Humberto “Bert” Sanchez, an instructor at Pierce College who established the school’s international business program, died March 9 at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center. He was 59. Sanchez was a popular instructor at Pierce College where he started teaching part time in 1995 and was hired full time the following year. In 1998, Sanchez established the college’s international business program. Sanchez was chosen for that role because of his expertise in developing and operating businesses involved in global markets, said Business Administration Chairman David Braun. “We determined the international business sector was growing in the Valley and we wanted to begin to educate the workforce for those businesses,” Braun said. Sanchez received a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana State University and an M.B.A. from the University of La Verne. A highlight in Sanchez’s educational career was receiving a $150,000 federal grant used to operate an international small business development center for three years on the campus, Braun. Sanchez was among the founders of the Valley International Trade Association. He was very well thought of by the students taking his classes and one of the more popular professors on campus, Braun said. “He was focusing all his energy on teaching and integrating technology into his classroom,” Braun said. Sanchez went to Los Robles on March 6 after experiencing abdominal pain and died while being given anesthesia for exploratory surgery, Braun said. Sanchez is survived by his wife Jeanette and son, Daniel. Services were private.