Kudos & Noteworthy
Lynette Martinez, a May 2015 graduate of the Respiratory Care Program, was awarded “Rookie of the Year” by Presbyterian Hospital’s Pulmonary Department. She began work there while a student in the program, was fully credentialed and licensed and then was hired as a regular staff member. Martinez sat for the Neonatal Pediatric Specialist credential and is working on a bachelor’s degree at Boise State.
ALGAE INDUSTRY MAGAZINE’S READERS RECOGNIZE SFCC
- SFCC’s Biofuels Center of Excellence won 3rd Place in the Education Category.
- Director of SFCC’s Biofuels Center of Excellence Luke Spangenburg won 4th Place in the Category of Algae Ambassador.
- Spangenburg’s company New Solutions Energy, which operates in conjunction with SFCC, earned 3rd Place in the category of Cultivation Equipment.
- SFCC alumnus Nicholas Petrovic’s company Apogee Spirulina, a partner with SFCC’s Biofuels Lab, earned 3rd Place in the category of Algae Microfarm.
SFCC’S HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER SCORES HIGH PRAISE
The Higher Education Center has earned LEED-Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized environmental program that verifies that a building was designed and built in a way that would improve energy savings, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and CO2 emissions reduction. The Associated General Contractors of New Mexico honored the Higher Education Center as overall Winner of the 26th Annual Best Building Awards. The HEC was also awarded Winner status in four categories: Building $5- $10 million, LEED-Certifiable Project, Construction Management-at-Risk and Building Information Modeling. The Best Buildings Awards honor the best in commercial construction and are judged by accomplished peers who look deeper into the construction management challenges, expertise of crafts and sustainability of a project and exemplify outstanding construction management. The Higher Education Center received the Award of Excellence-Education for project design and construction from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties New Mexico, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.
Culinary Arts graduate Joshua Grimes was a competitor on a recent episode of Cutthroat Kitchen on the Food Network. He works as the Executive Sous Chef for the Bon Appetit Company at Santa Clara University. Says Joshua, “We are a food service for a sustainable future. We oversee 10 cafés on campus and run private events like weddings and graduation parties as well. Last year we got a food truck that drives around the campus that we also write menus for and oversee all operations. I have been with this company for three years and every year gets crazier and crazier, but I love it.”
Vice President for Student Success Carmen Gonzales, Ph.D., was selected as a recipient of Phi Theta Kappa’s prestigious Distinguished College Administrator Award for outstanding support provided to Phi Theta Kappa. She will be honored at PTK’s 98th Annual Convention in April. 7
White Coat Ceremony SFCC hosted its first White Coat ceremony for students enrolled in New Mexico State University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program, based at SFCC. About 90 students are pursuing a B.S.N. degree through the partnership between NMSU and SFCC – without leaving Santa Fe. Beginning this year, students can earn a B.S.N. through SFCC’s new partnership with the University of New Mexico. While the student nurses continue to wear scrubs in the clinical setting, the white coats signal they are pursuing an advanced degree.
Veterans Resource Specialist Gregory Scargall won the Adviser of the Year Award at the Student Veterans of America national conference. SFCC’s Student Veterans of America chapter also won first place in the organization’s Fourth Annual Business Plan Competition. Of the six chapters invited to compete, SFCC was the only chapter based at a community college. Says Scargall, “Two-year schools are the building blocks of virtually every rural community. Bringing this award back to SFCC will surely boost the importance of programs being built around veterans and that they are truly the best resource our communities can tap into.”
President Randy Grissom congratulates Mayala “Maya” Gomez de Gutierrez, left, and Avadana Garcia, right, at recognition ceremonies at the Roundhouse on February 4. Phi Theta Kappa students Mayala “Maya” Gomez de Gutierrez and Avadana Garcia are Academic All-Stars 2016. They were recognized at the New Mexico Legislature on February 4. The prestigious award includes four free semesters of tuition at any New Mexico public college or university. Veterans Resource Specialist Gregory Scargall, left, met U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald at the SVA Conference.
