Volume VII, Issue 5, October 20, 2021
This issue of SMC In Focus is chock full of stories we can all take pride in--that of SMC alum who found their
path here, and have forged forward to change the world. Plus, an exclusive interview
with Santa Monica College's new(ish) VP of Academic Affairs & a partnership that shone
the spotlight on SMC student artwork.
Bradley Lane: A Leader for the Uncharted Future
SMC’s New Vice President for Academic Affairs opens up about being a first-gen student, forging a path that took him away from family in rural Tennessee, mentorship, why equity matters, and how he hopes to influence the future.
Finding the “Fun” in Chemistry
Thanks to Katherine Benitez, SMC transfer student and recent UCLA grad, there’s a new and better way to visualize complex compounds at the atomic level. Organic chemistry instructors at SMC first turned Katherine on to lab research.
Jonathan Larach’s Divine Path
This Dreamer is on the path to achieve his parents' dreams--and his own. This past August, Jonathan headed from LA to Cambridge, MA, to attend Harvard. He credits SMC for helping him get this far.
Global Competitor: Cole Grodnitzky
SMC Interaction Design major Cole Grodnitzky co-created a product that has taken him to an international contest and an English castle. Cole's team was one of just 40 to make it to the entrepreneurial bootcamp for the UN's Hult Prize, which is sponsored by former President Bill Clinton.
Bragging Rights
An Art professor photographs U.S. President Joe Biden. An English professor wins a Fulbright to work at a university In Eastern Siberia. A DSPS staffer helps Skid Row residents. New courses in procurement and aquaculture.
Drag. Lift. Thrust.
Delayed a year due to the pandemic, the West Coast premiere of Birds in the Moon paired The Broad Stage with SMC art students in creative new ways that set a template for deeper partnerships to come.
SMC In the News
SMC Business Profs Honored With Inaugural Award
Vaccine & Mask Mandates at SMC
SMC Student, Former Foster Youth Works to Fix the System
Ryka Aoki’s Novel Shines Upon a Diverse San Gabriel Valley
Early Childhood is an Investment in the Future
