Spring Break!

Just a quick reminder all Chandler-Gilbert Community College campuses will be closed for Spring Break next week March 14-18. Classes will resume as normal on Monday, March 21. Enjoy your time off and see you soon! 

The Psychology Club's Brown Bag Lecture Series

This Spring the Psychology club will be hosting the following lecture series:

Brown Bag #1 on Hypnotherapy—Friday, March 25, from 12-1p in IRN 120.
Is hypnosis just for magicians? Enjolie Lafaurie, Ph.D., is a mental health counselor and certified
hypnotherapist trained at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. Enjolie has an M.S.Ed. in Counseling. Psychology from the University of Southern California and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University. She will be introducing the concept of hypnotherapy and its clinical benefits.

Brown Bag #2 on Human Trafficking—Friday, April 15, from 12-1p in IRN 120.

Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, M.S.W., Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert on human trafficking and associate professor in Social Work at Arizona State University. In addition to her research, Dr. Sepowitz is a mental health clinician and currently work with Esuba, a residential treatment program for adolescent girls who have been sexually exploited. She will discuss her research work spanning the prevention, detection, identification, and treatment of sex trafficking victims.

Additional Club Events for Extra Credit

Club meetings: Weekly on Wednesdays, from 2:30-3:30p in IRN 231. (No extra credit provided.)

Monday, April 4 from 2:30-3:30p, IRN 120: Dream Interpretation with Dr. Steven Fox.
Dr. Fox has over 20 years of experience in private practice and is trained in cognitive and
dynamic therapies. Dream interpretation often leads to deeper insights which are then
collaboratively integrated into your life. The wealth of internal personal information is tapped
from your unconscious by working out the meaning of dream themes in your life.

Monday, May 2 from 2:30-3:30p, IRN 120: Stress Release Workshop.
Club advisor, Dr. Z, will present psychology-based study tips and relaxation techniques for
students. Refreshments and goodie bags may be provided courtesy of the Office of Student Life
and Leadership. Come to relax and get prepared for Final Exam week!

Verification of Attendance forms will be provided for the lectures/workshops above to those
interested in earning extra credit (if applicable).

All events are open to students, faculty, and staff. We hope you can join us this semester!

In Motion: Student Dance Showcase

In Motion: Student Dance Showcase
December 11 &12
8 p.m.
Arnette Scott Ward Performing Arts Center
2626 E. Pecos Road
Chandler, AZ 85225

Purchase Tickets: $5/7
More Info at cgc.edu/arts

Watch video here

CGCC Is Now A Red Hat Academy

Looking to advance your knowledge of computer information systems? Sign up for a Red Hat® training course today. Classes begin in January!

Red Hat® is the world's leading provider of open source solutions, using a community-powered approach to provide reliable and high-performing cloud, virtualization, storage, Linux, and middleware technologies.A Red Hat® Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) is able to perform the following tasks:
•    Understand and use essential tools for handling files, directories, command-live environments, and documentation
•    Operate running systems, including booting into different run levels, identifying processes, starting and stopping virtual machines, and controlling services
•    Configure local storage using partitions and logical volumes
•    Create and configure file systems and file systems attributes, such as permissions, encryption, access control lists, and network files systems
•    Deploy, configure, and maintain systems, including software installation, update and core services
•    Manage users and groups, including use of a centralized directory for authentication
•    Manage security, including basic firewall and SELinux configuration

After completing the two Red Hat classes at CGCC (CIS126DL & CIS238DL), students will receive a voucher (valued at $400.00) to take the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification exam. Chandler-Gilbert Community College is the only Red Hat Academy in the East Valley. Red Hat Linux is the largest Linux Network Operating System in the U.S.

For more information please contact Tom Pearson, Computer Information Systems Faculty at 480-726-4131 or tom.pearson@cgc.edu. Click here to learn more about Red Hat®.

