Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Authors to Provide Insight into Managing Young Employees During Cal State Long Beach’s CBA Notable Speakers Series

Mick Ukleja and Chip Espinoza, co-authors of the book “Managing the Millennials: Discover the Core Competencies Needed for Managing Today’s Workforce” will discuss techniques to manage 20-somethings in the workplace on Tuesday, April 6, from 7-9 p.m. during the Notable Speakers Series at Cal State Long Beach (CSULB).

CSULB’s College of Business Administration (CBA) established the Notable Speaker Series to add relevance to current students’ learning experiences and to offer opportunities for professional development and intellectual engagement to students, alumni, staff, faculty and the community.

Ukleja and Espinoza will discuss how managers of all ages can engage the burgeoning demographic of nearly 80 million current and future employees who are now between the ages of 14 and 31. “Managing the Millennials” is based on years of research, interviews, case studies, ideas and practices that have proven to help managers and other leaders address the challenges generational diversity presents.

“We have a generation of managers who were taught and trained to reach up to their bosses. This was important in order to get the information one needed for growth and development. We also have a new generation that wasn’t taught to reach up. Managers have to constantly reach down to them,” according to Ukleja, a CSULB alumnus with a B.A. in philosophy who helped found the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership at CSULB.

He continued, “Milllennials are the first generation in history that did not need an authority figure to access knowledge or information. So, managers need to learn how to overcome the bias of their own experience; that the way they do things is the only or right way. They need to know how to recruit, retain, integrate and develop these young people.”

Ukleja, who also earned a master’s degree in Semitic languages, and a Ph.D. in theology, is the founder and president of LeadershipTraQ, a leadership consulting firm based in Los Alamitos. He also hosts LeadershipTraQ Televised, an interview-format talk show that profiles outstanding leaders.

Ukleja has also co-authored “The Ethics Challenge: Living with Integrity in a Greedy World” and “Who Are You? What Do You Want? Four Questions That Will Change Your Life,” which has been praised by legendary coach John Wooden, golf champion Gary Player and many other prominent leaders. He is renowned for his work with entrepreneurs, corporate executives of many businesses and organizations.

Espinoza, executive vice president LeadershipTraQ, teaches at the Edna Davis Hobbs California Student Leadership Institute at CSULB and consults in the civic, corporate and non-profit sectors to a client list that ranges from The Boeing Company to the Special Olympics.

Espinoza is considered a leading expert on the subject of generational diversity in the workplace. He specializes in helping leaders initiate and negotiate change in their organizations and frequently is a keynote speaker for corporate events, conferences and organizations across the country regarding his research about young employees and their value in the workforce.

Espinoza, who is working on his Ph.D., is also the content director for LeadershipTraQ, an adviser to The Ukleja Center and has authored several articles on the subject of leadership. He produces an award-winning monthly podcast that focuses on the subject.

“Through our research, we have identified nine orientations of millennials that are points of tension between them and their managers. These tension points either make or break the manager of millennials,” explained Espinoza. “Since all the managers in our research experienced millennials in the same way, we discovered that the difference was the competencies that the successful managers had in leading this group. So our hope is the people who leave our Notable Speakers presentation will understand not only the nine orientations, but also the nine competencies that are essential for integrating this new generation into today’s workforce.”

About the Notable Speakers Series

The Notable Speakers Series is taking place on select Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m. in the CBA building Room 140A during the 2010 spring semester and features renowned professionals from a variety of fields who share their expertise on leading edge business issues.

There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required. Visitors to the campus must purchase a $4 parking permit at the yellow kiosk in Lot 15.

To register or learn more about the Notable Speaker Series and its speakers visit http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cba/nss.

-- Paul Browning

Legendary Actor Kirk Douglas to Address CSULB Students in Communicative Disorders Programs on Tuesday, April 6

Legendary actor, author, producer and philanthropist Kirk Douglas will return to California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) to speak to students in the communicative disorders programs on Tuesday, April 6, from 1-2 p.m. in the Daniel Recital Hall.

The event is open to faculty and staff as well.

Douglas’ appearance was arranged by Betty McMicken, a CSULB assistant professor and Douglas' personal speech pathologist, who first brought him on campus in October 2008. Because of their relationship, he has offered to speak with her students again, during which time McMicken will interview Douglas, followed by a question-and-answer session.

“The format will be similar to last time,” said McMicken, who continues to work with Douglas as a speech pathologist once a week. “He will talk about how he has recovered from his stroke, but we will also discuss some of the things he has done in the past year and a half since he was last on campus, which has been substantial, and other elements of his life.”

Douglas, whose speech has been affected since suffering a stroke in 1996, turned 93 in December. In his 2003 book “My Stroke of Luck,” he tells of his recovery from the stroke while battling waves of depression. “Let's Face It,” which came out in 2007, explores the mixed blessings of growing older and looks back at his childhood, his young adulthood, and his storied, glamorous, and colorful life and career in Hollywood.

At the upcoming event, he will discuss a new book he is working on and other projects, including the successful run of his one-man play titled “Before I Forget,” that he performed last March. The play was described as an intimate evening with one of the most affable, talented and mesmerizing icons of the screen.

“He and I are both looking forward to this event,” said McMicken. “He just keeps getting better. He’s been very active on a number of levels and one thing he’s been doing is raising funds for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the home in the valley which almost closed. So, he has been very active in supporting it. He truly understands that he couldn’t have done what he did without the support of everybody else in the industry.”

Over his career, Douglas has performed in 87 films and 10 plays, and written nine books and three songs. In 1949, he won an Academy Award nomination for “Champion,” received a second nomination in 1952 for “The Bad and the Beautiful,” and a third in 1956 for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in “Lust for Life,” for which he won the New York Film Critics’ Best Actor Award.

