CSUSB CAL Podcast Series: Recent Episodes
Kelli
The CSUSB CAL Podcast Series explores Arts and Humanities interviewing faculty, staff and students. Cal State University, San Bernardino's official CAL website: https://www.csusb.edu/cal
Dr. Mumma is now in his 13th year in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Letters at CSUSB. He teaches the department's logic courses. His research is in logic and the philosophy of mathematics. He received his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University for a dissertation on the logic of geometric diagrams. He has since moved on to the connection of the logic of elementary arithmetic to counting. John is very athletic in his spare time playing pick-up soccer in his hometown of Claremont.
Alicia Escobedo, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a graduate of the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders. Her research focuses on typical and atypical language development in bilingual children through community-based research methods. Alicia recently completed her Certification of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology. Her dissertation work was funded by an NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award.
When we get to her hobbies, you'll love what she does in her free time!
Mr. Duffie is an exciting addition to our Department of Art & Design at Cal State San Bernardino. Wait until you hear about his background and work projects before he landed at CSUSB. Very impressive! Rafael graduated with an MFA in Animation & Visual Effects from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. His MFA focus is on 3D modeling and sculpting characters for feature films and video games. Professor Duffie held positions at Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Los Angeles prior to joining our university. Adding to his resume he also worked at The Institute of Creative Technology at the University of Southern California, Research Laboratory as a digital technical artist. Find out what he has planned for our students and campus with a listen to his interview.
Dr. Shafiq Rahman is an esteemed member of our tenured faculty at Cal State San Bernardino. He is an expert in communication studies and has done research, writings and teachings on international communication. He describes his time in his native Bangladesh and the educational path that led him to the United States. It is delightful to hear about his journey from tropical Southeast Asia to the cold, rain and snow of Nebraska. Why did Dr. Rahman chose international communication as his life's work? Find out with a listen to this interview with our Communication & Media professor.
Dr. Julie Taylor is not an idle person! She teaches many courses in Communication & Media with a specialization in Organizational Communication. She is also the Department's Faculty Advisor. In addition, Julie is the Co-Director at The Speaking Center at JHBC (the CSUSB business college).
During our interview you learn about her upbringing in lovely Colorado. Does that make her "outdoorsy?" Listen and she'll go over that fun fact.
For someone who didn't like school, Dr. Taylor stayed on through her Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degree with encouragement from advisors. That's why she believes faculty advisors are crucial to a student's success. And perhaps it's why she was awarded the "Outstanding Faculty Advisor" for the 2023-2024 academic year at Cal State University, San Bernardino.
To learn more about Dr. Julie Taylor, here's an excerpt from her bio on her research and teaching interests:
As a teacher and scholar, my role is not that of an expert but one of a guide, mentor, and facilitator. My duties in the classroom are several -- to reveal alternatives; embrace difference and dialogue; engage students and guide them where I can; figure out the tough stuff together, and finally, bring them to a place beyond where I can go with them and give them courage to go there. Journeys in class are therefore infused with three central commitments – rigor, creativity and compassion. To this end, I operate a ‘fully informed’ pedagogy. Students have assignments and evaluation criteria in advance, as well as access to me as a draft reader, learning resource, study skills developer, confidante, mentor, and guide. All work is work in process and progress; however, I believe that every student is capable of producing excellent work if they remain committed to rigor, creativity and compassion.
Broadly, my research interests include organizational communication, discourse, interdisciplinary studies, and gender. One area of research is dedicated to questions of social justice and issues concerning meaningful work for humanity. A second area of research is around interdisciplinary studies with a focus on communication instruction. This research line explores how instructors could be more purposeful and effective teachers in creating life-long learners and critically engaged citizens in various disciplines. In all, my focus is in exploring and conceptualizing ways to make a learning experience more beneficial to students and their world by preparing engaged thinkers.
