College of Arts and Humanities
Arts and Humanities 2008 Department Nominees and Awardees
Undergraduate Nominees
Art and Design
Moua Xiong
Moua Xiong is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
(studio Art/Painting emphasis) with a 3.8 GPA. She is a member of
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and a life member of the California
Scholarship Federation. Moua is distinguished not only by her
strong academic performance but also by her incredible artistic
talent and insight. Professor Nick Potter writes, “I have
been impressed with her work from the first day, which along with
her maturity and self-discipline, sets her apart from other
students, as does the depth and quality of her intellect and visual
awareness.” Moua’s artistic works are inspired by the
notion of ‘the other.’ Moua’s family emigrated
from Laos in the 1970’s and much of her work deals with the
issues she has had to face growing up in a dualistic mode where the
dominant American culture clashes with her minority Laotian
culture. Another subject that is recurrent in her work is youth
culture as it relates to identity formation and labeling.
Moua’s works have been exhibited in student exhibitions on
campus and at Sharon Aria’s Studio in Fresno. Moua plans to
attend graduate school to earn her Master of Fine Arts degree. She
also plans to freelance illustrate for fashion magazines and refine
her earlier coloring books perhaps for publication.
Communication
Sarita J. Field
“I am a person who defies definition;
nothing more and nothing less than me.” Coming from a family
in which the women do not fit the stereotypical mold of femininity
sparked Sarita’s interest in gender communication. Her
grandmother instilled in her a spirit of fiery independence and
showed her the power of a woman with a degree. Sarita Joyce Field
will graduate with a B.A. in Communication and currently has a 3.88
GPA. A Ronald E. McNair scholar, Sarita’s research examines
the nuances of masculinity and religion and has presented her
research at the Undergraduate Communication Conference. She is a
member of the communication honor society, Lambda Pi Eta, and is a
student leader for the Campus Crusade for Christ. Sarita intends to
focus research on gendered communication in graduate school and is
now deciding on which school to attend of the seven different
graduate programs that have admitted her. Eventually she hopes to
return to California to be a professor of Communication.
English
Jaclyn M. Smith
Jaclyn may be the most advanced student of
English Studies that the department has seen in decades. Her
analytical abilities have been described variously as
“phenomenal” and “amazing,” her
participation as elevating the “caliber and complexity of any
class discussion.” Professor Ruth Jenkins writes that
“Jaclyn may be the brightest, most prepared, and personable
of all the students that she has taught in her twenty years at CSU,
Fresno.” Professor Samina Najmi writes that Jaclyn’s
“insights, always articulated thoughtfully and with respect
for other students’ opinions, had a way of shifting the
discursive landscape of the class, in ways that nuanced our
discussions and gave them the most meaningful kinds of
complexity.” Amongst the praise that Jaclyn receives from the
English faculty is a recurring refrain about her humility even as
she asserts a complex and rigorous argument, as one faculty member
noted, “I’m not sure that Jaclyn knows just how very
smart she is!” Earning a perfect 4.0 in English classes and
an impressive 3.97 for her cumulative GPA, Jaclyn plans to relocate
to the San Francisco area and pursue a Master’s degree in
Literature and study publishing. She has already established
herself as a writer in the Fresno area both as a grant writer for
the Clovis Police Department and as an editorial intern at Fresno
Magazine.
Linguistics
Martha Rodriguez Villapando
Martha was born in a rural
village in central Mexico and immigrated to the USA when she was
eight. As a child, she struggled in school, but this May, she will
be the first person in her family to earn a B.A. degree. Commenting
on Martha’s two majors, biology and linguistics, Professor
Chris Golston writes, “Martha has the ability to bring
together different areas of knowledge,” linguistics and
biology. She has taken the time to mentor incoming freshmen and has
tutored students in biology. When tutoring, she teaches students to
apply principles of linguistics such as morphemes to decode text.
Martha stands out as an outstanding linguistics major (general
linguistics option) for many reasons.” A single parent,
Martha has raised two children; her daughter is in high school and
her son is applying for admission to medical school. Martha
considers her reincorporation into society following successful
treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder to be her greatest
accomplishment. Professor Brian Agbayani writes, “She is not
only one of the most inspiring people that I’ve ever met, she
is extremely intelligent and diligent, and she never takes the
“easy way out.” Martha is a success story for returning
and older students. Despite all of her challenges, she has earned a
3.86 GPA at Fresno State. She is planning to complete a teaching
credential, and then, complete her M.A. in teaching English as a
second language. In her personal statement she wrote,
“adversity can be turned into opportunity.” Linguistics
Chair, Ellen Lipp wrote, “This positive outlook contributes
to her success as a parent, a student, a tutor, and as a mentor of
incoming freshmen.”