Douglas has also received the Medal of Freedom award, the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, and in 1996, was awarded a special Oscar for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community.

“He continues to be an inspiration to me, my students, and the many stroke patients who read his books,” said McMicken. “He is the highlight of my week and I consider it an enormous privilege to be of assistance to him.”

-- Shayne Schroeder

National Community College Hispanic Council, CSULB Teaming Up to Offer NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program

The Educational Leadership Program at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is collaborating with the National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC) to offer the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program this summer at the campus.

Established in 1985 as an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the NCCHC is the nation’s premier organization for preparing and supporting Hispanic leaders in America’s community colleges. The non-profit professional organization is committed to delivering high-quality leadership development experiences and providing Hispanics with opportunities to continue their personal and professional growth.

“The current economic and educational climate highlights the critical need for increased numbers of Latino and Latina leaders in community colleges. It reinforces the necessity of offering leadership development programs,” explained William M. Vega, director of the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program and Distinguished Faculty in Residence with the CSULB College of Education. “The changing student demographic, with increased numbers of Hispanic students attending community colleges nationwide, further enhances the importance for Hispanic leaders to serve as role models and mentors for these students.”

The goal of the Leadership Fellows Program is to develop a pool of highly qualified Latino and Latina leaders. It is designed to provide professional and leadership development training, mentoring and networking to attain executive-level positions in community colleges.

The Leadership Fellows Program offers two programs –- a Mid-Managerial and an Executive Leadership Fellows Program –- on an alternating yearly basis. The Mid-Managerial Leadership Fellows Program will be offered at CSULB June 9-12. It is designed for mid-level community college administrators who may hold a dean, associate dean or director position and have aspirations to become a community college executive level administrator.

“The College of Education at CSULB has consistently looked for opportunities to collaborate with and support educational and leadership development programs such as the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program,” Vega added. “This collaboration would not have been possible without their full and complete cooperation. I am appreciative of their support.”

Summer seminar topics will include organizational development, institutional effectiveness, conflict resolution, crisis management, community development, technology, board/ CEO relations, strategic planning, culture and diversity, finances and facilities, change process and negotiation.

CSULB is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), which is defined as a non-profit institution that has at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment and, of that Hispanic enrollment, at least 50 percent are low income. CSULB obtained its HSI eligibility status in fall 2005 when 8,663 Latino and Latina students enrolled at the campus, representing 25.1 percent of undergraduate and graduate students. For the 2009-10 academic year, that number stands at 28.4 percent.

For more information on this summer’s NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program at CSULB, contact Peggy Card-Govela, program coordinator, at 562/985-8805, e-mail ncchclfp@csulb.edu, or visit www.ced.csulb.edu/asec/academic/lfp/index.cfm.


-- Rick Gloady

Monday, March 22, 2010

Long Beach State Men’s Basketball Player Garners All-District Recognition from National Association of Basketball Coaches

Long Beach State (LBSU) sophomore T.J. Robinson has been named second-team All-District 9 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), which announced its Division I All-District teams for 2010, recognizing the nation's best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes.

Robinson is one of just 240 student athletes from 24 districts to be honored as an All-District selection.

Robinson earned second-team recognition after leading the 49ers in scoring (15.4 points per game) and rebounding (10.1 rebounds per game). In fact, the 6-foot-8 forward finished the regular season as just one of a handful of Division I players to average a double-double while leading the Big West Conference (BWC) with 17 double-doubles. During the season, he scored more than 20 points seven times and finished with 30 double-digit scoring games and 17 double-digit rebounding games. He also led the BWC in rebounding and field goal percentage (.520) while finishing eighth in scoring.

Robinson ranks in the top 20 in the country in both rebounds per game and double-doubles. His 332 rebounds were the third most ever by a LBSU player and the most since the 1960-61 season. His 216 free-throw attempts this season are the most in school history.

All 240 student-athletes from the All-District teams are eligible for the State Farm Division I All-America teams, which will be announced on Saturday, April 3, during the NABC Convention and NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis.

In addition to his All-District honor, Robinson also earned first-team All-BWC honors this season and was a member of the BWC All-Tournament Team after helping lead the 49ers to the finals of the conference tournament.


-- Todd Miles

Cal State Long Beach Graduate Student in Nutritional Sciences Receives 2010 Rathmann Hartford Dietetic Internship Scholarship

Amanda R. Brown, a graduate student in nutritional sciences at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), has been awarded the 2010 Patricia Rathmann Hartford Dietetic Internship Scholarship.

Established in 2007, the dietetic internship scholarship was created with a $10,000 endowment from Rathmann Hartford, who was one of the first alumnae from the campus’ undergraduate nutrition program back in the mid-1960s. This year’s award was worth $400.

“Amanda stands out because she has pursued her education and early professional career quite financially independent of her family,” said Gail Frank, professor of nutrition and director of the nationally accredited Dietetic Internship Program at CSULB. “This is always challenging to our CSULB students and Amanda has continued so she can pursue her ultimate professional goals.”

A full-time student in the dietetic internship program, Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a biology minor at Loyola University, Maryland, where she graduated cum laude in 2004. She said the scholarship will help her with the educational costs and related expenses of the dietetic internship.

“The dietetic internship program is a non-paid, two-semester, full-time commitment. Time is very limited to work outside of the internship to generate income. When I found out that I was selected, I was very excited and felt extremely grateful,” Brown recalled. “Most of my rotations are 30-40 miles away from my home, so you can only imagine how much I spend on gas. The scholarship funds will also go toward the cost of registration to the American Dietetic Association and the cost of the registered dietitian exam.”

