Updates on events, resources, & achievements.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
New Dean of the College of Health and Human Services
Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn announced on February 6 that Jennifer A. Wade-Berg will serve as the next Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, effective June 1, 2026.
Dr. Wade-Berg brings a deep wealth of experience in academic leadership, scholarship, and student success. She currently serves as a professor in the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, her work advances inclusive excellence and prepares students to be impactful human services professionals.
Dr. Wade-Berg shares “It is an honor to step into this role and partner with such an exceptional community of faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders. I look forward to building on the college’s strong foundation to advance a shared vision for intentional, innovative, and impactful health and human services education, research, and community engagement. I cannot wait to begin this new chapter together.”
Her leadership highlights include serving as Kennesaw State University’s first Chief Diversity Officer, Wellstar College’s first Assistant Dean for Student Success, and establishing several student success initiatives, including customized programming for Latinx, first-generation, and underrepresented student populations.
We’re confident that Dr. Wade-Berg will serve the College of Health and Human Services with exceptional leadership and collegiality. We are excited to welcome her to The Beach in June!
Loren J. Blanchard to Serve as President of CSULB
The California State University Board of Trustees has appointed Loren J. Blanchard as the next president of Cal State Long Beach. He will assume the presidency on May 1. Blanchard currently serves as president of the University of Houston-Downtown.
“I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to be named Cal State Long Beach’s next president,” Blanchard said. “CSULB is renowned for being a student-centered university that fosters a culture of holistic support, community engagement and inclusive excellence. I look forward to joining the Beach community in the transformational work it does every day to turn dreams into reality for thousands of diverse and talented students.”
In Memoriam: Lawrence S. Lerner
Lawrence S. Lerner, faculty emeritus of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, passed away on January 3, 2026, at the age of 91. Dr. Lerner joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at CSULB in 1969 and became emeritus in 1999, leaving a lasting impact on the university and the field of science education.
His scholarly interests included condensed matter physics, the history of science, and K–12 science education. He was a major author of the 1990 California Science Framework and served for more than 15 years as a reviewer of state science standards for the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.
We honor and thank Dr. Lerner for his many contributions to CSULB, science education, and generations of students and educators.
EVENTS
Throughout Feb. – Black History Month events
Feb. 18 – Lunar New Year 2026 Festival
Feb. 18 – Matthew H. Sommer Book Talk
Feb. 18 – Teaching that Transforms: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Action
Feb. 19 – Kleefeld Contemporary Spring 2026 Opening Celebration
Feb. 25 – Kleefeld Contemporary: Artist Talk with June Edmonds
Feb. 27 – 38th Annual Student Research Competition
Feb. 27 – Faculty Workshop: Creative Healing through Zines
Mar. 10 – Webinar: 10 Legal Protections for Loved Ones with Special Needs
POINTS OF PRIDE
Elaine Jessica C. Tamargo Selected for NASPA Emerging Faculty Leader Academy
Elaine Jessica C. Tamargo, Ph.D., has been selected by NASPA as a cohort member of the 2026–2027 Emerging Faculty Leader Academy. This competitive, yearlong program supports emerging faculty seeking to develop the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to build and sustain a fulfilling academic career.
Dr. Tamargo, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, focuses her scholarship on reconceptualizing higher education career and counseling services to better support students from immigrant backgrounds. Her selection reflects both her impactful work and her leadership in the field. Congratulations to Dr. Tamargo on this well-deserved recognition!
Health Care Management Advances to Finals of the National Case Competition
Congratulations to four Health Care Management graduate students who advanced to the finals of the UCLA Healthcare Case Management Competition, sponsored and organized by the Fielding School of Public Health. Competing among a record 92 teams, the CSULB team finished fourth overall – and made history as the first CSU team ever to advance to the finals. Only eight teams were invited to Los Angeles to present and compete, marking an exceptional achievement for our students and for The Beach.
