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Cliff Notes: August 2020During this time of working from home and social distancing, Cliff Notes is one way we can keep our campus community together. How are you coping with social distancing? Send us your story! Is there news about your department that you would like to share? Awards, recognitions, tips for connecting with students and colleagues online, special lectures, presentations or events you are conducting via Zoom? Let us know! You can send items of interest to marketing@sbcc.edu and include “Cliff Notes” in the subject line.
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| All-Campus Kickoff for Fall 2020
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The All-Campus Kickoff in-service for Fall 2020 will be held via Zoom this year. The main topics of the conversation will be COVID-19, safety and equity.
PDAC, along with Dr. Goswami and Dr. Ralston have worked on the following agenda:
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“Meet the Women in STEM” held virtually this summer
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From left, Nathalie Guebels, Geordie Armstrong, Esther Frankel
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SBCC’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Transfer Program traditionally hosts a program every summer on campus in partnership with Girls Inc. to inspire girls about the possibilities that await them as STEM majors. Since COIVD-19 prohibited inviting them to campus this summer, Student Program Advisor Lorena Cisneros Lopez coordinated a “Meet Women in STEM Virtually” program.
Here are a few notes from faculty presenters this summer: Computer Science instructor Nathalie Guebels, Earth Sciences instructor Geordie Armstrong and Computer Information Systems professor Esther Frankel.
Nathalie:
“Another great session with the Santa Barbara Girls Inc. and my student volunteers. Monica Aguilar created a video tutorial on how to program using micro:bit that we shared with the Girls Inc. groups before our meeting. Valentine Venegas, Berkelly Gonzalez and Alysha Osbakken gave project demonstrations and told stories so inspiring the session would not have been the same without them. I feel so grateful to have such a talented group of young female students who love to code and also want to inspire others!”
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Screen capture of Nathalie's Zoom meeting taken by Virginia Estrella
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Geordie:
“The girls told me they mostly liked writing, art and grammar. I told them writing and art are perfect interests if they are thinking of going into a STEM field. At the core of any successful STEM career is a keen eye, curiosity and the drive to write and contemplate your observations. I took the girls through a virtual tour of what it means to be a geographer, how we need to be able to read both the physical and human landscape and understand how they intersect.” After discussing the “Founding Mothers of Primatology,” Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas, who revolutionized the study of primates by living with and observing primates in their natural habitat, “I was very happy in the end to hear one of the girls in the back loudly exclaim her enthusiasm for women in science with a ‘they need us!’”
Esther:
“I always like to do something ‘hands on’,” however, since that wasn’t possible this year, “I hosted a Zoom session with the students. We discussed technology in general and the ways that they use technology. I talked about the field of Information Technology, and we watched a number of videos about the field and jobs in the field. I shared my story of how I ended up in the technology field, asking them to guess my major in college. (You do know that I was a music major, right?) I shared some examples of companies for which I worked, focusing on Wavefront Technologies (later known as Alias / Wavefront, the creator of the Maya Animation software), and also the strong prominence of technology companies in the Santa Barbara area.”
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Paloma Arnold chosen as Dean of Student AffairsAfter a competitive search with many exceptional candidates, Paloma Arnold was selected to be the next Dean of Student Affairs. Paloma, a native of Santa Barbara, earned her B.A. in History from UCLA and a master’s degree in Psychology from Antioch University. She has worked in Student Services at SBCC for almost 20 years, beginning her career in the Financial Aid office and eventually taking the position of the Director of Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). Paloma brings strong experience as well as a commitment to equity and serving SBCC’s most vulnerable and marginalized students. She assumed her new role on August 3. Congratulations, Paloma!
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Elizabeth Imhof selected as new Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social SciencesElizabeth Imhof, Ph.D., who has served as the Faculty Director of the Faculty Resource Center (FRC), has accepted the position of Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Elizabeth is known throughout campus for her commitment to promoting equity and diversity-based education and facilitating experiential workshops in Affective Learning and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. As a professor she has taught Middle Eastern History, World and Western Civilization and Social Science, and co-founded SBCC’s Middle East Studies Program. Congratulations, Elizabeth!