The 27-year-old graduate student said she has been interested in nutrition since she was a child and has found that learning about how the human body utilizes nutrients from food to influence overall health and well-being is highly intriguing. With her background and interest in nutrition, she decided to become a registered dietitian and wants to dedicate herself to preventing and treating disease by promoting healthy eating habits and recommending dietary modification in society.

Brown is also an athlete. She played field hockey and lacrosse and ran track in high school, and she continued her field hockey career Loyola University. In fact, she is still playing field hockey with the Los Angeles Field Hockey Association and the Huntington Beach Field Hockey Club. She has traveled to several states and national field hockey tournaments the past few years.

“Practicing a healthy lifestyle has always been important to me. So, having an educational background in the field of nutrition will allow me to promote health and wellness,” Brown pointed out. “Being an athlete has made me want to commit my career to helping other athletes with their nutritional health. I am also interested in participating in corporate wellness program. Many adults spend most of their time at work, making it a great place to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors.”

Brown has her own business as a personal trainer and nutrition consultant, working with her clients at their homes, private gyms and down at the beach about five to 10 hours a week. She also worked as a nutrition assistant at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach for two years, taking patient food orders, serving food to patients and assisting clinical dietitians with appropriate patient nutrition care.

With March being National Nutrition Month, Frank thought announcing the award at this time was especially appropriate, and she believes that this spring’s student recipient reflects well on the CSULB nutrition program.

“As a fitness and sports professional already, Amanda blends this skill with her knowledge in nutrition to benefit clients,” Frank noted. “Amanda is highly organized and encourages her peers to assist in many community activities. This past fall she coordinated a dietetic internship booth for Senator (Alan) Lowenthal's Empowerment conference for local high school girls at CSULB. Additionally, she was elected president of the dietetic internship class for fall 2009."

-- Rick Gloady

Cal State Long Beach Kinesiology Department Celebrates 40 Years of Helping Children with Disabilities on Campus

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) marked 40 years of assisting children with disabilities with a special celebration that recognized a pair of on-campus programs and those who have participated in them.

“I began thinking that 40 years was a pretty big milestone and we were the first program of this kind west of the Mississippi in 1969-70,” said Barry Lavay, a professor in CSULB’s Department of Kinesiology (KIN) where his primary responsibility is to train students to teach physical education to individuals with disabilities. “I thought it would be a good idea to have this celebration.”

The 40th anniversary is as much a celebration of those who have participated in the program as the program itself, according to Lavay, who credits former CSULB faculty members Andy Sinclair and Dan Arnheim for having the vision to start the program.

“When I look at this program, it accomplishes three things,” he said. “It provides training for university students who are studying to be adapted physical education teachers, it provides physical activity for children with disabilities, and it’s a great university public relations tool because of what we are giving back to the community.”

Lavay also coordinates the State Adapted Physical Education Teaching Credential Program where more than 250 students have received a California APE Specialist Credential since 1988. He notes that anybody who has been credentialed in Adapted Physical Education from CSULB since 1970 has worked in the programs and received valuable hands-on experience in learning to work with children with disabilities.

The after-school program is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3:45-4:45 p.m. throughout the academic year. It offers two 10-week, 20-session programs to children ages 6-12 with disabilities and gross motor delays. Provided is both small group (2:1 or 1:1 child/staff ratio) and group instruction by university students studying in the Department of Kinesiology and working toward an adapted physical education specialist credential. Individualized and group instruction emphasizes gross motor fundamental skills, cooperative lead-up games, sports, relaxation activities and social interaction.

Camp Nugget, a four-week, three-hour-a-day program which normally begins the last week of June and runs into July, is offered to children ages 5-12 with disabilities and special needs. Small group instruction with a 4:1 child/staff ratio is again provided by adapted physical education specialist credential students. Camp activities include aquatics with swim instruction, instruction in fundamental skills and lead-up cooperative games, outdoor adventure course and adapted sports.

“The after-school program has been run under different names over the years and is really just an extension of the summer camp we run,” said Lavay. “I’ve run the camp and the after-school program since 1988, so there are many similarities because we are providing quality physical activity instructions for children with disabilities. In the summer, if a child needs intense one-on-one instruction, we’re not set up for that, but we work on a very small ratio of 4.5 children to every counselor. In the after school program, it’s usually one-on-one or one-on-two. But we also do group activities because they need to learn to socially interact and cooperate with other children.”

Lavay said he enjoys the work. It is rewarding to see his students grow in their teaching, and he also enjoys giving back to the community.

“It’s also really good training. Students need practical experience, they need hands-on experience, they need the opportunity to combine theory with practice and theory comes alive when they work with a child who has a disability,” he pointed out. “Kids with disabilities are real receptive to receiving instruction. I mean it’s challenging sometimes and there’s some real unique behaviors that some of the children exhibit, but it’s rewarding.”

Lavay estimated that since the programs’ beginning in 1970, more than 2,500 disabled youth with disabilities have participated.

“Opportunities for children with disabilities have increased tremendously since 1970, but still it’s challenging when you are a parent and you’re trying to find services for your child with special needs,” said Lavay. “With us they know they are going to get a quality program. There are public school and recreational programs for these kids, but the reality is that there are not a lot of programs like ours in Southern California where universities are involved.”


-- Shayne Schroeder

Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation Presents $174,800 to Cal State Long Beach for Student Scholarships

The Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation has given $174,800 to California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) that will be used for scholarships to more than 130 students.

The check presentation was made by Greg Hill, president of the Long Beach Rotary, and Frank Newell, chairman of the Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation, during a special halftime ceremony at a recent 49er men’s basketball game.

