Connections

Wrongfully convicted client of Los Angeles Innocence Project at Cal State LA declared factually innocent

Maurice Hastings, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 38 years and was freed through the work of the Los Angeles Innocence Project at Cal State LA and the University’s School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics, was declared factually innocent this month. A finding of factual innocence means the court declared Hastings innocent of the 1983 abduction and murder of a woman in Inglewood, California, for which he was wrongfully convicted, and clears the arrest and prosecution from his record. “It means a lot. I’m grateful for the judge’s ruling, and the apologies—everything has been wonderful today,” Hastings said. “I’m ready to move on with my life. I’m a happy man today.” Read more about Hastings.

Cal State LA, AltaMed offer on-campus COVID-19 booster, vaccination clinic

Cal State LA and AltaMed are hosting a free COVID-19 vaccination and booster clinic on campus on Thursday, April 6. 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. on the Main Campus Walkway across from the Student Health Center. If it rains, the clinic will be moved to outside University Library North. First, second, and updated booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available. Find more details and make an appointment on the Cal State LA COVID-19 vaccination clinics webpage. 

Cal State LA receives HCAI grant to expand social work graduate program

Cal State LA has been awarded a $3.4 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information to expand its social work graduate program and help develop a culturally sensitive and competent behavioral health workforce.  “There are tremendous needs to provide well-trained social work professionals in behavioral health care, such as mental health, substance use, intimate partner abuse, child maltreatment, and more,” said Dr. Siyon Rhee, the grant’s lead principal investigator and director for the School of Social Work in the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services at Cal State LA. “With this program expansion grant, we will be able to address these needs.” Read more about the grant. 

Concert to celebrate Cal State LA’s 75th anniversary

Join us April 28 for a concert celebrating Cal State LA’s 75th anniversary and thanking President William A. Covino and First Lady Debbie Covino for 10 years of service to the University. The 7:30 p.m. concert at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex will feature the performance of works by alumnus Jack T. Cooper, ’87, ’89, and faculty members Paul De Castro, ’91, ’93, Sara Carina Graef, and John M. Kennedy. Email events@calstatela.edu with questions.

Cal State LA student recognized by Hispanas Organized for Political Equality

Cal State LA anthropology major Tania Galvez was recently named as one of five 2023 Future History Makers by Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE). HOPE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring political and economic parity for Latinas through leadership, advocacy, and education to benefit all communities and the status of women. Galvez received the award during HOPE’s Latina History Day Conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center on March 10. The awards aim to honor the accomplishments of future history-making Latina college students in local communities who are working to make an impact in their community through involvement in activities or projects, advancing an academic field, or pioneering groundbreaking research or inventions. Galvez is pictured third from right along with her fellow honorees, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and HOPE CEO Helen Torres (far right). A Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, Galvez is currently conducting research with Dr. Michele Bleuze, a Cal State LA anthropology professor, on sex differences in health in ancient Mayan society and the prevalence of osteoporosis in the bones of individuals living in the seventh and eighth centuries. Read more about the honor.

Cal State LA professor awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grant

Dr. Gabrielle E. Clark, assistant professor of public law in the College of Natural and Social Sciences, was recently awarded a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Clark is one of only 29 grantees in the faculty program section. The program supports faculty research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities nationwide. Clark’s project title is “Lineages of the Deportable Labor State: Migrant Workers and the Law in American History.” Read more about the NEH grant.

Cal State LA graduate student receives visual art fellowship

College of Arts and Letters graduate student Boone Nguyen received the College Art Association of America’s 2022 Professional Development Fellowship in visual arts. One $10,000 fellowship is awarded each year to multicultural artists and artists from underrepresented groups and from culturally diverse communities in the U.S. who are pursuing graduate degrees. The grant aims to help awardees with various aspects of their work as an artist, designer, and/or craftsperson, whether it be for job-search expenses or purchasing materials for their studio art or design practice. Nguyen is currently in his final semester of the Master of Fine Arts in Art program at Cal State LA, and he also lectures in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies. Read more about the fellowship.    

College of ECST celebrates National Engineers Week

The College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology celebrated National Engineers Week, also known as E-Week, from Feb. 19-25, with events and programs highlighting the important contributions of engineers, computer scientists, and technologists. The week also featured “Tech-Talks,” presented by industry representatives who shared their personal journeys and projects, recruiters who discussed entry-level career opportunities and internship information, and a virtual workshop focusing on career readiness and skill-building. Read more about E-Week. 

Eagle-Con returns to celebrate science fiction and fantasy

Eagle-Con at Cal State LA has returned this spring to celebrate science fiction and fantasy across media through student-centered and community-welcoming programming. The next event is the Eagle-Con Film Festival from April 27-29, which will feature the work of Cal State LA student filmmakers as well as science fiction and fantasy films from students from across Southern California. Learn more and stay up to date on upcoming events on the Eagle-Con website. 

Cal State LA joins statewide renewable energy partnership

Cal State LA is joining the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems, also known as ARCHES, along with the four other CSU campuses in the Los Angeles area that are part of the CSU5. ARCHES is a public-private partnership to create a sustainable statewide clean hydrogen hub in California, utilizing local renewable resources to produce hydrogen. The objective is to fully decarbonize the regional economy, while prioritizing environmental justice, equity, economic leadership, and workforce development. The CSU5—which includes CSU campuses in Dominguez Hills, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Northridge, and Pomona—seeks to create a long-term, strategic, and innovative approach to economic and community development that shapes a positive future for the greater Los Angeles region. Dr. David Blekhman, professor of technology and technical director for the Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility at Cal State LA, is the CSU5 faculty lead for the ARCHES Network. Read more about ARCHES.

University Times wins state college media awards

Cal State LA’s University Times student newspaper won nine awards from the California College Media Association. The awards included first place for Best Social Justice Coverage, first place for Best Non-News Story, first place for Best Newspaper Inside Page/Spread Design, second place for General Innovation, second place for Best Headline Portfolio, third place for Best Non-News Video, third place for Best Arts and Entertainment Story, third place for Best Feature Photo, and third place for Best Social Media Reporting. 

Cal State LA launches second cohort of Family Nurse Practitioner Community Care Residency Program

The Chin Family Institute for Nursing in the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services launched the second cohort of its Family Nurse Practitioner Community Care Residency Program in partnership with the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County. As part of the program, three newly licensed family nurse practitioners (pictured from left) Frank Guzman, Lyanne Duarte, and Cal State LA alumna Cho Win are receiving post-graduate training through a 12-month residency at a federally qualified health center in Los Angeles. Guzman, a graduate of the University of Phoenix, and Duarte, a UCLA graduate, are working at the South Central Family Health Center. Win, a graduate of the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing at Cal State LA, is working at the Chinatown Service Center. The program is part of a growing effort in California and across the nation to provide FNPs with the field experience they need to work independently of physicians. The hope is to develop a pipeline of such practitioners to deliver primary care in urban and rural communities that do not have enough health care providers. “The goals for the FNP residency align perfectly with our mission as they encompass those same aims: to expand access to quality primary care for underserved populations, contribute to workforce development, and improve competence, confidence, and proficiency among newly licensed family nurse practitioners,” said Lorie Judson, executive director for the Chin Family Institute for Nursing. Read more about the FNP program. 

Cal State LA alumnus and staff graphic designer featured in Los Angeles County art installation

Cal State LA alumnus and staff graphic designer Nery Orellana was selected to exhibit three pieces of artwork in Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles as part of L.A. County’s Collective Memory Installation. The digital exhibition, which was on display from Feb. 25 to March 18, showcased art pieces reflecting on the collective history of Los Angeles County, and was presented by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture in partnership with Grand Park and the Music Center. Orellana was one of 100 artists selected to display pieces across a wide array of artistic mediums to share diverse community experiences and perspectives, highlight underrepresented histories, and celebrate the dynamic culture of our region. One of his pieces (pictured far left) commemorated the anniversary of the death of pioneering Mexican American journalist Ruben Salazar, who was killed by deputies while covering the National Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War in 1970. The second piece (far right) marked the 50th anniversary of the Department of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at Cal State LA. The final piece, “Worlds We Bring,” (second from right) celebrated the immigrant experience. Orellana is a graphic designer in Cal State LA’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs and received a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the University. Read more about the installation. 

You’re invited to CSU Alumni Night at Nationals Park

East Coast alumni are invited to join fellow California State University graduates on April 18 for CSU Alumni Night at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. You can enjoy an all-you-can-eat pre-game mixer before watching the Nationals take on the Orioles in the Beltway series. This is a great opportunity to meet CSU alumni in all fields throughout the Washington, D.C. metro area. Learn more and register by April 4 on the alumni event webpage. 

Women’s basketball caps historic season

Cal State LA women’s basketball completed its 2022-2023 campaign with a return to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2006 and a record number of conference wins. The Golden Eagles finished third in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings and advanced to the CCAA Tournament semifinals before making their way to the NCAA West Regional as a No. 5 seed. All-American Nicole Flennaugh led the way for the Golden Eagles, scoring 15.4 points per game, ranking second in the CCAA in minutes played. Her 99 three-point field goals led the nation and broke program single-season marks and CCAA career records. 

Cal State LA athletes take home weekly honors

Cal State LA’s Qwintin Workman of men’s track and field and Matthew Piotrowski (pictured) of baseball each earned player of the week honors from the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the week of March 13-19. Piotrowski was also subsequently honored at the regional level for his outstanding weekly performance. Workman, who earned CCAA Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, had a sensational showing at the Redlands Invitational, taking part in two NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks. Making his Cal State LA debut in the 400 hurdles, Workman won the race in 51.02, posting the nation’s best time in 2023 and No. 5 all-time at Cal State LA. Workman also won the 4×400 relay, setting a provisional mark of 3:13.60, which is currently No. 3 in the nation. Piotrowski, who earned CCAA Baseball Player of the Week, batted .563 in four games against Cal State San Marcos, going 9-for-16 with four home runs, 12 RBIs, and five runs scored to lead the Golden Eagles to a 3-1 series win over the Cougars. In a single game, Piotrowski hit three home runs, a triple, and posted 15 bases, which ranks second all-time in program history. His West Region recognition by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association is the first for Cal State LA since Feb. 2, 2022.