Students take the lead in advancing campus cultural understanding


Coming from a large agricultural community and having family members who worked in the fields, I was curious about the chemicals being sprayed on fields and their effect on the workers. Because of this, I have been studying the effects of pesticides on genetic expression in a type of worm called C. elegans that shares key characteristics with humans. This work will contribute to gaining insights on how pesticides affect public health.

Vanessa Avalos
Major: Biological Sciences
McNair Scholar Studying the Effects of Pesticides

After researching food insecurity for my honors social science seminar, I found it affected college students at an alarming rate, and I wanted to help. I drafted a resolution to allow students to donate meals from their own meal plans to students in need. I met with key decision-makers and we worked out the details. Recently Cal Lutheran launched a program enabling students to donate one meal per week.

Garrett Mueller
Major: Political Science
Honors Program Student Studying Food Insecurity

My hope is that we start here a grassroots movement that would take off across our region and across our country to mobilize runners to do their part in protecting public lands. Runners for Public Lands is a space where I can express my love for running and the natural world as a form of community service.

Dr. Vic Thasiah
Associate Professor of Religion Founder and Executive Director of Runners for Public Lands

The walk serves to raise funds for research, advocacy, and support related to Alzheimer’s disease. As part of a service-learning project, students worked to set up signs, greet walkers, staff booths, staff water stations, guide walkers, and cheer on walkers as they crossed the finish line.

Dr. Andrea Sell
Associate Professor of Psychology
Coordinator of Student Volunteers at the Annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s disease

News from the College of Arts & Sciences

Professors

Published

DR. SARA SADHWANI

Political Science

Co-authored a research report commissioned by the Schwarzenegger Institute, where she served as a fellow during the summer. The report identified the “top ten” of the worst gerrymandered state legislatures and was headed by Christian Grose at USC and co-authored by Sadhwani along with Jordan Carr Peterson (Texas Christian University) and Matt Nelson (USC PhD student).

DR. JEAN SANDLIN and DR. MONICA GRACYALNY

Communication

Published their research, “Fandom, Forgiveness & Future support: YouTube Apologies as Crisis Communication” in the Journal of Communication
Management. The project was part of the Culver Fellowship program that enables students to engage with faculty research.

Awarded

DR. SCHANNAE LUCAS

Criminology & Criminal Justice

Received the 2019 Washington State University Outstanding Alumni Award Celebrating Black Excellence in recognition of outstanding professional achievements and service to the community. Faith E. Lutze, Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at WSU, commented on Lucas’ award, noting her “professional activism to promote social justice and human rights.” Lucas was the
first faculty member to implement the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at Cal Lutheran and in Ventura County. This innovative prison education program is a college course taught with both Cal Lutheran students and incarcerated students the local jail.

DR. ROSE ASLAN

Religion

Selected to receive a $10,000 grant from American Religious Sounds Project at Ohio State University to produce a digital exhibit of the sounds of Islamic ritual practices in public settings in the United States.

DR. JESSICA LAVARIEGA MONFORTI

Political Science

Selected by the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Latina/o Caucus to receive the 2020 MPSA Latina/o Caucus Distinguished Career Award. Nominated by colleagues for her scholarship, advocacy and mentorship, Lavariega Monforti will accept the award at the April MPSA meeting in Chicago.

Noted & Quoted

Dr. Michaela Reaves

History

Appeared on KDOC’s “Carlos and Lisa” show to discuss the history of impeachment.

Tim Hengst

Multimedia

Used skills from his work at Johns Hopkins to create a prop—the decapitated head of the town’s tyrannical ruler—for the Theatre and Dance Department’s Fall production, “Fuenteovejuna.” During Hengst’s nine years at Johns Hopkins
Department of Art as Applied to Medicine, he led a division that produced prosthetics for patients with severe facial defects, creating artificial orbital, ear, nose and cheek prosthetics.

Michael Arndt

Theatre

The Theatre and Dance Department’s fall production, “Fuenteovejuna” directed by Arndt, was noted as a “fine production…that does a wonderful job of capturing the passion and the spirit of the play” by Emily Dodi of the Ventura County Reporter, adding “Arndt brings out the best in the young actors.”

DR. JACQUELINE LYONS

English

Presented “Seismic Studies,” selected poems from her book manuscript Earthquake Kit, at the 117th Pacific Ancient & Modern Languages Association conference held in San Diego in November.

Students

ALEJANDRO GUZMAN ’20

Multimedia

Created the poster for the Theatre Department’s Fall production of “Fuenteovejuna” as a multimedia capstone project.

STUDENTS EXPLORE RADIO INDUSTRY

Last semester, students from the radio industry class and the student-run radio station benefitted from the close L.A. media market (2nd largest) and the award-winning NPR station on campus. LA’s KEYT morning news anchor, Alys Martinez,
visited their classroom and students were treated to a tour of Cal Lutheran’s NPR station, KCLU.

Participated

ADRIENNE ARGUIJO-MORGAN and DR. PALOMA VARGAS

Arguijo-Morgan, project director for Cal Lutheran’s Collaborative for Hispanics in
Higher Education & Student Success (CHESS), was recently elected to the Council for The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE). She joins Cal Lutheran faculty member Vargas (Biology), who also serves on the council. AHSIE supports the work of the nation’s Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as they seek to provide quality, relevant educational opportunities to growing numbers of underserved populations, particularly Hispanic students. The US Department of Education designated Cal Lutheran a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2016.

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