Luisa graduated in May 2024 with her Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design. She was also honored by being named the College of Arts and Letters Outstanding Student for that year! Luisa was well engrained in the CAL family by working as a student assistant graphic designer for Coyote Radio & Advertising. Listen as she describes what she'd like to be doing with her degree and experience in graphic design. It's totally a different take than you'd think. An Inland Empire native Luisa describes what she holds dear about her youth in our land and how immersed her entire family is here in the IE. This podcast showcases the student side of Cal State San Bernardino and it's a wonderful thing!
Hats off to this home grown lady! Penny grew up in Redlands and it's fun to hear what kind of things she did there as a teenager. Always drawn to radio, Lecturer Drake-Green achieved her Associate of Arts degree in Radio-Television from San Bernardino Valley College but there was some years in the carnival thrown in there! Miss Penny, as the students affectionately call her, made her way to Cal State San Bernardino where she earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Communication Studies (now called The Department of Communication and Media). Penny is a CSUSB veteran and continues to teach the radio practica course at the campus radio, Coyote Radio. And when you listen to her podcast, you'll agree - she definitely has a voice for radio!
You'll enjoy hearing about Art and Design from the perspective of Dr. Scalissi. Discovering her love of and interest in art came at an early age in a home filled with artists. Andy Warhol plays a big part in her launch!
Nicole is a historian of contemporary art. Her research focuses on performance, intervention, and installation art that deals with issues of violence, Latinx/Afro-Latinx identities, and representation in the United States, in Aztlán, and at the border shared with Mexico. Her teaching extends to contemporary art of the Americas, modern and contemporary art in a global context, and histories of social practice art. Dr. Scalissi is a community-engaged scholar, and her courses often produce mutually-beneficial projects with local communities.
Nicole specializes in identity and representation, Latinx and Afro-Latinx art histories, art of the United States and borderland/la frontera, Contemporary art of the Americas, global Contemporary art, social practice, performance art, art activism and social justice.
I was delighted to spend time interviewing Dr. Kirk! His lively, easy-going disposition is contagious. From a Huntington Beach humble beginning to a world-class scholar, hear the engaging delivery of his story here on the CAL Talks Podcast Series.
From his CSUSB bio:
Dr. Kirk Kanesaka is an Assistant Professor of Japanese and Asian Studies. His specialty is in premodern Japanese literature and theater. In particular the emergence of early modern (1603-1900) popular fiction and kabuki/bunraku theater. In addition, because of his specialty in the performing arts, his research interests span beyond the premodern into the contemporary, examining fan culture and popular culture and their influences upon the performing and visual arts.
Outside of academia, Kirk is the first non-Japanese citizen to become a professional kabuki actor, Nakamura Gankyō, the first male to become a professional Japanese Classical dancer of the Bando School in the United States and the first male to become a professional kimekomi Japanese doll maker of the Kyugetsu Academy in the United States.
Join us for a listen to the brightly spoken podcast from one of our latest additions to the CAL family in our Philosophy Department.
Andrea Daventry tells us about her educational path from sunny and balmy Florida to the wilds of the Connecticut River valley in Amherst, Massachusetts. And she adds where she settled on living in the Inland Empire (great pick!).
The courses she teaches at CSUSB include Introduction to Ethics, Feminist Philosophy and Sexual Ethics. She talks about how our students react to and participate in these classes.
Dr. Daventry specializes in Ethics, Social & Political Philosophy and Feminist Philosophy.
Her research and teaching interests focus on understanding how having a sense of self-worth contributes to autonomous agency, and how things like oppressive socialization or gaslighting can undermine autonomy by undermining self-respect. She's also interested in the moral importance of self-expression and the ethics of workplace dress codes.
Professor Wasserstein is the latest addition to the wonderful Department of English at CSUSB. Is it something about people from the Midwest that makes them inherently nice and polite? I don’t know but she is both!
Izzy was born and raised in Kansas. She’s the author of two poetry collections, This Ecstasy They Call Damnation and When Creation Falls, the short story collection All the Hometowns You Can't Stay Away From (a Lambda Literary Award finalist), and the forthcoming novella These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart (Tachyon, 2024). My home includes a dog and two cats. I'm a queer and trans woman, a lover of bad jokes, and a nerd.