Long Beach Rotary is supporting four President’s Scholars scholarships, and another 129 CSULB students each received a $1,200 annual scholarship during the 2009-10 school year. Rotary members held a pre-game reception at The Pointe in The Walter Pyramid to honor this year’s scholarship recipients.

“At Cal State Long Beach during the past 45 years, the Rotary Scholarship Foundation has funded more than 2,500 annual student scholarships totaling more than $2.5 million dollars,” Newell pointed out. “We also provide $80,000 in annual scholarships to more than 100 students attending Long Beach City College.”

Founded in 1917, Rotary is the largest and oldest service organization in Long Beach. The organization also sponsors a service club for students at the university called the Rotaract Club. Members of Rotaract also were guests at the pre-game reception.

“Long Beach Rotary has been an incredible partner for Cal State Long Beach, and Rotary has helped thousands of students achieve success in college,” said Andrea Taylor, CSULB’s vice president for university relations and development. “We are very grateful for Rotary's long standing and enthusiastic commitment to our students and to the community.”

Long Beach Rotary Scholarships are available to students from Long Beach area high schools who attend Long Beach City College and CSULB. Applications for Fall 2010 scholarships are available at www.rotarylongbeach.org and are due by April 12.

-- Colleen Bragalone

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Cal State Long Beach to Host 11th ‘Math Day at The Beach’ Competition for Southern California High Schools this Saturday

University High School of Irvine will defend its title against 34 other Southern California high schools during the 11th annual Math Day at The Beach competition at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) on Saturday, March 20.

The event takes place from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the campus' University Student Union Ballroom.

Presented by CSULB’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the event pits teams in a math problem-solving festival. Schools will field groups of six students who compete in team as well as individual events for prizes and trophies. CSULB Math Professor James Stein will be guest speaker.

More than 215 students from 35 schools as well as 11 independent individuals will be participating. Schools are divided into Divisions A and B, vying for the top prize in each division. The centerpiece of the event is a 70-minute exam including both multiple choice and free response questions in high school-level mathematics, designed by CSULB Mathematics Department faculty.

The contest emphasizes intuitive thinking rather than computational skill, without the use of calculators. Questions are selected from algebra, geometry, trigonometry, number theory, combinatorics, and probability and statistics.

In addition to the individual exam, there is a team round in which all members work on a set of problems in a given amount of time, and a final face-off round in which top-scoring individuals represent their team in an oral format.

As many as 17 of the approximately 500 students in the U.S. who qualified for the 2009 USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) are expected to participate, including one of the 12 national USAMO 2009 winners, ninth-grader David Yang of Diamond Bar High.

Sponsors include the Beckman Coulter Foundation, LBS Financial Credit Union and other individual donors, along with CSULB’s Mathematics and Statistics Student Association, 49er Shops Inc., and Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

For additional information, contact CSULB Math Professor Kent Merryfield at 562/985-5787, kmerry@csulb.edu, or visit www.csulb.edu/depts/math/mathday/index.htm

Cal State Long Beach's ‘Women Engineers @ the Beach’ Celebrates 10 Years of Attracting Young Girls to Engineering

Celebrating 10 successful years in encouraging young girls to consider future careers in engineering and science, Cal State Long Beach’s (CSULB) College of Engineering (COE) will host the “Women Engineers@the Beach” conference on Friday, March 19 from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the campus’ Vivian Engineering Center (VEC).

More than 380 girls from 19 middle and high schools in California will attend the biannual conference to learn about the variety of disciplines involved in engineering and related sciences.

Lily Gossage, director of engineering recruitment and retention for the COE, has organized “Women Engineers@the Beach” since 2001. She believes that aside from introducing young girls to engineering, the event also focuses on encouraging school counselors and teachers to promote engineering at their school sites.

“Ten years is an important milestone for the College of Engineering, the conference and all its partners. We have come so far in the past decade, but there still is a lot to do because the socio-cultural issues that set male and female expectations of career roles still exist,” said Gossage. “These gender roles go against the research that tells us that girls are just as capable as boys at succeeding in math- and science-based careers. This is one reason the opportunities for young girls to explore the mathematical-logical part of cognitive thought are limited.”

The COE’s long-term goal with the conference it to help increase the number of women engineers in both academia and the industry. Currently, women comprise less than 10 percent of the engineering workforce and represent less than 15 percent of the engineering student population.

Gossage also believes it is important to promote the social acceptance of engineering in young girls during the formative years when there is plenty of time for academic preparation. “It is important for parents, teachers and counselors to enforce the belief that engineering is also a woman’s world,” she said.

From 10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. at the conference, students will be involved in hands-on activities during 20 45-minute workshops designed to teach them about such areas as measuring concrete strength, robotics designing, structural engineering, hydraulics and the engineering involved in medicine.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary, a cake-cutting ceremony will take place during lunch at 12:30 p.m.

A number of other innovative and fun activities such as building bridges, designing 3D worlds, Web site design and the “human factors” related to product safety will enrich the students’ critical reasoning skills.

CSULB student projects will also be on display, such as a race car, a concrete canoe and a steel bridge.

Other displays will include an off-road vehicle built by CSULB’s chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers for the Mini Baja Project as well as an entry for the Intercollegiate MicroMouse Competition, which challenges students to build an autonomous robot designed to solve and run a maze in the shortest time.

The students who will attend the conference this year were chosen for performing at grade-level or higher in mathematics. The vast majority (93 percent) will come from the schools’ Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs.

The high school girls are enrolled in advanced placement calculus and/or physics at their schools, while the majority of the elementary and middle school girls have scored in the upper 10 percent in the California Standards Test for math and science.

