Friday, March 14, 2008

 

MWCC AWARDED $1.6 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO TRAIN WORKERS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOBS

By Janice O'Connor

MWCC's Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing program received a major boost this week when the college was awarded a $1.6 million federal grant to expand the new program. Congressman John Olver announced that MWCC has been awarded a $1,578,550 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants Initiative. The grant will be used to fund MWCC’s Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing Partnership Project, a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb.

The Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing Partnership will develop career ladders and curricula to link pre-employment, certificate, and associate’s degree programs in biotechnology and biomanufacturing technology. Specifically, the partnership will facilitate outreach programs in high schools and One-Stop Career Centers to expose youth and adults to career opportunities and will equip labs and hiring training faculty. This funding will support the training of approximately 190 students. The program will be based at MWCC’s Devens campus.

“MWCC has identified a need – there are biotech firms out there in our area with high paying, entry level jobs that need trained workers.  This funding will allow MWCC to fill that gap in the job market,” Olver said.

“This is a great economic boon to the region because we’re helping to fuel Bristol-Myers Squibb’s workforce,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. “We greatly appreciate the continued support we receive for our initiatives, especially from Congressman Olver and also from Massachusetts’ entire federal legislative delegation. This grant is extremely important for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and particularly for our region,” Asquino said.

"I'm really excited about it," said Lara Dowland, coordinator of MWCC's Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing program. "The equipment to train for biotech is very expensive, so it sometimes becomes the limiting factor in being able to set up a program. The equipment that this grant will allow us to buy to train students is going to be top notch. Companies that are in the area who are looking for qualified people will know that our students have received actual hands-on training on state-of-the-art equipment," she said.

In addition, Dowland said, "Part of the grant is for scholarships for training students, so that's going to allow us the opportunity to bring in more students than we might have been able to before."

MWCC is one of 69 community colleges and community-based institutions that competed successfully to receive a total of $125 million in grants and is the only Massachusetts organization selected in this third round of funding. Awardees were chosen from among 341 applications submitted in the third round of the competitive grant.

Employment in Massachusetts’ biopharmaceutical industry is expected to grow by 64.3% in the decade ending in 2014.  Approximately 300 biotech-related firms in Massachusetts currently employ more than 30,000 workers.  Eight percent of these workers are hired with an associate’s degree credential.  There is a need for 8,000 associate’s degree workers to fill entry-level positions such production operators and lab personnel statewide.  However, local community colleges face challenges in developing curriculum, acquiring lab equipment, and coordinating career information for dissemination.

PRESIDENT ASQUINO RECEIVES NATIONAL PACESETTER OF THE YEAR AWARD

By Janice O'Connor

MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino, center, was named 2008 Pacesetter of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. The NCMPR, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges, presented the award on March 10 during its national conference in Savannah, Ga. Pictured with Dr. Asquino in front of a riverboat on the Savannah River is David Ross, NCMPR President, and Kathleen Corbalis, NCMPR District 1 Director.

Mount Wachusett Community College President Daniel M. Asquino has been named the 2008 Pacesetter of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. Asquino was presented with the award on March 10 during the organization’s national conference in Savannah, Ga.

One of the organization’s most prestigious honors, the national Pacesetter of the Year Award recognizes a community college president who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation and support of college communications initiatives. It is awarded annually in each of NCMPR’s seven districts and district recipients qualify to compete for the national award. Asquino received the Pacesetter award for District 1 in October, 2007.

"Dr. Asquino has consistently been on the forefront of educational, economic and civic engagement initiatives throughout his 21 years at Mount Wachusett Community College," said David Ross, NCMPR President and vice president of administration and student services at Kwantlen University College in British Columbia, Canada. Ross noted Asquino's success in creating new academic programs to reflect the workforce needs in the state and region, such as biotechnology, dental hygiene and clinical laboratory science, and recognized the president's achievements in establishing MWCC as a national leader in renewable energy and civic engagement.

"I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award,” Asquino told a crowd of more than 500 community college marketing and public relations professionals gathered for the awards ceremony and conference. In accepting the award, Asquino spoke about the importance of building partnerships to strengthen communities and the importance of professional development.

"There is no short cut to great image building," he said. "To be truly great, the college must be determined to build partnerships based on trust. This takes time and a lot of hard work. But every challenge you will meet will be worth it in the end. The college-community partnerships we build send a strong signal to our prospective students: This is a place of commitment. This is a place I can trust. This is a place known for compassion and excellence.  This is a place I want to be a part of."