Her education includes a B.A., Washburn University in Kansas and a M.F.A., University of New Mexico.
Her interests include speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, supernatural horror, and related genres), queer literature, poetry, and film.
This is an entertaining and informative episode with Dr. Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez. It's an understatement to say that Guillermo is colorful, intelligent, funny and a deep thinker. He is all that and more as he adds his depth and style to the Department of Theatre Arts here at Cal State San Bernardino.
Guillermo holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Utah, a Master of Fine Arts from UC San Diego and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Guillermo grew up in Watts and holds the distinction of being the first Chicana/o ever to star in a main-stage production at the University of Utah. Some of Guillermo's directorial and literary highlights include two commissions from Center Theatre Group to write Student Discovery Guides for En Un Sol Amarillo and Culture Clash's Palestine, New Mexico.
Guillermo has collaborated with Spanish-speaking theatre groups in the U.S. including Grupo malayerba from Ecuador, Yuyachkani from Peru, and Teatro de los andes from Bolivia.
Not only is he a So Cal native but Guillermo's family lives in San Bernardino and his sister graduated from CSUSB!
During this episode on the College of Arts and Letters Podcast Series we spend time with Miriam Fernandez, PhD who recently received her promotion to Professor in the CSUSB English Department.
What is the difference between writing and composition? This expert puts it plain and easy to understand and practice. Her stance? Everyone can write!
Her current research focuses on Chicanx rhetorical practices and the rhetorical uses of Llorona storytelling. One of her research projects looks at the uses of epideictic rhetoric among Chicanas in the 1970s and 1980s as they reshaped the meaning of a Chicana feminist identity and claimed a feminist heritage going back to the colonization of Mexico. Another project she is currently working on analyzes the rhetorical purposes of Llorona storytelling. This project is an oral history project that records Mexican and Chicanx people's memories of hearing the Llorona story and analyzes the reasons why people choose to retell the story or to stop sharing the story with new generations.
One of her teaching interests is in the structure and writing of researched arguments. Dr. Fernandez likes to work with students as they analyze how arguments are structured in academic and public or popular texts and guide them as they write their own arguments. My second teaching interest is in the intersection of rhetorical studies and public sphere theories.
Link to La Llorona and Rhetorical Haunting Essay: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26878003.2021.1881310?scroll=top&needAccess=true
The Art and Design building at CSUSB is an enormous and finely equipped space for students to learn and practice their craft. One of the leads in the department is the guest you'll listen to on this episode. Andrew Oakes is an Art and Design Professor who loves the world of branding. He describes how he has successfully run his own branding design company for decades while also teaching multiple disciplines in Art and Design on campus.
Mr. Oakes is an Inland Empire native through and through. Born and raised in San Bernardino, you'll enjoy hearing how many generations of his family were also born here (SB). His family has been instrumental in his desire to achieve an artist's and teacher's life. It's a fantastic story!
On our final question together he describes what he hopes students will take away with them after spending time in on of his classes. It really made me think!
I'm Kelli Cluque from Coyote Radio & Advertising at CSUSB and your host for the CAL Talks Podcast Series with Andrew Oakes.
Newly promoted Professor of Communication Studies, Dr. Thomas Corrigan discusses his research and teaching which examines the relationship between wealth, power, and the media. This area of Communication Studies is also known as the Political Economy of Communication (PEC). He shares the focus of two of his Fall 2023 courses which are Digital Media and Society and the Political Economy of Communication.
His research specifically focuses on the business of sports media, the news ecosystem in California's Inland Empire, the 'hope labor' of digital creatives and interns, and critical realist epistemology and methodology. His work has been published in peer reviewed journals, such as International Journal of Communication, The Political Economy of Communication, and tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique, and his 'Hope Labor' concept (coined w/ Dr. Kathleen Kuehn) has been discussed in Fortune magazine. His research is cataloged on Google Scholar and on Academia.edu. He is also a steering committee member for the Union for Democratic Communications.