Media, Communications and Journalism
Jamie L. Gregory
As a soon-to-be-college graduate, I carry
with me the Winston Churchill adage “This is not the
end…. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Jamie began volunteering in the University’s Athletics Media
Relations office at the age of 15, beginning her path of service
learning. Working as a student assistant in the athletics
department gave Jamie the opportunity to continue the activities in
which she had been previously engaged, inspiring her to become a
mass communication and journalism major in order to pursue a career
in public relations. In support of her major, Jamie states that her
minor in Geography gave her the opportunity to “learn more
about … cultures and countries that shape humanity.”
Professor Betsy Hays states, “Jamie is the first student
I’ve had that could walk into a senior level public relations
position the day after graduation. She is that good, and she is
that good because she has taken full advantage of her time here at
Fresno State. Jamie is a shining example of determination,
persistence and commitment to excellence.” Jamie has
maintained a solid 3.94 GPA; is a member of the Public Relations
Student Society of America, and has received numerous scholarships,
including the very competitive Bernard Shepard Scholarship, which
she has earned two years in a row. Jamie states that
“communication is special to me not only because it is
fundamentally required to participate in society, but because it is
an outlet for personal expression. It is my own art. It is my
creative calling. Communication allows me to be me, convey my
thoughts and share my ideas with others. And I found my art here at
Fresno State.”
Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
Edgar Castellon
Edgar Castellón will graduate with a
3.8 GPA as a double major in Spanish and Political Science and has
completed coursework in Pre-Law. He plans on attending law school,
specializing in an area of law such as International Law or
Immigration Law. He serves as Treasurer for three student
organizations: the Fresno State Political Science Association, the
pre-law chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, and the Fresno State Mock Trial
team. In addition to volunteer work for several community
organizations such as the Fresno Adult Living Center, Edgar is
frequently called upon to translate for various schools, the Fresno
Community Hospital, and for the Fresno Court House. Edgar believes
that his work as a translator helps to break down barriers. He
states, “I want to be a catalyst for change, by struggling to
give a voice to those that do not have one, and make my community,
my friends, my educators, and my family proud.” The eldest
son of immigrant parents, Edgar says “that he has always felt
it was his duty to be an example for his younger siblings by
exemplifying the importance of being persistent in all aspects of
one’s life.” Edgar credits his parents for teaching him
the value of hard work and dedication and the importance of
perseverance. Professor Ted Bergman writes, “explanation,
encouragement, and constructive argumentation are in Edgar’s
blood, and when he speaks, he cannot help but teach. For him,
mastery of a subject is not an end, but rather a means to connect
with and help others.”
Department Chair, Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval
writes, “Edgar is proud and conscious of his great abilities
and of his cultural background, yet he is humble, compassionate
towards others and self-giving to the greater community.”
Music
Kevin Matthew McDonald
Kevin McDonald, 3.5 GPA, has
distinguished himself as a musician versed in both Jazz and
Classical idioms. He is the recipient of many awards and
scholarships including the 2007 Paul Shaghoian Award for
Outstanding Musicianship and the Lee Ann Price Memorial
Scholarship. A four-year member of Fresno State’s top Jazz
ensemble, Jazz Band “A,” Kevin also leads and composes
for the Fresno State Protean Visions Jazz Combo and recently
produced the group’s debut album Watercolor Bridges. He has
held the post of Principal Bass with both the University Symphony
Orchestra and the University String Orchestra.
Kevin has served as the Associated Students Senator for
Parking and Safety and currently serves as the AS Associate
Vice-President of Club Finances. He is active in the community as
producer, radio personality, and programmer for KFSR’s (the
campus radio station) Tuesday Morning Jazz program. Kevin is also
active in the Fresno community as a teacher and mentor, coaching
the bass section of the Youth Orchestra of Fresno. He teaches
acoustic and electric bass and conducts master classes for both
classical and jazz students as a staff member at the La Sierra
Music Camp. In 2005, Kevin was an invited guest clinician at Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo. Professor Thomas Loewenheim writes,
“Mr. McDonald is without a question one of the most
enthusiastic students I have taught in quite a while.”
