Dr. Estevan Parra-Guerrero, director of TRIO Upward Bound programs, has been invited to participate in the 2026 Executive Leadership Institute for College Opportunity Professionals, hosted by the Council for Opportunity in Education [COE] at the University of Notre Dame. The invitation-only institute brings together college access and success professionals from across the nation who are committed to advancing opportunities for low-income and first-generation students.

The institute, which begins in October and runs through March 2027, will provide Parra-Guerrero with opportunities to strengthen his leadership, communication, and advocacy skills while preparing him to contribute to the broader college access and student success community at the institutional, state, and national levels. The institute's curriculum addresses effective leadership, communication, negotiation, team building, social capital, and policy advocacy to advance opportunities for low-income and first-generation students. Participants will also develop and present a case study at the COE National College Opportunity Programs Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., in March 2027.

In recognition of Queer and Trans Two-Spirit History Month, Dr. Ángel de Jesús González, assistant professor and program coordinator, Department of Educational Leadership, delivered the keynote for Porterville College’s flag-raising ceremony to kick off their Queer and Trans Two-Spirit History Month celebrations on Oct. 1 and was also invited to serve as a guest performer at the State Center Community College District LGBTQ Student Scholarship Gala at Fresno City College, helping raise funds to support LGBTQ students.

He was selected through a highly competitive process to receive the Emerging Scholar Leader Award from the LGBTQ+ Leaders Institute in Higher Education. This national organization grew out of the LGBTQ+ Presidents Organization and supports pathways for LGBTQ professionals into presidencies and other higher education leadership roles.

Dr. Felipe Mercado, assistant professor of social work, received the Gold Medal for Best Reference Book at the 2026 International Latino Book Awards for Rethinking Education Together: How the Wise-Compassionate Framework Transforms Student Success, published by Wise Soul LLC. The book introduces Mercado’s Wise-Compassionate Framework, which asks educators and school systems to look beyond traditional academic and behavioral outcomes and consider the relationships, conditions, belonging, healing and adult well-being that also shape student success.

Raised in Sanger, Mercado draws from his Central Valley roots, lived experience and professional work in social work, education, research and school leadership. The award was presented Oct. 3 at California State University San Marcos.

Dr. Jorge E. Pesantez, assistant professor, Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering, recently published the paper Improving Water Demand Forecasting Models Understanding with XAI Methods in the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Dr. Katy Tarrant, associate professor, Department of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education, served as an invited speaker at the 15th International Poultry Forum China in Nantong, China this past summer. In her presentation, she assessed key welfare indicators in poultry, which allows for better-informed welfare decisions, yielding better outcomes in broilers.

Besides teaching classes on campus in poultry sciences, Tarrant helps oversee research and industry outreach efforts through the campus Foster Farms Poultry Education and Research Facility and the Center for the Optimization Of Poultry.