Ken Costello credits the equal partnership between his left brain – the analytical and logical—and his right brain – the creative and intuitive – for his successful ability to analyze a situation and then innovate to go beyond typical approaches to achieve unexpected results. Graduating from ASU, he became a criminalist for the Phoenix Police Department Crime Lab. Not satisfied to just conduct tests, he developed new procedures and found novel ways to assist the detectives in their investigations.

He transitioned into teaching while running his own multimedia and video production businesses. In 1990, he became coordinator of educational technology development in the MCC Center for Teaching and Learning. Ken has produced more than 300 educational videos and dozens of computer instructional programs. He assisted instructors with web development, PowerPoint presentations, and design. Over nearly two decades at MCC, Ken captured images and recorded a wide range of events.

He taught chemistry in mostly online formats at MCC as well as other Maricopa Community Colleges. To enrich the class content for students, he invented an affordable, quality, portable lab, which allowed students to achieve hands-on lab experiences at home. Ken was asked to co-organize a symposium on distance learning labs at the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Francisco and also presented at an ACS conference in San Diego.

Ken volunteered for a variety of clubs and organizations from the MCC Forensic Club to stainable education outreach. He was named Outstanding Employee of the Year and nominated Outstanding Adjunct Faculty.

For a link to the full video of the ceremony, please visit MCC Hall of Fame 2021.