Asquino is a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and is a member of its Leadership Circle. Under his leadership, MWCC converted its all-electric campus to a biomass heating system in 2002, achieving a 38-percent reduction in electricity, a 24-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and a cost savings of more than $2.4 million. This has led to national recognition and a number of awards from organizations including the National Wildlife Federation and Clean Air - Cool Planet, a leading environmental organization in the Northeast dedicated to finding and promoting solutions to global warming.

Asquino is a member of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s Leadership Council of the Commonwealth Readiness Project. The council is charged with developing a 10-year strategic plan for improving the state’s public education system to better prepare students, meet workforce needs and strengthen the state’s economy.

Among his many professional affiliations, Asquino is the current chair of the College Board’s National Community Colleges Advisory Panel; he is a member of the American Association of Community College’s Commission on Learning and Technology; and has twice been chosen to chair the Committee of Community College Presidents. He also has served as chair of the New England College Council and chair of the Regional College Board Advisory Committee.

Locally, he serves on numerous community organizations, including chairman of the Boys and Girls Club of North Central Massachusetts, the North Central Massachusetts United Way board of directors, the board of trustees for Heywood Hospital, the GFA Credit Union supervisory board and the board of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the Pacesetter award, MWCC also received three NCMPR Paragon awards for exceptional marketing and community relations projects. MWCC received silver Paragon awards for its online catalog and for the Molly Bish Kid Expo community service program, and a bronze Paragon award for the MWCC graphic standards guide. There were more than 2,200 entries in the national competition honoring excellence among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges.

ALUMNI SHARE EXPERIENCES AT HEALTH SCIENCES CAREER PANEL

By Carol Cullins, Director of Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving

MWCC Alumni who participated in the Health Sciences Career Panel include John Campbell, R.N., of Saint Vincent's Hospital, Terri Botti laboratory director, Heywood Hospital, Patricia Wheeler, a physical therapist assistant at Emerson Hospital, and Judith Carroll, a massage therapist and owner of Inner Balance Massage Therapy.

Alumni of MWCC’s health science programs returned to the college this week to share stories about working in the healthcare industry. The Health Sciences Career Panel, sponsored on March 12 by the Counseling and Advising Center, was attended by students interested in working in healthcare.

John Campbell, R.N., who works in the emergency room at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, graduated from the college’s nursing program in 2006. Campbell was an emergency medical technician for five years before changing careers in order to provide more direct care to patients, increase his earnings, and enjoy more family time. 

Although males make up just 5.8 percent of the country’s 2.9 million registered nurses, Campbell said he loves his job and credits the Mount and the nursing faculty for helping him achieve his goals. “I can’t say enough about the program here, and the school,” he said.  “Everyone at the school has helped me out tremendously and I can’t thank them enough.”

Alumna Terri Botti graduated from the Clinical Laboratory Science program in 1989. She had a desire to help people, but did not want direct patient interaction as with the nursing profession. A degree in clinical lab science afforded her the opportunity to be actively involved in healthcare, but “behind the scenes” as she wished. 

Studying at the Mount allowed her to take classes at night so that she could continue to work full-time as a laboratory assistant generalist at Heywood Hospital. Once she earned her associate’s degree, she engaged in medical diagnostics, testing bodily tissues and bodily fluids to diagnose cancer, leukemia, thyroid problems, anemia and other diseases. Botti emphasized that there are many career options for graduates of the Mount’s renewed Clinical Laboratory Science program, including research, teaching, lab kit sales and other opportunities as well, she said.

Botti went on to earn a bachelor degree in biology and is working toward a master’s degree. Currently, she is director of laboratory services at Heywood Hospital and an adjunct instructor at the Mount.

Patricia Wheeler, class of 2000, earned an associate’s degree in the Physical Therapy Assistant program.  A non-traditional student, she had earned a bachelor’s degree in another field many years prior to beginning at the Mount, and spent 10 years raising her children. She loved having time with her kids, so when she considered going back to work, it was important that she worked in a field where she would have flexibility. 

She started at the Mount as a single mom, working part-time and taking classes full-time. When asked how she was able to do so much with only 24 hours in a day, she replied, “I’m a true believe that if you want anything in life badly enough, you’ll figure out a way to make it happen.”   She had a lot of support from her friends and the “great staff here” at the college.

