California State University, Dominguez Hills President Mildred García has announced a $1 million gift from the Annenberg Foundation to establish the university’s first endowed professorship.

The Wallis Annenberg Endowed Professorship for Innovation in STEM Education position will lead the university’s many programs focused on growing the number of teachers in the fields, and oversee the creation of the Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE), which will serve as an incubator for new STEM initiatives in the region.

“One of the goals in our Strategic Plan 2010-2015 is to help more under-represented students acquire the skills and knowledge in the highly in-demand areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM),” García said. “This gift from the Annenberg Foundation greatly enhances CSU Dominguez Hills’s ability to meet that goal.”

STEM learning is viewed by many in government and business as essential if the U.S. is to lead in the 21st century global economy. Yet studies show that U.S. students—most notably under-represented students—lag well behind other nations in science and math. A lack of highly qualified STEM teachers nationwide is considered part of the problem. In California alone, openings for math and science teachers are far greater than the pool of qualified candidates, leaving teachers with limited STEM knowledge to teach in those classes, often in urban schools where achievement is the lowest.

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Former Toro Carmelita Jeter Wins Another Gold at the World Championships

DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA -- Former Toro great Carmelita Jeter capped off her amazing 2011 IAAF World Championships by anchoring the USA's 4x100 meter relay to a Gold medal.  This marked her third career world Gold, second of the meet, and her third overall medal at these World Championships 

Jeter entered the 2011 IAAF Worlds with three medals to her name, one Gold and two Bronzes, before she showcased her speed and doubled her total to six.  In the 4x100 meter relay, Jeter grabbed the baton with a slight lead over the defending champion Jamician squad, which was anchored by rival sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown. 

True to her Gold medal form, Jeter she showed why she is the current World Champion and Olympic favorite by maintaining the gap and bringing home her second Gold of the meet.

"It's been great, and I'm very excited going into London 2012.  It gives me a lot of motivation for next year," said Jeter.

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David Reed: Business Alum’s Efforts Recognized by US Dept. of Commerce

David Reed (Class of ’94, B.S., international business), director of international sales for Amarr Garage Doors, traveled to Washington D.C. in May to accept the United States Department of Commerce Presidential E-Award being presented to Amarr for its growing export sales, which is seen as having a positive impact on jobs creation in the U.S. Reed develops and manages all tactical and strategic plans related to international operations for the company, which is based in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“As a nation, we all have a lot of hard work ahead of us before we can claim victory in setting the US economy in right direction,” says Reed, who lives with his family in Houston, Tex. “It gives me great pleasure to know that after years of hard work and personal sacrifice, my efforts have had a positive impact on the creation of American jobs.”

As a student at CSU Dominguez Hills, Reed realized that part of his preparation for the job market was learning to take initiative. With the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), he observed the opening of global markets and foresaw the need for American business to take root abroad, setting his sights on Mexico.

“Once I realized this opportunity, I planned my course curriculum and focused my energy on reading and learning everything that I could about international business, from finance and accounting to marketing and management,” says Reed. “I also had to learn Spanish, and CSU Dominguez Hills had some great professors that not only taught me Spanish, but exposed me to the Hispanic culture.”

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Alumni Notes

Sherwood Girion (M.P.A. '83) was recently appointed as Senior Vice President of Government Relations by Fidelity National Financial, Inc.  Mr. Girion most recently served as the California Deputy Commissioner of Rate Regulation and the Deputy Commissioner of Consumer Services and Market Conduct.

Hugo Henderson III (B.S.  '10) has been promoted to Level II Account Executive for The Enterprise Rent Car Sales Division. Promptly after graduation Mr. Henderson began his career in the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Management Training Program and since has received multiple awards for capitalizing on new and repeat business, outstanding customer service, and reaching record-breaking sales numbers.

Mary Little (M.A. '99) has been appointed to Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Redondo Beach Unified School District. Little, who had been principal of Redondo Union High School for the past eight years, also was named “best high school principal” from the Association of California School Administrators Region 14, which consists of 23 school districts stretching from Malibu to Long Beach to Downey.

Candace Messer (B.S. '92) is a finalist for the 2011 Entrepreneur Mom of the Year to be named at the annual Success! Summit for entrepreneur women and moms in September. Messer is owner of Affordable Bookkeeping and Payroll Services, Inc.

Mark Yokoyama (M.A. '95) has been appointed as the City of Alhambra's new police chief. He is the first Asian American named to the post. Prior to Yokoyama's appointment he was the police chief for the City of Cypress for 3 years.

Robert Zardeneta (B.S.  '07) was featured in “Latinnovating,” the first book at the intersection of the green economy, Latino leadership and entrepreneurship. Robert was then recognized by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in the nation’s capital for his leadership informing students.

In Memoriam
Angelena "Angel" Clegg-Curtis (B.A. '73) died August 19th due to a car accident in South Carolina. Prior to retiring form Eisenhower High in 2007, she founded and coordinated for Eagle Prep Academy, a special program targeting ninth and 10th grade students who needed academic and behavioral support.

Christopher Musso Patrick, Sr. (B.A. '74) died August 5, 2011, at Bay State Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Patrick was a passionate youth coach and teacher.  He took great joy in spending time with children and grandchildren. He is survived by his son, Christopher Patrick Jr., daughter Marina Bartholomew and grandchildren Cecilia and Annie.

New Banner Campaign to Raise Funds for Student Scholarships

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.