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Dominican Experience Leads to Dartmouth College MHA

ggrubb — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:59:23 +0000

Dominican Experience Leads to Dartmouth College MHA ggrubb Wed, 09/23/2026 - 15:59 09/23/26

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Azan Yousaf ’25.

He recently earned a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from Dartmouth College, building on the foundation in biology, chemistry, research, and social justice he developed as an undergraduate at Dominican.

After a quick trip back to Marin to visit family, Azan is ready for his next step: an executive director-in-training position with a health system in Washington.

The role brings Azan closer to his goal of building and leading health systems that are committed to equitable care.

“It’s a major step in my executive leadership career and aligns closely with my long-term goal of healthcare executive and CEO-level leadership,” he says.

At Dartmouth, Azan was the youngest person in his cohort and the only student to come directly from an undergraduate school. His peers included doctors, hospital executives, and other healthcare professionals. Both in the classroom and through site visits, Azan developed new expertise in health care finance, operations and strategy, learning to evaluate reimbursement models, and assess market dynamics.

He learned to think about health care at the system level while developing a better understanding of healthcare access disparities. His master’s capstone brought that perspective home to Marin. Focusing on MarinHealth, the nonprofit health system just a few miles south of his Novato hometown, Azan examined how the organization manages relationships with community organizations to improve health across the county.

Through SWOT and stakeholder analyses, Azan examined how MarinHealth coordinates its existing partnerships. His central finding: the health system may not need more community partnerships so much as a more consistent way to manage the ones it already has. A centralized approach could help clarify responsibilities, focus resources, measure progress, and ensure partnerships are responding to community needs.

The project reflects how Azan’s perspective has evolved.

At Dominican, he developed a strong scientific and clinical foundation while discovering a passion for the social and structural forces that shape health. That interest was nurtured early through Dominican’s Service-Learning program, which showed Azan how systemic barriers affect real people.

A first-generation college student, Azan knew little about the opportunities available at Dominican until a college advisor at Marin-based college-access nonprofit 10,000 Degrees suggested it might be a good fit.

It quickly proved to be. Azan arrived intending to study biology, but a first-year Service-Learning course inspired him to add a second major in social justice.

“I went into Service-Learning thinking I would just be volunteering my time, but I learned so much from the courses,” he says.

In Dominican’s Service-Learning program, community partners serve as co-educators, helping students understand the broader issues behind the work they are doing. For Azan, much of that learning took place at RotaCare, a nonprofit providing health care to residents who cannot afford primary care.

The experience exposed him to the inequities that persist even in a relatively affluent community like Marin. This helped shape his interest in becoming a healthcare advocate and leader.

“My work at RotaCare provided direct exposure to the structural and financial barriers embedded within the U.S. healthcare system, particularly for uninsured and undocumented populations,” he says.

“Witnessing the operational constraints of safety-net care sharpened my focus on designing sustainable, business-informed solutions that expand access while strengthening organizational performance.”

At Dartmouth, Azan studied health systems across the country. He saw how geography, resources, and local infrastructure can shape the way care is delivered. In some regions, for example, physician assistants and nurse practitioners play a much larger role because communities have less medical infrastructure than the Bay Area.

The experience challenged him to look beyond the clinical side of health care and consider how financing, insurance, policy, workforce, and organizational decisions intersect to affect patients.

“One of the biggest things I took away from graduate school is how complicated the U.S. health-care system is,” he says. “I realize there are few simple, black-and-white solutions, and I’m particularly interested in the tension between expanding access to health care and maintaining the funding and incentives necessary to continue investing in innovation.”

His scientific foundation began at Dominican. As a biology student, Azan participated in the University’s research methodology course sequence, gaining hands-on experience in laboratory and field research. Working with a faculty mentor, he studied the impact of fire on the long-term health of amphibians in California’s forests, learning to collect microbial samples, conduct genetic analyses and identify bacteria using DNA sequencing.

He also participated in the year-long Kaiser Pre-Med Mentor Program, which pairs students with Kaiser Permanente physicians and gives them an inside look at the day-to-day work of a doctor.

Together, those experiences gave Azan more than preparation for graduate school. They helped him connect science with service, and evidence with action.

“Dominican gave me the space to grow as both a scientist and an advocate,” he says. “I came in figuring things out while working and supporting my family, and I’m leaving with a clear sense of purpose, deep community ties, and the confidence to lead in healthcare spaces that need change.”

Student Story School of Health and Natural SciencesAlumni News

Best in the West: U.S. News Ranks Dominican in Top Spot

ggrubb — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:41:57 +0000

Best in the West: U.S. News Ranks Dominican in Top Spot ggrubb Wed, 09/16/2026 - 12:41 09/22/26

Dominican University of California has earned its highest-ever “U.S. News & World Report” ranking, coming in at the number seven spot in the 2027 Regional Universities (West) category, a reflection of its outstanding student outcomes, including strong graduation and retention rates.

