forward to contributing to that mission of providing accessible education to students and preparing them to serve diverse communities.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I like to exercise and cook nutritious meals for my family. I love to spend my time outdoors exploring with my 2-year-old son.”

Margarita Villagrana, Associate Professor, Master of Social Work

Carolyn Oudiz, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology

 College of Business Administration and Public Policy

Sarah Britto, Assistant Professor, Public Administration

Academic background:
Ph.D., Criminology & Criminal Justice, Florida State University
M.S., Criminology & Criminal Justice, Florida State University
M.L.I.S., Library & Information Science, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
B.A., Criminal Justice, Louisiana State University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Professor Britto’s research focuses on the forces that shape crime-related public perceptions, with an emphasis on the role of radicalized and gendered media representations. In addition to public-perception research, she has also studied gender inequality and violent criime, and the use of restorative justice with violent crimes. She is currently working on a project on the portrayal of offenders, victims, and criminal justice professionals in Canadian crime dramas, and on a project exploring public attitudes toward guns and gun laws.

Prior to CSUDH:
Britto was a professor of justice studies at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“We are in the midst of a national movement to address racial injustice in our criminal justice system, and I look forward to working with CSUDH students, the criminal justice professionals of the future, to explore ways that they can be part of a more just society.”

Diego Avalos, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice Administration

Academic background:
Ph.D., Justice Studies, Arizona State University
M.A., Sociological Practice, California State University, San Marcos
B.A., Criminology and Justice Studies, California State University, San Marcos

Academic Focus:
U.S. Borderlands and Social Movements, Border Policing and Criminalization, Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, and Activist Research Methods.

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Avalos is currently finishing a project that examines migrant workers’ organizing strategies to navigate the emergence of internal borders and border policing measures – many miles inland from the designated international border across the U.S./Mexico borderlands.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“As a community-based scholar with years of experience organizing with construction workers, incarcerated women, and youth of color across San Diego County youth centers, I am most looking forward to collaborating with CSUDH student activist and community members in the area.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“During the summer of 2019, my friends and I would get together on Wednesdays for ‘Wu-Tang Wednesdays’ to watch new episodes of the series Wu-Tang: An American Saga and nerd out on Wu-Tang trivia.”

College of Education

Amina AmXn Humphrey, Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Race and Ethnic Studies/Qualitative Research, UCLA
M.A., African American Studies/Children’s Literature, UCLA
B.S.E., English and Special Education, Henderson State University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Humphrey is passionate about curriculum and instruction. Her research and teaching interests are framed in social justice, including the following areas: African American studies; children’s literature; literacy; the social and cultural contexts of education; culturally responsive teaching and learning; critical race theory; critical race feminism; qualitative research; and action research. Her latest book is titled “Reading Black Girls’ Hair: Race and Empowerment in African American Children’s Picture Books.” (DIO Press, 2021).

Humphrey’s photography (artist’s name Amina AmXn) was featured in the 2020 African American Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide, presented by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Prior to CSUDH:
Humphrey was an assistant professor of education and child development at Whittier College.

 

Susan Porter, Associate Professor, Special Education Department

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Education, UC Davis
M.A., Special education, University of the Pacific
B.A., Psychology, UC Davis

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Porter’s current work includes investigation of technological tools (including bud-in-ear and video feedback) to increase student-teachers’ inclusive practices in clinical practice settings. She is also investigating district and schools’ policies and challenges related to Response-to-Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation, especially at the secondary level. Porter’s dissertation research investigated the effects of Tier 3 interventions for English Language Learners who were also struggling readers.

Prior to CSUDH:
Prior to joining the faculty at CSUDH, Porter served as department chair/associate professor for National University, San Diego, as department chair/tenured associate professor at the University of Redlands, and as an assistant professor at CSU Chico.

Prior to her higher education experience, Porter served as a consultant at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). During this time, she recommended state policy on standards for bilingual teacher preparation and for teachers of English Language Learners, convened and facilitated advisory panels for the purpose of developing teacher preparation standards and test specifications, oversaw accreditation visits, and represented CTC at state legislative hearings on issues pertaining to teacher preparation policies. She has more than 15 years of K-12 special teaching experience in public and non-public school settings and over 10 years of experience working with struggling readers in private practice settings.

Interesting/fun facts about her: 
“When I had more time, I was an avid rower and competed in national and international master’s competitions. Currently, I ride Elliptigo to satisfy my need for speed and exercise!”

 

Nallely Arteaga, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Education, UC Riverside
M.A., Education, USC
B.A., Sociology, UC Santa Barbara
B.A., Chicanx Studies, UC Santa Barbara

Research Interests/Current Projects:
As a critical race scholar, Arteaga’s research examines the racialized pushout of Black and Latinx students into alternative schools. Her work unpacks inequitable policies and practices in the K-12 school system that result in school pushout that are supported by deficit framed ideologies that often result in internalized racism, anti-black racism, and linguistic racism.