Professor Michael Caldwell writes, “Kevin is also one of our
most dynamic student leaders on campus. He is very humble, yet very
aggressive with regard to effective leadership. Kevin is an
excellent student with outstanding intellectual
capabilities.”
Philosophy
Josh J. McDonald
Josh McDonald is a triple major in
Philosophy, Psychology, and Political Science, with an additional
minor in Music and has earned an astonishing cumulative 4.0 GPA.
Josh is a member of the Smittcamp Honors Program, the
College of Arts & Humanities Honors Program, the Psi Chi Honor
Society in Psychology, the Golden Key Honor Society and the Phi
Kappa Phi Honor Society. Josh has been the recipient of various
academic scholarships and awards including the Juliana Bissett and
Vivian I Pickford memorial scholarships. He has published inside of
two different volumes of Voicing Ideas. He has presented papers at
two Voicing Ideas conferences, the CSU Honors Conference and was
invited to guest lecture at the English Department at Cal-Poly, San
Luis Obispo. He was selected to participate four times as a member
of the California Institute for the Preservation of Jazz, and three
times for the All-State Collegiate Honor Jazz Band. In addition,
Josh’s many and extraordinary contributions to student
government and student life at Fresno State have been equally
outstanding. During the 2006-2007 academic year Josh was elected
the College of Arts & Humanities Senator to the Associated
Students. AS President Juan Pablo Moncayo makes this statement
about Josh, who serves as his Chief of Staff, “Josh
approaches his passions with the interest of acting on them. Many
can talk, few actually act.” While concentrating on his
studies, Josh has focused on a variety of issues very important to
him; serving his peers and working to improve both campus and
Fresno communities. Fresno Councilmember Brian Calhoun states,
“Improving the quality of life in our community is a key
component of public service. Josh has exemplified
this…” Mayor Alan Autry states, “While we cannot
help but be impressed with his achievements outside of City Hall,
we are most proud of the outstanding service he has provided to the
citizens of Fresno.” Josh will pursue Graduate studies in
English Literature here at Fresno State next fall.
Theatre Arts
Paul Henry
Paul Henry, 3.5 GPA, is graduating with a B.A.
degree in Theatre Arts with a concentration in acting. He has
appeared in many Theatre Department productions including Henry IV
Part I, The Laramie Project, Little Foxes, Urinetown, the Portable
Dance Troupe, and the Theatre for Young Audiences touring show.
Paul has pursued his interests in technical theatre, designing the
lighting for University Theatre productions including Polish Joke,
the Portable Dance Troupe, Speed the Plow, and A Lie of the Mind.
He has been a percussionist with the Bulldog Marching Band as well
as playing for several Theatre Department productions. He has
composed music for the Department’s production of Macbeth,
and for several plays at the summer festivals, Shakespeare Santa
Cruz and the Woodward Shakespeare Festival. With the Central Valley
Youth Symphony, Paul has toured Europe and China. Paul has twice
received the Roy and Dorothy Christopher Student Internship Award;
first as acting intern with Shakespeare Santa Cruz and second as
lighting intern with the Phoenix Theatre Company of New York
City.
Graduate Nominees
Art and Design
Christopher Lopez
Christopher Lopez is graduating with a
Master of Arts (Studio Art) degree and a 3.9 GPA. He is the
recipient of both the Hispanic Scholarship Fund/McNamara Family
Creative Arts Project Grant and the Adolph Odorfer Art Scholarship;
both of which were crucial for the production of his exhibit The
Sound, and its Aesthetic Counterpart, or Your Whiteness. An avid
community service participant since high school, Chris has served
many projects both personally and financially. Chris states
“Community service is an invaluable life experience.”
He provided continued support to several local organizations
including the Marjorie Mason Center for Women in Domestic Violence,
Toys for Tots, Autism Speaks, and numerous local elementary
schools. Chris currently serves as an adjunct professor at the
State Center Community College District, Reedley College. “My
experience as a graduate student has given me the skills and
knowledge needed for this teaching position. My accomplishments are
a reflection of what I have learned at the University over the past
two years. The knowledge and skills I have acquired will remain an
inspiration to me as I continue to produce and teach art.”
Professor Edward Gillum states, “Chris Lopez is one of the
most innovative and creative students I have worked with. He has an
enviable energy and has great compassion for both life and art. He
craves knowledge.”