Dr. Shabnam Sodagari Recognized as Best Performing Editor by IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Open Journal
Professor Sodagari was selected as Best Performing Editor by the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) Open Journal. IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization, with more than 486,000 members worldwide. IEEE VTS is a major international society with approximately 11,000 members globally, serving as a leading forum for research in intelligent transportation systems.
Professor Sodagari was recognized “for her exceptional reliability and sustained excellence in managing a high volume of manuscripts with remarkable timeliness.” This honor highlights her exceptional editorial leadership and CSULB’s visibility in high-impact international research communities.
CSULB Vocal Jazz WOWS at Jazz Education Network International Conference in New Orleans
Pacific Standard Time, CSULB's premier Vocal Jazz ensemble, traveled to New Orleans at the start of January to participate in and perform at the Jazz Education Network conference – an international gathering of jazz performers, educators, arrangers, composers, and students. This is the biggest gathering of jazz professionals and experts in the world, and Pacific Standard Time wowed them all. Their set of nine songs – seven of which were arranged by CSULB students or former students – was met with three standing ovations. Their penultimate song – the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill" – was met with such a long ovation that they had to ask the audience to sit down so they could sing their final piece.
Christine Guter, the head of Vocal Jazz at CSULB and the director of Pacific Standard Time, accompanied the group to New Orleans along with College of the Arts Dean Royce W. Smith. In the audience for the Pacific Standard Time performances were the administrators of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation – long-time supporters of the CSULB Vocal Jazz program.
In talking about the experience, Christine Guter said, "In all my years of leading this group and performing, I have never experienced such an overwhelming response. It means so much that the very best of our peers in jazz – people who really understand the intricacies of what we do – recognized the talent and exceptional performances our students gave, along with all the new arrangements we presented by our students. It was amazing."
Accolades
View the latest accolades and see how faculty members are contributing as experts in the news.
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IN THE NEWS
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Grants & Gifts
Stay up to date on your colleagues that have acquired the latest CSULB grants and gifts.
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GRANTS & GIFTS
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NEWS & UPDATES
COABSS Innovation Speaker Series (Virtual)
The CSU Central Office for the Advancement of Black Student Success (COABSS) invites all faculty, staff, administrators, and campus affiliates to register for the Spring 2026 Innovation Speaker Series; a three-part, virtual professional learning series focused on advancing student success across the CSU. The first workshop in the series will be facilitated by our very own Anna Ortiz, dean of the College of Education.
Enriched in the guiding principles of CSU Forward and the 13 Recommendations of the Black Student Success Plan, this series highlights equity-centered practices in teaching, student success, and career preparation, offering participants practical strategies and systemwide perspectives that can be applied across campus roles.
All sessions are virtual; please RSVP to attend.
Kleefeld Contemporary Spring 2026 Opening Celebration
February 19, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Kleefeld Contemporary invites you to their Spring 2026 Exhibition Opening Celebration! Check out their new exhibitions: Up Close: New Acquisitions, SpaceTime Collaborative: Cosmic Bloom, Jillian Thompson: Limitless, and more.
They’ll have a live DJ, free refreshments, drop-in art activities, and space for connection and conversation. This event is FREE and open to the public. Please register to attend.
How CSULB Students Used Winter Break to Embrace the Global Classroom
For many CSULB students, winter break is a time for transformative journeys around the globe. The Beach offered several short-term study abroad programs this January. Each introduced students to new ways of seeing their chosen fields – and the world.
CSULB Pow Wow at Puvungna Celebrates Native American Pride and Culture
CSULB’s longstanding tradition of celebrating Native American cultures continues March 14-15 when the 53rd annual CSULB Pow Wow at Puvungna returns to campus.
Pow Wow honors Indigenous Nations throughout North America and, for over more than half a century, has provided a gathering place for Native Americans. The event has endured as a multi-generational tradition for many families who have retained Native American languages and dances, said Craig Stone, professor emeritus of American Indian Studies and art.