Dr. Corrigan – or T.C. – also talks about this family’s love of outdoor activities, what tamales mean to him and what he hopes his students take with them after spending time in one of his courses.
Dr. Neal Malik (Dr. Neal) has worked in higher education since 2007. He is currently an Associate Professor within the Department of Health Science and Human Ecology and Program Director for the Master of Science in Health Services Administration the Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration programs. Prior to his current position, he has served as Department Chair and Assistant Professor within the Department of Nutrition and Basic Sciences at Bastyr University California. His roles have also included serving as the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Occupational Wellness Specialist for the University of California, Riverside, and as a Lifestyle Educator at Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Neal has also held adjunct teaching positions at Crafton Hills College and California State University, Fullerton.
As an instructor, Dr. Neal is involved in numerous pedagogical seminars and trainings, as both a presenter and attendee. He has led seminars for faculty addressing best teaching practices. Some of these topics have included: "Inclusive Practices in Pedagogy", "Fostering Students’ Sense of Safety, Belonging, and Community in Your Classroom", and "From Good to Great: Great Teaching Can Be Learned".
As a scholar, Dr. Neal's research areas include adult and adolescent weight management, health behaviors among college students, and appetitive hormones. He also serves on numerous editorial boards. He was also nominated by a peer to be featured in the 2022-2023 edition of Who's Who in America due to his dedication to teaching, scholarship, and service.
In the media, Dr. Neal has been featured as a nutrition and wellness expert in over 70 media outlets including CBS local radio in Los Angeles, CA, as well as a number of online and print publications including eHow.com and Men’s Fitness Magazine. He hosts a free, daily health education podcast for the public titled, Optimal Health Daily which averages over 700,000 monthly plays (175,000 downloads each week) and has been downloaded over 30 million times. On August 8, 2019, Prevention Magazine ranked the show as one of “25 Fascinating Health and Fitness Podcasts to Get Obsessed With in 2020” and ShapeScale.com included his podcast on their list of, “25 Of the Best Fitness Podcasts of 2020”. According to Listen Notes, the podcast ranks in the top 0.5% of global podcasts (https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/optimal-health-daily-dr-neal-malik-optimal-xltjqo7K-zN/). On April 3, 2020, Dr. Neal was quoted in the Los Angeles Times for his expertise on stress management during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research and Teaching Interests
Google Scholar Profile at: https://scholar.google.com/citations?authuser=1&user=rjwZ_swAAAAJ
On this episode we hear the story of Jennifer "Jen" Moulton as told by her from start to finish. She details for us her childhood growing up locally in Temecula, a city in the Inland Empire where California State University San Bernardino is located. But she made the dramatic move across the country to New York City to begin her academic career. She had a love for theater acting so how did Dr. Moulton make the switch to being a world class counselor and therapist? Also, her department offers individual and group counseling and we hear her take on which one she prefers for our students. There's also wellness workshops that she touches on. Jen delivers her journey thus far with compassion and humor. This is Dr. Jennifer Moulton on the CAL Podcast Series focusing on Mental Health and Well Being.
From the CAL Podcast Series on Mental Health & Well Being
Christina's research interests lie within the area of trauma and associated mental health conditions, such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Her research activities focus on elucidating mechanisms of vulnerability and resilience among interpersonal violence and combat populations. As a natural progression of this work, Dr. Hassija's research efforts also include the development and dissemination of evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD that are designed to improve resilience capacities and alleviate posttraumatic distress. Her specific interests include:
Psychological and emotional consequences of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. Risk and resilience factors in PTSD following interpersonal trauma (e.g., cognitive appraisals, coping, social support, disclosure to support networks). Meaning making and posttraumatic growth in trauma-exposed individuals. Dissemination of evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD via telemedicine Implementation and development of evidence-based psychotherapies for community sexual assault and intimate partner violence populations,
Matthew Poole is a curator and writer living and working in Los Angeles, California. His practice involves producing exhibitions, publishing artists’ projects, writing on topics related to the relations of production and distribution of art, and teaching. Poole is a professor of art history and theory in the Department of Art & Design at California State University, San Bernardino. In 2022-23 and 2023-24 he is seconded as the Interim Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at CSUSB, and from 2015-2021 he was Chair of the Department of Art & Design at CSUSB. Prior to moving to California in 2012, Poole was a faculty member in the Department of Art History & Philosophy at The University of Essex, Colchester, UK, where he ran the post-graduate curatorial programs.
