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Dear CLASS Community,
As we begin the 2025-2026 academic year, I find myself reflecting on something I learned this summer while climbing mountains in Slovenia: I like to do hard things. Not because they're easy, but because the views from the summit—those moments of breathtaking accomplishment—are made more meaningful by the effort it took to get there. It's called "Type 2 fun," and I think it perfectly captures what we do as educators.
Everyone in our community did hard things this summer. You wrote books, responded to dreaded Reviewer 3, took care of parents, moved across the country, and navigated loss and change.
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You did these things because you had to, because you wanted to, and because you could. And here's what might surprise some of you: you did them because, like me, you are optimists. To be an educator is to be an optimist about the next generation, about the capacity for change, for making things better.
I read the news. I know there are hard things happening in our world, our country, our community. But standing before this remarkable CLASS family, I am optimistic about the good we will do. We stand together before a giant puzzle, and all we can do—what we should do—is focus on the pieces before us. We hold power through our direct connection to students' lives and the leaders we help create. Our students are diverse, first-generation, Dreamers, and so much more. When we help our students succeed, we are making the world better, one student at a time.
So as we embark on this trail together, let's focus on what we can control: keeping our office doors open, showing up for each other, and taking care of this community we've built. The hard work ahead will be worth it for those astounding views that await us.
With fierce optimism and gratitude,
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Camille Johnson, PhD
Dean, College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
| | As we begin the new academic year, we're excited to introduce new leadership in the college. Please join us in welcoming our new interim associate dean and department chairs, who bring fresh perspectives and experience to their roles. Their leadership will be instrumental in supporting our mission and goals laid out in our strategic plan. | | |
Nell Huang-Horowitz
Interim Associate Dean for Personnel & Academic Programs
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Robert W. Lewis
Chair
History Department
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Evan Ware
Chair
Music Department
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Anthony Ocampo
Chair
Sociology Department
| | | We are thrilled to expand our academic community with exceptional new faculty members joining us this year. These talented educators and scholars bring diverse expertise, innovative research, and a passion for teaching that will enrich our programs and inspire our students. We look forward to the unique contributions they'll make to our college's intellectual environment. | | |
Donzell Lewis
Theatre & New Dance
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Oscar Marquez
Ethnic & Women Studies
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Aurora Matzke
English & Modern Languages
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Rana McReynolds
Political Science
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Amanda Yoshioka-Maxwell
Sociology
| | | Fall Conference & First of Four Fridays | | | | August's Fall Conference was a great community-building success! We may have creatively redefined "First Friday" by hosting it on a Tuesday, but it was incredible watching our CLASS faculty and staff reconnect, meet new colleagues, and celebrate each other's accomplishments. We are very much looking forward to our Four Friday events this year, scheduled for October 17th, January 30th, and March 6th, where we will feature workshops focused on professional development, student-centered initiatives, community engagement, and cross-departmental collaboration. | | | Micro-Internship Program Success | | |
This coming fall, several of our faculty members will continue our college's partnership and participation in the micro-internship program.
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Dr. Kristen Conway-Gomez (GEO 4610 Senior Project/Capstone)
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Dr. Lauren Furey (COM 3351W/A News Practicum; COM 3352/A Magazine Practices Activity; COM 4451/A Advanced News Practicum)
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Dr. Peter Hanink & Dr. Philippe Duhart (CRM 4611 Senior Symposium)
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Dr. Kang Hoon Sung (COM 4411 Applied Communication Internship)
| | Continued Expansion of PolyX Courses | | Sociology faculty members Philippe Duhart and Peter Hanink's innovative Crimmigration Media Lab has been designated as a Signature Polytechnic Experience (PolyX) course! This recognition adds to our ever-growing list of PolyX courses that ensure students are career ready through collaborative learning, intense mentoring, and hands-on experiences that connect crimmigration theories to real-world applications. This especially timely lab brings important visibility to the Sociology Department and CLASS while preparing students for professional and civic success. | |