Prior to CSUDH:
Before arriving at CSUDH, Arteaga was a lecturer at UC Riverside, and a high school teacher

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am formerly from Huntington Park, just a few miles from campus, and I’m excited to return to work with students from my own community. As a first-generation Latina and daughter of immigrant parents, I see myself in the amazing students at CSUDH.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I enjoy swimming and running with my dog, Marvo.”

College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences

Justin Valliere, Assistant Professor, Biology

Academic Background:
Ph.D, Plant Biology, UC Riverside
B.A., Biology, Green Mountain College

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Valliere is a plant ecologist whose research is motivated by a lifelong fascination in plants and a passion for conservation. The goal of his research is to explore the impacts of human-caused global change on native plant communities, identify mechanisms of change, and inform land management and ecological restoration. Valliere’s research approach integrates bio-geochemistry, community ecology, ecophysiology and soil ecology, and he utilizes observational studies, manipulative field experiments, and greenhouse studies. This allows him to address hypotheses at multiple scales, from plant traits to community- and landscape-level patterns. More recently, Valliere researched how a physiological approach can inform ecological restoration in the highly biodiverse and threatened plant communities of Western Australia.

Valliere’s past research has explored how different drivers of global change (air pollution, drought, invasive species) impact native plant communities of California. He has also studied how we can best restore native ecosystems in the face of global change.

Prior to CSUDH:
Valliere has served as a research fellow at the University of Western Australia, and as a postdoctoral fellow for the La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science at UCLA.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I’m really looking forward to working with students at Dominguez Hills and guiding them in research. I really enjoy introducing students to concepts in ecology and getting them excited about exploring the ecosystems and plants in their own communities.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“I’m an avid hiker and amateur photographer of plants/flowers. I also enjoy tending my ever-growing cactus and succulent collection.”

 

Kaylie Amanda Carbine, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Psychology, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience and Health Psychology, Brigham Young University
B.S., Psychology, Cognition, Brigham Young University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Carbine uses electroencephalography (EEG) to examine brain/neural responses to food. Her research is mainly focused on testing how neural responses to food are affected by nutritional properties of food, are affected by individual characteristics, such as weight and eating tendencies); are affected by external health behaviors, such as exercise, sleep, and diet; and how they predict food intake and eating behaviors.

Prior to CSUDH:
Carbine was a graduate student and Instructor at Brigham Young University.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am really excited to get to know the students at CSUDH- I’ve heard so many wonderful things about them. I am most excited to interact with them in my research lab. I think EEG is an amazing tool that is uniquely positioned to answer a wide variety of research questions and I look forward to being able to introduce and teach students this new skill so they can answer their own research questions and expand on their research and academic skills.

Interesting/fun facts about her:
“I am a tap dancer and danced with a tap dance company throughout my undergraduate career. I am also a certified scuba diver and love it!”

 

Jessalyn Bolkema, Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
M.A., Mathematics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
B.A., Italian Language and Culture, ICoN Università di Pisa, Mathematics, Hope College Italy

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Bolkema’s research is in coding theory: the mathematics of reliable transmission or storage of information. This work involves a broad spectrum of tools and techniques, drawn from graph theory, algebra, combinatorics, information theory, topology, and beyond, and the research questions she works to address live at the interface of theory and practice. Bolkema is enthusiastic about collaborations with students and colleagues in mathematics, computer science, and engineering. Her current topics of interest range from quantum error correction to iterative algorithms on graphs to combinatorial properties of path algebras.

Prior to CSUDH:
Bolkema served as a visiting assistant professor at Harvey Mudd College.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am so happy to be joining the amazing CSUDH community. I’m really looking forward to getting to know my colleagues and students, and I can’t wait to get some student research projects going.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“My not-strictly-mathematical interests include hiking and biking, sewing and crafting, playing cello, and hanging out with my cats.”

 

Amy Sewart, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Academic Background:
Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychology (clinical), UCLA
B.S., Psychology and Sociology, Florida State University

Research Interests:
Sewart’s research interests include anxiety disorders, exposure therapy, reward and threat learning, translational clinical psychology, and evidence-based psychotherapy.

Prior to CSUDH:
Sewart served as a doctoral student at UCLA, and as a clinical psychology intern for the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“Fostering the next generation of psychological scientists and clinicians.”

 

Ali Jalooli, Assistant Professor, Computer Science

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Michigan Technological University
M.S., University of Malaya
B.S., Staffordshire University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Jalooli’s research interests are in the areas of “Internet of Things” and cyber-physical systems, mobile computing and cybersecurity, and ad-hoc and heterogeneous wireless networks. In the past several years, he has focused on the optimization of vehicular networks, which are the backbone technology to implement emerging connected and autonomous vehicles in smart cities.

Prior to CSUDH:
Before joining CSUDH, Jalooli was a researcher and instructor in the Department of Computer Science at Michigan Technological University.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to working with talented students on interesting projects to solve real-world problems.”