James Trotter is the Assistant Director of the Academic Technologies and Innovation (ATI) Department in the lower level of the Pfau Library on campus. The ATI Department is a branch of CSUSB Information Technology Services. In his ATI role, James has dedicated his expertise, mentorship and passion for technology to his department for over fourteen years.
Mr. Trotter constantly searches for new opportunities to elevate the department’s technological contributions to the campus. As an Assistant Director, James invests his time into ensuring that his students and employees are equipped with the right information, technology, and equipment to perform successfully in their positions for ATI and the campus.
“ITS affects everyone through technology. With ATI specifically, we have instructional designers who impact student success. We provide accessibility and tools for any students regardless of any disability they may have.”
With his background in radio, TV and film, Trotter proudly states, “Go Beach” as he received his BA degree from California State University, Long Beach. James Trotter has applied his knowledge to the fullest as he mentored over 40 student assistants, some of which he still keeps in contact with and explains they are doing extremely well in the field.
While he positively leads his department towards ongoing success, Trotter is more than just a leader. A fun fact about James, he is an experienced scuba diver and has even worked as a presentation diver for the Aquarium of the Pacific for nine years. Trotter’s sense of adventure and passion for technology labels him not only as a valuable leader, but a genuine individual that brings life to the CSUSB community.
“CSUSB means opportunity to me. It’s not just an opportunity for me but for everyone, as they all have the ability to do something greater than they originally expected to do in their lives.”
Lacey Kendall is a radio expert who continues to bring her knowledge to CSUSB students as a communication studies lecturer. With more than 40 years of radio experience, Kendall managed CSUSB’s Coyote Radio before launching and managing PAWS Radio on the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus.
She also remains active in the industry as a radio announcer at KCAL.
Kendall, who earned her master’s in communication studies from CSUSB in 2010, has a passion for mentoring students and strives to give them as much hands-on experiences as possible, with several of her past students going on to careers in broadcasting and media.
Join us for this interview with CSUSB’s Department of Music Assistant Professor of Music (Music Technology), Martim Galvao. He is somewhat new to the College of Arts and Letters having moved to the region in August to start with the Fall Semester.
Dr. Galvão is a Brazilian-American composer, percussionist and multimedia artist. Much of his work is concerned with interfaces and how we interact with them. He is especially interested in exploring ideas related to consumer-facing technologies and the web.
Galvão's work has been performed at venues such as the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME), International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), ANT Fest at Ars Nova, SPLICE Institute, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (NYCEMF), and Babycastles among others.
Galvão earned his bachelor’s degree from Emory University. In 2014 he graduated from the Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) MFA program at the University of California, Irvine. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Music and Multimedia at Brown University.
He's teaching some exciting courses in Music Technology which he describes. Also, what brought him to CSUSB and how does he like the Inland Empire? Find out in this episode in our CAL Series.
