Celebrating 35 Years of Serving the Coachella Valley
May 2022
Congratulations Class of 2022!
Message from the Dean


At PDC, May is a month of celebrating many things such as graduation, the achievements of our students, the excellent work of our faculty and staff, and the ongoing support we receive from our friends and community organizations.
Graduates this year will have the opportunity to celebrate their success locally as well as with their peers in a larger commencement ceremony.
I congratulate this year’s PDC Outstanding Undergraduate Student, David Garcia-Tlahuel, who will be recognized at commencement. David will receive a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies, with dual concentrations in strategic communication and relational and organizational communication. David has demonstrated exceptional leadership and was very involved in student life at PDC.
The celebration of graduation is not only for the achievements of our students, but it is also a time to celebrate the great work done by our faculty and staff during the year. There have been so many great accomplishments this year, including the ITS Tech Talks, a two-day conference hosted by CSUSB’s Information Technology Services, where attendees heard from academics, students, staff, administrators and industry partners about their experiences in education, innovative pedagogies and research led Extended Reality (XR) projects to support diverse, equitable and inclusive teaching and learning spaces.

I’m happy to report that CSUSB is expanding the undergraduate social work program to the Palm Desert Campus beginning this fall. The program will accommodate cohorts of 28 students who will also complete their internships in the Coachella Valley.

PDC continues to grow, and we continue to hire additional full-time, tenure-track faculty. This fall, we will be hiring for hospitality management, nursing, and world languages and literatures.

You may have seen our recent ads in The Desert Sun and on social media celebrating our 35th Anniversary. We really wanted to highlight what makes PDC so special, including our accomplishments, facts about the campus, testimonials from faculty and alumni, and lots more. We are so proud of what this campus has become and we love sharing it with our community.

We’re also increasing our branding efforts by adding new indoor and outdoor signage, as well as improving our public space areas so students have better places to gather and study and feel a sense of school spirit and Coyote Pride while on campus.

We are so glad that we are able to add hundreds of students each year to our list of more than 5,000 alumni. Despite the many challenges the pandemic created, thanks to the support of our San Bernardino campus, our PDC staff and faculty, the PDC Advancement Board and our generous community, we continue to grow and be successful.

At CSUSB, We Define the Future!
Jake Zhu, Ph.D.
Dean, CSUSB Palm Desert Campus
(909) 537-8101
Campus News and Events
COVID-19 testing at PDC
COVID-19 Rapid Testing for members of the community is available at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus five days a week.
Grant brings new technologies to PDC
Various programs at PDC will benefit from grant funds received to increase technological resources and support student success.
OLLI director on Eye on the Desert
OLLI director, Angela Allen, was a special guest on Eye on the Desert to talk about our OLLI program and the many benefits members can enjoy.
Join OLLI!
At OLLI, you'll find a wide variety of stimulating courses to keep you engaged intellectually, challenge your thinking, and build your knowledge. There's something for everyone whether you chose to take a course in person on campus or online via Zoom.
Social Work program coming to PDC
CSUSB is expanding the undergraduate social work program (BASW) to the Palm Desert Campus this fall.
High School Mental Health Career Day
The School of Social Work at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus hosted the 2022 High School Mental Health Career Day in conjunction with OneFuture Coachella Valley. More than 150 students from the Behavioral Health Academies at Indio, Coachella and La Quinta High Schools attended.

The goal of this event was to introduce high school students from the region’s health and mental health academies to a variety of professionals with different degrees, from different institutions and from different professions, all of whom work in the broad field of mental health. Students watched the movie, "Call me Crazy", prior to a panel discussion with Coachella Valley mental health providers. The movie tells the fictional stories of five people and their experiences with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and PTSD. Students enjoyed lunch before heading back to school.
Paws Radio remote broadcast
Since January, six volunteer Communication Studies students have been working with Professor Lacey Kendall to learn media programming, broadcasting, remote radio technology, live video production, podcasting and motion-capture technology.

Their final project before graduation is a remote-radio broadcast program that will air live on Monday, May 16. The students have developed a program called "Desert Hot Entertainment" and it will be broadcast live from the Veterans Success Center at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus.

Discussions will focus on local culture and entertainment in the Coachella Valley. Student hosts Marcos Wedeking and Gustavo Solorzano will highlight the Veterans Success Center and the services it brings to our students and our community.

To listen to the live broadcast, tune in to Paws Radio at 10 a.m. on May 16 and click "Listen Live".
PDC students selected for photography exhibition



The photographs of David Garcia-Tlahuel and Jeremiah Burton will be included in the 50th Annual Student Art Exhibition this month - a juried show that provides an opportunity for CSUSB students to have their work presented in the Robert and Francis Fullerton Museum of Art at CSUSB.
Riverside County DA speaks at PDC
Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin spoke to our Cal State University Associates on April 26 about fentanyl - and understanding its impact on our communities.

Looking to become a member of the Cal State University Associates?
PDC kinesiology students present their research
Several kinesiology students from PDC recently presented at CSUSB's "Meeting of the Minds" Student Research Symposium, an event where graduate and undergraduate students have the opportunity to showcase their research and creative activities through oral and poster presentations. The event is an excellent opportunity for students to refine their presentation skills while sharing their talents and knowledge with others.
PDC participates in Salton Sea Summit
Karen Duran, a PDC student intern for the Water Resources Institute (WRI) and Salton Sea Archives at CSUSB, tabled at the Salton Sea Summit on April 6-7.

The summit attracted a broad range of interests, promoted the exchange of ideas, and developed new opportunities and partnerships. Some of the topics discussed included: hydrology, ecology, air quality, public health, lithium and energy, and community and economic development.
Deputy Consul of Mexico speaks at PDC
PDC welcomed Carlos Giménez, the Deputy Consul of Mexico, who spoke to students, faculty and staff on April 28 about the dynamic tourism, trade and economic relationship between Mexico and California. This special event was hosted by the hospitality management program at PDC.
Educational Opportunity Center at PDC
Are you an adult learner (or know of one) wanting to re-enter or continue with your education? TRiO EOC can help!
PDC career counselor receives special award
Congratulations to PDC Career Counselor, Oscar Fonseca, for receiving the Empowering Students Award from OneFuture Coachella Valley!

This award is in recognition of either a K-16 Instructor or Counselor who has helped transform teaching and learning for students or helped advance college and career strategies outlined in the Coachella Valley Regional Plan for College and Career.
Pastries with the Professors
PDC faculty members and students enjoyed sweet treats and conversation at the "Pastries with the Professors" event on April 14.