Campus to Conduct "Lockdown Drill" March 26

Cañada College will be conducting a "Lockdown Drill" at 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26. The drill is designed to identify how the college can best provide for the safety of staff, faculty, and students.

This will be the third lockdown drill performed on campus. Each drill have provided useful information to help campus personnel improve emergency procedures. Comments received from each drill have been used to improve subsequent drills.

Here is the process that will be used for today's drills:

Notification: The loud speaker system will be used to notify the campus that there is a lockdown drill. The announcements will be made at 11:30 am and 7:00 pm.

Before the Drill: Faculty and staff will “lockdown” all areas during the drill. Students should listen for instructions from faculty and staff.

During the Drill: During the lockdown, staff and faculty will make sure to:             

• Lock, barricade, or block the doorway to secure the door(s) to classrooms or office areas
• Cover any/all windows (curtains, blinds, etc) and turn out the lights
• Remain quiet and calm
• A building captain or campus safety/facility staff member will be going through buildings to check if rooms are secure
• Unlock the area when the “all clear” signal is given through the loud speaker system

After the Drill: If you have feedback on what worked well and what did not, please send an email to joyd@smccd.edu. The Crisis Action Team will be debriefing the drill and would appreciate your feedback.

Middle College Student Jacqueline Kerns to Perform at PTK Convention

Kerns will perform a song from the musical “South Pacific”

Middle College student Jacqueline Kerns will take center stage at this year’s Phi Theta Kappa Convention in San Jose.

Kerns, a San Carlos resident, will open the program with “A Cockeyed Optimist”, a song from the musical “South Pacific”.

“It’s very exciting,” Kerns said. “The space is amazing. They hold rock concerts there.” Kerns will sing at the convention on April 6.

This year’s convention is being held April 4-6 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Phi Theta Kappa’s 95^th annual convention features more than 100 educational forums, detailed information on college completion resources, opportunities to meet and exchange ideas with students, advisors and alumni chapters from around the world, and award presentations.

Cañada’s PTK chapter is one of the strongest in the country. Paul Roscelli, a faculty advisor for the club, has been named a PTK Faculty Scholar seven times. Former Cañada President Thomas Mohr received the Shirley B. Golden Award of Distinction in 2009 which is bestowed on college presidents that show exceptional support for their chapters. Vice President of Instruction Linda Hayes was the recipient of the Distinguished College Administrator Award in 2012 and former VPI Sarah Perkins also received the award. The Cañada PTK chapter has been named a Five Star Chapter for 13 consecutive years.

Kerns will be unable to attend the entire PTK Convention because she’ll be at a National Association of Teachers of Singing competition. “It’s also being held in San Jose,” Kerns said. “I’m focusing on seven pieces for that competition.”

Kerns attended a private high school and later transferred to a public high school before enrolling at Cañada last spring as a concurrent enrollment student. “I really enjoy Middle College,” she said. Kerns said she has another year remaining at Middle College before she attends college. Her mother is a concert pianist and Kerns said her educational dream is to attend the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia but her goal is to attend a college with strong academics and music.

Two Interior Design Students Win Regional Honors

It is the 13th consecutive year students at the school have placed in the competition

Jennifer Roseborough (L) and Denise Sigillo with their design boards.

Denise Sigillo of Redwood City and Jennifer Roseborough of San Carlos both won honors for their designs at the recently held Interior Design Student Career Forum in San Francisco. This is the West Coast’s premier interior design student symposium, drawing up to 500 students from California, Nevada, and other states.

Roseborough earned Second Place honors in both the kitchen and bathroom design competitions. The Kitchen Design competition was sponsored by NKBA California Capital Chapter, and the Bathroom Design competition was sponsored by NKBA Northern California Chapter.

Sigillo won first place in the Residential Lighting Design Competition sponsored by the Northern California chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association.

“Both students, on their own initiative, worked over the winter break to complete and submit their entries,” said Nancy Wolford, Professor of Interior Design at Cañada. “They are both a credit to the program, typical of the quality of our students and the work they do. Needless to say, I am extremely proud of both of them.”