Merry Scully joined the CSUSB Museum in August of 2022. Most recently she was head of curatorial affairs, and curator of contemporary art at the New Mexico Museum of Art. Previous positions include curator of the Governor’s Gallery for Governor Bill and Barbara Richardson; director of exhibitions and the associate director of exhibitions and public programs at the San Francisco Art Institute; and assistant to the artistic director Judith F. Baca, and gallery program director for the Social and Public Art Resource Center in Venice, California. She holds a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University and an M.F.A. from the University of New Mexico and has been a curator for exhibitions of contemporary and historic art, photography, and design in numerous locations including the New Mexico Museum of Art, San Francisco Art Institute, and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Scully also taught history of photography courses at Santa Fe Community College and contemporary art and ideas courses at the now closed Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
This is a delightful look into the world of our Music Department Chair extraordinaire, Lesley Leighton. What hasn't she done in music? She explains to you with insight and wit. Plus, she makes soufflés? Yes! Listen and be inspired by "the chef." At the end she offers our Music students advice on what's important to have and maintain a career in the Music world.
Here are some links with stories and background on some of the wonderful things Lesley has accomplished in the Music Business. Check out the movies she has sung and worked on! Amazing. Thank you, Lesley!
San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra -
https://iecn.com/lesley-leighton-named-sbso-principal-guest-conductor/
Movies -
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627650/
LA Opera -
https://www.laopera.org/about-us/artists-2/creative-team/leslie-leighton/
Los Angeles Master Chorale -
https://www.lamasterchorale.org/artists.php?artist_id=863
To acquire Lesley's CDs and Vinyl albums -
https://www.lamasterchorale.org/artists.php?artist_id=863
From growing up in the South to working for NASA and now as an Associate Professor in Art and Design at CSUSB, Rob entertains us with his unusual, interesting and fun path as he details his background in Art and Design. In addition to teaching, Rob is also a Faculty Fellow in the xREAL Lab on campus (xREAL: Extended REALity for Learning). Find out what drew Mr. Ray to Cal State San Bernardino. He also talks about his hobbies and passion for keeping active. Rob wraps up his interview with advice for his students which can apply to anyone! It's very insightful.
New to the CSUSB Department of Art and Design, Associate Professor Taylor Moon discusses her strong ties to the CSU system via Cal State Northridge and how that shaped her future as a Design Artist. Being a Southern California native, her academic path took her from her home area of Northridge to UCSB where she began working in art galleries. You'll be fascinated by what is her art "specialty." Listen also as she describes how she came to be at CSUSB. We delve in to some of her other favorite things besides art - food! And finally, you'll hear what she'd like to pass along to every student of hers.
Dr. Gregory Gondwe researches contemporary media ecosystems and their implications on society. His scholarly works are based on the interrogation of the effects of persuasive media messages across cultural and geographical boundaries. Essentially, he examines how individuals and groups of different backgrounds assimilate and accept information as either true or false. He asks questions like, “What makes one believe and trust in one kind of information over the other? How do news organizations monetize attention in the digital world? To what extent are people with strong cultural backgrounds affected by the media messages? Most of these issues are measured quantitatively through the use of digital methodologies, big data analyses, network analysis, natural language processes (NLP), and machine learning.) Dr. Gondwe employs media effects theories such as Framing, Agenda-Setting, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion (ELMP) to explain the phenomena.
Loydie Burmah is a lecturer of oral communication [CSUSB] and media studies [SBVC]. She’s also a researcher and journalist. Her most recent publication is a thesis about cancel culture. She enjoys multimedia immersion arts and technology, cultural studies, digital and social media. Loydie graduated with an M.A. in Communication Studies as one of the Outstanding Graduate Students for the College of Arts & Letters. She also earned her B.A. in Mass Communication from CSUSB.
Kaitlyn “Kaity” Creasy is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at CSUSB. She is the author of the book “The Problem of Affective Nihilism in Nietzsche, Thinking Differently, Feeling Differently.
Nietzsche is perhaps best known for his diagnosis of the problem of nihilism. In this book, Kaitlyn Creasy offers a comprehensive account of affective nihilism that draws on Nietzsche's drive psychology, especially his reflections on affects and their transformative potential.
In July 2021, Kaitlyn was among three philosophers named by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) as winners of its 2021-22 fellowships. Creasy was selected for her project, “Stubborn Social Emotions and Their Harms.”
