Join the College of Arts & Letters for ‘Connect the Dots Virtually’ on Friday, November 6. Learn about professional pathways by chatting with alumni about transferrable skills and how to connect your classroom learning to the rest of your life. There are panels scheduled throughout the day. You can join one, two, or as many as you like. Pre-registration is encouraged to receive details and Zoom links in advance. Zoom links to individual sessions will also be posted here the day of the event, so bookmark this page for later reference!
Schedule
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Transferrable skills from your Arts & Letters degree
Hosted by: Dean Linda Essig
Special guests:
José Luis Alvarado, Cal State LA Provost
Evelyn Aleman ’95, President, Media Image Public Relations
Jake Rivera ’89, President, Design & Integration, Baltimore MD
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Careers in Media and Journalism
Hosted by: Professors Kristiina Hackel and Julie Patel Liss
Special guests:
Ricky Rodas, ’18, Reporter, The Oaklandside
Dilan Garcia Lopez ’20, Video Adaptation Lead, BuzzFeed
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Communication Studies session: Health Communications
Hosted by: Professors Elaine Wittenberg and Angela Cooke-Jackson
Special guests:
Yesenia Mendoza ’16, ’19, Development and Special Projects Coordinator, Latino Equality Alliance
Ashley Aragon ’17, ’19, Ph.D. Student & Instructor, Department of Communication at University of Maryland
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Theatre alumni discuss live performing arts
Hosted by: Professors Meredith Greenburg and Steven Rothman
Special guests:
Rebecca Bermudez ’19, Stage Manager and Program Director
Morgan Zupanski ’12, Freelance Stage Manager
Luis Rodriguez, ’19, Actor
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Communication Studies session: Press Relations & Marketing pathways
Hosted by: Professor Kate Kurtin
Special guests:
Nico Nava ’16, Media and Events Professional, Iconic
Alexander Guillen ’19, Freelance Graphic Designer and Digital Assistant
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Lunchtime open forum with Dean Essig
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Music Alumni on launching a career in music
Hosted by: Professors Lena Chao and Emily Moss
Special guests:
Ana Rangel ’18, Lead Singer, United Methodist Church of Palm Springs, Color Guard Instructor, Rancho Mirage High School, Substitute Teacher, Palm Springs Unified School District
Emilio Corrales ’18, ’20, Music Educator
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Social Justice/Politics pathways
Hosted by: Professor Kristina Ruiz-Mesa
Special guests:
Jennifer Oliva ’16, ’18, Arts and Culture Commissioner for the City of Santa Ana, Marketing and Creative Freelancer
Melody Klingenfuss ’15, California Dream Network Statewide Youth Organizer, CHIRLA
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
What’s next for a Philosophy Degree?
Hosted by: Professor Mark Balaguer
Special guests:
Katelyn Rogers ’19, Law School Student
Cyrus Azari ’11, Revit Designer, Syska Hennessy Group
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Communication Studies Session: Academia/Education pathways
Hosted by: Professor Kamran Afary
Special guests:
Greg Langner ’13, ’16, Tenure-track faculty at Antelope Valley College
Melissa Tindage ’11, ’13, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies at California State University, Northridge
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
English and Modern Languages: Teaching and More
Hosted by: Professors Linda Greenberg and Gretchen Angelo
Special guests:
Katherine Weiss ’99, Cal State LA College of Arts & Letters Associate Dean
Laura Tejeda ’12, Assistant Director, Cal State LA University-Student
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Art + Design
Hosted by: Professors Zachary Vernon and Rebecca Davis
Special guests:
Elvira Contreras ’14, Graphic Designer, Hillsides
Eddy Densow ’11, Designer, Activision
Felipe Picazo ’16, Graphic Designer, Compadre
Alexis Onofre ’19, Graphic Designer, Moiti√© Cosmetics
Schedule, hosts, and special guests are subject to change, refer back frequently for schedule updates.