Communication
Leslie G. Collins Hester
Leslie graduates with a 4.0 GPA. Her
scholarship centers on marginalized voice recovery, more
specifically sex and gender in communication. She has presented
papers at national and regional conferences and has submitted a
competitive manuscript, co-authored with Dr. Diane Blair, to the
National Communication Association Conference. Her thesis was
nominated by the Department of Communication for the
university’s Outstanding Thesis Award. In addition to her
remarkable research agenda, Leslie held two graduate appointments
in the department - one as a graduate associate and the other a
graduate teaching assistantship. Having distinguished herself in
the classroom, she won the Gene Anderson Award for Excellence in
Teaching. She is also the recipient of a Graduate Student Research
Merit Award and a Graduate Student Travel Grant. Twice her fellow
graduate students honored her to receive the Honorary National
Communication Association Membership. Leslie has represented the
department at graduate studies and donor events, as the
department’s liaison to local community colleges for the 33rd
annual Undergraduate Communication Conference, and as adjudicator
for the Peach Blossom Oral Interpretation Festival. She is founding
member of the Sigma Epsilon Chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the
Undergraduate National Communication Association Honor Society and
a student member of the Western States Communication Association.
Professor Kevin Ayotte writes, “Leslie Collins Hester is an
exemplary graduate student, modeling the intellectual commitment to
rigorous communication inquiry that we seek to inculcate in our
students.”
English, MFA in Creative Writing
Elizabeth Scheid
Elizabeth Scheid is a publishing poet and
prose writer with seven published poems and an interview with a
prize-winning poet to her credit. At least four of these
publications can be found in first rate, nationally known juried
journals. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA, she has given at least seven
separate public readings of her work, delivered one conference
paper, and has twice been nominated for the Associate Writing
Programs Intro Awards, a national competition for emerging writers
that results in a cash award and journal publication for the
winners.
Elizabeth is a charter member of the San Joaquin Literary
Association, a member of the student organization known as the
Student Reading Series Committee, and a regular reader at public
events such as the Rogue Festival. She represented Fresno State at
the Associated Writing Programs annual conference where she
volunteered to man the Creative Writing Program’s bookfair
table. Elizabeth was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship in
English and in addition to teaching courses in Freshman English
composition, she also taught beginning poetry writing. Often
students would stay after class to tell her how much they were
gaining by reading and writing poetry, often stating that they were
becoming a more rounded person. Professor Connie Hales writes,
“Liz Scheid is an exceptional student who has already brought
considerable honor and improvement to our program and the
university, and whose work promises outstanding accomplishment in
the literary arts.”
English, MA
Georgia P. Williams
Georgia writes, “I seek to build
bridges between students and larger communities, both within the
academic world and within larger communities outside
academia.”
Her service on both campus committees and academic
committees in numerous community colleges in the valley are
extensive. From work on the Young Writers Conference, to organizing
a national MELUS conference on campus, to presentations at
state-wide educational conferences, to scholarly presentations at
conferences in literature, the social sciences, and English
composition theory, Georgia has established herself as a well
known, well respected, and important voice representing Fresno
State in many matters academic, locally, regionally, and
nationally. Awarded a teaching assistantship in English
Composition, Georgia quickly became a leading voice in the
development and strengthening of the Freshman Writing Program. She
is a strong advocate for service learning where learning in the
classroom is put in service of the greater community. Her
innovations in this arena earned her special recognition by Provost
Echeverria. Georgia’s outstanding academic achievements have
earned her membership in Phi Kappa Phi and the Golden Key Honor
Society.
Georgia’s accomplishments need to be seen in a wider
context to better appreciate their worth. For most of her life she
has battled severe and recurring clinical depression. But despite
these disabilities, Georgia has completed the M.A. in English
Literature and is near completion of the M.F.A in Creative Writing,
maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout.
Linguistics
Ria Kudu Inge Cahyani
A Fulbright scholar from Indonesia,
Ria has earned 4.0 GPA. Ria has presented her master’s
project entitled “Indonesian and English Linguistics
Hybridization in Media Discourse: Some Findings from Indonesian
Adolescents’ Magazines across Time” at the Annual CSU
Fresno Research Symposium and at the CSU East Bay Conference.
