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Press Releases | Spotlights
Earthwatch Award Supports Pitzer Alumna’s Caterpillar Research in Her Hometown in Thailand
Chanchanok Sudta ’18 has received the Neville Shulman Earthwatch Award to research the eating habits of Lepidoptera caterpillars and how environmental disturbances impact plant-insect networks. Sudta will work with young students and continue her international ecological research that was first inspired at Pitzer’s Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology. “If I went to a big university, I might not have had the chance to do research for 10 weeks in another country. I got to interact closely with professors. Many of them influenced how I show up in the program I’m in now.”
Pitzer Alumna Pursues Social Justice Through Black Radical Farming
Pitzer alumna Yaquana Williams ’21 described how her study abroad and environmental advocacy experience at Pitzer equipped her to support healthy nutrition in her hometown. For her senior thesis in Africana Studies, Williams examined how Black farming collectives across the African Diaspora nurture the land and local communities. She was inspired by Black farmers in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey. “The farm spaces not only serve as places to get food but also community hubs. People can gather, be in tune with nature, and reclaim those spaces.”
Pitzer Alumna Saves the Planet One Grocery Store at a Time
Pitzer alumna Lily Simon ’15 made food and climate change the heart of her work after graduating as an environmental analysis major. She is an account manager at Afresh, a software platform that helps grocery retailers order goods more accurately to reduce food waste. “Pitzer opened my eyes to issues that I had heard of but couldn’t put into practice. It showed me the importance of putting awareness into action. That is the heart of a mission-based liberal arts education.”
From Incarceration to the California State Assembly: Pitzer Alumnus Reggie Bullock ’22
Reggie Bullock ’22, who earned his degree through Pitzer’s Inside-Out Pathway-to-BA program, has been accepted to the Jesse Unruh California Assembly Fellowship. Assembly fellows serve as full-time legislative staff to gain hands-on experience in public policy, politics, and the California state legislature. “When I sit back and reflect from my time beginning in the criminal justice system at 14 years old to now, just getting out after a 17-year sentence, it’s definitely surreal."
The Healing Arts
Marcus Jackson ’22 combined premed classes with art and Asian American studies during his Pitzer journey. “I have this odd tendency to go into fields where I’m least represented." Jackson’s advice to current and future students is to never let anyone else steer your career as a student and beyond and to seek help when you need it.
Driving Historic Legislation for Higher Education
On October 6, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law that will make it easier for students to transfer to a four-year university in California. Pitzer College alumna and trustee Michele Siqueiros ’95 was with the governor when he signed the bills at California State University, Northridge. As president of the Campaign for College Opportunity, Siqueiros was part of a coalition that brought the bills to the governor’s desk. The Campaign for College Opportunity, a nonprofit policy advocacy and research organization committed to increasing college access and success, co-sponsored the bills.
A 100-Year Battle for Environmental Justice in Texas
In his new book "West Side Rising," Char Miller ’75 tells the story of a historic flood in San Antonio, Texas that sparked a Latino environmental movement.
Pitzer Alumna Dana Brozost-Kelleher ’16 Wins Pulitzer Prize
Dana Brozost-Kelleher ’16 has received the Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting as part of a team of journalists who investigated the use of K-9 units and the damage police dogs inflict on Americans.
Devon Hartman ’77 Plans to (Solar) Power the Economy
After six years of planning, CHERP Inc., the Claremont-based nonprofit founded and run by Pitzer College alumnus Devon Hartman ’77, has launched a new project called CHERP Solar Works—the world’s first nonprofit solar panel assembly factory. Based in Pomona, CA, the factory is a prototype facility for a network of nonprofit solar factories to be built in disadvantaged communities across the country.
Meet a Pitzer Alum: Carlos Alvarez ’15
Carlos Alvarez ’15, a First-Gen college graduate, works as the Administrative Coordinator for Academic Affairs at Pitzer College. Carlos’ work in the Office of the Dean of Faculty and on Staff Council provides him with opportunities to support the Pitzer community. Carlos enjoys serving as a resource to Pitzer students, staff, and faculty and supporting the endeavors of his colleagues.