From New Jersey and Manhattan to San Bernardino, you'll hear her road to CSUSB. It’s a fun listen with lots of laughs. We hope you’ll enjoy this session with Professor Creasy.
Listen as Shane describes his challenging upbringing and what led him to CSUSB and to major in Communication Studies. What Professor inspired him? You'll hear about that wonderful relationship. Shane is attending Oregon State for his Ph.D. But does he want to return to the Inland Empire after that? It's a very engaging story!
Elder, Morongo Band of Mission Indians
California State University, San Bernardino
Mr. Ernest H. Siva is a respected elder of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, whose influence has enriched the lives of thousands in and outside the Inland Empire. He is central to the transmission of Indian culture through his exceptional work as a musician, extensive involvement in community life and education arts, and his service as a university teacher. Committed to preserving and transmitting the cultures of Southern California Native Americans to future generations, Mr. Siva has served as a distinguished guest artist and scholar in Native American culture at California State University, San Bernardino, where he taught courses in California indigenous cultures and languages.
One of the last remaining speakers of the Serrano language, he has served as tribal historian and cultural adviser for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians since 1996. He is on the board of directors of the California Indian Storytelling Association, board of directors of the Riverside Arts Council, and the CSUSB College of Arts and Letters Community Leaders Board. Mr. Siva holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in choral music from the University of Southern California. He is a past member of the board of governors of the National Association of Church Musicians and served as a choir director for several California cities. He is artistic director of the Pass Chorale, which performs music of the master composers.
Mr. Siva published Voices of the Flute, which includes songs of three Southern California Indian tribes, most of which have never been put into print or musical notation. Sharing his knowledge of Serrano and Cahuilla cultures, he co-founded the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center and Ushkana Press, dedicated to preserving the histories of endangered cultures, languages and arts. Mr. Siva and his wife, June, established the Siva Scholarship in music at CSU San Bernardino. They support the Thornton School of Music scholarship program at the University of Southern California, where they are USC Galen Founders.
In recognition of his many accomplishments and extensive contributions to the community, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, San Bernardino are proud to confer on Ernest H. Siva the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts.
Dr. Ahlam Muhtaseb is a professor of media studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Muslim & Arab Worlds (CSMAW) at California State University, San Bernardino. She is the recipient of the 2020 CSUSB Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Creative Activities Award and was one of the 2019-20 Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Faculty Mentor Awardees. She has an M.A. in Journalism and a Ph.D. in Digital Communication from the University of Memphis, Tennessee. Her research interests include digital communication, social media, social justice and diasporic communities. Her most recent project is her award-wining documentary 1948: Creation & Catastrophe. The film, co-produced and co-directed with Andy Trimlett, focuses on the year 1948 and its catastrophic consequences on the Palestinian nation which has originated from her field work in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. She won the 2019 Rebuilding Alliance “Story Teller” Award. The film also won the Jerusalem International Film Festival’s 2019 Special Jury Award in the Feature Documentary category. Currently, she works on a new documentary on the three young Muslims who were murdered in Chapel Hill in 2015, and the state of racism and Islamophobia in the United States.
One of our very own, a College of Arts and Letters graduate, Rebecca Waring-Crane describes her on-going project "Who is my Neighbor?" It's her creation in the socially engaged art practice based on storytelling. She reaches out to her neighbors to know them better. Rebecca also details her decision to "go back to school" after a long hiatus to pursue her dream of becoming a degreed artist. She's an enjoyable guest who is also inspiring. Rebecca Waring-Crane, a fine example of our Arts and Letters family!
Get an an inside look at the person who runs RAFFMA on the campus of CSUSB, the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art. Eva describes growing up in communist Poland and how she was always surrounded by art and naturally fell in love with the medium. Eva joined the museum as Director in 1998. During her long museum career, Eva has curated close to one hundred exhibitions. She has published close to one hundred articles and catalog essays both in Polish and English. Ms. Kirsch holds an MA in Art History from the University of Wroclaw, Poland and also an MA in Exhibition Design and Museum Studies from Cal State Fullerton.
