News and Updates for Pasadena City College

Board of Trustees To Hold Community Meeting On June 19

 The Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees invites the community to an outreach meeting on June 19 at 6 p.m. at the El Monte-Rosemead Adult School Rosemead Center (4105 N. Rosemead Blvd., Rosemead, CA 91770). The meeting will be led by Dr. Mark Rocha, superintendent-president of PCC, and John Martin, president of the Board of Trustees.

PACCD Prevails in Fact Finding Report

PERB’S FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS SUPPORT DISTRICT’S OFFER
IN LABOR IMPASSE WITH FACULTY UNION

On June 5, 2013, Mr. Tony Butka, the independent Chair of the Fact Finding Panel appointed by the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), submitted his formal reports on the impasses in negotiations between the Pasadena Area Community College District and the college’s teacher’s union, the PCC Faculty Association. In accordance with California state law, the District is required to release the entire report to the public within ten days. 

PCC Extension Offers Infection Control Course for Dental Assistants

Pasadena City College is proud to be the only public institution in the San Gabriel Valley offering a Dental Board of California-approved course in infection control. The course is required for all dental assistants within one year of the date of employment and for registered dental assistant applicants who have not completed a Board-approved program in dental assisting.

Québec Ministry Awards PCC Professor with French Pedagogy Scholarship

Pasadena City College is pleased to announce that Michèle Pedrini, PCC associate professor of Languages, has been awarded a scholarship to study French pedagogy in Québec by the Québec Ministry of International Relations and Foreign Commerce.

PCCs Ayanna Winter Guard Takes Home Gold Medal

Pasadena City College’s Ayanna Winter Guard completed their inaugural season with a gold medal win at the Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC) Championships.  

PCC Assistant Professor of Health Services Receives Hazel O. Torres Excellence in Education Award

Pasadena City College is proud to announce that Stephanie Schmidt, assistant professor of Health Sciences, was honored with the Hazel O. Torres Excellence in Education Award. The award, established by the California Association of Dental Assisting Teachers, was presented to Schmidt for her 40 years of professional and voluntary service to the field of dentistry. 

PCC Student Wins First Prize in French Poetry Recitation Contest

Pasadena City College student Sheridan Babcock recently won first place in the Advanced Students category at the inaugural French Poetry Recitation Contest, held at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The event was sponsored by CSULA’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, in conjunction with the Modern and Classical Language Association of Los Angeles County (MCLASC). 

Recent PCC Cosmetology Graduate Takes Top Prize in National Competition

Former PCC student Myo Lai has won first place in the Junior Style Stars Competition, the largest student cosmetology competition in the country.

PCC Instructor Named Preschool Teacher of the Year for Work with Autistic Children

Pasadena City College is proud to announce that adjunct faculty instructor of Social Sciences, Antonio Garza Jr., has been named “Preschool Teacher of the Year” by Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP). Garza, along with five other Los Angeles County preschool teachers, was recently presented with the award during a celebration at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios Hollywood. 

Omh-Unique! Browne Sets PCC Women's Track First With 2 State Titles

Omhunique Browne completed her own triple crown Saturday by becoming the first Pasadena City College women's track and field athlete to win two state titles at the CCCAA State Championships held at College of San Mateo. Browne's feat of winning the 100- and 200-meter state sprinting golds follows her wins in each event at both the South Coast Conference and Southern California Championships. 

Coaching Great Jerry Tarkanian To Enter PCC Court of Champions

Jerry Tarkanian, a legendary Pasadena City College alumnus and head coach of the Lancers' 1967 state champion men's basketball team, has been selected as just the 17th individual to join the PCC Dick Ratliff Court of Champions.

Ralph Story Service Award Presented to Krista Goguen

Associate Professor Krista Goguen has been honored with the prestigious Ralph Story Service Award. This award is presented annually to an outstanding faculty member at PCC who has made significant contributions to the field of education, the college, and the community.

PCCs Bonnie Shimasaki Wins Unsung Hero Award

Bonnie Shimasaki, Learning Resources/Distance Learning assistant, has been honored by the PCC Academic Senate with the Unsung Hero Award. The award is presented to a classified employee who has made significant contributions to the college and the community, while maintaining a good work record.

