On January 20, 2017, Skyline College welcomed our students, graduates, high-school students, community, and industry to the Clean Energy Showcase held in our beautiful theater. This event provided an opportunity to inform people about the Clean Energy sector and the innovative programs here at Skyline College that support this high-growth industry. The Clean Energy Showcase was developed through a collaboration between the Center for Sustainable Construction and Workforce Development departments at Skyline College.

The Clean Energy Showcase was a great success and well received by over 90 attendees! Associate Professor/Department Coordinator Bruce Greenstein welcomed the audience and provided a brief overview of the program and courses in Energy Systems Technology Management (ESTM), as well as the high-school Green Construction Program that Skyline College has established at Capuchino High School.

A timely and relevant keynote address by Dr. Jamie Orr, Bay Area Region Deputy Sector Navigator for Energy, Construction, and Utilities, provided an insightful overview of the Clean Energy sector including where the jobs are, how students obtain these jobs, some of the emerging technologies, and public policies on the horizon.

The keynote address was followed by a presentation by Hilary Ego, Utility and Sustainability Specialist for San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD). Ms. Ego discussed the realities of climate change and the solutions that exist in education to expand the Clean Energy sector workforce.

The morning presentations concluded with new inverter technology presented by Alex Dinh from SolarEdge. Kevin West and Matt Lugar from BeamReach Solar provided an impressive live demonstration on the Theater Stage introducing new solar-panel technology that significantly reduces the time, ease, and safety when installing solar panels on commercial rooftops.

Afternoon presentations by San Mateo County Office of Sustainability, Peninsula Clean Energy, and CLEAResult provided the audience with information about clean energy initiatives, energy service alternatives, and educated the public about the importance of energy efficiency.

The event also featured a Clean Energy Showcase exhibition hall during the lunch hour for attendees to mix and mingle with solar and energy service providers so they may learn about their products, services, education, and career opportunities. Exhibitors included Aurora Solar, Bay Area Regional Energy Network, BeamReach Solar, CLEAResult, Climate Corps Bay Area, Energize Colleges, Home Energy Upgrade, Grid Alternatives, NorCal Solar, PG&E Pacific Energy Center, Office of Sustainability-San Mateo County, Peninsula Clean Energy, Strategic Energy Innovations, SolarCity, SolarEdge, Sunrun, SunWork, and of course, Skyline College’s Center for Sustainable Construction.

Special thanks to Program Director Rita Gulli, Program Services Coordinator Jose Iniguez, Theater Events Manager Joshua Harris, Associate Professor Bruce Greenstein, Assistant Professor Joan Connolly, Dean Ray Hernandez, Career and Workforce Programs, Career Services Center, Environmental Club, Public Information Office, and Sustainable Ambassadors Network.

This informative and educational event was funded by Proposition 39 Program Improvement Funds and California Community College’s “Doing What Matters”^TM for Jobs and the Economy Initiative. With continued support, Skyline College plans to establish the Center for Sustainable Construction as a premier education, training, and recruitment destination for the Clean Energy Sector.

Article by Jose Iniguez, Rita Gulli, Bruce Greenstein | Photo by William Nacouzi

The Skyline College Art Gallery opens Monday, February 6, with a new show: the 2017 Art Faculty Exhibition. The exhibition features a great selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, ceramics, video, prints and mixed media works by Skyline College art faculty members. The exhibition runs from February 6 – March 10, and the Art Gallery will be open Mondays through Thursdays. Check the Gallery website for current hours and additional exhibition information.

There will be a Reception for the Artists on Wednesday, February 15, from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Snacks and beverages will be served. Come check us out!!

Article by Paul Bridenbaugh

For nearly fifty years, Skyline College has served thousands of students as they work to enhance their lives. Whether they enroll for academic, professional, or recreational reasons, students benefit most from our support during times of collaboration between our campus and our community. When we work in tandem with our neighboring companies Skyline demonstrates our mission to empower and transform at its best.

The Career Services Center was generously recognized by Enterprise Holdings for consistently supporting their employment efforts. In appreciation for referring qualified students to their organization, Stacey Caceres, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Airport Region, awarded Career Services with a $1500 donation. “We currently employ 10 Skyline students at our SFO location as well as automotive positions in our service center. We are very pleased with their work and would like to extend our gratitude to Skyline Career Services for their partnership and cooperation”. Career Services extends sincere thanks to Stacey and Enterprise Holdings.

