College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Congratulations to Psychology major Grace Quinowski! Grace received an Honorable Mention Award for her first-ever poster presented at the 2023 Society for Personality Assessment Convention held in Austin, Texas, over spring break.  She is shown in the photo, center, with mentor and co-presenter Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology Dr. Danielle Burchett, left, and Nathan Victoria, CAE, Executive Director of the Society for Personality Assessment.  The poster presentation topic:  Examining the Initial Elevation Phenomenon with MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF Items Administered in a Forensic Inpatient Setting.  

Congratulations, Grace!

Congratulations to Cinematic Arts & Technology alum Eugenia V. Rentería on the sold-out world premiere of her film Strawberry Picker at the 2023 Watsonville Film Festival.  From a little boy growing up in labor camps and attending Watsonville schools to a world-class artist, Strawberry Picker is a documentary short film that looks at generations of struggle and resilience in the Chicano art community through the experiences of Juan R. Fuentes, whose work honors farmworkers.  

Eugenia is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Inspira Studios.  While the film is currently making its way through other film festivals, you can check out the teaser here at Inspira Studios:  Strawberry Picker — Inspira Studios (inspira-studios.com)

Congratulations, Eugenia!

Congratulations to Hannah Fulton, Japanese Language & Culture major and Visual & Public Art minor, who was recently awarded the Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship for the 2022-23 academic year.  Hanna will study at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan.  Upon her return from Japan, she hopes to complete her degree and apply for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET).  For more information on Hanna, the scholarship, and other awardees, please visit the U.S.-Japan Council's 2022-23 Watanabe Scholars (American Students) page.  Congratulations, Hannah!

Congratulations to CSUMB students and alumni from the spring 2021 Cinematic Arts & Technology Environmental Media Arts class:

• • Ross Blackie
  • Katherine Divas-Juarez
  • Maritza Juarez
  • Ranulfo Martinez
  • Arturo Mejia
  • Victoria Simmonds
  • Maddy Willey with crop science research by Grace Hardy 

Their films will be featured in the MexiCali Biennial exhibition series. The first exhibition will open at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History on September 2 to be followed by an exhibition at the Cheech Marin Center opening on February 11. Three more exhibitions will be announced soon.   A poster in the exhibition will link to a program of their films, and a special screening of the films will take place at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History on October 16. August, 2022 Congratulations to all!  

Congratulations to CSUMB students and alumni from the spring 2021 Cinematic Arts & Technology Visual Design class:

Maddy Willey, Katie Batura, Marco Chavelas, Jiya Day, Leonardo Diaz, Yasmeen Gonzalez, Nicholas Goodnight, Fiona Leahy, Austin Narayan, Ty Ortega, Emma Pearult, Paloma Ronquillo, Victoria Simmonds, Bailey Warner, and Isabella Wilkinson

Their artwork from the course is featured on the JPL-NASA Junocam Mission website.  Special congratulations to Maddie Willey, whose image has been curated into a special collection by NASA's Communication team.  For more information, please visit Professor Enid Baxter Ryce's page on the project.

Congratulations to HCOM rising senior Cynthia Vargas, her first poem, "Small Purple Flowers," was published in Volume 4 of Writing Waves.  Cynthia noted she enjoyed working with the team to make her dream come true. 

The Writing Waves Academic Journal is a compilation of multi-genre submissions from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students, and edited by upper-division students, with the goal of promoting student leadership, activism, and resume-building. Writing Waves publishes creative work, research essays, art, and everything in-between by students at CSUMB.  Dr. Kelly Medina López, HCOM Assistant Professor, serves as Associate Editor.  

Congratulations to PSY student Nevan Bell, who earned first place at the 26th Annual CSU Student Research Competition hosted by San Francisco State University April 29 & 30, 2022! 

Competition Category:  Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration
Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Jennifer Lovell, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology 

Campus Policing and How to Improve Sense of Safety:  Our research highlights the perceptions of campus policing and improving a sense of safety and belonging for students, faculty, staff, and administration. The goal was to help identify the experiences and feelings of the community to better assess ways in which we can meet the needs for more mental health resources, police reform, and bolstered community connection between police and community members. The results of this research will better help the campus community by not only allowing for all students to feel heard, but allows for the voices of the staff, faculty, and admin to influence the next steps in informing for ways to address our police force and safety.

Congratulations to CAHSS students C.K. Choongh, Spencer Winter, and all the CSUMB delegates who competed:

Ellre Villanueva-Ancheta & Lauren Frey~ Master of Science Physician Assistant
The Effects of Near-Peer Mentorship on Aspiring Physician Assistant Student Confidence
Faculty Mentor: Nicole Reichhart, MSPA, PA-C
Competition Category: Education

Gagandeep C.K. Choongh~ Psychology & Business
Cultural Appreciation: A Case Study on Conducting Cross-Cultural Research
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jenny Lin
Competition Category: Behavioral and Social Sciences

Rachel Frese~ Kinesiology
Rock Steady Boxing Exercise Both Maintains and Improves Physical Function in People with Parkinson’s Disease
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Maria Bellumori
Competition Category: Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences

Erika Hernandez- Gonzalez~ Business Administration
Green Skepticism: Examining the Role of Social Media Influencers on Consumer Attitudes Towards Green Brands
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jenny Lin
Competition Category: Business, Economics, and Public Administration

Spencer Winter~ Molecular Biology; Human Development
Speckled Sanddab Cell Proliferation During Adult Neurogenesis
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Zurine De Miguel (Psychology)
Competition Category: Biological and Agricultural Sciences

To read the June 2022 University-level feature article by Kera Abraham, please click here.

