Four Rio Hondo College students are among 319 community college students across the U.S. selected to travel to NASA’s Stennis Space Center this fall to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars onsite experience. Jashandeep Anand, Corrine Rivera, Albert Ramirez and Charinamae Blank will interact with NASA engineers, form teams, establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration, and design and 3-D print and test a rover.
Rio Hondo College’s Board of Trustees adopted a balanced budget for 2018-19 on Sept. 12 even as it expands an ambitious free-tuition program to boost student success, College leaders have announced. The budget, with an apportionment of $74 million, is up from $69 million under the state’s previous formula. Student success numbers are also looking up for Rio Hondo College. Completion rates hit 73.4 percent for college-ready students who earned at least 30 units and 60.4 percent for students who completed a degree, certificate or transfer related outcome, according to the 2018 Student Success Scorecard.
Rio Hondo College launched an expansion of its Rio Promise program on Sept. 25, offering free tuition for first- and second-year students who start their college journeys at Rio Hondo College and enroll full time. More than 2,500 students are participating in the program in 2018-19. In addition to financial benefits, Rio Promise Scholars receive ongoing support to foster success.
Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss, who helped lead Rio Hondo College through the Great Recession, execute close to $300 million in construction projects, open three regional campuses and create a historic four-year degree in automotive technology, will retire at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. Dreyfuss started at the College as an accountant in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become interim superintendent/president in 2012 and assuming the post permanently a year later. She announced her plan to step down on Aug. 17 to administrators, faculty and students attending a bi-annual FLEX staff development event.
Rio Hondo College has created Associate of Science and Certificate of Achievement academic offerings in homeland security, open for enrollment this fall. The interdisciplinary program incorporates courses in fire technology, wildland fire technology, administration of justice, geographic information services and cybersecurity policy. Career fields open to graduates in homeland security have the potential for more than 400,000 job openings by 2024.
Rio Hondo College Observatory Holds Free Stargazing
Rio Hondo College's Gordon D. Crowell Astrophysical Observatory will hold a free stargazing event from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24 to welcome Roadrunners back for fall semester. For more information, visit the observatory website at www.riohondo.edu/mathematics-and-sciences/astronomy/observatory-nights.
Rio Hondo College greeted new and returning students when the fall semester commenced with a new major in homeland security, an expanding roster of academic support services and a pantry resource to combat food insecurity. Students hosted a Welcome and Information booth in the mid-quad area where they answered questions and walked new students to classes.
Rio Hondo College Welcomes Students For Fall Semester
Rio Hondo College will greet students with a new major, a slate of student support services and a pantry resource when the fall semester begins on Saturday, Aug. 18. The College added an Associate of Science program in homeland security to prepare students to entry-level jobs or to pursue advanced studies at a four-year university. Student support services include dedicated classes to guide students through their courses of study. The RioSource Room pantry opened in 2017-18 to assist students struggling with food insecurity. The room also helps students connect to other services.
Rio Hondo College’s Roadrunner Crew 77 has been called up for the second time this summer – this time to assist crews battling the massive Ferguson Fire that is threatening Yosemite National Park. The crew, led by a U.S. Forest Service crew boss, includes 17 recent graduates of the College’s Wildland Fire Academy. A Type II hand crew, the team assists with all aspects of fire monitoring, suppression and control, including digging fire containment lines. The crew can be called up for 21 days with each activation. It was activated over the July 4 weekend to assist in battling the Agua Caliente fire in Palm Springs.
About 45 members of the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier created electronic escape room games, created relief-prints and composed electronic music during a four-day, project-based summer camp at Rio Hondo College. Camp Rio was sponsored by the Whittier-based BCM Foundation and Pacific Western Bank as a way to offer project-based learning opportunities to area children ages 11 to 13 and inspire interest in college opportunities. Participants not only explored their topics, but enjoyed afternoon sports clinics and, on the last day, a celebration at the Rio Hondo College pool. Rio Hondo College faculty experts taught all classes, with assistance from Rio Hondo students. Children received T-shirts, ball caps and backpacks with material on the benefits of college.
