Connections
For Alumni and Friends
September 2022
Featured
Cal State LA President Covino to retire in June 2023
The California State University will soon launch a national search for President William A. Covino’s successor. During the 2022 University Convocation, Covino announced his plans to retire in June 2023. In 2013, he became Cal State LA’s seventh president. In the years that followed, the University experienced a rise in national prominence and national rankings, saw improvement in student success metrics, and earned the distinction of being home to the most diverse faculty in the CSU. Read more about the president’s legacy.
College of Ethnic Studies to present a multicultural book fair Sept. 24
Cal State LA’s College of Ethnic Studies is presenting a multicultural children’s book fair, “I Read to See Me: A Celebration of Multicultural Children’s Books,” on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the King Hall Courtyard, King Hall Lecture Halls 1 and 2, and in the University Library. The event is free and open to the public. The book fair will include panels that feature Cal State LA faculty and award-winning authors and illustrators who will discuss their literary journey and the importance of having diverse books in schools and home libraries. Book fair attendees will be able to take part in book signings, visit with exhibitors, and participate in promotional giveaways. The first 200 youth attendees will receive a free copy of a book by one of the featured authors or illustrators. The event will also offer a wide selection of affordable diverse books for purchase.
Engagement, Service, and the Public Good
Los Angeles Innocence Project launches at Cal State LA
The Los Angeles Innocence Project at Cal State LA is bringing the fight to free the wrongfully convicted to the University. Through the new partnership, a team of experienced post-conviction attorneys will work alongside faculty and students in Cal State LA’s California Forensic Science Institute and School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics to identify and investigate cases of individuals with credible claims of actual innocence and to litigate those claims where new evidence supports overturning a conviction. The launch of LAIP at Cal State LA is made possible by a $1 million gift from wrongfully convicted exoneree Andrew Wilson, which will support the project in its first two years. Read more about LAIP.
Cal State LA Verizon enrichment program offers hands-on STEM learning for local youth
Local middle school youth delved into the world of virtual reality, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and robotics as part of a hands-on STEM enrichment program at Cal State LA. About 150 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders took part in the three-week Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers camp over the summer, coding computer games, programming robots and creating 3D models of a virtual world and coins for an imagined city of Atlantis. The Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program aims to provide students in under-resourced communities with the opportunity to discover new problem-solving skills and gain exposure to careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, fields. Read more about the STEM enrichment program.
Campus News
Cal State LA social work major receives CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement
Miquelle McCarthy, a social work major at Cal State LA, was one of 23 students statewide to receive the 2022 California State University Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. The award recognizes superior academic performance, exemplary community service, and significant personal accomplishment. “I am grateful to receive this award,” said McCarthy, who turned her life around six years ago and is on her way to becoming the first in her family to achieve a college degree. “This scholarship will greatly help me finish my education.” Read more about the award.
Cal State LA continues to be recognized in national rankings
Cal State LA continues to be ranked among the top universities in the nation by Washington Monthly and U.S. News & World Report. Washington Monthly’s 2022 College Guide and Rankings listed Cal State LA at number three in the “Best Master’s Universities” category. The University moved up two spots from last year. In the “Best Bang for the Buck” category, Cal State LA continues to be ranked number three in the West. Cal State LA also ranks 24th among all private and public regional universities in the western United States, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2023 rankings. Among public regional universities in the West, Cal State LA continues to rank 8th. Read more about the Washington Monthly rankings and the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Cal State LA receives grant supporting education-to-career pipeline
Cal State LA student film to be screened in Landmark Cinemas theaters in Canada
Television, film, and media studies students Bryan Harris and Lynn Nguyen were among four student filmmaking teams who were named finalists for their short films as part of the 2022 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition. Each film from this year’s competition will be shown in theaters at Landmark Cinemas in Canada through the end of the year. Harris and Nguyen’s short, “Peace of Mind,” can be viewed online on the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films website.
Student underwater robotics team finished top 10 in international competition
A team of students from the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology placed eighth in the 2022 RoboSub international competition held at the University of Maryland in College Park. Cal State LA’s RoboSub team competed against 39 teams from around the world. During the weeklong event, which is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, Cal State LA’s autonomous underwater robotic submarine qualified for the semi-final by autonomously performing a set of underwater maneuvers and passing through a submerged gate. On the last day of competition, the team qualified for the finals by successfully using their onboard computer vision system to recognize and direct its heading and intercept a small underwater target. “Our team was very excited to make it into the finals this year and it’s a big reward to see the project we’ve put years of work into succeed,” said Cal State LA mechanical engineering major Aren Petrossian, who served as Cal State LA’s Robosub team captain. The other members of the Robosub team include computer science major Perla Ramirez, computer science major Jennifer Serrano-Perez, computer science major Jordan Doose, and mechanical engineering major Andrew Ye. Professor He Shen, a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, serves as the team’s technical advisor. Mark Tufenkjian, associate dean for the College of ECST, founded the RoboSub team at Cal State LA in 2016 with a grant through the Office of Naval Research.
