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Dear CLASS Community,
This has been an extraordinary season for the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, and this issue of our newsletter highlights many of the reasons why.
Our faculty are shaping public conversations on tariffs, immigration, racial justice, and social change. Our students are landing competitive internships, appearing in national publications, and contributing to our award-winning Rose Parade float. Our alumni are leading companies, teaching in classrooms, and advocating for communities that need strong voices.
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Every one of these stories is a testament to what a CLASS education makes possible, and to the "Become by Doing" philosophy that drives everything we do.
At the institutional level, we have much to celebrate as well. Being selected as the new home of the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) is a landmark moment for our college and for Cal Poly Pomona. Beginning this year, CSSSA will bring 500 talented high school students to our campus each summer — and with them, new energy, new partnerships, and a deepened role as a creative and cultural anchor for the region.
We're also excited to share the launch of the Why Choose CLASS? podcast, a new platform for prospective students and families to learn more about what makes our college special.
Looking ahead, BroncoBound on March 21 is a wonderful opportunity to welcome our next class of Broncos, and Broncos Give on March 18 and 19 is a chance for all of us to invest in the students who will carry our mission forward. I hope you'll join me in both.
To our graduating students: Commencement is just around the corner. We cannot wait to celebrate you on May 15.
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Camille Johnson, PhD
Dean, College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
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Please join us in welcoming Samantha Nevarez as the new Student Success Center Coordinator.
A proud CLASS alumna (`24, Sociology), she brings a strong background in student support through her work as a Resource Coordinator for the DRC, Registration Assistant, Teacher Assistant/Grader within the college, and Peer Health Educator.
Samantha is passionate about helping students navigate their academic journey and fostering a welcoming, supportive environment. Her experience in customer service, office management, and student engagement makes her a wonderful addition to the Student Success Center team.
| | We’re excited for the positive impact she will have on our students and the CLASS community. Welcome, Samantha! | | Why Choose CLASS? Podcast | | We’re excited to announce the launch of the Why Choose CLASS? Podcast! This six-episode series gives prospective students an authentic, inside look at what makes CLASS a transformational place to learn, grow, and lead. Hosted by Ali Varela (`27, Philosophy), the podcast features conversations with Dean Camille Johnson, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Success, Brianne Dávila, Academic Advisor Isidoro Espinoza-Barajas, as well as faculty and student panelists from across the humanities, performing arts, and social sciences. Hearing directly from these voices adds a deeper, more personal touch to the CLASS story and highlights our mission, mentorship, student support, and “become by doing” philosophy. Thank you to MediaVision and everyone who helped bring it to life. One final episode is coming soon—stay tuned! | | | CSSSA Finds a New Home at Cal Poly Pomona | | |
Cal Poly Pomona has been selected as the new home of the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA), beginning in July 2026. Established in 1985 by the California Legislature, CSSSA is the state’s premier arts education program for talented high school students, offering intensive, four-week residential instruction in the visual, literary, performing and media arts. Chosen through a highly competitive statewide process, CPP will welcome 500 students and 150 faculty to campus each summer. A collaborative effort by the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences and the College of Environmental Design, this partnership highlights CPP’s interdisciplinary, polytechnic approach and “Become by Doing” philosophy. The move also expands access for students in the Inland Empire and creates additional opportunities for new creative disciplines, further elevating our campus's profile as a leading, diverse polytechnic university in the region.
| | Building Southern California's Creative Future | | Cal Poly Pomona is emerging as a leading hub for Southern California’s creative communities—and the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences is at the heart of that momentum. From being selected as the new host site for the prestigious California State Summer School for the Arts beginning in 2026 to welcoming the international Voice and Speech Trainers Association conference, the college is helping expand the university’s impact across the cultural landscape. With the inclusion of journalism competitions, our longstanding High School Shakespeare Festival, and the inaugural Festival of Winds, these milestones reflect a vibrant, hands-on creative ecosystem where professional practice meets education. Read more about how CPP is shaping California’s creative future in our feature. | | |
Saturday, March 21 | 9 AM - 1 PM
CLASS is ready to showcase all that we have to offer at BroncoBound! Join us as we welcome admitted Fall 2026 students for a day designed to help prospective students experience life as a Bronco. This is a day to explore our dynamic majors, meet inspiring faculty, connect with future classmates, and discover the many opportunities waiting for you in the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences.
If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please contact Noelle McKinn at nmckinn@cpp.edu.
Learn more at https://www.cpp.edu/openhouse/.
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Broncos Give is back! On March 18 and 19, Cal Poly Pomona invites you to come together in support of the scholarships, programs, and causes you care about. During this 48-hour celebration of generosity, every gift of any size creates opportunities for our students. Your support helps Broncos thrive, discover their purpose, and turn potential into possibility.
When you give, you’re investing in hands-on learning, innovative research, student success initiatives, and a campus culture rooted in curiosity, creativity, and inclusion. Every Bronco has a role to play, and every contribution moves us forward—strengthening our community today and shaping leaders for tomorrow.
Explore the many ways you can make an impact at CLASS in 2026 and beyond.
Join us in making a difference!
