Alumna Cynthia Delameter (Class of '77, teaching credential; Class of '79, reading specialist credential) was named one of 12 Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year in November. Delameter currently teaches the third grade at Leland Street Elementary School in San Pedro. She has remained involved with CSU Dominguez Hills by serving as a teacher leader in the California History Social Studies Project. Delameter states that she is “very proud to be associated with the University that has the largest teacher training program in the state. The biggest reward of teaching is never having to question whether or not your life is making a difference.” 

Alumna Anita Willis (Class of '79, M.B.A.) was appointed City Attorney of the City of Inglewood in December. Her professional expertise includes legal and administrative counsel for the cities of Oceanside and Los Angeles, as well as the law offices of Mallory and Brown Curtis in Los Angeles. Willis received her Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1992 and was also admitted to the California Bar Association that year.
 Photo courtesy of Anita Willis

Tom Oliver (M.B.A., 1975) was recently selected as Pierce College’s new interim president. The community college is located in Woodland Hills. Oliver served as vice president of academic affairs at the community college before beginning his tenure as interim president.

 Gilbert Ivey (B.S. Business Administration, 1975) received the Tom Bradley Equal Opportunity Award at the Annual Awards Banquet of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration on May 13. He was recognized for his work as the executive vice president of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Mary Heck Spryer (B.A. History, 1978) was appointed as the curator of the Clayton Historical Society Museum in April in Clayton, Calif., located 30 miles northeast of San Francisco. She first joined the museum 10 years ago as a volunteer editing the historical society’s newsletter, and she also works as a part-time appraiser.

Michael Preble (M.A. 1977, Humanities) is the curator of a forthcoming retrospective exhibition at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Europe. The show will feature the work of William Baziotes, an American Abstract Expressionist painter, and will run September 4 through January 9, 2005. The exhibition consists of 45 paintings and 20 watercolor drawings, including many pieces from Baziotes’ first exhibition, which was nearly 60 years ago. Preble has organized a fully illustrated catalogue in English and Italian, which includes an essay by Preble himself.

Bill Ramsey (M.B.A., 1976) retired in October from his post as finance director of the city of Palmdale for 16 years. A former Marine, he served in the Vietnam War and left the service with the rank of first lieutenant. Before taking the position with Palmdale, the CPA and certified financial planner spent five years as the assistant finance director of Santa Monica. An avid climber, Ramsey has climbed more than 50 peaks with the Sierra Club and has climbed Mt. Whitney on a day hike. One of his next pinnacles is to become a certified fitness instructor.

                                        Alum John Tracy named
                                       Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers

John Tracy, (Class of 1976, B.S., mathematics and physics), vice president of Engineering for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, was named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) at the International Mechanical Engineering Conference in November.

Robert Janko (M.A. 1974, Education) was recognized in April as Capistrano Unified School District's 2003 high school teacher of the year. Janko has taught mathematics at Capistrano Valley High School for the last 25 years. When he isn't solving equations with his students, Janko also coaches the golf and softball teams.

Debora Stanley (B.A. Spanish, 1971; M.A Education, 1978) was recently named the Teacher of the Year at the Desert Sands Adult School (DSAS) in La Quinta, California. She teaches English as a Second Language and GED classes at DSAS.

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Habib Kheradyar (B.A. Studio Art, 1986) received one of 14 $10,000 City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowships this year and his series, “L.A. Art Court,” which combines portraits and sculpture, will be on display through June 27 at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

Patricia D. Ellis-Griggs (B.A. Political Science, 1989) was named president-elect of the Houston Legal Assistants Association (HLAA) and assumes the role officially on April 1, 2005. With more than 700 members, HLAA promotes the professional advancement of legal assistants in Houston and is also the largest legal assistant association in Texas. Currently, Ellis-Griggs works as a senior paralegal in the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group with international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

Alumnus Matthew Hetz (B.A., music/composition, 1985) was elected president of the board of the Westchester Symphony Society, the parent organization of the Culver City-Marina-Westchester Symphony. Hetz is a violinist in the orchestra.

Dennis Petrie (B.A. Human Services, 1985) has been appointed Deputy Director of Workforce Development Branch for Employment Development Division (EDD) for the state of California. Petrie was the Chief Deputy Communications Director in Governor Gray Davis’ office before this appointment.

Jon W. Beuder (B.S. Business Administration, 1989) recently became the managing director of office properties for Charles Dunn Co. in Seal Beach. Beuder, a former Los Angeles Dodger, has spent 14 years in commercial real estate.

Pamela Reliford (B.A. Recreation Administration, 1983) was recently named the new activities director at the Los Altos Senior Center in Los Altos, California near San Jose. In her new role, Reliford will plan and implement all of the activities for the center with a redesign of the center’s newsletter and rallying of support for future senior outings as some of her early priorities.

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 1990's 

Alum Ken Elisaldez (Class of '91, B.S., public administration) was named the 2004 Teacher of the Year in the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. He teaches third grade at Arturo Sanchez Elementary School.

Photo courtesy of Ken Elisaldez

Cecilia Moreno (M.S. Public Administration, 1997) was honored this spring by State Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza as the 55th Assembly District’s 2004 Woman of the Year. Moreno works as the manager of community affairs for Shell Los Angeles Refinery, a department she created, and was recognized for her service to the communities served by the 55th district. She has served as a board member for the Wilmington Neighborhood Council, the Community Police Advisory Board, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and several organizations.

James Delmont (M.A. Humanities, 1993) completed a Ph.D. in New Testament studies this year. Delmont has also written a play titled, “The Interrogation of Miriam of Nazareth,” which will be produced in Omaha, Nebraska in 2005, where he works as an arts and entertainment critic and teaches history at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

 Alumna Rita Faith Scott (B.S., business management, magna cum laude, 1999) graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and established Double Occupancy, a stylish maternity clothing line in 2002. She is donating maternity outfits to the wives of men currently serving in the military. Her future plans include a mentoring program for young women at risk to teach them how to become fashion designers. Her designs can be viewed at her website at doubleoccupancymaternity.com.

Alumna Peggy Smythe Bryant (B.S., nursing, 1995) has recently been inducted into the College of the Sequoias (COS) Hall of Fame. Bryant, who is the chief clinical officer at Tulare District Hospital in Tulare, California, graduated twice from COS, in 1966 with a social science degree and in 1979 with a nursing degree. Bryant has worked at Tulare District for 25 years in various staff and management positions.

Michael Collins (B.A. English Literature, 1998), was recently named a member of the Southern California Baseball Umpires’ Hall of Fame, and was recently honored with District 37’s Little League Baseball/Softball Lifetime Achievement Award. He serves on District 37’s Little League staff as an assistant district administrator and on the California Baseball Umpires’ Association’s Board of Directors as secretary/treasurer. Collins also holds a master’s degree in education administration from CSU Northridge, and was promoted from a Lawndale High School English teacher to associate principal in July 2003.

Nature photographer Beth Shibata (M.A., English Linguistics/TESL, 1990; certificate in Rhetoric and Composition, 1994) has a show titled, “Further Reflections of Earth and Sky” currently on display at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center through November 20. The exhibit features Shibata’s views of the Madrona Marsh Reserve, one of the few hidden outposts of untamed nature in the urban Los Angeles area. Shibata is also a columnist for the Gardena Valley News, a freelance writer and a student of aikido, a Japanese martial art. Click here to view some of Shibata's photographs
Shibata also co-authored Black Ink: Entering Spirit and Form, a gift book about the many facets of martial arts, recently released by Colonie Street Press.

Jo Purcell (Class of 1991,M.P.A.) is retiring from her position as city clerk for Rancho Palos Verdes, held for 29 years since April 1976. “Since coming to work I have had the great fortune to work with dedicated staff and city councils, and have been privileged to meet and serve many of the City’s fine residents,” she wrote in her letter to Mayor Peter Gardiner, City Council Members and Les Evans, City Manager.

Tamara Poole, B.A. physical education, 1995, has become the trainer for the Grand Rapids Hoops of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). Poole's interest in athletic training was sparked while in junior college and continued during her time at CSUDH. After graduating from Dominguez Hills in 1995, Poole accepted a position with the San Jose Lasers of the American Basketball League (ABL), a women's basketball league. In 2000, she began working for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) where she worked for both Seattle and Charlotte's WNBA teams.

Sebastian de Assis (M.A. Humanities, 1995) has published numerous articles and two books focused on education since graduating from the Humanities External Degree Program. Teachers of the World, Unite! (2000) has become required reading in the School of Education at SUNY. Most recently, Scarecrow Education published Revolution in Education (2003). Visit www.scarecroweducation.com for more information on his latest work.

Miguel Alvarez (B.S. 1998, Business Administration) was profiled in the April issue of American Artist as a participant in the California Art Club Mentoring Program. Alvarez's paintings are composed of still-lifes, landscapes and figures. In the future, he plans to create paintings of Mexican rodeos, called "charriadas" in Spanish. Alvarez feels there are very few paintings of the Mexican cowboys (charros). Prior to completing his master’s at CSUDH, he received his bachelor’s in English and creative writing from CSU Long Beach.

Linda Biondini (B.S. Nursing, 1995) received the Excellence in Nursing Practice Award by the Omicron Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. The award recognizes her creative approach in improving patient care. Biondini works at Redwood Memorial Hospital and is the organizer of “Journey for Holistic Patient Centered Care,” a holistic model that provides an environment conducive to learning and healing while respecting the rights of patients and families. Biondini has also organized the Critical Care Conference, which is in its 13th year, and chairs the Pediatric Emergency Response Team and the Assessment Team for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Jose Chavira (M.A. Education, Educational Administration Option, 1999) was recently named the assistant principal of Phelan and Washington Elementary Schools in the Whittier City School District. He leaves East Whittier Middle School where he served as the assistant principal as well. Working at two elementary schools poses an interesting challenge, Chavira says. “This is a unique situation, especially because both are elementary schools. But we’re striving for the same goal: We want to improve student achievement, and we have to be able to facilitate that,” he told the Whittier Daily News.

Mary Little (M.A. Education, 1999) recently began her tenure as co-principal of Redondo Union High School. The school has joined a growing number of schools moving to the two-principal model to better serve students and to create manageable workloads at the highest level of administration. Little formerly served as associate principal of Hawthorne High School for three years.

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2000+

Alumna Peggy Zask (Class of ’04, M.A., humanities) had several of her ceramic pieces on exhibit in the Hsi Lai Temple Exhibition Hall in Hacienda Heights Dec. 2 through Jan. 5. Two of the pieces were created as part of her series on pop culture in the arts and feature likenesses of Homer Simpson and Bugs Bunny. However, the majority of her works are what she termed “gesture vessels.” They are meant, Zask said, to explore the range of human emotion through the simple, smooth forms of ceramic pots.

Photo courtesy of Peggy Zask

Arthur Wolak (M.A. Humanities, 2000) recently completed his latest book, Forced Out: The Fate of Polish Jewry in Communist Poland, which will be released this summer by Fenestra Books. Wolak is currently pursing his Ph.D. in Sydney, Australia.

Luis Campos (B.S. Biochemistry/Biology, 2001), who is currently pursuing his doctorate at UCLA, had a research paper published in this year’s second edition of Organic Photochemistry and Photobiology. The paper was titled, “Photochemical Decarbonylation of Ketones: Recent Advances and Reactions in Crystalline Solids.”

Daniel Stone (B.A. Travel & Tourism, 2003) has recently taken a 12-month contract as an assistant English teacher in the Japan English Teaching (JET) Program in Kawaguchi City, north of Tokyo. The program offers college and university graduates the opportunity to serve in local government organizations as well as public and private junior and senior high schools.

Recent graduate Johanna Gach Saylor (Class of ’04, political science) was interviewed and featured in the Los Angeles Times California section (August 4) for her participation in the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Gach Saylor was an intern for The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) and was doing field work in the same hotel where the California delegates were staying. She found a cork board that the delegates were using to leave messages, and left a note saying, “California Student in Need of Credentials, Please Call”. Her resourcefulness resulted in the loan of a two-night pass to the convention, where she was able to hear vice-presidential candidate John Edwards speak.

U*STAR Alumni Susana Rodriguez (Class of ’04, B.S. Biochemistry/Biology) and Freddi Zuniga (Class of ’04, B.S. Biochemistry/Biology) recently received 5th Annual National Role Models Awards from Minority Access, Inc. The award is in its fifth year and will be presented at their annual conference, to be held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 18-20.

Former student Jaime Foster was the first female firefighter to die in action in the Los Angeles Fire Department. She was killed in August when she fell from a fire engine and was crushed under the wheels as it was leaving the scene of a house fire in Encino. Foster attended CSUDH under a scholarship and obtained her nursing and paramedic licenses. In a story from the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn eulogized Foster, saying that, “She gave everything she had in everything she did.”

Alumna Sheila Asare-Bediako (Class of ’04, Biology) has been admitted to the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Medical School. Asare-Bediako was a student in both the USTAR and RISE programs on campus.

