President’s 12345

(1) New Valley Transit Authority Direct line between Foothill and De Anza

Starting in January 2027, the District will pilot a new VTA direct express bus between Foothill and De Anza, Monday through Friday. The bus makes no stops in between, so students can get from one campus to the other quickly for classes, programs, and services. There will be four morning and midday runs each way, timed to class start times. Buses arrive at Foothill at 8:45, 9:45, 11:45, and 12:45, and at De Anza at 9:00, 10:00, 12:00, and 1:00. Please share this with your students, especially those taking classes at both colleges. Ridership during the pilot will help decide whether the service continues. Thank you to the Foothill-De Anza Colleges Foundation for funding the pilot.

(2) Welcome Nobel Laureate Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi on Tuesday, October 20

Next Tuesday, October 20, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., we'll welcome celebrated Stanford chemist and Nobel Laureate Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi to Foothill. She'll talk about her career and what it has been like to work as a woman in STEM. Dr. Bertozzi is the Baker Family Director of Sarafan ChEM-H, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor at Stanford University, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 2022 she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her pioneering work in bioorthogonal chemistry, a set of tools that lets scientists study and change biological processes inside living cells.

This is a rare chance for our students to hear from one of the most important scientists of our time, close to home. Many of our students are working toward careers in science and health, and Dr. Bertozzi's story is a reminder that brilliant, world-changing work can start in rooms like ours. Please encourage your students to attend, and join us at Appreciation Hall if you can.

(3) Foothill’s Student Poet Laureate, Allie Whann, Takes the Stage on Tuesday, October 20

Please join me in welcoming our new Foothill College Student Poet Laureate, Allie Whann, at a special Convocation on Tuesday, October 20th at 3:00 pm in Appreciation Hall. The program will open with an interactive introduction and then move into poetry performances. Afterward, we'll head to the Smithwick Theater Patio for a meet-and-greet with appetizers and drinks.

I'm proud to support this position because it sends a clear message: student voices belong at the center of our campus life. For Allie, the role is a platform and a chance to grow as an artist and a leader. For our students, it shows that their stories matter and that creative expression is part of a Foothill education. For the whole campus, it brings us together around the way poetry asks us to slow down, listen closely, and see one another more fully. That is what Leading with Love looks like in practice. I'll share a few words at the event, and I hope you'll come celebrate Allie with us.

(4) Mission Informed Planning Council this Friday

Please join us at the next Mission Informed Planning Council (MIPC) meeting on Friday, October 16, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Room 1901 or on Zoom (Meeting ID 865 0677 4646). MIPC is open to everyone, and it's one of the best ways to see where the college is headed and to help shape it. The meeting will open with reports from our students and affinity groups. After that, we'll talk about what we learned at the Designing for the Future Town Hall on the budget and Basic Aid transition and what it means for Foothill. You'll also get an early look at two big efforts: the move to CCCStart, a simpler version of CCCApply, and the start of our new Facilities Master Plan. In the second half, we'll cover accessibility standards for our website and course materials (WCAG 2.2), review the results of last year's MIPC evaluation, and hear updates from the Institutional Effectiveness Committee and the Alignment Task Force. I hope to see you there.

Link to the MIPC website.

(5) Board of Trustee's Leadership Report

Each month, I give a report on college activities, honors, and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.

View my October report here.