Spring 2026 Star Party Program

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS SERIES PRESENTS

& SCIENCE SHOWCASE Friday, April 24, 2026 | 6:30 – 10pm Canyon Country Campus

Special Guest Speaker:

TERESA CIARDI

Professor, Astronomy and Physical Science College of the Canyons

THE LIFE OF A STAR:

FROM BIRTH TO END Sponsored by:

THE SANTA CLARITA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

The Santa Clarita Community College District serves a 367-square-mile service area in northern Los Angeles County. College of the Canyons (COC), the single college within the district, has campuses in Valencia and Canyon Country as well as online. Located on a 153-acre campus in Valencia and a 70-acre campus in Canyon Country, the College offers classes during the fall and spring semesters, as well as summer and winter intersessions.

COC offers approximately 99 associate degree programs and 176 certificates, along with 28 undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs available in the University Center from multiple partner institutions.

Opened in 2007, the Canyon Country Campus is known as a comprehensive campus that offers high-quality instructional programs, supportive student services, and meaningful community partnerships. Since opening, the campus has offered approximately 9,000 classes and served more than 75,000 students. The campus continues to transform with excellent facilities and enhanced services, such as the Takeda Science Center, which provides state-of-the-art laboratories and classroom space for high-demand instructional programs, and the Student Services & Learning Resources Center, which offers integrated student support functions, library, tutoring, and classrooms. These dynamic facilities provide engaging classrooms, labs, student spaces, and support services in the center of campus. Overall, the Canyon Country Campus continues to provide relevant and supportive opportunities and pathways for students, including a significant number of classes offered in focused, short-term formats providing many convenient enrollment options.

College of the Canyons has maintained its status over the years as one of the largest employers in the Santa Clarita Valley and is a vital cultural, educational, and economic force in the region. The Canyon Country Campus contributes to this educational work and community impact. For more information, including class schedules and registration information, please visit the website: www.canyons.edu/ccc

EVENT AGENDA

Remnant from earliest supernova ever seen (James Webb Telescope)

6:30 – 7:30pm

Science showcase (Lower Plaza) Faculty and student presentations

6:30 – 10pm

Explore interactive table displays and visit our indoor, portable planetarium (Science Center Lobby - Room 110) • Stop by the table displays to see activities and projects, provided by College of the Canyons’ student clubs, departments and other groups.

• Sign up to experience our planetarium (Limited space available. First come first serve)

6:30 – 10pm

Telescope viewing (Lower Plaza) Telescopes are provided by the Local Group Astronomy Club of SCV, the Antelope Valley Astronomer’s Club, and by College of the Canyons

7:30 – 7:45pm

Welcome and opening remarks (Science Center Lobby) Associate Vice President, Paul Wickline, and Dean, Campus Services and Operations, Anthony Michaelides

7:45 – 7:50pm

The Local Group Astronomy Club (Science Center Lobby) Dave Flynn, member, The Local Group Astronomy Club of SCV

7:50 – 8:35pm

The Life of a Star: From Birth to End (Science Center Lobby) Presenter: Professor, Astronomy and Physical Science, Teresa Ciardi

8:35 – 8:50pm

Q&A

8:50 – 9pm

Closing remarks Thank you for joining us!!

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER Teresa Ciardi

Professor, Astronomy and Physical Science, College of the Canyons Throughout her many roles at College of the Canyons, Professor Ciardi has continually volunteered her time in ways that make a difference, maintaining a strong and consistent focus on students and their needs.

Teresa embraces every science outreach opportunity. She has hosted students from LA schools for Astronomy Day at COC, planned and facilitated community star parties since the inception of this event, taught students in the Upward Bound program, given talks at local libraries, developed and facilitated NGSS training for SCV teachers, and volunteered in SCV elementary schools. Teresa Ciardi has a passion for making science accessible and attainable for all.

Professor Teresa Ciardi has been the advisor of choice for the Astronomy & Physics club since the club was established because she provides a safe, brave, inclusive space where STEM students feel welcome and feel the care she has for each person. She initiated the Aerospace & Sciences Team who compete with university teams each year for spots on NASA student platforms and Teresa has led the team in successful NASA missions for 10 consecutive years! Professor Ciardi secures donations and grants for NASA projects (HASP, Rocksat, and RockOn), to support the students who design and construct the NASA experiments; the funding she raises buys the materials needed to build the experiments and makes it possible for her to take project leaders to NASA sites where they participate in thermal/vacuum testing and launch of their HASP, RockSatX, and RockOn experiments.

Ciardi arranges private tours at locations like SpaceX and JPL for her club students and has tracked 192 internships/scholarships and 13 full-time careers for her NASA team students to date. Her passion is mentoring students in STEM to and guiding them to realize their dreams.

Teresa understands the importance of mentor-mentee relationships for promoting student success. She makes herself available to listen and does everything she can to grow student confidence and students’ STEM identities. She plans field trips, workshops, and team building events during which she constantly empowers students to be brave and connect with her and with each other through real conversations.

