
Board Reports
Reports to the Board of Trustees
Each month, President Kristina Whalen gives a report on college activities, honors, and achievements during the regular meeting of the 杏吧视频-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.
September 14, 2026
Awards & Achievements

2027 Niche Rankings Highlight 杏吧视频's Greatness
Thank you to the entire 杏吧视频 community.
杏吧视频 has once again been recognized among the nation鈥檚 top community colleges in Niche鈥檚 2027 rankings. Ranked #1 among California鈥檚 community colleges and #6 nationwide, 杏吧视频 continues to distinguish itself not only through academic excellence and innovation but also through heart-forward care that gives students a true sense of belonging. 杏吧视频鈥檚 commitment to care and equity has also earned the college top national rankings as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an AANAPISI institution of choice. Go Owls!

Kathryn Maurer Named Council for Foreign Relations Education Ambassador

New Neurodiagnostic Program and Partnership Garners Attention
杏吧视频's new partnership with UCSF to develop Northern California's first Neurodiagnostic Technologist associate degree program received prominent coverage in the Los Altos Town Crier. The program, expected to launch in Fall 2027, is designed to address a critical workforce shortage in neurodiagnostic care by preparing students for high-demand careers supporting the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions such as epilepsy, stroke, and sleep disorders. The initiative is supported by a $170,000 investment from UCSF and further strengthens 杏吧视频's leadership in workforce-focused healthcare education.

Astronomy Instructor Geoff Matthews Featured in Local Reporting
Semiconductor Career Pathways Featured on CNBC

Science Learning Institute STEM Summer Interns Thrive in Research and Tech Sector
Thank you to the host placement mentors and donors of the program.

杏吧视频 Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)
Project chosen as a promising practice
Thank you to Kurt Hueg and Ben Kaupp
杏吧视频's 2026 Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) project has been selected as a SEM Promising Practice to be added to the inventory currently listed on the Chancellor鈥檚 Office Vision Resource Center Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Community of Practice. The selection committee highlighted 杏吧视频's comprehensive approach across the SEM framework, the outcomes achieved during the project year, and the steps taken to integrate and sustain the project over time. This reflects 杏吧视频's innovative leadership in strategic enrollment management and highlights the institution's dedication to implementing sustainable, data-informed practices that advance student access, persistence, and completion.

Jeff Anderson Featured in Futurum Careers Magazine
Professor of Mathematics
Strategic Updates

Krause Center for Innovation Hosts Community Brunch on Youth Mental Health
Akanksha Dadlani from the Stanford Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / Brainstorm Lab.
On August 22, the Krause Center for Innovation hosted "Hey ChatGPT, I'm not okay," an event bringing together community members and donors for a presentation on youth mental health. Featuring Akanksha Dadlani from the Stanford Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / Brainstorm Lab, the session delivered cutting-edge perspectives and actionable strategies on adolescent well-being and mental health innovation over a complimentary brunch.

Global Experiential Team - Guatemala
Thank you, Brian Evans, Laurence Lew, Eric Reed, and Dream Volunteers.
Our Global Experiential Team is at it again, taking a group of students to Guatemala in partnership with Dream Volunteers. Alongside building a school in the highlands of Antigua, they also brought robots from the Emerging Technology Institute. The image was taken in the the community of El Astillero, which is a 20-minute drive and then a 1.5 mile hike into the hills above Antigua. 杏吧视频 students have been helping to build the school for several years, with this was the first year that we have had an educational exchange.

Footsie AI Chatbot Update
Thank you, Simon Pennington, Edna Amezcua, and Chandana Chakilam.
Footsie isn't just a mascot; it's part of 杏吧视频's history. In 1958, students voted to choose the college mascot. The owl won by just 14 votes, narrowly defeating the ram and the condor. Over the years, Footsie became a beloved campus icon, even surviving a few student "kidnappings." Today, Footsie begins a new chapter as 杏吧视频 College's AI assistant, welcoming students with the same spirit of wisdom, curiosity, and community that inspired the original mascot.