This was the 13^th consecutive year a student from Cañada’s Interior Design Program has placed in the prestigious competition. “It’s a record no other college program in the state or region can claim,” Wolford said.

Roseborough said the competition is rigorous. She spent hours designing a bathroom and a kitchen for the competition. “I needed to prepare designs that met National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA) standards and met the specifications of the fictional client. It takes a lot of hours to go through the design process and produce the drawings for each project.”

Roseborough said the bathroom design featured a small San Francisco-style home but the client wanted a lot of storage and light. “The space limitations were very difficult to design around,” she said.

The kitchen design was more open-ended but she said designing for a larger space also presented challenges.

Sigillo was given a floor plan for a house and was required to design the lighting. “We could define our own style and mine was modern Scandinavian,” she said. “I incorporated that style into the lighting and decorative lamps that I chose.”

The entire lighting project had to adhere to strict California Title 24 guidelines regarding energy efficiency.

Both Sigillo and Roseborough enrolled in the Interior Design Program at Cañada to develop second careers. Sigillo worked in advertising while Roseborough was a dancer for the San Francisco Ballet.

“For me, it’s about stretching myself creatively,” Roseborough said. “The professors in the program encourage us to think differently and to grow.”

Sigillo said the competition forced her to think about how much time she could spend on the design and yet still earn a profit. “You have to learn time management,” she said. “If you are in business for yourself, and you want to earn a profit, you can’t spend all of your time on one client.”

Sigillo said she wants to work in a firm doing lighting design in the residential or small commercial markets when she graduates from Canada. She's even considering pursuing an Interior Design Master's Degree.

“I would like to own my own design business or work for a smaller firm,” Roseborough said. “The Interior Design Program at Cañada has given me the tools I need to succeed at a career in design.”

Cañada College Student Chosen for Prestigious Internship at Brookhaven National Lab

Fidel Salgado will be working in the computer technology department this summer.

Cañada College student Fidel Salgado has been chosen to participate in a summer internship at Brookhaven National Lab. He’ll be working in the lab’s Engineering Technology – Computer Department but his exact duties have yet to be defined.

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security.

Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

“I heard about the possibility of internships with the Department of Energy from Cathy Lipe (program coordinator for Cañada’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Center),” Salgado said. “I started reading about the internship opportunities at different Department of Energy laboratories. When I read about Brookhaven National Lab, I was amazed by their work. I knew that being able to work in a lab like Brookhaven would enhance my research and technical skills.”

Salgado is studying electrical engineering and computer science at Cañada and plans to transfer to a four-year university next fall. He eventually wants to attend graduate school and possibly work in the high-tech industry or in a lab that conducts research. He credits Professors Amelito Enriquez and Professor Akilles Speliotopoulos for pushing him to pursue a degree in engineering.

Salgado moved to the Bay Area from El Salvador in 2011. “I did not know how lucky I was to start studying at Cañada until the middle of my first semester,” he said. “I was really surprised at how much support Cañada gives STEM students. I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity.”

In the summer of 2012, Salgado participated in an internship at Stanford University’s Microsystems Laboratory and he has worked at Cañada as a physics tutor since spring, 2012.

“Cañada is definitely the best community college to pursue a career in STEM,” he said. “There is tremendous support for students. People are always trying to help you so it’s really up to individual students to take advantage of all the opportunities."

Cañada MESA Students Team Up with Cisco for Mentor Program

MESA students will gain insight and knowledge from Cisco employees during a new mentor program.



Six Cañada students will participate in a Cisco mentorship program.

Six MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement) students from Cañada College attended a shadow day last week at the networking giant’s San Jose headquarters to launch the year-long program. Cisco employees shared about the company and led tours. A panel of Cisco employees who are MESA alumni also answered student questions.

 

Alex Ramos, a former Cañada student, was part of the panel discussion. He's currently studying engineering at UC Berkeley and is serving an internship at Cisco.

The Cañada students are among 30 specially chosen from six Northern California MESA centers. (photographed from left to right) Hector Prado, Nehad Dadabo, Rita Melgar, Elizabeth Carranza, Fidel Salgado, and Norman Ettedgui were picked to be among the first class of Cisco MESA mentees.

The mentees and mentors will meet monthly online for one year to discuss career interests, leadership, and other topics. The pairs were carefully chosen based on major and career interests and sign an agreement as part of the year-long commitment. In addition to Cañada, participants are from UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State, Gavilan College, Hartnell College, and Mission College.

The Cisco mentor program is an example of MESA’s strong partnership with industry, which is a large motivator behind its success.

MESA is one of the largest programs in the state to support educationally disadvantaged students so they can graduate from college with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degrees. MESA provides academic support and enrichment to more than 20,000 K-12 students and more than 7,800 community college and university students each year.

Cañada Student Mayra Rios Lands Nine-Week Paid Internship at Brown University

The biochemistry student will study fetal cells

Mayra Rios

Cañada College student Mayra Rios will travel to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island this summer for an internship to study fetal cells to better understand how doctors can accelerate lung maturation in premature infants.

Rios heard about the internship from a Brown recruiter when she was presenting at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in San Jose last summer. Rios studied under Dr. Khameeka Kitt at Stanford University, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford School of Medicine’s Cancer Institute. Kitt encouraged Rios to present her research on the effect of mechanical strain on epithelial cell-cell adhesion at the conference.

“At Brown, I’ll be working to identify key regulatory pathways that control fetal type II cell differentiation as well as analyzing the effect of mechanical forces on fetal alveolar cells,” Rios said.

Rios is hoping to transfer to Stanford, Brown or a UC school. She was also accepted for an internship at Dartmouth College but turned it down to accept Brown’s offer.

“I would like to work as a research scientist at a biotech company or at a university,” she said. “I am interested in developing synthetic livers. Many people are victims of liver cancer and die waiting for a liver transplant. I think it would make a positive impact on society if we are able to develop a synthetic liver that is capable of carrying out all of the physiological tasks that a normal liver does. It would save many people’s lives, or at least help extend them.”

Rios credits Cañada with helping her grow academically. “It has provided me with opportunities to expand my creativity and critical thinking skills,” she said. “Cañada has wonderful professors who are highly accessible and dedicated to teaching. The faculty and staff truly care for the success of the students by giving the best advice and service.”

That advice led to the internship at Stanford University and now to a second internship at Brown University, Rios said. “Staff and faculty at the college have made me aware of internship and scholarship opportunities. These types of opportunities have increased my confidence in transferring to a four-year institution to continue my academic pursuits.”

Rios said students who are interested in science or math should become involved in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Center at Cañada. “Even if they aren’t 100 percent sure of their major, it’s a good way for students to explore different academic options. There are field trips to four-year schools, national conferences, retreats and other ways to explore possibly career paths. Take advantage of the resources Cañada offers.”

A Love of Robots Has Resulted in a Summer Internship for Cañada’s Omar Arriaga

Arriaga will be studying how to control robots from a distance at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

San Mateo High School graduate Omar Arriaga has always loved building robots. That passion led him to study electrical engineering at Cañada College and has resulted in a prestigious summer internship at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Arriaga will be working in the center’s Virtual Environments Lab designing teleoperation interfaces for robotic systems. Teleoperations is the science of controlling a machine from a distance. An example is the MARCbot, a low-cost robotic platform used in Iraq for inspecting suspicious packages at a safe distance. The MARCbot is one of the primary robots Arriaga will study as part of his internship.

“The Marshall Space Center has a manipulator for testing the capture of inactive orbital objects such as dead satellites,” Arriaga said. “They also have other robotic systems such as a simple task arm. I will be responsible for establishing a teleoperation connection to one or more of these systems using human interface components in the Virtual Environments Lab.”