In 2022, Ciardi had achieved notice with NASA and was offered the position of “Community Colleges Work Group Lead” for NASA’s SMD Bridge Program. She worked with NASA to define the SMD program for community colleges across the nation to provide opportunity for community colleges to routinely interact with NASA. Teresa Ciardi is a student-focused superhero who works non-stop to make a difference, especially for the most marginalized students.

THE LIFE OF A STAR: FROM BIRTH TO END These are the stories and images of how stars form, live, age, and eventually end. Some stars go quietly while others end in complex explosions. There is the story of a star like our Sun, the story of failed stars and objects that are barely stars, and the exciting story of a star that is 10-20 times more massive than our Sun. Star forming regions are complex and the process of star formation is not uniform.

Star forming regions (left) and newly formed star with jets (right) from James Webb telescope Each system is unique, and each star is unique just as each human life is unique. Stars shine for millions or billions of years and come in a variety of colors and temperatures. Eventually stars run out of fuel, resulting in an aging star and finally a remnant.

The Astronomy & Physics Club Who we are

What We Do

The Astronomy & Physics Club is an allinclusive community filled with curious students who are eager to work on real NASA projects and tour places like JPL and Mount Wilson.

We have two main projects, HASP and RockSat-X. Each team has an electrical, software, mechanical, and research student team lead.

HASP

RockSat-X

Students conduct experiments on a NASA high-altitude balloon. In recent years, they’ve flown a sun-tracking telescope that captured over 600 solar images in 2024. This year, the HASP team is measuring radiation using Geiger counters!

Students select and fly an experiment on a NASA Wallops sounding rocket, collecting data when the payload is exposed to space at 162 km. Recent projects include LiDAR and gyroscope-controlled rotation experiments, with teams conducting design reviews alongside NASA engineers.

CLUBS/GROUPS PARTICIPATING AT TONIGHT'S EVENT Join us in thanking the following clubs, departments and organizations represented at the demonstration tables this evening:

Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society

For more information, please visit: alphadeltanu@my.canyons.edu or visit: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/campuslife/clubs/list.php

Associated Student Government (ASG)

For more information, please visit: https://www.canyons.edu/asg

Astronomy & Physics Club

For more information, please email: apclub@my.canyons.edu https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/campuslife/clubs/list.php

Biological & Environmental Sciences

For more information, please visit: https://www.canyons.edu/academics/biology/index.php

Chemistry Club

For more information, please email: cocchemclub@gmail.com https://www.canyons.edu/academics/chemistry/club.php

Civic Engagement Club

For more information, please email: linda.beauregard-vasquez@canyons.edu or visit: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/campuslife/clubs/list.php

Early Childhood Education Children’s Center CCC

For more information, please email: faby.marton@canyons.edu or visit: https://www.canyons.edu/academics/ece/index.php

Helping Us Become (HUB) Club

For more information, please email: linda.beauregard-vasquez@canyons.edu or visit: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/campuslife/clubs/list.php

Library For more information, please visit: https://www.canyons.edu/academics/library/index.php

MESA/MESA LAB- Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement

For more information, please email: amy.foote@canyons.edu or visit: https://www.canyons. edu/academic/mesa/index.php

Pre-Health Club

For more information, please email: prehealth@my.canyons.edu or visit: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/campuslife/clubs/list.php

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) For more information, please email: amy.foote@canyons.edu

Society of Physics and Engineering Students

For more information, please email: ashahla@my.canyons.edu or visit: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/campuslife/clubs/list.php

Teachers of Tomorrow

For more information, please visit: https://www.canyons.edu/academics/library/index.php

CANYON COUNTRY CAMPUS

The Takeda Science Center is a beautiful and important facility at the Canyon Country Campus. Opened for initial classes in Fall 2021, the four-story structure is situated at the center of campus. With nineteen state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, this facility is an important part of student access, engagement, and success on campus. An adjacent terraced amphitheater and plaza also provide student instruction and gathering space outdoors alongside the facility.

Our newest building, the Student Services & Learning Resources Center was opened in Spring 2023 and is located to the south of the Science Center. This building provides a one-stop center for student support services, tutoring, library, and classroom spaces.

Together, these two facilities are dynamic, student-benefiting landmarks at the heart of the Canyon Country Campus.

Our sincere THANKS to all who made this evening possible!

College of the Canyons Board of Trustees Edel Alonso, Fred Arnold, Carlos Guerrero, Sharlene Johnson, and Darlene Trevino Superintendent/President Dr. Jasmine Ruys Guest Speaker, Teresa Ciardi Professor, Astronomy and Physical Science, College of the Canyons The Antelope Valley Astronomy Club The Local Group Astronomy Club of Santa Clarita Valley The Star Party Committee Michaela Blain, Teresa Ciardi, Anthony Michaelides, Jamie Page, Maria Sanchez, and Paul Wickline All COC departments, clubs, and staff who support this event! _____________________________________________ Additional Information about the Canyon Country Campus, including info on how to support student scholarships (QR Code below), is available at www.canyons.edu/canyoncountry

Student Scholarship QR Code Thank you