Making Waves: July 2024

Employee of the Month: Program Coordinator Jasmine Puck

Jasmine Puck stands beneath the Employee of the Month sign on campus — Jasmine Puck

Jasmine Puck ‘12 has been employed by �� for less than two years, but the program coordinator is already winning praise for her out-of-the-box thinking and smart initiatives that drive measurable results. , Puck was initially hired in 2023 as Student Life and Development coordinator before becoming program coordinator for the College of Business’ Student Center for Professional Development (SCPD), supporting mentorship programs and career workshops. Shayleen Fay, the head of the SCPD, shared that Jasmine “is a recent addition to our team and has wasted no time in making a significant impact.” She is credited with transforming the center’s social media presence and organizing a headshot photo event so graduating students would have professional-grade photos to upload to their LinkedIn pages. “Jasmine also has been instrumental in implementing a Canvas page for the SCPD, which was designed to streamline processes and improve communication,” Fay said. Puck has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management and a master’s in education.

Professor inducted into National Academy of Inventors

Congratulations to Henry Yeh, �� professor of electrical engineering, for his induction into the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). With only 553 senior members worldwide, NAI members hold more than 6,700 U.S. patents and represent more than 100 institutions. Yeh, who holds a doctorate in electrical engineering, boasts more than 170 technical publications and seven patents and applications. Joining the �� Electrical Engineering Department in 1983 and becoming a professor in 1986, he served as department chair from 2016 to 2022. Yeh’s research areas include machine learning and digital signal processing. He received the Northrop Grumman Excellence in Teaching Award, the Distinguished Faculty Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award and the IEEE Outstanding Engineering Educator Award for Region 6. Yeh also leads the at ��, training engineers and technicians for California's electric vehicle market.

�� earns silver for sustainability efforts

STARS rating chart — Chart showing the 2024 STARS rating, compared with the 2017 and 2021. A score of 65 equals a gold rating.

California State University, Long Beach has earned a STARS silver rating from the (AASHE) for its sustainability achievements. The STARS program, measuring sustainability in higher education across academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership, is globally recognized. In 2022, the CSU Board of Trustees mandated STARS reports for all campuses. This is the third STARS report by the �� Office of Sustainability, supported by numerous departments and the President’s Commission on Sustainability. The comprehensive report took a year to complete and is valid for three years. Sustainability Manager Holli Fajack is confident the school will achieve a gold rating next time. "We got super close but ultimately fell short of that goal by just a few points," Fajack said. “The good news is we have a clear roadmap for where to focus our efforts and I have no doubt that we will with crush our goal next time.”

New book on Chicanx art, history hits shelves

Loretta Victoria Ramirez holds up a copy of her book, The Wound and the Stitch — Loretta Victoria Ramirez

Loretta Victoria Ramirez ‘16, an assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts, has announced the release of her book “” (Penn State University Press, 2024). The cover features a portrait of the author shot by Ana Lilia Berrelleza Valles ’22, who holds a bachelor’s degree in photography from ��. An alumna of ��'s art history program and assistant professor of Latinx rhetoric and composition in the , Ramirez's book delves into historical and visual rhetoric, cultural rhetoric, art history, trauma studies, decolonial theory, archival methodology and writing pedagogy. It traces the imagery and language of woundedness and stitching together fragmented selves, emphasizing Chicanx self-representation in California. Ramirez argues for the importance of acknowledging and healing historical violence against Chicanx bodies.

University writer takes home press club awards

Richard Chang, a writer and communications specialist in Strategic Communications at ��, took home a number of awards from the Orange County Press Club Awards June 14. Three of the awards were received for news stories Chang wrote for the university website — including "Best Arts/Culture Story or Review, Sponsored Content" (first place) for his story, “Rarely seen Lee Krasner paintings underscore Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum’s value to the community”; "Best News Feature Story, Sponsored Content" (first place) for "�� students aim to alleviate housing crisis with sustainable tiny house" and "Best Feature Story, Sponsored Content" (honorable mention) for "Formerly incarcerated women find a second chance through Project Rebound." The judges called Chang's piece on tiny houses “well-explored and super interesting." The awards honor achievements by journalists about topics of interest to Orange County readers. Chang has worked at �� since 2020 and has held his current position since February 2022.