Man of La Mancha Opens Thursday

The much anticipated fall performance "Man of La Mancha" opens this Thursday, December 3 and runs through Saturday, December 5. Tickets are on sale at the Annette Scott Ward Performing Arts Box Office for $10-12. For more information on showtimes click here.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office. The box office window opens 1 hour before showtime.  Student prices are offered to those with a valid student ID. Doors open a half hour prior to the performance. For additional information or further assistance, please call the box office at 480-732-7343.

 Watch a preview of  the CGCC student performance of  "Man of La Mancha."     

ASU Partnership Establishes Successful Pathways for Transferring Engineering Students

Like many young college students, Federica Interrante found herself unsure of her career path. After completing her first year of college, she decided to take a break from school until she could make a decision on her major. She knew one day she would return, and when she did, it would be to do something she felt passionate about. Seven years later at the age of 25, Interrante decided it was time to go back to school. She wanted to become an electrical engineer.

She enrolled at Chandler-Gilbert Community College where, in 2013 she earned an Associates in Applied Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. While at CGCC she learned about a new option through MAPP that would allow her to complete her bachelor's degree in a timely, affordable manner at Arizona State University's Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.

Maricopa to ASU Pathways Program (MAPP), the well-known,  program which facilitates  students’ ‘pathway’ to a bachelor’s degree from community college to ASU, has engineered a new pathway specifically for engineering students. Interrante took advantage of this opportunity and today is just weeks away from graduating with her bachelor's degree from ASU's engineering school at age 29.

"I am so glad I chose to enroll in MAPP while at Chandler-Gilbert Community College," said Interrante. "When I decided to go back to school, I was sensitive to the amount of time it might take to complete my degree. I knew I wanted finish as quickly as possible so I could start working, and MAPP provided me with this option."

ASU’s Vice Provost of Academic Partnerships Maria Hesse says there are many advantages for CGCC engineering students through these established pathways. 

“Students are provided with a pathway document, specific to their engineering major, and a number of other tools that are very helpful,” she says. “MAPP provides the student with a cost-effective, time-efficient map or guidance system to eventually obtain their Bachelor of Science in Engineering.”

Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of the Maricopa Community Colleges is very pleased with this addition to MAPP but would be remiss without acknowledging who made it happen. "A lot of credit goes to the faculty who drove this effort, which will ensure that our students have clear a pathway to competitive programs in increasingly in-demand STEM fields."


One particularly instrumental faculty member in this effort has been Mr. Bassam Matar, engineering professor at both CGCC and at ASU.  Teaching at both schools placed Matar in a unique position to be a driving force behind this partnership. 

"A bachelor’s degree is necessary for today's engineers. Our goal at CGCC is to ensure that every engineering student who participates in this program and transfers to the university is prepared with it takes to succeed," said Matar.

Properly preparing today’s engineers is a shared mission for CGCC’s engineering faculty who devote their time to educating students both in and out of the classroom.  In the classroom, the emphasis is on delivering the most up-to-date, relevant industry knowledge.  MAPP students follow a prescribed series of coursework that meets ASU’s lower-division course requirements so they are on track to earning their bachelor’s. Out of the classroom, faculty members use their relationships with leading industry businesses to secure valuable internship opportunities for students like Interrnate, who currently interns at Orbital Sciences in Chandler.

"Internship opportunities such as the one Federica has at Orbital, provide valuable on the job training that will help students inside the classroom and in their jobs as engineers,” shared Matar.

The engineering program at CGCC is a great foundation for students interested in an engineering career.  Not only are students given cutting edge curriculum and critical hands-on experience, but students have a distinct advantage with the MAPP ‘pathway’ to a bachelor’s degree. 


The ASU/CGCC engineering pathway is just one of many pathway options for students currently pursing two-year associate degrees at a Maricopa community college. For additional information about MAPP, www.transfer.asu.edu/maricopa.

Career Services Can Help Plan Your Future

Having trouble deciding on a major? Our Career Service advisors can help point you in the right direction. Schedule a career assessment with an advisor today! Career assessments can be used as a source of information to help you confirm your interest in a career or help you identify and explore possibilities. When considering careers, it is important for you to consider your values, personality, interests and skills. Work and life style can also be considered when planning a career.

