Exciting Summer for BCC CIRM Interns in the Biotechnology Program

In 2021, CIRM (California Institute of Regenerative Medicine) awarded Berkeley City College a $2.8 million 5-year grant. This award offers students a 10-month full-time paid internship in local academic and industry laboratories. Along with specialized training, students gain invaluable networking opportunities. 

This experience leads to jobs with prestigious labs throughout the Bay Area, including those at UC Berkeley, Children’s Hospital, and UCSF. It is the second time BCC’s Biotechnology program has received this award. With it, BCC launches dozens of students into permanent positions in industry and academic labs or opens the doors to future educational opportunities.

This past summer, 5 CIRM interns had the opportunity to volunteer at a major international scientific conference held in San Francisco. We caught up with four of them to learn more about their experiences in what turned out to be a very busy and fruitful summer. Activities kicked off in mid-June with the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) annual convention at Moscone Center West. BCC CIRM interns Alex Felix, Gabriella Pangilinan, Karina Zago, and Lillian Caballero volunteered at the event, assisting scientists worldwide with their posters. As volunteers, they were able to attend for free. As a result, they had the opportunity to listen to research presented by some of the world’s top scientists. “Many of the talks were over our heads,” said Zago, but it has not deterred them from continuing in this exciting field.

After the ISSCR meeting, the interns put together their scientific posters and traveled to San Diego for the annual CIRM Bridges Trainee Meeting in late July. This meeting allows interns to present and share their research with others and learn about careers in regenerative medicine. It was an excellent test for the interns, who had little experience speaking about their work with people outside of their labs. “When you are at the lab, you don’t need to explain what is happening because everyone understands,” said Zago, “but explaining to others who do not know your work is a big challenge; it takes you out of your comfort zone.” The meeting also included talks about cutting-edge scientific research, anti-racism in STEM, science communication through social media, and patient advocacy.

The experience of a 10-month internship allows interns to conduct a substantial piece of research that cannot be duplicated in a college class, and what they accomplish is impressive. Felix studied cells in brain tissue at different age points of life. He confirmed that one type of brain stem cell continues to develop throughout a human’s lifespan, contrary to popular belief. Using zebrafish, Zago optimized a method to turn genes on and off in the brain. Other scientists can use it to learn how small changes can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

Gabby Pangilinan’s work involved creating a special type of cell that will allow scientists to study Parkinson’s disease in more detail to develop new treatments.

BCCs Biotechnology program, and the CIRM grants, allow students from a broad range of academic backgrounds, ages, and life experiences to benefit from a unique training program among college offerings. The 3 CIRM interns we interviewed earned degrees at four-year colleges. Yet, they left those institutions with little lab experience and limited job opportunities in their respective fields. “I think this internship really was my saving grace in a lot of different ways because it serves as a way to put you in these types of environments, where I don’t think I would have been able to put myself on my own,” said Felix. Shortly after our interview, Felix was hired as a Junior Specialist with the UCSF lab where he interned. Pangilinan will continue to work in the lab she interned, and Zago is looking to work in the pharmaceutical industry. Lastly, Caballero, who entered BCC following high school graduation, is heading to Cal Poly Humboldt to start her junior year.

We want to thank Dr. Barbara Des Rochers and Dr. Erika Yeh for their tireless work in recruiting and elevating biotech students to these opportunities with the CIRM grant. They have just launched a second group of interns and will be recruiting

ten interns each year for the next several years. Des Rochers encourages any student interested in pursuing work in stem cells and regenerative medicine to take a closer look at what BCC’s Biotechnology program and the CIRM internships have to offer.

Educational Master Plan 2023-2028 Campus Forum

On Monday, September 19, Berkeley City College hosted its first campus forum on the topic of its 2023-2028 Educational Master Plan. The forum was hosted by President Angélica Garcia, Vice President of Instruction Kuni Hay, Vice President of Student Services Stacey Shears, and Public Information Officer Tom Rizza, and included a research presentation by Dr. Phoumy Sayavong and Dr. Becky Gee.