Kleefeld Contemporary: Artist Talk with June Edmonds
February 25, 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Treat yourself to a special afternoon with artist June Edmonds where she will speak about her painting Silence, which is on view in the exhibition Up Close: New Acquisitions. This is a free, drop-in program. It is open to students, faculty, staff, and the public.
Save the Date: Sunstone Innovation Challenge
The Sunstone Innovation Challenge is an annual campus-wide student business plan competition. This isn't just a pitch deck presentation; it’s a high-stakes arena where the next generation of founders compete for $15K in seed funding and space, marketing, legal, and accounting services totaling up to $35k. Save the date for the event on Tuesday, April 21 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Webinar: 10 Legal Protections for Loved Ones with Special Needs
March 10, 2026, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Join Planned Giving for a free one-hour webinar, “10 Legal Protections for Loved Ones with Special Needs.” Learn practical planning strategies that can help protect your loved ones, avoid unnecessary legal hurdles, and give you greater peace of mind for the future. Please register to attend.
Matthew H. Sommer Book Talk
February 18, 2026, 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Join the University Library for a book talk with Matthew H. Sommer (Stanford University) on his book, The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China. This event is free and open to the public. Please register to attend.
Graduate Center Reduces Barriers to Graduate Program Access
The Graduate Center provides one-on-one appointments, program materials review (i.e., résumé, statement of purpose), graduate school admission preparation, and funding options for current CSULB students, alumni, and community members. With a team of 3 full-time staff and 5 graduate assistants, the Graduate Center supported over 2,400 inquiries and appointments (1,909; 552 respectively) in 2025. In addition, the Center provided detailed feedback to over 200 application materials through their program materials review service. With many careers now requiring a graduate degree at entry, the Graduate Center continues to remove barriers and increase accessibility through intentional, high-impact engagement of prospective graduate students.
CSULB Researchers Trace Climate Threat Rising Beneath California
Using groundwater monitoring data and artificial intelligence, geologist Benjamin Hagedorn and undergraduate researcher Teddy Custodio have developed a series of maps that show where rising groundwater could push contamination back toward the surface across California, potentially turning long-closed industrial sites into renewed public-health risks.
Who Will Make Waves at CSULB’s 6th Annual Grad Slam Competition?
The Graduate Center will host its 6th annual Grad Slam Competition in March. The Grad Slam is a research communication competition, in which graduate students across all disciplines must present their research, scholarly, and creative activity (RSCA) to a non-expert audience in three or fewer minutes, using just one static slide. Competitors must submit their pre-recorded entry by March 18, 2026. Winners receive cash prizes: 1st place = $500; 2nd place = $300; and 3rd place = $200!
Lunar New Year 2026 Festival
February 18, 2026, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Celebrate Lunar New Year at CSULB! Join us at The Pointe for music, food, activities, and more as we ring in the Year of the Horse together.
Spring ATS Faculty Workshops and Programs
Explore innovative and practical approaches for using technology! The ATS Spring programming calendar is now available and includes sessions on creating accessible course content, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing at the ISPACE. Self-paced professional development programs are designed to fit your schedule. Visit ATS Events and Workshops to browse the current offerings.
It's Stylish to Create Accessible Documents
When creating documents in Microsoft Word to share publicly, using the built-in "Styles" feature is not only required for accessibility, but also tremendously helpful in organizing content. Styles provide the underlying structure that people using screen readers rely on to navigate documents and create a consistent appearance for sighted readers. Get in the habit of applying styles as you write to save time later if you make changes.
At a minimum, include these basic styles in your documents: Headers, Normal (or Body Text), and Lists (bullets). Headings define sections of the document and should be applied in a logical, hierarchical order (e.g., don't skip from Heading 1 to Heading 3):
- Heading 1: title of the document; there should only be one
- Heading 2: major sections of content
- Heading 3: subsections of Heading 2 content
There are many default styles available in MS Word that you can modify to create new styles that best suit your preferences.