The keynote speaker will be Jennifer Harris, an industrial engineering transportation manager at United Parcel Service and the Sonora regional governor for the Society of Women Engineers.

Sponsors include the Fluor Corporation and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The co-sponsor is the Society of Women Engineers.

Last year, the National Society of Women Engineers awarded Women Engineers@the Beach the prestigious Kimberly-Clark Outreach Event Award.

Like Gossage, Pannada Marayong, a faculty adviser from the Society of Women Engineers, also believes that programs like “Women Engineers @ The Beach” are essential in attracting young women to engineering who may otherwise feel the industry is not suited for them. She also recognizes the importance of such programs in enabling girls to develop supportive relationships with working women engineers.

“It is immensely important for universities to provide outreach opportunities to attract more women into science and engineering,” said Marayong. “This should start as early as the middle school and continue all the way through high school. This is when kids start to explore their interests and their career paths. Unfortunately, many girls are discouraged about engineering because they perceive it as being ‘too technical’ and ‘unexciting.’”

-- Paul Browning

5 Student-Athletes from Long Beach State Men’s, Women’s Basketball Teams Earn All-Big West Conference Recognition

Five players from the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Long Beach State (LBSU) have been named to the Big West (BWC) All-Conference teams for their performances during the 2009-10 season in a vote of the conference’s coaches.

On the men’s side, sophomore forward T.J. Robinson led the way with his selection to the first-team squad while teammate Casper Ware, a sophomore guard, was named second-team All-Big West.

Robinson garnered first-team recognition after leading the 49ers in scoring (15.7 points per game) and rebounding (10.3 rebounds per game). He finished the regular season as just one of a handful of Division I players to average a double-double while leading the BWC with 17 double-doubles. The 49er forward scored more than 20 points seven times during the season and finished the regular season with 28 double-digit scoring games and 17 double-digit rebounding games.

Robinson led the BWC in rebounding while finishing seventh in scoring and second in field goal percentage. He ranks in the top 20 in the country in both rebounds per game and double-doubles. His 308 rebounds are the most by a 49er in the last 30 years and the sixth most all-time, and his 197 free-throw attempts rank seventh in school history. He was an honorable mention all-conference last year as a freshman and was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team.

Ware earned second-team accolades after averaging 11.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He finished the regular season with three 20-point games, 18 double-digit scoring games and one double-double. Ware led the conference in assists while finishing second in steals, seventh in free-throw percentage (.764) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.60). His 147 assists are tied for the eighth most in a season at LBSU, and his 57 steals rank ninth on the single-season list. As a freshman he was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team.

From the women’s team, senior Karina Figueroa was a first-team All-BWC selection, and her teammates Lauren Sims and Ally Wade were honorable mentions.

Figueroa, a 5-foot-8 guard, has had a stellar senior season, averaging a career-high 17.8 points, 5.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Her 162 assists on the season rank her first in the conference and 10th in the 49er single-season record books. She has reached double figures in scoring in 27 of 29 games and has hit the 20-point mark 12 times. She also has a team-best four double-doubles.

Figueroa, a four-time all-conference selection, surpassed the 1,000-point barrier after scoring 23 in the season-opener against Prairie View A&M. She now ranks seventh in school history with 1,499 points. She also is among LBSU's career leaders in scoring average (14.7 ppg), 3-pointers made (114), 3-pointers attempted (330), 3-point field goal percentage (34.5 percent), free throws made (359), free throws attempted (455) and free-throw percentage (78.9 percent). This is Figueroa's first time being named to the All-Big West first team.

Sims earned honorable-mention recognition for the second year in a row after averaging a career-best 11.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game during the regular season. She set a school single-season record and ranks first in the BWC with 67 3-point field goals made. She also tied a 49er single-game record with seven threes en route to a career-high 25 points at Miami (Fla.). In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Sims has racked up the academic accolades as well. She was recently selected as a second-team Academic All-American and is a three-time Academic All-District pick.

Wade, a 5-foot-11 forward, garnered her first all-conference award after averaging a career-high 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season. Her 178 rebounds on the year is tops on the team and ranks her sixth in the conference. She has hit double figures in scoring in 17 games. She also pulled down a personal-best 14 rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield on Jan. 23.

-- Todd Miles

Monday, March 15, 2010

Cal State Long Beach Receives National Recognition for Its Commitment to Volunteering, Service-Learning

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) has been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual honor roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice. On campuses across the country, thousands of students joined their faculty to develop innovative programs and projects to meet local needs using the skills gained in their classrooms.

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

“Service learning rests on the notion that the university is not the only place of enlightenment for students,” noted Juan M. Benitez, director of CSULB’s Center for Community Engagement. “It is important for CSULB to keep emphasizing its commitment to community engagement efforts in new and innovative ways in our effort to continue offering students ‘highly valued degrees.’ Additionally, service learning is a critical strategy for student engagement, and we know that the more students are engaged, the more successful they will be in their university experience and beyond.”

At CSULB, there were 2,572 students who engaged in community service during the 2008-09 academic year, according to a report compiled by the university’s Center for Community Engagement. In all, these students volunteered 81,398 hours to various academic service- learning and community assistance efforts, including 2,287 students who engaged in at least 20 hours of community service per semester.

