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Staff
 | Maria Avila Interim Director for Community Engaged Teaching and Research (310) 243-2438 maravila@csudh.edu | About me: Maria Avila has worked in higher education for over two decades as an administrator and as faculty. Prior to higher education she worked as a social worker and as a community organizer. Her organizing work with the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF, https://www.industrialareasfoundation.org) in South Los Angeles and in Northern California is the foundation of her work as a community engaged scholar. Until August 2022, she was Associate Professor in the Social Work department at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Maria was a postdoctoral, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow with the Center for Diversity and Democracy and taught in the department of American Studies and Ethnicity from 2012 to 2014, at the University of Southern California. Prior to this, she was the founding Director of the Center for Community Based Learning at Occidental College, from 2001 to 2011. Maria believes that higher education has a mandate to contribute to supporting and enhancing democracy, particularly through community engaged teaching and research, and by creating more collaborative cultures within academic institutions and with organizations with whom them partner. She earned a MA in Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Adult and Community Education at Maynooth University, in Ireland. Maria is the recipient of a Fulbright award in Ireland and another one in Colombia. During her time as faculty as CSUDH she led five community engaged research projects on and off campus. These five projects are focus of her recent publication Building Collective Leadership for Culture Change: Stories of Relational Organizing (2023). This is a continuation of her first book: Transformative Civic Engagement through Community Organizing (2017).
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 | Miami Gelvezon Gatpandan Program Administrator (310) 243-2438 mgelvezon@csudh.edu | About me: Family and community are deeply important to me. I’m honored to serve in a role where I can champion community engagement and help drive student success. As a proud CSUDH alumna, I’m dedicated to giving back to the institution that played such a pivotal role in shaping me, as both a student and an agent of change. | ||||
 | Beatty Ramirez Administrative Support (310) 243-2438 bramirez136@csudh.edu | About me: I'm a proud graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills, where I earned my Bachelor's degree in Human Services. During my time at CSUDH, I was honored to serve as President of the Native American Indian Association, working to promote cultural awareness and support initiatives within the Native American community. As an alumnus of Jumpstart for Young Children, I had the opportunity to mentor preschoolers in underserved communities, helping to build their language and literacy skills. I'm passionate about collaborating with fellow Toros and using my experiences to give back to our community. |
Staff
 | Natalie Gomez | About me: I am a proud graduate of CSU Dominguez Hills and a former AmeriCorps member. My experiences have instilled in me a strong commitment to both student success and community engagement. I am passionate about helping students navigate their academic journey while encouraging meaningful connections with the community through volunteer work and service opportunities. | ||||
 | Sabrina Ponciano | About me: As a proud first-generation alumna of CSUDH, I began my journey as a student assistant on campus, which eventually led me to join the College Corps Team. Drawing from my own experiences on campus, I find great fulfillment in collaborating with our fellows as they contribute to the community that has enriched my own life in countless ways. | ||||
 | Jessica Ramirez Program Coordinator (310) 243-2739 jeramirez@csudh.edu | About me: I’m a proud double alumna of California State University, Dominguez Hills and an AmeriCorps alumna who absolutely loves serving my community and helping others discover the joy of giving back too. My professional focus centers on community engagement and developing pathways for others to contribute meaningfully to their communities. I firmly believe that community involvement and volunteerism create mutual elevation and foster civic responsibility across all participants. I am particularly passionate about supporting college students and enhancing the educational experience at CSU Dominguez Hills for current students. My academic foundation and AmeriCorps service experience have equipped me with a deep understanding of collaborative leadership and community-driven solutions. I am committed to continuing my advocacy work while empowering others to make a difference through active community involvement in all areas. |
Fellows
 | Anat Schwartz Faculty Fellow Fall 2025 | About me: Anat Schwartz is a feminist scholar interested in community-based research and transnational feminist activism. Anat is an assistant professor of women’s studies at CSU Dominguez Hills. She received her Ph.D. in East Asian Studies (feminist emphasis) from the University of California, Irvine in June 2022. Anat is interested in reproductive justice, digital sexual violence, community-engaged research, and queer feminist activism. She is trained in intersectional and interdisciplinary research, including archival research, qualitative methods, and ethnographic research methodologies. Current Community-Engaged Learning Courses: WMS 300: Community Organizing, Activism, and Gender. In this course, undergraduate students learn core concepts in gender and social justice organizing, and then apply their knowledge to contribute to community organizing with local nonprofit organizations in South L.A. to foster collaborative research and gender justice organizing in the community. I have taught a pilot of this course (as WMS 395: Special Topics) in Spring 2024, and will be teaching it as WMS 300 in Spring 2025.
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 | Adriana Aldana | About me: Adriana Aldana, PhD, MSW (She/Ella), is a Chicana from the San Fernando Valley (Tongva and Chumash territory). She is a Professor of Social Work at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Holding a joint doctorate in Social Work and Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan, her research explores how models of participatory research and intergenerational organizing support the sociopolitical development and anti-racism engagement of youths. Additionally, she examines the factors that foster equitable community-academic partnerships. As a community practitioner, Dr. Aldana also has extensive experience in designing, facilitating, and evaluating intergroup dialogue and social justice education programs. Current Community-Based Research Projects: Dr. Aldana serves as Co-PI on two funded projects. The first, supported by the University of California Office of the President, is a multi-case study that uses narrative inquiry and community-based participatory action research to examine principles and practices of community-academic partnerships within UC Irvine’s Community Resilience initiative. The second, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a planning grant with Mycelium Youth Network (Oakland, CA) to build capacity for a youth-led program evaluation team. In this role, Dr. Aldana supports the integration of youth participatory action research into the organization’s evaluation strategy design. Across both projects, her work focuses on collaborative knowledge production and community leadership in advancing equity. | ||||
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