- Psychology professor Dorothy Chin has co-edited an eBook, "The Impact of Non-traditional Social Determinants on Health and Mental Health Disparities," for Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Public Health. Her co-editors were Tamra Loeb (UCLA) and Derek Novocek (VA of Greater Los Angeles).
- Luis Jauregui, project manager of Noncredit Initiatives, sent in a shoutout to those who helped him launch a pilot of a noncredit ESL course for day laborers at the SMC Malibu Campus, a pilot funded by the LA Fire Recovery grant and SMC’s California Adult Education Program grant. “Often, members of marginalized communities are overlooked or excluded from certain initiatives, but thanks to individuals like those [named here], we were able to provide English as a Second Language to day laborers,” Luis wrote. “Our hope is that this pilot is successful and that we can continue to offer ESL courses while also expanding into other career education programs that can help these individuals upskill, so they don't have to be day laborers.” Among individuals whose support was crucial to the success of this program, Luis named associate dean Alice Meyering, director Ruth Casillas, and vice president Jason Beardsley; originally expected to serve a handful of students, the program, at the time this brag was submitted, had enrolled 19 students! Various grants fund books, materials, and instruction at no cost to the students, helping them build English skills and access pathways to new careers.
- Interaction Design (IxD) professor Luke Johnson is proud to share two major brags on behalf of the IxD program:
- Three recent IxD graduates are continuing their education at leading graduate programs.
Aino Halonen will pursue a Master’s in Design Engineering at Harvard, Oliver Jack will pursue a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, and Alexander Albao will pursue a Master of Science in Health Systems at Cedars-Sinai. Congratulations to all three alumni on these outstanding achievements!
- Also, congratulations to IxD students Fernando Herrera, Sandi Piorek, and Isabella Perrini on the launch of the SMC IxD 2026 Annual Report. The report was reimagined with a fresh visual framework, interactive animations,
and expanded storytelling highlighting alumni and faculty. The annual report showcases
the program’s impact while elevating the visibility of SMC’s first bachelor’s degree.
Design: Fernando Herrera, Sandi Piorek, Isabella Perrini; Web Development: Fernando Herrera.
- Three recent IxD graduates are continuing their education at leading graduate programs.
Aino Halonen will pursue a Master’s in Design Engineering at Harvard, Oliver Jack will pursue a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, and Alexander Albao will pursue a Master of Science in Health Systems at Cedars-Sinai. Congratulations to all three alumni on these outstanding achievements!
- Emeritus professor Lisa Adams will be participating in three major group exhibitions this summer: Collaborations, at Pedersen Projects at The Reef; DTLA.00.26 at art/Space 114; and ESCAPE at CMay Gallery in Los Angeles. Kudos, Lisa!
- Communication & Media Studies professor AJ Adelman has published his book “Never Walk Alone: A Never Walk Alone: A True Crime Memoir - The Unsolved Mystery of the Oakland County
Child Killer” which is now available through Amazon. Congrats, AJ!
- SMC Film Production faculty lead Salvador Carrasco shared several brags! On the personal front, he secured a co-production with Spain for his upcoming feature film, "Lovers," based on a short story by world-renowned Colombian writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez; was commissioned by Senses of Cinema to write a long-form essay on the 60th anniversary of Gillo Pontecorvo's "The Battle of Algiers"; his essay on "The Worst Person in the World" was referenced in the new book "ReFocus: The Films of Joachim Trier," by Anne Gjelsvik (part of "The International Directors Series"); he was executive producer, along with Darren Aronofsky, on the feature film "Solidarity," directed by SMC alum Dustin Brown, which was recently world-premiered at the Dances with Films festival; and he was also executive producer on the feature documentary "I Paint Monsters" (directed by SMC Film Production advisory board members Ben Woolverton & Anne Herlihy), about the political artists Leon Golub and Robbie Conal, which was also world-premiered at the Dances with Films festival.
And, on behalf of SMC’s Film Production program, Salvador shared that SMC has once again been ranked as one of the top film schools in the U.S. and Canada by MovieMaker Magazine! - Media 21 faculty member Roxanne Captor shared that she had two great artist experiences this summer in San Sebastián and Bilbao: “We were honored with a private curated tour,” Roxanne wrote. “So excited to see the spectacular exhibition of Ruth Asawa, who we honored for the CA Arts Council 50th Anniversary celebration in April. Also got to spend time with Mikael Chillida, grandson of famed sculptor Eduardo Chillida, at their amazing gallery. What a brilliant artist and philosopher.” Roxanne credits being one of the founding members of the CA Arts Council as a special accomplishment in her career.
- Spanish professor Alejandro Lee is pleased to share that, alongside Sendy M. Rhone (Texas Woman's University), he presented a workshop entitled "Teaching Heritage Speakers with Intention: Foundations, Strategies, and Programmatic Pathways," at the 108th American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) annual conference in Orlando, Florida, in early July 2026.
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SMC in Focus Volume XII, Issue 4
Eyes in the Back of His Head
As he pedals toward UC San Diego, Kevin Davidson relies on a smart rear-view safety system he invented and a conviction that you don’t plan your future—you build it, one experience at a time. Read Article
Property + Values
An in-depth look at Santa Monica College’s new affordable housing property management certificate, the first such for-credit program in Calif., launched in partnership with Merritt Community Capital Corporation. Read Article
Change Agent
Leaving high school two years early, Isabella Guglielmetti came to Santa Monica College to explore possibilities and spur social action. Read Article
Seeing Stars
At SMC’s new Planetarium and Observatory, students and the community can experience the universe’s wonders through immersive learning and stellar storytelling. Read Article
Bragging Rights
A noncredit ESL course for day laborers. SMC named one of North America’s top film schools. IxD alum headed to premier schools. New books, new art. Read Article
Meeting Students Where They Are
Julyssa Guevara marks one year as a full-time basic needs case manager at SMC, bringing her lived experience to students, removing barriers, and healing—for herself, too. Read Article