The 2027 edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.

In separate categories, U.S. News also ranked Dominican highly as a Top Private School (#4 in the West), a Best Value School (#9 in the West), and for its outstanding work empowering Social Mobility (#29 in the West).

Small class sizes, hands-on research and scholarship, personalized attention from professors who know students by name, extensive community engagement, and high starting salaries for graduates are hallmarks of a Dominican education.

Dominican’s number seven spot is a 24-point increase from 2026. This year’s rankings heavily emphasize student outcomes, academic resources and expert opinion.

Student outcomes, which tracks a school’s success in preparing students for life after college accounted for 52% of the total weight. These include graduation rates, first-year retention, and the school’s performance against a predicted graduation rate. Success for low-income students is measured by the Pell graduation rate. Post-graduation metrics assess the percentage of graduates whose earnings exceed a typical high school graduate and graduates’ earnings by major.

Peer assessment accounted for 20% of the total weight. This captures key aspects of a school’s quality, including innovative teaching and institutional health. Presidents, provosts, and deans rate institutions in their category with which they are familiar.

Other factors impacting the ranking are faculty resources, financial resources.

The western region includes universities in California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Alaska. Regional universities provide a full range of undergraduate, and master's, and some doctoral programs.

These U.S. News accolades follow strong rankings from both TIME magazine and Money.

Dominican is listed as one of the nation’s top institutions for student outcomes, learning environment, and attractiveness to students in the inaugural TIME magazine “America’s Best Colleges of 2026-2027” ranking.

The inaugural ranking of 500 qualifying U.S. colleges is based on a comprehensive analysis to identify top-performing colleges nationwide. The analysis is structured around three key pillars: student outcomes (75%), learning environment (15%), and attractiveness (10%). This puts a particular emphasis on what students gain from attending an institution relative to its cost.

Dominican also was recognized as one of Money’s Best Colleges in America 2026. Money's analysis showcases the country's top 735 colleges based on a number of factors, including graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, and alumni salaries. Money uses “star ratings” to identify standout schools, with 5 stars being the highest. Dominican scored exceptionally high on most of Money’s metrics to receive 4.5 stars. Most colleges on the list landed in the 3.5 to 4-star category.

Elevating student success is at the heart of the Dominican Experience. The Dominican Experience ensures that all undergraduates have access to:

One-on-one attention and coaching from a network of mentors across campus.
Real-world experiences, including internships, service-learning, clinicals, or global learning programs.
Signature work projects, ranging from a capstone thesis developed with a faculty advisor, undergraduate research in the lab or the field, an art project, a choreographed dance, or publication in a journal.
Job readiness and interview skills through career coaching, resume and LinkedIn workshops, and interview preparation.

News University RankingsThe Dominican Experience

President Pitchford Begins Final Year Leading Dominican

ggrubb — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:53:35 +0000

President Pitchford Begins Final Year Leading Dominican ggrubb Mon, 09/14/2026 - 15:53 09/15/26

After 16 years of service to Dominican University of California, including six years as president, Dr. Nicola Pitchford will step down from the presidency in June 2027.

Throughout the 2026–2027 academic year, President Pitchford will continue working with campus stakeholders and Dominican’s board of trustees to advance the university’s transformative strategic vision to become a health and community wellbeing campus.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside President Pitchford and to witness firsthand her profound commitment to Dominican students,” says Darryl Page, chair of Dominican’s board of trustees.

“She was an original architect of Dominican’s distinctive approach to student support, and so much of the institution’s progress over the last decade and a half is thanks to her expert and compassionate leadership.”

Dominican will launch a search for the university’s next president in the coming months. The board of trustees will provide additional information about the search process and opportunities for members of the Dominican community to participate as plans take shape.

Guided by President Pitchford and her leadership team, Dominican has developed strong programs that align well with the new health and community wellbeing focus, including an undergraduate program in kinesiology and doctoral programs in art therapy and occupational therapy. The university continues to see strong demand for established programs that focus on health and wellbeing, including nursing, physician assistant studies, psychology, counseling psychology, and pre-med/biology.

“We are well positioned to continue to develop programs, partnerships, and initiatives to meet the evolving needs of our students and our community as a health and community wellbeing campus,” Page said. “President Pitchford has built us a strong foundation, positioning us to proceed with confidence and purpose towards a vibrant future.”

Throughout her tenure at Dominican, President Pitchford’s focus on student success has been grounded in a commitment to catalyzing social mobility.

As vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, President Pitchford co-chaired the design team that conceived the university’s signature student learning model, the Dominican Experience. This wraparound approach—integrating mentoring, hands-on research, scholarship or creative inquiry, community engagement, and career readiness into the curriculum—has contributed to strong completion rates and social mobility outcomes for an increasingly diverse student body.

Dominican’s four-year graduation rate consistently exceeds both the national and California State University system averages (by 11 points and 25 points, respectively).

