Subhash Karkare

	All photos courtesy Moorpark College
	Subhash Karkare

Instructor Subhash Karkare has left the medical research lab and come into the classroom at Moorpark College.

“Having the opportunity to mentor a future medical researcher is the best way I know of to give back to the community,” Karkare says. “I love sharing my knowledge and experience with students aspiring to join this promising industry.”

Karkare, who has a Ph.D.in biochemical engineering from Rutgers University, joined Amgen in 1987. Amgen’s products have targeted anemia, cancer, chronic kidney disease, and more. “It was very exciting to be involved in an industry that is literally saving people’s lives,” he says.

In 2008, when the Moorpark College Foundation offered to match staff scholarship contributions dollar for dollar, Karkare endowed a scholarship for biotechnology students.

Patty Colman

	All photos courtesy Moorpark College
	Patty Colman

In March 2009 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors petitioned the US Geological Survey to rename “Negrohead Mountain” in Agoura, based on research provided by historian and instructor Patty Colman.

Her research revealed that the mountain sat on property homesteaded by African American John Ballard.  He settled in the area in the mid-1800s and founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Board felt that renaming the mountain “Ballard,” would be a fine tribute to the pioneer.

“Everything in history can be connected to the present,” says Colman. “It’s so rewarding and fun to bring these unknown stories out.”

Another project that connects past to present for Colman is editing The Journal for the Ventura County Museum of History. Edited in-house at the museum for 53 years, The Journal was recently transfered to the editorship of Colman. Colman’s students research The Journal articles as part of their coursework.

With The Journal, Colman can stay connected to research and teach at the same time. It also allows her students to get directly involved in the history of their county.

“When you see a student have an ‘aha’ moment, it’s so worthwhile,” she says.  “I want to make history come alive, not just drone on about dates and dead people.”

John Loprieno

	All photos courtesy Moorpark College
	John Loprieno

John Loprieno teaches acting from stage to screen. His industry experience gives students insights they wouldn’t normally get. Loprieno’s resume includes film, off Broadway, regional stage performances, and 13 years as the romantic lead in the long-running soap opera One Life to Live. In 2005 he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for writing.

“Having firsthand knowledge of the industry helps me take academic theory and put it into real world context for students,” he says.

Loprieno taught at Adelphia College while acting in New York and at Harper Community College in Illinois while doing screenwriting.

“My dad taught at a community college for 30 years, and one of the most influential theater teachers I had was at a community college.  Landing at Moorpark College seemed natural for me,” he says.

Loprieno’s second career has energized him “now more than before,” he says. Many of his students are acquiring agents and going to auditions. He’s thrilled when they find success. “Being so close to Hollywood, we have placed people directly from here into the industry, both in front of, and behind, the camera,” says Loprieno.

 Jonathan Castillo

	All photos courtesy Moorpark College
	Jonathan Castillo

 When he first set foot on campus, student Jonathan Castillo couldn’t envision his career path, never mind his life story. Now his path is clear. He wants to be a commercial photographer….and his life story? "I see myself known and respected in the industry for the creativity and quality of my imagery," he says.

Castillo tried for a business major for several years. "During this time, I took my first photography class. In 2007, I became a photo major and haven’t looked back," he says.

Instructor John Gray encouraged Castillo to present a portfolio to the highly regarded Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Gray advised Castillo to include two images he had made with a scanner of broken glass and metal shavings. These images really interested the Art Center. Castillo was admitted on a generous scholarship.

 
Mateen Safaie

	All photos courtesy Moorpark College
	Mateen Safaie

What started as just the next step for an OK high school career proved to be a giant step forward for a future economist.  Student Mateen Safaie came to Moorpark College to prove himself worthy of acceptance to a prestigious university.  He  immersed himself in a myriad of leadership opportunities and graduated with many memorable experiences and two scholarships for his efforts.

He achieved a 4.0 grade point average even while competing on the nationally-ranked forensics team and serving as the vice president of the Baha’i club and as a math tutor.

He was accepted at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Irvine.
“Moorpark College definitely opened the possibilities of where I could transfer,” Safaie says.

 

Amanda Lansing

	All photos courtesy Moorpark College
	Amanda Lansing

Sometimes little things matter most. A program to rescue a tiny endangered butterfly from extinction has spawned a lifelong quest for an aspiring conservationist.

“A lot of entomologists wrote off the tiny Palos Verdes blue butterfly,” student Amanda Lansing says.  “Through captive rearing, we’ve released hundreds of blues back to the wild.”

As an intern with the Butterfly Project at Moorpark College, Lansing has earned impressive research credentials.  Though she could have transferred anywhere, she is now at Cal State Channel Islands studying organismal biology.

“The Butterfly Project allowed me to be a part of something so much bigger than myself,” she says.