Montgomery College

https://insidemc.montgomerycollege.edu 07-19-2026 07-19-2026

07-19-2026

Sunday, July 19, 2026

1 10484eba-a454-5b04-d1db-cc0e8164a7b41224952025-07-07 00:00:01.000Elizabeth B FeldmanPart-Time Faculty July Spotlight: Lena RuanoPart-time faculty member, Lena Ruano, knew at a young age teaching could be a possible career, but she did not fully embrace the idea until her 30s. She dabbled in teaching when she was an undergraduate; however, she tried other careers at first such as sales. She eventually joined the College in 2019. Ruano teaches Introduction to Digital Photography, Digital Tools for the Visual Arts, and Photographic Expression. She works in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at the Takoma Park-Silver Spring campus. While she has been with the College for six years, she is no stranger to the school. She was born in Washington, D.C. Her family moved to Montgomery County when she was a child. She lived in Rockville, Silver Spring, and North Bethesda. She graduated from Walter Johnson High School in North Bethesda and then began her college career at MC. "When I was at Montgomery College, I took pretty much every art course I could. I primarily worked in printmaking because I had a really nice relationship with John Carr, who is still a professor at the Rockville campus. He was kind of like a mentor to me and helped develop my art practice," Ruano said. She finished her studies at the College and then headed out west. She attended the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. Her major was fine art which was interdisciplinary, but she focused more on video arts. She earned her Master's in Fine Art from the University of California, Irvine. She began studying video arts, but then switched her focus to photography. Ruano worked as a teaching assistant at a local high school when she was in California. She taught photography, ceramics, and helped out in a foundational art class. She discovered how much she enjoyed teaching and working with students. "I really appreciate the structure in academia and the investment in studying and researching. I thought teaching would be a good way to keep me on my toes. So when I was exploring graduate programs, one of the things I was looking at was programs that had teaching assistantships," Ruano said. Eventually, Ruano headed back to Maryland and joined the College. While she enjoyed what she was doing, teaching was a challenge at first. Looking back she said, "It's been the most fulfilling work I've ever done. And I was really surprised by that." "Like I knew I wanted to teach, but I am really surprised by how impactful the work can be. It's funny, I had a friend after high school that saw that in me and told me I should be a teacher," Ruano added. She said her teaching style and philosophy have changed since she has been at the College. "So initially, I wanted to work with just art focused majors, however, many of the people who signed up for my classes were completing an arts distribution credit for their degree. As a result, I have been exposed to students from all over the College, and it has been amazing to see how they can develop their eye in the course of a semester and capture things that are exquisite," Ruano said. She still works with fine arts students, but she thoroughly enjoys working with non-majors who gain concepts beyond what they expected to learn. She hopes all of her students will learn important skills when they finish her classes. Ruano said one of the most important will be becoming a better observer. "Observational skills are really important. They are transferable to any way of life. I try to teach my students how to be observant and how to process visual information," she added. Meantime, Ruano has taken advantage of opportunities the College provides to part-time faculty members. She was a Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship recipient in 2023, and this year she was one of three Shoenberg Fellowship winners. Her work will focus on researching the different permanent collections of photographs made by people of color and depicting people of color that are stored in this region. She said she began investigating this work when she was a Smithsonian Fellow. Now she plans to delve more deeply and hopefully uncover all of the photographic collections. When Ruano is not teaching, she enjoys going to museums and watching movies. She also enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews.1LenaRuano.gifattach/10484eba-a454-5b04-d1db-cc0e8164a7b4/LenaRuano.giftn_0.gifattach/10484eba-a454-5b04-d1db-cc0e8164a7b4/tn_0.gifdi_0.gifattach/10484eba-a454-5b04-d1db-cc0e8164a7b4/di_0.gifEmployee Newselizabeth.feldman@montgomerycollege.edu301-646-8551 122495

