September 2023: Accomplishments of the CSULB community
Oliver Espejo Mamangun named August Employee of the Month
Oliver Espejo Mamangun, an assistant director of scholarships in Enrollment Services’ Financial Aid department, has been named Employee of the Month for August.
Mamangun, who has worked for 15 years in education and nonprofit organizations, has helped various Beach departments with answers to inquiries, particularly as they have related to financial aid.
“Oliver has been a positive support through the year as the Career Development Center navigated the process of scholarship work completion,” said Jina Flores, associate director of the Career Development Center. “Despite the demands on his time, Oliver would always provide a comfortable space for us to ask questions when we were in doubt. We appreciate his kindness and patience.”
University photographer named finalist in Photo of the Year contest
Sean DuFrene, a photographer in Strategic Communications, has won second place in the CSU’s 2023 Photo of the Year competition. The announcement was made Sept. 12 during the CSU’s annual Board of Trustees meeting.
DuFrene’s photograph captures dancer Juan Ayala of the Chichimeca tribe, performing in Walter Pyramid as part of the Chicano-Latino Graduation Celebration during the 2023 Commencement. The photographer said the performance and image represent “a great display of the heritage of Cal State Long Beach’s large Latino student population.”
DuFrene has been a photographer for The Beach since October 2016.
HACU picks leaders from The Beach
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has selected Daniel Montoya, vice president of University Relations and Development, as one of 50 fellows in the fifth cohort of the association’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. The one-year program is designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education.
HACU has also selected three CSULB leaders for the inaugural cohort of its Enlace Mid-level Leadership Program. Elyzza M. Aparicio, Ph.D., director of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program; Manuel Romero, associate director of the Clorinda Donato Center for Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies; and Norma R. Salcedo, Ed.D., director of the Dream Success Center are among the 56 participants chosen for the program, which will begin in October and continue through April 2024.
The six-month development program is designed to increase the number, quality and variety of Latino/a talent in leadership positions at Hispanic-serving institutions and in higher education overall.
Professor wins Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award
Maria Carpiac, Ph.D., a professor in family and consumer sciences and director of CSULB’s Gerontology Program, has won first place in the 2023 Cognella Innovation in Teaching Awards for Family Science, in partnership with the National Council for Family Relations. Carpiac was recognized for her development of the course, “Women and Aging: Lessons from the Golden Girls,” and will receive $1,000 as part of the award.
The awards will be presented at the NCFR Annual Conference, Nov. 8-11, in Orlando, Florida, and/or as part of the conference’s virtual program.
Alumna chosen as director of Long Beach Police oversight
The Long Beach City Council has appointed Francine Kerridge ’09 as its first director of police oversight for the city, after a nationwide search. The position will provide leadership for the city’s new Office of Police Oversight and will work to support and collaborate with the new Police Oversight Commission. Kerridge will help ensure accountability and input from the community regarding the police and will oversee systemic reviews and audits of police policies, training, use of force, complaints and general operating practices.
Prior to joining the city, Kerridge served as the inspector general for Sacramento County, where she conducted investigations and audits of community complaints of Sacramento County sheriff deputies. She obtained her Master of Science degree in emergency management from CSULB, as well as a criminal justice degree from Madonna University in Michigan.
Films by recent graduates to screen on KCET
Two short films by recent CSULB graduates will air on public television next month during the KCET Fine Cut Festival of Films. “Nido de mi Vida,” directed by Ivy Gonzalez ’23, will air during the program “Claim My Place” at 10 p.m. Oct. 6. And “My Mothers’ Daughter,” directed by Samantha Iniguez ’23, will air during the program “Finding Good in the Bad” at 10 p.m. Oct. 13.
Gonzalez graduated with a B.F.A. in illustration from the School of Art, while Iniguez graduated with a bachelor’s degree in film and electronic media from the film & electronic arts department. Iniguez, whose film explores the unspoken love between generations of women in one family, said, “After weeks of trial and error mixed with lots of love and patience, we were able to compose something we love and are proud of. Being able to share that with a broader audience is exhilarating; we can’t wait!"
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