Wheeler is now a physical therapy assistant at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass., and works an average of 24 hours per week. She loves her job, which is per diem, and affords her time to spend with her blended family of five teenagers. 

Owner of Inner Balance Massage Therapy, Judith Carroll graduated from MWCC in 2001 with a degree in Complimentary Healthcare and Massage Therapy. Judith, who is also a registered nurse, became disillusioned with that field when medical care became regulated by non-medical personnel. Friends and family encouraged her to go to the Mount.

Carroll not only owns and operates a private massage therapy practice, but she is also assistant clinical supervisor for the student massage clinic at MWCC. She credits the college for her career success. “You could not ask for better teachers, better instructors than the ones here at the Mount.”

A question and answer period addressed average entry level incomes, types of jobs available based on degree program, the difference in earning potential and profession based on academic degree level and more.

'LIVING AND WORKING IN THE NEW ECONOMY' FOCUS OF WHAT'S NEXT? FORUM

By Janice O'Connor

Panelists, from left, included Bonnie Biocchi of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, Michael Ellis of the Gardner Chamber of Commerce, legislative aide Carly Antonellis, and Diana Silva of Enterprise Bank and Trust.

MWCC's What's Next? Speaker Series continued this week with a panel presentation on "Living and Working in the New Economy." Panelists focused on the quality of life issues that impact the economy in the region, with particular focus on transportation, business development, and housing and the foreclosure crisis.

Bonnie Biocchi, north central regional director for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, highlighted the top industries in North Central Massachusetts, noting: "We're in a much better position than most areas of the country." The region's strengths - in industries such as manufacturing, defense, communications, life sciences/biotechnology, information technology, renewable energy, robotics and financial services - as well as a number of corporate incentives and resources, make the area marketable to companies outside of the Commonwealth.

"The opportunties in North Central Massachusetts are second to none," said Michael Ellis, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce. Ellis emphasized that ample, developable space exists throughout the region that would be suitable to grow some of the region's largest industries, such as manufacturing. "But we must be ready to discard the old NIMBY mentality. Let's be willing to open up and hear the opportunities that come with some of this technology that 10 years ago we thought might have been bad, before we say, 'Not in my backyard.'

Former State Rep. Brian Knuuttila, commented on the importance of a regional, collaborative approach to attracting business and industry to the area.

Diane Silva, senior vice president of mortgage lending for Enterprise Bank and Trust Company, spoke on the foreclosure crisis. "We are in a very, very challengng time," she said, noting that real estate foreclosures in Massachusetts have skyrocketed to an all-time high due to the poor advice and service many received when they were granted sub-prime loans with little or no money down to buy houses at adjustable rates that started at 1 to 2 percent and are now as high as 12 percent, significantly higher than market rates. She recommended that prospective buyers who are on the fence in hope to get an even better deal if real estate values drop lower should buy now, because "real estate is always going to come back." She said those who are facing foreclosure are being advised to try to negotiate a new balance or interest rate with their lender. An emergency line has also been established to counsel people facing foreclosure and provide information about their options. The number is 1-888-995-HOPE.

Carly Antonellis, legislative aide to State Representative Jennifer Flannigan, spoke on transportation issues, including $150 million in state and federal funding to improve rail service to Boston. The improvements will eventually pare the commuting time from Fitchburg to Boston to 60 minutes.

The speaker series, now in its fourth year, focuses this year on “Embracing the New Economy” and the many areas of our lives that are affected by growth. This year’s series is sponsored by MWCC’s Center for Democracy and Humanity in partnership with the Trustees of Reservations, the Twin Cities Latino Coalition and the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation.

The series will continue on Thursday, March 20 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Doyle Conservation Center with "Immigration: The Community's Roadmap to Success." The talk will be presented by Peter Creticos, president and executive director of the Chicago-based Institute for Work and the Economy. The free presentation will focus on the key issues related to the economic impact of immigration on the regional workforce and the partnerships that can be developed.

Lunch will be provided. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Nancy Hawkins at 978-630-9163 or emailing nhawkins@mwcc.mass.edu

MWCC STUDENTS ATTEND SECOND ANNUAL TRIO LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

By Gaurav Khanna, Visions Program Director

Visions program students and staff who attended the TRIO leadership conference at Brandeis University are, in front, Jorge Aguirre, and in back from left, program Director Gaurav Khanna, Adam Loseman, Thomas Russell, Kori Diabate, Sara-Anne Wilson, Christopher Brown, Rebekah White, and Learning Disabilities Specialist Joyce Kulig.

