President’s Board Report Update 5.13.25
Check out President Olivo’s most recent Board Report shared at the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) Board of Trustees meeting on May 13, 2025. The Board of Trustees meetings take place on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.
Fullerton College Celebrates First-Ever Solar Panel Installation Throughout NOCCCD
Earth Week at Fullerton College recently ended strong with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the installation of new solar panels. A three-year long project, these solar panels are the first of their kind throughout all the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD).
Grads to Be Launches New Monarch Fellowship
The Grads to Be program has launched the Monarch Fellowship, a new initiative offering Fullerton College students hands-on experience supporting diverse communities and developing leadership skills through on-campus placements.
FC Night Welcomed New Hornets and Families
We had so much fun welcoming our future Hornets at FC Night last week! An annual event led by the Promise Program, FC Night welcomes incoming Hornets and their families, showcasing our college’s unique offerings, programs and opportunities.
Check out our recap video!
Fullerton College Celebrates 68th Annual Students of Distinction Ceremony
The Students of Distinction award is the college’s most distinguished honor for student achievement. The awards are granted to high achieving students in four categories: academic, competitive, personal and service. From these categories, the top two students are selected and honored with the title of Distinguished Student of the Year.
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Celebrating National Foster Care Awareness Month
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, a time to honor the resilience of foster youth and recognize the vital role community support plays in their educational journeys. At Fullerton College, we proudly join this national effort, reaffirming our commitment to empowering current and former foster youth through our Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) program.
American Sign Language Department Invites Community Role Models to Fullerton College
The American Sign Language (ASL) Program at Fullerton College recently invited Hollywood actor Ryan Lane and High School Counselor Kimberly Coronado for a “Deaf Perspectives” panel to share inspiring stories about challenging stereotypes and finding success as proud members of the Deaf community.
50th Annual Jazz Festival Embraces Local Musical Talent
The 50th annual Jazz Festival at Fullerton College was held for a weekend of performances, competition and education.
Study Abroad Students Earn Summer 2025 Gilman Scholarship
Four Fullerton College students recently won the Gilman Scholarship for our summer 2025 Study Abroad programs. Each student received $3,000.
The Gilman Scholarship only awarded 3,500 scholarships nationwide from more than 17,000 applicants. Huge kudos to Angela Henderson for working with our students to make sure they have strong applications. Congratulations to our students:
- Teddy Grimm – Costa Rica
- Rebecca Lee – Costa Rica
- Ailyn Cortez-Pizarro – Ireland
- Amy Sifuentes – Costa Rica
Autonomous Systems Technician Training Hub Program Secures $250K Grant
Fullerton College has been awarded a $250,000 one-year grant for the Autonomous Systems Technician Training Hub program through the Regional Investment Initiative Catalyst Grant. The program will begin on July 1, 2025. Congratulations to Jay Seidel and the drone program team for this exciting achievement!
Fullerton College Ranked Among Top 10 Institutions for Carbon Offsetting
Fullerton College was recently recognized as one of the top 10 institutions for total carbon offsetting through AIFS Abroad in the past year. Thanks to our commitment to global education, 267.5 metric tons of carbon emissions were offset. Congratulations to our Study Abroad program!
Rising Scholars Secures $174K State Chancellor Grant
The Rising Scholars team recently secured a grant of $174,463, with two more years of funding to be expected. The grant aims to enhance and grow support services by offering financial assistance, mentoring and reentry support such as legal aid, housing resources and job readiness programs. It will also invest in staff development focused on trauma-informed care and equity, while continuing to strengthen program infrastructure through key hires, outreach, and student progress tracking systems. Rising Scholars is also proud to have officially joined the California Community College Rising Scholars Network.
OCDE Surprises Dr. Catherine Reinhardt-Zacair with 2026 Teacher of the Year Award
Fullerton College’s 2025 Faculty of the Year, Dr. Catherine Reinhardt-Zacair, was recently recognized as one of six educators for the Orange County 2026 Teacher of the Year award. An accolade from the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), the Teacher of the Year award honors six educators throughout Orange County who were selected through a comprehensive application and interview process conducted by a panel of educators and community leaders.
Celebrating Our Spring 2025 Classified Recognition Recipients
This spring 2025 semester, Fullerton College proudly recognized the recipients of the Classified Recognition Award. An annual tradition, this accolade honors those who are nominated for their hard work and the positive impact they make. The award was given to Student Services Specialist Alicia Contreras and Custodian II Ronald Mendez.
Jim McKamy Earns District North Star Award
Campus Safety Coordinator, Jim McKamy, was recently named recipient of the 2025 North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) North Star Award.
Geography Professor Publishes Open Educational Resource Textbook
Geography Professor and Department Co-chair, Aline Gregorio, recently published a new Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook titled, “Open Atlas: A Cartographic Companion to World Geographies.” The book includes a collection of open maps in collaboration with cartographers Kristin Sellers and Andrew Wallace.
This book was developed as part of the Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI), which aims to provide zero-to-no-cost and low-cost textbooks for students and thus, break the barrier of costly textbooks. Amazing work, Aline!
Fullerton College Honors Five Tenured Faculty
Fullerton College is thrilled to celebrate the tenure of five faculty members. At our college, tenure recognizes sustained excellence and a commitment to academic inquiry. It also provides a stable foundation for faculty to pursue impactful research, innovative teaching and meaningful service that contributes to the college and their disciplines. Congratulations to our tenured faculty!
