Anna Camacho Chosen as SMCCCD Classified Employee of the Year

 

Anna Camacho Chosen as SMCCCD Classified Employee of the Year

 

Cañada’s own, Anna Camacho (STEM Project Director) was chosen by the Board of Trustees as SMCCCD Classified Employee of the Year. Having served as both an Assistant Project Director and a Project Director for a number of federally funded grant programs at Cañada College, Anna has provided leadership and support in developing a number of successful initiatives to increase student interest and awareness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and promote academic success of our students, especially those from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds.

Anna was instrumental in founding the STEM Center at Cañada College in 2012. Under her leadership, the STEM Center team successfully developed new grant proposals to support innovative student support programs. As a result, Cañada College was awarded a five-year, $4.35 million dollar US Department of Education Hispanic-Serving Institution STEM and Articulation grant. Initiatives being developed for this new grant-funded program, under her leadership, include: Chemistry Jam, Difference-Education Intervention, expansion of the STEM Speaker Series, STEM Exploration Week, university transfer workshops, a professional development program for STEM faculty, and a STEM faculty community of practice.

In addition to her professional duties, Anna is also a founding member of Latinas in STEM2 to Achieve Success (LISTAS), an organization dedicated to increase the number of Latinas attaining a STEM education. She is also a consultant for Unite Here 2, a union that represents service workers, where she delivers workshops that impact knowledge on how to apply for college.  Additionally, Anna contributes to the education and research community by presenting and publishing the results of her work at national professional organizations including the American Society for Engineering Education, Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institution Educators, and the League for Innovation in the Community College.