A key focus of President Pitchford’s work has been expanding access and opportunity for students. She led the university’s successful effort to earn federal Minority Serving Institution (MSI) designation in 2022, the culmination of years of focused effort to close achievement gaps as the country’s college-bound population diversifies. The designation also made the university eligible for federal funding to support student enrollment, persistence, graduation, and post-graduation success.

In 2022 and 2023, Dominican secured two five-year, $3 million grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program to fund the undergraduate and graduate La Vida Dominican programs. The programs promoted student success through the Dominican Experience’s model of specialized outreach, mentorship, and resources.

Although HSI funding was eliminated by the Department of Education in 2025, halfway through the university’s grant period, the programs’ impact continues. From 2020 to 2025 Dominican reduced the achievement gap between Latino and non-Latino students to less than one percentage point at a time when the statewide gap was 12 percentage points.

Today, more than 70 percent of Dominican’s undergraduate students are students of color. Approximately one-quarter are the first in their families to attend college, and one-third are Pell Grant-eligible.

Dominican now ranks in the top five percent nationally for return on investment for low-income students. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard reports median earnings of $95,437 for Dominican alumni who received federal aid as students — significantly higher than the $60,377 midpoint for all U.S. colleges.

President Pitchford oversaw the development of The Center for the Dominican Experience (CDE) within the Archbishop Alemany Library building. Opened in August 2023 and funded through private donations, the $8 million CDE centralized key student services, including the Mary B. Marcy Student Success Center, Fletcher Jones Digital Portfolio Lab, the Susan and Dennis Gilardi Center for Community Engagement and Partnerships, and the Francoise O. Lepage Center for Global Innovation. Flexible study and gathering areas facilitate important academic and social connection making.

In recent years, President Pitchford has been instrumental in securing gifts to support the growth of Dominican’s work focused on educational equity and social mobility. A $1 million grant from the Fletcher Jones Foundation provides an annual cohort of eight incoming students with tuition assistance based on demonstrated financial need, along with funding for on-campus housing and summer study abroad programs.

President Pitchford graduated cum laude from Pomona College with a BA in English and creative writing. She began her academic career as a teaching assistant while pursuing her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She earned both an MA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin in English, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary U.S. and British literature.

Before joining Dominican, President Pitchford served as associate vice president for academic affairs and associate chief academic officer at Fordham University from 2009-2011. President Pitchford joined the faculty at Fordham in 1995 as an assistant professor of English and received tenure in 2001. She also served as director of graduate studies in the Department of English, co-director of the Literary Studies Program, and as chair of the Department of English.

One thread of Pitchford’s scholarship has been the history of the Booker Prize (once the Man Booker Prize). Her research has focused on the critical controversies that have attended various prize winners, as a lens through which to consider larger cultural debates surrounding contemporary British fiction. Widely published on such topics as the British novel, Black British writing, nature writing, the liberal arts, and global engagement of faculty, she is also author of “Tactical Readings: Feminist Postmodernism in the Novels of Kathy Acker and Angela Carter” (Bucknell University Press, 2002).

In 2018, President Pitchford attended the Rural Writing Institute in the United Kingdom’s Lake District and has continued to study the history of Marin County and Coast Miwok land, composing her own place-based narratives.

In 2022, President Pitchford received the inaugural Nature Chronicles Prize for her essay “A Parable of Arable Land.” The Nature Chronicles Prize is an international, English-language literary award that aims to find engaging essay-length works that share a commitment to truth-telling and respond to the time we are in and the world as it is. President Pitchford’s winning essay weaves together personal narrative and historical analysis, in threads including the story of her father’s life as a hydrological engineer who aided the development and spread of industrial-scale irrigation technologies in the late 20th century, to create a parable for the failure of the richer nations’ attitudes to water, militarism, and the exploitation of nature. The essay ranges across various landscapes, from England’s Lake District to the Libyan Sahara Desert, to the vast farms of California’s Central Valley.

President Pitchford chairs the executive board of LEAD California, a coalition of colleges and universities that champions civic and community engagement. She has served on the AICCU Restart Higher Education Task Force (2020), WSCUC accreditation teams (2020 and 2018), and the National Fulbright Screening Committee (2008).

News University News

Men’s, Women’s Players Combine Academics, Lifelong Love of Soccer

ggrubb — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:55:44 +0000

Men’s, Women’s Players Combine Academics, Lifelong Love of Soccer ggrubb Thu, 09/10/2026 - 12:55 09/10/26

Janae Schwan ’27 started kicking a soccer ball as soon as she could walk.

Her father, a longtime coach in Sonoma County, introduced her to the game at an early age, and Janae has been playing ever since. Awards and accolades quickly followed as her soccer career progressed.

“I cannot imagine what it would be like to not have soccer in my life,” says Janae, now a senior at Dominican.

