QCC e-News The Campus Newsletter of Quinsigamond Community College

QCC Awarded Funding from $20 Million MA Department of Labor Grant; Is Lead Institution in Management of Grant

October 2011

Dale Allen,Vice President for Community Engagement

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QCC has been awarded funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Labor for QCC’s Project, “Massachusetts Community College and Workforce Development Transformation Agenda” (MACCWDTA). The grant award, announced September 26, will disburse $20 Million over three years, to 15 community colleges and will seek to create innovative and collaborative, statewide change in the delivery system of high quality education and training programs for workers eligible under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act (TAA). Six key industry sectors have been targeted that reflect the strategic economic development plan of the Commonwealth: Life Sciences and Biotechnology; Information Technology; Health Care; Clean Energy; Advanced Manufacturing; and Financial Services and Entrepreneurship.

The priorities targeted by MACCWDTA are to: 1) accelerate educational progress for low skilled and other workers,2) improve retention and achievement rates to reduce time to completion,3) build programs that meet industry needs, including developing shared state-wide and curriculum and career pathways and,4) strengthen online and technology enabled learning. The target population to be served by the innovative programming includes a minimum of 4,000 TAA eligible and other eligible individuals, and will prioritize service to veterans and eligible spouses under the Jobs for Veterans Act.Quinsigamond Community College will be the lead institution in managing the grant. “Community Colleges are the engines that drive economic growth and development”, stated Dale Allen, Vice President for Community Engagement at QCC. “This DOL grant will fund the Massachusetts Community College and Workforce Development Transformation Agenda to ensure that we are able to bring training and workforce assistance to the people that are in the best positions to succeed, and move the Commonwealth into economic recovery.” The project also seeks to engage industry and employee partners that have been previously identified by outreach efforts: Partners HealthCare, Baystate Health, MA Community Health Care Centers Association, University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital, MA Biomed Foundation, MS Biomedical Initiative, Fast Cap, Conservation Services Group, MA Hospital Association, Absolute Green Energy and METSO Automation North America.A "road show" to publicize the grant award has been scheduled and will include local cable tv and radio stations.

President Gail Carberry

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Campus News Send us your news! We want to hear what’s happening in your department and with your students or staff. Submit information at www.QCC.edu/newsletter.html. Events, awards, success stories... We want to share your news with the entire QCC community. The deadline for the November e-newsletter is November 10, 2011.

Professor Dadbeh Bigonahy Attends Annual Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society From October 12 through 15, Dadbeh Bigonahy, Coordinator of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Programs attended a four-day conference in Hartford, CT, hosted by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). The four-day conference attracted over 3,000 attendees for the second consecutive year. The theme this year was “Fostering Collaborative Academic, Clinical, and Industrial Research in Biomedical Engineering.” The outstanding program of presentations, poster sessions, and professional discussions highlighted the latest advances in both basic and translational research. The student program included several career related activities including an alumni panel, a resume review and writing workshop, and career fair. There were undergraduate and graduate technical sessions and design project sessions as well as special sessions for BMES student chapters. A Professional Development workshop provided students and early career workers with insights on what skills made the speakers marketable in the workforce.Of particular note, Professor Bigonahy was the only community college faculty member in attendance. When he spoke of the quality and rigor of QCC’s program, WPI colleagues concurred wholeheartedly, due to the huge success of the articulation agreement with WPI. In addition, there was great interest from many prestigious four-year institutions to pursue transfer agreements with QCC in the near future. The 6,500 member-strong BMES has invited QCC to to become the FIRST community college member and to establish the FIRST community college member student chapter. Congratulations to the Basic Engineering program, to all of the faculty and students and especially to Professor Bigonahy for his leadership and tireless advocacy on behalf of his students!

Career Placement Services, Transfer & Liberal Arts Programs Hosts Discussion Seven panel members from a cross-section of business fields were guests of Career Placement Services, Transfer and Liberal Arts Programs panel discussion event, “What Can I Do with My Liberal Arts Degree?” Guests from local businesses spoke to the crowd gathered at the HLC on October 19 about career opportunities for students with Liberal Arts degrees and specifically how their degree helped them create a path to their current career. (QCC’s own Hadley Camilus, Senior Admissions Coordinator, was also a panel member.)

Financial Aid Office Features “Scholarship of the Week” Opportunity Each week, the Financial Aid Office will feature a new external scholarship opportunity, posted to the bulletin board outside of the Financial Aid Office, Room 165A. The Financial Aid Office is calling the promotion the “Scholarship of the Week” which will also be available on The Q at the Financial Services Page, under scholarship details. Please encourage students to check out the bulletin board for each new opportunity.

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Campus News

TEC Staff Holds Food Drive On Saturday, October 15, the staff of the

Training and Education Center (TEC) held a food drive to benefit the Hudson Food Pantry, to introduce QCC to the community and also

illustrate QCC’s support of their neighbors. TEC collected approximately $1,000 in greatly

needed food supplies. TEC offers many entry level training programs

and, when combined with community service projects like this one, hopes to continue to

contribute to the economic health and well-being of the residents who live and work near

QCC’s newest campus location at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School.

Maria Kefallinou, Program Manager of the Adult Community Learning Center at TEC Recognized for Excellence Maria Kefallinou, Program Manager of the Adult Community Learning Center at TEC, is the recipient of the 2011 NISOD Excellence Award for her exemplary work in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and General Education Development (GED) programs at the Training and Education Center. The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) is a consortium of over 700 community colleges and universities world-wide that has a 33-year history of recognizing faculty, staff and administrators for outstanding contributions to teaching, leadership and learning. Ms. Kefallinou was recognized for her work that includes looking at ways to close the achievement gap for English as a Second Language (ESL) and Adult Basic Education (ABE) individuals and enhancing students’ success. To meet this goal, her program is currently piloting initiatives to integrate technology, curriculum and scheduling innovations. Under Ms. Kefallinou’s direction, the Adult Community Learning Center at CitySquare graduated 63 students this past year; the largest class of GED recipients in the program’s history. In addition to her work as the Program Manager of the Adult Education Programs, she was a member of the statewide Counseling Task Force and has been a member of the statewide Policy to Performance Task Force since 2010. Ms. Kefallinou participated in the team work and effort that resulted in the successful submission and award of the DOL $20 million grant and will be assisting in the implementation of the programs that will impact ESL and ABE individuals. Congratulations Ms. Kefallinou!

QCC Supports Operation GratitudeFor the first year, QCC Dental programs, led by Barbara Dawidjan, are spearheading Operation Gratitude on the Worcester campus. Operation Gratitude, a candy collection project for care packages destined for U.S. Military, is being held in conjunction with Stanley Levenson, DMD, Worcester. Dr. Levenson’s practice has been registered to collect candy for the project for several years. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to donate Halloween candy in exchange for raffle prizes.QCC’s collection will take place November 1, 2, and 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Collection boxes will be located in the Fuller Student Center and at the Dental Hygiene Clinic on the main campus at 670 West Boylston Street, Worcester. For more information or to donate, contact Barbara Dawidjan at bdawidjan@qcc.mass.edu.

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Campus News

New Employee Luncheon Twenty new or newly promoted employees attended a luncheon in their honor on September 29. As is QCC’s tradition, new staff are welcomed by President Carberry and HR staff and also have an opportunity to introduce themselves and get acquainted with their co-workers at a lovely luncheon.

(Pictured Left to r: Andrea MacRitchie, Assistant Dean for Academic Support Services, Christina Matthew,Admissions, Roya Hashimi, Admissions and Stephen Agard, Enrollment Counselor.)

Professor Murphy Attends Reception, Witnesses Two QCC Students Win Awards

Carol Murphy, Professor of Accounting, attended the 9th annual "Stepping Up for Girls Reception" at Mechanic's Hall on September 22, hosted by the Women's Initiative of United Way of Central Massachusetts. “Stepping Up for Girls Reception” is the most

important fund raising and awareness event for the Women’s Initiative, whose mission is to "Promote Women's Leadership and Philanthropy to create positive and measurable

change for Women and Children."Ms. Murphy was a guest of Fallon Clinic and reports that she was both surprised and

happy to see two QCC students receive the Meredith Wesby Young Leader Award. The young women, Dayanara Negron and and Sheilah Morgan are both members of the

Edward M. Kennedy Health Center Peer Leaders Team. Congratulations Ms. Negron and Ms. Morgan!

Ken’s Foods Employees Complete TEC’s English as a Second Language Course In July, a ceremony was held to recognize the achievements of 16 employees at Ken’s Foods, Inc., who completed a 10-week English as a Second Language class conducted by the Training & Education Center.Students attended class twice a week for 10 weeks, on their own time. As a result, attendees greatly improved their communication ability. Charlie Dybala, Packaging Manager, commented that he saw a building of confidence in employees’ communication skills. He said that he hears English being used more frequently to communicate on the floor. The Training & Education Center is currently in the process of scheduling the next round of classes for Ken’s Foods Inc. employees.

QCC Students Sheilah Morgan (left) and Dayanara Negron

National “Coming Out Day” Observed on CampusOctober 11 marked “National Coming Out Day,” a 20+ year-old observance in honor of GLBT persons and allies - with the goal of increasing the visibility and thereby the acceptance of GLBT persons and issues. QCC’s campus GLBT student group, the QCC Pride Alliance, celebrated the national day with a forum in the HLC. The theme of the forum was, “It Gets Better, “ inspired by the international video phenomenon, http://www.itgetsbetter.org.

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Campus News

QCC Reading Roundtable Book Club Continues to Inspire Book Lovers! The Reading Roundtable Book Club is alive and well and continues to meet on a regular basis, led by Nancy Bethiaume, Professor of Psychology, and administrated by Erica Merrill, Center for Academic Excellence, Staff Development Office. If you missed the Fall sign up but would like to read the same books, the Fall 2011 selection is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. (Complimentary copies of the Club’s selections are available to the first ten members who sign up each Fall.) The Spring 2012 book selection is Townie: A Memoir by Andre Dubus III and is available for club members to pick up in the Center for Academic Excellence, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. For more information, contact Erica Merrill at emerrill@qcc.mass.edu or at ext. 4229. The Wyvern loves good books - how about you?