The presentation was a preliminary environmental scan based on the criteria set forth in the EMP leadership conference hosted this summer – identifying the mission for this EMP as Berkeley City College being an institution lifting the community out of poverty and ending gentrification. The environmental scan pulled data on enrollment trends, demographics of BCC K-12 feeder districts, poverty rates, living wages, gentrification, and career & employment projections. The presentation also included the Educational Master Plan timeline for completion in May of 2023.

The floor was then opened to a question & answer period where faculty and staff provided feedback and asked questions about the data presented and the EMP planning agenda. Berkeley City College administrators also announced the newly endorsed EMP Steering Committee by the College Roundtable and informed the community of how they can get involved. “The time is now for us to harness the strength of our collective community and our commitment to students and create well-informed and resourced actions to address our overall enrollment and student experience at Berkeley City College,” said President Garcia.

BCC’s Educational Master Plan 2023-2028 landing page contains the recording of the campus forum in its entirety, along with the slides used in Dr. Sayavong and Dr. Gee’s presentation and a survey to leave feedback. The page will continually be updated as we embark deeper in the EMP development process.

Fall 2022 Club Rush at Berkeley City College

On Wednesday, September 21st Berkeley City College held its Fall Club Rush during college hour in the atrium. Hundreds of students got to meet and interact with the 17 clubs BCC is hosting this semester, including some brand new clubs like the BCC Chess Club and the Stem Cell Club. Pizza was provided with a twist: students were given stamp cards and for every 5 clubs they visited, they got a slice of pizza. It was a great way to incentivize students, many in their first semester at BCC, to get acquainted with their peers and the campus life resources available to them. You can find a list of some of the clubs BCC is offering here. We thank BCC’s Director of Student Activities and Campus Life John Nguyen and BCC’s Student Ambassadors for organizing the event!

BCC’s Latinx Heritage Month Opening Ceremony

On Thursday, September 22, BCC kicked off its Latinx Heritage Month celebrations with an opening ceremony and blessing during college hour. The event started with opening remarks by President Angélica Garcia, highlighting the numerous events being hosted at the college this month and introducing students to the new landing page for the Berkeley City College HSI project, informing students of what it means to be a Hispanic Serving Institution.

The audience was then led in a blessing by Dr. Naomi Quiñonez, a poet and Ethnic Studies professor at San Francisco State University. Quiñonez’s speech informed the crowd of the histories and ancient traditions practiced by the indigenous people of America, and the methods of preservation they used to escape the oppression and violence of the conquistadors. She then led the group in a spiritual circle, with the group facing east, south, west, and north, and blessing the elements, the energy in the earth, and the universe. Quiñonez invited the audience to write their own blessings and share them with the crowd.

Dr. Quiñonez’s participation in this opening ceremony, and look forward to a writing workshop she will be hosting on September 29th. We also appreciate the Latinx Heritage Month team for their work in organizing all of the events this month: Christine Trowbridge, John Saenz, Dr. Martin De Mucha Flores, Angelica Peña, Camille Verbera, and Carolina Martinez.

API L.E.A.D. Club’s Mid-Autumn Festival

The API L.E.A.D. club celebrated a Mid-Autumn festival at the BCC campus the week of September 12 through 16. Every day during college hours, club members posted up in front of the Welcome Desk on the first floor and handed out delicious mooncakes to students, and handed out flyers explaining the significance of the festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a tradition celebrated in East and Southeast Asian cultures, falling on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar. This day is believed to be when the moon is at its fullest and brightest and signals a celebration of the fall harvest. The traditional mooncake dessert pastries are served at this time. Mooncakes typically have sweet and savory fillings that envelop a salted and cured duck egg yolk and are wrapped in a layer of cakey dough.

