Mt. SAC Dedicates $24.5 Million Design Technology Center

Mt. San Antonio College students studying architecture, photography, and graphic arts now will do so in a state-of-the-art building.

Representatives of state and local officials, Walnut City Council members, and the Mt. SAC community, gathered on campus Friday to celebrate the dedication of the $24.5 million Design Technology Center.

Mt. SAC President Bill Scroggins said the center is designed to foster innovative learning for students and is something unique to the region.

“It’s part of the changing landscape of our campus,” Scroggins said.  “These are really our dreams coming true. Its not about the buildings, but about our visions at Mt. SAC.”

The center was built with Measure R funds, a $221 million bond voters passed in 2001.

The 63,000-square-foot building, which is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, is that bond measure’s last major construction project.  The two-level center features high-tech classrooms and demonstration spaces, as well as a 400-seat multimedia assembly hall.

Students pursuing degrees in the business arts and technology divisions, such as animation, architecture, interior design, graphic design and illustration, photography, radio, and television.

The attendees got to see the radio program in action during the ceremony, as radio student James Rojas stepped to the stage as Arts Division Dean Sue Long was speaking and said he needed to interview her right then.

During the skit of sorts, Rojas asked Long about student success in the center’s various disciplines.

Long said 20 to 25 percent of architecture students transfer to noted programs at four-year universities such USC, UC Berkeley, and Cal Poly Pomona.  Two have transferred to the Harvard School of Design, she said.

“Anything with Harvard in it is very impressive,” she said.  “Don’t miss that.”

Animation students have interned at Sony, Nickelodeon, and Deep Blue Worlds studios.

Rojas, 23, also talked about the internships his fellow radio broadcast students are doing at KNX 1070, KFI AM and KOST-FM.

After the presentation, Rojas got to tour the building with Long and said he looks forward to his program moving into the center.

“I honestly love it,” he said.  “I was really just impressed. It does look pretty modern compared to buildings around it.” 

Maria Ceja, a 20-year-old architecture student, gave tours of the building. She said the building her program was in previously was dark and had no windows.

Classrooms in the new building have huge windows that pour in light.

“I think it’s really great,” she said.  “We have amazing views of the hills and everything.”