Two other former USTAR students are both currently in medical school at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Brenna Freeman attended CSUDH as a post-baccalaureate student preparing for medical school after earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Berkley in 1999. Alumna Lucio Loza (M.S. in biology, 1999) began medical school in fall 2002. Two former RISE students are also in medical school. Katherine Hurst (M.S., biology, 2002) is studying at the University of Iowa and Debra Baker (M.S., biology, 2003) is at UCLA.The MBRS Initiative for Minority Student Development at the Los Angeles Biomedical Institute at Harbor UCLA provides 15 slots for biology master of science degree students to do their thesis research. The USTAR Scholarship Program is an activity sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) for 10 students a year, providing full payment of tuition and fees, a travel reimbursement to National Conferences, and a monthly stipend. Students enjoy hands-on research training at CSUDH and /or Harbor-UCLA Research and Education Institute.

Sunee Side Up: CSUDH grad brings Shakespeare to local students
CSUDH graduate Sunee Foley (B.A., Theatre Arts/English Literature, 2000, magna cum laude) is bringing the world’s greatest love story to Redondo Union High School, complete with ballerinas and soaring, romantic music.

 Jon Hernandez (B.A. Business Administration: Classical Management & Finance, 2000) currently resides as CEO of two South Bay credit unions just a mile apart, a profile in Credit Union Journal reported last week.
The 32-year old Hernandez operates the Licomto Federal Credit Union in Torrance. At the age of 26, he became the CEO of Licomto after the previous CEO was terminated for several alleged irregularities. Under Hernandez's direction, Licomto's assets have grown from $4.8 million to $10.8 million in six years. Hernandez also took on his responsibilities at Copley Los Angeles Federal Credit Union in January of 2002.

Diane Garza (B.A. Physical Education, 2002) recently signed to play professional soccer with SC07 Bad Neuehanhr of the German Bundesliga soccer league. While at CSUDH, Garza was named twice to the all-conference squad, and she tallied 40 goals and 20 assists as the Toros third all-time points leader.

Jerome Nwachukwu (B.A. biochemistry, 2002) was recently selected as a 2003 Student Role Model by Minority Access, Inc. Nwachukwu, who is currently in a Ph.D. program at New York University, will receive his award in September. “The thing about this award is that it recognizes role models, and Jerome is definitely such a person – from a scientific standpoint, but also as a mentor for younger children in his community and simply as an individual,” explains Thomas Landefeld, associate director, College of Arts and Sciences, who nominated Nwachukwu because of his work in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate and U*STAR programs.

Keith R. Heffner (M.A. humanities, 2002) recently began his assignment as an instructor at Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona. He teaches two sections of Electronic Music I, and a section each of Digital Audio Workstation I & II using Digidesign's Pro Tools LE software. Heffner also received a certificate in Community College Teaching through CSUDH. “The graduate program in Humanities at CSUDH has opened many doors for me. To those who are thinking about enrolling: just do it. To those working on it now: don't give up, it's worth the effort!” Heffner said.

Erica Williams Hopkins (B.S. Public Administration, 2003) was one of three women awarded the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year by the American Business Women’s Association on Sept. 13 in Fullerton. Hopkins serves as director of On Your Feet, a nonprofit organization in Long Beach dedicated to helping low-income families find affordable housing.

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In Memoriam

 Alumna Leaves Legacy of Hope

Charlotte Jan Bowman, (Class of ’80, M.S. Administration) founder of Charlotte’s House in Carson. died last week after a long bout with breast cancer. Charlotte’s House – a transitional house for homeless women and their children - was founded by Bowman in 1994, earning her the 1998 Alumnus of the Year Award. Her daughter, Darlene Bowman (Class of '97, B.A., human services) is a program director for the house. CSUDH involvement includes documents processor Linda Brown, University Student Union, who serves on the Board of Directors. Residents are required to attend school or work and are allowed to stay for a maximum of two years, focusing on the transition to becoming contributing members of the community again. Charlotte’s House is always in need of basic supplies, and the University has often been there to donate them. During the 2002 holiday season, a handful of organizations, including Sigma Pi fraternity and CSUDH Serves (Office of Student Life), donated everything from canned goods to small area rugs to presents for the children. Martin Chavez (Class of '83, B.S., public administration), Alumni Association board member, said, “Charlotte was a great woman whose energy and compassion were only surpassed by the size of her heart. She exemplified the ideal of a great alumnus.”