McNair Program Celebrates Student Achievements | | The McNair Scholars Program had an exceptional 2024-2025 academic year, supporting a record 28 scholars under Program Director Alejandro Morales' leadership. Eleven scholars from this outstanding cohort are beginning graduate programs this fall at prestigious universities including the University of Minnesota, University of Maryland, and Claremont Graduate University, pursuing PhD, master's, and law degrees. CLASS continues to drive McNair success with 81% of scholars coming from our college, reflecting our strong commitment to undergraduate research and graduate school preparation for first-generation college students and underrepresented minorities. | | CLASS Students Lead Student Government | Congratulations to Political Science major Amiyah Ellsworth on her election as Cal Poly Pomona's 2025-26 ASI President and to Communication major Bianca Machain on her election as ASI Vice President! We are incredibly proud to see our CLASS students leading with empathy, compassion, and a commitment to advocacy as they work to advance equity, social justice, and meaningful change across campus. | Model UN Team Wins Outstanding Delegation | | CPP's Model United Nations team, advised by Political Science faculty member Dr. Marc Scarcelli, won Outstanding Delegation at the National Model UN Conference for the third consecutive year, representing Mexico with passionate speeches and well-constructed resolutions. Founded in 1974, the inclusive team welcomes students from diverse majors and provides rigorous preparation that develops critical career skills. | | CPP's Piano Ensemble Heading to Carnegie Hall! | | Congratulations to our Piano Ensemble for winning first place in the International Ukrainian Music Competition! The five-student group—pianists Josiah Kemp ('29) and Caitlin Yang ('25), vibraphonist Anai Hernandez ('25), drummer Jesus Aguilera ('27), and marimba player Kyra Johnson ('28)—will perform at Carnegie Hall on Jan. 16, 2026, and the Ukrainian Institute of America on Dec. 7, showcasing their award-winning interpretation of Ukrainian-Australian composer Catherine Likhuta's Heirlooms Suite. | Panetta Institute Congressional Intern | | | | Kimora-Aoki Morley, a second-year Political Science major with a minor in African American Studies, has been selected as a Panetta Institute Congressional Intern! This prestigious internship will take Ms. Morley to Washington, D.C., where she will gain firsthand experience in the legislative process and continue shaping her path as a future changemaker. Her commitment to public service and advocacy for her South Sacramento community reflects the very best of Cal Poly Pomona. Please join us in celebrating her achievement! | | | GIS Innovation Internship at Caltech | | |
Geography student Sara Snyder is making waves as one of the first GIS interns at Caltech this summer, working on an innovative GIS Indoors project that involves mapping rooms and building elements. Ms. Snyder has been conducting research in faculty labs and presenting her work at both regional and national conferences, showcasing the high caliber of our student researchers.
| | Best Paper Award Recognition | | Congratulations to alumna Jully Voong, whose collaborative research with Dr. Gabriel Granco (Geography & Anthropology) on viticulture and climate change has been honored as Best Paper of the Year by the Journal Climate! Her extensive literature review on wine production areas and future climate projections, completed while still a student at CPP, contributed to the award-winning paper "Viticultural Manipulation and New Technologies to Address Environmental Challenges Caused by Climate Change," highlighting the powerful intersection of geography, viticulture, and agronomy through CSU campus collaboration. | | Student Athlete Highlight | | Jessica James (‘26, Psychology) has been excelling in both academics and track-and-field—setting personal records in the 200m, 400m and relays during the 2025 CCAA championships and helping the Broncos secure their fourth consecutive conference title. James plans to pursue a career as a pediatric psychiatric nurse. | | New Faculty Director of Interdisciplinary Ethnic Studies | | | | Dr. Shayda Kafai, Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies, has been appointed as Faculty Director of the Office of Interdisciplinary Ethnic Studies! Dr. Kafai brings visionary leadership through her work implementing AB 1460 GE courses, serving as GE Area F Coordinator since 2021, and her scholarship in disability justice and intersectional body politics. As acclaimed author of Crip Kinship and co-editor of the forthcoming Mad Scholars anthology, she will collaborate across campus to champion professional development and inclusive teaching. | | | CSU Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program Faculty Mentors | | Congratulations to sociologists Anthony Ocampo and Bianca N. Haro, who have been selected as CLASS faculty mentors for The Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program! This prestigious program supports exceptional scholars committed to teaching, research, and service in higher education, with our faculty providing crucial mentorship throughout their doctoral journeys as they prepare to become future faculty. | | | Explore the diverse intellectual contributions of our CLASS faculty through their recently published works. Here are the most recent additions to the CLASS Faculty Bookshelf. | | |
Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change
Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva (Philosophy), & Daniel Kelly
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Creativity in Virtual Teams: Key Components for Success - Second Edition
Jill Nemiro (Psychology)
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Communication Professors Denisse Vasquez-Guevara and Ivana Cvetkovic co-authored a study published in the Atlantic Journal of Communication examining NASA's Instagram science communication strategies to explore how the space agency uses IGTV and Reels to engage audiences with scientific content.
English Professor Dewey W. Hall delivered the invited plenary "Volcanic Weather (1816-1818): Tambora, Turner, and Friedrich" at the "Watercolour and Weather, 1750-1850" Conference at the Musee Cantonal Des Beaux-Arts De Lausanne in June 2025.
Ethnic and Women's Studies Professor Álvaro Huerta has been featured in national media, publishing op-eds on "The contradictions of US citizenship for Brown people in El Norte" and "The criminalization and resistance of Brown people in El Norte" for CALÓ News, while providing expert commentary to Newsweek, CBC Radio, and Deutsche Welle on immigration protests and the Trump administration's response to Mexican flags at demonstrations.
