El Camino College Names Distinguished Faculty and Staff for 2026

El Camino College recently recognized Distinguished Faculty and Staff Award honorees at the 2026 Distinguished Faculty and Staff Award Reception. Faculty members Emmanuel Aguiar (Part-Time Faculty Award) and Dr. René Lozano (Full-Time Faculty Award) were honored, along with staff member Anna Reynolds (Staff Award). Each regularly demonstrates their commitment to El Camino’s students, the college’s mission, and their colleagues.

In February 2023, Emmanuel Aguiar joined El Camino College as an adjunct assistant professor in the Human Development Department, where his work is rooted in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Meta-Major. In his courses, he strives to go beyond teaching study skills – he helps students navigate their life trajectories. On campus, Aguiar is known for integrating equity principles into his curriculum, ensuring students see their lived experiences reflected in the lessons. He also collaborates with the Library and Career Services, so students can expand and envision their education and post-grad goals. Outside the classroom, Aguiar serves on the Behavioral and Social Sciences Division Council and works with EOPS/CARE, MOCAN, the Special Resource Center and other specialized programs to close equity gaps. He also works to connect students to important resources, including FIRST, MICASA, the Black Student Success Center, MANA, LGBTQIA+ Pride Center, and the Basic Needs Center to ensure they have the support they need to succeed. He earned a master’s degree in education from Pepperdine University, a master’s in educational counseling from the University of La Verne, and a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA. Aguiar has more than a decade of experience from across the region, including roles at Compton College, Rio Hondo College, and East Los Angeles College. His own educational journey drives his dedication to helping students realize their goals of transferring to the university of their dreams.

Dr. René Lozano is coordinator of El Camino’s Transfer Center, guiding countless students to a college or university while remaining dedicated to the idea that transfer is not a privilege – it is a right. Through his leadership, El Camino is one of the top transfer institutions in the state and its programs have been recognized as a statewide standard. Dr. Lozano's 32 years in higher education began as an undergraduate admissions officer at UCLA, where he supported first-generation, low-income, and community college transfer students. He joined the El Camino faculty in 2008 and continues to lead statewide initiatives for community college faculty. As chair of the Transfer Region 7, he works to close transfer equity gaps for historically marginalized and underrepresented students. He also chairs the Counselors Committee for the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) and works with the state academic senate in addressing reforms. In Sacramento, Dr. Lozano worked directly to help pass AB 595, which allows undocumented students to use an ITIN number in lieu of a Social Security number for professional licensing background checks, opening career pathways in teaching nursing, and other health-related fields. He is a recipient of the Faculty Association for California Community College’s Faculty of the Year Award, among other awards and honors. Dr. Lozano earned a doctorate from Loyola Marymount University, a master’s degree from San Diego State University, and a bachelor’s from UCLA. A proud immigrant whose own story mirrors those of his students, Dr. Lozano brings to every interaction the lived knowledge that access to higher education changes not just one life — but generations.

Anna Reynolds joined the El Camino College community in 2022 as a project specialist in the Library, Academic Support, & Noncredit Division. Originally from Minneapolis, her own education journey began as a first-generation college student and dual enrollment participant at Minneapolis Community College. Reynolds then earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Augsburg University. She plans to complete a master’s degree in information technology management this spring. Reynolds’s career has taken her through classrooms and communities across Oakland, New Zealand, and Montana, before a move to Los Angeles brought her back to her IT roots as a student information systems specialist with the El Segundo Unified School District. This combination of experience across education and information technology continues to shape how she approaches her work connecting systems and processes to better support students. Curious by nature and an educator at heart, Reynolds is known on campus for making complex systems clearer and more accessible to others. She also values the opportunity to work alongside colleagues. At El Camino, she participates in Caring Campus, and the Colleague Improvement Group, while also supporting Library Welcome Week. She also volunteers with various organizations throughout her community.