For more tips on creating accessible content, visit Accessible Technology Best Practices.
38th Student Research Competition
The purpose of the Annual Student Research Competition is to showcase excellence in scholarly research, and highlight creative activity conducted by CSULB undergraduate and graduate students. The Student Research Competition will feature oral presentations to an audience of fellow students, university community members, and a jury of distinguished faculty. Join us at the 38th Annual Student Research Competition on Friday, February 27, 2026, and cheer on our students as they share their inspiring research and creative ideas. For more information, visit the Student Research Competition webpage.
CSULB's Mohamed Abdelhamid Places People at the Center of AI
Artificial intelligence can prompt, depending on the individual, feelings of excitement, anxiety or confusion. As more businesses deploy the technology, CSULB’s Mohamed Abdelhamid wants students to know how the tool can be used responsibly.
Fourth Annual Week of Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity
The Week of Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity (RSCA) fourth annual event will take place at CSULB on April 20 - 24, 2026. This event will focus on highlighting some of the amazing work currently being done across CSULB by students, staff, and faculty. We hope to show the immense value and importance that the projects have not only on the campus but also within local communities. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet with presenters, have dialogues regarding various scientific and social topics, and network with members from various disciplines across CSULB. Week of RSCA encourages everyone to not only engage with the sessions that are related to their own disciplines but also attend and engage with those that are outside of their own disciplines. For more information, visit the Week of Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity webpage.
CSULB Art Grads Illustrate the Storyboards that Bring Hollywood Blockbusters to Life
As they discovered their love of storytelling through hand-drawn illustrations, or found their unique style through animated images, CSULB students and alumni have excelled as storyboard artists, working for some of the biggest film and TV studios in the industry.
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program (MMUF) is committed to broadening the range of scholarly perspectives in the US academy, with focus on the humanities and the humanistic social sciences. Its name honors Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the noted African American educator, statesman, minister, and former president of Morehouse College. Through a pipeline process that emphasizes mentoring, research support, programming, and student cohort building, MMUF identifies and supports students of great promise to help them become scholars and professionals of the highest distinction. The application due date is Friday, March 6, 2026, at 5 p.m. For more information, visit the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship webpage.
- MMUF: Virtual Info Session #2
- Date: 2/23/2026
- Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
- Location: Virtual
Undergraduate Research Informational Sessions
At CSULB we have research programs that are designed to help students get hands-on research experiences and be mentored by professors in their major. Join one of the Info Sessions to learn how the Office of Undergraduate Research Services and CSULB research programs can support students! You will hear from program representatives and current undergraduate researchers about the benefits, requirements, and application process as well as their research experience. Time is allotted at the end for questions from the audience.
- Undergraduate Research Programs: Virtual Info Session #2
- Date: 2/12/2026
- Time: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
- Location: Virtual
New Faculty Academy: Supporting Early-Career Success at The Beach
The New Faculty Academy Canvas Course is designed for pre-tenure faculty and lecturers in their first five years at CSULB, offering structured support as you navigate being a new faculty member at The Beach. This series explores key areas including engaging classroom teaching, advising and mentoring students, building a research agenda, managing service, surviving faculty politics, and understanding the Retention, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP) and evaluation process. Sessions feature expert guest speakers from across campus who share practical insights and guidance. Sign up to learn more about the series – the next session takes place on February 24.
Faculty Workshop: Creative Healing through Zines
Sharla Berry, College of Education, will lead faculty through a hands-on zine making workshop on Friday, February 27 from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. Participants will learn about the process of conceptualizing and producing zines, have hands-on experience with materials, and share their work with the group. This workshop will pay special attention to trauma healing.
Submissions Open for March INSIDE Academic Affairs Newsletter
Submit items for our March edition by March 2. Please email submissions to AA Communications. Submissions should be brief and include a related hyperlink.
Please note, we cannot guarantee that all submitted items will be published. However, submission items can be used to share in other channels (i.e. social media, news story, etc.).