Last season she helped lead the Penguins to a 9-2-9 overall record, a tie for third place in the PacWest regular-season standings and a runner-up finish in the PacWest Tournament.

Janae’s path to Dominican, however, came midway through her college career. After several years in the California State University system, Janae was looking for something different: a smaller university closer to home, where she could get more individual attention in the classroom while continuing to play at a high level.

She found both.

“I went from huge lecture halls at my state school to small classrooms where professors get to know you and really want to see you succeed,” she says. “And the team was immediately supportive. It was a great move and a great fit.”

Janae quickly settled into life as a Penguin. In her first season at Dominican, she played in all 20 games, scoring four goals and adding four assists. Her 23 shots on goal ranked third in program single-season history.

She also found the academic mentorship she had craved. As a kinesiology major interested in becoming a physical therapist, Janae appreciates Dominican’s small classes, where she typically knows her professors by name and can develop relationships with them. “I like having only 10 to 15 people in a class and being able to know my professors,” she says.

Kinesiology Program Director Megan Toma, Janae’s academic advisor, has been an important part of that experience, regularly sharing job opportunities, suggesting strong physical therapy graduate programs, and assisting Janae with the application process.

Janae’s transition to Dominican’s soccer team was also significant. Dominican was her third school — after her original transfer school suddenly eliminated athletics — and she was determined to make the most of her junior year. “Being at my third school was crazy, but I just wanted to make the most of it,” she says. “My team was really special and that made a huge difference.”

Last year, Janae and her teammates put together a 9-2-9 season, finished tied for third in the PacWest regular-season standings, and advanced to the PacWest Tournament championship game. The experience created a strong bond among the team. “We really leaned on each other and helped each other,” Janae says.

This year’s team has a different look. About a dozen seniors graduated, leaving a younger group of players to build on what the team accomplished last season. Janae sees that as an opportunity for the returning players to help guide their younger teammates and create another strong team culture.

Balancing soccer with academics can be challenging, particularly in a demanding kinesiology program. Janae has learned to plan her course load carefully during the season, and this semester she is taking physics. Still, she says Domini2can’s supportive faculty make a difference. “The professors really want you to do well,” she says. “They want you to pass the class, do well and succeed.”

Janae’s academic work in the kinesiology program also helped confirm her plans to pursue physical therapy. An athletic training class last semester, which focused on injuries and injury prevention, was especially valuable because she could connect what she was learning in class to her teammates’ experiences with injuries.

She has also been building the hands-on experience she will need for PT school. Last fall, she completed an internship with a personal trainer and this summer completed a second internship at a physical therapy practice.

Janae plans to apply to physical therapy programs six months to a year in advance and may take a gap year after graduation to gain additional experience. For now, she is focused on making the most of her time at Dominican — both in the classroom and on the soccer field.

For fellow senior Anthony Stainer ’27 soccer has been a source of friendships and opportunities.

Like Janae, Anthony started playing soccer as a child before moving into competitive club soccer with Napa United 1839 and varsity competition at Vintage High School, where he also played baseball and basketball.

For Anthony, soccer was always going to be part of his college experience.

“Growing up playing soccer helped me build friendships, meet new people and travel,” he says. “Soccer also taught me the discipline that would get me into college in the first place.”

So, when a Dominican coach reached out to him at the beginning of his senior year at Vintage, Stainer was eager to learn more. He knew little about Dominican — or even Marin County. Before visiting campus, his experience with Marin had mostly consisted of passing through on the way to and from San Francisco.

His first visit changed that.

“I had no idea how beautiful it was here,” he recalls. “I still really enjoy walking around campus and taking it all in.”

The university and soccer program proved to be a good fit. Anthony enrolled as a business administration major with a concentration in finance and a minor in sports management, and he quickly became a key contributor on the field.

Beginning in 2024, Anthony took on a regular starting role, appearing in 17 matches with 13 starts. He scored two goals and added four assists. In his senior year, Anthony appeared in 16 matches, including nine starts. He played 705 minutes at midfielder and led the Penguins with 11 points, scoring four goals and adding three assists.

Now entering his senior year, Anthony feels equally at home at Dominican, on the soccer field and throughout Marin.

“It’s great,” he says. “Sometimes when we are wearing team shirts while off campus, people will come up and ask how our season is going.”

That connection extends beyond game days. Several Dominican players coach with Marin Football Club, whose teams use Dominican’s fields.

“It is great to see the Marin FC kids come to watch our games,” Anthony says.

That sense of community is one of the things he values most about Dominican.

“What really stands out to me is that at Dominican you have all the benefits of a small school — you build connections with professors — but you also get to know a lot of people,” he says. “You see everyone day-to-day, walking around campus and in class. It is easy to make friends.”

After spending his first three years living on campus, Anthony now shares an off-campus home with soccer teammates. For him, being a Penguin has become about more than playing college soccer; it has also meant becoming part of the community beyond campus.

