Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social

From Susan C. Curzon, Dean, CSUN University Library

Dear Friends,

I am so very sad to report that our dear friend and colleague, Karin Duran, passed away this afternoon [June 11] as a result of complications from a stroke.

It is not possible to say in a single email the extent of Karin’s contributions. Karin began working as a Librarian here in 1972. During her 38 years with us, she had many different responsibilities. Her focus was on reference, instruction and bibliography. Karin also greatly enjoyed her responsibility for the Teacher Curriculum Center—a service to which she was devoted. Karin kindly acted as the Interim Associate Dean in 2005 and as Acting Department Chair during some of the earthquake recovery period. She loved her various responsibilities and this showed in the high quality of her work.

As a senior member of the faculty of the Library, Karin also served on many personnel committees—a duty she carried out with thoughtful consideration. She was also called upon to serve on personnel committees in other departments. She was an excellent advisor on personnel matters.

Since 1977, Karin was an instructor with Chicana and Chicano Studies and very engaged in the life of the department. She was devoted to the students who learned a great deal through her research course.

Contin Information about Karin and her personal and professional contributions can be found at: http://library.csun.edu/KarinDuran.

Karin was an active University citizen serving on a variety of committees and initiatives including the Honors Convocation, University 100, the Teacher Education Council, the Education Doctorate Advisory Board and as an advisor to the Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority among many other activities. Karin was recently inducted into Phi Beta Delta Omega for international scholars. Karin was recognized by the Faculty Senate for her exceptional service when she received the “Extraordinary Service Award” in 2006.

Karin was also very active professionally especially through REFORMA and CARL. Karin also continued to publish and present and shared her extensive knowledge and experience with her colleagues. Many were proud to call her their mentor.

Karin was very active with the community through a variety of organizations including Comision Feminil de San Fernando Valley. For her service to many organizations, she was commended by various elected officials for her efforts for many years running.

Karin was a graduate of CSUN with a major in Spanish. She went on to take her M.L.S. at USC and her Ph.D. in Library Science at USC. Karin was awarded an “Outstanding Achievement Award” by the La Raza Alumni Association and also a “Service to Society Recognition” from CSUN’s Alumni Association.

Whatever Karin undertook, she did with her whole heart. She was dedicated and professional. She was deeply committed to the students and very concerned that they would have a good life. As a colleague, she was exemplary. She was knowledgeable, smart, thoughtful and helpful. Every day of her working life with us, she made a contribution. She gave of herself generously and was always willing to be a member of the team.

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A Chicana/o Studies Ph.D. Program will be opening soon at UCLA. Under the leadership of Alicia Gaspar de Alba, current Chair of the César E. Chávez Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, the proposal for a combined MA/PhD degree program was approved by the University of California System on June 1, 2010.

UCLA will now be the second university in the world to offer a Ph.D. Program that focuses on Chicana/o Studies. The first PhD program in Chicana/o Studies was established at U.C. Santa Barbara in 2005. Michigan State University has a PhD in Chicano/Latino Studies. UCLA now joins their ranks, and will begin accepting applications in Fall 2010. We will admit our first cohort of graduate students in Fall 2011. Only students whose objective is the PhD (we will have no stand-alone MA, in other words), will be admitted. For more information about the program requirements, see our departmental webpage: http://www.chavez.ucla.edu.

Si Se Puede!
Alicia

“Digging Up (More) Dirt” A Writing Workshop — All Genres. All welcome.

Saturday, June 26

Breath of Fire Theater. Santa Ana, CA

This is a rare Southern California opportunity where the Bay Area poet, author and playwright, Cherríe Moraga, assisted by Adelina Anthony, to create an environment of intimate and authentic exploration of the writer’s craft and creative impulse. Writing exercises will involve a variety of writing approaches that can be applied to creative non-fiction and fiction, playwriting (especially character work), writing for performance, and poetry.

Some themes to be explored include: · The Beginner Mind. · The Mundane as Metaphor. · The (W)rite to Remember. · The Body of Desire.

Students registering for the full day’s workshop will have the opportunity to discuss with Moraga and Anthony personal and professional questions regarding developing and maintaining a writing practice, making one’s work public and more. Limited Space.

Full Day Intensive: 10am to 5pm Cost: $150.00*

Morning Workshop: 10am to 1pm Cost: $75.00*

* This workshop is being offered to help support the production of “Digging Up the Dirt,” a new play by Cherríe Moraga, produced by Breath of Fire Theater and See-what Productions.

For more information and for registration forms for the workshop, email: info@beathoffire.org; also visit: www.cherriemoraga.com

Dear MALCSistas,

The past few weeks have been critical moments for our organization. With this letter I am hoping to provide you with both an idea of how we came to develop each of our statements and final position —to honor the targeted boycott by cancelling our national institute and to support our Arizona colleagues by holding a MALCS Arizona State Conference. Hopefully, by examining the two positions we can draw out what we need to do in the following months. By honoring the boycott, we recognize that any decision requires us to understand its impact and to find ways of putting into operation new forms of organizing and mobilizing, of finding ways of materially expressing solidarity. (more…)