President Thayer’s Board Report for April 22, 2025
The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees
Presented by Cypress College President Scott W. Thayer, Ed.D.
on April 22, 2025
11 Cypress College Faculty to be Recognized for Achieving Tenure
Eleven Cypress College faculty have completed the process for earning tenure and will be recognized for the milestone at the April 22, 2025 Board meeting.
We are pleased to recognize the following faculty: Abigail Awad, Accounting; LaRon Armstead, Counseling; Bradley Hampton, Vocal Jazz & Theory; Aydinaneth Ortiz, Photography; Clinton Rusich, Comm Music & Comp; Alejandro Omidsalar, English; Phyllis Mays-Larson, Chemistry; Aaron Schwartz, Physics; Hilary Cisco Reuter, Psychology; Giovanni Hortua, Ethnic Studies; and Vincent Romo, History.
You can learn more about these faculty in the Tenured Faculty brochure distributed to the Board of Trustees.
Congratulations to these faculty!
Presidential Scholars of Distinction Selected for 2025
Cypress College’s Presidential Scholars of Distinction have been selected for 2025. These scholars were nominated by their faculty, selected by members of their division, and affirmed by President Scott W. Thayer.
Each of the scholars will be interviewed and recognized at commencement. This is the seventh cohort of Presidential Scholars of Distinction.
This year’s scholars are Bryan Pham, Business and Computer Information Systems; Esmeralda Alba, Career Technical Education; Candyce Young, We Journey Together — Counseling; Natalia Mindru, Health Science; Benjamin Alarcon, Kinesiology; Christina Isabel Guadrrama, Language Arts; Dominique Waddell, Science, Engineering, and Mathematics; Chase Curnow, Social Sciences; and Fernando (Sushi) Lizarraga, Visual and Performing Arts.
The Presidential Scholars of Distinction Program was initiated in 2019 to celebrate Cypress College students as they complete their studies. Each of the college’s academic pathways is represented through their students.
Academic Senate Selects Three for Annual Faculty Awards
Academic Senate President Kathleen McAlister announced the 2025 faculty award winners:
- Outstanding Full-time Faculty: Kendyl Covey, English;
- Outstanding Adjunct Faculty: Raymond Gibson, Theater Arts; and
- Charger Award: Jennifer Coopman, Mathematics
These amazing faculty will be recognized during the 2025 commencement ceremony and at Opening Day in the fall.
Welcome to Dr. Tony Jake, Vice President of Administrative Services
Cypress College is pleased to welcome Dr. Tony Jake as our new Vice President of Administrative Services.
Dr. Jake is a transformative leader and strategic executive with over 16 years of progressive leadership in higher education administration and finance. As the Vice President of Administrative Services at Cypress College, she brings a proven track record of organizational transformation, financial stewardship, and cross-functional leadership.
Prior to joining Cypress College, Dr. Jake served as Associate Vice President of Finance & Business at California State University, Dominguez Hills, where she led key initiatives including multimillion-dollar construction projects, financial system modernization, and the co-creation of a real estate division with public-private partnerships. Her leadership portfolio also includes roles as Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration at the University of Southern California, Director of Finance & Administration at Texas Southern University, and Director of Business and Auxiliary Operations at Lone Star College–University Park, where she pioneered strategic budgeting processes and policy reforms that yielded measurable financial outcomes.
She holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Northcentral University, an MBA, and a bachelor’s in accounting from Texas Southern University. Dr. Jake is a recognized thought leader and recipient of multiple accolades, including the Jesse H. Jones Top 40 under 40 Award and recognition from the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
Dr. Jake is passionate about building collaborative teams and driving institutional excellence through transparency, fiscal responsibility, and strategic innovation.
Cypress College Hosts Successful NOCCCD AI Expo ‘Empowering Minds’
The North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) presented AI Expo 2025 on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, on the Cypress College campus. An audience of about 500 students, faculty, staff, and community members visited the campus theater for a keynote address before dispersing to workshops on using artificial intelligence in a variety of capacities.
The event began with networking and lunch, held simultaneously with an AI scavenger hunt and showcase. Introductory remarks in the theater followed from Dr. Christyna Serrano of PlayLab, a sandbox for AI app generation. She also presented later in the day at a workshop on custom chatbots built with the PlayLab platform, which can be tailored to specific audiences and areas of interest.
Other workshops included: AI for Lesson Planning and Accessibility; Exploring Artificial Intelligence: Potentials, Risks, and Ethical Considerations; AI 1010: Introduction to AI Tools; Transforming Education with AI: Insights from UCI’s Award-Winning Platform; Future Focus with Ourmedia: Exploring AI’s Im- pacts on Education and Careers; and a presentation from Element 451, a CRM tool used by colleges and universities.
The day culminated with a Prompt-A-Thon challenge. During this, participants were put into teams and given three prompts, such as finding solutions to campus problems. Each team presented their results and were ranked by judges, with top teams winning gift cards. Other awards were given out for Most Creative Use of AI and AI Enthusiast of the Day.
T-TEN Recertification of Accreditation Completed by Toyota and ASE
Cypress College’s T-TEN program recently completed their accreditation recertification from two accrediting units. The first was by Toyota Motors North America on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The second was by the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Society Education Foundation on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
This effort requires a great deal of work, very similar to campus accreditation. The program must provide verification that our program meets criteria in nine broad areas. Thanks to faculty Michael Klyde and Paul Kelley for their work in leading the process. The next certification is an ASE mid-cycle review in fall 2027 and full recertification by both entities in spring 2030.
