Five Cal State San Bernardino students were selected as the California State University’s Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars, which assists those interested in a doctoral program. In addition, three alumni were chosen as the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program Awardees, which aims to increase the number of doctoral students applying for future CSU faculty positions.

“We are very proud of the CSUSB 2022-23 winners of the Sally Casanova Pre-doctoral Scholarships and Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program,” said Dorota Huizinga, associate provost for Academic Research and dean of Graduate Studies. “Their success is a great testimonial to our unwavering commitment to student academic excellence, the dedication of faculty mentors, and the leadership of Dr. Caroline Vickers, associate dean of Graduate Studies, who coordinates this program on our campus.

“The Sally Casanova Pre-doctoral Scholarships and Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program are very competitive and have a long tradition of providing successful supports for students interested in pursuing Ph.D. degrees and academic careers,” she said.

The five Sally Casanova scholars were selected from the 76 highly qualified CSU Pre-Doctoral Program applicants. The program, which is awarded to juniors, seniors, and graduate students, provides financial assistance for those interested in exploring and preparing for a doctoral program. Scholars receive one-on-one guidance provided by faculty members within the CSU and the opportunity to work with faculty from doctoral-granting institutions. 

The 2022-23 CSUSB Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars and their faculty mentors include:

  • Estevan Hernandez, psychology
    Faculty mentor: Maria Santos
  • Jennifer Perretti, criminal justice
    Faculty mentor: Douglas Weiss
  • Viviana Alvarez Rodriguez, history
    Faculty mentor: Pedro Santoni
  • Megan Haynes, English
    Faculty mentor: Kate Simonian
  • Jaime Castro Casas, history
    Faculty mentor: Daisy Ocampo

Selected students are designated Sally Casanova Scholars as a tribute to Dr. Sally Casanova, for whom the scholarship is named. They also receive funding for activities such as:

  • participation in a summer research experience program at a doctoral-granting institution
  • visits to doctoral-granting institutions to explore opportunities for doctoral study​
  • travel to a national symposium or professional meeting and related activities, such as membership in professional organizations and journal subscriptions
  • graduate school application and test fees

Two additional CSUSB students received honorable mentions from the Pre-Doctoral Program reviewers:

  • Jocelin Monge, communication studies
    Faculty mentor: Thomas Corrigan
  • Alexis Hernandez, English
    Faculty mentor: Jasmine Lee

Three CSUSB alumni were selected from a total of 76 applications to become 2022-23 Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) Fellows. CDIP aims to increase the number of promising doctoral students applying for future CSU faculty positions by offering financial assistance in the form of a loan, and mentorship by CSU faculty. The program is open to new or continuing full-time doctoral students, undergraduate and master’s level graduate students applying to doctoral programs, and lecturers enrolled in a full-time doctoral program.

The 2022-23 CSUSB CDIP Fellows are:

  • Isabella Cantu ’22, sociology
    Faculty mentor: José Muñoz,
  • Monica Carbajal ’19, psychology
    Faculty mentor: Dionisio Amodeo
  • Xavier Resendez ’22, history
    Faculty mentor: Ryan Keating

For more information and to view a list of all the Sally Casanova Scholars, visit the CSU Sally Casanova Scholars webpage. For more information about the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program, visit the CSU CDIP webpage.