News and Stories

Two New Members Appointed to Bellevue College Board of Trustees | 425Business

Bellevue College announced this week that Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed two new members to its board of trustees.

The new members are Advocat AI CEO Pradnya Desh and BC student Conor O’Meara. 

The board, which comprises six members, is responsible for setting the college’s strategic direction, establishing college policy, and approving budgets, the release said. Five members are advisors living and working within the college’s district boundaries. Every member serves a five-year term; one member is always a Bellevue College student who serves a one-year term. 

Besides her work with Advocat, Desh has served as a U.S. diplomat in the State department, been a U.S. trade negotiator with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and served as the U.S. representative for the World Trade Organization and the U.N. Committee on Trade and Development, the release said. She also joined former Gov. Christine Gregoire’s trade delegation to India and Korea; four years later, she became a member of Inslee’s trade delegation to Korea and Japan, the release said. In her work as an attorney, Desh previously was the managing partner of Desh International and business Law and now serves as the chairperson of the board of Music works Northwest. 

Inslee Appoints Two New Members to Bellevue College Board of Trustees

Bellevue College (BC) announced that Governor Jay Inslee has appointed two new members to its board of trustees — Pradnya Desh, CEO of Advocat AI, a software platform for AI contract generation, negotiation, and management, and Conor O’Meara, a BC student. The six-member board’s duties include setting the college’s strategic direction, establishing policy for the…

BC Invites the Public to Learn More About the College at Discovery Day | Patch

Want to find out what’s new at Bellevue College (BC)? Then join us for Discovery Day on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., an open house event for current and prospective students, parents, and community members who’re interested in exploring BC’s programs and services. Experience an open door to our Student Success Center…

Cloud Computing Degree Programs Help Fill Workforce Gaps | EdTech

The tech industry has long been plagued by a lack of diversity. Sixty-eight percent of business leaders report a lack of diversity in their tech workforce, and in 2020, Google reported that just 5.5 percent of its new hires were Black.

Discovery Day at BC Invites the Public to Learn More About the College

Want to find out what’s new at Bellevue College (BC)? Then join us for Discovery Day on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., an open house event for current and prospective students, parents, and community members who’re interested in exploring BC’s programs and services. Experience an open door to our Student Success Center…

Bellevue College Looking to Fill Space for Healthcare Management and Leadership Program | Bellevue Reporter

At the start of the pandemic, many educational institutions had to shift from in person learning to online learning, but Bellevue College’s healthcare management and leadership (HCML) bachelor’s degree program has exclusively offered remote learning since its inception in 2016. “Our faculty didn’t miss a beat. We’ve been doing it for six years,” said Shana…

Amazon Donates $3M to Seattle-Area Colleges to Support Computer Science Degrees | Geekwire

Amazon is donating $3 million to Seattle-area colleges to bolster their computer science programs. Bellevue College, located east of Seattle, will receive $1.5 million over three years to support its bachelor of science in computer science. There are 187 undergraduates currently enrolled in the degree program, which launched in 2017. The gift will increase financial support for enrolled students and college outreach to K-12 students.

Notes from the President

Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to the BC community for the tremendous participation in the Equity-Focused Professional Development Day last week. A big “Thank You” to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for putting on a thought-provoking and meaningful day for our campus. Between the variety of sessions, the opportunities to learn in community with one another, and the engaging presenters—it was an excellent day.

See How One Detective Improves Lives Through the Game of Chess | CNN

Statement in Support of DACA Students

Dear BC Community,

I’m writing to share a joint statement released by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, along with presidents and trustees of the state’s 34 community and technical colleges, regarding an October 5, 2022 decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court upheld a lower court’s ruling that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unlawful. The court also ruled current DACA enrollees could renew their status and sent the case back to a lower court to consider a regulation enacted by the Biden administration to strengthen the DACA program against legal challenges.