Arriaga said he will study the interface between desktop computers, off-the-shelf game controllers, game system body trackers, and virtual reality motion tracking systems and the robotic systems. The goal is to learn more about using the human body and machines to better control robots from afar.

“Testing will include evaluation of the robot’s capabilities, strengths, and constraints associated with different teleoperation controls and displays,” he said. “I learned about the internship through Professor Amelito Enriquez. When I saw the opportunity to work for NASA with the MARCbot, I knew that I had to apply.”

The internship is perfect for Arriaga, who enjoys building different kinds of electronics and robots. “I want a career that enables me to design my own consumer electronics and sell them,” he said. “I am still debating if I want to pursue an MBA in Marketing, so I could market the electronics that I build.”

When he finishes his studies at Cañada, Arriaga plans to transfer to UC Davis.

Arriaga said Cañada has helped his professional development by providing internship opportunities, encouraging his attendance at professional conferences, and providing academic support. He said having the STEM Center on campus provides him with the help he needs on homework.

“Our professors are usually in the STEM Center during office hours and other classmates are always there to study with,” Arriaga said. “Being part of study groups and working as a tutor has helped me excel in my academics.”

Arriaga said students serious about pursuing STEM-related majors should take advantage of the opportunities available at Cañada. “I would tell incoming students to get involved with clubs and take advantage of the programs that Cañada has to offer STEM majors. Networking is the key to success, whether it’s getting to know your professor or one of your peers.”

General Information Session on Nursing Program March 25

The Sequoia Hospital/San Francisco State University Baccalaureate Nursing Program at Cañada College will hold a general information session for students interested in earning a nursing degree without leaving the Cañada campus.

The session will be held Monday, March 25 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Building 18, Room 205.

The Bachelor of Science degree prepares students for entry-level positions in professional nursing practice. Graduates are prepared to take a national licensure examination (NCLEX) to become registered nurses and for positions in maternity, pediatrics, medical-surgical nursing, gerontology, psychiatric/mental health, community health, long-term care and home-care. In addition, they are eligible for public health nursing certification in California upon licensure as a registered nurse. For RNs, the Bachelor of Science degree builds upon previous nursing education and experience for professional role development.

All classes are taught by SFSU faculty on the Cañada College campus. For more information, visit the Cañada College University Center website.

Almost an Evening Opens March 13

Almost an Evening takes the audience on a darkly comedic journey as we watch a young man struggle to escape purgatory (or is it hell?), a British intelligence agent undergo a sudden crisis of faith, and two versions of God engage in a passionate competition for their audience’s faith.

These three short plays by Ethan Coen - one half of the Academy Award-winning Coen brothers responsible for “Fargo” and the “The Big Lebowski,” among other films - deliver an engaging and surprising evening of comedic entertainment, in what Newsday called “… the serious stage debut of a shrewd and weirdly endearing comic voice.”

Almost an Evening opens Wednesday, March 13 with a special matinee at 12:45 p.m. Please be advised that this play uses strong language & profanity, and may not be appropriate for all audiences.

All performances will be held in the Flex Theater, Building 3, Room 129. Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 seniors, and $5 students and are available at the door hour before show time.

For more information, contact Anna Budd at budda@smccd.edu or (510) 301-3376. For a complete schedule, visit the Cañada College Theater Arts website at www.canadacollege.edu/theatrearts.

Two Cañada College Students Named to the 2013 All-California Academic Team

Miles Casella and Kate Lam were recognized at a ceremony in Sacramento on March 6.

Two Cañada College students have been named to this year’s Community College League of California All-California Academic Team. Members of the team were recognized in Sacramento on Wednesday, March 6. 



Cañada College President Larry Buckley (L) and Miles Casella

Kate Lam was named Second Team All-California while Miles Casella was named Third Team All-California.

Casella, who is studying business with an emphasis in finance, called it a great honor being named to the All-California Academic Team. “I still can’t believe that I’m on the team,” he said. “This accolade just pushes me to work harder in my studies.”

Casella attended the recognition ceremony with Cañada College President Larry Buckley.

Casella attended high school in Templeton, California in San Luis Obispo County. He was recruited to Cañada to play soccer in the fall of 2010 but has since focused his efforts on academics. He said Cañada offers students a lot of resources to succeed academically.

“The Learning Center gives students all the resources and tools necessary to succeed academically,” he said. “Cañada has certainly helped me. The professors are very knowledgeable and helpful, the staff and tutors are always willing to help, and you’re in a learning environment that encourages you to want to succeed in school.”

ASCC Election for Student Trustee Underway

The Associated Students of Cañada College is hosting an election to select a nominee from Cañada for the office of Student Trustee for the San Mateo County Community College District.

Election packets are available in the Center for Student Life and Leadership, Building 5, Room 354. The deadline to turn in the election packets is Wednesday, March 20 at 5 p.m. The election will be held March 25-26.

The winner of the election will be forwarded to the Student Trustee Appointment Panel on Saturday, April 13 at the District Office where they will go against the Skyline and CSM elected student trustee nominee for the final spot of District Student Trustee.

All interested students are encouraged to apply. The term of the District Student Trustee will be April 2013 through June 2014.

Minimum Qualifications to Run for Office

As stated in ASCC Constitution and Bylaws, SMCCCD Rules and Regulations and the California Education Code, in order hold the office of Student Trustee:

• Students must be currently enrolled in at least six (6) units of credit at Cañada College.
• Must have and maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 while running for office and while serving their term in office, and must show they have completed 50% of their classes each semester.
• The Student Trustee must fulfill the requirements as outlined in District Rules & Regulations Section 1.05.
• Must complete the Election Candidate Eligibility Form, complete 100 Word Statement and attach Non-official transcript.
• Must collect fifty (50) signatures of currently enrolled students at Cañada College and attend an ASCC meeting.

Minimum Levels of Commitment

As outlined in Section 1.05 of District Rules and Regulations:

1. Attendance at the SMCCCD District Board of Trustee meetings. The Student Trustee shall study the documents that are presented to the Board of Trustees at regular meetings and study sessions and represent student interests on these matters before the Board. Regular meetings are usually at 6pm in the evening. Currently, they have been on Wednesday nights.
2. The Student Trustee shall call and attend one District Student Council meeting each month to review the upcoming Board of Trustees’ agenda and to discuss issues before the Board of Trustees.  In addition, the Student Trustee shall attend Student Council meetings at the Colleges at least once per semester.
3. Through the District Student Council, the Student Trustee shall keep the Student Council at each College informed about issues brought before the Board of Trustees and shall seek student input on these issues.

Benefits for Serving as the Student Trustee

Compensation: Currently, the Student Trustee earns a maximum of $281.50 per month for serving as Trustee and is eligible, at the Board’s discretion, for an additional $3,378 service award if s/he has fulfilled the duties of the position for a 12-month period. The district provides the elected Student Trustee with Dental, Life Insurance, Medical, Vision, Worker’s Compensation. The Student Trustee may claim mileage for attending board meetings and other official District business as authorized by the Board; the mileage allowance for 2013 is $0.565 per year.

Cañada College Develops Courses to Help Green Entrepreneurs

The courses are being taught by Chris Yalonis, a leader in green business development.

In an effort to support budding entrepreneurs interested in developing “green” businesses, Cañada College has developed two short courses designed to help students create business and marketing plans tailored to the specific sector.

The courses were developed and will be taught by Chris Yalonis, a 25-year veteran of seven start-ups as well as a strategy consultant and marketing expert-advisor to more than 100 organizations large and small across the technology, consumer goods, and professional service sectors. Yalonis is the founding partner of Sustainametrics, a sustainability consultancy that helps cities, businesses, and colleges with sustainability strategy planning execution.

Business 396: Creating a Business Plan Embedding Sustainable Principles, starts Monday, March 4 and meets every Monday through April 15. It will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. and will be held in Building 13, Room 116.

“This is a practical course created for the entrepreneur who wants to learn how to develop and execute a new venture plan designed around sustainable principles,” Yalonis said. “The course examines how to use a plan to crystallize thinking, to recruit and lead teams, raise money, communicate direction to senior management, partners, suppliers, and customers.”

The course uses the top-rated online business planning tool, LivePlan, developed by Palo Alto Software. Students will also work with business model guides developed by Steve Blank, serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur.

“Students will finish the course with a professional business plan ready for investors and partner presentations,” Yalonis said.

Business 397: Creating and Executing a Marketing Plan, starts Monday, April 22 and meets every Monday through May 20 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in Building 13, Room 116. Students who are starting businesses or leading marketing functions in organizations will learn how marketing integrates with other business functions. They will also learn best practices for marketing effectiveness. The course integrates the key components of the marketing function, including market research, positioning, targeting, product and brand management, pricing, demand creation/promotion, Internet marketing tools and practices, driving sales opportunities, and measuring performance.

“Throughout the course, we embed sustainable principles into the practices so marketing efforts can minimize environmental impact, create positive social impact and enable long-term economic viability,” Yalonis said.

Students can sign up for either course online at https://webschedule.smccd.edu/default.php.

Ismael Barragan: From Cañada to a Future Career in Medicine

Barragan Recently Finished the UC Davis School of Medicine Postbaccalaureate Program

 

 

Ismael Barragan grew up in Redwood City, graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School, and recently finished the UC Davis School of Medicine Postbaccalaureate Program and is now preparing for a future career in medicine.

He said Cañada’s small class sizes and close-knit community helped prepare him for the rigors of studying medicine.

“The student population is small enough that you get the feel of having a close-knit community where people are willing to help each other out,” he said. “The professors are awesome. They were always willing to help me during office hours or review sessions, and provide the guidance to excel in classes.”

Barragan said he will never forget his organic chemistry class at Cañada with Dr. Jeanette Medina. “Although a challenging class, Dr. Medina was always willing to help out any student who was struggling in the class. She provided regular office hours as well as extra office hours for those who needed a different time. She also provided review sessions, and did a wonderful job of making sure every student that wanted to excel did.”

Medina said she enjoyed having Barragan in class. “He is an example of a student that, for one reason or another, falls through the cracks in high school but with our student support services becomes an exemplary student.” Medina said Barragan has always been committed to community service, both at Cañada and at UC Davis, including participating in a study abroad program performing clinical and hospital rotations in Oaxaca, Mexico. “He is well on his path to a successful career as a medical doctor. I’m very proud that his path began at Cañada.”

Aside from her classroom help, Medina also wrote letters of recommendation for Barragan and other students. “With her help, I was able to receive scholarships and was accepted into UC Davis,” he said.

Barragan said he learned how to study at Cañada. “I learned the value of organizing small study groups with students who also wanted to excel in school,” he said. “I learned to locate the necessary resources when needed, and learned to become a disciplined student. Many of the skills I learned at Cañada allowed me to excel as a student during my time at UC Davis. Also, I learned the value of attending regular office hours. My grades reflected the extra effort I put in.”

But for Barragan, Cañada was more than just burying his nose in books. “Some of my fondest memories involve being a member of the Premed/Health Club as well as MESA (Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement). Through MESA, I met Cathy Lipe who helped me find scholarship which helped fund my academic career.”

Lipe also helped Barragan apply for the Summer Medical & Dental Education Program, a six-week medical school preparatory program. “Cathy helped me realize that those who are determined and not afraid to put in the hard work will reach their goals. I met other students who share a similar passion of one day becoming future health care professionals and serving underserved communities. Together, we organized a blood drive in partnership with Red Cross, a fundraiser to help a fellow Cañada student who had a child suffering from leukemia, and a fundraiser to assist Doctors Without Borders.”

Barragan said students that are serious about their academic future can find the help at Cañada they need to succeed. “I would tell new students at Cañada to surround themselves with people who are serious about school and take advantage of the many resources available to students. You’ll find everything you need at Cañada.”