Alongside her extraordinary academic work, Ria has also excelled in
service to the university and the community. She apprenticed as an
ESL teacher with the American English Institute, and she
volunteered as a teaching assistant for the Fresno Montessori
School. Ria also volunteered as a research assistant for Professor
Sandra Lee. Ria hopes to take a position as a teaching assistant in
the Madera Unified School District to work with ESL learners with
reading disabilities, and in preparation she is independently
studying the Lindamood reading, spelling and speech program so that
she can assist these learners by using the latest teaching
techniques. Ria’s ultimate goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in early
literacy or syntax acquisition. Her goal is to work with the
UNICEF/UNESCO branches of the United Nations to help children
around the world, especially those in her country of Indonesia.
Media, Communications and Journalism
Zoua P. Vang
Born in Laos, Zoua and her family immigrated
to Fresno when she was a toddler. After graduating with her B.A.
degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Minnesota,
she became the first Hmong-American reporter at a mainstream
television station when she was hired by the ABC affiliate in St.
Paul, MN. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA during her graduate studies
here at Fresno State, she has succeeded professionally first as a
reporter and anchor at the local NBC affiliate and now as
Communications Director for First 5 Fresno County, an organization
that works to improve the lives of young children and their
families. As a reporter, Zoua traveled to a refugee camp in
Thailand to document the last wave of Hmong refugees coming to
America. She produced a documentary about the plight of the Hmong
that is now used in classrooms throughout the Valley and at public
libraries. Her reporting and documentary works have been recognized
with two Associated Press Awards and a Best of the West Award. The
City of Fresno and other non-profits have honored her for her
storytelling and journalistic work and she was given the Fresno
City College’s Spotlight Award for her work with college
students. Zoua also serves as an Advisory Member of Stone Soup and
has served as a Board Member of the Central California Asian
Pacific Women’s Group. Zoua’s passion is to give voice
to underrepresented groups. Professor Betsy Hays states, “She
started from nothing, valued her education, and created
opportunities to learn, grow and succeed both professionally and
personally.”
Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
Edgar Perez
Edgar Perez will graduate with a Master of Arts
degree in Spanish and a 4.0 GPA. Professor Ted Bergman writes,
“Far more than a student, Edgar is a scholar and thoughtful
writer whose essays on Hispanic language, literature and culture
show as much his love for them as his understanding of how they
touch his life and those of others.” The barriers of living
seventy-five miles from campus, being diabetic, working, but most
importantly, being a supportive father, did not keep Edgar from
pursuing his educational goals. Edgar is a member of Phi Kappa Phi,
and he has presented a paper at the Annual Graduate Conference on
Hispanic and Lusophone (Portuguese) Literatures, Cultures, and
Linguistics. He has served his community through his volunteer work
with the Merced County Youth Council and tutoring students in
Spanish grammar, literature, and linguistics. Edgar states,
“These activities have provided me with the opportunity to
ensure that those who represent the future in my community have
positive alternatives to enrich and improve their lives.”
Edgar plans to continue his studies at UC Davis. He writes,
“My desire to become a university professor has been born
from understanding that I can make a living by doing something that
I truly enjoy, while at the same time contributing to the
improvement of society and by leaving a legacy for my children that
will help them as they grow and become productive
citizens.”
Music
Sarah Basiletti
Sarah, percussion major with a specialty in
mallet instruments, completes her graduate career with a 4.0 GPA.
In recognition for her extraordinary musical talents, the
Department of Music awarded her a graduate associateship as Mallet
Percussion Instructor for the Bulldog Marching Band and a graduate
teaching assistantship in Freshman level ear-training. Sarah is
timpanist for the Sequoia Winds Community Band and performs with
the Allan Spencer Marimba Group. She has also performed with the
Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, the Fresno Community Chorus, the Fresno
Choral Artists, and the Kings Symphony Orchestra. In addition to
her private studio teaching percussion lessons, Sarah teaches Class
Piano and Music Fundamentals at Reedley College and plans to
continue as Pit Instructor for the Bulldog Marching Band. She hopes
to publish an ear-training bingo game she developed and uses in her
ear-training classes to assist students with their recognition of
intervals and chords. Ultimately, Sarah plans to pursue a doctoral
degree in music theory.
Related Links:
- Student Affairs
- Associated Students
- Go Bulldogs!
- The Collegian
- Career Services
- Jeanne Clery Disclosure (Campus Crime and Security Report)