Career Services can also help students find employment and internship opportunities on or off campus. They also host a variety of resourceful events on campus to help educate students on proper business etiquette and important job skills. Events such as: job fairs, workshops and themed luncheons help expose students to real life career settings. For more personalized assistance, please call the Career Services Office at 480.857.5211 or visit them online.

24th annual commencement recognizes more than 1,300 graduates

CGCC's Class of 2015 at Sloan Park

More than 1,300 students graduated from Chandler-Gilbert Community College, 300 of them braving a spring storm to participate in the 24th annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15. The event was held for the first time at Sloan Park, spring training home of the Chicago Cubs, in Tempe, Ariz.  Graduates and their families arrived for the 7 p.m. ceremony, which featured student speaker Cassandra Roose and keynote address Felicia Ganther, associate vice chancellor for student affairs for the Maricopa County Community College District.

"The tassle's worth the hassle"

Among those graduating include 79 veterans, 443 students with a 3.5 GPA or higher, 118 honors program graduates with a 3.25-4.0 GPA and 138 members of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. (Some students received multiple honors). 

The week prior, 75 students were recognized for their academic accomplishments at the 11th annual Evening of Excellence award ceremony, many receiving scholarships. 

Students receive honors at Evening of Excellence

Honors project depicts visions of 'home'

Depictions of 'home' by volunteers ages 3 to 70.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society students completed and posted their Honors in Action project for the spring semester. The exhibit, titled “Home,” is based on the honor society’s theme Quests of Human Expression. The focus of the exhibit is to show the similarities and differences in genders and generations by the expression of art, with emphasis on what the idea of home means to different individuals.

The exhibit is comprised of diverse drawings by volunteers, both student and public, ages 3 to 70, that depict home. The exhibit can be viewed on the first floor of the library.

Participating students collaborated with art faculty Ted Wolter, who provided insight on what medium of art to use, and recruited the efforts of Zoila Tovar-Blank and the Psychology Club, who analyzed the artwork. They also received support from Phi Theta Kappa Co-Advisor Noel Morelos.

Submitted by Chris Schnick, Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences

ACCAC announces two Coyotes earned honors during the 2015 season

James Ziegler, a sophomore outfielder/first baseman from Basha High School, earned All-Conference honors as well as First Team All-Region Honors for his outstanding play during the season. Ziegler led the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Coyotes in multiple offensive categories and finished with the ninth highest batting average in Coyote history. Ziegler hit .400 and finished with 43 RBI’s, 44 runs scored, and 7 home runs. Ziegler will continue his baseball career at Texas Wesleyan University.



Jose Pereyda, a sophomore third baseman from North High School, earned Second Team All-Region for his play during the 2015 season. Pareyda finished the season with a .320 batting average with 31 RBI’s. Pareyda led the Coyotes with 13 doubles during the season. Pareyda is undecided on where he will continue his baseball career.


Transfer agreements with state universities benefit students

The Garcia family with Adeline, Martine Jr., Martine Sr.
and  Mireya. (Photo courtesy of Martine Garcia, Jr.)

More than 900 Chandler-Gilbert Community College students transferred to one of Arizona's three public universities in 2013, taking advantage of transfer agreements that ensure students don't lose credits in the process. Among them was Martine Garcia, who was featured in a recent article for Arizona State University regarding his success.

See a full list of Maricopa Community College District's transfer partners.

Two student athletes headed to national golf competition

Samantha Hernandez and Madison Woodward are headed
to the college national golf competition in May.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) student athletes Samantha Hernandez and Madison Woodward are headed to the 2015 NJCAA Women’s National Golf Championship to be held at Longbow Golf Course in Mesa, Ariz. on May 11-14.

Hernandez, a freshman from Gilbert High School, has held the top spot for the CGCC Coyotes all season averaging a 79 and has medaled in three tournaments.

Woodward, a freshman from Mountain Pointe High School, has held the number two position, averaging an 84 for the season.

