Connections

Los Angeles Innocence Project at Cal State LA recognized for wrongful conviction advocacy

The Los Angeles Innocence Project at Cal State LA is being recognized with two awards next month for the team’s tireless pursuit of justice in representing its wrongfully convicted clients. Death Penalty Focus, a statewide death penalty abolition advocacy group, will present the Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award to Paula Mitchell, director of the Los Angeles Innocence Project, alongside Maurice Hastings and Andy Wilson, both wrongfully convicted exonerees who were represented by the Los Angeles Innocence Project at Cal State LA. The award, which will be presented at the organization’s annual awards dinner on May 4, recognizes individuals who demonstrate an unwavering dedication to the fair and equal treatment of all people, regardless of their position in society. The Criminal Courts Bar Association of Los Angeles will present the Los Angeles Innocence Project with the Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Memorial Award for their relentless pursuit of justice at the organization’s annual awards dinner on May 13.

#CaliforniansForAll College Corps applications due May 1

Students can still apply to participate in the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program for the upcoming academic year through the East Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Regional Consortium at Cal State LA. College Corps is a statewide, paid service program that provides meaningful work to college students in exchange for serving their community. The program helps participants graduate on time and with less debt, while gaining valuable work experience. Fellows will receive up to $10,000 for completing up to 450 hours of community service. The application deadline is May 1. Students can apply online now. Questions? Email CollegeCorps@calstatela.edu.

Cal State LA nursing graduate program ranks among nation’s best

Cal State LA’s nursing master’s degree program continues to be ranked among the best in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 edition of Best Graduate Schools. Cal State LA is one of only two public universities in Los Angeles County included in the publication’s “Best Nursing Schools: Master’s” listing. For more than two decades, U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked Cal State LA’s nursing graduate program among the top 10 programs in California. The program is housed within the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing in the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services. Read more about the ranking.

Join us for the Pérez-Silverman Symposium on May 4

This year’s Pérez-Silverman Symposium on Urban Ecology, Sustainability, and Environmental Justice will feature keynote speaker Dr. Julian Agyeman, the author of Introducing Just Sustainabilities: Policy, Planning, and Practice and chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University. A panel discussion will follow. The event will be held on May 4 from 3 to 5 p.m. in person at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex and virtually via a webinar. You can register to attend the symposium by May 1 at 5 p.m. If you have any questions, please email events@calstatela.edu.

Cal State LA celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

Cal State LA is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month from mid-April to mid-May due to the University’s spring semester calendar and to ensure a full month filled with celebrations, advocacy, and education. This year’s theme is “Rising: Amplify and Uplift AAPI Voices.” Visit the AAPI Heritage Month website for the listing of presentations, screenings, activities, and performances.

WellBeingU Champions honored for innovative dedication to campus well-being

Three members of the Cal State LA community received WellBeingU Champion awards on April 25 in recognition of their outstanding and innovative contributions to promoting the well-being of the University community. The award recipients—student Javier Valencia, faculty member Dr. Gabriela Fried Amilivia and staff member Alyssa Vaniman—were honored during a WellBeingU Speaker Series event that featured Los Angeles Rams sports psychologist Dr. Carrie Hastings. Read more about the awards.

Cal State LA announces winners in first Janice Cordova Garden of Well-Being student art contest

Cal State LA announced the winners of the first Janice Cordova Garden of Well-Being student art contest during an unveiling ceremony this month. Students were invited to submit pieces of original art representing the natural world that convey some or all of the themes featured in the Janice Cordova Garden of Well-Being: relaxation, healing, and transcendence. Students Ede Vuong, Emely Hernandez, and Ivan Ly were selected as the winners of the contest, and their art is now displayed on the glass door and windows of the Student Health Center building adjacent to the center of the garden. Read more about the art unveiling.

Department of Music to host Spring 2023 Gala Concert

Join the Department of Music in the College of Arts and Letters for a Spring 2023 Gala Concert on May 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Luckman Fine Arts Complex. The University Choirs and Student/Faculty Orchestra will perform Carmina Burana, composed by Carl Orff and conducted by Dr. Christopher Gravis, with faculty soloists Natalie Buickians and Robert MacNeil, and the Children’s Choir of All Saints Church in Pasadena. General admission tickets are $15, seniors are $12, students who do not attend Cal State LA are $5, and Cal State LA students are free. Find additional ticket information.

College of Business and Economics student team wins College Bowl healthcare competition

A team of healthcare management graduate students from Cal State LA placed first in the American College of Healthcare Executives of Southern California College Bowl on April 21. The College Bowl is an annual academic case study contest for graduate and undergraduate students from healthcare programs. The case studies tackle real issues faced by healthcare executives and their organizations. Students are judged by the quality of their analysis and presentation skills. The student team included (pictured from right) Giselle Chavez, Aishwarya Sonawane, Akshata Kadam, and Anshul Reddy Gudur, who are all pursuing a Master of Science in Healthcare Management from the College of Business and Economics. Dr. Mengying He, assistant professor of healthcare management, served as their faculty mentor for the competition.

Cal State LA, AltaMed offer COVID-19 booster clinic

Cal State LA and AltaMed are hosting the final free on-campus COVID-19 booster clinic of the semester on Thursday, May 4. The clinic is part of an ongoing partnership that brings vaccination clinics to the campus and wider community. The pop-up clinic is open to the community and will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. outside University Library North. Find details and make an appointment on the Cal State LA COVID-19 vaccination clinics webpage.

Cal State LA alumna appointed interim president of Cal State Fullerton

California State University Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester appointed Dr. Sylvia A. Alva, a Cal State LA alumna, to serve as interim president of Cal State Fullerton. Alva currently serves as the CSU’s executive vice chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs. She will begin in her new role at Cal State Fullerton on August 1, and will serve in that capacity until a new president is appointed by the CSU Board of Trustees. In her current systemwide role as executive vice chancellor, Alva oversees the CSU’s Division of Academic and Student Affairs, which is focused on providing a high-quality educational experience for California’s diverse student body. A first-generation college graduate, Alva earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cal State LA in 1981. She also holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA. Read more about her appointment.

Cal State LA golfer wins pair of awards at CCAA Championships

Morgan Sjoerdsma picked up a pair of awards at the 2023 CCAA Women’s Golf Championships for her on-course and in-classroom success. Sjoerdsma earned the prestigious Elite 13 Award, which recognizes the athlete with the highest GPA who makes the conference championships. She also earned CCAA All-Tournament honors for a second straight year after individually finishing the tournament in a tie for fifth. She won the CCAA individual championship in 2022 and was in contention once again this week.