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• Donna J. Nicol, Ph.D., named next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts – Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn announced on May 13 that Donna J. Nicol, Ph.D., has accepted our offer and will serve as the next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, effective July 1, 2026. 

  Dr. Nicol brings extensive experience in academic leadership, scholarship, and student success. She currently serves as Associate Dean, Personnel and Curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts at California State University, Long Beach. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, her work strengthens academic programs, centers faculty and student success, and advances inclusive excellence for ALL students. 

  Dr. Nicol shares, “I am honored and humbled by this appointment, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our faculty, staff, students, and Provost Scissum Gunn for entrusting me with this responsibility. I am committed to listening, leading with integrity and equity-mindedness, and ensuring that the College of Liberal Arts continues to be a place where every member of our community can thrive."
   

• Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn, Ph.D., receives inaugural Dr. Jane Close Conoley Leadership Award - Karyn Scissum Gunn, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, was honored with the inaugural Dr. Jane Close Conoley Leadership Award by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. She was recognized at the Women’s Recognition Celebration on May 6 for her exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing inclusive excellence at The Beach.

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• Where astronomy meets the dance floor: ºÚÁÏÍø’s boldest new course - Physics and Astronomy Professor Joel Zinn and Dance Professor Rebecca Bryant are developing a new course, tentatively titled Galactic Bodies in Motion (ASTR 330/DANCE 330). The two received a grant to workshop a dual-disciplinary curriculum that uses movement to teach astronomy.

No updates at this time.

• Professor Jolan Smith on training future teachers to advocate for marginalized families in special ed - Jolan Smith is deeply motivated to prepare her students to support children with disabilities. The associate professor in advanced studies in education and counseling specializes in families whose kids are in special education, with a focus on Black families and children. Smith is also training the next generation of underrepresented educators, serving as the faculty advisor for the Mary Jane Patterson Scholarships on campus, and the lead for the Future Black Educators (FBE) Network.

• Department of Health Science celebrates 60th anniversary - The College of Health and Human Services recently celebrated the 60th Anniversary of its Department of Health Science, highlighting the department’s history, student achievements, and future plans. 
   
• CHHS Class of 2026 student spotlights - As we wrap up another school year and our 2026 graduates prepare for their commencement celebrations, the College of Health and Human Services wanted to know how graduating seniors felt about their last year at ºÚÁÏÍø and how it has shaped their success professionally, academically, and personally. We asked seniors to submit their stories sharing the incredible work they did in relation to overcoming challenges, advancing social justice, and serving their community.
   
• Kaleb Reilly ‘26 awarded APTA Mary McMillan Scholarship - The College of Health and Human Services and the Department of Physical Therapy is thrilled to announce that Kaleb Reilly (ºÚÁÏÍø DPT ‘26) has been awarded the APTA Mary McMillan Scholarship! Named in honor of Mary McMillan, founder of the American Physical Therapy Association, this highly competitive national scholarship is awarded to a select, small group of physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students each year who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and professional potential as they near completion of their programs.
   
• Dr. Marissa Hansen named Director of the School of Social Work - The College of Health and Human Services announced that Associate Professor Dr. Marissa Hansen has been named the next Director of the School of Social Work, effective fall 2026. She will succeed Dr. Nancy Meyer-Adams, who has led the school with distinction for the past 12 years.
   
• Annette Rodrigues, MSG, appointed Executive Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute - The College of Health and Human Services announced that Annette Rodrigues, MSG, has been appointed the next Executive Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, taking over for Patti LaPlace who currently serves in the position.

See Academic Affairs.

• CNSM Student Council awarded Outstanding Event of the Year award for Nobel Laureate event - Congratulations to the , which was recently awarded the  for our Nobel Laureate event. The award was received at the annual Celebration of Leadership, hosted by the Lois J. Swanson Leadership Resource Center and Student Development.
   
• Graduate student Amber Peek earns top distinctions across research competitions - ºÚÁÏÍø biochemistry graduate student Amber Peek has had an outstanding semester, earning top distinctions across multiple research competitions. Peek received the Don Eden Graduate Research Award (CSUBIOTECH), placed first in both the ºÚÁÏÍø Student Research Competition and the CSU Student Research Competition, and placed first at the ºÚÁÏÍø Grad Slam and second in the CSU Grad Slam. These accomplishments reflect Amber’s exceptional talent, discipline, and growth at ºÚÁÏÍø, supported by the mentorship of Dr. Deepali Bhandari and Dr. Jiae Lee. Amber’s success also highlights the strength of ºÚÁÏÍø’s research and graduate training environment.

• Jennifer Nolasco selected as Faculty Excellence and Innovation recipient for the 2025-26 Edward M. McAleer Jr. Excellence and Innovation Award - The CSU Commission on Professional and Continuing Education (CPaCE) Awards and Recognition Committee (ARC) Community of Practice (CoP) has selected Jennifer Nolasco as a Faculty Excellence and Innovation recipient for the 2025-26 !

• Graduate Center prepares for upcoming GRE Prep Course and LSAT Prep Course this summer - With the spring 2026 semester coming to a close, the Graduate Center is gearing up to offer exam prep courses. We host a free 4-session LSAT prep course in June, and a free 6-session GRE prep course in July. Both courses are taught by Bill Ackerman, who has more than 20+ years of experience. The prep courses are free to students, eliminating one of the many barriers to apply to graduate programs. Registration for both prep courses is now open! 
   
• Graduate Center’s Grad Student Study Night helps graduate students prepare for finals - The Graduate Center hosted the Graduate Student Study Night on Wednesday, May 6! All graduate students were given a dedicated space to prepare for finals while being nourished. The Graduate Center thanks the Office of the Provost for providing goodie bags filled with essentials for our graduate students! It was a hit! 
   

• Dean of Graduate Studies honors 141 graduate students for their academic achievements - The Dean of Graduate Studies honored 141 graduate students with the following awards:

  • Graduate Student Dean’s List of University Scholars & Artists (43 students)
  • Graduate Student Honors (95 students)
  • Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award (awarded to Jason M. Lu – EdD, Education Leadership Community College/Higher Education)
  • Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Project Award (awarded to Georgette Shobeiri â€“ MS, Gerontology)
  • Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Thesis Award (awarded to Daniel S. Erdody â€“ MS, Microbiology)

  These awards recognize graduate students for their academic achievements, leadership, and scholarly or creative activity. Join us as we celebrate these students! 

• Ehsan Madadi receives $200k NSF grant - Assistant Professor Ehsan Madadi from the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department received $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to study multiscale dynamics of molecular mixing and chemical reaction in multiphase systems. The applications of this work include power generation, refrigeration, and electronics cooling. This grant was awarded under the new Emerging Research Institution (ERI) category. 
   
• CECS student team places first at AI-based Hardware Attacks Challenge - A student team from Computer Engineering and Computer Science won first place at the AI-based Hardware Attacks Challenge at the 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Hardware Oriented Security and Trust in Washington, D.C. this past weekend. The student team was comprised of Marissa Marcarelli, Paris Talebi, and Hasala Seneviranthne, and was advised by Professor Amin Rezaei. 

No updates at this time.

• Librarian Alexis Pavenick awarded FRA-IE grant - Librarian Alexis Pavenick has been awarded the FRA-IE Grant for her project, AI Across the Disciplines: A Student-Led Inclusive Inquiry into the Future of Their Fields. The funding will be used for stipends to 10 ºÚÁÏÍø students, representing all of our colleges, to research how AI is reshaping their fields. A call for student participants will go out in fall 2026.