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Friday, May 15 | 3PM and 7:30PM
As we look forward to honoring the accomplishments of the CLASS graduating class, here are upcoming dates graduates should be aware of:
Grad Fair is March 4–5, providing essential information and the opportunity to purchase regalia and other graduation items.
Ticket RSVPs open March 24 and must be completed by the April 17 deadline to secure guest seating.
Please check your CPP email and visit the official commencement website for detailed instructions, ceremony information, and updates.
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The California News Publishers Association is recognizing The Poly Post with an award for its Spanish-language content, marking the second consecutive year the publication has received external recognition for Spanish-language reporting in student media. This year, the paper’s Spanish-language section was renamed La Verdad and expanded to include students from CLASS’s Spanish program, reflecting a growing collaborative commitment to bilingual journalism.
Bridgette Estrada(`27), a Communication Multimedia Journalism student, was selected for a competitive 2026 paid summer internship with Telemundo 52/NBC 4 in the network’s news rotation, distinguishing herself as a transfer student in just her second semester at CPP through her dedication and talent in broadcast journalism.
Keara Fellers (`26, Communication), an aspiring entertainment lawyer, appeared on Let’s Make a Deal (S17, E52), engaging in friendly banter with host Wayne Brady before trying her luck on the Winfall mini-game for a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize.
Nine members of the CPP Piano Ensemble had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York in January after placing first and second at competitions that led to an invitation to the International Association of Professional Music Teachers Grand Competition Winners’ Concert, where they played duets by Ukrainian composers to packed houses and showcased their talent on one of the world’s most prestigious stages.
Javier Zamudio (`29), a Theatre and New Dance student, contributed to the 2026 Sweepstakes Award-winning Cal Poly Rose Parade float.
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Racquel Chance, Music department coordinator, completed the Advancing Racial Justice & Cultural Humility Learning Series
in Fall 2025.
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The Communication department is partnering with Telemundo 52 and distinguished alumna Lizette Carbajal for the second consecutive year to host an in-studio group mentoring day, providing students with valuable industry insight and hands-on exposure to professional broadcast journalism.
Denisse Vásquez-Guevara, Communication professor, was featured in a CPP News article highlighting her authentic, student-centered mentorship style and global perspective, and she recently published “Using AI Arts-based Audience Personas for Deepening Audience Analysis Incorporating DEI” in the Journal of Public Relations Education, examining ethical, multicultural audience analysis and AI-enhanced, arts-based pedagogy in Communication classrooms.
Dewey W. Hall, English professor, published his new monograph Materialist Romanticism: The Matter of the Marbles.
Valerie Sky, English & Modern Languages professor, has been selected as one of four honorees for CAFÉ’s 2026 Wall of COOL (Celebrating Outstanding Opportunities for Learning), which recognizes exemplary technology-enhanced course development by Cal Poly Pomona faculty. She was honored for her course ENG 4212: Language Acquisition.
Thomas Blackburn, Geography and Anthropology professor emeritus, was an author and scholar whose research focused on the Indigenous Chumash community. Dr. Blackburn passed away in July 2024, and his academic legacy continues to inform important conversations about history, culture and responsibility.
In 1968, Blackburn and John S. Belmont of Pitzer College conducted an excavation after construction workers inadvertently uncovered a burial site at Ganesha Park in Pomona. The Los Angeles County Coroner determined the remains to be Native American. During the excavation, nine lots of unassociated funerary objects were collected, three lots of bone, one lot of lithics, two lots of ceramics, two lots of shells and one lot of glass beads, and brought to Cal Poly Pomona then.
The university has received a formal request for the repatriation of these items and complied.
Fang Yu Hu, History professor, contributed the entry “Girls’ Education in Japan and Taiwan, History of” to The SAGE Encyclopedia of Education and Gender, which was published in October 2025 by SAGE Publications.
Jessie M. Vallejo, Music professor, was selected for two awards in recent months: the ICTMD Best Article Award for scholarship examining the impacts of COVID-19 on Latinx and Mariachi communities, and the California Music Educators Association’s Ernest R. Yee Illuminating Culture Award, to be presented next month. These recognitions highlight the department’s work and showcase potential career and research pathways for students, particularly those in education and general studies.
Gabriele Plickert, Sociology professor, was recently featured in a CPP News story written by our Fall CLASS Interns (Chazz Escobedo, ‘25, Communication; Joanne Chung, ‘26, Communication), for bringing lessons beyond the classroom by connecting students with real-world research, community engagement, and hands-on experiences that prepare them for graduate study or the workforce.
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Kaia James (`27, Communication) was featured in Local News Pasadena in an article examining rising living costs and minimum wage, noting that “many young people…surviving on the lowest wages” are especially vulnerable and should not have to “choose between paying bills and preparing for the future.”
Carsten Lange, Economics Professor, was featured in NBC Los Angeles following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down most of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, noting that while price reductions are likely they may be delayed and uneven and adding that tariffs could reemerge in other forms after the decision.
Claudia Salazar Jiménez, English and Modern Languages professor, was featured in a La Mula interview discussing the current situation of Latino immigrants in the U.S. and describing Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show as a powerful expression of Puerto Rican identity, cultural pride and resistance that challenged exclusionary narratives.