Career Services counselors were also invited for a third year to participate in the Watermark Conference for Women in Silicon Valley on February 1. This community service effort allowed our career faculty members to provide resume review sessions designed to offer job seekers assistance and presentation tips. The conference, held in San Jose, was attended by 6,500 women—and some forward thinking men—for a day of “community and connection, information and inspiration, and motivation and momentum”. Speakers included Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Sheryl Sandberg, and Viola Davis, quite a group of barrier-breaking women.  Serving as volunteers was rewarding and enlightening. It was a pleasure to assist women in setting and achieving professional goals as they seek to network and grow within one of the world’s most cutting edge career environments.

Article by Lavinia Zanassi

Michele Haggar has taken on a new role as the Program Services Coordinator for Career Center at Skyline College. She has an MA in Educational Administration and an MA in English, a Post-Secondary Teaching of Reading Certificate from San Francisco State University, and a BA in English from San Diego State University. She also recently taught English 100/105 in Fall 2016 here at Skyline College. She is also currently serving as Skyline College’s Classified Senate President.

Michele’s personal and professional experiences within education both as a student and as an educator span 18+ years and she has been working within the San Mateo County Community College District for the past 10 years. Michele is eager and very excited to continue her work at Skyline College and with her colleagues on campus to continue to explore new and innovative ways the Career Services Center can provide support and access to students within and outside of our Skyline College Community. Michele can be reached in the Career Services Center in Bldg. 1, Rm 1-219C or at (650)738-7026 or by emailing haggarm@smccd.edu. Please extend a Skyline College welcome if you haven’t already.

Article by Chad Thompson

SparkPoint at Skyline College and Career Services would like to extend a belated official campus-wide introduction to a new member of the team, Raul Amaya. Raul Serves as a Staff Assistant for SparkPoint at Skyline College. He received a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from San Francisco State, where he was heavily involved with student government, holding the position of V.P. of University Affairs and V.P. of Internal Affairs. His time in student government was highlighted by the approval of state of the art recreation and wellness center opening in Spring 2017. He continued working for Associated Students as full-time staff in their Marketing Department, supporting several student initiatives and programs.

Raul is excited to continue his work in student empowerment and leadership within the Skyline College campus community. Raul can be found at the SparkPoint Coordination office 1-221A, and can be reached at extension 7047 or at amayar@smccd.edu. Please extend a Skyline College welcome if you haven’t already.

Article by Chad Thompson

Skyline College Academic Senate has put forward Sujatha Venkataraman for the State Academic Senate Hayward Award for “Excellence in Education.”

Ms. Venkataraman, or “Ms. V” is a wonderful teacher. She is committed to serving and empowering her students. Skyline College has a diverse population and Ms. V is at the forefront of bringing gender diversity into her classroom. She is an ambassador for the “Victory Over Violence” program, bringing dialogue and education involving the intersection of passive and active violence into her classroom. In addition, she is volunteer faculty with the Prison University Project at San Quentin Prison.

Ms. V has been teaching in the Early Childhood Education program at Skyline College since Fall, 2014 and teaches at Pacific Oaks College. In addition to being involved in on-campus activities, she represented Skyline College at the Annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE) and is a 2015-2016 Fellowship awardee of the Simms-Mann Institute which emphasizes the complex issues currently facing communities, families and individuals in education, health, wellness, art and culture.

Article by Kate Brown

From January 27, 2017 to January 29, 2017, Skyline College hosted the California Acceleration Project’s Winter Institute where more than 115 math and English faculty from Northern California participated in professional development in math and English. The California Acceleration Project provides professional development for math and English faculty across the state to help colleges provide greater support for faculty working to transform remediation and create greater access to and completion of transfer-level math and English courses.

The three-day workshop included guidance on transforming classroom pedagogy as well as institutional policies to facilitate the efficient and effective completion of math and English requirements. Skyline College’s Math Department’s Phillip Williams, Younga Choi, Miranda Wang, David Hasson, Sean Nguyen and Andrew Yu participated in the event as they work to create stronger student support, equity, and access for our students.

Article and photo by Chris Gibson