Chem-E car victory powers month of honors and new titles at ��

Chem-E car team places first in nation

A group of �� students stands together as two hold a small robot and a trophy. — Chem-E Car team

Building on its recent first place regional title, ��’s Chem-E Car team returned home with a second-place international finish for its vehicle Sharkus Electrus. The 2025 AIChE Annual Student Conference was held in Boston this year, where 55 teams of chemical engineering students from around the world competed. The Beach team, which beat out all other U.S. teams, showcased a car that stopped just 7 centimeters from the 19.54-meter target — showing near pinpoint control under strict competition rules. Sharkus Electrus is the first Chem-E Car to place using a thermoelectric generator propulsion system, a rarely used approach that signals the team’s appetite for innovation and calculated risk. The result capped months of early mornings and late nights in the lab as students refined their design and race strategy.

Men’s water polo caps strong title run

A �� men’s water polo team gathers at the pool edge during a match. — Men's water polo match

Long Beach State men’s water polo team closed a standout season with a hard-fought 12-11 loss to UC Davis in the final in Irvine. Despite the narrow defeat, Long Beach State secured the Big West regular season championship and is likely to finish in the nation’s Top 10. The team completed the year with a 17-9 overall record, underscoring the program’s continued rise. Third-year student , a repeat First Team All-Big West selection, helped power that success, finishing second on the team with 59 goals and tying the program’s single-game scoring record with eight goals against No. 5 Fordham. Francisco and his teammates now turn their focus to offseason training, aiming to build on their momentum for an even deeper postseason run next year.

Linguistics scholar traces evolution of Krio

Malcolm Awadajin Finney sits smiling beside the cover of his book. — Malcolm Awadajin Finney with the cover of his book

Linguistics Professor Malcolm Awadajin Finney has published “Contact and Evolution in the History of Krio (The Creole Lingua Franca of Sierra Leone),” a comprehensive account of how centuries of language contact shaped Krio. Drawing on his long-standing research on first and second language acquisition, bilingualism and creole grammars, Finney examines how universal linguistic patterns have influenced Krio’s sound system and structure, with implications for understanding African American English as well. His work situates Krio within broader debates about how languages emerge, change and support community identity. The Linguistics Department recently hosted a campus gathering where Finney discussed the book’s key findings, connecting his scholarship to classroom teaching and to the lived experiences of multilingual speakers.

Professor honored for Latinx literary studies

Loretta Victoria Ramirez holds up a copy of her book, The Wound and the Stitch — Loretta Victoria Ramirez and the cover of her book

Loretta Victoria Ramirez, associate professor of Latinx rhetoric and composition, recently earned an honorable mention from the Modern Language Association for her book “” Ramirez’s research traces visual and rhetorical traditions across continents and centuries, incorporating Indigenous heritages that, as she writes, “shape Chicanx art together, in parallel, and in discord with medieval Iberian influences.” The recognition places Ramirez among a distinguished group celebrated for advancing United States Latina and Latino and Chicana and Chicano literary and cultural studies. Her work highlights the healing and transformative potential of the wound as a critical framework, reflecting a broader commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry in the humanities. The MLA will present the award at its annual convention in January.

Student leader earns regional pageant title

A person wearing a tiara and pageant sash sits smiling in front of holiday lights. — Jada O'Connor

Jada O’Connor, a fourth-year accountancy student in the College of Business, has been named Miss Southern California 2026, an honor that reflects her growing commitment to community engagement. Crowned last month in Long Beach, O’Connor serves as treasurer for the and participates as a college peer advisor in University Outreach and School Relations, where she helps incoming students navigate their path to higher education. She credits her inspiration to compete to Nancy Luong ‘09, a former Miss Southern California she met through the Student Leadership Institute course at the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership. Directed by Justin Rudd of the Community Action Team, the pageant program expands O’Connor’s opportunities to serve Long Beach, a city she credited with supporting her journey.

November Employee of the Month: Coordinator Carmen Arredondo

Employee of the Month Carmen Arredondo stands under a sign with that name while holding an award. — Carmen Arredondo

Known for turning Beachside Village into a welcoming hub for transfer and nontraditional students, staffer Carmen Arredondo has been named . As a coordinator in University Housing & Residential Life, Arredondo leads the Transfer Learning Community at Beachside, where she focuses on helping nontraditional and transfer students feel a true sense of belonging at The Beach. Through feedback sessions, meet-and-greets and casual teatime gatherings, she creates supportive spaces for students to ask questions, connect and access guidance. Colleagues praised her blend of empathy and accountability in mentoring resident advisors. A first-generation college student with experience at UC Riverside and Oregon State University, Arredondo said her work is guided by a single principle: “Be who the younger you needed.”

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