Cerro Coso Faculty Honored with Jack Hernandez Phronesis Award

Cerro Coso Community College proudly announces that Professors Dr. Claudia Sellers and Dr. Guck Ooi were this year’s recipients of the Jack Hernandez Phronesis Award, presented at the annual ceremony honoring Kern Community College District employees who apply their professional expertise and academic training to improve their communities in practical and meaningful ways.

The award was established in memory of Dr. Jack Hernandez and is rooted in the ancient Greek concept of phronesis, meaning practical wisdom — the ability to use knowledge, skills, and experience to take action that benefits others. This year’s honorees exemplify that wisdom not only through their teaching, but also through their mentorship and leadership of students in groundbreaking research.

“Kern Community College District is proud to recognize Dr. Sellers and Dr. Ooi for their outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and mentorship. Their work embodies the wisdom and service that the Jack Hernandez Phronesis Award was created to honor. Through their leadership, our students are not only gaining knowledge, but also advancing research that strengthens both our district and the broader community,” stated Dr. Steven Bloomberg, Chancellor of Kern Community College District.

Guided by Dr. Ooi and Dr. Sellers, students spent the past summer capturing and identifying native bee genera, documenting their abundance and distribution, and recording floral hosts. The project, part of a National Science Foundation–funded collaboration among multiple community colleges, led to the discovery of over 20 bee genera this summer alone, including several rare and desert-specific species such as the endangered Crotch’s bumblebee.

The students — Atlas Ayres, Leah Carillo, Patch Hays, and Mer Thich — presented their group research at the Native Bee Conference on August 2 at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita. Their presentation, “Where the Wild Bees Are – Native Bee Diversity in the High Desert,” revealed that the desert environment is a biodiversity hotspot for native bees.

The research contributes valuable data to conservation efforts and has been submitted to a publicly available scientific database (Bee Library The BUZZ: Engaging Community College Students in Native Bee Biodiversity Research). Conference organizers highlighted the importance of such studies in the fight against habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change — key threats to pollinators worldwide. To learn more about the research please visit NSF Funded Bee CALL 2021-2028. 

“Native bees are the unsung heroes of the ecosystem; without them we have no foods and no future. To protect native bees, even our smallest efforts can make a difference,” said Dr. Ooi. Professor Sellars added, “Native bees are gorgeous. They look stunning in pictures, but under the microscope, they take your breath away.”

Cerro Coso President Dr. Sean Hancock expressed, “Cerro Coso is honored to celebrate Dr. Sellers and Dr. Ooi, whose dedication to teaching, research, and mentorship exemplify the spirit of the Jack Hernandez Phronesis Award and continues to inspire students to engage deeply in both science and community. Congratulations, Dr. Sellars and Dr. Ooi!”

Photo: Representatives from Cerro Coso Community College and Kern Community College District honored Dr. Guck Ooi and Dr. Claudia Sellars (center) as recipients of the 2025 Jack Hernandez Phronesis Award for their outstanding teaching, mentorship, and community-based research.