Community Focus
Cal State LA welcomes LEAD California to its one-year campus residency
LEAD California, formerly known as California Campus Compact, is serving a one-year residency at Cal State LA. LEAD California is a state-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing civic and community engagement. As part of its on-campus residency, LEAD California is offering resources, expertise, training, and connections to Cal State LA faculty, staff, and administrators in order to promote civic engagement that brings about a healthy, just and democratic society.
Alumni Spotlight
You are invited to celebrate We Are LA: The Campaign for Cal State LA
Please join President William A. Covino at a brunch on Saturday, Oct. 22, celebrating the success of We Are LA: The Campaign for Cal State LA and the donors who made it possible. During the University’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, Cal State LA raised more than $101 million. A reception begins at 11 a.m. and the brunch and program start at noon in Greenlee Plaza at Cal State LA. The program will feature performances by Jessica Fichot, La Santa Cecilia’s La Marisoul, and the Luckman Jazz Ensemble. Register online by Monday, Oct. 17. Email events@calstatela.edu or call 323-343-3060 for additional information.
Statue of tennis great Billie Jean King installed on campus
A bronze statue of Cal State LA alumna, tennis great Billie Jean King has been installed on the grassy area outside of the Physical Education building. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the legislation enacted in 1972 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs. A world champion athlete and global advocate for social justice, King has long fought for equal rights in sports, and more broadly for gender equality as a whole. She spent the 1960s and early 1970s campaigning tirelessly for parity for women in sports, and in 1972, she testified on behalf of Title IX before its passage. King won her first Wimbledon title in women’s doubles while she was a player on the Cal State LA women’s tennis team. Years later, as 50 million viewers watched on television, King scored a monumental victory for women’s equality when she defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes.” That epic match is now the subject of a feature film of the same title released in 2017 starring Emma Stone. King is a distinguished alumna and longtime friend of the University and has helped support many Golden Eagle student-athletes during the past two decades.Athletics
Men’s soccer and women’s volleyball dominate in early season play
No. 1 nationally ranked Cal State LA men’s soccer has opened the 2022 season undefeated, stretching their unbeaten streak to 24 games in a row. The Golden Eagle squad trounced rival Cal Poly Pomona in a shocking 6-0 victory during the team’s final non-conference match, and are set to open their CCAA schedule with two home games this week. The nation’s best team is currently 6-0-0 and owns a 22-4 goal differential. After a 4-0 start to conference play, first place Cal State LA volleyball returns home for a pair of high-profile matchups this week at University Gym. Cal State LA will host perennial power Cal State San Bernardino Friday, before facing co-conference leader, Cal Poly Pomona, on Saturday. The Golden Eagles have swept six of their last seven competitors in straight sets. For full details of upcoming Cal State LA athletics action, visit the LA Golden Eagles website.
Cal State LA golfer hosts historic tournament in Nepal
Cal State LA women’s golfer Pratima Sherpa organized the first all-women’s golf tournament in her home country of Nepal this summer. The tournament fulfilled a long-held dream for the student-athlete, who has consistently worked to advance the women’s game in Nepal. The tournament featured 47 golfers and hosted Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who awarded prizes to the tournament’s champions.
Khallifah Rosser earns career-best results in summer championships
Cal State LA alumni Khallifah Rosser completed an outstanding series of races at the 2022 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships and 2022 World Track & Field Championships this summer. Setting a new personal best of 47.65 in the 400 hurdles, Rosser clinched his first-ever spot on Team USA at nationals and qualified for the World Championships for the first time. Rosser eventually took fifth-place against global competition, running a 47.88, just 0.23 seconds off his all-time best finish.
Events
I Read to See Me
September 24, 2022
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
King Hall Courtyard
We Are LA: Celebrate the Campaign for Cal State LA
October 22, 2022
Reception at 11 a.m.
Brunch and program at 12 p.m.
Greenlee Plaza, Cal State LA
We Are LA: Contemporary Art from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation
On display through October 22, 2022
In The News
- Cal State LA College of Ethnic Studies to present ‘I Read to See Me: A Celebration of Multicultural Children’s Books,’ Cal State LA Reading Circle (LA Sentinel)
- South Los Angeles resident receives CSU Trustees’ Award (Los Angeles Patch)
- `LA For All’ Week Begins in Los Angeles (KFI Radio)
- Cal State LA continues to shine in U.S. News & World Report rankings (Californer)
- How a Middle-School Summer Program Builds Self-Identity With Tech and Mentorship (Yahoo! Finance)
- Cal State LA looks to defend NCAA Division II men’s soccer title under new coach (Los Angeles Times)
- New LA Innocence Project, Funded By Exoneree, Will Partner With Forensic Scientists To Uncover Wrongful Convictions (Witness LA)
- National Voter Registration Day at Cal State LA (ABC7 News)