Connections

For Alumni and Friends

February 2023

Featured

Healing and helping after the Monterey Park shooting

Two white notecards with handwritten messages hang on yarn

The Cal State LA community came together last week to grieve, support, and heal in the wake of the mass shooting in Monterey Park on Jan. 21. President William A. Covino shared a message with the University community about the tragedy in our neighboring city and a message with information and resources to help process the shootings in both Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. Students, faculty, and staff took part in community circles and a candlelight vigil to honor the victims of the recent shootings. Drop-in grief counseling was also offered to students throughout the week. The events were organized by Cal State LA Community Collective Care, a collaboration between the Cross Cultural Centers, the Center for Student Involvement, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Counseling and Psychological Services, Associated Students, Inc., the University-Student Union, and others on campus. 

Engagement, Service, and the Public Good

Cal State LA VITA offers income tax filing assistance

The Department of Accounting in the College of Business and Economics is offering Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) to low- and moderate-income individuals, in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service. Free tax preparation services will be offered at Cal State LA, the Arroyo Seco Regional Library, the Lincoln Heights Branch Library, the El Sereno Branch Library, and at Young & Healthy, a Pasadena-based nonprofit organization. To make an appointment for tax assistance at Young & Healthy, call 626-795-5166. To make an appointment for any of the other sites or to get more information, visit the Cal State LA VITA website. The free VITA program is offered on Saturdays through April 15.

Campus News

Cal State LA technology professor receives CSU Wang Family Excellence Award

CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester, left, Cal State LA Professor David Blekhman, center, and CSU Board of Trustees Chair Wenda Fong, right.

Dr. David Blekhman, a technology professor in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology, received the California State University’s Wang Family Excellence Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship. Blekhman is one of only four faculty and one staff member across the 23 CSU campuses to be recognized this year. The award honors faculty and staff for their unwavering commitment to student achievement and advancing the system’s mission through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Read more about the Wang Family Excellence Award.

Celebrating Black History Month at Cal State LA

The Cal State LA community is celebrating Black History Month in February with events exploring Black joy, art, history, and culture, featuring guest speakers, conversations, local artists, and more. The festivities kick off on Thursday with Black “Brunch,” an evening event with food from local hotspot BlaqHaus Noho and welcome remarks from Dr. Julianne Malveaux, dean of the College of Ethnic Studies. Visit the Black History Month website for more details.

Cal State LA community celebrates Lunar New Year

A Lunar New Year performance featuring a red dragon.

Students, faculty, and staff filled University-Student Union Plaza on Jan. 26 to celebrate Lunar New Year. The festivities featured a lion dance performance, games, food, and a raffle with prizes from local Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses. A moment of silence was observed during the event in memory of the 11 victims killed in the Monterey Park shooting. The celebration was hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander Student Resource Center in the Cross Cultural Centers and the Center for Student Involvement.

Community gatherings held following the release of the Tyre Nichols video

Cal State LA held gatherings and is offering support for the University community following the release of video depicting the fatal beating of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers. This message from President William A. Covino was sent to students, faculty, and staff ahead of the release of the video on Friday. Faculty and staff participated in community circles on Monday and Tuesday, and Counseling and Psychological Services is offering drop-in counseling for students throughout the week in person at the Pan African Student Resource Center and virtually via Zoom. Students took part in a community circle Monday, and a Black Student Support Conversation was held Tuesday to provide a space for Black students to come together and share their thoughts and emotions.

NSF PREC workshop introduces computational molecular science to students

Students from Cal State LA and local community colleges early in their higher education careers were introduced to cutting-edge techniques in computational molecular science as part of the inaugural Computational Workshop, hosted by the Partnership for Research and Education in Chemistry (PREC) Pathway to Diversity Program. PREC, which is a collaboration between Cal State LA and the Molecular Software Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech, launched last year with a grant from the National Science Foundation. During the seven-day workshop, students took part in hands-on exercises led by instructors from Virginia Tech, UC Irvine, and Cal State LA. They learned about different computational molecular science and professional development topics, including networking, undergraduate research, machine learning, programming, and virtual reality. “The inaugural PREC computational molecular science workshop was an enormous success,” said Dr. Olaseni Sode, the grant’s lead principal investigator and an associate professor of chemistry in the College of Natural and Social Sciences. “Many of these students never had any experience with these types of scientific approaches. We are excited to see the impact this workshop will have on advancing the field and producing the next generation of STEM professionals.” The PREC project team also includes co-principal investigators Dr. Paul Nerenberg, associate professor of biology and physics in the College of NSS, and Dr. Negin Forouzesh, assistant professor of computer science in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology.

Community Focus

Applications open for the Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship at Cal State LA

The Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship (LEEAF) program in Cal State LA’s College of Natural and Social Sciences is accepting applications for its business accelerator and student fellowship programs. The goal of LEEAF is to help Cal State LA students assist in building a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable economic landscape in Southern California, particularly by supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) women business and social leaders. The business accelerator aims to support BIPOC women leaders of for profit, social impact, and other organizations in Los Angeles County with an intensive 10-month training program and one-on-one advising to equip them with the tools they need for their businesses to thrive. Each is paired with a student fellow who is trained in entrepreneurship, and they work together to develop business models that are disaster-resilient and able to recover from economic downturns. Learn more and apply to the business accelerator or the student fellowship program by Feb. 8. LEEAF is led by co-founders Dr. Marla Parker and Dmitri Seals, faculty in the College of Natural and Social Sciences, and Elianne Rodriguez, who serves as director of the program.

Join the search for the next CSU chancellor

The California State University has launched the search for the 9th chancellor to head the 23 CSU campus system. Three open forums are scheduled across the state in the month of February, during which the CSU community can share the characteristics and experiences they want to see in the next leader of the CSU. You can learn more about the chancellor search process on the CSU website and submit feedback as a member of the CSU community, alumni, or community member using the stakeholder survey.

Alumni Spotlight

Join us for Cal State LA Night with the LA Kings

LA Kings Cal State LA Night. Thursday, March 2, 2023.

Come join us March 2 for Cal State LA Night at Crypto.com Arena, where alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, and family can gather to celebrate Golden Eagle pride and cheer on the NHL Los Angeles Kings against the Montreal Canadiens. Each ticket includes an exclusive LA Kings x Cal State LA hat, and a portion of each ticket will be donated to the Cal State LA Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. Learn more and register on the Cal State LA Night webpage.

Athletics

Women’s basketball player sets program record for career three-pointers

LA Golden Eagles women’s basketball player Nicole Flennaugh knocked down five three-pointers to set a new program career record in Cal State LA’s victory over Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 28. Flennaugh now has 221 successful three-pointers in her career, surpassing the previous record of 218 by Kelli Kobayashi, who completed her Cal State LA career in 2003. Flennaugh holds the program records for three-pointers in a game and in a season. Now in her third year with the program, she is having another prolific season and has helped Cal State LA to a 13-6 overall record and a 10-4 conference mark that has the Golden Eagles in a third-place tie with Chico State. She leads the California Collegiate Athletic Association and is No. 2 in the nation with 3.42 successful three-pointers per game and her 65 successful three-pointers this season leads the CCAA and is fifth in the nation.