Making Waves: April 2024
Making Waves is a monthly column that celebrates accomplishments of the Ӱ community.
Employee of the Month: Social Worker Donna De Loera
Every year like clockwork, the University Police experience three temporary spikes in mental-health crisis calls. One is in early fall, as incoming first-year students get acclimated to being away from home; the second two are during midterms and finals. It's around these times that Donna De Loera's job kicks into high gear. and one of two clinical licensed social workers assigned to Ӱ's mobile mental health unit (known as the Campus Assessment & Stabilization Team), De Loera is known for her gentle touch. Health and Wellness Administration Assistant Vice President Damian Zavala said De Loera was a standout in managing difficult situations, mitigating risk and ensuring safety. “Underneath her welcoming and unassuming disposition is a wealth of experience and knowledge," Zavala said.
Kleefeld sits among country's most prestigious museums
The country's most important museum accreditation agency will keep Ӱ's Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum on its list of distinguished museums. The American Alliance of Museums accredits only about 4 percent of the country's art galleries, including top dogs such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. The Kleefeld museum was called out for its dedication to scholarly content and the community; staff professionalism; use of art as a teaching tool; and addressing and resolving previous parking and Web-access issues. “This our 50th anniversary year since the museum’s founding, so this feels extra special,” said Paul Baker Prindle, Kleefeld's director, of the recent reaccreditation. Of the nation's estimated 33,000 museums, fewer than 2,000 are accredited.
NASA chooses Ӱ's 'SharkSat' to launch into orbit
Long Beach State's Department of Engineering has been chosen as one of 10 schools across the country to build a mini-cube satellite that will be launched into space as early as 2025. NASA has announced that the SharkSat — the term given to the university's first cube satellite — will measure the amount of blue light in the earth's atmosphere so that organizations can better address how light pollution in big cities interferes with human health and sleep, not to mention the migratory and mating patterns of certain wildlife. SharkSat is expected to launch between 2025 and 2028 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Vandenberg Air Force Base or the Mojave Desert. The satellite will remain in orbit for about nine months before losing steam and burning up upon reentry into the earth's atmosphere.
Provost, staff, faculty honored by sorority
Delta Sigma Theta's Long Beach Alumnae Chapter named Ӱ Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn and Student Affairs Administrative Coordinator Tracy Kelly among this year's "Visions of H.O.P.E" (Helping Others Progress Everyday) honorees. Gunn was named a Community Trailblazer for, among other things, garnering $54.5 million in federal funding to support scientific research, student training and STEM faculty development. Honored in the Educational Development category, Kelly was noted as being the catalyst for the inaugural Black Alumni Gala, which funds scholarships for Black students at Ӱ. The Black Health Equity Collaborative, co-founded by Ӱ Associate Professor Amber Johnson, was honored in the Physical and Mental Health category for its work to promote health equity among Black residents of Long Beach. Founded in 1913, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is an historically Black sorority devoted to public service.
Student body elects new ASI representatives
ASI has new leadership. Elected as representatives of Ӱ’s for the 2024-2025 school year are President-elect Nikki Majidi, Vice President-elect Matt Melendrez and Finance Vice President-elect Andrew Achacon. Majidi beat out three other candidates, Meledrez one and Achacon two. Also elected were senators of each of Ӱ’s six colleges, plus a senator-at-large and a trustee-at-large. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, ASI has been an important part of campus since 1956. All elected officers officially begin their term June 1. All students were invited to participate in the election, which was held March 18, and winners were announced during a reveal party March 21 in the USU South Plaza.
Ӱ community members named 'Women of Distinction'
This year's "Women of Distinction" ceremony organized by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal included seven women who are part of the Ӱ community. Recognized in the Education category were alumna Sharon McLucas, owner of Forgotten Images: A Traveling Educational Exhibit and Museum, for helping to educate the public about African American history; Christine Thai, an adjunct lecturer and middle school teacher, for her dedication to children; and Kimberly Zuniga, a master’s student, for Ӱequity and inclusion. Recognized in the Community Service category was journalist Stephanie Mendez '13, '17, for her mentorship and work documenting survivors and victims of the Uvalde school shooting. Recognized in the Health category were Rita Goshert, a Child Development and Family Studies lecturer, for devoting herself to the betterment of children; Student Affairs Vice President Beth Lesen, for developing and implementing a campuswide mental health plan at Ӱ; and Mignon Richardson, an accommodations and retention counselor for the Bob Murphy Access Center, for her work on behalf of those with disabilities, as well as members of the LGBTQ and Black communities.
Have an item for Making Waves? Send your submissions to Wendy Thomas Russell.