PCC Announces Underwood and Camara as 2013 Risser Award Winners

Pasadena City College is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the J. Ray Risser Awards. Instructor Shane Underwood has received the 2013 Risser Outstanding Teacher Award for his exceptional work in the English Division, and Digital A/V Production Technician Mathew Camara has received the 2013 Risser Outstanding Support to Education Award for his contributions in the Information Technology Services office.

What Can Browne Do For PCC? Win SoCal 100, 200 Titles

Pasadena City College women's track and field sprinter Omhunique Browne is determined to be the best in the state in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and is one step away after her sterling performances at the Southern California Championships held Saturday at Antelope Valley College. Browne won the 100 and 200 titles in helping the Lancers finish a school best-ever sixth place in SoCal.

PCC Veteran A Model of Student Success

Waking up in a dingy motel room, isolating himself indoors with nothing more than drugs and alcohol on the day’s agenda to deal with his physical and emotional trauma from the Iraq war, Nathan Kemnitz knew he couldn’t go down this way. He was a Marine corporal who had managed to survive a blast from an improvised explosive device in Iraq, coming back to his hometown of Houston with a Purple Heart to a hero’s welcome. He had been trained better than this. 

PCCs Don Eckmann Awarded 2013 State Classified Employee of the Year Award

Pasadena City College Facilities Services Supervisor Don Eckmann was selected as a 2013 California Community Colleges Classified Employee of the Year by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. Eckmann and four others were honored at the May 7 board of governors meeting in Sacramento.

PCC Women's Swim Best Finish Ever, Placed No. 8 At State Meet

No season in the history of Pasadena City College women's swimming compares to the just completed 2013 campaign. The Lancers caught fire at the CCCAA State Championships as its tiny 4-swimmer contingent scored the highest state finish in school history in eighth place. The event took place April 25-27 at the East Los Angeles College Swim Stadium.

CEC Students Celebrated At PCC Main Campus

The Pasadena City College Community Education Center (CEC) will celebrate its achieving students this week in its 26^th annual graduate luncheon on Thursday at Creveling Lounge.

PCC Wins Again at Public Relations State Conference

The Pasadena City College Public Relations Office continued its long-standing winning streak at the 2013 Community College Public Relations Organization (CCPRO) Conference with a first and second place PRO Award in the category of Sports Media Guide and a third place win in the category of Banner/Outdoor Media.

Pasadena City College Takes Home Two Bronze Telly Awards

Pasadena City College is proud to announce that it has won two bronze 2013 Telly Awards for its commercial-style videos, “Your PCC” and “Everywhere is Here.” 

Cheung Named SCC Women's Swimmer Of Year; PCC Sets 12 School Records

From a historic standpoint, it doesn't get better than the performance of the Pasadena City College women's swim team at the South Coast Conference Championships held April 18-20 at Chaffey College. The Lancers had no chance of capturing a conference team title due to their small numbers, but overall team success and new PCC records were a huge part of this weekend's outcome.

Football's Marona, Medrano Earn 4-Year University Scholarships

The Pasadena City College football team held a signing ceremony Tuesday for 2012 lettermen Tyler Marona and Andrew Medrano, who both earned scholarships to play at the university level.

PCC Alumnus Jerry Tarkanian Named To Basketball Hall of Fame

Jerry Tarkanian, a Pasadena City College alumnus and head coach of the Lancers' 1967 state champion men's basketball team, was named as part of the 2013 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday.

Frederick Breaks 50,100 Freestyle, Helps Set 3 Women Relay Records At 13th Pasadena Invitational

After recovering from a back injury that left her out of the water for two weeks, Pasadena City College women's swimmer Emily Frederick is all the way back and returning to her sensational freshman-season form. Frederick broke her own school record in winning the 100-yard freestyle, broke her 50 freestyle record, and helped snap three school relay records to highlight the Lancers' performances at the 13th Pasadena Invitational held Friday-Saturday.

PCC Speech and Debate Team Ranks 8th in State

Pasadena City College’s Speech and Debate Team placed 8th at the California Community College Forensics Association (CCCFA) Speech and Debate Tournament March 13-17 at Moorpark College.

PCC Alum Yura Movsisyan Shines In Russian Soccer League

The legend of former Pasadena City College men's soccer player Yura Movsisyan continued to grow on March 10 when the U.S.-Armenian international scored three goals in his debut for Spartak Moscow during a 3-1 win over Terek Grozny. It was Movsisyan's debut for his new team in the Russian Premier League.

