In her keynote address at the College of Business Administration and Public Policy commencement ceremony, Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, underscored the importance of graduates thanking their loved ones for supporting them throughout their education with a personal story of bringing her parents to the Oval Office to meet President Bill Clinton, for whose administration she worked from 1994 to 2000.

“I’ll never forget that moment when I was able to walk them in,” said Murguía. “My mom was crying, and she said, ‘How did we get here?’

“My dad was so proud. He stuck his hand out to President Clinton as I walked him into the Oval Office and he said, ‘Thank you, President Clinton, for giving my daughter this opportunity.’ I’ll never forget what President Clinton said to them. He put his hand on my dad’s shoulder and said, ‘You know what, Mr. Murgia? I hired Janet, she walked you into this office, but you’re the ones who got her here.’”

For several members of the Class of 2011, their loved ones were literally with them every step of the way – because they too were students – and during commencement they were able to share the triumph of achieving a college education together.

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Faculty Highlights: June 2011

by the Emerald Literati Network 2011 Awards for Excellence for her work with the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology; Christodoulidou has reviewed more then 20 papers this year in order to assist her colleagues in the discipline.

Christodoulidou, whose research is focused on travel and social media, says that the demand for degrees in sports, entertainment, and hospitality management is growing steadily nationwide and could be a major factor in rescuing the state’s economy. She expresses her hopes for the expansion of the program at CSU Dominguez Hills in view of the university’s high rate of job placement among the program’s graduates.

“We have the foundation, it’s just a matter of getting to the next level,” she says. “We need more people to be trained in those jobs. A lot of people get hands-on experience, but they lack the degree. It’s hard for you to graduate from this program and not find a job.”

Munashe Furusa, acting associate dean, College of Arts and Humanities, spoke on behalf of the California African American Political and Economic Institute (CAAPEI), a research and mentoring initiative at CSU Dominguez Hills, at the California Black Chamber of Commerce African American Leadership Conference in March. Furusa, who is the executive director of CAAPEI, spoke of its mission and value to the university and community in preparing a diverse student population to become leaders in business and policy.

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Local moviegoers and scores of alumni everywhere may recognize one of the supporting cast members in Tom Hanks’ latest film, “Larry Crowne.” Standing in for the fictional East Valley Community College is none other than the California State University, Dominguez Hills campus, where shooting of scenes for the film took place a year ago.

“Larry Crowne” is one of many productions shot on the campus. Richard Chester, director of Campus Dining and Commercial Services has been working with Jean Ferguson of Ferguson’s Location Library for the last decade to market CSU Dominguez Hills as a potential location to filmmakers.

“CSU Dominguez Hills provides a broad variety of looks that are not only ‘university,’” Chester notes. “A scout might need a grass area with or without trees, a large parking lot or a theater. The Loker Student Union has a very distinct look and has been used in everything from pharmaceutical commercials to [2010] feature film, ‘The Social Network.’”

Along with these two most recent motion pictures, CSU Dominguez Hills has a number of film and television credits, including episodes of the series “24” “CSI Miami,” and “90210,” an NBC documentary on “The 70s,” and scores of commercials, including a recent one for McDonald’s.

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Alumni Notes

Greg Bergeron (B.A. ’95), who played two baseball seasons at Cal State Dominguez Hills and was named Toros Student-Athlete of the Year and Team MVP, has been appointed as Associate Head Coach of Volunteers Baseball with the University of Tennessee.

Pam Magee (M.A. ’01), after 24 years of experience in public education, she will take the helm at Palisades Charter High School as the new principal and chief administrative officer.

Dave Sandhu (M.B.A. '02) was recently hired as compliance auditor for Hustler Casino. He will be the lead contact between the Hustler Casino and all regulatory agencies to ensure that the casino is meeting all stipulations and to keep in compliance with all local, state and federal regulations.

Dennis Thys (M.B.A ’90) retired in September 2010 from his position as Director of Community Development for the city of Long Beach after 31 years.  During his tenure with the city of Long Beach he was able to help launch the city’s Neighborhood Resource Center along with the Neighborhood Leadership Program and contributed to the implementation of the Queensway Bay project, which led to the Aquarium of the Pacific’s construction.

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