2024-2025 Global Grants Events and Projects
Ferris Kawar
Overall, 58 students participated in the workshops, highlighting the program's ability to maintain meaningful student engagement over the course of the semester. This sustained participation is a testament to the relevance of the program's content and the value students found in the workshops. Through consistent attendance and active involvement, these students contributed to building a stronger culture of sustainability on campus, underscoring the program's long-term impact and potential for continued growth.
Students enrolled completed 3 hours of community service, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and community involvement. Students' community service efforts directly supported local sustainability initiatives, helping to bridge classroom learning with real-world action. This group's collective effort reflects and encouraging level of civic engagement and dedication to sustainability. This outcome supports the program's goal of empowering students to take actionable steps toward environmental stewardship.
Students testimonials:
"I've learned so much about how I can personally contribute to making the world a better place, Week after week, I've found practical ways to conserve energy and water, and I plan to continue implementing these changes in my daily life." - Christine Joseph
"Thank you for the absolutely amazing sessions that taught me so much, and what really stuck with me was how often there's toxic ingredients in everyday items like skincare." - David Gol
"What is most valuable about this program is that the content is easy to read and breaks it down, as well as gives data which helps me better understand." - Gabriela Garcia
"I joined SMC Club Grow because of this program." - Austin Towns
"What I found most valuable about this program were the action items because if everyone takes part, the earth would be much more cleaner and a way better place." - Rachel Ransie
Professor Pete Morris
Retired SMC Geography Professor, Bill Selby, presented a talk based on his new book, The California Sky Watcher: Understanding weather patterns and what comes next.
Professor Brandon Reilly
Professor Wenise Wong
This grant proposal sponsored the purchase of six air quality monitors. Professor Wong used them for trial experiments on the main SMC campus prior to writing the step-by-step lab procedure and report, which will be assigned to Chem 9 students this upcoming fall semester. Students will assess air quality at different SMC campuses, and also create short videos documenting their experimental results.
Professor Banafsheh Pourzangi
Invited speaker, Shadi Shafiei, Research Assistant at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), took students on a journey through the region's rich artistic expressions, culinary traditions, and its influence on contemporary global conversations.
Professor Elham Gheytanchi
Professor Gina Masequesmay discussed her research and activism in the Vietnamese American and Asian American queer communities.
Queer Activism in Asian-American Community
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Professor Briana Simmons
The Converge+Vertex Roundtable Conversation featuring Cole James, Cass Everage, and Michael Massenburg was very well attended by 90 people in Art 214 on November 12, 2024. Cole James moderated the conversation between two artists of different ages exploring ideas of interconnected and materiality in the Black community of Los Angeles but also globally. The conversation began with a brief response to a video edited and curated by Massenburg and Everage, featuring interviews with Noah Purifoy, an incredible artist, known for his work with found objects. That was a starting point to discuss art making traditions and materials throughout the Black Diaspora and also how those materials - fabrics, found-objects, metals, etc. feature in the works of Massenburg and Everage. The discussion finished with an inspirational call to action for how SMC students can express their own creative voices through working with different materials.