Niecy Nash: Alumna Takes the Stage to Talk About Her Journey to Fame

On Nov. 3, California State University, Dominguez Hills welcomed actress/comedienne and theatre arts alumna Niecy Nash back to campus, where she spoke to students, faculty and the community at the Loker Student Union. Until last August, she has been the original host and producer of the Style Network’s number one-rated program, “Clean House.” Nash is also well-known for her role as Officer Raineesha Williams in Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!,” which aired from 2003 to 2009. She is currently a celebrity host on CBS Entertainment’s “The Insider,” for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award last summer.

Nash addressed her audience at CSU Dominguez Hills with the story of her journey to a successful acting career. With her trademark no-nonsense humor, she described her reaction as a five-year-old to seeing entertainer Lola Falana on television.

“I said, ‘My God, who is that?,’” recalled Nash. “My grandmother said, ‘Baby, that’s Lola Falana.’ I started to hyperventilate right there. I said, ‘That’s what I’m going to be! Glamorous! Black! On TV! Gimme that!'’”

Nash recounted the struggles that propelled her to stardom, including proving herself in acting classes as a teenager, where she aspired to be “the next Cicely Tyson.” A natural entertainer, she soon found most people were drawn to her gift for comedy.

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When Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore Mozeleski (Class of ’84, psychology/philosophy) joined the Army Reserves in 1986, he did so in part because of his father’s place in history as an Army sergeant who received campaign stars for taking part of the Battle of the Bulge and in the Central European campaign of World War II.

This fall, the 53-year-old Torrance native received the Bronze Star for meritorious service and leadership during the 2009 drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq, during which he led a team of soldiers responsible for analyzing and disseminating intelligence information throughout central Iraq.

Mozeleski is a graduate of North Torrance High School and has been employed as an analyst and retail management by Ralphs for 35 years and is currently a shift manager at a location in Long Beach. After training at Ft. Dix in New Jersey, he was deployed to Ft. Lewis, Washington in the aftermath of 9/11.

Recently returned from his year’s deployment with the 368th military intelligence unit, Mozeleski went on a three-week tour to Korea to participate in military exercises. He and his fellow reservists are continuing to train for a possible deployment to Afghanistan to identify threat networks and how they are funded.

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School of Nursing Cuts Ribbon on Clinical Skills Lab

On Nov. 8, the School of Nursing (SON) at California State University, Dominguez Hills cut the ribbon on a dedicated clinical skills lab, the first such facility on the university campus in the program’s 29-year history. Construction began in 2008 to convert four classroom spaces on the lower level of the Social and Behavioral Sciences building into a 4,000-square-foot skills lab. The project was made possible with $1.6 million allocated through the CSU Chancellor’s Office system wide nursing facilities improvement fund.

“This lab will make all the difference in the world, because it will give our students enhanced tools to practice competently and safely in the clinical area,” said Dr. Rose Welch, Ed.D., RN, acting director of the School of Nursing. “I’m excited to see how the students react when they see the new lab. It will just make it worth the years that we’ve worked on this project.”

To furnish and equip the space, the school launched a Stock Our Skills Lab (SOS) campaign that year, which to-date has raised more than $130,000, including major donations from Catalina businessman Ken Putnam, who chairs the CSU Dominguez Hills Foundation Board of Directors, Associated Students Inc., and Providence Little Company of Mary Healthcare Foundation, which provided beds.

The facility features a six-bed skills lab that resembles a hospital recovery room; a two-bed simulation lab with high-tech human patient simulators (METI men) purchased through Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Nurse Education Initiative; a 32-seat “smart” classroom/computer lab with laptops at every station, television monitors, and computerized whiteboards and projectors; and a reception area, as well as office and storage space.

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Alumni Notes

Rudy P. Melson (M.B.A. ’96) received the Director of the Year Award from Garden Valley Chamber of Commerce. He has been recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in project management.

Kathleen Percival (M.S. ’06) of Simi Valley Hospital was appointed to the Moorpark College Foundation Board of Directors. The foundation is a registered non-profit organization that raises funds to support the college and its students through the leadership of a 14-member Board of Directors.

Jabari Steward (B.A. ‘00) was recently appointed to worship director at Saddleback Church Anaheim.

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 California State University, Dominguez Hills, we invite you to share your stories about campus life.

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 submissions, either in written (not to exceed 200 words) or photographic form, to jharmon@csudh.edu.

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.

Tammy Tumbling: SCE’s Director of Philanthropy Plants Seeds For Green Education

As the new director of philanthropy and community involvement at Southern California Edison (SCE), Tammy Tumbling (Class of ’90, B.S., business administration; ’94, MPA) is responsible for overseeing the company’s philanthropic interests and strategizing funding programs and priorities. Among these is Edison’s commitment to educating a “green” workforce through its $1,000,000 Green Jobs Education Initiative, which was conceived and launched by Tumbling earlier this year. The initiative provides 10 community colleges throughout the state with funding to support training programs in areas such as green building, renewable energy, energy efficiency, water and waste management, biofuels production, and alternative transportation.

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Thursday, Feb. 24
5:00pm
Student Research Day
Location: Loker Student Union-Ballroom C

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU Dominguez Hills (OLLI), a program of educational, cultural and social opportunities for retired an semi-retired individuals age 50 and above.

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

More Alumni Events and Alumni Photos available on our website.

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Did you know you can make a gift that provides a fixed income for life? More information can be found on our Planned Giving website or by calling 310-243-2182.

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Dateline: Dominguez Hills