Dean's Message

January 2024
 

Welcome to Spring 2024! After 6 years of design, planning, and preparation, we will be opening the doors to the Lindley Center for STEM Education. Designed with students in mind, the new building will house the Chemistry & Physics Department, Engineering & Applied Technology Department, MESA and HOPE programs, and Mathematics classes.

Beyond the 34 classes and labs within the building, there are multiple spaces for students to gather, learn,  and build community. Students are invited to study with their classmates in the main lobby staircase, see and be a part of what's being created in the Innovation Center, explore new worlds in the Virtual Reality lab, get academic support in the new STEM Success Center, build community in the new student club space, or further their STEM and health science career passions in the MESA and HOPE Center.

In addition to opening our new home, we continue to support students through our Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) STEM grant, which aims to broaden participation of Latinx and other underrepresented students in STEM disciplines. Many students will be participating in internships opportunities at Pepperwood Preserve, the Buck Institute, and other community partners.

I invite you to find your passion across our STEM disciplines, I wish you a wonderful Spring semester.

Sincerely,
Victor K. Tam, Ph.D.
Dean of STEM

Victor Tam's professional career has been focused in community college education. Victor started as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in 2007 at Foothill College, and oversaw a STEM internship program placing community college students into research experiences at four-year institutions. In 2014, Victor transitioned to the position of Dean of Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering. Part of his work included facilitation of a STEM Summer Camp for middle and high school students to increase interest in STEM fields. Victor assumed his current position at SRJC in 2016. Victor has served as co-PI on two different NSF S-STEM grants to address student retention and success rates, as well as career preparation for STEM majors. Recently, he was privileged to perform committee work with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, on a report about STEM education at minority-serving institutions. Victor is currently serving on the implementation team for the recently awarded $4.7M Department of Education grant for Hispanic Serving Institutions focused on supporting Latinx and low income STEM students succeed. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC San Diego.