 

Sanaz Rahim Moosavi, Assistant Professor, Computer Science

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Information and Communication Technology, University of Turku, Finland
M.Sc.: Information Technology – Networked Systems Security, University of Turku, Finland

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Rahimi Moosavi’s research interests include lightweight cryptographic techniques, information security, security and privacy Issues in Edge Computing, IoT systems, e-Health, biometrics, and Blockchain. Her technical abilities have been in the field of scalable and lightweight security solutions for IoT systems. Rahimi Moosavi has been extensively working on peer authentication and authorization, ley management systems, and secure end-to-end Communication on which she has received several research excellence awards, including two from Nokia Foundation.

Prior to CSUDH:
Rahimi Moosavi served as a post-doctoral researcher at UC Irvine in the Department of Computer Science.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I look forward to joining a diverse community of students and faculties at CSUDH. True reward comes from watching students learn, inspiring them to believe in their capabilities, and engaging students in research projects.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I cannot imagine my life without working out!”

 

Cynthia H. Sanchez Tapia, Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Mathematics, UC Irvine
M.Sc., Applied Mathematics, UC Irvine
M.Sc. Pure Mathematics, Research Center in Mathematics (CIMAT), Mexico
B.Sc. Mathematics, Universidad de Colima, Mexico

Research Interests/Current Projects
Sanchez Tapia’s research is focused primarily on modeling phenomena in the biological and medical sciences. She is interested in a diverse number of biological disciplines. During the last few years, she has focused her research on the evolution and dynamics of cancer, the emergence of drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as to discover optimal treatment protocols. More recently, Sanchez Tapia has been involved in the analysis of enzymatic biological circuits.

Prior to CSUDH:
Sanchez Tapia served as hill assistant professor at Rutgers University, and as lecturer and math CEO coordinator at UC Irvine.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I look forward to building new collaborations with faculty and students to contribute ideas and projects, such as the creation of seminars, new courses, and outreach programs for the benefit of the CSUDH family.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love cooking and baking. I started creating my own recipes a few years ago. My goal is to create many delicious recipes so I could have my own recipe book.”

 

Tianjun (Luke) Lu, Assistant Professor, Earth Science and Geography

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Planning, Governance, and Globalization, Virginia Tech
MURP., Master of Urban and Regional Planning, Virginia Tech
B.E., Urban Planning, Guilin University of Technology

Research Interests:
Lu’s research interests center on using geospatial analysis, data science, and sensor technologies to develop health-promoting cities and communities. To date, his scholarly contribution falls into three areas: quantifying spatial patterns of air quality for exposure assessment; assessing urban form’s impact on air quality; and measuring and modeling non-motorized traffic. Lu is currently working on developing next-generation urban air quality models with crowd-sourced and new data sources for the U.S., and exploring active transportation amid COVID-19. His overarching research goal is to ensure the work can improve neighborhood sustainability, inform urban policies, and engage communities.

Prior to CSUDH:
Lu served as a research Scientist for the Department of Civil Engineering and Environment at the University of Washington.

What he is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to learning from the fantastic colleagues and students at CSUDH and working to develop healthy and clean neighborhoods through partnerships with local communities, non-government organizations, tech-companies, and research institutions.”

Interesting/fun fact about him:
“I can draw water/color painting of architectures and landscapes. I tried multiple ways to be able to come to the US including winning a lottery ticket (~$800) right after I got my offer from the graduate school.”

 

Samantha Leigh, Assistant Professor, Animal Physiology

Academic Background:
Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Irvine
M.S., Physiology, UC Irvine
B.S., Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Leigh is an animal physiologist interested in how organisms acquire energy based on their specified feeding mechanisms and digestive strategies. Her research uses a blend of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to answer questions about digestive performance in response to varying ecosystem fluxes, mainly in marine organisms.

Leigh’s current projects include: understanding the mechanisms involved with the digestion and assimilation of seagrass in the bonnethead shark; investigating how the ingestion of microplastics by important marine food web foundation species impacts their physiological processes; and phylogenetic and functional analysis of the morphology of the spiral intestine in sharks.

Prior to CSUDH:
Leigh served as a postdoctoral researcher at CSU Fullerton.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“I am looking forward to working with the students, both in the classroom as well as the lab. The incredible students are what drew me to CSUDH in the first place!”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I love communicating about science and have worked as a writer for the radio show the Loh Down on Science on NPR and served as a science mentor on the PBS Kids television show “SciGirls.”

University Library

Hannah Lee, Discovery and Systems Librarian

Academic Background:
MLIS, UCLA
MHOD, Fielding Graduate University
B.A., English, UCLA

Research Interests/Current Projects:
Lee is working on exploring the intersection of information (particularly digital information), technology, and accessibility with a focus on social inequalities and justice.

What she is looking forward to at CSUDH?
“The population at CSUDH is so diverse that I’m looking forward to helping as many people as possible. The library is such a key component in the life of a university. I want to use my skills and knowledge to make sure that the students and faculty of CSUDH know that libraries and librarians are here to help.”

Interesting/fun fact about her:
“I enjoy playing video games, cooking and baking, binge watching Netflix, and watching cat videos.”