OAKLAND, Calif., May 24, 2023 – Last night, the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr. Denise Richardson to serve as Interim President of Berkeley City College effective July 1, 2023, and extending to June 30, 2024, or until a permanent president is hired. Dr. Richardson is currently the Vice President of Instruction at Merritt College, a role she began in March 2020. She has been an employee of the district for over 20 years, starting as a faculty member at Laney College in 2001.

The Peralta Association of African American Affairs (PAAAA) hosted a lovely event in honor of seven outstanding students on May 4th, 2023, at the Peralta Community College District headquarters in Oakland.  Dr. Lawrence VanHook (PAAAA President) led attendees through the program that included Libations by Dr. Marlon Hall (Laney College Vice President of Student Services) and a thrilling performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by Laney College student Alison Fletcher. 

The following article is written by Brock Drazen, Athletic Director at Merritt College and Head Coach of the Merritt College Track & Field team, and is used by permission from an announcement sent to all Peralta employees on May 22, 2022.

Our season has come to an end with 2 more state champions this past Saturday at Modesto Junior College. Isela Ochoa won in the 400 hurdles making that 2 for 2 in 2022 and 2023 and Kwaku Owusu won in the 400m for his first state championship.

Dear COA family,

The Department of Ethnic Studies in collaboration with the Office of the President would like to wish our community a Joyful Celebration of the Asian Pacific Islander and DESI American (APIDA) Month.

The quote “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle” may have come from self-help author Napoleon Hill, but it certainly epitomizes the approach that Ms. Esperiza Kimble (affectionately known as Carmela) has taken to achieve her academic goals. Arriving in the United States from the Philippines at age 17, seeking a better life for herself and her daughter, Carmela had to overcome many obstacles—challenges that included poverty, depression, and self-doubt.

The National Cyber League (NCL) Spring 2023 season just concluded, and Peralta would like to congratulate Merritt College’s team of students/scholars (they go by the name Merrittocracy). The mission of the NCL is to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals by providing college students with an online, safe platform for real-world cybersecurity challenges. Hundreds of colleges (including four-year institutions) and thousands of teams participate every year.

Students from the College of Alameda Umoja program came together to create a sense of community and camaraderie on campus while enjoying a movie day. The students loved the event and are looking forward to even more exciting occasions in the future. Food, entertainment, and laughing were all in attendance. The event was organized by Umoja Counselor Valarie Carey and attended by students Saji Muanza, Chanceline Zannou, Muhammad, and Kholood B.

BCC Multimedia Art students are holding an exhibition in the Jerry Adams Gallery titled “Rethink Your Drink”, displaying poster advertisements promoting water of sugary sweetened beverages. This art exhibit is sponsored by CHEI, a community grantee of Healthy Berkeley, a program of the City of Berkeley’s Public Health Division. Students Jerry Hsaio and Brian Travis Williams won awards for their pieces “Water Wins” and “Don’t Listen to the Devil.”

Yumeus Taylor is an Oakland native, but everyone calls her Missy. She has been fascinated with fixing cars since she was a little girl watching her uncle and dad work on their vehicles.   After graduating high school in Oakland, she enrolled in Laney College for general studies courses and then started taking automotive classes at the College of Alameda.   Missy is a single mom with two sons, and when she isn't working part-time as a technician at San Leandro Hyundai/Kia, she is joining her mom and sister to give back to the Oakland community by volunteering at the Bay Area Mega Center in Oakland.