All T-TEN programs are members of the T-TEN Instructor Community. The district pays our dues annually ($750). Part of the return is that they cover the cost of recertification saving the campus well over $4000 in ASE Education expenses. There is no cost to the campus for the Toyota portion of the recertification.
Black Student Success Week Scheduled for April 21-25
Cypress College is poised to host a watch party for Black Student Success Week 2025. The A2MEND Student Charter has joined with the Legacy Program and BSU Club to invite everyone to attend the webinar and keynote speakers from April 21, 2025 to April 25, 2025 at 12-1 p.m., with an “after party” viewing from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Legacy Center (Humanities Building, first floor).
The viewing is part of a system-wide effort of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office in support of 2025 Black Student Success Week (BSSW). This week is scheduled for April 21-25, 2025. This year’s theme is Lift Up, Level Up: The Rise of Black Serving Institutions. The 2025 Black Student Success Week will emphasize how we are serving Black and African American students to support and ensure their success in community colleges and beyond. Please take note of the following events and professional development opportunities that will be held virtually and include the following:
Daily webinars hosted from 12-1 p.m., called “The Black Hour.” Daily small-group discussion forums from 1-2 p.m., are called “The After Party.” A virtual advocacy day on Thursday, April 24, 2025, is called “The BlackOut.” And, daily student-centered webinars hosted from 6-7 p.m., are called “The Student Hour.”
Webinars will be held via Zoom and live-streamed on YouTube. Webinar Registration is now open. View webinar descriptions and register.
BSSW 2025 Events are:
- Monday, April 21, 2025 – The Rise of Black Serving Institution (BSI)
- Tuesday, April 22, 2025 – Black Servingness: Maintaining Our Voice and Action
- Wednesday, April 23, 2025 – Power Moves: Equipping Black Talent for Tomorrow’s Workforce
- Thursday, April 24, 2025 – Putting the AFRICAN in African American Student Success
- Friday, April 25, 2025 – Live from the Front Lines of Black Student Success: Accounts from Practitioners and Executive Leadership
Emergency Drill Scheduled for April 24 in Conjunction with Fullerton
Throughout the past few years we have all been on alert as to the various situations nationwide concerning active shooters in the workplace, educational environment, and social gatherings. Cypress College takes these matters seriously. The Campus Safety team trains and prepares with local law enforcement in order to ensure a quick and seamless response. It is now time for us to train and be prepared as a college community.
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 10 a.m., Cypress College Campus Safety will test our emergency alert system concerning an Active Shooter scenario. This test will encompass sending out three different alerts over the course of 15 minutes.
- In the first alert you will be notified that this is a Test and that there is an Active Shooter on Campus and that you should shelter in place using the Run – Hide – Fight method.
- The second alert will notify you that the shooter has been contained but to continue to shelter in place.
- The final alert will notify you that is safe to resume normal activities.
The directors of Campus Safety at Cypress College and Fullerton College have coordinated the drills on each campus to happen at the same time and to test information sharing and coordination between the two sites.
Career Fair April 22 — Prep Workshops This Week
The Career Planning and Workforce Development Center will hold workshops this spring to prepare students for the job field. On Tuesday, April 22, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., come to the Career Fair in Gateway Plaza to connect with local employers and job or internship opportunities. Plus, the first 200 students get a career swag bag. Get more information.
‘Collective Self’ Exhibit Featuring Cypress College Opens at John Wayne
We’re excited to share the launch of The Collective Self—an art and photography exhibit from Cypress College’s Visual & Performing Arts Division—now on display at John Wayne Airport in the baggage claim area across Terminals A & B.
The exhibit opened April 9, 2025. This collection features the immense talent of our students and faculty and is free and open to the public—no boarding pass needed. Just park, walk in the baggage claim area, and view the exhibit.
Mark your calendars for Friday, May 16, 2025, at 11 a.m. and join us at the airport for a live performance of Connections by the Cypress College Dance Team and Vocal Jazz Singers.
Cypress College is grateful to members of the Visual & Performing Arts Division: Donivan Howard, Janet Owen Driggs, Kirk Pickler, Tony Maher, Aydi Ortiz, Juan Valenzuela, Bradley Hampton, Grant Speich, Anthony Lopez, Maha Afra, Laurel Mura, Chuck Rogers, Diane Villegas, Nadia Wallace, Lynette Young, Samantha Martin, and Teresa Chevalier—whose hard work and dedication helped make this a reality. Special thanks also to Marc Posner and Anastasia Thrift in Campus Communications for support publicizing this event.
With as many as 30,000 travelers passing through daily, this is a wonderful platform to celebrate and share the artistry of the Cypress College Visual & Performing Arts Division with the Orange County, national and international communities. The exhibit runs through August 31, so there’s plenty of time to experience The Collective Self—we hope to see you there.
Legacy Program Black Graduation Culmination Celebration
The Legacy Program Black Graduation and Culmination Celebration will honor the achievements and excellence of Black, African-American, diasporic, and Legacy students. The Legacy Center invites you to join them in commemorating this special milestone. Event Details: Thursday, May 8, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Cypress College Tent (near pond). RSVP by Monday, April 21, 2025
View the What’s Happening This Week? video.
Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!