Congratulations to Jianshan Chen Khalsa, Psychology major, selected as the 2022 recipient of the Dean's Medalist Award. The deans of CSUMB’s five colleges select one outstanding graduating senior each year for the Dean’s Medalist award. Recipients must carry a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, have made significant contributions to students or the university, and shown leadership as a positive agent for innovation and action. 

Jianshan Chen Khalsa is a first-generation college graduate, earning summa cum laude academic honors. She transferred to CSUMB from Hartnell College in 2020 and will continue her education as a graduate student in CSUMB’s School Psychology Program. She grew up in a remote farming village in Guangdong Province, China, where she dropped out of high school to support her family. 

She moved to California in 2016 to pursue her dream of becoming an educator. She plans to become a school psychologist to help diverse student populations receive the services they need to help them thrive and succeed.

For the full article from CSUMB's Sophia Huang McKenzie, please visit the Dean's Medalist news listing.  Congratulations to all!  

Congratulations to Amaris Luis, Japaense Language and Culture major and Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures minor,  selected as the 2022 recipient of the Alumni Vision Award. This award is given in recognition to the graduating student (graduate or undergraduate) who best exemplifies the Vision of CSU Monterey Bay of preparing leaders for a collaborative, multicultural society. The Alumni Vision Award is awarded to a student who:

• manifests the beliefs and tenets of the Vision statement through personal example, voice, and initiative;
• is a powerful spokesperson whose words touch and move others in promoting the Vision;
• has provided leadership in a project or activity that extended the Vision into the lives of others, especially in the areas of bridging social/economic divides, empowering education, celebrating diversity, and promoting understanding and respect for other cultures and global awareness;
• is in good standing and not on probation of any kind;
• and is an undergraduate or graduate with a degree award date of Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or Summer 2022.

The award was presented at Honors Convocation Saturday, April 30, 12:30 pm, in the Otter Student Union Ballroom.  The program from the event is available online.  Congratulations!  

Congratulations to VPA student Taylor Paige Prentiss, the Monterey Regional Waste Management District Artist in Residence Fellow.  Her art installation Home: the Things We Carry will be on display at the Last Chance Mercantile May 3-7, 9 am-4pm, with a special reception and artist meet and greet Thursday, May 5, 2-4 pm. 

Paige’s AIR art installation will feature sculptures that explore the idea of home. “Home is different for each person and is constantly changing,” said Paige. “These pieces are meant to challenge the audience’s idea of home while connecting to individuals who do not have traditional homes.” 

About the Residency: Taylor Paige Prentiss, a Visual and Public Art (VPA) student at California State University, Monterey Bay, is the 2022 Artist in Residence (AIR) at the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD) and Last Chance Mercantile. The AIR Program is a partnership between MRWMD, CSUMB’s VPA department, and the Last Chance Mercantile. Since 2016, student artists from the Visual and Public Art Department are selected for a fellowship at MRWMD, which is managed by Associate Professor of Sculpture, Installation, and Community Engaged Practice, Dionicio Mendoza. The artists work with materials in the salvage yard at the Last Chance Mercantile. While on-site, they have access to salvaged materials in the store as well as the Materials Recovery Facility that processes the community’s recyclable items. The art they create during the residency is displayed in a week-long exhibition at the Last Chance Mercantile.

“We are proud to continue this great tradition and relationship with the local art community and CSU Monterey Bay,” said Felipe Melchor, general manager of MRWMD. “Taylor’s impactful work will help inspire creative reuse and educate our community about the importance of repurposing and upcycling materials.”

About the Artist: Taylor Paige Prentiss is a mixed media artist from Los Angeles. Her mediums include sculpture, illustration, digital art, and photography. She will graduate with a B.A. in Visual and Public Art from CSUMB in May 2022.

Artist Website: www.taylorpaigeart.com 

2012 HCOM Alum Desiree Sheppard chose CSUMB because she knew she wanted to work in journalism and media studies after speaking with an advisor at a college fair. Not only did CSUMB’s affordable tuition rates influence Sheppard’s decision but she also wanted to still enjoy the scenic beach views she grew up seeing in SoCal. Sheppard credits the university’s internship program for helping her get to where she is today.  She was featured in the March-April 2022 Alma Otter Newsletter, read the full article here.  

Psychology student Jordan Cursi was awarded a $5,000 grant by Providence health care for her proposal to conduct a clinical research study this year. The goal of Cursi’s study, titled “Stress Levels of the Adolescent Population,” is to see if Latinx teens have higher levels of stress and different coping methods than non-Latinx teens. She will also study familismo, or familism.  Read the full story.