Among the programs these students volunteer for were:

The Long Beach BLAST Mentoring Initiative, where students provide direct one-on-one and small group academic mentoring to youth from disadvantaged circumstances through the K-8 and High School Academic Mentoring Programs of the Long Beach BLAST (Better learning After School Today). Student volunteers help their mentees develop life skills related to academic success and improved socialization while helping them discover future college goals (324 student volunteers, 9,500 service hours);

The Villages at Cabrillo Oasis Community Center, where students, faculty and staff work primarily with families, providing mentoring and tutoring (in- and out-of-school) to homeless children, run two summer day camps (a Young Artists Camp and a Young Scientists Camp) and support combined programming for parents such as a four-week, Monday-Thursday Life Skills class that addresses personal finances, personal growth, job hunting and parenting. (35 student volunteers, 875 service hours).

The CSULB Community Scholars Program is a leadership development and organization capacity building effort for community-based organizations. Primarily for leaders and emerging leaders of Latino voluntary associations in Southern California, the program is designed to help sustain these organizations’ efforts to improve social and economic conditions in the United States and their countries of origin. Participants fulfill a 30-hour requirement for each of three components – “Leadership and Small Group Dynamics,” “Community Projects,” and Policy and Systems Change” – in order to receive a certificate of completion from the university’s College of Continuing and Professional Education. (56 student volunteers, 2,200 service hours).
“The Community Scholars Program has become one of our most successful community engagement initiatives, reflecting a best practices approach to service learning and community-based participatory research,” Benitez pointed out. “We have worked with more than 300 emerging community leaders representing more than 50 community organizations. At the same time, more than 50 CSULB Chicano and Latino studies students have been trained and served as co-facilitators in the program. The impact of our work has benefitted implementation of community projects here in the United States and binationally with the populations that we have served.”

College students make a significant contribution to the volunteer sector; in 2009, 3.16 million students performed more than 300 million hours of service, according to the Volunteering in America study released by the corporation. Each year, the corporation invests more than $150 million in fostering a culture of service on college campuses through grants awarded by its programs; the education awards that AmeriCorps members receive at the conclusion of their term of service to pay for college; and through support of training, research, recognition, and other initiatives to spur college service.

“Congratulations to Cal State Long Beach and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Our nation’s students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service.”

The corporation oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U. S. Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

-- Rick Gloady

Monday, March 8, 2010

Cal State Long Beach Dean Honored as ‘Distinguished Dean of Engineering’ By Los Angeles Council of Engineers and Scientists

Forouzan Golshani, dean of the College of Engineering (COE) at Cal State Long Beach (CSULB), was recently honored with the prestigious “Distinguished Dean of Engineering” award from the Los Angeles Council of Engineers and Scientists (LACES) during National Engineers Week (E-Week) 2010.

National Engineers Week and the National Engineers Week Foundation work to nurture the future work force of innovative engineers through education outreach initiatives to expand the pool of skilled, creative engineering talent.

Golshani received the award Feb. 18 during LACES’ E-Week business mixer at the LAX Flight Path Museum. The event’s theme was “Engineering, Making a World of Difference,” and its focus this year was “Introducing a Girl to Engineering,” which reflects the work done through CSULB’s renowned Women Engineers @ the Beach conferences and programs.

“This was an unexpected award and its news came as a complete surprise,” said Golshani, who has overseen the COE’s 12 engineering programs, five departments and more than 3,500 students since 2007. “With over a dozen other engineering deans in close vicinity, many with a vast portfolio of accomplishments, I was pleased that our efforts in expanding the engineering pipeline received this recognition.”

Hallmarks of Golshani’s tenure at CSULB have been to expand the academic advising and first-year student experience, which had resulted in a 40 percent increase in graduating classes, from 500 in 2007 to more than 700 in 2009. He has been credited with the overhaul of technology infrastructure for research and teaching within the COE and for enhancing support for faculty and student research, scholarship and creative activity.

Golshani and his staff at the College of Engineering also spearheaded Women Engineers @ the Beach, a biannual conference at CSULB designed to attract young girls to engineering. Last year, the conference (now in its 10th year) was awarded the prestigious “Kimberly-Clark Outreach Event Award” by the National Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

At the conference, students are involved in hands-on activities in a variety of workshops designed to teach them about engineering technology and related disciplines, such as human behavior-based product design, mechanical/robotics design, structural engineering and several others.

“For this nation to continue its innovative edge, it is incumbent upon education leaders at all levels to emphasize to America’s youth, particularly young women and persons in underrepresented groups, that studying science and engineering can prepare them as leaders,” said Golshani.

Before CSULB, Golshani served as the NCR Distinguished Professor and the chairman of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at Wright University in Ohio. He held the positions of center director and professor at Arizona State University, as well as research fellow at Imperial College in London.

Golshani has registered 10 inventions and is the author and co-author of more than 200 articles. He has served on the editorial board of IEEE Multimedia journal since 1994 and was its editor in chief for two terms. He has founded several successful company start ups, including the Corporate Enhancement Group, Roz Software Systems, Inc. and RFID Integrated Solutions, Inc.

His senior management and technical consulting experience includes working for such companies as Motorola, Intel, Honeywell, McDonnell Douglas Helicopter, Bull Worldwide Systems and Sperry. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Golshani received a bachelor’s of science degree from Arya Mehr University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, and a Ph.D from the University of Warwick in England.

-- Paul Browning

New Training Program for Marine Terminal Operations Being Offered at California State University, Long Beach

A new training program designed for front-line managers and others interested in marine terminal operations is being offered through the Center for International Trade and Transportation (CITT) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) beginning Wednesday, March 10.

The Marine Terminal Operations Professional (MTOP) program will focus on preparing its students with a wide range of essential skills. The MTOP program is being run through CSULB’s College of Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE).

“Marine terminals operate at every port in the world. Few experienced people apply for the jobs,” said Carolyn Martin, assistant vice president for Customer Service and Public Relations at International Transportation Services (ITS) in the Port of Long Beach. Martin also serves on the MTOP Advisory Board and is an instructor. “A program such as the MTOP will address a huge need for professional training in a highly competitive work environment.”

