Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.

San Diego, CA- San Diego Mesa College announced Chris Leguizamon (he/him) as the newest addition to its esteemed Fermentation Program. By demonstrating expertise in beer comprehension and tasting proficiency, Leguizamon earned a certification of Advanced Cicerone- the highest level out of four complex and demanding certifications. According to the Cicerone Certification Program, this level of certification requires distinctive expertise in beer, strong sensory skills, and mastery of flavor vocabulary for both technical and consumer audiences.

San Diego Mesa College professor, Dr. Waverly Ray, has recently returned from a nine-day voyage from Seattle to Honolulu on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson, an oceanographic research vessel, with STEMSEAS. Dr. Ray joined community college faculty from 13 schools and the Office of Naval Research’s Research Facilities Program Manager Robert Sparrock. Dr. Ray was chosen to participate out of hundreds of applicants.

As a new full-time hire in the Biology Department, Professor Daniela Bruckman is bringing fresh eyes to the general biology curriculum. When she taught Biology 210B: Introduction to the Biological Sciences II during her first semester at Mesa, she referred to a lab manual published by a previous instructor to create her lesson plans. Today, she conducts her classes with new lab material that she created as part of a grant-funded initiative to close equity gaps in the life sciences.