This season, both Janae and Anthony will have another reason to be excited about playing at home: the return of Kennelly Field, newly resurfaced and ready for competition.

Anthony remembers the old field well.

“I won’t miss it,” he says with a laugh. “When you fell, it was rough on the skin. This new surface is so much better — it’s amazing.”

And the players aren't the only ones noticing the transformation.

“The logo is beautiful, and people are really noticing how great it looks on the field,” Anthony says.

Now, with a new surface beneath them and another season ahead, the Penguins are ready to make Kennelly Field their home-field advantage.

For Anthony, it is the perfect setting for what he hopes will be another successful season — and one more chapter in a soccer journey that began long before he ever set foot at Dominican.

Student Story Student StoryAthleticsSoccer

Dominican Ranked by TIME Magazine as Among the Top U.S. Universities

ggrubb — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 22:40:18 +0000

Dominican Ranked by TIME Magazine as Among the Top U.S. Universities ggrubb Tue, 09/01/2026 - 15:40 09/01/26

Dominican University of California has ranked as one of the nation’s top institutions for student outcomes, learning environment, and attractiveness to students in the inaugural TIME magazine “America’s Best Colleges of 2026-2027” ranking.

The new ranking was developed by TIME magazine in partnership with data research firm Statista to focus on the value students receive from their college education, including outcomes after graduation and the overall student experience.

The inaugural ranking of 500 U.S. colleges is based on a comprehensive analysis to identify top-performing colleges nationwide.

Eligible institutions must be financially solvent; holding active Title IV federal financial aid eligibility status; operating as either a public or private not-for-profit; and enrolling at least 750 full-time equivalent undergraduate students across the past four years.

The analysis is structured around three key pillars: student outcomes (75%), learning environment (15%), and attractiveness (10%). This puts a particular emphasis on what students gain from attending an institution relative to its cost.

Student outcomes include graduates’ earnings, graduation rates, and return on education. The return on education weights the earnings students achieve against the cost of obtaining their degree.

The learning environment pillar assesses the quality of the instructional setting and community that an institution provides for its undergraduate students. Attractiveness assesses the degree to which an institution is genuinely sought-after by prospective students.

The quantitative analysis underlying the ranking draws on authoritative federal data sources. Institutional characteristics, enrollment figures, admissions data, faculty information, graduation rates, and financial variables are sourced from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics. Graduate earnings data are drawn from the College Scorecard, published by the U.S. Department of Education. State-level earnings benchmarks used in the return on education calculations are derived from the American Community Survey (ACS), published by the U.S. Census Bureau.

News University News

Dominican Inspires Family Legacy

ggrubb — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:50:32 +0000

Dominican Inspires Family Legacy ggrubb Tue, 06/23/2026 - 15:50 08/17/26

For Kevin Sunga '15, Dominican is family.

Not only is his wife, Elizabeth “Nikki” Chan-Sunga, a Dominican alumna, but several cousins also attended the university between 2012 and 2021. “Dominican is a family legacy,” Kevin says, referring to relatives Susana “Stacey” Cummings, Francis Sunga, Yvonne Bamba, Joanne Bamba, and Mirabella Mercado-Sunga, Francis’ spouse.

Most of Kevin’s cousins studied nursing at Dominican and now work in prestigious health centers. Kevin and Nikki took a different path and today are leaders in the nonprofit sector in California’s Central Valley.

Kevin serves as deputy director of Little Manila Rising, a place-based social justice nonprofit in Stockton. There, he works at the intersection of community development, historic preservation, health equity, environmental justice, and youth empowerment to benefit residents of South Stockton who have been historically redlined. Nikki is executive director of Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities, which practices community-based transformative justice to heal and prevent violence while advancing holistic liberation.

Kevin credits the rigor of his Dominican education with providing a strong foundation for his future career.

“I've spearheaded a fair amount of advocacy work, navigating and negotiating with legislative offices, state agencies, and philanthropic circles,” he says.

“What I took from my classes and coursework has translated more than I expected. It's been especially useful in staying creative and strategic in sustaining our movement during this challenging moment.”

A growing interest in history and government led Kevin to Dominican with a goal of one day working in politics.

“It was my senior year in high school that I became interested in how history and the powers that be shape policy,” he recalls.

A classmate at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School recommended Dominican’s political science program, and after speaking with his cousin Stacey, Kevin knew he would find a supportive and welcoming community.

Initially, Kevin envisioned a career in a congressional office. As he gained a deeper understanding of the political system, however, he realized he wanted to work closer to home, where he could have a more direct impact on his community through local and state-level decision-making.

One person who played a pivotal role in Kevin’s journey was political science professor Alison Howard, who encouraged him to apply for a postgraduate fellowship through the University of San Francisco’s Leo T. McCarthy Center.

Selected as a McCarthy Fellow, Kevin gained firsthand exposure to California’s policymaking process. His placement with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation introduced him to health policy in motion and sparked an interest that would shape the next stage of his career.

