Rio Hondo College’s Yoshio Nakamura taught high school and college students about creating art for more than four decades – sharing the unique perspectives that drove the dramatic images he created on canvas, on paper and through sculpture. Now, 22 years after retiring as Rio Hondo’s vice president of community services and institutional development, Nakamura continues to share important lessons on life and art. Nakamura and his wife, Grace Shinoda Nakamura, are among a dozen Angelenos ages 59 to 100 whose philosophies and tips for aging gracefully are featured in the November edition of Los Angeles Magazine. He is also slated to ride atop a Rose Parade float honoring Japanese-American veterans, will be one of two featured artists during Hillcrest Congregational Church's 50th annual Festival of Fine Arts and will be inducted into Whittier High School's Hall of Fame. Media contact: William Diepenbrock, 909-206-5304 (office) or 909-214-6909 (cell)
Rio Hondo College’s Mark Matsui has received the R.J. Scuderi Exemplary Service Award from the California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability (CAPED), recognizing his exemplary service to the organization and to the individuals the organization serves. Matsui, a member of CAPED for more than 28 years, serves as Rio Hondo’s Director of Disabled Students Programs & Services, a post he has held since 2012. CAPED, formed as a non-profit postsecondary professional organization in 1974, promotes professional development and the advancement of postsecondary educational opportunities for students with disabilities. The group has more than 500 members. Media contact: William Diepenbrock, 909-206-5304 (office) or 909-214-6909 (cell)
Rio Hondo College Plays Honor 100th Anniversary of World War I
Rio Hondo College will present two original plays that explore the experiences of America’s military veterans. Roll Call, to be staged Friday, Nov 7, shows young Latino vets just back from Vietnam grappling with their war experiences and reception at home. Pump Room 111, to be staged Thursday and Friday, Nov. 14 and 15, relates the experiences of men trapped in a sinking battleship at Pearl Harbor. Roll Call playwright Alfred Lugo will host a discussion after the Nov. 6 performance on mental health issues faced by veterans, active service members and their families. Both plays will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Campus Inn Theater at Rio Hondo College. The free shows are open to the public. Parking is $3. For information, call (562) 908-3492 or go to www.riohondo.edu/arts and click on the Arts & Cultural Events tab. Media Contact: William Diepenbrock, 909-206-5304 (office) or 909-214-6909 (cell)
Rio Hondo College Seeks Trio of Administrative Leaders
Rio Hondo College is looking for three new administrative leaders – a director of admissions and records, a dean of student affairs and a director of student life and leadership. The posts offer exciting opportunities to help the college with its mission to help a diverse student body succeed in higher education. Applications will be accepted for the admissions post through Nov. 20, for the student affairs post through Nov. 21, and for the student life post through Dec. 8. For detailed job descriptions, go to www.riohondo.edu/marketing/announcements. Media Contact: William Diepenbrock, 909-206-5304 (office) or 909-214-6909 (cell)
Gov. Jerry Brown has tapped Rio Hondo College Professor John Frala to sit on his newly formed “Green Team,” a 40-member advisory group dedicated to creating the California Hydrogen Highway, a planned series of hydrogen refueling stations. Frala is the only representative from a community college. An alternative fuels expert, Frala has also launched this semester a degree pathway for alternative fuels, second-degree battery and electric, hybrid and fuel cell technology.
Rio Hondo College will launch a program to foster the connections that contribute to academic and personal success for women with an all-day event Friday, Oct. 17 in the Learning Resource Center, Room 128. The Just Us Girls kick-off event, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature food and prizes while promoting friendships and connections between Rio Hondo College students, faculty and staff. It is based on a similar program at California State University, Dominguez Hills created by Dr. Denna Sanchez, who serves as Psychological Services Coordinator for Rio Hondo College. Media contact: Christina Cardenas, 909-445-1001 (office) or 626-383-6367 (cell)
Los Angeles Times sports reporter Broderick Turner – who has covered the Clippers sale and was the first to report Shaquille O’Neal’s exit from the Lakers – will host a discussion from 9:40-10:20 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 at Rio Hondo College on pathways to journalism, the emergence of new media and other aspects of professional writing. Turner’s guest lecture will be hosted by the Mass Communications Department and El Paisano student news media. The talk is open to the community. It will be held at the Learning Resource Center, Room 128.
Community College Week has listed Rio Hondo College as one of the Top 100 Associate Degree Producers in the areas of minority-serving, Hispanic-serving, family and consumer sciences/human science, and protective services, including homeland security, fire and law enforcement. Media contact: Christina Cardenas, 909-445-1001 (office) or 626-383-6367 (cell)
The start of the new school year at Rio Hondo College also welcomes new staff as three new directors have been hired to oversee Financial Aid, E.O.P &S/ CARE and Accounting. Also, another position was revised to ensure students flourish at Rio Hondo College: Dean of Counseling and Student Success, which has been filled by Dr. Mike Muñoz.
Rio Hondo College is poised to kick off a year of firsts on Saturday, Aug.23 when classes commence. This year, Rio Hondo College will be one of only 24 schools in the state to launch a community college Law School Pathway, which will enable students to set a course to one of six top law schools in the region, including USC's Gould School of Law, Loyola Law School, the University of San Francisco School of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law, and law schools at UC Davis and UC Irvine. Media contact: Christina Cardenas, 909-445-1001 (office) or 626-383-6367 (cell)