Ayana Jamieson, Ethnic and Women’s Studies professor and founder of the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network, was featured by NPR discussing Octavia E. Butler’s life and enduring literary impact, describing the author’s work as a deeply personal and transformative “positive obsession” centered on themes of self-preservation, healing and transformation that inspired Jamieson’s scholarship and advocacy.
James J. A. Blair, Geography and Anthropology professor, appeared in the latest episode of EcoJustice Radio alongside CPP colleague Ali Sharbat and several community partners to discuss geothermal lithium development at the Salton Sea, highlighting diverse perspectives on the environmental, social, and regional implications of this emerging industry.
Kevin Nasser (`23, History) was featured in a Denver-area news article about his teaching and his efforts in creating an inclusive learning experience for his students.
Alex Madva, Philosophy professor, has been featured in multiple media outlets discussing his co-authored book Somebody Should Do Something, a hopeful call to action on social change. In a segment with Under the Desk News, he explained that progress is not always linear but can build gradually toward tipping points. The book was also reviewed in The Conversation and discussed on the From Nowhere to Nothing and The Preamble podcasts, highlighting its message that connected individual choices can drive meaningful societal change.
Jarred Cuellar, Political Science professor, has been named a 2026 Emerging Scholar by The EDU Ledger, a national honor recognizing 15 scholars under 40 for excellence in research, teaching and community service. His Cal Poly Pomona/Caltech study, is cited in a new federal court battle over California’s newly voter-approved congressional map under Proposition 50.
Philippe Duhart, Sociology professor, was featured in Raw Story responding to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal investigation into a Houston-area anti-fascist group accused of doxxing a local neo-Nazi, criticizing Paxton’s characterization of the exposure as “terrorism” as “as ludicrous as it is chilling” amid broader public debate over the case.
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Suzanne Blaustone (`82, Communication), CEO of Barton Marine Equipment, was featured in Soundings Trade Only, where she reflected on her upbringing and leadership journey and shared insights on guiding her global marine equipment company through industry challenges while maintaining resilient operations and a strong commitment to serving customers worldwide.
Hinde Kast (`15, Communication) was nominated for the 2025 LA Times Studios Inspirational Women Forum and Leadership Awards in recognition of her work elevating the visibility of cutting-edge research and medical innovation at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, continuing to earn acclaim for her leadership in strategic communications and advancing awareness of groundbreaking cancer research after being honored by the organization last year.
Shaina Ostroff (`03, Communication), founder of Reach Public Relations, was featured in Voyage LA Magazine’s “Inspiring Conversations,” reflecting on her 20+ year career specializing in natural food and healthy lifestyle brands, her launch of her own agency in 2014 and her passion for helping innovative companies.
Victoria Mejicanos (`25, Communication) was featured in Time magazine, where she authored an op-ed on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and reflected on how the law shaped her development growing up with cerebral palsy.
Kevin Nasser (`23, History) was featured in a Denver-area news article highlighting his teaching and his efforts to create an inclusive learning experience for his students.
Bill Essayli (`07, Political Science), U.S. Attorney and the top federal prosecutor for the Central District of California, was featured in CALO News coverage on immigration enforcement discussions in Los Angeles, offering remarks amid ongoing public debate over immigration policies and the role of advocacy groups supporting immigrant communities through rapid response networks.
Brianna Contreras (’16, Sociology) was recently featured in CPP News about her meaningful impact across Los Angeles County by uniting cities around issues of equity, access and community development, bringing together diverse stakeholders through regional government initiatives to improve residents’ quality of life..
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Monica Guzman Keynote
Tuesday, May 10 | 11:45 AM | RSVP
Mónica Guzmán, author of I Never Thought of It That Way, will speak at Cal Poly Pomona as the Common Read Keynote for the 2025–26 First Year Experience Program, participating in a fireside chat on themes from her book about curiosity, empathy and bridging divides, with additional workshops to engage the campus community in listening with curiosity.
The Miser
March 18-25 | University Theater | Buy Tickets
The Miser is Molière’s most successful play, both in France and internationally. Harpagon, a newly widowed geezer, consumed by fear of losing his wealth, will do anything to save his fortune. When he announces that he has found love again and is ready to wed, the ultimate rebellion begins.
The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin
April 17-26 | Studio Theatre | Buy Tickets
Set during the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act, The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin follows a Chinese immigrant who enters the United States as a “Paper Son” using forged documents, endures harsh detention and interrogation, and lives a life shaped by secrecy, as the play uses dreamlike shifts and ghostly figures to explore the personal and political consequences of rendering a group of people “illegal.”
| | Learn. Do. Become. Give Back. | Your experience in the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences prepared you to engage the world with curiosity, creativity, and courage. Consider supporting the next generation of CLASS students through your time, expertise, or financial contribution. | | CLASS Kudos & Newsletters | We want to celebrate your achievements and highlight your incredible work! Fill out a short form to share your recent accomplishments, and you could be featured in our next newsletter! You can also check out our past kudos and newsletters on our CLASS news page. | | Connect with CLASS on social media! | | | | |