That interest led to a full-time position at UCSF Medical Center, where Kevin first worked as a clinic coordinator and later as a clinic supervisor, overseeing several oncology service units at Mt. Zion. Over the years, he took on a wide range of responsibilities, including helping facilitate expansion into UCSF’s Mission Bay and Redwood City campuses.

It was at UCSF that Kevin developed a passion for addressing inequities in healthcare.

“I became deeply engaged in patient advocacy — navigating insurance denials, coordinating care across regions, and ensuring patients had equitable access to care,” he says.

He also witnessed the barriers many patients faced.
“I worked with patients from the Central Valley whose only option was to drive to UCSF in San Francisco for treatment because there were no services available closer to home.”

The experience deepened his understanding of the disparities in healthcare access.
“UCSF is a great system,” he says, “but I realized it was a system that many marginalized communities had difficulty accessing.”

That passion for advocacy and community health ultimately led Kevin to Little Manila Rising, where, since 2021, he has worked on historic preservation, community development, health equity, and environmental justice initiatives.

His first role was co-developing the Equity in COVID and Health Outcomes program, which focused on COVID-19 response, vaccination outreach, and health education for marginalized communities in South Stockton. The initiative distributed 2,000 COVID-19 tests and supported more than 1,700 vaccinations.

Kevin later became director of grants and fiscal sustainability, fundraising $7 million for multiple initiatives before being named deputy director in June 2024, overseeing the organization’s environmental justice initiatives while leading grant strategy and fund development.

Kevin has contributed to several major milestones, including artifacts for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History exhibit “How Can You Forget Me?” He also helped secure financing for a $7 million renovation of the organization’s center, which will reopen next year as a Climate and Community Resiliency Center.

Today, Kevin continues to draw on lessons from his Dominican education as he helps shape programs focused on climate change, urban reforestation, community redevelopment, and anti-displacement strategies, allowing community wealth to flow without gentrifying communities.

He encourages current students to take full advantage of the opportunities available at Dominican.

“As I reflect on my own Dominican experience, I would advise students to embrace the rigor and take advantage of the low student-to-teacher ratio. This mirrors real life in terms of engagement and collaboration,” he says.

He also encourages students to remain open to unexpected opportunities.

“My journey was not linear,” he notes. “We all have hopes of where we want to land. For me, life has been so fun because I’ve moved in a nonlinear direction. I’ve embraced what has come in between.”

That journey into leadership has reinforced the importance of empathy. As he continues to grow in his career, Kevin remains inspired by a quote he often recites:
“Empathy is the most necessary trait for effective leadership, which requires one to perform all roles that lead up to that leadership position. To empathize, you have to live a day in their shoes. Take your time. Climb the ladder.”

Student Story University NewsSchool of Liberal Arts and EducationPolitical ScienceHistory and PoliticsSelect

Inaugural Occupational Therapy Doctorate Cohort to Present Capstone Projects

ggrubb — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:22:07 +0000

Inaugural Occupational Therapy Doctorate Cohort to Present Capstone Projects ggrubb Mon, 08/17/2026 - 11:22 08/17/26

Dominican University of California’s Department of Occupational Therapy will celebrate a significant milestone on Friday, Aug. 21, as 12 students from the university’s inaugural Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) cohort present their final doctoral capstone projects.

Occupational therapy practitioners work in hospitals, clinics, schools, business, industry, and community settings, serving persons of all ages with developmental, physical, psychiatric, or behavioral disabilities. OTs also promote health and help prevent disease and disability through occupation-centered interventions and environmental adaptations.

In Dominican’s OTD program, students work in cohorts, progressing from foundational knowledge to practice and application of concepts and skills and, finally, integration of knowledge, skills and professional identity. Classroom learning is primarily in-person with selected use of distance education for specific courses. Students complete 24 full-time equivalent weeks of fieldwork internship training, as well as an individual 14-week capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program.

“Through their doctoral capstone experiences, these students have had the opportunity to bring together their academic preparation, clinical experiences, and personal passions as they continue to develop as innovators, leaders, advocates, scholars and practitioners,” says Dr. Kitsum Li, professor and doctoral capstone coordinator in the department of occupational therapy.

The students’ capstone projects represent a diverse range of topics, populations, practice settings, and emerging opportunities for occupational therapy,” she adds.

Final capstone presentations will take place from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, with presentations taking place simultaneously in Meadowlands 133, Meadowlands 209 and Science 133. The presentations will be available both in person and online, with Zoom access available for each presentation room.

