College of Arts and Letters

A upcoming construction and renovation project will add two new buildings to campus, including a new Performing Arts Center and an academic building that will serve as an anchor to the College of Arts and Letters. The project also will renovate the existing Performing Arts Building for future expansion.

The California State University Board of Trustees approved the schematic design at its Sept. 23, 2020 meeting. The project currently is scheduled to open during the 2024-25 academic year.

During a surprise ceremony June 5, English professor Parastou Feizzaringhalam, affectionately known as Dr. Feiz, was named the recipient of the 2019-20 Golden Apple Award, the highest award for teaching at Cal State San Bernardino.

“You are receiving this award based on the exceptional and vast teaching record here at CSUSB,” President Tomás D. Morales said in honoring Feiz during a Zoom meeting filled with administrators, faculty and staff.

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On Oct. 1, 2020, as part of its ongoing CAL Talk series, the College of Arts and Letters presented Arts and Humanities in the Age of the Pandemic, a faculty panel discussion examining COVID-19’s impact and the critical role of creative and humanistic practices in fomenting social connectedness and cultural life.

When Communication Studies professor Ahlam Muhtaseb entered a Zoom conference June 11, she was expecting to discuss teaching.

Instead, she was surprised with the 2019-20 Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Creative Activities Award, which recognizes outstanding scholarship that has made and continues to make a significant impact on society.

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Bibiana Díaz, associate professor of Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Literatures, was surprised on June 11 via Zoom with the 2019-20 Outstanding Faculty Advisor award.

President Tomás D. Morales announced she was receiving the prestigious honor, explaining that it was well-deserved for “her passion, commitment and dedication to student success providing career and life guidance.”

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• Ed Gomez (Art and Design)
• Julie Taylor, Liliana Conlisk Gallegos and Mariam Betlemidze (Communication Studies)
• Maria Garcia Puente and Dany Doueiri (World Languages and Literatures)
• Yumi Pak (English)

Ed Gomez, Art and Design

Thomas Girshin, English

Kevin Zhang, Music

Jose Cordoba De La Barrera, World Languages and Literatures

Eric Bayruns-Garcia, Philosophy

Kaitlyn Creasy, Philosophy

Nicholas Bratcher, Music

Jennifer Andersen, English

Eric Bayruns-Garcia, Philosophy

Yumi Pak, English

Michelle Fuller, the college’s budget and administrative analyst, was honored with the university's 2020 Distinguished Service Award, Academic Affairs division.

Kelli Cluque (Coyote Radio & Advertising) and Felipe Jimenez (Art and Design) each received the Team Achievement Award for assisting with this year’s Employee Development Days.

The staff of RAFFMA (Eva Kirsch, Michael Beckley, Miranda Canseco, John Fleeman, Diego Irigoyen, Bryan Kraemer and Laura Munoz) also received the Team Achievement Award for the RAFFMA @ Home initiative.