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Jasmine Tuazon joins President’s OfficeJasmine Tuazon joined SBCC on July 15 as the new Executive Assistant in the President’s Office, replacing Angie Esqueda, who retired on June 30. Jasmine worked previously for the Oxnard Union High School District, San Francisco Unified School District, University of San Francisco and the Screen Actor's Guild. She attended Ventura College and Mount St. Mary’s University, and holds a master's degree in Public Policy from California Lutheran University. Welcome to the SBCC family, Jasmine!
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Deneatrice Lewis joins Human Resources as new DirectorLast April, not long after the college responded to the governor’s “Stay at Home” order, Deneatrice Lewis joined Human Resources team as its new Director. Deneatrice is an experienced HR professional with a background in both the private and public educational environments. She is an alumna of the University of La Verne, completing undergrad and graduate programs in Leadership and Organizational Management, with a concentration in Human Resources. A belated welcome, Deneatrice!
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| Hong Lieu and Akil Hill launch campus podcast
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Looking to provide SBCC staff and faculty with an outlet where their voices can be heard in an informal, relaxed setting, Webmaster Hong Lieu and Admissions and Records Technician Akil Hill have launched a podcast series for our campus community, “SBCC Vaquero Voices.”
Using the mission of the college as a framework for discussions – specifically, “The College is committed to fostering an equitable, inclusive, respectful, participatory, and supportive community dedicated to the success of every student” – members of staff and faculty are invited to share their thoughts about news and events in and around SBCC. The goal is to encourage rapport among distinct constituency groups on campus and to demonstrate how strong and diverse the SBCC community is.
Topics for each podcast will expand as guests bring their unique viewpoints to the platform, but recurring themes promise to focus on such questions as:
- How do culture and media influence and shape our individual lives, and how do our lives shape our campus culture and the larger community?
- How do you think those influences impact your work at the college and your work with students?
“SBCC Vaquero Voices” is available on Simplecast, Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and Spotify.
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Ben Crop posts latest Theatre Arts alumni interview: Sam Flynn serving Idaho-based theatre companies in a variety of technical roles
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Theatres throughout the state may be dark for the time being, but that doesn’t deter Technical Director Ben Crop from keeping news about the Theatre Arts Department fresh and up-to-date on their webpages. His latest interview with an SBCC alumnus was with Sam Flynn, class of 2006. Flynn affectionately recalls his time at SBCC. Read the interview...
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Recent Longevity Recognitions
Each month the college recognizes the longevity and dedication of our employees and the impact that those employees have on students, the institution and the culture of excellence at Santa Barbara City College. At the July 9 Board meeting – conducted via Zoom – the following members of staff were honored:
Gary James, Educational Support Specialist, 10 years
Jason Walker, Director Information Technology User Services, 20 years
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On Wednesday, July 22, Superintendent/President Dr. Goswami held a virtual town hall meeting, moderated by Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications Luz Reyes-Martin, where he discussed the budget, Fall semester enrollments and how the pandemic and uncertainties surrounding the situation continue to affect plans for Fall. He also answered questions submitted by those who Zoomed in.
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Foundation hosts COVID ConversationsThe SBCC Foundation invites you to participate in a series of virtual gatherings, COVID Conversations: How SBCC is Meeting the Moment. These 45-minute Zoom get-togethers feature updates from leaders of various campus departments and programs on how they are adapting to the unprecedented challenges brought about by COVID-19, followed by a Q&A.
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July conversations featured:
- Thursday, July 2: “Child Care – Not Just Surviving, but Thriving During COVID-19,” presented by longtime director of SBCC’s Orfalea Early Learning Center, Beth Rizo.
- Thursday, July 16: Dr. Utpal Goswami, SBCC’s Superintendent/President, provided updates on COVID-19’s continuing impact on higher education, plans for the fall semester, and the college’s budget for the 2020-2021 academic year.
- Thursday, July 30: Physical Education Department Chair Kathy O’Connor, Associate Athletic Director Ellen O’Connor, and Athletic Department Chair Rocco Constantino presented “Movement at the Moment: SBCC Physical Education and Athletics Programs in the Time of COVID.”
Click here for registration information and links to recorded sessions when they become available.
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