On March 8, 2008 seven Visions program students joined 70 students from six Massachusetts TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) programs in attending the Second Annual Student Leadership Conference. The conference was organized by the students and staff of the TRIO SSS program at Brandeis University. The day started with an inspirational speech and Q&A session with Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, President of Bridgewater State College and himself a first generation college student. The conference also included sessions on interview techniques, transfer, time management, a panel discussion with Brandeis faculty and group discussions among TRIO students.

MWCC students said they enjoyed “meeting students from other programs” and “hearing different viewpoints.”  The conference was rated “excellent” and highly recommended for all Visions students.

The Visions program is an educational opportunity TRIO program funded by the United States Department of Education. The program helps student participants persist in college through graduation and assists those who wish to transfer to a four-year institution. The Visions program provides support services to students from families where neither parents has earned a four-year degree, from limited income backgrounds, who have disabilities. Motivated students who meet at least one of these criteria are strongly encouraged to apply. The many services provided by the Visions Program include personal counseling, academic advising, career counseling, professional tutors, seminars and workshops, transfer counseling, services for students with learning disabilities, an annual awards ceremony and reception, cultural and recreational activities, and mentoring.

The Visions program at MWCC is one of approximately 1,900 TRIO programs throughout the United States. TRIO programs grew out of our nation's commitment to the ideal of providing equal access to higher education to all Americans, regardless of their backgrounds or economic circumstances.

More MWCC News:

• Gail Anderson retired from the Financial Aid office on Friday, March 7 in style. Her husband, Paul, was so eager to bring her back to the family's farm in Gardner, he picked her up on her last day in their tractor following a celebration with coworkers at the college. Scott Farris, associate director of Financial Aid, photographed the occasion.

  During spring break, the LaChance Library hours will be March 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 18-20 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and March 21 from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. In addition, the library announces the following spring hours: Saturday April 19 and Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact the library at (978) 630-9125 or toll-free at 888-884-6922.

• "Immigration: The Community's Roadmap to Success," a talk presented by Peter Creticos, president and executive director of the Chicago-based Institute for Work and the Economy, will take place on Thursday, March 20 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster as part of MWCC's What's Next? Speaker Series. The free presentation will focus on the key issues related to the economic impact of immigration on the regional workforce and the partnerships that can be developed. This year’s speaker series is sponsored by MWCC’s Center for Democracy and Humanity in partnership with the Trustees of Reservations, the Twin Cities Latino Coalition and the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation. Lunch will be provided. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Nancy Hawkins at 978-630-9163 or emailing nhawkins@mwcc.mass.edu
• The MWCC Wellness Committee and Human Resources are co-sponsoring Wellness Fair 2008 on Monday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Commons area, followed by a week of wellness events. Free activities include chair massages, presenations on a variety of topics, tours of the MWCC Fitness and Wellness Center, chiropractic screenings, blood pressure screenings, body composition and hand strength screenings, respiratory screenings, stress management, cancer prevention and self detection instruction, healthy snacks and recipes for children, and more.

• The Art Club and Human Resources are co-sponsoring a lecture by AIDS activist Tim Bullock on Tuesday, March 25 from 9 to 10 a.m. in the North Cafeteria. Bullock will speak about his working with AIDS sufferers in Africa and his experience on the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage, a year-long journey that retraced the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade from the United States to West Africa to South Africa. For more information, contact Assistant Professor of Art Tom Matsuda at (978) 630-9340 or tmatsuda@mwcc.mass.edu.

