When artist Cristina Martinez came to CSUDH in 2023, she saw a campus population unlike any other. As Presidential Artist-in-Residence, Martinez had brought her work to the Leo F. Cain Library for an exhibit where the entire community could experience her art. But the exhibit would not be her only contribution.

Visit campus now, and you’ll see a striking new addition to the side of the library building: a huge mural Martinez created, titled “Women in Bloom.” Its colorful depiction of a panoply of women stretches across the library’s exterior wall, peering down at passing Toros with wonder and appreciation.

“I like to have as many people as possible see themselves in my work, especially when it’s going to be on the side of a building like this,” said Martinez. “In thinking about the students, I wanted to incorporate many different skin tones. Specifically, I wanted to create something that would let the women of CSUDH feel empowered, seen, and heard.”

It was President Thomas A. Parham who brought Martinez to campus as artist-in-residence. At the unveiling ceremony for the mural, Parham lauded its bold expression of women of all colors, shapes, and sizes.

“CSUDH is a campus with 61 percent women students, so to be able to see that reflected here, showing women in bloom, aligns perfectly with our campus mission of helping students reach the fullest expression of all they’re meant to become,” he said.

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“I believe the best way to talk about African music is from the perspective of Africans themselves,” says Oghenevwarho Ojakovo, an assistant professor of music at CSUDH and director of the Center for African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians.

For the past year, Ojakovo has embarked on an aggressive campaign to bring African musicians and scholars to campus. This has recently included Emaeyak Peter Sylvanus of the University of Nigeria and Charrise Barron from Harvard University, who spoke about the ways sacred African music interacts with other forms of music or even political protest.

The Center also gathers song scores, recordings, and videos of performances from churches and artists in Southern California for its growing archive in the Gerth Archives and Special Collections. These include original scores from composer and songwriter Jester Hairston and recordings by choral conductor and ethnomusicologist Albert J. McNeil.

“These archives will become a reservoir of information and inspiration for future generations to look back and see where this music comes from and how it has evolved,” says Ojakovo.

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When alumni have come back to CSUDH over the last few years, they’ve often said some version of the same thing: With so many new facilities, the campus looks great these days.

That will continue to happen, as the university has not one but four major projects currently underway, all of them slated to open within the next two years. It’s a $228 million investment in transforming CSUDH’s culture and impact, enhancing the experience of thousands of current and future Toros, giving them even more opportunities to live, learn, and be well during their time here on campus.

Projects currently under construction include:

• The Affordable Student Housing and Dining Commons will be a game-changer for on-campus life, expanding on the success of the Student Residence Hall that opened in 2021. The four-story facility will house 288 students and include the university’s first dining facility for residential students. Opening in Fall 2026.
• The three-story Student Health, Wellness & Recreation Center will be a hub for physical and mental well-being, offering a gymnasium with activity courts, an elevated running track, fitness rooms, an outdoor pool, a dance studio, and offices. This facility will also house psychological and health services, nutritional counseling, and stress-reduction resources, emphasizing a holistic approach to student wellness. It’s also expected to open in Fall 2026.
• The new Orthotics and Prosthetics Center brings CSUDH’s nationally recognized O&P program (related: Jillian Elwart, Zoe the dog) back to the Carson campus from its current location in Los Alamitos. At 6,561 square feet, the facility will offer a cutting-edge space to educate the next generation of specialists. Opening in December 2025.
• 2025 will also see the completion of the Electrical Switchyard and new heat pumps at the campus’s central plant, which will increase power capacity while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“As a university founded to provide access and opportunity, we are thrilled to welcome these incredible additions,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. “They will serve as a testament to our progress and aspirations, create meaningful jobs to keep students on campus, and align the excellence our students are capable of with the amenities and resources that facilitate achieving those outcomes.”

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On Friday, February 7, 2025 California State University, Dominguez Hills hosted a landmark event celebrating the launch of the state’s new Black Serving Institution designation.

The event brought together state leaders, educators, and students to discuss the program’s potential impact on racial justice and academic success in California’s higher education system.

The event also served as a platform for discussing future opportunities to ensure that diverse institutions successfully drive equitable outcomes. As the program takes root, it is expected to inspire other states to consider similar initiatives, potentially reshaping the national conversation on equity in higher education.

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CSUDH already meets the standard set by the State of California to qualify as a “Black serving institution”—a new initiative intended to recognize and support colleges and universities that excel at educating Black students.

But looking only at a numerical thresholds, such as the number of Black students enrolled at an institution, doesn’t tell the whole story of “servingness,” as President Thomas A. Parham notes.

“Servingness involves providing Black students with resources and surrounding them with a cultural ambiance that allows space for their cultural heritage to be elevated in ways that profoundly support and affirm their individual dignity, humanity, and sense of belonging,” Parham says.

Black servingness is rooted in the notion that Black student excellence is interdependent with the success and development of Black faculty, staff, and administrators. The CSUDH model rests on three pillars: supporting the professional development of Black faculty, staff, and administrators; a dedication to recruiting, retaining, and graduating Black students; and creating a holistic approach to enhancing the development of scholars and professionals, nurturing the development of the whole individual.

Black professionals at CSUDH have played a critical role of nurturing Black students’ academic success, elevating their professional development and intentionally building bridges to connect scholars to career opportunities. Our Black professional leadership serves as a model of excellence and promotes success for all students.

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