Cheerleading Tryouts March 18-22 At PCC

Tryouts for the 2013-14 Pasadena City College cheerleading squad will take place all next week from Monday, March 18 through Friday, March 22. The tryouts, open to all PCC students, will be held each day from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the PCC W-building gymnasium, located next to the PCC Aquatic Center. 

Women Cager Shay Jackson Named All-State; Kaitlyn Parks Joins Her On All-SCC 1st Team

Pasadena City College women's basketball sophomore point guard Shay Jackson was selected to the All-State Second Team and joined freshman center Kaitlyn Parks as choices to the All-South Coast Conference First Team.

Frederick Shatters 2 School Swim Records At Season-Opening SCC Pentathlon

In the history of Pasadena City College athletics, it is hard to find a student-athlete with a more dynamic collegiate debut than women's freshman swimmer Emily Frederick. On Friday, Feb. 15, the Lancers opened the 2013 season in the South Coast Conference Pentathlon held at East Los Angeles College's Swim Stadium.

Baseball's Daniel Gomez Makes CCCBCA All-State Academic Team

Daniel Gomez, a sophomore pitcher on the Pasadena City College baseball team, was chosen to the 2013 CCCBCA All-State Academic Team. Gomez was one of 18 players selected throughout the state's community college teams. Only six of those players were from Southern California region squads.

PCC CareerTech Launches Customizable Online Brochures

Pasadena City College CareerTech recently launched customizable online brochures that allow prospective students to receive pertinent information in seconds. 

Jackie Robinson's Birthday Celebrated at PCC

Pasadena City College celebrates today, Jan. 31, the birthday of its most famous alumnus Jackie Robinson. A four-sport star at Pasadena Junior College, Robinson went on to break the modern color barrier in Major League Baseball on his way to a Hall of Fame career. A 20th century icon, Robinson is known for being at the forefront of the civil rights movement.

PCC Alum David Reed To Appear In Super Bowl XLVII

David Reed, a Pasadena City College football alumnus from 2006-2007, will appear in Super Bowl XLVII (47) as a member of the Baltimore Ravens as they face the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL championship game takes place at the New Orleans' Superdome on Sunday, Feb. 3. The Super Bowl is annually the most-watched television event in the United States.

Thanksgiving Inspiration: PCC Hall of Famer Jerome Harrison Recovers From Brain Surgery

Pasadena City College Sports Hall of Famer and football alumnus Jerome Harrison, the only running back in school history to post back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons in 2002-2003, was profiled by CBS Sports during its NFL Thanksgiving Day national broadcast.

PCC Volleyball Captures Co-SCC Championship, Takes Mt. SAC in 4

The state No. 11-ranked Pasadena City College women's volleyball team used a powerful hitting attack in the opening two sets, then relied on defense and passing in rallying in the fourth set to become South Coast Conference co-champions with a 4-game victory over No. 18 Mt. San Antonio, 25-15, 25-15, 21-25, 26-24, Wednesday night at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. The Lancers won their second conference title in four seasons under their sixth-year head coach Tammy Silva after never before winning a title in the sport. 

PCC Women's Hoops Coach Peron Enters Muir High School Hall of Fame

Joe Peron, about to begin his 17th season as Pasadena City College women's basketball head coach, joins five other individuals as the 2012 class of the John Muir High School Alumni Hall of Fame. The Muir HOF ceremony takes place on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. held at the high school's Rufus Mead Auditorium. It is free to the public.

Tammy Silva Hits Century Mark In Wins As PCC Volleyball Coach

In 2006, the Pasadena City College women's volleyball team struggled and finished with one of the program's worst seasons at two wins in 21 matches. Prior to the 2007 season, PCC hired Tammy Silva as its head coach. From the point Silva took control of the Lancers, winning became a habit for PCC volleyball. On Wednesday night, Pasadena swept host East Los Angeles College, 25-9, 25-11, 25-12, marking Silva's 100th Lancers' coaching victory.

Football Sends Nine Lancers To 4-Year Universities

As the Pasadena City College football team prepares for the 2012 season, second-year head coach Fred Fimbres announced today that nine of his 2011 class have secured scholarships to play and attend four-year universities.