Chaparral 2021-2022: 30.2 Milestones

On October 17, 2021, Lee Miller Parks (DSPS/ Student Services) was certified as a steam locomotive fireman. She apprenticed for the certification for 4 years over weekend runnings of the Ventura County #2 steam locomotive at Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, CA.

The locomotive is 100 years old, and maintained and operated by an all volunteer crew.

Martha Maimone (Credit ESL) recently earned an academic milestone: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EDL), USC Rossier School of Education at University of Southern California (USC) in May 2021 at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.

Shatha Sbeta (Political Science) would like to share that she finally got her organization’s website up and running. Here’s the site: https://www.de-orientalizingart.org/

In May of 2021, Krista Raimondo (Noncredit ESL) graduated from the University of California, Fresno State, with her doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership. Ali Kobaissi, of GCC –Program Manager III, Night/Weekend Garfield Site Manager – was on her dissertation committee, along with two faculty members from Fresno State, Dr. James Mullolly, Chair of the Anthropology Dept. and Dr. Susan Tracz, Coordinator of Research and Statistics. Her dissertation topic was on Noncredit ESL Student Sense of Belonging.

Wendy Fonarow (Social Sciences) recently did an interview about Halloween. Though it’s for an Italian channel, the interview is in English.

You can watch the interview here: Halloween: an interview with professor Wendy Fonarow.

Jessica Groper (English) and family welcomed new baby, David!

Say hello to Harper Olivia Doyle, the first grandchild of Dennis Doyle, professor emeritus (English, Humanties) and Paula Doyle. Harper was born on October 8th, 2021 to her parents GCC graduate Evan Doyle wife Blanca Rodriguez Doyle.

Dr. Maria Cozette Akopian (Business) designed the Women First: Leadership and Professional Development Program during her doctoral studies at USC. The program was recently adopted by Cal State LA where Dr. Akopian is a marketing professor. It is the very first women’s leadership program in Cal State LA’s history. Dr. Akopian was featured on Fox 11 to discuss the program and why it’s important now more than ever to invest in the professional development of women in the workforce. 

Fox 11 Interview: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PoEC86g8dQ4

Find out more about the program https://www.calstatela.edu/dtla/women-first-leadership-and-professional-development-program

Deirdre Mendoza (English) had a fun piece published in a plant-based journal, Thebeet.com, about foraging for mushrooms in Telluride. You can read the piece here.

Joanna Parypinski (English), writing as Jo Kaplan, recently sold her latest novel, a Gothic horror western. When the Night Bells Ring is scheduled for publication in fall 2022 by CamCat Books. Here’s a brief description of the book:

When the bells ring at night, the phantoms come out.

Lavinia Cain and her family have just taken their wagon west to Virgil, Nevada to start a new life on the frontier. But all is not right in the fledgling mining town. Whispers of curses and phantom figures haunt the remaining inhabitants, and something is killing miners and draining their blood. Even Lavinia’s children claim to have seen something they call the Strange Lady creeping in the desert after dark.

Over 150 years later, two climate refugees searching for water in the drought-ravaged West find Lavinia’s diary in the ghost town of Virgil. Now trapped in the abandoned mine, they discover they’re not alone: the phantoms are still here… and they’re thirsty.