The presentation schedule includes:

Meadowlands 133, Zoom link.
1:35–2:05 p.m. — Megan Maekawa: Promoting Occupational Balance for High School Students Transitioning to College
2:05–2:35 p.m. — Naomi Sosa: Family Occupations and Cumulative Trauma: Exploring the Ripple Effects in Underserved, Neurodivergent Households
2:45–3:15 p.m. — Alyssa Vessel: A Digital Resource to Support Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Students and New Graduates in Applying Occupation-Based Practice in Inpatient Settings
3:15–3:45 p.m. — Jasmine Henley: Strengthening Communication and Collaboration Between the Student Support Triad (Teachers, Parents, and Health Professionals) in Schools
Meadowlands 209, Zoom link.
1:35–2:05 p.m. — Isandla Blanc: "Sensory Friendly Summers: Designing Inclusive Camp Experiences for Children with Sensory Processing Challenges"
2:05–2:35 p.m. — Catherine Roghi: "Facilitating Nutrition Self-Management for Adults with Chronic Conditions: An Occupation-Based Program"
2:45–3:15 p.m. — Catharina Smith: "Promoting Postpartum Maternal Self-Efficacy through Education about Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Sensory Dysregulation"
3:15–3:45 p.m. — Clarissa Junio: "A Resource Guide for Cultural Arts Organizations in the Bay Area Informed by the Lived Experiences of People with IDD"
Science 133, Zoom link.
1:35–2:05 p.m. — Giavanna Stavros: "The Role of Occupational Therapy in Developing Aquatic Programs for Children Diagnosed with Autism"
2:05–2:35 p.m. — Molly Busby: "OTs’ Role in Creating an Inclusive Playground Environment for Parents with Physical Disabilities"
2:45–3:15 p.m. — Skylar Simpson: "Strong Foundations: Supporting School-Aged Youth in Developing and Maintaining Mental Well-Being"
3:15–3:45 p.m. — Aveen Dulai: "Sensory Modulation for Adults with Developmental Disabilities: An Occupational Therapy Approach for Adult Day Programs"

News School of Health and Natural SciencesOccupational Therapy

2026 Fall Leadership Lecture Series at Dominican University of CA

ggrubb — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:49:22 +0000

2026 Fall Leadership Lecture Series at Dominican University of CA ggrubb Fri, 08/14/2026 - 11:49 08/14/26

U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman; psychologist and professor Angela Duckworth; chef and cookery writer Yotam Ottolenghi; and comedian/actor/author Eric Idle will appear at Dominican University of California as part of the fall 2026 Leadership Lecture Series, presented by Dominican’s Institute for Leadership Studies in partnership with Book Passage.

On August 23 Congressman Jared Huffman will discuss his book "No Prophets" in conversation with actor and author Peter Coyote. In "No Prophets," the Congressman argues that Christian nationalism is now America’s most dangerous political movement. He examines the extent of Christian nationalism’s reach in government and discusses the ongoing fight to defend the separation of church and state. Drawing on his experiences as a formerly devout Christian and the only Humanist ever to serve in Congress, Huffman maps the Christian nationalist movement’s largely hidden landscape, showing how America is imperiled by our reluctance to confront threats cloaked in Christianity. 7 p.m., Angelico Concert Hall.

Tickets

On September 9, Angela Duckworth, author of the New York Times bestseller “Grit,” a MacArthur Fellow and the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will be joined in conversation by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr to discuss Dr. Duckworth’s second book, “Situated.” The book examines how personalities change from one situation to another, the secret to conquering temptation without willpower, why taking the less effortful path can feel like cheating but often solves a stubborn problem, and how the company you keep shapes the person you become. 7 p.m., Angelico Concert Hall.

Tickets

On October 13, Yotam Ottolenghi will present his latest cookbook, “Simple Too.” Ottolenghi will share how "Simple Too" was born from real life: recipes that work with you, not against you. Dishes that can begin with half a plan and end with a deeply satisfying meal. Ottolenghi will dive into the ingredients and techniques that quietly shape this new collection: beans simply dressed, black chickpeas, sesame in generous handfuls, sweet-and-spicy balances, pasta cooked directly in its sauce, and whole meals roasted start-to-finish in a single tray. He’ll also introduce the new “Fundamentals” chapter —15 fridge-ready flavor builders like spring onion oil, green salsa, za’atar oil, confit tomatoes and chili crisp. Small additions that make big differences on the busiest weeknights. 7 p.m., Angelico Concert Hall.

Tickets

On October 25, Eric Idle will be joined in conversation by Dave Eggers to discuss “Idle in Provence.” In 1971, at the beginning of Monty Python mania, Eric Idle bought a crumbling ruin in the hills of Provence. With no electricity, no water, no road, and no plan, he set out to transform the neglected stone shack into what he lovingly calls a shackeau. "Idle in Provence" is the story of the transformation of both the place and the man. Against the backdrop of southern France, Idle penned iconic songs and scripts, hosted friends — George Harrison, Robin Williams, Paul Simon, and others — and found a rare kind of peace far from the madness of showbiz. 4 p.m., Angelico Concert Hall.

Tickets

News Institute for Leadership StudiesBarowsky School of Business

A Community Conversation on Choice, Care & Compassion

ggrubb — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:13:28 +0000

A Community Conversation on Choice, Care & Compassion ggrubb Thu, 08/13/2026 - 15:13 08/14/26

By the Bay Health and Dominican University of California will present a special community screening of the acclaimed PBS documentary “When My Time Comes,” followed by a panel discussion exploring Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), serious illness, end-of-life care and the importance of compassionate, patient-centered decision-making.

The screening and discussion, free and open to the public, will be held in Dominican’s Guzman Lecture Hall on September 23 from 6–8 p.m. Free parking is available in the Conlan Center parking lot at the intersection of Grand and Acacia avenues.

“When My Time Comes” film follows NPR journalist Diane Rehm's personal journey after the death of her husband, John, while bringing together the voices of patients, families, clinicians, clergy, and policymakers to examine one of healthcare's most complex and important conversations.

Following the screening, attendees will engage with a distinguished panel of healthcare and community leaders, moderated by Skelly Wingard, CEO of By the Bay Health.

Featured Panelists

Deborah Meshel, MSN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dominican University of California
Dr. Carolyn Rennels, Assistant Clinical Professor, Palliative Medicine and Physician Lead, Medical Aid in Dying, UCSF Health
Diane Button, Death Doula and Author of “What Matters Most”
Victoria Wilkinson, BSN, Director of Patient Care Services, By the Bay Health

Please register here

News University NewsSchool of Health and Natural SciencesNursing

Dominican Researchers to Use Nontoxic Steam Treatment to Battle Pests at Marin Park

ggrubb — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:14:55 +0000

Dominican Researchers to Use Nontoxic Steam Treatment to Battle Pests at Marin Park ggrubb Thu, 07/30/2026 - 09:14 07/30/26

When the Marin County town of Fairfax had to suddenly close a local children’s playground due to a flea infestation, city officials turned to Dominican University of California’s National Ornamentals Research Site (NORS-DUC) for a solution.

The NORS team will use a nontoxic steam treatment to help battle the infestation, applying a protocol they developed more than a decade ago to combat the spread of sudden oak death from plant nurseries into the wild.

A collaboration between Dominican, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the NORS-DUC research site studies emerging and invasive quarantine pathogens of ornamental and native plants in an open, nursery-like environment. The facility provides nursery growers with solutions, along with collaborating researchers with lab and field support, to aid in horticulture and plant disease management.

The key focus is on diseases caused by members of the genus Phytophthora, such as P. ramorum, the causal agent of sudden oak death and more recently P. tentaculata, a newly discovered plant pathogen in North America impacting native plant nurseries in California.

Laboratory studies conducted by the team found that heating soil to 122°F (50°C) for 30 minutes effectively kills the microorganism.

According to Dr. Wolfgang Schweigkofler, Research Professor and Director of NORS-DUC, the same heat-based approach can also control a variety of pests, including fleas.

"We have successfully treated areas infested by other pathogens and pests," Schweigkofler said. "Based on published research, both adult fleas and flea eggs can be killed at relatively moderate temperatures. Soil temperatures above 95°F are sufficient to kill flea larvae."

For the past several years, NORS-DUC has provided steam treatment services to nurseries and other clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding counties. The team brings its own equipment — including a SIOUX SF-20 steam generator and soil temperature sensors — and plans, conducts, and monitors each treatment.

"Steaming is a highly efficient and relatively fast way to combat both pests and plant diseases," Schweigkofler said. "It uses no chemicals, produces no toxic residues, and treated areas can be used again as soon as the process is complete."

Using its equipment, the team can treat soil plots measuring approximately 30 by 40 feet with a top-down steam application. NORS-DUC has also developed additional steam treatment methods for potting mixes, tools, and other agricultural materials.

The technology has been used in several other large-scale projects. In one case, the NORS-DUC team spent three days steam-treating more than 175,000 used strawberry containers at a Northern California farm. The treatment allowed the grower to safely reuse the plastic pots by eliminating traces of Phytophthora, reducing both costs and plastic waste.

Researchers have also tested heat treatment on wood infested with the Mediterranean Oak Borer, an invasive beetle that attacks mature oak trees in Northern California, particularly in Napa County and the Sacramento Valley.

In Fairfax, the steam treatment will rely on diesel-powered equipment to heat several hundred gallons of water, producing steam that will be released through hoses placed across the treatment area. The soil will be covered with tarps to retain heat, while temperature sensors monitor conditions below the surface.

Depending on the type of ground surface, each treatment area may take several hours to reach the target temperature. Once the coldest point reaches the required temperature, steam will continue for an additional 30 minutes before the site is allowed to cool. Afterward, the tarps, hoses, and sensors will be removed, leaving the soil moderately moist but free of chemical residues.

Because of the size of the playground, the Dominican team will complete two to three separate steam treatments over the course of two days.

_{Pictured: NORS-DUC’s Vernon Huffman and the SIOUX SF-20 steam generator}

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