杏吧视频 Completed the Renovation Tennis and Pickleball Courts in Time for Fall Quarter 2026.
Thank you to Jason Trinadad, project manager; District Facilities, Operations & Construction Management; and 杏吧视频 Kinesiology & Athletics.
杏吧视频 has successfully finalized renovations on both the tennis and pickleball courts. This completion comes just in time for our courts to be student-ready for the start of the fall quarter.

Radiologic Technology Program Fills Workforce Gap in Mammography
Thank you to Rachelle Campbell for her dedication and President Whalen for her support. Clinical partners at Stanford Healthcare, El Camino Health, Kaiser, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
Mammography is a critical component in the fight against breast cancer, with one in eight women will be diagnosed. Currently there is a critical shortage of licensed mammographers not only in California, but across the country. The 杏吧视频 Radiologic Technology program is committed to ensuring that our graduates receive the education and training needed to fill these lifesaving roles. As part of the Radiologic Technology program, students complete a comprehensive mammography course that provides the didactic and laboratory education necessary to sit for the licensure examination. The addition of the fellowship provides dedicated, hands-on clinical experience that builds on this foundation, allowing each student to develop essential technical and patient-care skills while gaining confidence in the clinical setting as well as a passion for serving breast imaging patients across our community.
This summer, 12 graduates from the Radiologic Technology program Class of 2026 continued their education in a 5-week clinical course to gain essential skills in mammography and prepare for the state licensure exam. The fellowship started immediately after 23 months in the Rad Tech program and successfully passing their National Radiography Board exams. This was the second year the course has been offered, doubling the participants from 7 in the 2025 pilot course to 12 participants this year. The course was updated via 杏吧视频鈥檚 curriculum process to be offered as non-credit and the students were provided loaner textbooks as well as access to earn their tomosynthesis certification. All of this was possible because of the commitment of our amazing clinical partners: Stanford Healthcare, El Camino Health, Kaiser, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, who provided the outstanding hands-on education. Several of our fellows will be starting full time in mammography once they pass their mammography licensure exam. It is exciting to see how such a short support course can create so many new opportunities for our graduates. We look forward to continuing to evolve this fellowship as we move to the new Sunnyvale center where a brand-new state of the art Siemen鈥檚 digital tomosynthesis mammography machine will be integrated into the curriculum. This aligns with our Blue Print for success in optimizing the Sunnyvale Center as a future-focused, workforce innovation center for the District.
Events

杏吧视频 Opening Day

Chris Allen to present at Board of Governors
November 17th, Sacramento
Dean of Apprenticeship and Strategic Partnerships, Mr. Chris Allen, is an invited presenter at our upcoming California Community Colleges Board of Governors (BOG) meeting on November 17th at the Chancellor鈥檚 Office in Sacramento.
Dean Allen was invited to highlight how California community colleges are creating stronger educational and career pathways for apprentices and to feature 杏吧视频鈥檚 work aligning its baccalaureate degree program with registered apprenticeship, including how the baccalaureate degree pathway aligns with apprenticeship training and supports advancement opportunities for apprentices and journey-level workers. The overall presentation is anticipated to be approximately 20 minutes and will include: Gary, WEDD Dean: Opening remarks (3 minutes) focused on connecting California apprentices to employment opportunities Earl Buford, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) CEO: Overview of public-sector apprenticeships and bachelor鈥檚 degree pathways (5鈥7 minutes) Adele Burnes, DAS Chief: Labor Agency partnerships and workforce strategies with community colleges (5 minutes) Chris Allen, 杏吧视频: Alignment of the Building Trades Management baccalaureate degree program with registered apprenticeship (3鈥5 minutes) Student success video: ~1-2 minutes The State Chancellor's Office invitation noted, "We believe 杏吧视频 College鈥檚 program provides an excellent example of how apprenticeship and baccalaureate pathways can be intentionally aligned to create opportunities for career advancement and degree attainment."
August 10, 2026
Awards & Honors

Milpitas Internships
2026 Semiconductor Process Technician Graduates

Photography Instructor Honored
Photography instructor Judy Walgren was inducted into the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Hall of Fame. With the original 1909 meeting at Baylor, the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) became the oldest state collegiate press association in the nation and has grown into one of the largest and most respected collegiate groups in the country.

