SMC’s STEM Brilliance on Display
The SMC Foundation held a fundraising mixer for Santa Monica College’s STEM program on Saturday evening, Sept. 26, in the new Math and Sciences Building.
Donors viewed the solar system at the planetarium, looked through the state-of-the-art telescopes at the observatory and watched student and faculty project demonstrations. The foundation provided attendees with refreshments, music and access to the building’s rooftop.
Leslie Huerta Sandoval, a third-year civil engineering student, gave a presentation on environmentally friendly roofing, called “green roofs,” which she said are “basically having vegetation on top of a roof.
Sandoval said “green roofs” could save homeowners money on energy, reduce cities’ carbon emissions, save water, and decrease their overall pollution.
“If we were to combine humanitarian majors with STEM majors, we would create solutions to a lot of problems in our society today,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval said that despite STEM classes' rigor, they teach students grit and “they also show you how things in our natural world work,” she said.
Madison Asgirsson, a first-year student in her second semester pursuing an associate degree in aquaculture, led a demonstration on intertidal animals such as starfish, sea cucumbers, sand dollars, and sea anemones. Asgirsson said she plans to continue her studies in graduate school to pursue a master's in marine sciences.
“I think that if you are curious at all about anything, there is some branch of STEM that will help you learn more about that curiosity, and I think that it really nurtures a curious nature in people that I think we really need to nurture,” Asgirsson said.
Asgirsson said AI has led people to ask a computer how things work, “but you could go out there, and you could find it for yourself, and I think that’s just so fascinating.” She said meeting people interested in SMC’s STEM program has made her hopeful for the future, and the donor expo was a great opportunity for the department to show off its work.
Despite the many field trips already in her program, Asgirsson said she would like to see more. “We already do so many, but field trips are such an awesome hands-on learning experience,” Asgirsson said.
Professor Maria Muñoz, chair of the communication and media studies department, teaches media studies at SMC and donated to the event. She said STEM programs open up opportunities for cross-disciplinary studies that many wouldn’t expect. “I teach media; I think it would be interesting to see how science is represented in our films, in our television,” Muñoz said.
Muñoz said her interest in science continued from her time as a student into being a professor: “I still have a strong interest in the sciences. I just didn’t pursue it as an academic; for instance, I’m a volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific. I’m an educator there. Marine sciences wasn’t my major; it’s not what I teach. I have a passion for it, so I volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, she said.
Muñoz said, “It’s great to see colleagues outside of the traditional working hours and being here to support such an amazing opportunity for our students to have facilities like this in the Math and Sciences.”
Travis Pecorelli, a chemistry professor at SMC for 15 years, presented molecular models of aroma and color in California wine.
“We can say this is the molecule that’s responsible for that aroma,” Pecorelli said.
Doug Scherrer joined the board of the SMC Foundation more than two years ago. “All subjects, STEM-related, are a wonderful way for young people ultimately to advance in life,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful event. We just saw some boa constrictors, and I’m about to go into the planetarium, so I’m looking forward to seeing that,” Scherrer said.
Karin Lehmann, a donor at the event, said she was thrilled. “It’s over the top. I really enjoy it, yeah. It’s very well put together. I love the people with lab coats with goggles and the colors, and the design of the building is just outstanding,” Lehmann said.