The MTOP program will be taught partly by industry experts in the field and by professionals who specialize in interpersonal skills. The course is targeted at working adults with interest in the industry either as an entry-level manager or as a consultant or contractor with business at the ports.

The program is structured in independent modules allowing customized training in all aspects of terminal operations. Module topics include general knowledge of the industry, specific skills in container terminals, break bulk, roll-on/roll-off and cruise terminals. There will be site visits at container and cruise terminals and on an ocean carrier.

Currently, new front-line managers learn on the job, according to Angeli Logan, CITT’s director of Trade and Transportation Programs at CCPE.

“Our MTOP students have to learn and be familiar with a variety of skills, from managing the gate and yard, to vessel operations, maintenance and repair, and customer service,” said Logan. “They must also know and understand labor contracts, labor relations and conflict resolutions, just to name a few items taught.”

While on-the-job training is vital, it has its limitations and can be very expensive for an organization.

“We believe that CITT can assist in creating a pool of skilled individuals for marine terminal operators (MTOs) to recruit from, but also we have expertise in preparing employees with essential ‘soft skills’ that will make a difference at the docks and the bottom line,” added Logan. “The objective is to reduce turnover by preparing front-line managers with multiple skills who are invaluable for a productive and effective work environment.”

The curriculum will also address the role of government agencies that impact the jobs on the dock, including Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and the Coast Guard. Learning will extend beyond the classroom and students will go on field trips to various types of terminals.

CITT believes that the key to a successful program is to work in partnership with the industry. To this end, an MTOP Advisory Board has been established which includes industry leaders and port officials.

To learn more about this new program visit www.ccpe.csulb.edu/citt/mtop or contact Logan by phone at 562/985-2872 or e-mail at alogan@ccpe.csulb.edu.

-- Shayne Schroeder

Pow Wow at California State University, Long Beach to Celebrate 40th Anniversary With March 13-14 Event

California State University, Long Beach’s (CSULB) annual Pow Wow, an American Indian social celebration, returns to the campus’ Central Quad on Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14. Admission is free, and parking is $4.

The 40th annual event, which will feature American Indian dancing, arts, crafts and food, begins at 11 a.m. each day and runs until 10 p.m. on Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

“We are celebrating 41 years of American Indian studies, the oldest American Indian studies program west of the Mississippi, and the 40th annual Pow Wow,” said Craig Stone, professor of art and American Indian studies at CSULB and faculty advisor to the campus’ American Indian Student Council and Pow Wow. “We are looking forward to the next 40 years and beyond.”

In addition to contests and inter-tribal dancing, there will be gourd dancing with dancer registration closing at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 13. All dancers and drums are invited.

Members of the head staff and their affiliations are:

• Master of Ceremony: John Dawson (San Carlos Apache)
• Arena Director: Victor Chavez (Diné)
• Head Man Dancer: Les Peters (Yakama)
• Head Lady Dancer: Laurie Whitecloud (Otoe-Missouria/Diegueño)
• Head Southern Singer: TBA
• Host Northern Drum: Horse Thief (Southern California)
• Host Gourd: Golden State Gourd Society
• Spoonkeeper: Michael Cruz (Chumash)

Native foods such as mutton and beef stew, Navajo tacos, fry bread and Indian burgers will be on sale at the event, and American Indian vendors will be selling both traditional and contemporary American Indian art.

The largest spring event of its kind in Southern California, the Pow Wow at CSULB is focused on displaying the university’s strong American Indian presence.

The event is presented by CSULB’s American Indian Studies Program, American Indian Student Council, American Indian Student Services, Student Life and Development, the Division of Student Services, and Associated Students Inc.

For additional information about the 40th Annual Pow Wow celebration at Cal State Long Beach, call 562/985-8528, e-mail powwow@csulb.edu or visit the Web site at www.csulb.edu/powwow. A campus map and directions can be found at www.csulb.edu/maps.


-- Shayne Schroeder

Monday, March 1, 2010

University Art Museum at Cal State Long Beach Receives $57,000 Grant from The Getty Foundation

The University Art Museum (UAM) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) has been awarded a $57,000 grant from The Getty Foundation in Los Angeles to participate in the foundation's 2011 initiative “Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980.”

In all, the Getty Foundation awarded $3.1 million in grants to 26 arts institutions across Southern California as part of the unprecedented initiative. In the fall of 2011, concurrent exhibitions are expected to attract national and international attention and visitors.

The UAM will mount an exhibit titled “Peace Press Graphics 1967-1987: Art in the Pursuit of Social Change,” a survey of the press’ work and their connections to artist collectives of the time.

Founded in 1967 by a unique group of L.A. activist-artists who created an “alternate everything” printing and publishing business, the Peace Press (1967-1987) emerged from the tangle of progressive political and alternative groups that flourished during the decades between 1960 and 1990. The poster archive exemplifies an important element of visual and cultural history: art that reflects the desire and intention to create social and political change, as well as artists who attempt to affect change through both their work and their actions.

The exhibition, co-curated by Ilee Kaplan and Carol Wells, will feature 50 to 75 posters from the press’ archive alongside works on paper whose subject matter addresses issues such as feminist causes, workers’ rights, civil liberties, anti-nuclear protests, environmental concerns and anti-war demonstrations by artists who worked with the press.

In addition, a historical timeline, poetry and spoken word performances, film clips interspersed in the galleries, and a separate film screening series will accompany the artworks — to offer audiences a unique opportunity to understand the art of political protest within its larger cultural milieu.