The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art opened in 1996. It is one of the jewels of the Inland Empire cultural scene.
RAFFMA is best known for the Egyptian antiquities collection which is the largest display of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the western United States.
Dr. W. Benson Harer is a longtime supporter of Cal State San Bernardino and the university’s Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA). His Harer Family Trust has provided the museum with their considerable collection of Egyptian antiquities as gifts to CSUSB. These incredible artifacts are on permanent loan to RAFFMA. Listen as Dr. Harer explains how he came to live in San Bernardino after growing up on the East Coast. He discusses acquiring his first Egyptian artifact and how that led to a lifetime of collecting ancient Egyptian pieces. Dr. Ben Harer provides an endearing interview during this CAL podcast. It will inspire you to visit RAFFMA to view one of the most extensive assemblages of Egyptian artifacts west of the Rockies.
Professor Katherine "Kathy" Gray is a glass artist who teaches various glass courses at CSUSB and has her work displayed in museum glass collections. She is also a reality TV show participant! Kathy talks about her background very far away from Cal State San Bernardino in the Great White North and what led her to be the resident master of glass on our campus. What is it about glass blowing that captivates her? Professor Gray is featured in the second season of the Netflix hit series "Blown Away." She talks about how she got involved and some background information on the show. In this era of virtual learning, can glass blowing be taught on line? Kathy lets us in on that. Glass blowing - it's a whole other world!
Dr. Garcia specializes in philosophy of race and epistemology. His focus is on epistemological questions raised by race and racial injustice.
He also works on the nature of race concepts and categories and the degree to which, if any, we are disposed to categorize each other using them.
His teaching interests are in Latin American philosophy, philosophy of hip hop, ethics, social-and-political philosophy, philosophy of mind and philosophy of cognitive science.
During this episode Eric talks about his Queens NYC upbringing and the path that led him across the country to CSUSB. He also remembers the exact time and thought that got him interested in the vast world of philosophy.
Listen also for the fascinating course descriptions of the classes he teaches at CSUSB and how they have transferred to learning in the COVID-19 virtual era.
Dr. Eric Bayruns Garcia: he presents a lot of things to think about!
Dr. Stacey Fraser, CSUSB Music Department Chair, Professor and Opera Theater Director discusses her background and how she came to be at CSUSB. Plus, we talk to her about her Amazon streaming short film, "Still Life After Death." The film also ties in with a Grammy submission for one of her songs which we feature in the podcast. Here are some of the details of the film which the soprano produced and stars in:
Still Life After Death
One of the main concepts behind the staging was to develop a neutral awareness in the gestures and movements of performers, allowing them to flow beyond the recognizable and familiar associations. As the lead character—the living—embarks on a ritualistic, spiritual journey towards the end of life, the search to obtain an insight into the great beyond eventually points to the dissolution of self. A fully realized and awakened state sheds physical attachments and maps a way out through the process of acceptance. Matter, mind, perception and consciousness are encouraged by the Monk, the ever-present, undetectable companion. Both roles, essentially representing Life and Death, move in and out of the shadows to change places, but always keeping the balance.The film is an adaption of the following:
"Still Life After Death" 1995
It is a music theatre theater work inspired by an ancient Cambodian ritual that traditionally takes place at an individual’s death bed. A Buddhist monk would be invited to a home to preside at this ritual, which assists a dying person in his or her transit from life to death. The monk chants short phrases in the ancient language of Pali, and the dying person would repeat each phrase after the monk, until the very last breath. In "Still Life After Death," the female vocalist represents the dying person and the male vocalist represents the Buddhist monk.
The above note was written by Susan Ung.
Mihaela describes her participation and direction on the virtual lab at California State University, San Bernardino. This is the student run lab where they practice augmented and virtual reality. She starts with her fascinating story about coming to the U.S. from Romania. Plus, you'll hear how she will incorporate AR/VR at home during the pandemic. She's funny and engaging! Enjoy!