President's Office
Reports to the Board of Trustees
Nov. 3, 2025, Board Meeting
Each month, President Kristina Whalen gives a report on college activities, honors, and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.
Awards & Achievements
Foothill College wins Makerspace Grant
The Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill College is thrilled to announce that MakerUSA is a strategic partner for the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE)'s Digital Workforce Innovation Program, generously supported by Infosys Foundation USA.
They will be leading a year-long cohort experience for the six institutions that were selected to each receive $25K in funding and resources for their innovative programs focused on the maker mindset and digital skills development.
These schools will also share their work and best practices through MakerUSA's Maker Ecosystem Building Toolkit. We brought the cohort together at a kickoff workshop yesterday and today, the institutions were celebrated at the NACCE Annual Conference!
Learn more about our KCI Makerspace at Foothill. Congratulations, Gay Krause and Rachel Okazaki. </strong
Success of Alumni Hall of Fame
On Saturday, October 4, Foothill College hosted its first Alumni Hall of Fame celebration. 250 people, including alumni, elected officials, faculty, and staff gathered to celebrate the five nominees and our community service awardee, Joe Simitian. The event raised more than $100,000 for experiential learning programs at Foothill.
Thank you to the Foothill-De Anza Foundation, Foothill College Community Ambassadors, our donors and sponsors, and our Associated Students of Foothill College for making this event such a success.
Watch video highlights from the evening here!
Foothill Alumni Fred Ramsdell Wins 2025 Nobel Prize
Congratulations to Dr. Fred Ramsdell, awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking work on the human immune system. He shares the prize with Mary Brunkow and Shimon Sakaguchi for their collective research. Dr. Ramsdell started his college career at Foothill College in the late 70s, and he credits Foothill College as the springboard to his acceptance at UC San Diego and, later, UCLA.
Events
Activist Dolores Huerta Speaks at Foothill About Her Work for Positive Social Change • October 15
Dolores Huerta spoke to 700 students and colleagues on Wednesday, Oct. 15. She was interviewed by Laurie Scolari and Catalina Rodriguez in a cozy sala on the Smithwick stage. Ms. Huerta encouraged everyone to overcome empathy and fear with non-violent energy and to use boycotts as a powerful tool for change. The interview covered Ms. Huerta's life's work as a labor organizer, advocate for the oppressed, and agent for positive social change. When asked about the current global political climate and the attempts to erode basic civil rights, Ms. Huerta quoted the great poet, Pablo Neruda, by noting that "they can cut the flowers, but they cannot stop the spring coming." Si se puede!
U.S. Rep Sam Liccardo Town Hall • October 30
President Whalen welcomed Congressman Sam Liccardo to our very own Smithwick Theatre for his Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 30. Liccardo, U.S. representative for the 16th district, discussed recent events in Washington, DC, and answered questions from the audience. Thank you to Christy Moore for coordinating the Smithwick operations and Chief Danny Acosta and his team for ensuring the event concluded with no incidents.
Never Fear, Financial Aid is Here! • October 30
The Financial Aid team hosted our third annual financial aid event on Thursday evening. This year's Halloween-themed “Never Fear, Financial Aid is Here” served more than 100 students who were able to explore financial aid options to support their path to success. Thank you to Patty Mendoza, the entire Financial Aid team, Outreach, EOPS, and our A&R colleagues for making sure each student was supported.
Pictured: Financial Aid Team members
Strategic Updates
Partnership with Cyrano Technologies
Cyrano Technologies Inc., an emerging leader in human-centered artificial intelligence, has partnered with Foothill College, a nationally recognized hub for innovation and creativity, to develop and train an empathetic AI designed to understand and assist people with compassion and respect.
This groundbreaking collaboration will include internship opportunities for Foothill students, who will help guide Cyrano’s AI, which is specifically designed to support neurodivergent individuals and their families, toward more emotionally intelligent and human-aware responses. Through this partnership, students will gain direct, hands-on experience in the development of ethical and socially responsive AI technologies. Thank you to Konstantin Kalaitzidis, Scott Lankford, Ralph Garvin, Sophia Kim, Karl Welch and Zach Cembellin, STEM division dean.
Invitations to the Board
November Athletics Pre-Game Tailgate Parties
Join Foothill College colleagues to cheer on our Men’s Football and Soccer teams on the following dates:
- Tuesday, Nov. 4: Men's Soccer vs. Cañada at 2–4 p.m., in Parking Lot 4. Game starts at 3 p.m. We'll have a food truck and ice cream to celebrate their Sophomore night!
- Saturday, Nov. 8: Football vs. San Jose at Noon–2 p.m., near Football Stadium. Game starts at 1 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 14: Women's Soccer vs. Evergreen at 12:30–2:30 p.m. in Parking Lot 4. Game starts at 1:30 p.m.
Ricky Holder Guest Speaker Nov. 6 at Los Altos Rotary
Foothill College alumnus Ricky Holder, recently honored at our Alumni Hall of Fame, will be guest speaker at the Los Altos Rotary annual Veterans Day program on Nov. 6. The rotary will honor all veterans, especially those in the Rotary family. After graduating from Foothill College, Ricky completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago and his graduate degree at the University of Oxford.
Veterans Military 5K • Sunday, Nov. 9
Run, walk, or roll at Foothill College around the campus perimeter in support of our Veterans Resource Center (VRC). Every step you take helps us build stronger programs, services, scholarships, and community connections for our military-affiliated students. Join us during and after the event for food, and community vendors.
NOTE: First 300 registrants will receive a t-shirt, and first 300 completers will
receive a medal.
Theatre Arts Presents
RUR: Rossums's Universal Robots | Nov. 7-23
On Thursday, Nov. 13, join colleagues for a faculty and staff night performance of this rather timely play. Written in the 1920s, the plot revolves around machines taking people’s jobs. Production directed by Bruce McLeod.
Owl Invitational Speech & Debate Tournament • Nov. 15–16
This fall, Foothill will host The Owl Invitational—our first-ever on-campus speech and debate tournament! The two-day event will welcome local high school and middle school competitors through our partnership with Athens Debate Academy. We expect around 500 students and family members to attend, offering tremendous visibility for Foothill while showcasing our Speech & Debate Team’s leadership and expertise. The tournament highlights Foothill as a hub for communication, critical thinking, and academic excellence—and provides an exciting opportunity to connect with future college students and their families. Thank you to Communications instructor Anju Vriksha and Fine Arts and Communication Dean Ron Herman for spearheading the event.
Watch video to learn more about our Foothill debate program.
Questions?
Please Contact Us!
Dr. Kristina Whalen, President
650.949.7200
Administration Building 1900
Connect with Prez Whalen
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