“For many of us, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time of celebration and reunion for friends and family, and the sharing of mooncakes is one way to achieve this!” said API L.E.A.D. President Jennifer Fong. “In addition, they’re one of our favorite treats, especially during this time of year, and we hope to continue celebrating the cultural diversity of the BCC community in these ways!”

NOVA Scholars Recognized at Berkeley City College

On Wednesday, September 14, Berkeley City College invited the third cohort of the NOVA (Networking, Opportunities, Vision, and Action) program scholars back to campus for a certificate ceremony in the BCC Auditorium. The NOVA program is in partnership with the Berkeley High School RISE program, providing an opportunity for incoming 9th graders to complete a series of Career Exploration courses. The dual enrollment pathway introduces college experience to these young scholars and allows them to earn college credit before beginning their high school careers.

This year’s cohort included 27 students from across the Berkeley Unified School District. “The goal is encouraging them to recognize themselves as fully capable of going to college,” said counselor Skyler Barton. “And BCC will be a continuous part of many of their journeys.”

The students received certificates, listened to presentations from the NOVA staff, and finished off the evening with a pizza party. We thank counselors Dri Regalado, Skyler Barton, and the rest of the NOVA staff for organizing these efforts and inspiring the next generation of college students!

President’s Message: Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month

Beginning September 15 through October 15, we observe National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating the contributions of Hispanic/Latinx communities to the United States and the importance of Americans whose ancestry originates from Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. As a Chicana and first-generation college graduate and professional, I’m proud to be in community with each of you at Berkeley City College, a college that has a vibrant Latinx representation in our student body and employees.

As a Hispanic Serving Institution, Berkeley City College is dedicated to expanding educational opportunities and improving academic access to Latinx and Chicanx students. You can see this firsthand in our thriving Society of Scholars Puente Learning community, the Undocumented Resource center that provides critical resources for our undocumented communities, and the continued work of the Conocimiento Los Caminos program supporting Latinx and other students of color in retention and graduation.

I am extremely proud of the collective work from our administration, faculty, and classified professionals towards building a community college committed to equity, racial justice, and student success for these historically minoritized communities. Our institutional growth in serving the needs of Latinx students and their families has put us in a strong position to be considered a thought leader and institutional model for community colleges. Next week, I will have the opportunity to join HSI college leaders at the Excelencia in Education convening in Washington, DC, which will include the recognition of four-evidence based programs for accelerating Latino student success in higher education. I believe that Berkeley City College can be a top contender and finalist for the 2023 Celebración de Excelencia award, given our increased numbers of Latinx students who complete and transfer to a four-year institution.

Berkeley City College colleagues have organized an exciting schedule of events celebrating BCC’s Latinx Heritage Month, encompassing all students that identify as Latina, Latino, Latinx, and Chicanx. Everyone is welcome to connect, build community, and celebrate excellence among the Latinx community.

• Thursday, September 22nd 12:20pm - 1:20pm at the BCC Atrium: Opening Celebration & Community Blessing with Dr. Naomi Quiñonez
• Friday, September 23rd 5:30pm – 9:30pm at the BCC Amphitheater: Film Screening of “Simulacros de Liberación” (Drills of Liberation). Dinner will be served followed by the screening and Q&A with film maker Juan C. Dávila.
• Tuesday, September 27th 12:30pm – 3:00pm at the BCC Auditorium: Film screening of “War of the Flea: Fight for Xicano Studies” with a Q&A with film maker Dr. Ernesto Todd Mireles.
• Thursday, September 29th 11:00am – 12:15pm: Writing Workshop with poet and author Dr. Naomi Quiñonez, hosted by Puente.
• Thursday, October 6th 11:30am – 2:00pm: “Unidos En Nuestra Visión” Pachanga at “La Placita” (Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Park, 2151 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way) Join us for tacos, live music, and BCC resources.

En Comunidad,

Dr. Angélica Garcia (she| her| ella) President

Berkeley City College

This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Angélica Garcia, Berkeley City College President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. To view it as a pdf, click here.