“Peace Press Graphics 1967–1987: Art in the Pursuit of Social Change” will open Sept. 6, 2011.

-- Sarah G. Vinci

Long Beach State Women's Basketball Player Earns 2nd-Team Academic All-America Honors

Long Beach State (LBSU) senior guard Lauren Sims has been named to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s Basketball Second Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

To be eligible for CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic honors, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum 3.30 GPA, be a significant contributor to the team and must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing.

Sims is the 49ers’ second-leading scorer, averaging 11.7 points per game. She is also tops on the team in 3-pointers made (60) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.5 percent). Sims has posted 16 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 25 points at Miami where she tied a school single-season record with seven threes.

Sims has etched her name in the LBSU record books, ranking second among the 49ers’ career leaders in 3-point field goals made (158) and 3-point field goals attempted (423). She is also fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4 percent).

In addition to her success on the court, Sims has excelled in the classroom, maintaining a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average as a biology-physiology major with a minor in chemistry. She was LBSU’s 2009-10 Rhodes Scholar candidate and was also a nominee for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Recently, she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society and Phi Kappa Phi Society at LBSU.

Earlier this year, Sims earned first-team CoSIDA Academic All District VIII honors after garnering second-team recognition in each of the last two years. She is also a two-time Academic All-Big West selection.

Sims joins Shannon Smith (1988) and Dana Wilkerson (1990) as the 49ers’ only CoSIDA Women’s Basketball Academic All-Americans. Both Smith and Wilkerson earned third-team honors.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 15,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

-- Todd Miles

45th Annual Comparative Literature, Classics Conference Set for March 4-6 at California State University, Long Beach

“Visual Culture and Global Practices” is the theme for the 45th annual Comparative World Literature and Classics conference that will take place March 4-6 at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).

This year’s plenary speaker is the University of Chicago’s W.J.T. Mitchell, who will address the conference on “World Pictures: Globalization and Visual Culture” on Friday, March 5, at 11 a.m. Admission is free.

“W.J.T. Mitchell is a renowned scholar on visual culture and the author of such landmark books as ‘What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives and Loves of Images’ in 2006 and ‘Picture Theory: Essays on Verbal and Visual Representation in 1995,’” said Nhora Serrano, CSULB ssistant professor of comparative literature and organizer of the conference. “It is important for any conference to have a plenary speaker who is a scholar and works in the field. I think his participation is a big reason why the conference has drawn such a strong response from potential speakers who are coming from everywhere from Canada to Brazil.”

Visual culture means more than a literary perspective, Serrano believes. “Presentations will deal with everything from movies (New York University’s Hilary Ashton on ‘The Other Vocabulary of Zombies and Psychos: Genette’s Paratext in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’ `Grindhouse') to postcards (Southwestern University’s Kimberly Smith speaks on ‘Constructing Thebes: Text and Image in Franz Marc’s Postcards for Else Lasker-Schuler’). Visual culture covers all that.”

The contemporary situation in humanities and social sciences is often characterized by the so-called “visual turn,” or the increasing emphasis of theory on the power and scope of the visual in everyday life, science, literature, media and the arts, Serrano explained. Visual culture as well as the formation of the field of visual studies stems from this renewed focus upon pictorality, the power of the image and its expression through various linguistic, visual and media forms.

“Visual Culture and Global Practices” seeks to examine literature (across time periods and languages), images, visual objects and mechanisms, and events from diverse cultures, across national boundaries, and within global contexts, Serrano said.

CSULB participants include student Scott Kulek, who will appear as part of the March 4 panel on “19th Century Images and Interrogations” and present on “Negotiating Images in Henry James and Oscar Wilde.” Also on the first day will be Pravina Cooper of the Comparative Literature Department in a panel on “Consumer Culture,” speaking on the topic “TV’s `Mad Men’ and Why We Love Them.”

On the conference’s second day, Friday, March 5, the opening panel on “Pedagogy and Visual Culture” will include presentations by Boak Ferris of the CSULB English Department on “50 Images of Prometheus Crucified” and Linda Alkana of the History Department on “Visual Culture and Safety: From Comic Books to Visual Consent Forms.”

Also due on March 5 is a panel on “Italian Visualities” including a presentation by Enrico Vettore, an assistant professor of Italian, on “The Search for the Essential Image: The Paradoxical Case of Roberto Rossellini.” A panel on “Popular Sightings” will feature Linguistics Professor Alexandra Jaffe on “Image and Text, Material and Virtual: Textual Trajectories, Stance, Genre and Medium in the Post-Secret ‘Virtual Community.’” A third panel on “German Aesthetics” will feature CSULB student Megan Hoetger on “Re-Presentations: The Filmic Image in the Postwar Vienna.”

On the conference’s third day, March 6, a panel on “Empire and Ethnography: Cultural Representations” will feature Emily Berquist, an assistant professor of history, on the topic “The Science of Empire: Envisioning a Bishop’s Utopia in Colonial Peru.”

Serrano applauds the Comparative World Literature and Classics Department for its continued commitment to the conference despite current economic woes.

“The 45th year of a conference says a lot about how supportive and encouraging a place this department can be. It speaks to how the department bands together. It speaks to the department’s dedication to a long-standing tradition and to each other,” she said. “Even in times of crisis, conferences like these prove the university is still thinking and educating. We haven’t lost our passion for our fields.”

Serrano encourages the university to take a look at the conference. “Potential audiences ought to check out the conference's Web page to see what interests them,” she said. “The big draw this year is WJT Mitchell, who is charming, intelligent and approachable. He is truly a unique scholar.”

For more information on this year’s conference, check the Web site at http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/departments/complit-classics/conference/


-- Rick Manly