Grand Opening Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting for New Library Addition

CSU Dominguez Hills opened a new addition to the Leo F. Cain Library during a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception on April 29. The day also officially marked the university’s 50th anniversary: On April 29, 1960, Gov. Edmund “Pat” Brown signed the law creating a campus for the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.

At 140,000 square feet, the new addition provides much-needed room for the library’s collection which exceeds half a million volumes. The five-story building adds 1,600 reader stations, nearly 250 computer workstations, two dedicated computer labs, large and small reading and study rooms, a state-of-the-art archival storage and research area, conference rooms, events center, and an art gallery that will showcase works that reflect the multicultural population of the South Bay.

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Presidential Scholarship Reception Celebrates Academic Excellence

The annual President’s Scholarship Reception was held on April 29 in the new Library South Wing. The event celebrated the achievements and community support of the 2009-2010 Presidential Scholars cohort of 24 students. President Mildred García welcomed guests to the university, noting that it was the university’s official Founders Day, and shared highlights such as the university’s record enrollment of more than 15,000 students, and that more than $140,000 had been raised in scholarships.

Other honorees included the recipient of the Katherine B. Loker Friend of Education Award, Maureen McCarthey, a longtime supporter of scholarships for teacher education, and The Carson Companies and the Watson Land Company, recipients of the Corporate Partner of Education Award.

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On April 14, four successful alumni returned to California State University, Dominguez Hills for a panel titled “Searching for Career Success: An Alumni Story.” The event was part of the 50th Anniversary Speaker Series. Panelists included Toni Bock (Class of ’89, B.S., business administration), director of community relations for Virco and chair of Torrance Chamber of Commerce executive board; Dr. Cheryl Browne, M.D. (Class of ’82, B.S., medical technology) physician-in-charge at Kaiser Permanente, South Bay; Don Manning (Class of ’08, B.S., business administration), assistant store director at Saks Off Fifth; and Todd Rogers (Class of ’84, B.A., history; M.A., sociology), mayor of Lakewood and commander with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Manning, who serves on the Alumni Advisory Council, came up with the idea for a group of successful alumni to speak to students at CSU Dominguez Hills.

“When I was a student here, I really didn’t know who my alumni were,” he recalled. “We have some heavy hitters [from] this campus and we need to make sure that they’re known.”

The panel, which was moderated by Carol Bosman-Anderson, interim director in the Office of Student Development on campus, covered topics ranging from personal appearance to moving up the professional ladder after achieving the desired job.

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Japanese Garden Rededicated: Honoring Original Gardeners, Local Community

CSU Dominguez Hills celebrated the recent restoration of its Shinwa-En Japanese Garden with a rededication ceremony on Saturday, May 1. The event featured a traditional blessing by Rev. Naomi Seijo Nakano of the Gardena Buddhist Church; a tea ceremony demonstrated by members of the Ogasawara Ryu Senchado School; traditional dance performances by the Majikina Honryu Dance Company, koto music by Katsuko Teruya and members of the Okinawan Association of America; and taiko drum finales by the Taiko Center of Los Angeles and Matsuri Daiko. Award-winning author Naomi Hirahara was keynote speaker; she noted the significance of having the original gardeners’ sons and grandsons commit to the restoration of the garden and shared excerpts from her book “Greenmakers: Japanese American Gardeners in Southern California.”

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Scott Gordon (BS 80) has been appointed to judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He has served as a court commissioner for the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2002 and as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School since 1990.

Toni Bock (BS 89) was honored on May 21 by the Switzer Learning Center as one of its 2010 Women of the Year. She has served on the Switzer Center's Annual Thanksgiving Feast planning team, is Past Chairwoman of the Board of the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce, and was a primary developer of the Adopt A School program in the Torrance Unified School District.

Julia Parton (BA 98) has joined the Art Center's staff as director of public relations and marketing. She served as publisher of the Palos Verdes Peninsula News and previously was business development director of Online and More San Pedro. Most recently, she was elected president of the Palos Verdes Coordinating Council.

Melissa Renzi (MA 07) and Robert Gustafson were married May 2 at the Abington Art Center in Jenkintown, Pa. She is the senior copywriter for the Sawtooth Group, an advertising agency in Woodbridge, NJ.

We’d like to hear from you! Your friends at CSU Dominguez Hills want to know what you're up to! Email the Office of Alumni Programs at alumniprograms@csudh.edu.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of California State University, Dominguez Hills, we invite you to share with us your stories about campus life and what comes to mind when you reflect on your experience here.

From our alumni, we’d like fond memories of fellow students or professors, reminiscences of student life and academic progress, or how your experiences at CSU Dominguez Hills have shaped your lives and careers.

Please send all submissions, either in written (not to exceed 200 words) or photographic form to jharmon@csudh.edu. We will accept submissions throughout the 50th Anniversary celebration, which ends at Commencement 2011.

Please include your name, major and graduation year; if you are also CSUDH staff or faculty please include your title and department, and the year you began your employment here.

We look forward to hearing from you and sharing your stories on the 50th Anniversary website.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU Dominguez Hills. This is a program of educational, cultural and social opportunities for retired an semi-retired individuals age 50 and above. Please visit one of the upcoming Open Houses:

June 15 – Beach Cities Health District (BCHD), Redondo Beach

Aug 17 – CSU Dominguez Hills campus, Carson

For more information contact Jim Bouchard at 310-243-3729 or jbouchard@csudh.edu

Stay Connected! Help us keep your contact information current so you don't miss out on invitations to events, your alumni e-newsletter, and more! Update your information online here.

Your gift, regardless of the size, helps your alma mater! Visit our Online Giving website to make a donation or call (310)
243-2182.

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