Geography and Anthropology Professor James J.A. Blair's research on lithium development in Chile's Atacama Desert and California's Imperial Valley was cited in PBS SoCal's "Green Extractivism: Can Our Deserts Survive Our Thirst for Lithium?" highlighting his work on environmental and social consequences of lithium extraction projects.
History Professor Emeritus John Allphin Moore, Jr. published the op-ed "Could the United Nations Solve the Gaza Quandary?" exploring the UN's potential role in addressing the ongoing conflict.
Philosophy Professor Alex Madva and his CUNY colleague Michael Brownstein discuss their new book, "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change," and co-authored the New York Times guest essay "The Texas Democrats Won by Losing," examining how failed political resistance can succeed by drawing national attention; Madva also recently published "Biases that won't budge: implicit ageism, or explicit gerontocracy?" in Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, arguing that ageism research has overlooked discrimination against young people and ignored questions of social power in America's current gerontocracy.
Political Science Lecturer Farrah Hassen criticized the criminalization of homelessness in her Columbia Missourian op-ed "Criminalizing homelessness doesn't work. Housing people does," arguing that the Supreme Court's Grants Pass v. Johnson decision punishes people for lacking shelter rather than addressing root causes, and was also featured on KPFA 94.1 FM discussing the same issues.
Psychology Professor Jill Nemiro served as sole editor on two recently published books for IGI Global—"Cultivating Creative Collaboration in Student Virtual Teams in Higher Education" and "Sustaining Creative Collaboration in Student Virtual Teams in Higher Education"—and co-authored a book chapter with Psychology alum Anel Ayala and Shirley Ung on using team charters for virtual team communication norms.
Philosophy Retired Lecturer Thomas Keith was quoted in the July 12 Newsweek article "Gen Z Men Are Turning Against Porn," providing expert commentary on shifting attitudes toward pornography among young men.
Sociology Professor Peter Hanink provided expert analysis to KCAL News/CBS Los Angeles about LA's 20% decrease in homicide rates, with his interview also picked up by KPCC 89.3 FM, and was featured in U.S. News & World Report offering advice on LSAT preparation and law school admissions as the university's Pre-Law Advisor.
Sociology Professor and Chair Anthony Ocampo was recognized as No. 3 on the Philippine Daily Inquirer's list of "10 Filipino American LGBTQ+ changemakers you might not know about," lauded as an "acclaimed author whose work centers on race, immigration and LGBTQ+ identity in the Filipino American community."
| | Staff Professional Development | | The College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences is proud to celebrate our staff's commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth. We are inspired by their dedication to advancing their skills and knowledge while continuing to serve our college community with excellence. | | Manny Ainza, Equipment/Systems Specialist at the Center for Geographic Information Science Research (CGISR), attended the ESRI conference this summer. | | | Kunj Bhatt, Department Coordinator for Sociology, began the Doctor of Education Degree program here at Cal Poly Pomona. | | | |
Alyssa Martinez, Department Coordinator for Theatre and New Dance, is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication here in CLASS at Cal Poly Pomona.
| | | Kathleen (Kat) Ramirez, Department Coordinator for Ethnic and Women's Studies, began a Master of Science program at California State University, Fullerton. | | | |
The Poly Pulse magazine is your ultimate resource for life at Cal Poly Pomona. Created by CLASS students, for students, and produced by The Poly Post, the magazine is designed to help you navigate campus and the surrounding community.
This 2025-2026 issue features a variety of stories to enhance your college experiences, from choosing the right major and academic success strategies, to campus traditions, hidden gems, and local adventures that make the CPP experience unique.
| | | | CLASS raised $23,910 from 112 donors. Thank you to all who contributed to this year's campaign! A special shout out to our Dean’s Circle member, Shaina Ostroff (Communication, ‘03) for her matching gift to support the CLASS internship program! | 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. | |
At Cal Poly Pomona, we believe in more than just gaining knowledge—we believe in putting it to work. Now, as alumni, you can become by doing once more—by joining the CLASS Dean's Circle.
The Dean's Circle is a collective of alumni and friends who support CLASS by shaping strategic initiatives and fostering connections between CLASS and the community. Together, we represent every program in CLASS, and we are committed to fostering the next generation to thrive.
If you're passionate about giving back and ready to reconnect with the college that shaped your journey, we'd love to welcome you. Whether you're early in your career or well established, your insight and presence matter.
To learn more, contact class@cpp.edu.
Ricardo E. Ortega, PhD (GEMS Class of 2006) Chair, CLASS Dean's Circle Committee
| | 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. | | The June CLASS Connection's Grant Awards section listed four Generative AI Course Integration Grant recipients but should have included six: Dr. Shih-Tang Hwu (EC 4445), Dr. Carsten Lange (EC 4447), Dr. Kristin Prins (ENG 2105), Dr. Kang Hoon Sung (COM 4150S), Dr. Karen Tellez-Chaires (ENG 3153), and Dr. Armondo Collins (ENG 3151). | | Connect with CLASS on social media! | | | | |
