CSU Dominguez Hills Strengthens Connections with Long Beach Alumni and Community

A reception for Long Beach-based alumni of California State University, Dominguez Hills was hosted by Alumni Programs and the law firm of Keesal, Young and Logan was held on Nov. 18 in the firm’s beautiful penthouse suite of offices in downtown Long Beach. The event was designed to strengthen connections between the university and the city that according to university estimates is home to 3,500 CSU Dominguez Hills alumni.

“The impact of the CSU Dominguez Hills family is very impressive in the city of Long Beach,” President Mildred García said. “Over 65 percent of our 75,000 alumni live within 25 miles of the campus. So our graduates are our customers, employees, business owners, community leaders, and taxpayers for our region. In Long Beach, we have over 3,500 alums. When you add our faculty, staff, students and administrators, we have over 8,000 CSU Dominguez Hills stakeholders living in and contributing to the city of Long Beach.”

Greg Saks, vice president of University Advancement and Steve Young of Keesal, Young and Logan welcomed more than 120 guests to the reception. Other distinguished guests included Bob Foster, mayor of Long Beach and city manager Patrick West (Class of ’86, MBA).

Mayor Foster, who served as a CSU Trustee from 1998 to 2006, expressed his pride in the Dominguez Hills representation in his city and in the CSU system. The San José State alum said that graduates of the CSU have a responsibility to support their alma maters.

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According to Daniel Cano (Class of ’77, B.A., English; ’84, M.A., Spanish), all one needed to make it as a journalist in 1920s Los Angeles was the ability to read and write, and a good mentor. In Cano’s case, all that was needed to become an award-winning novelist was his desire to become a writer and his education at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Santa Monica College(SMC), where he now teaches literature, composition, and creative writing.

This fall, Cano received the 12th International Latino Book Award for historical fiction with his third book, “Death and the American Dream.” The Los Angeles native says that the protagonist of his 1991 “Pepe Rios,” which was based on the life of his paternal grandfather who arrived in the United States around 1910, took on a life of his own in the sequel.

“He wasn’t my grandfather anymore, but more like a composite of many Mexican men who left [Mexico] during that time to come here,” says Cano. “There were a lot of Spanish language newspapers in the United States in the 1920s. My character gets involved as a writer in one of those newspapers. It [echoes] my grandfather’s life because he was one of the few literate Mexicans who came over. At that time, most people were laborers. He had taught himself to read and write.”

Cano’s determination to get an education mirrored his grandfather’s. Upon returning from service in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division in 1969, he enrolled at SMC and took every English class available, and when he spoke to a professor about transferring to university, he was told about CSU Dominguez Hills.

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Andrew J. Leist: Alumnus Uses Digital Media Arts Skills in Medical Field

There’s an art to surgery, and while surgeons orchestrate and perform, technicians in the operating room also make important contributions. California State University, Dominguez Hills alumnus Andrew J. Leist is one such technician, bringing his digital media arts skills to the medical field.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in digital media arts in 2008 and while continuing to work in the music industry, Leist landed a job as an audio/visual technician at USC University Hospital Department of Surgery in Los Angeles, where he manages media technology used by surgeons performing endoscopic procedures.

“It’s fascinating. Before I started [working at USC University Hospital], I didn't realize how many endoscopic or laparoscopic cases there are,” said the full-time media specialist.

According to MedlinePlus.com, there are several types of endoscopic procedures including laparoscopy, which looks into the abdomen or pelvis. All of the minimally invasive endoscopic procedures use tiny cameras (scopes) at the end of long tubes, which are inserted into the body through keyhole incisions in the skin.

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Alumni Notes

Karen Bass (B.S. ’90) D-CA, of Los Angeles was elected to serve California’s 33rd Congressional District in the U.S. congress.
 
Carol Smith Davies (M.P.A. ’05) was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Fundraising by The Association of Fundraising Professionals California Valley Chapter on National Philanthropy Day.
 
Dr. James E. Lyons, Sr., 7th former President of CSUDH who most recently was Secretary of the Maryland Higher Education commission, announced his retirement after almost four decades of service in higher education.

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.

CSUDH Baseball Alumni Weekend
Friday & Saturday, January 21-22
Friday: 1st Pitch Dinner
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Double Tree Hotel, Carson
Key Note Speaker: Coach Andy Lopez
Saturday: Old Timer's Game, kid games, BBQ, & more!
Time: 9:00am
Location: CSUDH Toro Field

RVSP by calling CSUDH Athletics at 310-243-3765 or msua@csudh.edu

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

CSU New York/Tri State Alumni Reception
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Time: 6:00 - 7:30pm
Location: University Club of New York
1 west 54th Street
New York, NY 10019

Space is limited. Pre-event registration required. Please RSVP by February 25th at fhernandez@csudh.edu or by calling 310-243-2237.

Unity Fest
Wednesday, April 30
Time: TBA
Location: LSU North Lawn

2011 Commencement Alumni Processional
Friday, May 20
Time: 6:00 - 8:00pm
Location: Home Depot Center

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.

Open House
Tuesday, Feb. 1
Time: 1:30pm
Location EE-1213
PLEASE RSVP to 310-243-3208

OLLI Macintosh Lab Grand Opening
Wednesday, Feb. 16
Time: 1:00pm
Location: EE-1213

University Library OLLI Event
Wednesday, March 23
Time: 10:00am
Location: EE-1213

OLLI Public Service Event on Health Care Reform
Tuesday, April 5
Time: 10:00am
Location: EE-1213

OLLI Ice Cream Social
Tuesday, April 19
Time: 1:30pm
Location: EE-1213

OLLI Members Meeting
Tuesday, May 24
Time: 10:00am
Location: EE-1213

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.

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.

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