Monday, July 7, 2025

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Montgomery Collegehttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/Montgomery CollegeFree Paying for Education & Training WorkshopThe TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) offers in-person Paying for Education & Training workshops at WorkSource Montgomery (Wheaton) on the third Tuesday of every month. All workshops are free and open to the public.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/free-paying-for-education--training-workshop-4/c3fa076b-5b66-4915-83fa-54dd9901808eTue, 21 Jul 2026 19:30:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-6/b5079ecb-d3ef-4b97-9573-decba407aee2Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-7/85661f23-4578-4f64-8a0b-ceab61283e28Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Raptor Connect: Find Your PeopleNew Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---raptor-connect-find-your-people/9c410d84-7d7b-4647-84b7-3660a2e67c38Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMTNSO - Raptor Connect: Find Your PeopleNew Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/nso---raptor-connect-find-your-people/f0dc08ec-d766-47db-ab13-a7ebd761b7bdWed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMTNSO - Raptor Connect: Find Your PeopleNew Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/rockville/event/nso---raptor-connect-find-your-people/5da8f7ed-a97a-4c5c-b982-d2d2e437f279Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMTPlant Sale - Environmental Horticulture ProgramPlant Sale: Location: Germantown Greenhouse Time: 2:30-5:30 p.m.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/plant-sale---environmental-horticulture-program-2/31853b77-f5a2-4058-aa61-c84a7e203987Wed, 29 Jul 2026 18:30:00 GMTRaptor Ready Scholarship DeadlineMontgomery College is providing a $1,000 tuition scholarship to Montgomery County residents who are spring 2026 graduates from a Montgomery County high school, and who register for and attend six credit hours in the fall 2026 semester at MC or fall courses in one of the selected WDCE programs.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/academic/event/raptor-ready-scholarship-deadline/879f589d-a24f-488a-8c5b-2ffca765a7a3Mon, 03 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (Spanish)TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) organiza sesiones informativas virtuales mensuales gratuitas en inglés, español y amárico. Las sesiones informativas virtuales de TRIO EOC son gratuitas y abiertas al público. Las sesiones en español se celebran el primer lunes de cada mes.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-spanish-5/6996df7e-4259-4dd0-aae4-a8c4d6fdf5feMon, 03 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMTNSO - Open House/Game DayRegistration link: https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/admissions-registration/future-students.html.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---open-housegame-day/8350698c-f5f3-47ff-95ba-aa3e7e393f06Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTSummer Open House- Takoma Park/Silver Spring Ready to begin your journey at Montgomery College? Join our Open House Series, where each event is designed to guide you step-by-step through the enrollment process—from placement to registration and beyond. Attend one or all to get the support you need to start strong this fall!https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/summer-open-house--takoma-parksilver-spring/d5e77b19-c328-4985-89c0-ed6100c82d3aThu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-8/59349937-4a53-4f52-ad02-692a297e88caThu, 06 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-9/5c16a560-3c52-4451-922f-fcc5023ac59cThu, 06 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Welcome Day New Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---welcome-day/f311374d-cfa3-4db5-b3e6-bdf64daccaacMon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTNSO - Welcome Day New Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/nso---welcome-day/1303972d-bbd0-486b-b69c-268dffd09603Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTSummer Open House-Virtual Ready to begin your journey at Montgomery College? Join our Open House Series, where each event is designed to guide you step-by-step through the enrollment process—from placement to registration and beyond. Attend one or all to get the support you need to start strong this fall!https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/summer-open-house-virtual/bd49d297-9c70-4a44-8c26-547135c485a5Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTNSO - Welcome Day New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/rockville/event/nso---welcome-day/9e764a9e-44ee-48f8-9fa1-1ba94f557f03Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-6/5f9a8b9a-a564-48b2-91a6-48220cffa8dbThu, 13 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMTFree Paying for Education & Training WorkshopThe TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) offers in-person Paying for Education & Training workshops at WorkSource Montgomery (Wheaton) on the third Tuesday of every month. All workshops are free and open to the public.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/free-paying-for-education--training-workshop-5/e1136d8c-7e3e-4f07-affe-1e08ee442e40Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:30:00 GMTNSO - International Student Welcome (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/nso---international-student-welcome-virtual/eacd8556-d413-431b-8623-524ac56b3be3Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTNSO - International Student Welcome (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/rockville/event/nso---international-student-welcome-virtual/ce32b4b9-6ffc-423d-85dc-72d3c4a23b24Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTNSO - International Student Welcome (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---international-student-welcome-virtual/4237c9d9-6508-4074-a3f9-c00d906bb286Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (Amharic)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in Amharic are held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-sessionhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-amharic-5/cd2503a9-a74d-4c18-8064-ce8e9e8c7038Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-10/73ec92eb-c1e8-4fb2-87b9-8500ddcf74e9Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-11/6605d181-c89a-4ddd-bed4-ab57bbdb86a8Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Virtual Welcome Day New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---virtual-welcome-day/45a59262-788b-4ee9-b5c4-8d9cd2ee3e4cThu, 20 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Get ready for class: Your Textbook and Material (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---get-ready-for-class-your-textbook-and-material-virtual/022d2780-1dde-469f-b0f1-ccfb903c2a50Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTPlant Sale - Environmental Horticulture ProgramPlant Sale: Location: Germantown Greenhouse Time: 2:30-5:30 p.m.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/plant-sale---environmental-horticulture-program-3/bd7aa1c6-df0b-46b5-bc28-9a9b0f2f5fe8Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:30:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-12/8e6579a6-8f11-4808-b642-e96d5d99bfcaThu, 03 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-13/1fb7d5ec-0859-4188-b12e-4a1e49c2a4e9Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-7/f478eafb-efa2-4279-a798-ac69a3484d28Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-14/62eb46d1-127e-4a6d-a9d2-8cced73eff41Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-15/3768bb9c-4aea-44ee-a340-893cf0b200d5Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-16/738b550d-3af1-4412-918c-03bc3e188885Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-17/d464dbb8-6041-4f03-92c1-2d92029ed4fbThu, 01 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-8/159e1567-8644-413f-83a0-e100c91a3b86Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-18/3a773e7c-b466-408e-bf94-477af67b364fThu, 15 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-19/803351b8-1085-48f3-86a9-7820c7fff9d4Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-20/7789d5c7-5cbc-4eab-b92f-a0f4f1e220ccThu, 29 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-21/dad1ac50-64d5-4fc8-b1c1-f2cb5928b03aThu, 29 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-9/00e8874c-2c04-44e9-87ae-7876f80cd3acThu, 12 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-22/f46098e3-4683-4c08-805a-3e8c60b3c944Thu, 12 Nov 2026 21:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-23/40b5cc1f-4f9c-48b7-9f9e-e10ac652ff62Thu, 12 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-10/e2764842-ebec-49c1-9378-ec124d435c72Thu, 10 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT