Sunday, July 20, 2025

Discovering geography, from Australia to California

Professor Adrian Youhanna, who teaches Geography and GIS (Geographic Information System), displays a multitude of maps in her office at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Photo by Ginina Pulcinella. Wide-eyed with fascination and a Pacific Ocean away from her home in...

History is her story

Laura Carlone-Mooslin, a history professor, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Monday, March 14, 2022. Photo by Raquel G. Frohlich. While most kids would flip through fun and happy and rhymeful children’s books, Laura Carlone-Mooslin listened to rich and historical narratives.  “My mother...

From cooperative to classroom

Screenshot by Ariel Gil Feeling the dewdrop-covered grass tickle the small patch of bare skin on her ankle, she walks through the field toward the chicken coup to gather eggs for her morning breakfast. Her and her family cook them in a pan over a wood burning stove. They eat.

Pierce’s resident “surfer dude”

Most weekend mornings, second generation surfer Sean McDonald arrives at Malibu State Beach at 6 a.m. in his wetsuit to carve waves on one of his 38 surfboards. The quiet time on the mostly empty beaches soothe him and give balance to his life. “The feeling...

From Carnegie Hall to Pierce’s Great Hall

A velvety, deep crimson carpet covers the seating area lined with rows of chairs. The eager audience faces a glamorous spectacle. A cream-colored stage is accentuated with glimmering gold touches lining the nooks and crannies of the walls. A solo vocal fills the room. Performing arts professor...

Persistence makes perfect

A Spanish professor walks into the Pierce campus to begin teaching every day on time, without fail. Even though some Pierce professors can relate to this experience, many may not relate to the two hour commute this professor has taken for the last four years.  Ever since Spanish professor...

Reaching out beyond the library

Outreach Librarian Lisa Valdez leans against a tree in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2020. Photo by Peter Villafane. Many children do not have everything they need to succeed. One person is helping as many students as she can.  During her off hours, Outreach Librarian Lisa Valdez...

Kids, school and work: a balancing act

Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass sits with her laptop in her backyard in Valley Glen, Calif., on Oct. 15, 2020. Photo by Benjamin Hanson. Many would consider raising three boys to be a full-time job. Many would also consider getting a Ph.D to be a full-time job.

Teaching progression through chord progression

David McGarry sits at the reception desk at the Center for Academic Success at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 15, 2019. (Photo by: Chelsea Westman) David McGarry poses with the English and ESL tutoring schedule at the Center for Academic Success at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May...

Julio Cortez

Upon receiving the news that he won a Pulitzer, Cortez said he cried as he basked in the incredible feeling he found difficult to describe.