Road Bowl II Walking Challenge Ends The Colleges of Worcester Consortium’s Road Bowl II Walking Challenge ended Friday, October 28 at midnight. QCC’s contact at Fallon who manages the event has said that results should be out by November 1! How did your team do? If your team has any photos they’d like to submit for Fallon’s closing ceremony, please contact Laurie Comeau at ext. 4355 or Diane Maple at ext. 4226 in the Human Resources Office.

The Wyvern enjoying Fall’s Reading Roundtable Book Club selection.

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Student Athletes HonoredFour student athletes from QCC’s Spring 2011 Baseball Team were awarded National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All New England Baseball Team status at a luncheon ceremony on September 30, 2011 on the QCC Worcester campus. Coach Mike Fusaro spoke briefly about each player’s talent and accomplishments and President Gail Carberry and Steve Sullivan, Vice-President of Enrollment and Student Services presented the young men with NJCAA Certificates.Jon Mielewski was named 2011 All New England Baseball Team Honorable Mention.George Berberian was named 2011 All New England Baseball Team Division III, Second Team. Pat Gilman was named 2011 All New England Baseball Team Division III, Second Team. Rico Balderelli was named 2011 All New England Baseball Team Honorable Mention.

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L. to r: Pat Gilman, Rico Balderelli and Jon Mielewski(George Berberian not present.)

In addition, two players were recognized by the Worcester-area Baseball Association; QCC athletes Alex Quiles and Pat Gilman were named to the Inaugural All-Worcester Baseball Team. QCC Freshman (DH) Alex Quiles was chosen for the Worcester Area All Star - First Team, and QCC Sophomore (Utl) Pat Gilman was chosen for the Worcester Area All Star - Second Team.

Campus News

PTK News Could it REALLY be that time of year again...? Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members are once again working with the children from Why Me and Sherry’s House to offer one-of-a-kind, beautifully hand-designed holiday cards for sale - $12/10 cards. All proceeds benefit Why Me and Sherry’s House - Helping Families of Children with Cancer. Cards may be pre-ordered through any PTK member or by contacting Bonnie Coleman, PTK Advisor at bonniec@qcc.mass.edu or ext. 7412.

Wyvern “competes” in contest Adjunct Faculty member from QCC Southbridge, Donna Silverberg,

created this amazing scarecrow in the image of QCC’s Wyvern for the Publick House’s Annual Halloween Harvest Fest. The scarecrows are on

view on the lawn of the Publick House, Sturbridge, MA for the month of October until the community votes on the best entry.

Alumni News The QCC Alumni Association has scheduled a Casino Night on November 4, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence Street. Tickets are $35 each, $25 for students (21-plus only) and seniors, and $60 per couple. All proceeds will benefit the Alumni Association Scholarship fund. For more information contact Nancy Chosta at 508.854.4385 or nancyc@qcc.mass.edu. Of particular note, students from QCC’s Hotel Restaurant Management Program’s Casino and Gaming Operations concentration will host the event, acting as dealers and other casino employees, as well as cooking and serving appetizers. The program has been in the news recently due to State Senate approval of casino gambling in Massachusetts, and QCC’s positioning to supply trained personnel for the gaming industry.

Wyvern Scarecrow created by Adjunct Professor Donna Silverberg

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Melissa Toupin from Channel 3 News films as students present during “Introduction to Casino and Gaming Operations” class

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Pat Hutchinson, Coordinator of Hotel/Restaurant Management Program with students

Faculty, Staff, & Student Notes New Faculty and Staff On October 11, Enrollment Services welcomed Tamara Strouth into her new role as Coordinator, Disability Services. Ms. Strouth brings over 3 years experience overseeing a disability services office in a community college setting to QCC, and has taught Developmental English and Reading courses as an adjunct instructor. She also brings over 20 years experience tutoring math and English in a variety of public and private school settings. Ms. Strouth earned a BA in French at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and an MA in Education at National University in San Diego, California. Her office is located on the main campus in room 212A, as well as in Southbridge. Welcome to QCC, Ms. Strouth!

QCC Family’s Got Talent! If you missed the season premier of AMC’s hit series, The Walking Dead, Leo Burgess was spotted in a horde of “walkers” (zombies, to the uninitiated) toward the beginning of the program. Catch it on re-run or select it from premier cable channel programming. (The still photograph from the show, at right, has Mr. Burgess at the back of the horde.) Did you know that quite a few of your co-workers have hidden talents apart from their day jobs?

Kirsten Daigneault, Coordinator of Future Focus Program, performs in her band, Panache, scheduled heavily through November and beyond. For more

information, go to www.facebook.com/panacheband and “Like” Panache!

Keli Mercadante, Bookstore employee, performs regularly as a singer in bands, Blow It up Johnny! and Mayhem. For a glimpse of Keli performing in an Atlanta-based band, Wild West Picture Show, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjRrBAleuXc