A group of 13 Cal State LA students recently received the 2023-2024 Sally Casanova pre-doctoral scholar awards, which are granted each year to support the aspirations of students across the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system.
Each scholar receives a $5,000 award to help fund graduate exams, fees for professional conferences, and other costs related to graduate school.
Here are Cal State LA’s 2023-2024 Sally Casanova Scholars:
Joel Chavez is working on a master’s degree in Chicana/o and Latina/o studies and a post-baccalaureate certificate in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. He is focused on studying the intersection of critical philosophy of race with postcolonial literature, queer theory, and Latinx feminism. His work aims to bring to light ways of knowing and being that have been discarded by mainstream notions of knowledge. A San Gabriel Valley resident, Chavez plans to enroll in a Ph.D. program that focuses on multiple disciplines.
Tania Galvez is a senior majoring in anthropology. She is investigating health differences between males and females in ancient Maya society, focusing on osteoporosis, a condition characterized by a reduction of bone density attributable to aging, heredity, and hormonal imbalances. Her research utilizes Midnight Terror Cave skeletal assemblage that was recovered by a Cal State LA team between 2008 and 2010 in Belize. Galvez plans to further pursue this research in her graduate studies. She resides in the city of Los Angeles.
Damian Garcia is completing his master’s degree in anthropology. His research analyzes interactions on the livestreaming platform Twitch. He seeks to understand the role of the user interface in shaping the relationship between streamers and viewers. He hopes the findings will help provide valuable insights applicable to other social media platforms. A Pasadena resident, Garcia plans to pursue a doctorate in the social sciences after completing his graduate degree.
Isabel Gurrola, a master’s degree candidate in Chicana/o and Latina/o studies, is focused on studying about historical and contemporary spatial politics in urban settings like South Central Los Angeles. She aims to create narratives that help to understand how race, class, and gender influence the politics of space in urban settings. After completing her master’s degree, Gurrola plans to pursue a doctoral degree in the humanities. She is a South Los Angeles resident.
Karina Gutierrez is a senior majoring in history with a special focus on student activism for immigrant rights in California’s Inland Empire region from the 1990s to the 2010s. Her research aims to understand how students have advocated for immigrant rights by conducting oral histories. She hopes these narratives will shed light on the immigrant experience and highlight the contribution of students in the struggle for human rights. Gutierrez plans to pursue a graduate degree in the humanities. She resides in San Bernardino County.
Evan Krikorian is working on a master’s degree in English. His research aims to dissect the relationship between memory and identity. His thesis project highlights the underlying personal narratives of academic faculty through interviews, film portraits, and a virtual exhibit with cassette tapes. A Glendale resident, Krikorian plans to pursue a Ph.D. in English to advance perspectives of literature through a new understanding of analogue media.
Janneth Najera is completing her master’s degree in Chicana/o and Latina/o studies. Her research aims to advocate for policy changes and institutional practices that promote equitable solutions. She aspires to expand her research to benefit Latinx students and other underserved communities in higher education, with a particular focus on those with intersecting identities. Najera hopes to further this research during her pursuit of a doctoral degree in education. She resides in Studio City.
Jose Nunez is working on a master’s degree in television, film and media studies with the goal of pursuing a doctoral degree in the humanities. His research interest pertains to new media, including social media, online content, and virtual reality. He seeks to understand how individuals interact with social media and engage with online communities, with a focus on accessible technologies used for content creation. Nunez also seeks to promote media literacy in underserved populations. He resides in the city of Chino.
Angelica Ortiz is a master’s degree candidate in English with a focus on the study of race, class, and gender. Her research interests include queer, Chicanx, and archival research in multi-ethnic American literature and histories from the 19th through the 20th century. After graduation, Ortiz plans to pursue a Ph.D. in English furthering her research in literary studies. She resides in the city of Monterey Park.
Lauren Perez is completing a master’s degree in psychology. As a research assistant in a psychoneuroimmunology lab, she is focused on the study of stress, emotion, and inflammation. Her thesis aims to validate the feasibility of a widely used experimental trauma paradigm, examining physiological and psychological reactions in an ethnically diverse population. A Los Angeles resident, Perez plans to pursue a doctorate in psychology to further her understanding of the physical impacts of stressful events, with an overarching goal of informing treatments in hospital settings.
Steven Sanchez is a master’s degree candidate in Latin American studies. His research analyzes how an oppressive world-capitalist system influences Latinx artists to employ feminist and anti-capitalist critiques into their musical pedagogy. He seeks to understand the differences, similarities, and motivations of how these Latinx artists combat economic alienation through community and musical performances. A resident of Wildomar in Riverside County, Sanchez plans to pursue a doctorate in ethnic studies.
Diana Solis is working on a master’s degree in Chicana/o and Latina/o studies and a post-baccalaureate certificate in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Her current research advocates for healing circles as pedagogical tools in ethnic studies, rooted in intersectional feminism. Her work also includes conversation with radical healing, disability justice, and decoloniality. After completing her master’s degree, Solis plans to pursue a doctoral degree in the social sciences. She resides in the city of La Puente.
Gloria Sosa, a master’s degree candidate in anthropology, plans to analyze the experiences of undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals women and queer folks. Her master’s thesis examines the experiences of undocumented student activists at Cal State LA, using a holistic analysis of oral histories as part of an ongoing digital archive. Sosa plans to pursue a doctorate in anthropology to continue advancing the scholarship on and by undocumented women. She resides in the city of Bellflower.
The Casanova award honors the late Sally Casanova, who launched the program in 1989. She was a staff member with the CSU Chancellor’s Office during the 1960s. Casanova also served as associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies at CSU Dominguez Hills from 1991 until her death in 1994. She was married to Joseph Casanova, a Cal State LA emeritus chemistry professor.
For more information, contact Andrew Chavez of Cal State LA’s Graduate Studies Office at 323-343-3820.
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 26,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
