April 2023: Accomplishments of the CSULB community
Nicole Pricer named March Employee of the Month
Nicole Pricer, an admissions system module lead in Enrollment Services, has been named Employee of the Month for March. Pricer ’00 has been described as organized, caring and loyal and has worked in CSULB’s Enrollment Services department for 20 years. She has also worked as transfer admissions evaluator, lead athletic evaluator and assistant module lead for Academic Advising Systems.
“As an invaluable member of Enrollment Services, and module lead for the admissions team, Nicole exemplifies the very best of The Beach,” said Andrew Wright, director of admissions. “From the first day of joining the admissions team, Nicole has brought her strength as a leader, and her keen eye for details to every project and task she has been assigned. She is always eager to jump in and tackle projects, and adept at navigating the intricacies of numerous systems to ensure a smooth end-user experience.”
Pricer graduated from CSULB in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in health care administration.
John Hamilton joining Chancellor’s Office
John Hamilton, Ph.D., associate vice president of student success and equity, has been appointed to a new role as assistant vice chancellor, strategic partnerships and student success initiatives, at the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
During his time with CSULB, Hamilton was instrumental in the growth of the Guardian Scholars program, supporting current and former foster youth. Between 2015 and 2017, he served as director of the Educational Opportunity Program and Guardian Scholars.
Hamilton has also helped double participation in the Beach Pathways program, which encourages applicants from low-income communities with low rates of college admission to submit supplemental materials for holistic admissions reviews.
He also co-chaired the President’s Equity & Change Commission and served as co-chair of the Build an Equitable and Empowering Culture action zone of the Beach 2030 strategic plan.
He founded the Black Alumni Scholarship Gala, which has raised over $200,000 in scholarships. His last day at The Beach is April 28.
Beach alumnus joins Peace Corps, one of first to return abroad
Josue Antonio ’22 is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency’s global evacuation in March 2020. The Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was motivated to join the Peace Corps in order to work with different communities and expose myself to novel experiences,” said Antonio, who received a bachelor’s degree in geography. He will serve as a volunteer in Paraguay in the health sector.
Biochemistry professor selected as Fulbright scholar
Vasanthy Narayanaswami, Ph.D., a professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. scholar for 2023-24 to India. The Fulbright Scholar Award is a prestigious and competitive fellowship, presenting a multitude of opportunities for selected scholars to teach and conduct research abroad.
Narayanaswami’s endeavors as a Fulbright scholar are expected to play an important role in establishing long-term relationships between people and nations, one of CSULB’s strong suits. Her experience in India will foster international exchange through engagement with potential applicants and alumni from India.
Alumna writes Indigenous activism book
Maylei Blackwell ’92 has written a new book, “Scales of Resistance: Indigenous Women’s Transborder Activism,” which will be published by Duke University Press in May. The book tells the story of how Indigenous women’s activism in Mexico and California moves in and between local, national, continental and transborder scales. Blackwell draws from more than 70 testimonials and over 20 years of fieldwork accompanying Indigenous women activists.
Blackwell earned her bachelor’s degree from CSULB in history and interdisciplinary studies of race and gender, with a minor in Spanish. She is a professor of Chicana/o and Central American Studies at UCLA.
CSULB leaders attend Harvard leadership training
Four Beach leaders were chosen to participate in the Harvard Kennedy School’s prestigious leadership program, “Women and Power.” Karyn Scissum Gunn, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president of academic affairs; Jody Cormack, DPT, vice provost for academic programs and dean of graduate studies; and Kerry Johnson, Ph.D., associate vice president for undergraduate studies, participated earlier this month in the Public Leadership concentration. Beth Lesen, Ph.D., vice president of student affairs, will be venturing to the initiative next spring.
Women in Power is a one-week executive program designed to support women’s advancement into top positions of influence, with a focus on communication, negotiation and coalition building.
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