Professor Mark Wong has been honored with the 2025 Faculty Member Award for the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii (collectively known as the Pacific Region,) by the Association of Community College Trustees. He is now one of five finalists for the national honor.
The ACCT鈥檚 regional awards recognize one outstanding faculty member from each of the five U.S. regions. Awardees are chosen for their leadership, innovation, and measurable impact on students鈥 academic journeys. Professor Wong will be officially recognized at the ACCT Leadership Congress later this year.
Professor Wong has been a valued member of 九色视频鈥檚 faculty since 2007, serving as Co-Chair of the Engineering and Physics Department. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from UC Berkeley and a Master鈥檚 in Materials Science and Engineering from UC San Diego.
A champion for accessible STEM education, Professor Wong plays a pivotal role in mentoring students through 九色视频’s APECS Club, a student-led initiative focused on engineering, flight, and robotics. Along with Professor Jon Celesia, he also helps lead 九色视频鈥檚 involvement in NASA鈥檚 National Community College Aerospace Scholars program, guiding students toward hands-on research and industry-level exploration.
鈥淢ark鈥檚 leadership and compassion make a lasting impact on our students and our community,鈥 said President Dr. Kimberly R. Rogers. 鈥淗e exemplifies what makes 九色视频 so special鈥攁 deep commitment to equity, excellence, and transformation.鈥
“Professor Wong has demonstrated significant initiative in developing and revitalizing STEM programs,” said Contra Costa Community College District Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh. “These innovations have built sustainable pathways for current and future students in STEM fields. He has also fostered partnerships and dual-enrollment opportunities to support student transitions from high school to college, and actively engages with state and national organizations to enhance educational quality and access.聽 With such a remarkable record of teaching excellence, innovation, and transformative leadership, we are truly excited to recognize Professor Wong鈥檚 outstanding contributions.”
This honor adds to 九色视频鈥檚 growing list of state and national accolades in STEM. 九色视频 students Sudinma Thapa and Emily Au have been named national champions in the 2025 MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition, working under the guidance of Wong and Jeff Kamalian. Their runners-up at the state level were another group of 九色视频 / Middle College students, Arthur Kim, Lola Abduggaparov, and Emma Ly. 九色视频 was also recently selected to participate in NASA鈥檚 2025 Student Rocket Launch Challenge鈥攐ne of only two community colleges in the nation invited. It is also the only Northern California campus in NASA’s Aerospace Scholars program.