• The Admissions office is sponsoring a Healthcare Expo on Wednesday, March 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Commons area for current and prospective students interested in MWCC healthcare programs. Faculty will be available to answer questions and to provide information regarding each major. Admissions, Financial Aid and Transfer counselors also will be available to assist students. Academic programs represented include: Certified Nurse Aid, Complementary Health Care, Emergency Medical Technician, Dental Hygiene, Fitness Leadership & Exercise Science, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting & Medical Office, Nursing, Phlebotomy, Physical Therapist Assistant, Practical Nursing, Clinical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing. To register for this event, contact the Enrollment Center at (978) 630-9284, or email admissions@mwcc.mass.edu

• MWCC is a founding sponsor of the North Central Massachusetts Minority Coalition’s first-ever forum on Race, Poverty and Justice. This four-part community initiative continues on March 27 with Race, Women & Women of Color from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Fitchburg State College. This free, regional community forum will focus on promoting, inspiring and supporting women in leadership and will include a panel presentation, a vocalist, poetry and interpretive dance. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Sibyl Brownlee, vice president of student affairs at Worcester State College. Panelists will include Renae Gray, Boston Women's Fund; Lysa Mosca, YMCA-Battered Women's Resources; Kathleen McDermott, Montachusett Opportunity Council, Inc., Sayra Pinto-Wilson, of MWCC, the Twin Cities Latino Coalition and the Partnership for Latino Success; Emily MacRae, Macrae Enterprises; and Seema Williams, Black Tyz Entertainment, Inc. On-site child care will be available. To register, email theminoritycoaltion@mwcc.mass.edu or call (978) 342-6011.

• MWCC's Institute for Nonprofit Develompent is hosting a Town Hall Meeting for Nonprofit Organizations on Thursday, April 3 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, 860 South Street, Fitchburg. The free event will provide an opportunity for representatives from nonprofit organizations to meet, network, collaborate and take action around national priorities for the nonprofit sector. The Town Hall is part of the Nonprofit Congress, an initiative of the National Council of Nonprofit Organizations. The program will be facilitated by Susan Nicholl of the Massachusetts Network of Nonprofits and Michael Weekes of the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, also known as the Providers Council. The event is being co-sponsored by the INPD, and the Providers Council, a member of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations.

• The 26th Annual Regional Exhibition of High School Art will take place April 7 through April 18 in the East Wing Gallery of the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center. The show includes the works of more than 200 students from 17 local high schools. MWCC Art Department faculty will judge the pieces and award cash prizes to individual students at a reception on Thursday, April 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. All are welcome to attend the reception.

• Registrations are now being accepted for the spring Saturday Morning Classes for Kids, offered through the Division of Lifelong Learning & Workforce Development. Course topics include cooking, oceans in motion, scrapbooking, health and safety, board games, bookmaking, babysitting, calligraphy, Lego engineering, online video game making and more. Session one runs for three consecutive Saturdays beginning March 29 from 8 a.m. to noon. Sessions two and three run on three consecutive Saturdays beginning May 3, from 8 a.m. to noon. For more information or to register, contact Enrollment Services at (978) 630-9123.

• Free 2007 income tax preparation services will be offered to eligible area residents at MWCC's Gardner and Leominster campuses. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is being offered on Thursdays through April 10 at the Gardner campus and on Fridays through April 11 at the Leominster campus. Appointments can be made by contacting Denise Whitney at (978) 630-9124 or dwhitney@mwcc.mass.edu. The VITA program, an initiative of the IRS, is a service-learning project for MWCC business students coordinated by the Division of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development and the Business Department.

• Volunteer musicians and singers are needed to perform in educational recording sessions during an advanced audio production course at MWCC. Students enrolled in the college’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications degree program will record the performers on Wednesday evenings between 5 to 8 p.m. throughout the spring semester as part of the academic program. Choirs, quartets, soloists and other singing groups are needed, as well as woodwind, brass, percussion and string musicians, a brass quartet and a big band jazz band. Rock bands are not being recorded as part of this course. The volunteer performers will get an opportunity to learn more about the recording process as it pertains to their specialty. Some performances may be aired on cable access stations. For more information, or to reserve a recording space, contact instructor John Little at jlittle@mwcc.mass.edu.

• The enrollment center is offering Information Sessions on a number of academic programs. Upcoming sessions will take place on the following dates: Clinical Laboratory Science: April 16 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Heywood Hospital, Dining Room B; Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing: March 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Leominster Campus, 100 Erdman Way and April 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Gardner campus, room 341; A.S. Nursing: April 8 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Practical Nursing Certificate program: March 20 and April 17 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Complementary Health Care: March 24 and April 28 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Dental Hygiene: April 2 from 2 to 3 p.m. at Burbank Hospital, Fitchburg. Prospective students interested in attending an information session are asked to call the enrollment center at (978) 630-9110 (TTY (978) 632-4916), or send an email to admissions@mwcc.mass.edu