Laura Robles, dean of graduate studies and research and professor of biology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, was recently appointed to the executive committee of the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) as a member-at-large for two years. She was designated for this honor at the organization’s annual conference, held March 7-9 in Denver, Colo. and hosted by the University of Denver.

Salim Faraji, assistant professor of Africana studies, co-authored the article, “Breaking With Tradition: Why Two Young African American Professors Support Barack Obama,” which appeared online in January in The Black Commentator In the article, Faraji and his colleague, Jahi Issa, assistant professor of African World History at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, explain their support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama despite having previously been in line with Civil Rights leaders’ historical support of former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), who is Obama’s opponent.