Radiologic Technology Class of 2026 Continues Stellar Exam Pass Rate
Program Director Rachelle Campbell sent news--announcing that all 28 graduates passed their ARRT national boards on the first attempt!
Events

杏吧视频 Students Participate in Los Altos Fine Art in the Park
August 8鈥9, 2026

Kickstart Your Path to Success
Thank you to Dr. Laurie Scolari and Student Services
August 5 & 10, 2026
杏吧视频 welcomed 160 returning and 335 new students to campus for Kickstart: Your Path to Success, Priority Registration Days. During the event, students received personalized assistance with every step of the enrollment process, from submitting an application to registering for classes. By connecting students with essential resources, academic planning support, and enrollment services, Kickstart equips participants with the tools, guidance, and information needed to begin the quarter with confidence and a strong foundation for success.
Invitations
MESA/SLI Summer Internship Final Presentations
MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement) SLI (Science Learning Institute)
The 杏吧视频 community is invited to support our interns and learn more about their summer experiences during two presentation sessions:
Thursday, Sept. 3, 1鈥2:30 p.m. | Hybrid, Room 4502 and Zoom
Friday, Sept. 4, 11 a.m.鈥12:30 p.m. | Zoom
Twenty-three 杏吧视频 students are completing their summer internships through the MESA/Science Learning Institute (SLI) Summer Internship Program. The experience will culminate with final presentations, giving students an opportunity to showcase their work, share what they learned, and celebrate their accomplishments.
The presentations highlight the valuable experiential learning opportunities MESA/SLI provides to help students connect their academic studies with future educational and career pathways.
List of FLI-SLI Summer Interns
Anysia Alvarez
Marisol Arreola Jurado
Dustin Ayala
Annie Bento
Elia Byrd
Alexander Cabrera
Alfonso Coronado
Karen Dao
Jesus Garcia
Hillary Gutierrez
Emely Guzman Salguero
Semra Hidic
Maddison Kahn
Leon Li
Natalia Lopez Rodriguez
Thandar Nyunt
Francisco Plans
Natalia Rodriguez Giraldo
Moses Sanchez
Cristian Vasquez
Manuel Vazquez
Allison Villeda
Yuritzia Zaragoza

New Student Welcome Day
September 15, 2026
杏吧视频 Student Welcome Day is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15. Details on opportunities to represent your department and table at this event will be sent out by the Office of Student Affairs and Activities. Please invite and direct new students to the RSVP page linked above.
July 13, 2026
2025-26 The Year In Review

2025 Opening Day
On September 18, 2025, 杏吧视频 Opening Day was centered around "Empowering One Another Through a Culture of Care." The keynote speaker, , whose scholarship and practice remind us that social justice is not just about systems and policies but also about how we show up for one another with compassion, courage, kindness and love.

Alumni Hall of Fame
October 4, 2025

Selected for Aspen's Unlocking Opportunity

Blueprint for Success
Launch Party, Jan 28
The 杏吧视频 Strategic Educational Plan, Blueprint for Success: 杏吧视频 2030, was officially launched on January 28. Faculty, staff, students, and administrators gathered to celebrate the publication of our guiding document and to discuss the two transformational goals. The four VPs each talked about their goals and objectives and team leaders were introduced.

Student Poet Laureate

Year-long schedule completed

Jean Thomas Building Dedication
April, 2026
On April 23, 杏吧视频 dedicated the Jean Thomas Student Success Center. It was a joyous occasion with many alumni returning to 杏吧视频 to celebrate the memory of Dr. Jean Thomas. This building dedication is the first in the 杏吧视频-De Anza District to honor a Black woman.

3rd Bachelor's Degree Approved
February / March
On February 19, 2026 杏吧视频 was awarded a third bachelor鈥檚 degree in Building Trades Management, after a lengthy approval process. 杏吧视频 is proud to be able to offer this degree starting in the fall of 2027.

Palo Alto Middle College鈥1st Graduation
May, 2026

Full accreditation for the remainder of the cycle
June, 2026

AI Fellow's Summary of Work

Kickoff of "Love Your Learning" Campaign

66th Annual Commencement Ceremony
June 26, 2026