Reports to the Board of Trustees
Each month, President Torres gives a report on college activities, honors and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.
For previous reports, please see the board reports archive.
Board Meeting of June 9, 2025
Two New Vice Presidents Selected
I'm thrilled to announce that we have selected two outstanding individuals to fill vacancies for key positions at the college, as you saw on the Human Resources
report for tonight's meeting:
Dr. Ram Subramaniam is De Anza College's new Vice President of Instruction. Dr. Subramaniam, who most recently was Vice President of Student Success and Teaching Excellence at Hartnell College, was previously an administrator at Foothill College and an instructor here at De Anza. His began working in his new position on June 4.
Farhad Sabit will be our next Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services. Mr. Sabit was previously the Executive Director of Fiscal Services at Ohlone College. He will start work with us on July 1.
I want to thank the search committees for their excellent work in identifying strong candidates for both positions.
100 Days of Listening
Last month, I completed my report on the results of my 100 Days of Listening tour, which I began when I came to De Anza in January. I had the privilege of attending
more than 100 sessions and hearing from more than 750 students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and community supporters.
Participants in these sessions shared with me some of what makes them proud of De Anza, as well as the challenges and opportunities that they see ahead for our college.
Drawing on those conversations, I have compiled a list of nine themes, along with related key points and opportunities for the future. You can read a summary of these on the college website at deanza.edu/president/100-days.
Tour of Hope Services Sites
I was pleased to join Dean Laureen Balducci last Thursday on a tour of three sites where our Disability Support Programs and Services Division (DSPS) has partnered with the nonprofit Hope Services to provide education and training for adults with developmental disabilities.
We visited the two Hope Services locations in San José where De Anza has a longstanding presence, as well as a new pilot site in Mountain View. In all three locations, I enjoyed meeting a number of students as well as De Anza instructors and DSPS coordinators who are focused on helping the students with developing self-determination, career discovery, job readiness and physical and emotional wellness.
Presentation to Cupertino Rotary
I was honored to be invited to speak at the Cupertino Rotary club meeting on May 14, where I gave a talk based on the college’s 2024 annual report.
The presentation included an update on Measure G projects, our efforts to meet students’ basic needs, Guided Pathways, career training initiatives and other campus highlights.
I also discussed some of our new projects and priorities for the coming year and into the future.
Strategic Enrollment Management Academy
Members of our college Strategic Enrollment Management team attended the SEM Academy in Irvine over the weekend, where they worked with expert coaches to refine their goals and strategies for the coming year. The SEM Academy, sponsored by the state chancellor’s office, is helping us with our efforts to enhance enrollment through early engagement with middle and high schools, outreach to underserved communities and expanding adult education along with other growth areas.
Team members include Nazy Galoyan, Stacey Carasco, Patty Guitron, Laureen Balducci, Mallory Newell, Lydia Hearn, Thomas Ray, Randy Bryant, Erik Woodbury, Ram Subramaniam and Marisa Spatafore.
Open Educational Resources Initiative
On May 16, De Anza hosted a regional meeting of the Open Educational Resources Initiative, a project of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges to address the high cost of college textbooks, which is a challenge for many of our students.
The event drew more than 90 faculty members, instructional designers and accessibility specialists from 17 colleges across the region. Workshops included hands-on training led by faculty member Shagun Kaur, our Zero Textbook Cost grants coordinator.
Student Awards and Achievements
Cupertino Rotary Scholarship Winners
Eleven outstanding students were presented with scholarship awards by the Rotary Club of Cupertino on May 14. I was pleased to attend the presentation, along with Chancellor Lambert.
The scholarships range from $1,500 up to $7,000, which were awarded to:
- Three students who are planning to transfer and pursue a bachelor's degree: Aurelio Cardenas, Aklesya Dechasa and Sicong Dai
- Eight students who will enter the workforce after earning a certificate or degree in their field: Kali Jan Alhambra, Miguel Lucas Avila, Evelyn Hernandez, Jacob Maciel, David Reyes, Sonya Grimaldo, Olga Novosad and Taryn Vargo
(Pictured: Chancellor Lambert, scholarship recipient Aurelio Cardenas, President Torres)
Student Wins Prestigious Cooke Scholarship
One of our international students, Moe Sithu Maung Maung Lay, has won the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship, awarded to outstanding community college students who are transferring to pursue
a bachelor’s degree. The national scholarship, which provides up to $55,000 each year for up to three years, is based on academic achievement, persistence, leadership
and need.
Moe, who is from Myanmar, is studying biological science and is interested in biomedical research. To help pay for college, he's worked as a tutor in the Student Success Center and also as a student employee for the DASG Flea Market. Counselor Tom Nguyen said Moe has "an enthusiasm for learning and intellectual curiosity” that is both “authentic and inspiring.”
Students Win National Business Championships
De Anza students won two first place awards in competition against business and accounting students from nearly 150 colleges and universities, at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference in Dallas last week.
Two teams from De Anza won national championships by earning the top scores in case study presentations in the categories of accounting and hospitality management. All told, 40 students from De Anza competed against nearly 900 students from around the country. Congratulations to De Anza’s FBLA chapter and to their club adviser, Accounting instructor Jeffrey West.
La Voz Staffers Win Journalism Awards
La Voz staffers won 14 awards this month from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, which sponsors the annual California Journalism Awards to recognize outstanding examples of reporting, design, photography and multimedia journalism. Competing in the two-year college category, De Anza students Anthony Politi and Alexander Stoev won first place for Best Podcast, while Xitlaly Martinez and Joshua Hascall won first place for Best Column.
Badminton Team Wins State Championship
The Mountain Lions ended this year’s badminton competition with a roar – by winning
gold medals in singles, doubles and team competition at the 3C2A state championships held in San Francisco. Makayla Than won the singles championship, while Mailan Hoang Vuong and Natalee Lam took the doubles. De Anza won the team championship by defeating Pasadena City College, 11-0.
The team had clinched the Coast Conference championship earlier this month, after an undefeated 15-0 season. This is the fifth state championship that De Anza’s badminton team has won under Coach Mark Landefeld, following previous wins in 2013, 2014, 2022 and 2024. It’s the fourth time that De Anza has swept the singles, doubles and team badminton championships in the same year, after previous sweeps in 2013, 2014 and 2022.
Employee Highlights
Graphic Designer Wins Photo Award
One of our classified professionals has photograph in the Monterey Biennial exhibition at the Monterey Museum of Art. The museum chose a photograph by Edwin Carungay, senior graphic designer in the Office of Communications.
The photo is one in a series that depicts street scenes and religious celebrations in the Oaxaca region of Mexico – for which Edwin also recently won an award from the Street Photographers Foundation. The Monterey Biennial exhibition runs through Aug. 31 and you can view the artwork online at montereyart.org/biennial.
Graduation and End-of-Year Celebrations
There are only a few weeks left in spring quarter, and we're gearing up for our annual commencement celebration. This year's grad ceremony will be held on a Sunday – June 29 – at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
As we approach the end of the year, we’re also hosting numerous celebrations and special events to honor our students in a variety of programs and Learning Communities.
Everyone is welcome to attend these events. You can find details at deanza.edu/graduation. (At right: Men of Color Community Grad Celebration, June 5.)
Student Leadership Recognition Gala, June 4
APASA and ASAM Student Achievement Ceremony, May 22
(APASA/ASAM photos by Mike Mu)
Euphrat Spring Student Art Show Reception, May 21
