- Men of Color Action Network (MOCAN) counselor Eric Armendariz shared that MOCAN & SMC Cosmetology collaborated to host the 1st MOCAN Cut & Connect: A Barbershop Experience, which provided free haircuts, manicures, and facials to MOCAN students. During this
event, Cosmetology students in training gained hands-on experience while helping MOCAN
students feel confident and destress from midterms. “This event fostered a welcoming
environment where MOCAN and Cosmetology students and faculty connected,” Eric wrote.
Proud to be SMC!
- Music professor Dr. Janelle DeStefano shared some wonderful news! SMC Applied Classical Voice students won top awards at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Los Angeles Collegiate Auditions held on March 7, 2026. The NATS Collegiate Auditions include singers from colleges
and universities throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. Fernando de Leon won 1st place, Timothy Francuz won 2nd place in the freshman category, and August Vargas won 2nd Place in the sophomore category.
- Aquaculture instructor Dr. Emily Aguirre was invited to assemble a team of brilliant scientists and put together a chapter
on kelp conservation, entitled "Conserving Marine Biodiversity in the North American Pacific: Biobanking Macroalgae
and Their Associated Microbiome” in the Springer Nature book, "Advances in Temperate Phyconomy: Algal Harvest and Cultivation in Globally Distributed
Temperate Waters". Additionally, Emily finally published her last dissertation chapter—two and-a-half years after
graduation—where she asks, "Do the microalgae of coral/anemones really need vitamin
B12 produced by bacteria? How does this affect the health of these algae, inside and
outside their coral/anemone hosts?" Read the peer-reviewed paper: Symbiodiniaceae-Roseibium exhibit synergistic growth effects without B12 supplementation.
- Interaction Design (IxD) professor Luke Johnsonshared some great news on behalf of the IxD program: two graduating IxD students have received multiple graduate school offers from some of the top design and technology programs in the world, including Harvard and Carnegie Mellon.
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- Aino Halonen received offers from Harvard — Master in Design Engineering (joint program between the Graduate School of Design and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences) and Georgia Tech — M.S. in Human–Computer Interaction (School of Computing)
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- Oliver Litner received offers from Carnegie Mellon University — Master of Human–Computer Interaction (MHCI) and Imperial College London — M.Sc. Design with Behavior Science (Dyson School of Design Engineering)
“It’s wonderful to see IxD students continuing their journeys at such outstanding
institutions,” Luke wrote. Indeed!
- The Malibu community recently enjoyed a special event—"Birds, Bees, and Butterflies: The Secret Lives of Pollinators” at SMC Malibu. Attendees enjoyed an educational presentation from Teranga Ranch, a Valentine’s Day reception, and a blossom kit memento. Attendees included Malibu’s
then-Mayor Marianne Riggins, SMC faculty Shari Davis, and Dean of Noncredit Scott Silverman. Angela P. Bice, administrative assistant to Associate Dean Alice Meyering shared that the reception was done completely in-house by the Malibu & Community
Education departments, with a personal touch. A big shout out to Alice, Angela, Ashley Price, Janet Kleinman, and Lindsay Wilson for their hard work in making this event a success!
- Communications & Media instructor Roxanne Messina Captor—in her capacity as Chairperson of the CA Arts Council appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom—represented the governor at the 100th Anniversary of the San Diego Museum of Art. The photo in the slideshow showcase the personal letter from the governor honoring
the museum's milestone.
- Film professor Paris Poirier's popular documentary, “Last Call at Maud’s”, is the focus of an immersive screening experience at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo from April 24-25, 2026. A live cast of characters will transport the audience to
the final night in San Francisco's oldest and most beloved lesbian bar. As the film
unfolds, the gallery becomes Maud’s itself - alive with atmosphere, memory and community.
Q& A sessions with the film's director (Paris Poirier) and producer Karen Kiss follow both performances.
- Accounting professor Greg Brookins shared that SMC students Alnur Askar and Seth Moberg participated in a competition at USC—teams were tasked with developing solutions for six critical needs that LA28 must address before the Olympics—and their team was among the five finalists. Alnur and Seth were the only non-USC students on their team, which focused on how to reduce energy consumption by retrofitting Metro trains with magnets to reduce the friction between the train and the tracks. The Daily Trojan covered the competition.
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SMC in Focus Volume XII, Issue 2
It Was Destiny
A chance encounter in a Sherman Oaks mall put graduating Interaction Design student Harmony Simpson back on track. Read Article
In her Shoes
The daughter of Cuban immigrants—and a first-gen high school & college graduate—SMC’s new(ish) VP of Student Success on resilience, her life’s turning points, and what keeps her centered. Read Article
Fashioning Futures
Rails founder Jeff Abrams brings scholarship support and industry insights to SMC students as they pattern careers in fashion. Read Article
Frieze Frame
SMC showed up in force at Frieze Los Angeles, where 22 student interns engaged with top galleries and collectors, established artists (including four SMC alum) and 32,000 visitors at this world-class art fair. Read Article
Bragging Rights
Applied classical voice students win top awards. IxD grads receive offers from the best schools. An aquaculture instructor dives deep into kelp conservation. Read Article
Lighting the Way
Santa Monica College widened the lens for Charles Butler, helping him go from modeling and background acting to success behind the scenes of hit reality shows. Read Article