This will be the fourth time the Coyotes have participated in the national tournament under  CGCC Head Women’s Golf Coach Pierson Hamilton.

Twenty recognized as science and math scholars

Twenty students were recognized by Chandler-Gilbert Community College as Emerging Science and Mathematics Scholars and honored at a banquet on April 10. Each of the scholars began their academic career in a developmental math course and successfully completed a number of additional math and science courses while maintaining a 3.5 or higher grade point average.

"Emerging Scholars are a rare group of students who, despite facing a series of courses with historically low success rates, manage to excel in mathematics and the sciences. These students not only successfully completed courses, but did so with excellence. Many of them faced a myriad of personal and academic challenges along the way. In fact, this year of the scholars let me know this was the first time they had ever been recognized for an accomplishment. By honoring them we are letting them know that their hard work and dedication is noticed and that we are proud of them," said Milos Podmanik, mathematics faculty and event coordinator.

The event was attended by more than 100 scholars, mentors and guests who heard personal stories of the challenges the scholars have overcome, the successes they have achieved and their goals for the future.s

Five teams place in spring technology games

CGCC student team places its robot to begin the
line-following challenge.

Congratulations to Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s five student teams that placed in the 2015 Avnet Tech Games. 

Chandler Ridding​, ​Kevin Grout and Sean Walker won first place for the Digital Design Dilemma where teams had four hours to design and build a ​visual indicator for next generation pedestrian crossing signal system. Each student received $1,000.​ Faculty coach was Bassam Matar. 

Alec Iverson and Michael Camacho came in with an extremely close second place in the Java Blitz where teams developed an application using Java 7 Standard Edition which was then judged based on a predefined set of criteria. Adjunct Faculty Ray Hedgecock was the team’s coach.

Achilles Tsantarliotis, John Stephenson and Gjergii Joco ​w​on third in the  HP Fastest Computer Build, a three-part event where teams were timed on their ability to Build it Fast, Troubleshoot it Fast, and Refurb it Fast. Faculty coach was Bassam Matar. 

Jimi Aguirre, Devin Klein, Richard Mortensen, Mark Murray and Roger Her participated in two different teams in the Robot Race Obstacle Course, taking fourth and fifth place out of 15 teams. In this challenge, each team ha​d​ five hours to build and program a robot from Legos that then had to complete a line-following course and a maze challenge. Faculty coach was Bassam Matar.

Read Avnet's announcement of all the first-place winners. 

Ridding, Grout and Walker work to build a computer
the fastest.

Sustainability Day brings campus-wide efforts to one location

Staff Thomas Tuoti and geology faculty Roy Scheisser help
Humphrey Elementary School third-graders determine the pH
of the soil in various parts of Chandler-Gilbert Community
College's Environmental Technology Center.

Students and faculty throughout Chandler-Gilbert Community College came together to highlight sustainability at Sustainability Day held at the Environmental Technology Center on April 9. Organized by the Office of Student Life and Leadership and the Civic and Global Learning Committee, the event featured mini-workshops, educational activities, poster displays and demonstrations from a variety of classes. Sixty third-grade students from nearby Humphrey Elementary School came to participate as well as CGCC staff, faculty and students.

“Students at CGCC worked on semester-long sustainability projects that linked the classroom to the community and gave students a meaningful service learning experience,” said Pushpa Ramakrishna. CGCC biology faculty.

Some of the workshops and activities included soil and water testing, adobe brick-making. seed bombs, re-useable plastic bags and solar ovens where students could melt marshmallows to make s'mores. All Pecos Campus general biology and environmental biology students made sustainability posters, some of which were on display. Everyone had the opportunity to give a three-minute presentation on their project allowing others to learn about sustainability activities across the campus.

The HEAT club sponsored the event.

Students pledge to graduate at inaugural success fair

More than 400 students participated in Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s inaugural I Will Graduate Student Success Fair on Wednesday, March 25.  The fair, which was held on five of Maricopa County Community Colleges this year, is designed to connect students to the many resources available on campus to help them succeed.

