News Stories

Michael Fileto always had a casual interest in computer science, although his goals were to join the allied health profession. But a course in bioinformatics and genomics helped him realize the opportunity for a career that combined biology and computer science. After receiving his bachelor's degree in biology at the University of California Riverside, Fileto enrolled in courses at Crafton Hills College to study computer science and computer information systems.

Yuki Toyooka Smith is an artist, writer, and educator. She grew up in Hokkaido, Japan, and has taught Anatomy Illustration and Figure Drawing at several colleges in Southern California. She has been published in multiple medical illustration books and her artwork has been part of the curriculum at University of Southern California and California Institute of Technology.

Peter Gend has spent much of his life working in the three areas he loves- Education, Animation and Game Design. Peter had the good fortune of growing up during the rise of the video game industry and the inception of digital computer effects - spurring him on to one of the earliest degrees in computer animation offered in Southern California. Peter spent many years working on projects such as The Simpsons,The Fantastic Four, Sex and the City, The Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Discovery Channel's Shark Week, and over 40 other feature films,TV shows, and video games. After teaching his first class in Game Design, Peter gained a love for higher education and has since obtained his Master of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects and has gone on to teach at nearly a dozen schools including The Rochester Institute of Technology, Cal State Los Angeles, Mt. San Antonio College, Columbia College Hollywood, and the Art Institutes. In higher education, Peter has held roles as Full Time Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, Department Chair, Program Coordinator,Academic Director, Associate Dean of the Arts, and Interim Dean of Academic Affairs. In addition to his work in Education and the Digital Arts, Peter is also an avid sculptor, rapid prototyping enthusiast, and devotes his time to the study and preservation of animation and video game history.

Natalie Lopez began her Library career at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens. Her Library experiences include Rancho Mirage Public Library, Beaumont Library, Allan Hancock College and Palomar College. She pursued a master's degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She enjoys teaching students how to do research in multiple disciplines, cataloging books, Outreach and building Library collections. She is very excited about her new role as a Librarian at Crafton Hills College!

Serving as Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Physiology and General Biology, Alex Beechko is enthusiastic about the anatomy of vertebrates and the biology of the world around him. Since 2015, he has been dedicated to improving science literacy amongst incoming college students through postings as a laboratory teaching assistant at CSU San Bernardino, as adjunct faculty at Crafton Hills College, and as a full time High School Anatomy and Biology teacher at Notre Dame High School in Riverside. Alex is motivated and inspired to increase the accessibility of scientific education through outreach programs with local four-year universities. He developed a passion for scientific education and believes that he is in the best position to help as many students as possible succeed in pursuit of careers in the sciences.

Crafton Hills College has one of the most respected emergency medical services programs in California. The program's newest paramedic director is a well- respected skills instructor for fellow first responders and a product of the Yucaipa- based college's program.

Hannah Sandy, CHC's Health and Wellness Center coordinator, has been appointed as President of the Health Services Association for California Community Colleges for the 21-22 academic year.

Crafton Hills College welcomes a new Dean of Student Equity and Success, Dr. Ivan Peña. The former Dean of Student Equity and Success at Merced College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants following an exhaustive nation- wide search. He began his position at Crafton effective July 19, 2021.

California State University San Bernardino's Transfer Student Success Center asked their students to nominate a faculty member who inspired them when they attended community college. Dr. Diane Pfahler, Professor of Psychology and Advisor for the Psychology and Research Clubs was nominated by a former CHC student and featured recently in that university's virtual celebration.

Crafton Hills College's Paramedic Program Class No. 95 held an in-person graduation ceremony to celebrate the 17 graduates who persevered and finished the year- long program on August 20. Paramedic Program Director Amanda Ward was very pleased to be able to celebrate these students' accomplishments and stated that they "were overjoyed to have an in- person graduation."

The Child Development Center recently hosted a STEM innovation contest for their preschool students.Their creations ranged from a purse made out of sticks, to a bird feeder made from a soda bottle, and a Wonder Woman robot.

Ed is a former writing tutor and TEFL instructor who is starting his first semester as Assistant Professor of English at Crafton Hills. Originally from North Yorkshire in the UK, Ed met his wife, an Inland Empire native, in Poland. Shortly thereafter Ed moved to Redlands, where he lives with his wife and two young daughters. Ed is a keen gardener and a poet.

Associate Professor of Fine Arts Renée Azenaro was selected to showcase her work at the annual All Media exhibition. Azenaro' s 2021 piece "Festering" is a mixed-media painting on board measuring 48 inches x 48 inches.

Crafton Hills College student services team members Frances Southerland- Amsden and Alex Jaco provided a series of five in-person and online enrollment workshops for students missing one or more enrollment steps. They hosted these workshops the week before classes started. In total they served 112 students who all walked away registered for fall classes. Many students, like Joseline Manzano (pictured below with team member Frances Southerland-Amsden), shared that she recently graduated from Orange View High School and almost passed up the opportunity to enroll in classes.

On Saturday August 21, the Crafton Hills College Foundation Board hosted a champagne toast to celebrate the appointment of Diana Z. Rodriguez as chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District. The informal affair provided an opportunity for the 25 Foundation directors to welcome the new Chancellor.