“The event connects students to the resources associated with persistence and completion and provides an opportunity for them to connect with faculty and staff in meaningful and fun ways,” said Vivian Miranda, director of student success for CGCC.

Departments across the college set up information tables that students visited and spoke with staff of faculty regarding specific topics to receive stamps in a “passport.” After acquiring a set number of stamps, students then received a free lunch and/or a t-shirt. The fair atmosphere was complemented by a DJ, kettle corn, chair massages given by CGCC massage therapy students and a picture booth where students and employees could use props to take images with friends.

All students were asked to sign a pledge to graduate from CGCC and, in support of that commitment, learn how to be a successful student, engage with faculty and staff for support and connect to campus resources.

Male minority chapter wins diversity award

CGCC MEN chapter student officers and advisors
Gabriel Lopez (left), Jill Wendt (center), Alex Kneip
(second from right) and Tony Little (right).

The Maricopa County Community College District Diversity Advisory Council recognized the Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) chapter of the Male Empowerment Network (MEN) with its 2015 award.

MEN, a district initiative, was formed to increase retention of the minority male student population. The CGCC MEN chapter has become a model for many of the sister college chapters and won Chapter of the Year in 2014. Additionally, three students from the CGCC chapter were selected to participate in the national 2014 President’s Roundtable on Minority Male Initiatives in San Francisco, Calif. 

The CGCC chapter consistently connects students to support systems necessary for student success, including assistance with registration, advising, mentoring and the collaboration of philanthropic efforts with student clubs. The chapter is different than a club in that it emphasizes academic success, increased engagement and retention. Course progress and performance are monitored each semester.

Chapter advisors are currently working with the Office of Student Success to create a summer science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Bootcamp for incoming students.

The award will be presented at a district-wide reception on April 7 to chapter officers Alex Kneip (president), Alex Ho (vice president), Gabriel Lopez (secretary) and chapter advisors Tony Little and Jill Wendt. 

ACE student to earn associate along with high school degree

Photo by Daniel Ochoa/Tribune.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Hamilton high school student Jessica Solis was featured in an article in the East Valley Tribune for winning Youth of the Year from the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley. In addition to her stellar involvement in the club, Solis is a student in CGCC's Achieving a College Education (ACE) PLUS and the dual enrollment program which has contributed to her receiving her associate degree alongside her high school diploma when she graduates this May. Read the full story.

Local sixth grade students participate in CGCC Hour of Code Event

Sixty sixth-grade students from Humphrey Elementary School in Chandler recently visited Chandler-Gilbert Community College's computer labs, not to play computer games, but to learn how to write code for them. Hosted by CGCC computer science and business students, the project was an Hour of Code event designed to teach participants the basics of computer programming.

With the help of CGCC student coaches, the children learned how to create their own Angry Birds game using a simplified version of block coding to control the little red birds. Students had to put the codes in the right order to navigate their birds around the blocks to catch the naughty green pigs.

"The computer labs were buzzing with excitement as each student created their own Angry Birds game," said Patricia Baker, computer science faculty member at CGCC. "It was amazing to see how quickly the students became engaged and how much they enjoyed learning about coding. Our goal was to introduce the basics of computer programming to the students and hope they develop an interest to want to continue learning this field on their own."

The Hour of Code event is part of a national platform hosted by Code.org®,  a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools and increasing participation by women and under-represented students. Code.org's vision is that every student in every school will have the opportunity to learn computer science. More than 59 million students from 180 countries worldwide have tried the Hour of Code event.

Partnership with Quantum benefits veterans

(Photo: Quantum Helicopters)

Chandler-Gilbert Community College's partnership with Quantum Helicopters was highlighted in an Arizona Republic article written by Annie Yu.

Quantum Helicopters established a veterans training program in 1994 according to Quantum Helicopters President Neil Jones. The partnership between Quantum Helicopters and CGCC began in early 2012 and has trained about 50 veterans. Read the full story.